Chapter 100

This night was a sleepless one for all the Chinese in Naha, and a night of bloodshed in their memory. From noon, a terrifying rumor had spread throughout the city: the Japanese were going to start killing the Chinese. At first, people were somewhat skeptical, but when the common ruffians who were often seen on the streets mysteriously disappeared, and when the taverns, brothels, and gambling dens began to close, the hearts of all the Chinese in the city began to chill.

In the commercial district near the port, Mr. Mi, Naha's most famous grain merchant, was now living in constant fear. He was hiding in the grain warehouse with his wife, children, and employees, bowing and praying to the Buddha for safety, and the incense money he had promised to offer had risen to 500 taels.

Time passed minute by minute, and Naha Port remained deathly silent. Mr. Mi secretly peeked through the door several times but saw no Japanese. However, just after the foreign clock struck eleven, something unexpected happened.

He saw countless figures suddenly emerge from a warehouse nearby that belonged to the Japanese. Their identities could be recognized from their clothing and the swords at their waists—Japanese ruffians.

Mr. Mi was so terrified that he almost screamed, but fortunately, an employee next to him quickly covered his mouth. Within their sight, these Japanese were pouring something onto their own warehouse, and then a match was struck and thrown inside. When the flames rose, the Japanese ruffians began to shout at the top of their lungs.

"Fire! The Chinese set the fire! They want to kill all the Japanese! All Japanese, take up arms to protect yourselves!" These ruffians began to frame the Chinese, continuously pouring kerosene onto their own warehouse. Other ruffians started attacking, specifically targeting Chinese shops.

"Bastards... Break down this door, drag these Chinese out, and make them disembowel themselves..." The heavy wooden door was kicked open, and Chinese people were dragged out by their hair, screaming. Those who dared to resist were immediately stabbed.

Mr. Mi had already stuffed his fists into his mouth, his teeth had bitten through his hand, and he was trembling with fear, tears streaming down his face. Mr. Wang, who had been killed, had been walking with him on the dock that morning, but now he was a lifeless corpse, his eyes staring blankly at the night sky.

Mr. Wang's daughter's clothes had been torn, and several ruffians pounced on her, satisfying their beastly desires. The girl's piercing cries only made these beasts more excited.

Suddenly, the girl bit the ruffian's throat and tore at it with all her might. The ruffian, in pain, pulled out a knife and slashed open her belly. "Bastards! Qing slaves, die!" The injured ruffian slashed at the girl's body repeatedly, and soon the young girl's body was nothing but a pile of flesh.

The scene of violence at the street corner was just a small part of the chaos in Naha. Now, the over a thousand ruffians organized by Akahachi had gone completely mad, driven by alcohol and the thrill of bloodshed, transforming them into beasts.

Akahachi led the largest group of ruffians, rushing into the most prosperous commercial district to plunder the hardworking Chinese merchants.

"Ha ha ha, faster, faster, everyone, speed up, kill these detestable Qing slaves, and take their money... You didn't pay protection fees, right? Now you don't have to pay; we'll take it ourselves..."

Gold, silver, jewels, pearls, and jade... The wealth accumulated by the Chinese over hundreds of years was forcibly taken in one night, the shine of the treasures even surpassing the flames.

Akahachi and his men were mad. The prosperity of the Chinese was unimaginable. These Chinese, who had immigrated from the Ming Dynasty, not only possessed the diligence and resilience of the Japanese people but also had the cultural heritage and intelligence that the Japanese lacked. The proportion of educated Chinese was extremely high, giving them a natural advantage in business.

Moreover, these Chinese had a blood connection to the prosperous mainland, allowing them to easily obtain goods that the Japanese and Ryukyuans could only dream of. Since the early Ming Dynasty, the commercial advantages of Naha Port had become prominent, and more than half of the port's wealth was created by the Chinese.

To put it bluntly, the Chinese had been paying taxes for hundreds of years, nurturing the Ryukyu Kingdom and the Satsuma clan of Japan. Today, these thugs not only showed no gratitude but also saw the Chinese as a flock of fat sheep to be slaughtered.

"Burn them, rob them, kill them... Anyway, these slave-like Chinese will come back in a few years, Qing slaves, you Qing slaves..."

Naha was burning, and the Chinese were weeping. The streets were filled with Chinese fleeing in panic, and at this moment, ten thousand Chinese were like headless flies, running around aimlessly.

Mr. Mi no longer dared to hide in the grain warehouse. The warehouse area was already engulfed in flames, and his own grain warehouse had been set on fire.

Mr. Mi, with his wife, children, and employees, stumbled through the alleys, not knowing where to go. To Shuri Castle? Would the Ryukyu royal family dare to intervene with the Japanese? To the important Chinese official? The dozens of men under his command wouldn't even be enough to fill the Japanese's teeth.

