Chapter 2506: My Wife Is a Pirate 36

The two large ships slowly sailed into the designated sea area.

A whistle, almost imperceptible to bystanders, sounded again from underwater.

The pirates and the strong-swimming fisherman fellows, already disguised and lurking on the seabed, approached the ships' bottoms silently like a school of agile fish.

They took out specially made tools and quickly and covertly began working on the ships' weak points.

Not long after, the soldiers aboard panicked as they noticed the ships beginning to tilt oddly, the waterline growing deeper.

"Lord Liu, Lord Liu! This is bad! The ship... the ship's hull seems broken! It's taking on water and will sink!"

The soldiers hurriedly ran into the cabin to report.

Upon hearing this, the pampered Lord Liu on deck and the few officials with him instantly panicked.

These officials, long accustomed to the capital, had no idea of these maritime tricks and were immediately thrown into confusion.

Just then, a few small fishing boats happened to pass by.

Lord Liu, as if grabbing a lifeline, no longer bothered with dignity and shouted for help.

Even in calling for help, his tone carried a condescending air of charity.

As if the fishermen saving them were a great honor.

The few old fishermen steering the boats hesitated, then reluctantly agreed, allowing some officials to board their fishing boats first.

"Sir, we're still some distance from White Wave Hollow; your ships likely have a hole below and can't make it, so I'll first take these officials back and then call more boats to rescue you."

Lord Liu was the first to impatiently jump onto the fishermen's boat, constantly urging them to set off quickly.

The remaining soldiers could only wait anxiously in place, hoping the fishermen would return with more boats for rescue.

Little did they know, danger had already quietly descended.

The three fishing boats carrying the officials did not head for White Wave Hollow but went straight to the pre-set ambush point where the pirates' main force lay in wait.

At the same time, another pirate squad sped out from behind the reefs in their swift small boats and quickly surrounded the two severely waterlogged, sluggish ships.

The soldiers aboard lost command, and being utterly unfamiliar with water warfare, fell into chaos, not knowing how to respond.

On the largest fishing boat, Bu Changji and Jin Chen emerged together from the low cabin.

Bu Changji raised his long blade, its edge flashing coldly in the sunlight.

He shouted, "Surround them! Beat them! Tie one alive for a reward of three taels of silver!"

The pirates and fishermen behind him, hearing this, had their morale boosted and let out a shout as they charged forward!

The two large ships, already taking on water and listing, were shaken even more violently by the collision with the many small boats.

The soldiers aboard could barely keep their footing, their combat effectiveness greatly reduced; like dumplings being dropped, they were one by one either tied up and overturned by the agile pirates and fishermen or kicked straight into the sea.

"Damn it! A bunch of rebels!" a soldier yelled in fury, "Quick! Open the powder kegs! Blast these bastards to kingdom come!"

The power of the powder kegs is nothing to trifle with.

Seeing this, Jin Chen's eyes turned cold as he stepped again to the bow.

The pirates familiar with his tactics, seeing this, instantly understood and, forgetting about tying people up, hurriedly called to the fishermen to sail their boats swiftly outward to scatter and withdraw.

Soon after, dark shadows rapidly approached from beneath the distant sea—shoals of ferocious sharks.

That shoal of sharks was terrifyingly immense, their massive bodies looming and fading in the water, sharp dorsal fins slicing the surface, exuding a chilling, sea‑overlord aura of slaughter.

They frenziedly rammed the two ships that were rocking on the verge of capsizing.

The soldiers, long accustomed to inland life, had never seen such a spectacle; they turned pale and their legs trembled.

Someone, in panic, tried to ignite a powder keg, fumbling with it, only to find the powder had been soaked by the pirates who had deliberately splashed water earlier to cause chaos, making it impossible to light.

In despair, looking at the ever‑closer gaping maws and then at the fearsome but rope‑wielding pirates and fishermen, even a fool would know what to choose.

Being tied up would at most cause minor flesh wounds, and they might even survive.

