Chapter 422 - 255: Hidden Soldier Map
Chapter 422: Chapter 255: Hidden Soldier Map
Fang Yue, of course, noticed the change in Qing’Er. He frowned, feeling a little displeased.
It wasn’t that he was clueless about matters of the heart, but he was certainly not one to be casual about them.
Although Qing’Er was beautiful and skilled, he didn’t have any particular feelings for her.
Besides, he hadn’t embarked on this journey for romance; he had far more important matters to attend to.
Thus, he didn’t want to get too involved with Qing’Er.
"Miss Qing’Er, it’s getting late. You should get some rest," Fang Yue said coolly, setting down his chopsticks.
Qing’Er froze at his words.
She looked up at Fang Yue, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes. On the verge of tears, her expression was pitiful enough to stir compassion in any heart.
However, she was dealing with Fang Yue. Such tactics, such appeals to emotion, were utterly useless against him.
Seeing Fang Yue completely unmoved, the disappointment in Qing’Er’s heart deepened.
Qing’Er took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself.
She knew she couldn’t lose her composure, much less let Fang Yue see her vulnerability.
She lowered her head slightly to hide the tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Young Master Fang," she said, her voice trembling faintly. "I am indeed a little tired. I’ll go rest now."
With that, she stood up, turned, and walked toward her room.
Her gait, though seemingly steady, betrayed an indescribable heaviness.
Fang Yue watched her retreating figure and sighed to himself. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Qing’Er, but he couldn’t go against his own feelings.
Soon, the young woman had left Fang Yue’s cabin.
"Looks like this is going to be a rough journey."
Fang Yue sighed softly as silence fell around him.
Outside the cabin, the sea wind howled and waves slapped against the hull, making a THUMP THUMP sound.
~~~~~~~
"Chief, is that our target this time? Isn’t that a Four Seas Trading Company vessel? They pay us tribute every year."
A pirate stood at the ship’s bow, the sea wind whipping his hair into a mess, but it couldn’t hide the cunning and greed in his eyes. He held a battered telescope, staring at a merchant ship in the distance—the very vessel Fang Yue was on.
"It’s a Four Seas Trading Company vessel, all right, but the situation is special this time." The man they called Chief slowly lowered his telescope, a vicious glint in his eye. "Someone’s paid a hefty price for something on board. So our target this time is that item."
"Chief, the Four Seas Trading Company is not to be trifled with. Won’t doing this bring us a world of trouble?" another pirate asked worriedly.
"Hmph. The Four Seas Trading Company may be powerful, but even they have blind spots," the Chief sneered. "As long as we’re clean and fast and leave no trace, they won’t be able to do a thing to us, even if they get suspicious. Besides, we have secret support for this operation. We don’t need to worry about the consequences."
"Yes, Chief is wise!" all the pirates chorused.
Meanwhile, inside his cabin, Fang Yue was still standing quietly by the window, gazing out at the pitch-black sea.
The sea breeze whistled through the cracks of the window, bringing with it a slight chill.
Fang Yue had no idea that danger was quietly approaching. His mind was still preoccupied with the purpose of his journey and the challenges that lay ahead.
However, no amount of planning and preparation could have allowed him to foresee this sudden pirate attack.
The night grew darker. The sea wind howled, whipping up waves that crashed against the ship’s hull with a deafening roar.
In the silence of the night, an unknown storm was quietly brewing...
The night was black as ink, and the sea raged.
The merchant ship carrying Fang Yue was tossed about on the turbulent waves, looking as if it might be swallowed by the sea at any moment.
However, the crew remained unaware of the impending disaster, still busy at their posts maintaining the ship’s course.
Suddenly, a muffled thud resounded.
The entire hull shuddered from the sudden, heavy impact.
Fang Yue immediately sensed something was wrong. He rushed out of his cabin and onto the deck.
He saw that a pirate ship had already pulled alongside their merchant vessel. Several ropes had been thrown across, and a dozen or so pirates were rapidly clambering over.
’Pirates!’
"Pirates are boarding! Grab your weapons, cut the ropes!" the Steward from the Four Seas Trading Company yelled. As he shouted, he leaped into action, cleanly severing one of the ropes.
Just as he was about to cut a second rope, one of the more skilled pirates charged him.
The other crewmen also reacted, grabbing their weapons and engaging the pirates in battle.
The deck instantly descended into chaos, a blur of flashing blades amidst shouts and screams.
However, the pirates seemed to have come prepared. They were numerous, and every one of them was a desperado, charging forward with reckless abandon.
Despite the crew’s valiant resistance, they were gradually being overwhelmed.
’This isn’t an ordinary band of pirates. There’s an Innate Grandmaster among them!’
Fang Yue scanned the chaotic battlefield, his gaze locking onto a pirate dressed in black not far away.
One had to understand that Innate Grandmasters didn’t grow on trees. Even in the Great Wei Dynasty, they were considered true experts.
To find such an individual among a band of pirates was truly astonishing.
In the Great Wei Dynasty, Innate Grandmasters were highly respected figures. They normally wouldn’t associate with pirates, much less participate in such base acts of robbery.
However, the scene before him completely shattered Fang Yue’s expectations.