The two swam through the sea trench.
Using his Spiritual Sense, Chu Lingguang discovered that the traps in the trench were a series of barbed iron pillars. They turned what was originally a wide channel into a narrow and complex shipping lane.
Any ship that failed to navigate this route would be caught and pierced by the iron pillars, sinking swiftly to the bottom.
The two could see the wrecks of several ships in the trench’s depths. They figured some must have been from Liu Ziyun’s past assault on Xiazigou.
After figuring out the traps, the two swam into the harbor. They snuck aboard a plundered merchant ship, where the stench of blood was overpowering. Anything of value had long since been looted by the pirates, and a few of them were now sleeping inside.
Chu Lingguang and Eunuch Liu left them undisturbed, quietly slipping ashore and following a set of steps up the mountain.
Xiazigou was shaped like a giant lobster rising from the sea.
It was easy to defend and difficult to assault.
The pirate headquarters was situated on what would be the lobster’s head.
Its peak rose over five hundred meters above sea level.
There were numerous checkpoints along the path, with pirates on constant patrol. They used a system of codes and countersigns; failure to provide the correct response would immediately signal that a location had been compromised.
Most of these pirates were at the Qi Sea Minor Achievement level, while the minor leaders were at Qi Sea Great Success.
Despite their tight security, they were completely unable to detect Chu Lingguang and Eunuch Liu.
Chu Lingguang used the Celestial Master Technique to conceal his presence. Even Eunuch Liu looked at him in astonishment; had he not been traveling with him the entire time, he would have thought Chu Lingguang had vanished without a trace.
As for the eunuch himself, a True Martial Realm expert, hiding from a group of Qi Sea Realm pirates was child’s play.
The pair reached the summit with ease.
The mountaintop was bustling with activity.
Life on the island was monotonous. A rare cause for celebration was enough to lift everyone’s spirits for a time.
The Xiazigou pirates had just successfully attacked a patrol fleet from Black Bear Island. They had also plundered several merchant ships, slaughtering the men and taking the women captive.
Today, they were celebrating their victory, feasting on meat and gulping down wine.
A massive bonfire blazed within the stronghold. Beside it stood several crosses, upon which were bound the crewmen from the merchant convoy. Some were covered in wounds, while others were already dead.
The female captives were being tortured, and their agonized groans only fueled the Xiazigou pirates’ depraved lust.
Chu Lingguang knew life was hard. Many people lived in a waking hell. Not everyone was as fortunate as him—to have met someone like Guo Wei and, with the help of Favor Points, earned the prestigious title of Military Scholar.
Most people spent their lives toiling just to secure food and shelter.
The specters of old age, sickness, and death held them in a grip as tight as the legendary Tightening Spell. But seeing the pirates’ brutality, Chu Lingguang realized he had been far too naive about the world.
There was so much more darkness in the world he had yet to witness.
Even with his masterful Heart Guarding Skill, he could barely contain his rage as he watched them. The sound of children crying, in particular, nearly drove him to charge out and begin a slaughter.
’They don’t even deserve to be called human. They’re no different from animals.’
"The chieftain is to the southeast," Eunuch Liu whispered.
"Don’t look at him directly."
"He’ll easily sense it."
Chu Lingguang suppressed his aura, relying on the cover of his Celestial Master Technique as he cautiously peered to the southeast. Just then, he saw a burly man with two female captives slung over his shoulders approach a slender man who wore an Iron Fist on his right hand.
The man glanced at the two women’s faces and nodded in satisfaction.
The burly man took the hint and immediately carried the two women toward a higher point on the summit.
Chu Lingguang and Eunuch Liu exchanged a look. They both realized the chieftain intended to "enjoy" those two women later; the burly man was simply delivering them to the chieftain’s quarters in advance.
"Eunuch Liu, if we were to join forces, could we..."
Chu Lingguang had a bold idea.
’Cut off the head of the snake. If we take this opportunity to kill the chieftain during his Wushan Cloud Rain, the pirates of Xiazigou will lose their leader and become a disorganized mob.’
"Your ability to conceal your presence far surpasses my own," Eunuch Liu said, hesitating for a moment. "If you can infiltrate successfully, we can coordinate an attack from both inside and out. We’d have a very good chance of killing him."
He understood Chu Lingguang’s plan and knew how dangerous it was. If they alerted the entire island of pirates, fighting their way out would be no simple task.
But he also considered that if they managed to kill the pirate chieftain tonight, Chu Lingguang and Xuanyuan Jinkang might just be able to conquer Xiazigou and secure the sea lanes around Black Bear Island. For both of them, it would be a monumental achievement.
It would also make it easier for them to enter Yuanchu Mountain for their cultivation in the future.
Therefore, Eunuch Liu decided he would take this risk with Chu Lingguang.
He was doing this for Xuanyuan Jinkang and for himself, but his decision also stemmed from his trust in Chu Lingguang. He knew that while Chu Lingguang’s cultivation realm hadn’t advanced in the past three months, his overall power had grown to a level rivaling the eunuch’s own at his peak.
’The sheer destructive force he could unleash... I fear even I, at the height of my power, might not have been able to parry it.’
’Furthermore, Chu Lingguang’s ability to conceal his presence was both shocking and a pleasant surprise. If Chu Lingguang could get inside without the chieftain noticing and strike at the critical moment, the two of them, coordinating their attack, might be able to kill the chieftain and slip away before the other pirates even knew what had happened.’
"Eunuch Liu, wait for my signal."
Chu Lingguang understood that Eunuch Liu was leaving the final decision to him. It all came down to whether he had enough faith in his Celestial Master Technique.
His answer was simple, telling Eunuch Liu to await good news.
And with that, Chu Lingguang tailed the burly man.
Eunuch Liu watched Chu Lingguang’s retreating figure. His gaze then fell upon the captives being tormented by the pirates, and hearing their cries of pain, he sighed. "A truly passionate youth."
’Eunuch Liu knew it was youthful passion driving Chu Lingguang to take such a risk tonight. It was reckless, yes, but it suited his age.’
’He even found himself hoping to see this side of him, rather than the Chu Lingguang who could remain unnervingly calm in the face of any danger or temptation.’
’He was willing to work with a man like this, even if it meant facing greater danger.’