But if bitten by a shark, they would truly be on their way to see King Yama.

Thus, the soldiers who usually swaggered about could only submit, resentful and fearful, as the pirates and fishermen bound them tightly, daring not to struggle too hard for fear of falling into the sea to become fish food.

The sharks, seeing that the ones to be intimidated were now under control, seemed to have fulfilled their purpose.

They even seemed intelligent, using their heads to push up several plump big fish, slapping them onto the deck where Jin Chen stood, then happily wagging their tails before swiftly diving into deep water and vanishing.

"【Great fish! Great fish!】" Ling Gun Gun gazed at the jumping‑up self‑serve feast and exclaimed in admiration.

In an instant.

All the soldiers and some fishermen who had just witnessed this eerie scene for the first time now looked at Jin Chen with eyes that no longer saw an ordinary person.

Isn't this a monster!

Bu Changji, however, was overjoyed, lunging into Jin Chen's embrace, tiptoeing to plant a loud kiss on his face, his eyes shining amazingly, his voice full of proud pride at sharing in the glory.

"You're amazing! We really are a match made in heaven!"

Jin Chen was amused, reaching out to pinch his excited, reddened earlobe, "We haven't finished cleaning up here yet, and you're not nervous at all?"

"Not nervous," Bu Changji shook his head, burying his face in Jin Chen's chest and rubbing, "With you by my side, what is nervousness? I don't know."

Indeed, there was really nothing to be nervous about.

Here the main battlefield was a total victory; meanwhile, the few fishing boats carrying the official leaders had already been taken over by the pirates, who trussed up those pampered officials tight as can be.

These people, who usually threw their weight around, were nevertheless terrified of the lawless pirates, who would stab them at the slightest disagreement.

All the captives were escorted back to White Wave Hollow.

Hai Shisan, having received Bu Changji's order, eagerly climbed onto the highest reef and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Claim silver for each head you catch! Three taels per captive! No deception!"

The officials, bound and miserable nearby, nearly vomited blood upon hearing it.

"Rebels! They're all a bunch of lawless rebels!"

They had their hands and feet bound, their pants stripped off, and were thrown into waist‑deep shallows to squirm about; the pirates, following Jin Chen's words, somehow procured a nest of small fish that specialize in biting buttocks and set them after the officials to nip at them.

The soldiers howled in pain, displaying all sorts of ugly sights.

The fishermen on the shore laughed heartily.

Most of these soldiers were merely following orders, not utterly wicked.

Bu Changji also didn't intend to make things harder for them; as long as someone begged for mercy, indicating they wouldn't dare attack again, he would have them untied and released.

Only those officials weren't so lucky.

Bitten by small fish, they cried for their parents, their buttocks burning with pain, and they lost face.

Finally, those officials who had been singled out were taken back to the Stone Building.

Fang Yunyue and Yue Ling appeared, and that Lord Liu was both startled and angry, berating them both.

"...... You actually colluded with pirates! The court will not let you off!"

Yue Ling stepped forward, his boot pressing down on Lord Liu's back with moderate force; seeing his sorry state, he suddenly thought that the idea Jin Chen had come up with, though a bit nasty, was actually effective.

He curled the corner of his mouth, his tone icy.

"Lord Liu, your words are mistaken; clearly it is you several Lords who are greedily covetous, desiring the treasure hidden by Prince Jing, and because the spoils were not divided evenly, internal strife arose, you slaughtered each other, and unfortunately the entire army was annihilated."

"I and the Heir Apparent happened to be there, risking our lives to save a few, but alas... we still couldn't save everyone."

"This matter, I and the Heir Apparent will personally report in detail to the Holy One."

Lord Liu and the other officials, hearing this, looked at each other in dismay, their hearts instantly turning cold.

They indeed had received Prince Jing's secret order, and also harbored the intention to profit from it.

But who would have thought, Yue Ling would actually use this method to condemn them!

This is simply... dying without evidence, and still having to take the blame. They're afraid they really won't be able to return...