Prince's Mansion
More than ten slaves were practicing their assassination skills. Their muscles were strong and their footwork was good. They held onto wooden swords and shields and were practicing against a wooden pillar. At the same time, they were learning how to use the shield to hit the upper half of the enemy's body. When the enemy raised his head to block, they would use the short sword to deliver a fatal blow.
When the order was given, the slaves lined up neatly. Although it wasn't a phalanx, it wasn't as messy as when they were first bought.
Pei Zi Yun was very satisfied with the results of his training. He looked at the slaves and said, "You are all slaves that I have bought and are proficient in combat. This time, we are about to go on an expedition. I hope that you can let me see the results of your training on the battlefield. I don't care what you think, whether you are willing to participate in this expedition or not. As slaves, you do not have the right to choose. On the battlefield, I only want you to understand the meaning of obedience. Do you understand? "
"Understood." They replied in unison, making the group of slaves seem to have some form of respect.
Pei Zi Yun laughed coldly. He was in charge of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Great Xu Dynasty. These people were nothing to him. He only said, "For this expedition, I only have one requirement — courage and achievements."
"Those who are brave will not be punished. As long as there are achievements, I will not be stingy. There will be wine, meat, and women. The most outstanding among them, I will even make them my protectors!"
Hearing this, there was a commotion below. Some of the slaves were visibly agitated.
Protectors were a special concept in this world. They were similar to guardians. In fact, it meant that they would be promoted to the status of a free citizen. However, they would still be under the 'protection' of their original owners. They would be the retainers of the Great Xu Dynasty.
To these slaves, it was almost impossible for them to become citizens within a generation. The best reward would be to gain their freedom. If they did not gain their freedom, not only would they become the property of their master, their descendants would be slaves for generations to come.
Now that Pei Zi Yun's words had given them a glimmer of hope, they couldn't help but be agitated.
Pei Zi Yun waited for the crowd to quiet down before he continued, "But if you do not obey orders or are lazy, I will punish you without mercy. You may even be hanged to death. I hope that you will remember this."
"Let's go!" Pei Zi Yun waved his hand and gave the order. He then turned to Gesne and said, "Next time, buy another batch of slaves like this. Remember to buy some slaves with skills as well."
It was said that the entire world was vast and sparsely populated, but this was not the case for Greece. Greece's terrain was divided by mountains, and the land that was suitable for farming was very limited. It was very easy for Greece to overload its population, and the frequent city-state conflicts resulted in many captives. These captives were the main source of slaves, and their lives were very miserable.
"I only need people who are close to me and who have made contributions." Pei Zi Yun thought to himself as he bade farewell to Onnie. He hadn't even enjoyed the joy of being a newlywed for a few days before he had to go to war. Onnie reminded Paris repeatedly that he had to be careful and protect himself.
In this era, it was a great honor for a man to make a name for himself. Even though it was a newlywed, Onone did not object, but like any worried wife, Onone was also worried that Paris would meet with an accident on the battlefield.
Pei Zi Yun led the slaves in an orderly fashion to the pier. There, the boats were already prepared. Three of them were even filled with soldiers.
"Prince Paris, this is our largest warship and our most elite soldiers." The person sent by the palace bowed and handed over another jar. "This is specially given to you by His Majesty, your father. Before the battle begins, have the soldiers apply it on you."
"What is this? Could it be an ointment that can make me invulnerable?" Pei Zi Yun joked.
This person was a middle-aged man. He bowed and said, "Prince Paris, you must be joking. There might be an ointment that can make one invulnerable, but it has to be bestowed by the god Ares or the goddess Hecate."
"This is a secret medicine from the palace. When the soldiers apply it, they will be energized and full of energy for a short period of time."
"So it's a temporary stimulant." Pei Zi Yun understood. As for why there was such a medicine in this era, it was not considered rare. Not to mention stimulants, there was even an ointment that could make one invulnerable. Furthermore, it was not too long ago. During the Golden Fleece incident, this was the life-saving item that Medea had given to Ison.
Pei Zi Yun immediately understood. This was something that the King had given to him to protect him. He had really put in a lot of effort. He smiled and said, "Thank you, father. Don't worry, I will definitely win."
As he spoke, he turned around and instructed the slaves to enter the ship. These ships were all warships with 50 oars each. Only the bow and stern of the ship had a deck. Pei Zi Yun arranged for the slaves to sit on the long benches of the warship and row while facing the stern.
These rowing jobs were originally assigned to specialized personnel. However, in order for these slaves to grow up quickly, Pei Zi Yun asked the old paddlers to pick out a few people to guide these slaves. He believed that by the time they reached their destination, these people would have completely mastered the skills of rowing.
The soldiers stayed quietly in the cabin. The cabin was not dark, and most of them had participated in several battles. Compared to the new slaves, they were more relaxed. They wiped, tidied up their weapons and armors, and prayed to the gods.
