Chapter 40, Pirate Ding Shisan

Translator: StarReader

 

Chaos erupted on the cargo ship. The wine table was overturned, spilling wine, dishes, and shattered bowls everywhere as food splattered in all directions.

 

“Where are the pirates?!”

 

“Don’t worry about where they are—hurry, paddle harder for our lives!”

 

Both Madam Li and Merchant Li were pale with fear, protected by Li Jiao’s sword as they fled towards the cabin.

 

The crewmen jumped, scrambling for nearby oars and rowing with all their might. The maids and servants were even more terrified, trembling as they ran around the cargo ship, seeking refuge under tables and cabinets. Those who transported goods on the rivers and lakes dreaded encountering pirates. Meeting a reasonable pirate group meant just being robbed, but most were ruthless killers hell-bent on plunder and murder. Facing such brutal pirates, there was no escape—only to be killed and fed to the fish. The Li family’s cargo ship had over a dozen crewmen frantically rowing. Laden with rice, the boat was heavy and sluggish, moving as slowly as an old ox on the water.

 

The fast boat had closed in alongside the cargo ship, separated by a few dozen feet. A lean, grim-faced man stood at the prow of the lighter vessel, coldly observing their target. The other dozen or so pirates raised their weapons and barked orders.

 

“Stop that boat!”

 

“Surrender and hand over all your silver, and our Master Ding Shisan will spare your lives!”

 

On the cargo ship, the servants and sailors realized they couldn’t escape. They quickly grabbed their paddles, iron rods, and various long weapons to block the pirates from boarding.

 

Li Jiao held a three-foot sword, her complexion pale with worry. She stood protectively beside her parents, fearing any misstep that could put them in danger.

 

Wang Fugui and several other Medicine King Group inner disciples became visibly distressed. They rushed to the deck of the cargo ship and looked toward the approaching boat, assessing the enemy.

 

Upon seeing the pirates’ garments, which bore an embroidered emblem of a fierce shark on their chests, all the Medicine King Group inner disciples paled in alarm.

 

“Senior Brother Wang, these are no ordinary men—they’re from the Whale Gang. With over ten huge men, we might be in trouble. They look to have a minor pirate chief leading them too!”

 

Pirates in the Wu Region were a dime a dozen, most of them small-time thugs. However, there was one gang so powerful that even the governor’s constables couldn’t touch them. This formidable group was none other than the Whale Gang, based near Vastest Lake’s Cave Mountain west of it.

 

The Whale Gang and the Medicine King Group were two of the top five martial groups in the Wu Region. While both were feared, the Whale Gang stood out for their sheer numbers, immense strength, and brutal reputation—much worse than the Medicine King Group. In the vast waters of Vastest Lake, canals, and rivers of the Wu Region, the Whale Gang’s territory was untouchable. Even the Medicine King Group dared not cross them.

 

“Gentlemen from the Whale Gang,” Merchant Li forced himself to speak calmly. “We only have some stale rice on board—nothing valuable. You’re all in this for the money, right? Here, take ten taels as protection money. Please let us go!”

 

The pirate leader spat contemptuously. “Ten taels of silver? Are you trying to bribe us with pennies like we’re a bunch of bums?”

 

He spat and laughed menacingly, raising his saber and shouting, “Master Li, don’t play dumb with me. Gusu County City is no stranger to your wealth; you’re a big name with over ten shops in town, loaded with riches. We’re robbing you today, and we want ten thousand silver taels—surely not too much for someone like you! After all, it’s just a fraction for you!”

 

“Ten thousand!?” Merchant Li paled.

 

This pirate gang knew his identity and had clearly gathered his details beforehand. This wasn’t a random encounter—they had been watching him, waiting to strike here. Over the years, Merchant Li had made a fortune trading grain across counties in the Wu Region, spending dozens of silver taels on bodyguards without hesitation. But this pirate gang demanded ten thousand—enough to wipe out his savings and ruin him.

 

He knew his twenty-plus armed guards and sailors stood no chance against these pirates. His only hope lay with Wang Fugui and the other inner disciples of the Medicine King Group. They were true martial practitioners, skilled fighters with significant standing within their organization.

 

Merchant Li hurriedly made a bitter face and asked Wang Fugui for help: “Young Master Wang, our family is not often targeted by bandits, but this time we are in big trouble; you must help us!”

 

Wang Fugui was intimidated seeing so many tough pirates.

