Chapter 235: Pursuing the Wokou

"Kid, are you alright?"

Just as Chen Shicheng completed the Thousand Transformations and took out a mask to put on, Hui Siye floated forward on his own, his face full of worry, and asked.

It was mind‑linked with Chen Shicheng, and the extreme fury passing through that slight connection gave him a feeling of anger; one can imagine what state Chen Shicheng was in at that moment.

"I'm fine," Chen Shicheng shook his head. "Hui Siye, could you dig a pit for me? I want to bury them."

Digging a pit is no big deal; it's a matter of a few Five Ghosts Transport Technique.

But Hui Siye now doesn't dare stray far from Chen Shicheng. Though he appears calm on the surface, his True Essence inside roils like a volcano about to erupt.

This condition is like a double‑edged sword: it can temporarily boost Combat Power, but it may also cause demonic deviation, rendering all cultivation useless—a so‑called level reset.

Demonic deviation might later return to normal, but if a level reset occurs, Hui Siye looked conflicted, glanced at Chen Shicheng, saw he ignored him, and could only, before digging, open his waist's Storage Bag and let La Tiao out.

As soon as it appeared, La Tiao hadn't figured out the situation, thought the master was letting it run free, and, in a burst of joy, tried to dash around.

But it quickly sensed the oppressive atmosphere and saw Hui Siye's dead mouse constantly giving it signals.

Although it didn't understand what was happening, it immediately scurried onto Chen Shicheng's shoulder, its little head constantly rubbing against his face, cooing "eek eek eek" in a spoiled manner.

Its fluffy fur really does seem to heal everything.

Feeling the touch on his face, Chen Shicheng's gaze thawed a bit, and his expression became lively.

Hui Siye, seeing this, let out a long sigh of relief, then quickly exerted his full strength to perform the Five Ghosts Transport Technique several times on the ground, digging a huge pit that could hold all the corpses.

Seeing this, Chen Shicheng patted La Tiao's head, made it behave, then stepped up to the child's skull, and after a brief silence, spoke softly.

"I will avenge you."

The restless spirit seemed to hear his promise; the head mounted on the wooden staff, its eyes unblinking, slowly closed after he finished, leaving Chen Shicheng stunned.

After a moment of distraction, he carefully lifted the child's head before him, preparing to place it into the pit Hui Siye had dug.

"Whoosh!"

But before he could turn, an arrow lodged in his foot, halting his movement; he turned his head toward the woods beside the fishing village.

Three men in night‑cloaks with face veils slowly emerged; the leader held a small crossbow aimed at himself.

"Wokou?"

They killed a recurve spear? Chen Shicheng's eyes hardened, he guarded the head in his arms, and his hand rose, aiming at the three emerging men.

But before he could act, seven black shadows whooshed into front of the man holding the hand crossbow. One of them bowed and said, "Captain, no living bodies; the leftover traces can be judged to involve at least about a hundred perpetrators, it's Wokou!"

"Then it wasn't him who did it?"

The captain glanced at Chen Shicheng cradling the head, and set down the small crossbow.

You can't blame him for the misunderstanding; after traveling a long way, the first thing he saw was Chen Shicheng just taking the head off the wooden staff, and without knowing the context, he couldn't tell whether it was being taken down or being hung, looking foolishly confused.

But an apology wasn't necessary; it was just a warning crossbow bolt, nothing serious.

Thinking that, the captain simply ignored Chen Shicheng and asked, "How long have they been gone, and in which direction did they retreat?"

"Southwest, about the time it takes two incense sticks to burn."

The captain glanced at the sky, calculated the hour, nodded, "Check equipment, restore True Essence, prepare to pursue!" "Yes!"

While everyone checked their gear, the captain thought for a moment, took a silver ingot weighing five taels from his waist, and casually tossed it at Chen Shicheng's feet.

"We are scouts under the Great Yu Zhenhai King, investigating the Wokou invasion incident. Don't panic; consider this silver as payment for burying the corpses."

After saying that, he didn't care about Chen Shicheng's reaction, and sat cross‑legged on the spot, beginning to regulate his breath.

"Squeak!?"

Seeing such a blatantly insulting act, La Tiao couldn't help but leap out, and without thinking, prepared to use Law Image Heaven and Earth to bite those people to death.

But before its fur could explode, Chen Shicheng pressed it onto his shoulder.

He surveyed the well‑equipped scouts, ignored the silver on the ground, turned his head, and began burying the corpses one by one.

The scout squad paid no mind to Chen Shicheng's presence; they breathed, tended their gear, and after resting, chased after the direction the Wokou fled without looking back.

Only, they didn't notice that a mouse was silently withdrawing its form, hanging far behind them.

Ten minutes later, the last handful of earth was placed on the mound; Chen Shicheng took out three stored sandalwood sticks, lit them, and stuck them in front of the burial mound.

After watching the white smoke rise for a moment, he resolutely turned, took a step, vanished from the spot, and the next second appeared behind Hui Siye, who was standing on a branch.

Not far away on the beach, a hundred‑strong troop marched, torches raised.

In the torchlight, their appearances were clear: wandering samurai garb, moon‑crowned helmets, katana swords, and among them a dozen or so women with bound hands, stumbling forward amid their shouts and curses.

There is no doubt these are the Wokou who slaughtered the fishing village.

Just a short distance below Chen Shicheng and Hui Siye, ten scouts who arrived early were hidden in the darkness, watching the Wokou and fiercely debating whether to act.

"Captain, we can't strike; they have hostages."

"Indeed, captain, the other side numbers hundreds; even if we act carefully, we'll suffer casualties."

"Right, as long as we locate the main camp of the enemy, we can follow them back and complete the Task."

"But..."

The captain was now also conflicted: on one hand wanting to avenge the villagers and rescue the abducted women, on the other hand needing to consider the prince's Task and the morale of his men.

"Captain, if it really can't work, let's split into two groups."

One member suggested, "One team follows these Wokou to locate their camp; if the Wokou try to harm the women en route, we intervene, while the other team returns to report to the prince and request reinforcements."

"... Then that's it."

The captain let out a silent sigh in his mind.

When all ten are present, they still can't guarantee rescuing the abducted women; splitting into two groups now would be even more impossible.

The members' stance was already clear: they just wanted an out, not to endanger themselves for those women.

Now that things have come to this, even a hard‑line attitude is futile; he can only prioritize the prince's Task.

As for those women, they can pray for their own luck. (End of chapter)