12dz Chapter 2007: Choose to kill yourself, or I will kill you
Chapter 2007: Choose to kill yourself, or I will kill you
The "adult" deep in the cave let out another low growl, this time even weaker than before. Then, its head suddenly tilted, and more black blood gushed out from the corner of its mouth, splashing all over the stone platform.
Zhou Lie looked at this scene, his whole body turned cold, and the torch in his hand seemed to have lost its temperature.
He recalled what Jiulang had said when he first brought him into the cave: "Zhou Lie, if anything were to go wrong with the 'Master', you wouldn't be alive."
That cold look seemed to be right in front of me at this moment.
"It's over, it's all over..." He muttered to himself, his legs went limp, and he slid down the rock wall to sit on the ground. The torch rolled to the side, and the flames licked the blood stains on the ground, making a "sizzling" sound.
Wang Tou also collapsed on the ground, wiping away tears: "What should I do... Jiulang knows, we both have to die..."
Zhou Lie didn't say anything, but just stared at the direction of the "adult". He felt stuffy in his heart and even his breathing was heavy and sluggish.
"Manager Zhou!"
The sound of hurried footsteps shattered the silence outside the cave, accompanied by suppressed panic shouts. A subordinate with a dusty face crawled into the cave, but only went outside and did not dare to come in.
Zhou Lie suddenly raised his eyes, and anger instantly ignited in his originally dead eyes. He stood up suddenly.
He walked outside angrily, "What are you howling for? Is the sky falling?"
The subordinate swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "There are ships approaching from outside the island! They are packed with black people, and from the looks of it... they are not friendly!"
"How dare you!" Zhou Lie growled, the pent-up anger in his chest seemingly finding an outlet. He grabbed his men by the collar and asked, "How many people are there? What do their banners look like?"
"It's too far away to see the number of people, and the boat is too big, so I can't see the flag, but the planks are shiny, and it's obvious that it's not a fishing boat from the nearby waters!"
Wang Tou hurriedly stepped forward and pulled Zhou Lie's hand away, a soothing smile on his face. "Don't worry, there haven't been many bastards who have wanted to seize territory over the years. The pirates who occupied Reef West two years ago heard that this was our Liu family's territory, so they ran away without even dropping anchor."
He patted Zhou Lie's arm and said firmly, "In my opinion, these are just some ignorant thieves. Once we reveal our identities, we'll make sure they're pissed off."
Zhou Lie shook off his hand, his knuckles pressed against the hilt of the knife at his waist, his eyes as fierce as a wolf: "Get pissed off? This time it won't be so easy."
He glanced at his men who had gathered outside the cave after hearing the noise, and his voice suddenly rose: "Call everyone! Those who can move, grab your weapons! If you dare to come, don't even think about leaving alive!"
Wang Tou's heart sank. Seeing the anger surging in Zhou Lie's eyes, he knew that he was going to vent his anger on outsiders, so he quickly advised: "It's not too late to find out the details first, just in case..."
"What if?" Zhou Lie interrupted him, a sneer on his face. "Could it be that they are from the imperial court? Who would take this deserted island, a place with no one around, seriously?"
He said no more, picked up the broken knife and walked out first. The heavy footsteps echoed on the mountain path.
The men looked at each other, but finally gritted their teeth, picked up axes, clubs, and followed.
Wangtou sighed, picked up the machete at his waist and followed, but his steps became heavier and heavier, and he always felt an inexplicable uneasiness in his heart.
Passing through the dense woods, the salty wind blew in their faces. When everyone arrived at the edge of the island, they all froze in place, and their previous arrogance instantly dissipated.
Three ships were quietly anchored on the sea, their hulls were as black as ink, and figures holding knives and guns could be vaguely seen on the decks, their shadows hazy in the rising sunlight.
The imposing aura alone is incomparable to that of ordinary pirates.
"Who... who are they?" someone couldn't help but whisper, his voice full of fear.
Wang Tou's face turned pale instantly. He had lived for most of his life and had been in these waters for more than 30 years, but he had never seen such an imposing team.
Cold sweat broke out on his back, and his lips trembled: "Something is wrong... It's so wrong..."
Zhou Lie's breathing also stagnated, and the hand holding the broken knife tightened unconsciously. The anger just now was suppressed a lot by the sudden shock, but the words had been spoken, and retreating at this moment would only make his subordinates look down on him.
He forced himself to shout, "What are you afraid of? They're just bluffing! Pass the word down, prepare your bows and arrows, and shoot through their planks if they dare approach the shore!"
The men's responses were scattered and no one dared to move forward.
At this moment, a steady sound of footsteps suddenly came from the deck of the battleship, and everyone subconsciously looked up.
The man in the black robe walked out of the cabin slowly, his clothes fluttering gently in the sea breeze, but not at all messy.
His posture was as straight as a pine tree. Although they were dozens of feet away, they seemed to see the coldness in his eyes. An invisible pressure suddenly enveloped them, like a thick dark cloud pressing on their hearts.
Zhou Lie's words got stuck in his throat, and the shouting he had prepared disappeared in an instant.
He felt his throat inexplicably dry, and he didn't even dare to look directly at the man, only sneaking a glance at him out of the corner of his eye.
Wang Tou's knees trembled slightly. He spent most of his time on the water or on the island, so dealing with invading enemies was a common occurrence for him.
But the aura of this man is definitely not comparable to that of an ordinary military general. It is the bloodiness and majesty accumulated from years of fighting on the battlefield. It seems that just one look can freeze people's whole body.
He quietly tugged at Zhou Lie's sleeve, his voice as low as a mosquito's hum: "This, this must be an important person... Let's..."
Zhou Lie didn't reply. He could feel that gaze sweeping over him, with scrutiny and indifference, making the hairs on his body stand up.
He had lived for so many years and had never felt this way before. It was as if he was just a fish on a chopping board in front of the other party, with no power to resist.
The guard beside the man stepped forward and said loudly, "My master is here! The one in charge of the island, come out and answer!"
Huo Changhe raised his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the group of people standing stiffly on the beach. His voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, with unquestionable majesty: "Who is the mastermind?"
Zhou Lie's teeth were sore from biting them. He wanted to speak, but found that his tongue seemed to be tied and he couldn't make any sound.
The pressure became heavier and heavier, and he even felt a tightness in his chest and it became difficult to breathe.
Huo Changhe didn't look at him, his eyes still fixed on the crowd, his tone flat: "Come out."
Zhou Lie's whole body trembled, as if he was pushed forward by an invisible force.
He raised his head and finally dared to look the other person in the eye, but he only saw the bottomless coldness in Huo Changhe's eyes. There was no anger or murderous intent in those eyes, but they were more frightening than any fierce look.
"I'm Zhou Lie, the person in charge here," his voice was dry and hoarse, and he gritted his teeth and looked straight at Huo Changhe.
Huo Changhe nodded slightly, tapping the side of the boat with his fingertips, making a crisp sound: "Are you going to die on your own, or do I send someone to help you die?"