"Boss, where are we going?" The employee's voice was already trembling.

"Let's go to the forest on the back mountain, hide for a few days, these madmen will eventually tire out..." Mr. Mi wiped away his tears and carried his son forward.

Perhaps it was the protection of his ancestors, but after fleeing through three streets, they had not encountered any ruffians. Mr. Mi, while reciting Buddhist prayers in his heart, could not understand the chaos in the city. Why did the Chinese, who paid the most taxes and protection fees, and who never caused trouble, now face such a fate? Hearing the city-wide shouts of "Qing slaves" and seeing the pools of blood and the broken bodies, Mr. Mi could not understand. Only his tears flowed silently.

The protection of his ancestors eventually ran out. As Mr. Mi was about to cross the fifth alley and could already see the path to the mountains, over ten ruffians, their eyes red with bloodlust, suddenly jumped out from a Chinese-style residence, which was already smoking.

"Bastards... There are Qing slaves here, and a flower girl..." The ruffians' eyes lit up at the sight of Mr. Mi and his group. "Wearing silk! This is a rich man..." The ruffians let out a wild cry and charged forward.

The young employee was so scared that his legs turned to jelly, and he turned to run back, but found three Japanese blocking the way. Now they were trapped on both sides. Mr. Mi fell to his knees, pulling out handfuls of silver dollars from his pocket and throwing them away.

"Please, let me go, all my money is yours, just let me go, and I'll break my home to thank you, I'll give you more money..." He bowed repeatedly.

The mad ruffians bent over to pick up the money. Seeing an opportunity, Mr. Mi tried to escape, but his pampered life made it impossible for him to outrun these professional killers. He was kicked to the corner by a ruffian.

"Bastards, you dare to mock me with money... Hey? The woman behind you is very beautiful, come out quickly..." The ruffian drew his sword and grabbed Mr. Mi's concubine, tearing her sleeve with a rip.

"Master, save me, master, save me..." The woman struggled on the ground.

"Sir, please, let us go, I'll give you money, I have money for you..." Mr. Mi had no other choice but to bow.

Perhaps the ruffians were annoyed by Mr. Mi's pleas. One of them raised his sword and shouted, "Bastards! You're too noisy..." A flash of the blade aimed straight for Mr. Mi's neck.

At that moment, a sharp explosion was heard, followed by a clatter as the sword fell to the ground. The ruffians turned to see a bullet hole in the forehead of the ruffian who had raised the sword, and the body fell to the ground.

"Chinese, fight them..." A loud voice came from the corner, and a group of people rushed out. Though only about thirty, they charged like a thousand soldiers.

The leader was a young man with short hair, a revolver gleaming in his hand, shouting excitedly as he ran, "Damn, that was a perfect shot... Fellow countrymen, fight these beasts! Killing one is worth it, killing two is a bonus..."

Mr. Mi and the ruffians were stunned, but when they saw the flag carried by the strong man behind the young man, the ruffians' hearts sank to hell, while the Chinese were moved to tears.

"Xiao Letian! It's Xiao Letian..." The Chinese shouted with hope, while the Japanese shouted with the despair of facing death.

"Kill these beasts!" The man carrying the flag, Xiang Shaolong, roared, and the thirty most capable fighters surged forward like a tide, unstoppable.

Mr. Mi was crying so hard he couldn't speak. The scene before him would never leave his memory. The ground was filled with the thudding of American high-top military boots, the Spencer rifles spitting fire, and the bright steel blades splashing blood. The once invincible Japanese ruffians were now a pile of corpses, and the two who managed to escape were screaming as they ran.

"Xiao Letian, it's the officials from our homeland who have come to save us..." The black and white flag fluttered in the sea breeze, and the name "Xiao Letian" seemed to have a magical power, bringing comfort to those who saw it.

"Fellow countrymen, follow us, we will lead you to break through... How did you end up like this? Ten thousand Chinese, and not a single one resisted, why did you flee like a flock of ducks..."

At this moment, Mr. Mi, finding some courage, picked up two swords from the blood, gave one to the employee, and held the other tightly. "Let's go, follow the officials from our homeland, even if we die, we must take one with us..."

A soldier patted Mr. Mi's shoulder. "That's right, ten thousand Chinese in Naha, even if we all die, we can kill all the Japanese, why not fight them..."

At this moment, a high-pitched shout from Xiao Letian came from the front. "Those who offend the strong Han, no matter how far, will be punished! Kill these beasts..." At the forefront of the flag, a group of Japanese ruffians were forming a hundred-man formation, their bright swords forming a steel forest, marching in unison towards Xiao Letian and his men.

"That's the leader of the Qing slaves... Take his head... Duck, duck!"

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