It was almost dusk, and the sky was clear and blue. The waves were boundless, and flocks of seagulls could be seen flying up and down. Tenedos Island was very close to Troy, only a few dozen nautical miles away. Pei Zi Yun stood on the deck and said, "There's no need to wait until tomorrow. Let's set off immediately. I will crush all the sea demons that stand in our way."
Following the order, the three ships set sail.
Tenedos Island was very small, about thirty square kilometers. It was not even big enough to build a city, but it was an excellent place to grow grapes. However, no one had discovered it yet.
The night at sea was exceptionally quiet. There were only the sounds of waves crashing against the beach and rocks. The sky was filled with stars, and the surroundings were pitch-black.
A few bonfires were lit on the island. Ephobus took a deep look at the dark sea and snorted, "Roast the newly hunted deer!"
Not long after, the fire crackled, and the roasted venison gave off a mouthwatering aroma. However, Ephobus was annoyed and lost his appetite for a moment.
Prince Ephobus and Prince Troilus escaped to this island with the remaining merchant ships after they had failed to eliminate the sea demons.
The group of people spent two days on the island in fear, waiting for the arrival of the king's rescue.
Fortunately, the sea demons could not go ashore, which gave them a chance to breathe. However, the harpies could fly. Even with Prince Ephobus and Prince Troilus, as well as their bows and arrows, they still captured a few patrolling sailors every day and turned them into a feast. By the time they arrived, only screams could be heard.
At this time, it was time for the harpies to catch people for dinner. Everyone was nervous, afraid that they would be caught.
Moreover, this matter actually had something to do with Prince Ephobus not wanting to fight them head-on. He used coercion and bribery to make the sailors take the initiative to patrol the night. However, the people who were captured were all sailors, and everyone accepted this fact. The number of sailors was severely insufficient for the night.
Prince Ephobus' gaze swept across the people present. Everyone who met his gaze lowered their heads and shivered, afraid that Prince Ephobus would find them to patrol the night.
Prince Ephobus thought for a moment and said, "It was our people who patrolled the night a few days ago. Shouldn't the merchant group contribute their strength as well?"
As he spoke, he glanced coldly at the group of people in the merchant group.
The merchant group was silent. After a long time, Kliman came out and said, "Dear Prince Ephobus, we still insist on fighting the harpies. I don't want our people to die in vain. Moreover, there are so many of us, and we're on land now. It's still uncertain who will win."
Kliman had no choice. The prince could do this without worrying that the sailors would turn against him. However, the merchant group did not have the power to do so. If Kliman did this, not only would he not be able to stay on the ship, he might even drown next time.
Kliman's family had two vineyards and thirty slaves working hard there. His wife also had two maids serving her. He did not want to die like this.
Hearing this, Prince Ephobus sneered, "Kliman, who was the one who panicked after being chased by the sirens? Now you're saying that you want to fight the harpies. Let me ask you, how do you plan to fight them? Can you win with just the few of you?"
As he spoke, he pointed at the remaining people in the merchant group.
Merchant Kliman looked at Ephobus and thought to himself, Other than Hector, Ephobus is also a prince with a reputation for bravery. How did he end up like this?
He did not think that even Osiris could not fight the sirens head-on, let alone Ephobus. Perhaps at the beginning, Ephobus did not know how strong the sirens were, or he might have tried to fight them. However, the result was obvious. Ephobus had fallen into their trap.
These sirens were very strong. Ephobus would not be so stupid as to try to fight them with an egg. It was obvious that he would not be able to win. He might as well hide on this small island and wait for the king's rescue.
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted, "There's movement."
Everyone extinguished the bonfire and held their breaths as they waited for the harpies to arrive. A sense of despair gradually appeared in their hearts. If the king did not come soon, they would all be gradually destroyed by the harpies.
The stars in the night sky shone brightly. An order was given, "Prepare for battle!"
With the physique of a hero, Pei Zi Yun could ensure that all his subordinates could hear his orders clearly even if he spoke in a normal voice. There were a total of three warships. At this moment, the doors of the warships opened, and armored soldiers rushed out.
Pei Zi Yun stood at the bow of the ship. Now was not the time to attack. He only looked at the bloodthirsty soldiers. They had already applied some kind of ointment on each other's bodies. Their young bodies emitted a strange fragrance. The eyes of the soldiers gradually flashed coldly, and their breathing became rapid as they gritted their teeth.
The distance between them was getting smaller and smaller. Pei Zi Yun could still feel that there were enemies in the deep black sea, both in the water and in the sky.
These sly and despicable sirens are not like the mindless monsters in the legends! Pei Zi Yun's black eyes gradually turned dark. A cold smile flashed past his face. He had already raised his hand, and a murderous aura spread out.
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