"Princess Consort, this villain has repeatedly thwarted the Prince's grand plans, causing him immense trouble and forcing him into this predicament. He is the Prince's sworn enemy, and the Prince despises him to the core. Why, then, do you protect this man? Such actions are not only unbecoming of a wife but will also ruin the Prince's endeavors. It would be far better to hand this wretch over to me. I shall hack him into ten thousand pieces, avenging the Prince and our fallen brothers!"
On Golden Eagle Island, Zhai Hu, a retainer of Murong Hong, brandished his sharp blade at Rongcheng Lanmin.
"Deputy General Zhai speaks the truth!"
"Kill him, kill him!"
"Yes, yes, kill him!"
"Little Princess, you are not only the King's daughter but also the Prince's consort. He has killed many of our people. Why are you protecting him?"
"High nose, tall stature, fair-skinned and delicate, and so ugly..."
"..."
A throng of pirates echoed loudly, their knives and spears eager to dispatch Zhou Fugui. They were already betting on what kind of torture Zhou Fugui would suffer, as his death was a foregone conclusion.
"I... you..." Even Rongcheng Lanmin's subordinates wished for Zhou Fugui's immediate execution. Thus, Rongcheng Lanmin was at a loss for words, stammering and unable to retort, yet she still fiercely shielded Zhou Fugui.
"Deputy General Zhai..." At this moment, a man emerged from the crowd and addressed Zhai Hu, saying, "On this Golden Eagle Island, whether this person lives or dies is not for you to decide."
"Island Master Zhu!" Zhai Hu's eyes narrowed in anger upon hearing this.
Island Master Zhu's surname was Zhu, and his name was Qingbiao. He was the second eldest in his family, hence often called "Old Zhu the Second."
Zhu Qingbiao, or Old Zhu the Second, was the island master of Jade-Snatching Island, the second largest island in the Zulong Archipelago, and held a significant position in the Zhenao Kingdom. He was not to be underestimated.
Zhu Qingbiao smiled faintly and approached Zhai Hu, forming a delicate gesture with his fingers and ask with a simpering voice, "Am I beautiful?"
Zhai Hu did not reply, merely glaring at him.
Zhu Qingbiao did not fancy women, but men. He had a penchant for male beauty and young boys. His attire resembled that of a Han dynasty scholar, yet his robes were adorned with an abundance of colorful, gaudy patterns, making him appear particularly awkward on his robust frame. Not only was his beard shaved off, but his face was also powdered and rouged, and colorful flowers adorned his ears.
Zhu Qingbiao was not angered. A waft of perfume passed, and he left Zhai Hu, approaching Zhou Fugui and Rongcheng Lanmin. He produced a jade ruyi scepter, squatted down, and used the scepter to lift Zhou Fugui's chin, asking with a smile, "You are quite handsome, young master. Am I beautiful?"
Zhou Fugui felt a churning in his stomach and reluctantly replied, "Beautiful, you are too beautiful. So beautiful that this lord cannot bear to look!"
"Pfft!" Rongcheng Lanmin couldn't help but laugh. She then hastily pulled Zhou Fugui aside, fearing Zhu Qingbiao might become enraged and strike him down.
To her surprise, Zhu Qingbiao was not angered. His face lit up with a smile, and he carefully placed the jade ruyi scepter into his embrace. Another waft of perfume passed, and Zhu Qingbiao stood before the pirates, asking in a simpering voice, "This person is under my protection!"
"Old Zhu the Second, why are you protecting this man? Is it for this twenty taels of gold?" Island Master Tu Chan of Silver Mountain Island asked indignantly.
With that, Tu Chan threw Zhu Qingbiao's bet, twenty taels of gold, back at him.
Current indications suggested that Zhou Fugui might just survive, so Tu Chan wanted to renege on the bet.
Twenty taels of gold! A hundred-to-one odds. If he lost, wouldn't he lose everything, even his undergarments?
"Tu Jinchan, what is this person's identity?" Zhu Qingbiao asked, delicately holding the twenty taels of gold between his "jade fingers" and smiling faintly. "Is he not the Grand Governor of Donghai Commandery, the Prefect of Donghai Commandery, who wields great military and political power over the entire commandery, with countless elite soldiers and fierce generals under his command? Have you not experienced his might?"
Zhu Qingbiao continued as he saw Tu Chan's lips move, "You might say that since we are at sea, we do not fear his land forces. However, this person defeated the armies of our Zulong Island in Ju County with fewer men, killing many and capturing many more. Currently, many of our brothers from Zulong Island are still in his hands. Therefore, can this person be killed? At least not now. This is not me praising others and belittling ourselves, but a matter of great importance that requires careful consideration. Moreover, the King himself has not ordered his death. Do you dare to kill him?"
Tu Chan's lips moved again, wanting to say something but finding no words, unable to refute.
Rongcheng Kui, the lord of the Zulong Archipelago, had not ordered Zhou Fugui's immediate execution. Based on this alone, Tu Chan and the others dared not act rashly to kill Zhou Fugui.
Zhu Qingbiao then threw the twenty taels of gold back to Tu Chan and smiled faintly, "Why would a cast net be retrieved empty? My cast net will surely catch fish. Tu Jinchan, are you scared? Scared you cannot afford to lose? It's fine if you can't afford it. I don't want your wife or daughters. What fun are women? Doesn't your Silver Mountain Island have gold and silver mountains? How about letting me mine for a year or half on your island?"
Tu Chan's spine suddenly felt a chill, and he found Zhu Qingbiao's smile incredibly sinister and terrifying.