 

Although he was the inner disciple of the Medicine King Group and had a certain status, it was only limited to the Medicine King Group before. He rarely walked around in martial arts, and he had no dealings with these fierce pirates of Whale Gang.

 

But since Merchant Li, the future father-in-law, was in trouble, he had to help; otherwise, his marriage with his junior sister would definitely be cancelled.

 

“Don’t panic, uncle; this is a small matter. I will handle it!”

 

Wang Fugui consoled him, and then he came to the boat with his head held high. He clasped his fists towards the leader, Ding Shisan, and said, “I am Wang Fugui, the inner disciple of the Medicine King Group. Whale Gang heroes, can you please do this favor for me and let Master Li go? I am willing to offer a hundred taels of silver as a token of my gratitude!”

 

He offered a hundred taels of silver right away, which was ten times more than what Li offered. He felt that he was quite sincere. The bandits only made a hundred taels of silver just for turning back, which was more than they usually got from any robbery.

 

Ding Shisan was shocked when he heard Wang Fugui claim to be the inner disciple of the Medicine King Group.

 

[This guy’s boat actually has several inner disciples from the Medicine King Group?!]

 

The intel he got forgot to mention that important tidbit.

 

It came as a bit of a shock to him, making things rather complicated, because the inner disciples from the five major groups were usually far stronger than ordinary outer disciples. In fact, some inner disciples had reached the terrifying level of first-rate experts even at a young age.

 

And since they often secluded themselves in meditation and rarely showed up in the martial world, few people knew much about them.

 

This Wang Fugui had an air of confidence that suggested he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

 

It made him hesitate for a moment.

 

If there was a renowned first-rate expert from the Medicine King Group present, he was reluctant to go with the robbery and retreat instead.

 

The only issue was that he hadn’t heard of any Wang Fugui in martial circles—apparently a figure within the Medicine King Group. He speculated that Wang Fugui might have been an inner disciple who had never formally entered the martial world, with his strength unknown.

 

Ding Shisan had a calculative glance and sneered, “I spit on your favor! Brothers, charge!”

 

He didn’t want to fight himself and instead ordered his men to attack, testing the martial arts abilities of these Medicine King Group inner disciples.

 

If these inner disciples proved to be strong, he would retreat to avoid disaster. If they were weak, he’d take them all down.

 

“Men, go!”

 

“Charge!”

 

Over a dozen pirates brandished their weapons and leapt from their swift boat onto the cargo ship’s deck. Each of them was formidable—four were third-rate martial arts practitioners at least—and the remaining seven or eight, though uninitiated, wielded finely crafted blades with lethal precision.

 

Their leader, Ding Shisan, watched eagerly as his men closed in on the Medicine King Group inner disciples. He was determined to test their mettle and see if they were worth the fight or just another easy target for his crew.

 

The Li family cargo ship was assaulted. Over twenty servants and sailors from the Li family brandished their paddles and iron rods, attempting to prevent the pirates from boarding. However, they had never learned martial arts techniques and couldn’t withstand the fierce assault of over ten armed and ruthless pirates, retreating at every step.

 

Only the inner disciples from the Medicine King Group, who were quite powerful and quickly came to assist, barely managed to hold off the physically stronger third-rate pirates, preventing an outright rout. Meanwhile, Li Jiao wielded a flexible sword to protect the Li family couple, fending off three pirates intent on boarding. She was barely able to parry their attacks.

 

“Little lady,” one pirate jeered, “surrender!” Soon, I’ll let you have some fun!”

 

“Don’t harm this little beauty; be gentle with her!” Another pirate laughed. “Once the boss had had his fun, we’ll get to enjoy this delicate and tender morsel from a wealthy family for ourselves.”

 

The three pirates jeered and mocked as they attacked, laughing without restraint and taunting her shamelessly.

 

“Filthy savages!” she cried out. “Senior Brother Wang, come save me—!”

 

Li Jiao seethed with anger and anxiety. Despite being a third-rate practitioner, she was overwhelmed by the pirates’ slanderous remarks, her body trembling as they verbally assaulted her. Her grip on her flexible sword weakened, rendering it powerless in her hands—she could barely muster sixty or seventy percent of her strength.

 

Her only hope lay with Wang Fugui, her intended and a rising star among the inner disciples of the Medicine King Group. She clung to the belief that he could turn the tide and rescue her family from this dire situation.