355: Chapter 298 355: Chapter 298 Although the shore was bombarded by the people on the big ship, which caused casualties among several individuals, cheers erupted from the pirates onshore upon seeing the prospect of the ship sinking and its crew possibly perishing.
“Damn it, who knows where these savages came from, daring to ambush us.
I refuse to believe we can’t kill them all,” a pirate cursed.
The injured were taken aside to heal, and the leader ordered some men to inspect the ship.
They found the ship charred, with no corpses visible—the cabin was destroyed with several large holes, signifying its inevitable sinking.
The leader instructed his men to secure the ship.
A vessel of such quality could certainly be repurposed, especially its generator, which was the most valuable.
Pirates, after all, celebrated like victors with their drinking and feasting, but they also remained vigilant for potential attacks at sea.
Having inhabited this area for a long time and committed many atrocities as pirates, they knew they could be targeted for revenge, not only by others but also possibly by the governmental authorities.
As dusk fell, those who had sunk beneath the waves stealthily came ashore under cover of darkness, landing from different directions and evading the hidden guards.
Upon encountering any patrolling men, they would slay them, allowing everyone to advance toward the pirates’ dwellings.
The pirates’ houses were made of wood, stone, or constructed from canvas and metal sheeting.
The enemy’s presence onshore was finally detected by the pirates, but by then, more than a dozen had already met their end.
A fierce battle erupted between the pirates and the attackers, using different languages, their faces similar, but the words they spoke were distinct.
The pirates dressed in black, while the attackers wore odd attire; to those familiar with pirate affairs, it was clear these raiders were not from the same land.
Caught in the throes of combat, there was no time for further thought—it was a matter of life and death.
Among the pirates were cultivators, as well as various types of martial artists and ordinary pirates.
Those accustomed to this trade were ruthless; they struck with lethal force, ensuring their opponent’s demise.
The attackers were not kind souls either, occasionally using invisibility to launch surprise attacks, either from above or from behind.
The pirates, already nervous, found themselves at a loss, especially when their enemies used poison on their blades and weapons.
Furthermore, the attackers released hallucinogenic smoke, causing the pirates to see illusions and making it easy for the enemies to dispatch them.
There were women and children among the pirates, and after the men were slain, these women and children were taken captive.
The captives, often respectable women or dragon maidens kidnapped by the pirates, were subjected to continuous torment, trapped within a den of wolves now invaded by rats.
Uncooperative children were also harmed.
The youngest, who were oblivious, were spared by the leader’s orders, with the intention of raising the pirates’ offspring as their own.
This island would become their new lair, remote from their homeland, an ideal temporary refuge offering food and women to continue their lineage.
Following a bloody purge, the dry blood on the ground and the pirates’ corpses were cast into the sea, immediately attracting large predatory fishes resembling sharks to feast.
The island’s pirates had ships, though none as fine as the ship they had lost earlier.
The leader ordered repairs on the vessels, preparing them for future voyages to Ancient Xia Country once the main ship was restored.
Years of concealment would not be so easily relinquished; they would give up on Ancient Xia Country.
They had an army, an organization, and would train waves of men to cross oceans and conquer Ancient Xia Country with the finest resources.
Once settled, the leader released messenger pigeons, tying tiny bamboo canisters to their feet, containing messages he had written.
This was their way of communicating, though they heard that the Cultivation World had more advanced methods.
But those employed spiritual energy and used communication talismans, and although these men also practiced hermit martial arts and hid among the people of Ancient Xia Country, they tried to learn the Immortal Techniques as well.
However, many lacked a Spiritual Root and were unable to join the ranks of cultivators in the Cultivation World.
Only a few, children birthed by female cultivators they had captured, were young and possessed moderate spell and cultivation technique prowess.
Powerful adults had infiltrated different sects, remaining in hiding.
Last time at the Immortal Venerable City’s competition among the major Sects, hidden members from different Sects helped to orchestrate the poison explosion incident.
Unfortunately, while the people of Immortal Venerable City were poisoned, there was someone who saved them.
Just as with this rat plague, arranged so perfectly to distract and lure Ye Tian to that city, they could have eradicated him too.
Yet unexpectedly, there was an antidote capable of eradicating the rat plague, the people of Ancient Xia Country are truly talented; this place is a treasure trove everywhere one looks.
They must take over this country at all costs, becoming one with this powerful nation, and strip away all its resources.
On the Path of Cultivation, they too yearn to become Deities that can traverse heaven and earth, living forever, who wouldn’t desire that?
In an unobserved residential area of the city, which served as the contact point for these organizations, this house received a message from a carrier pigeon.
They began another conspiracy, still utilizing the sewers as their primary means, continuing to employ poison as their weapon.
This time their target was not just any city, but, as Ye Tian had feared, the Imperial City itself.
They proceeded in secret, attempting to dig tunnels starting from outside the Imperial City, a strategy that presented some difficulty.
But these individuals relished the challenge, planning to first break through the city gates and then take control of the Imperial City in one swoop, kidnap the King, and spread chaos throughout the nation without its ruler.
In due course, they were certain others would aid their cause, and they sent a message to another contact within the Imperial City.
The Prime Minister within the Imperial City received the carrier pigeon’s message, and he smirked after reading it.
“Well well, come if you will, all I’ll do is reap the rewards of the fisherman, relying on you once again, why are you so incompetent?
Failing time and time again.”
Ever since his own son got implicated and ended up deprived of his soul, reduced to a dazed state, the Prime Minister was even more aware that if more leverage against him fell into others’ hands, his entire clan residing in the Imperial City would be at stake.
Although he was assisting those people, he had no desire to actually let them become the King of this nation.
The Prime Minister harbored ambitions of becoming King himself but needed to use these individuals to eliminate the Ye Family members.
Ye Tian gave him a hard time last time, and yet, didn’t manage to hurt him at all; Ye Tian was the greatest hidden danger for their family clan.
He was counting on these individuals to get rid of the Ye Family, and then subsequently eliminate the other families of the Imperial City.
Ye Tian had already returned to the Imperial City and sent out his communication agents, closely monitoring for any abnormal movements.
The Imperial City was under threat of attack—this message was genuine, and surely someone was plotting in secret.
The repeated attacks on Ancient Xia Country were not mere family feuds; it was an invasion, a conspiracy to usurp the country.
The Ye Family had been the Guardian God of this country for over ten thousand years, protecting generation after generation of Emperors and the people for millennia.
Of course, there were those desiring to usurp the throne, but they have been protecting the country and its people, preventing ill-intentioned individuals from becoming Emperor.
True Cultivators do not care for the position of Emperor, and while the Long Family may have lacked ambition, it doesn’t mean other families did.
What Cultivators aspire for is the Path of Cultivation.
The Cultivation World has laws and rules that protect not only Mortals but also lower-level cultivators of the Cultivation World.
…
Jiang Tang had been flying for half a day before arriving over the address sent to him by the Jiang Family Head.
Looking down at Immortal Lord City from above, everyone saw that this place was not secluded; amidst prosperity, people lived and worked in peace and contentment.
Unlike other places in the Cultivation World that were fraught with strife, both people from the Mortal Realm and Cultivators seemed to live affluent lives.
Jiang Tang had heard that Immortal Lord City had once witnessed the emergence of an Immortal Lord and even had individuals who achieved Ascension a million years ago.
The city was named after the Immortal Lord, and within it were three top-tier families, as well as many second-tier families.
There were also many smaller families; resources were abundant here.
The elites of the major families went to various Sects to learn their arts and upon completing their studies, they would return and pass on their knowledge and manuscripts to their families.
Their spirit of unity was admirable.