John Foster nodded, knowing that his concern was making him lose his composure, yet he was also puzzled as to why Edward Sullivan could remain so calm and analytical. He thought to himself that, given how obsessed he was with the young lady, it would actually make more sense if he had completely lost his head.

Edward Sullivan, regardless of what John Foster was thinking, continued his analysis: “The pirates want to exchange the hostages for ransom silver, so it’s very likely the two ships will separate. As long as there are fewer than ten pirates on the pleasure boat, even if we’re discovered, we’ll still have a fighting chance.”

“You’re absolutely right,” John Foster admitted, acknowledging the logic in Edward Sullivan’s analysis. He felt that Edward Sullivan was like a venomous snake lurking in the grass, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It was truly strange—how had he misjudged such a person before?

Edward Sullivan and John Foster lay low in the aft cabin, waiting for the right opportunity. Occasionally, two or three pirates would stroll onto the stern deck, but no one came down to check the aft cabin. After resting there for half a day, John Foster had mostly recovered his strength. Though his injuries were troublesome, they were still bearable. Hearing that no one was at the stern, he and Edward Sullivan quietly snuck out, only to discover that the thick river fog had already dissipated. The sun was high overhead, and the riverbanks were lush with greenery.

The pirate ship unfurled its sails to catch the wind, zigzagging along the main channel of the river. Edward Sullivan saw, far in the distance, a large sand island floating on the river’s surface. Given the thousand-year time gap between now and the future world of his dreams, a millennium was enough for rivers to change course and sand to accumulate into islands. He thought that many of the coastal cities he was familiar with probably hadn’t even formed yet. Judging by the ship’s speed and the time, this large island ahead was still within the borders of Weiyang Prefecture and shouldn’t be the Chongming Island he remembered. Edward Sullivan also wondered whether Chongming Island had even formed at this point in time.

Seeing Edward Sullivan gazing intently at the sand island ahead, John Foster said, “The pirates might stop to rest at Xisha Island!”

In the past, by modern standards, Edward Sullivan would have been considered a typical shut-in—oblivious to the world outside his window, focused solely on reading the classics. But even bookworms have some knowledge; he simply lacked flexibility.

The Xisha Island before them was a large sandbar that had only gradually formed after the founding of the current dynasty. Though it was sizable, it was unstable, and over the past century, its shape had constantly changed with the ebb and flow of the river and sea tides.

The island’s terrain was low and flat; most of it was shallow shoals, with very little resistance to river floods or sea tides. The soil was poor, and with pirates rampant in recent years, no one was willing to farm on Xisha Island. To this day, it remained an uninhabited wasteland. Every autumn, the shoals of Xisha Island would be covered with blooming white reeds, making it an ideal landing and hiding spot for the pirates invading along the river from the East China Sea.

There were still dozens of hostages on board to be exchanged for ransom silver, so the pirates needed to find a place to rest temporarily. Just as John Foster predicted, the pirate ship towed the pleasure boat straight toward Xisha Island.

Reeds, also known as “di flowers,” are the “jianjia” mentioned in the Book of Songs. Looking at the vast expanse of grayish-white reeds merging with the river and sky, Edward Sullivan thought that if he could unexpectedly rescue the two women and hide them in the reed marshes, their chances of escape would be much greater...

Listening carefully to the sounds from the bow, Edward Sullivan and John Foster whispered to each other about the details of the rescue plan.

The pirates would definitely send some men to negotiate with the hostages’ families for ransom and then bring the hostages ashore. Earlier that morning, Edward Sullivan had pressed his ear to the wall outside the hall where the hostages were held and listened for a while. There were more than thirty young boys locked inside. He wondered where these pirates had managed to kidnap so many hostages—and it was clear that these hostages were indeed worth a hefty ransom. This would be their best chance to act.

As the ship entered the mouth of a river branch and moved into the reed marshes, flocks of birds hidden among the reeds shot up into the sky like a rain of arrows, creating a spectacular scene. Edward Sullivan saw that the reed marshes were covered with a thick layer of bird droppings and thought that this deserted island was truly a paradise for birds. He wondered if people on both banks, seeing the flocks of birds rising into the sky, would find it odd—after all, the Ninghai naval garrison was stationed just on the southern bank!

Once inside the reed marshes, they realized that it would not be easy to hide with the two women deep within the reeds. In autumn, the river was high, and the water near Xisha Island’s shore was very deep. On both sides of the river branch, only the tops of the reeds poked above the water, and anyone entering would barely be able to keep their head above the surface. Moreover, the water was thick with aquatic plants, making it easy to get entangled. Trying to take two women who couldn’t swim into the depths of the reed marshes would be even harder than swimming across the Yangtze. Edward Sullivan and John Foster discussed that it would be better to wait until the pirates split up. As long as there were fewer than ten pirates guarding the pleasure boat, they could even kill the pirates and seize the boat. Even if some pirates swam after them, he and John Foster would be well-rested and ready for a fight. More likely, though, the pirates didn’t have many men to spare and would have to leave some to guard the boat. Not knowing the pirates’ full strength, they wouldn’t dare pursue recklessly.

Just as the ship reached the depths of the reed marshes, a commotion erupted up ahead: “Damn it, Ninghai naval ships—two fast paddle boats are coming to cut us off! Damn it, everyone draw your blades and get ready to fight...”

At the top of the pirate ship’s mainmast, a lookout post was set up to spot enemies from afar. Hearing the commotion ahead, John Foster’s face lit up with joy. Government troops coming to the rescue was far better than them having to kill the pirates and seize the boat themselves. The pirate ship had already entered deep into the reed marshes, and in such short distances, the fast paddle boats were quicker than the pirate sailing ship. Other than fighting it out, there was no way for the pirates to escape unscathed.

John Foster had seen the Ninghai naval fast paddle boats before and thought that, no matter how incompetent the government troops were, two fast paddle boats would have at least eighty or ninety soldiers—more than enough to take down thirty pirates.