Chapter Eighty-Three: Spoils of War – Two Hundred Slaves!

At this moment, the dozens of sailors who had been trafficking slaves were all dragged to the stern, to the area where the catch was processed. Terrified beyond measure, some lost control of their bowels, trembling like leaves in a storm. A young sailor drew his Azure Water Blade, but hesitated—he had never killed a man with his own hands, only fired arrows and bolts from afar. Now, at such a critical moment, his resolve wavered.

“These men trafficked slaves, pillaged and murdered—they deserve no pity. The captain has given the order! In the future, as soldiers of the Qianshan Army, we must steel ourselves to face our enemies in this way!” Bai Rongxuan, standing nearby, also drew his Azure Water Blade, his voice ringing with conviction. He had followed Bai Xuan for a long time, and had just slain a pirate with his own hands; his blade now stained with blood, a faint aura of violence clung to him.

“Very well.” The young sailor gritted his teeth, murderous intent flaring in his eyes, and brought the blade down.

A head tumbled to the deck, blood spurting. The kneeling body swayed and was swiftly kicked overboard into the sea. In no time, each slaver was executed with a single stroke. Those who had never shed blood did so now, and afterward, they scrubbed the deck clean with seawater, erasing all trace of the carnage.

“Not bad.” From a distance, Bai Xuan observed and nodded inwardly. Many of the sailors on the Swallowing Sea had only recently joined, and some had never been blooded. Now, united in resolve, they all exuded the aura of warriors—this was what true soldiers should be. Given the current situation at sea, without fighting spirit and determination, survival was impossible.

Moments later, several more pirates were brought before him.

“I ask, you answer,” Bai Xuan said curtly.

“Yes, yes!” The pirates, pale as death and shaking uncontrollably, dared not utter a single lie. They had seen all too clearly the fate of the slavers, dragged away and beheaded on the spot.

“We used to follow our captain, raiding at sea as the so-called Hawk Flock Pirates. But later, the Star Hunter Pirates grew powerful, and unlike the Black Pirates, they weren't so strict. A few months ago, our boss was instructed to change our name and join them!” one pirate stammered. “There used to be seven or eight pirate bands in these waters—all have now surrendered.”

“Some say the Grand Commander of Broken Sea Abyss possesses a dragon’s aura and will one day become King of the Eastern Sea, ruling all others. Those who join now will be his first followers, and when the kingdom is founded, there will be endless rewards and pleasures!”

“King of the Eastern Sea?” Bai Xuan’s eyes narrowed. From the pirate’s words, it seemed the Star Hunter Pirates had conquered countless rival bands under the banner of this so-called dragon’s aura, seeking to supplant the imperial government—at the very least, to become a warlord ruling this region. It was no wonder so many had thrown in their lot with them.

“How many forces have joined the Star Hunter Pirates now? How many grandmasters among them?” Bai Xuan asked in a low voice.

“I… I’m not too sure…” The pirate, sweating profusely, saw Bai Xuan’s cold gaze and shuddered.

“I remember now—my captain once said there are nine grandmasters within the Star Hunter Pirates! Six of them joined after being personally challenged and defeated by the Grand Commander of Broken Sea Abyss—he went to each in turn and subdued them all!” the pirate blurted. “But that’s just what’s said on board—I don’t know if it’s all true.”

“To defeat and subdue each in turn… The boldness of this Broken Sea Abyss commander is truly astonishing,” Bai Xuan mused. He understood well—like the Bai family, grandmasters usually led their own clans or factions. Submission was never so simple. To force them to yield, one needed overwhelming strength to subdue not just the individual, but their entire power base.

“No wonder Qianshan Island is forming the Qianshan Army. The Star Hunter Pirates have swallowed up so many forces—anyone fighting alone would be annihilated in an instant. Ordinary soldiers are one thing, but if blood-refining martial experts and grandmasters join too, then any small island or family could be wiped out in a heartbeat, unable to resist.”

“Take these pirates away,” Bai Xuan ordered with a wave of his hand. “Isolate and interrogate them one by one. Those found innocent may be kept for now; those confirmed guilty, execute them all!”

He spoke with an air of quiet menace, which made the pirates tremble and beg for mercy, but before they could finish, Bai family sailors dragged them off.

On the three pirate ships, Bai Xuan sent men to search and soon found over a thousand taels of silver, more than a hundred crossbows, leather armors, long blades, and the like. There were also letters and secret orders.

“These secret orders from the Star Hunter Pirates… With these, I could easily pass for one of them,” Bai Xuan thought, certain of their authenticity. The Star Hunter Pirates, now devouring the Eastern Sea, were sure to attract all sorts; the captain’s carelessness in safeguarding these documents had allowed Bai Xuan to seize them after killing him.

Besides this, there were many items proving affiliation with the Star Hunter Pirates—including severed heads—all of which could be brought back to Qianshan Island for reward. That was the real prize.

With that, the battle drew to a close. Bai Xuan now had only about eighty sailors on board, making it difficult to sail away with all the spoils from several ships. The two slaver ships, heavily modified and small, were of little value. The pirate ship, however, was still seaworthy and could fetch a thousand taels of silver at the sea market.

“A pity,” Bai Xuan sighed. Yet, now that his mastery of Ocean Gaze was complete, the boundless sea itself was a vast treasury, its riches his for the taking. A few ships were of little consequence.

On the other side—

“The captain single-handedly swept three pirate ships and slaughtered them all?” The Bai family youths emerged from below deck, shaken to the core. They had never seen such carnage—the pirate ship opposite was littered with bodies, and the stench of blood on the sea wind made some of the more delicate boys retch on the spot.

“I must endure… I must become a first-class sailor, strong enough to protect myself at sea!” vowed a boy named Bai Luo, forcing himself to watch the aftermath despite his fear, a sense of crisis burning within him.

The slaves held on the two slaver ships—over two hundred in total—were released. Most were weak and frail, barely able to stand. Many gazed up at the sunlight with streaming tears, sobbing uncontrollably; some nearly collapsed, embracing one another as they trembled.

“These poor souls,” Bai Luo thought, pity stirring in his heart. “Once, they had homes on the shore or on an island, able to fish and live in peace. Now their families are destroyed, and they’ve been dragged off as slaves.”

Compassion is part of human nature, rooted in empathy. If the Bai family were weak and lacked powerful protectors, perhaps they too would become slaves at the hands of the Star Hunter Pirates. The thought sent a chill through his heart and deepened his sympathy.

Just then, a familiar, commanding figure strode forward, taking his place at the prow.

“Silence!” a young sailor called out. In an instant, the crowd quieted—even the two hundred freed slaves stifled their sobs and looked up.

At the bow stood Bai Xuan.

…

“I am Bai Xuan, captain of the Swallowing Sea,” he said, looking down at them. “You were unlucky, taken as slaves. But with things as they are on the vast sea, you have nowhere to go for now, and I cannot turn the ship around just to return each of you home.”

“You have two choices!” Bai Xuan’s voice rang out across the deck.

“First, you may take your chances and sail away yourselves. The nearest island is just sixty li distant—not far at all.”

“Second, the Swallowing Sea is currently short-handed. If any of you have experience, you may join us as sailors.”

His tone was calm and even. “Of course, nothing is absolute. If, when the time comes to disembark, you wish to leave and seek your own fortune, or return to your families, you may do so at the next island. I will not stop you.”

(End of chapter)