Chapter 381 - 282: Encountering Pirates, Kill on Sight (2)

The power of those few arrows had truly startled him.

But he immediately sneered.

An endless barrage of bullets was already flying toward the merchant ship's bow. Despite the inlaid iron plating, the impacts still kicked up a shower of sparks.

No one could survive such a dense storm of gunfire.

The pirate chieftain couldn't help but feel relieved and was just about to order his men to prepare for boarding.

But just then, someone suddenly cried out in alarm.

"My God, what is that in the water?"

"It's a person! Someone is running across the surface of the sea!"

The pirate chieftain frowned, about to scold them for their nonsense, but in the next second, he witnessed a shocking sight.

Upon the turbulent surface of the sea, a figure was sprinting at an incredible speed.

That's right.

He was flying!

He only occasionally tapped the surface with the tip of his toe before leaping high into the air again, heading straight for the large ship.

It was the master archer who had just been standing on the merchant ship's bow!

The pirate chieftain's pupils constricted instantly. He had never imagined someone could actually use Qinggong and a Body Technique to sprint across the deep sea.

'We've really picked a fight with the wrong person this time!'

But it was too late for regrets. Wu Liangchen was already closing in on the ship, so close that the pirate chieftain could clearly see the cold smile on his face.

"Fire!" The pirate chieftain, utterly horrified, raised his musket and pulled the trigger. The other pirates, snapping out of their shock, followed his lead and began shooting wildly.

But the bullets did nothing more than churn the seawater into a boiling froth.

Because in the instant they pulled their triggers, Wu Liangchen had already changed direction, moved to the side of the hull, and leaped onto the deck in a single bound.

A few pirates stationed there stared in shock at Wu Liangchen as he descended from the sky, forgetting even to attack.

Wu Liangchen, however, showed no such courtesy. Before his feet even touched the deck, his blade was already swinging.

PFFT!

Several heads flew high into the air, but before they could even hit the ground, Wu Liangchen had vanished.

Immediately after, a great commotion erupted from the deck ahead.

"He's over here—"

"Spare—"

Cries of alarm, pleas for mercy, and the sound of haphazard gunfire merged into a cacophony, but none of it could slow the pace at which Wu Liangchen reaped their lives.

Aboard the merchant ship, Graham stared dumbfounded at the scene unfolding on the pirate vessel, a single thought dominating his mind.

'I must never make an enemy of this man!'

In an instant, a large number of pirates on the ship were dead, but Wu Liangchen didn't stop there. Instead, he headed straight for the ship's cabin.

He had just seen a man holding a spyglass flee into the cabin the moment he boarded.

'That man must be the leader of this band of pirates.'

As the saying goes, to catch the bandits, first catch the king.

Wu Liangchen certainly wasn't going to let him get away.

But the very moment his figure rushed into the cabin, a cold glint shot toward his face like a phantom, accompanied by a foul stench.

Hoffman was thrilled.

He knew this young man wouldn't give up so easily, so he had hidden in the cabin early on, waiting for this very moment.

The light outside was bright, while the cabin was very dark. When someone rushed in from the outside, their vision would inevitably be impaired.

And this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

He carried a hand crossbow with him, a high-quality item he had gone to great lengths to acquire. It was extremely powerful, and the Crossbow Arrow's tip was coated in a deadly poison.

Even a martial arts master would surely die if struck by it.

So, as the Crossbow Arrow flew, he could almost see the young man collapsing in a pool of blood.

But in the next instant, all his triumph turned to astonishment.

Because in the same instant the Crossbow Arrow arrived, Wu Liangchen's blade was already there, perfectly positioned to block it.

With a CLANG, a spark erupted in the dim cabin, and the Crossbow Arrow clattered to the floor.

Hoffman was terrified. He turned to flee, but at that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and everything went black.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly regained consciousness. He felt a sharp pain all over his body and couldn't muster any strength in his limbs.

He was stunned for a moment before he could make out his surroundings.

It was a deck, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

He tried to turn his head to see what was beside him but found he couldn't move at all. He even felt dizzy and disoriented.

"Breathe deep. The dizziness is normal. It'll pass in a moment," a cold voice said. Then, a tall figure appeared in Hoffman's line of sight.

It was the master archer!

Hoffman was terrified, but as a pirate chieftain who had roamed the seas for many years, he quickly composed himself.

"Are all my men dead?"

"Yes. Except for a few who abandoned ship, jumped overboard, and disappeared, they're pretty much all dead," Wu Liangchen said flatly.

Hoffman fell silent, then slowly said, "In that case, why didn't you just kill me?"

"I was about to, but someone mentioned you are the 'Fox of the Seas,' a pirate who has roamed these waters for years. That's why I've spared you for now," Wu Liangchen said deliberately, crouching down.

Hoffman's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected his identity to be exposed so quickly, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, a familiar voice called out.

"Hoffman, long time no see!"

With that, Graham walked over, glaring daggers at Hoffman.

Upon seeing Graham, Hoffman knew it was impossible to hide his identity any longer, and so he became surprisingly frank.

"Graham, I didn't realize this was your merchant ship. I admit defeat this time."

"Hmph, save it. My family crest is on this ship. You expect me to believe you didn't recognize it?" Graham clearly hated Hoffman to the bone.

This dated back to two years ago.

At that time, Graham was also returning from a business trip when he ran into Hoffman's pirate fleet.

Not only were all his profits plundered, but he was also forced to pay a hefty ransom just to save his own life.

He never thought the tables would turn so completely. Now, seeing Hoffman with his limbs broken, lying helpless on the deck, Graham was overjoyed beyond words.

"Master Wu, this man is a major criminal long wanted by the empire. If we bring him back, not only will we receive a handsome reward, but you could even be directly knighted and become a nobleman," Graham said to Wu Liangchen.

Wu Liangchen couldn't care less about being knighted or becoming a nobleman, but the handsome reward did pique his interest slightly.

In any case, he had already annihilated this pirate fleet, and this Hoffman's tendons and meridians had been severed, rendering him a cripple. Taking him back on the way was a decent piece of business.

But upon hearing Graham's words, Hoffman immediately started shouting in terror.

"No! I beg you, don't hand me over to the Folangji! I have treasure buried near my lair. If you're willing to spare me, I'll take you there right now."

For years, Hoffman had exclusively targeted Folangji merchant ships, not only robbing them but sometimes even killing people when ransoms weren't paid. His hands were thoroughly stained with blood.

Because of this, he knew how many people among the Folangji hated him to their very core.

If he were handed over to the Folangji authorities, a fate more terrifying than death would surely await him.

But Wu Liangchen had no interest in hearing any of it.

What Hoffman said might be true, but for Wu Liangchen, who was merely using the Folangji lands as a stepping stone before heading to the secret realms overseas, time was the most precious commodity. He certainly wasn't going to waste it for some pirate's treasure.

Seemingly sensing Wu Liangchen's indifference, Hoffman, sweating profusely, suddenly bit down hard on his own tongue.

But in the next second, his jaw was dislocated. He could only stare, dumbfounded, at Wu Liangchen, unable to even speak.