Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 184: Chapter 21: The Praying Mantis, the Cicada, the Oriole

Ruan Anming swung his legs in the air, filling his loose clothing with sea breeze, making him appear suspended in mid-air.

This man placed all his strength into the dark-brown bamboo spear in his hand, thrusting it toward Xue Ba’s eyes.

At least seven or eight arrows whistled through the air, their heads embedding in Ruan Anming’s back, only to be snatched away by a green-tailed luan bird that emerged from his sleeve, then vanished with both arrows and bird together. Seven or eight arrows were shot at him, and behind Ruan Anming seven or eight green luan birds took turns spiraling, snatching each one accurately.

Taiping Wenshu – Flying Luan

The man holding the bamboo spear bared his teeth, his eyes filled with the intense and coolly fierce gaze of the young man before him which was then dazzled by the sudden bloom of platinum light from the Devouring Blade.

Bang~

The bamboo spear began to shatter, fragments flying in all directions, the unstoppable Devouring Blade slicing down from the spear-tip, harshly slashing across Ruan Anming’s abdomen and whisking the man away!

It was Li Yan.

He had started by grasping the spear and leaping off the ship. Flicking out the Tiger Head Great Spear to protect Xue Ba’s face, he twisted his waist and lifted the spear shaft, resulting in the scene just now.

People on the ship watched open-mouthed as Ruan Anming flew backward over the sea, his body skimming across the water’s surface four or five times like a stone before sinking into the sea like a pinwheel. An eerie silence fell; they even forgot about shouting and aiming their bows.

Li Yan, his strength spent, glimpsed the man called Min surface, then thoughtlessly stepped down hard, plunging into the sea as well.@@novelbin@@

The sharks in the water, scenting blood, started to move, and aside from the bodies and blood drifting everywhere, nothing else could be seen.

“Boss Ruan!”

“Tianbao Brother!”

Pirates from both sides continuously called out toward the sea. Lei San, who normally remained detached, swiftly rolled his eyes and also started shouting “Tianbao Brother” “Tianbao Brother” nonstop. If there had been a handkerchief nearby, he might have even shed a few tears.

At the same moment, Cha Xiaodao and several dozen Gaoli ghosts had vanished from the ship.

Amidst the stillness of the water, suddenly, the waves surged, and Li Yan pushed Xue Ba up, grabbing hold of the Quanlang Dou ship’s gunwale with one hand. Carrying Xue Ba, he climbed onto the ship’s gunwale.

Seeing this, the pirates under the Red Flag rowed a small boat over. Li Yan placed Xue Ba, who still had a chopping knife hanging from his neck, onto the small boat and stuffed two Yuanmou jujubes into his mouth.

Xue Ba

Status: Severely injured, exhausted (neurotoxic sequelae, toxins have been purified by the Black-Patterned Dragon Flag)

That Xue Ba had enough strength left to pull Min down with him and was still hanging by a thread was thanks to the effects of the Black-Patterned Dragon Flag. Otherwise, the jostle during Li Yan’s ascent would have been enough to end Xue Ba’s life.

Suddenly, a mournful wail came from the Nine Stars Black Flag Ship, and a floating corpse emerged—it was the man called Min. He had several sword wounds, but they were not fatal; however, he had been ripped apart by the sharks, not even leaving a complete corpse behind.

“Amazing, Brother Tianbao, how come the sharks don’t bite you?”

A pirate expressed his amazement.

Li Yan glanced into the water, where in the dark depths, two black-tip sharks gnawed at the armor of the Black Rider Ghost, clacking noisily. Bubbles rose as the eerie glow in the Black Rider Ghost’s eye sockets persisted, disconcertingly vivid underwater.

When the sharks can’t sink their teeth in anymore and float up, that’s when I’ll collect them with the six coins.

Li Yan grinned, “You forgot? I’m Tianbao~”

He was halfway through his sentence when his neck turned cold!

Li Yan drew his Ring Dragon Han Sword to block, a burst of dark light erupting from the water as the edge aimed for his stomach, but it was parried by the Ring Dragon Sword.

The sword belonged to Xue Ba, but the man behind it was Ruan Anming, whom Li Yan had sent flying and who had been skimming across the water.

The sword flashes flew like a flurry of snowflakes, the agile light of the Ring Dragon Sword like a dragon amidst sparking fire, clashing metal ringing chaotically. Li Yan, caught off guard, retreated one step to steady himself, but within a single breath, launched back with his sword light and started to press back!

Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang! Clang~

The swords locked, Ruan Anming stood about two steps away from the stern of the boat.

His face tensed with bulging veins, turning sickly black. His muscles expanded, now standing two heads taller; his forearms, nearly as thick as Li Yan’s thighs.

Taiping Wenshu – Great Ming King

Ruan Anming breathed heavily, sweat beading on Li Yan’s brow.

He kicked away the small boat carrying Xue Ba, locking eyes with Ruan Anming who was shrouded in black qi, his tone still scornful, “Fool who doesn’t know when to die…”

Under Zhang He’s command, elite soldiers practice the methods of Taiping Wenshu. Although it’s said that Taiping Wenshu has forty-eight thousand methods, that’s the stuff of gods. Among Zhang He’s demon thief pirates, anyone who could master one method would be a leader over dozens; two methods would make them central figures.

Ruan Anming was a close confidant of Zhang He, ranking in the top ten among An Nan’s pirates, and had only mastered three methods. As for Zhang He himself, the Taiping Wenshu was passed down by him. Rumor had it that this demon thief could use more than eight thousand methods of the Taiping Wenshu, but obviously that was boasting, just like saying Tianbao was protected by heaven.