Whether Silver Mountain Island had gold mines was uncertain, but it certainly had silver mines. However, the silver mines of Silver Mountain Island were Tu Chan's lifeline, hence his nickname "Golden Toad." Tu Chan's lifeline was naturally coveted by other pirate factions. It's said that a thief is feared not for stealing, but for being coveted. At this moment, not only were other pirate factions coveting Tu Chan's lifeline, but Zhu Qingbiao also coveted it, and even Rongcheng Kui was considering it. How could Tu Chan not feel a chill down his spine?
"Hey, what are you spacing out for? Let's go, let's go!" Rongcheng Lanmin whispered to Zhou Fugui and used her short sword to cut the shark sinew binding him.
"Thank you, Island Master Zhu..." Zhou Fugui's hands were freed. After flexing his wrists, he cupped his hands and said to Zhu Qingbiao, "I apologize for my previous rude words. Please forgive me!"
Although Zhou Fugui found the effeminate and bizarre Zhu Qingbiao extremely repulsive, Zhu Qingbiao, regardless of his motives, had indeed saved his life. Therefore, Zhou Fugui offered his apologies and felt a slight degree of goodwill towards him.
"Governor Zhou, you are too kind. Please," Zhu Qingbiao said with a faint smile. "The King awaits you, and I also await you..."
"Why are you waiting for me?" Zhou Fugui asked curiously.
"There is a place called the Bamboo House on Sunrise Island. I look forward to having a few drinks with you," Zhu Qingbiao chuckled.
"Damn your ancestors!" Zhou Fugui felt a swarm of goosebumps erupt on his skin and cursed inwardly. Then, he walked alongside Rongcheng Lanmin into the island.
With Rongcheng Lanmin and Zhu Qingbiao vouching for him, the other pirates no longer dared to obstruct Zhou Fugui, nor did they dare to attack him. Murong Hong's men were in the same situation; they were now reliant on others and could not compare to their former glory.
"You thanked that... that person... why didn't you thank me?" Rongcheng Lanmin asked Zhou Fugui as they walked side by side.
"Our relationship is so good, do we still need to say thank you?" Zhou Fugui retorted with a raised eyebrow.
"Pah! Who said our relationship is good?" Rongcheng Lanmin spat.
"If our relationship isn't good, why did you go to such lengths to toss me around in the sea, almost making me fish food... What is this called? This is called 'ten years of cultivation to share a boat ride, a thousand miles of... fate tied by a thread'!" Zhou Fugui said.
"Hehehe!" Zhou Fugui's nonsensical talk made Rongcheng Lanmin burst into laughter.
"Scandalous couple!"
The pirates following behind cursed inwardly!
After walking along the path resembling an eagle's beak, they arrived at an open area within the island. The first thing that greeted their eyes was a tall building, resembling a temple or a palace.
Under the azure sky, two large red doors, with a plaque hanging above them, bordered with gold, inscribed with three prominent golden characters: "Yingshui Palace." The roof was fully covered with yellow glazed tiles, bordered with green trimming. At the apex, a flaming pearl atop a wheel, surrounded by eight chains connected to eight ferocious-looking guardians. Ancient trees towered around the building, casting lush shade.
The so-called residence of the Zhenao Kingdom's king was entirely different from Zhou Fugui's imagination. Could these foreign pirates build such temple-like or palace-like structures? Weren't they supposed to live in messy thatched huts or stone houses? Or even in caves... How could they be associated with magnificent temples or palaces?
"These foreign rebels can enjoy themselves too," Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly, and then his gaze was drawn to a sword pool in front of Yingshui Palace.
The sword pool was about ten feet square, with white jade balustrades on all four sides, surrounding a clear spring. What attracted Zhou Fugui's attention was not the white jade balustrades or the spring, but an ancient sword plunged into the spring. The length of the ancient sword was unknown because its blade was embedded in the jade stone of the spring. The hilt was black, yet it faintly exuded a chilling aura. The blade was also dark, but as Zhou Fugui's gaze fell upon it, a blue light flashed across the blade. Faintly, several characters appeared on the sword's ridge. As Zhou Fugui looked closely, the light and the characters vanished, and the ancient sword returned to its calm state, like the setting sun, where all things in heaven and earth fall into silence.
The ancient sword, cold and dark, forged for millennia.
"What is this?" After the ancient sword returned to its calm state, Zhou Fugui asked Rongcheng Lanmin.
"A sword..." Rongcheng Lanmin dared not stare at the ancient sword. After glancing at it briefly, she looked away and replied.
"Nonsense, I know it's a sword? I'm asking what sword it is, and what is its origin?" Zhou Fugui's curiosity grew as he observed Rongcheng Lanmin's peculiar behavior. He looked at her, then back at the ancient sword.
"You are the one talking nonsense..." Rongcheng Lanmin, afraid to look at the ancient sword, only stared at Zhou Fugui and said, "Today is... is... its day to breathe. Don't look at it anymore, or else..."
"Or else, what? Does a sword need to breathe, to come out and kill people?" Zhou Fugui asked curiously. "Or else like this?"
"Or else... stop talking, someone is coming," Rongcheng Lanmin exclaimed, looking towards the gate.
Eight warriors in tight-fitting armor stood at the entrance of Yingshui Palace.
"Canglang!" With a sound, Zhou Fugui suddenly drew the ancient sword, and golden light burst forth.
"Rumble!" A loud noise echoed from the distant sea, a beam of golden light approached from afar, then destroyed everything. The world fell silent, and all grudges and affections turned to nothing.
(The End)
" (Poor performance, painful self-emasculation, apologies!)"