Chapter 518: Chapter 233: Uninvited Guest

Seeing him speak with such conviction, Zuo Xuan grew uncertain and suspicious. He whispered to Fang Shuwen:

"This old Taoist priest... can he really tell fortunes? He can even foresee a bloody disaster?

"Could it be that if that crewman refuses, the old priest plans to beat him black and blue?"

Fang Shuwen glanced at Zuo Xuan. Seeing his serious expression, he couldn’t help but sigh.

"You should probably stay away from Zhou Zhengze..."

Zhou Zhengze: "?"

Zuo Xuan was also taken aback. ’What does he mean by that?’

Fang Shuwen pointed with his finger.

"Look over there."

Zuo Xuan froze. Following the direction Fang Shuwen was pointing, he saw a large ship charging toward them menacingly. It was clearly a pirate vessel.

The old Taoist priest hadn’t predicted it at all... he had clearly just seen it.

Fang Shuwen, however, was a little curious. He asked Zuo Xuan:

"This old Taoist priest’s Martial Arts are extraordinary. You’re so worldly and knowledgeable, yet you don’t recognize him?"

Zuo Xuan replied helplessly:

"The East Sea is too vast, and there are too many powerful experts. Besides, the young mistress rarely goes out, so my knowledge isn’t as profound as you might think."

Fang Shuwen nodded. While he was chatting idly with Zuo Xuan, the ship’s lookout also spotted the approaching pirates.

The crewman, realizing he’d been tricked by the old Taoist priest, didn’t dare say anything.

After the ship captain called out to him, he quickly left.

The old Taoist priest, on the other hand, cheerfully trotted after them.

Fang Shuwen decided to wait and see how things developed.

If the ship captain and his crew could handle it, he could just watch from the sidelines.

If they couldn’t, it wouldn’t be too late for him to step in.

’Still,’ he thought, ’a captain who can navigate these seas must have some skill. He shouldn’t be taken down so easily by a random group of pirates.’

Despite the sudden turn of events, the ship captain didn’t order the people on deck to leave.

Having everyone remain on deck served two purposes. First, it made their numbers look more impressive. Second, these passengers were hardly ordinary, helpless folk.

After all, given the situation on Nameless Island yesterday, no ordinary person would have dared to run around so freely.

Meanwhile, the ship captain’s own crew had already gathered, ready for anything.

Soon, the two ships drew near. The ship captain shouted from the bow:

"Which ’great Shopkeeper’ ahead is looking for business?"

Zuo Xuan explained to Fang Shuwen:

"That ’great Shopkeeper’ refers to their leader. The captain is using code to feel them out."

It dawned on Fang Shuwen. This was the sea’s secret language.

The Jianghu was full of such coded words and slang. He had encountered some of it back when he was a guard for the Zhou Family.

Seeing it used at sea now, he found it somewhat novel.

Seeing his interest, Zuo Xuan was about to explain terms like "water buffalo," "empty mouth," "crossing the bridge," and "feeding the Dragon King."

When he heard Fang Shuwen ask:

"What does ’flank water’ mean? Someone on that ship just said it."

"He said they can ’stick to us’... does that mean they’re planning to come over?

"And their leader said ’bite down,’ ’jump the rail, cross the bridge, and feed the Dragon King’?"

Zuo Xuan was stunned. The two ships were so far apart. ’Does Fang Shuwen have super-hearing or something?’

But upon hearing what Fang Shuwen said, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Flank water" meant a crosswind. The wind direction affected the ship’s movement, and if the enemy wanted to "stick to them" in a crosswind, they were indeed preparing to attack.

As for the next phrases, "bite down" was self-explanatory. "Jump the rail" meant to be the vanguard. After getting close, they planned to have their lead attackers leap from their own ship onto Fang Shuwen’s to strike first.

"Cross the bridge" meant they would lay down planks between the two ships, allowing all the pirates to swarm across.

And the final phrase, "feed the Dragon King," meant to kill everyone, leaving no one alive!

The reason Zuo Xuan’s expression changed was because these men were giving no quarter. It was rare for pirates to be so ruthless at sea.

Especially since this wasn’t the Dark Sea Territory. Why the need for such extreme measures?

Before Zuo Xuan could explain the details to Fang Shuwen, the pirate ship had already drifted closer. Once it was near enough, figures leaped from the pirates’ deck. The leader swung his saber in a vicious downward arc, aiming straight for the ship captain.

The ship captain had been preparing for this ever since the other side refused to answer and started closing in.

He let out an angry roar:

"Take them all down!"

As the words fell, his hands parted and came together. He took one step back and one step forward, perfectly catching the saber against his body. He seized the man’s elbow with one hand, forcing it down, while his other hand shot out in a palm strike toward his opponent’s jaw.

BANG!

In a single move, the man was sent flying more than half a foot into the air, the saber slipping from his grasp.

The ship captain caught it, spun the blade around, and charged forward into the fray.

At the same time, he didn’t forget to shout:

"Raise the sails!!"

A crewman immediately reached out and yanked a rope. With a WHOOSH, the sail unfurled.

The ship had been stopped just moments before, but now, as the sail caught the wind, it lurched into motion.

They had to fight back, but if they could run, they would. It was the best way to minimize casualties.

His crewmen were all men who ate from the same pot as him; as their leader, he naturally had to protect their lives.

However, by now, it was already a little too late.

The crosswind did indeed affect their movement, but the two ships had already been close. In that short time, they had come right up alongside each other.

With a series of CLANGS, the boarding planks were thrown into place.

A mob of pirates brandishing sabers and swords charged across with loud cries.

Some went straight for the sails, while others seized the anchor to stop the large ship from getting away.

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