According to Madam Shi, the number of Taiping Wenshu methods Zhang He could use surely didn’t exceed fifteen. Yet even so, it was enough for this son of a fisherman in his thirties to transform into a notorious pirate, taking control of the An Nan region as one of the Three Declaration Governors.

Name: Ruan Anming

Rank: Sixth leader of the Demon Thief Pirates, Vice Protector of An Nan

Status: Light injury, Great Ming King

Specialty: Naval Battle 85%, Sword Skill 70%

Skill: Taiping Wenshu – Green Luan (Resist long-range shooting)

Taiping Wenshu – Great Ming King (All-round quality enhancement, life reduction)

Taiping Wenshu – Wind Drinking and Fire Bathing Spell (Control wind and fire abilities)

Threat Level: Deep Red

“What? Red Flag Tianbao, stepping out so soon?”

“Just playing with you.”

Li Yan thought to himself, do you think there are many rounds left to fight?

As he spoke, Li Yan forced Ruan Anming back and pointed his sword tip at Lei San.

“I say, Lei San, by rights, it should be your turn to send someone out, but since I’m already standing here, well, I’ll take an extra ten percent of the loot inside the net. Fair, isn’t it?”

Lei San’s heart ached for a long while, and only after Li Yan urged him repeatedly did he stutteringly open his mouth, “Tianbao, big brother taking ten percent is me getting off cheaply. I’ll give it, I’ll give it.”

While he said this, he cursed inwardly, “You milk-fed pretty boy! A bastard that even demands from his own wet nurse! Want another ten percent? Why don’t I just give it all to you?”

He forced a smile and glanced to the side.

“How are the preparations?”

“Another two incense sticks’ time, boss, rest easy. The Treasure Ship King has guaranteed it; this is a foreign gadget. No pirate in the entire South Seas, not even the government, can catch up with us!”

“Good! Once the stuff’s ready, aim at that Quanlang Dou’s raft and blast it with two damn cannonballs! Sink these two bastards to the bottom of the sea!”

Lei San’s face quivered with fat, his dog-skin plaster especially visible.

As he gave the order, he didn’t notice someone quietly swimming up from beneath his ship.

Although fierce sharks roamed the waters, the Gaoli ghosts, endowed with the power of Mazu, not only naturally excelled in scuttling ships and underwater combat but also wouldn’t be targeted by marine creatures. With the atmosphere heating up on all three sides, Li Yan was still haggling, and Lei San was filled with venomous thoughts.

Twenty-odd Gaoli ghosts, their upper bodies bare, dived into the sea, swimming towards the gold-sparkling waters beneath the iron net.

Red Flag Gang had four sluice ships and two broad ships, which now quietly retreated from the fray while everyone else was distracted. The remaining ships prepared their sails and large oars.

On one of Yishi Zhufen’s ships, a guarding pirate slumped over, as Cha Xiaodao puffed on a cigarette, a dozen or so Red Flag Gaoli ghosts behind him.

“Li, cough cough, did you bring everything Tianbao asked you to prepare?”

“Everything’s been brought, foolproof.”

“Good, head to the ship!”

…

In the light of dawn, the East India Company’s huge ship broke through the waves under a stiff breeze.

“Still no news of Sir Lawrence.”

A soldier in white uniform bowed his head.

“Washington! This is all your doing, you insisted on not taking a detour, you insisted on entering this damn area.”

Old Martin’s eyes blazed with fire.

“Yo ho ho, how interesting, Mr. Martin.” Washington in his suit and top hat, gazed out at the sea, his cane tapping the ground. His azure eyes swirled with countless patterns.

“I am a businessman, you are a mercenary wandering the ends of the earth. Now that Lawrence is missing, it’s I who should be hysterically questioning you, right?”

He waved his hand, “Take it easy, Mr. Martin. When I was in the Lower House, I already disliked that idiot. His face reminded me of a factory owner I saw when I was a boy working at a lumberyard, a bloated, boozy nose. Because I ate two pennies worth of bread, he hung me up and whipped me with a horsewhip, that Lawrence, he’s the splitting image of that drunkard!”

“The only reason I could bear him wasn’t because he’s a nobleman, but because his daughter is really beautiful. You know? Flaxen hair, grey irises, like a lost little fawn. Ah, she said to me, ‘Good day, Mr. Washington.’ Martin, do you know? She lifted her skirt, ‘Good day.’ Oh~”

Washington tapped his cane rhythmically.

“You’re insane, Washington. The opium of those pigtailed Chinese ancestors has made you lose your mind, you son of a bitch. Do you know what will happen to us with Lawrence missing?”

“All I know is that I need a proper excuse. Say, he died in the Maratha uprising. The ship is full of our people, watertight. If I return with a ship full of gold, porcelain, and the elixir of eternal youth, Her Majesty herself will knight me. As for Lawrence, maybe I’ll even marry a nobleman’s daughter. Guess which nobleman?”

“You son of a bitch!”

“Martin, do you think I’m joking with you? I never joke. Look at what we found? Now, we have more than enough reason to make people believe Lawrence’s disappearance has nothing to do with us.”

Martin cursed and stomped onto the deck.

Within the thick fog, the silhouettes of numerous ships jumbled together, Red Sails, Celestial Horse Sails, Nine-star Black Sails, lying haphazardly across the sea.

“Look, perhaps we could ask them where Sir Lawrence has gone? With our cannons and crossbows. Haha, right, did you say why Lawrence’s daughter has grey eyes while Lawrence has bright blue? Isn’t that interesting?”