The Regressor of Mount Hua-Chapter 302. Dragon Kings of the Four Seas (2)

The troublemakers of the Ming Dynasty weren't only the barbarians to the north.

Starting a hundred years ago, a force known as the Eastern Pirates began plundering the southeastern seas.[1]

The scale of the Eastern Pirates was much larger than expected, to the point that even the Nine Water Gangs were reluctant to expand their power beyond the Yangtze River.

In addition, the Eastern Pirates weren't only made up of those of the Eastern Islands.[2] Of course, a majority were from the Eastern Islands, but there were also those who were dissatisfied with the Ming Dynasty or the Empire of the Morning Calm.[3]

The Eastern Pirates were a troublesome force beyond even the control of the Eastern Shorelands and Islands. Eventually, the pirates of the southeastern seas gathered together to form a single, powerful force.

“Ha ha ha!”

This was the world of Fang Jun, the youngest son of Fang Guozhen, a pirate and warlord of the previous Yuan Dynasty.

His father, Fang Guozhen, had once resisted the Ming Dynasty before ultimately surrendering to its founder, Emperor Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang.

For a time, he held great influence at sea and was even granted an official position.

However, he was eventually defeated by the Ming Dynasty and surrendered, and although he had obtained an official position, he was caught up in the Great Purge and lost his life.

At that time, Fang Jun fled to the sea with part of his forces and surrendered to the Eastern Pirates, becoming a pirate in charge of the South Sea.

"Within the South Sea, I am the King!"

Fang Jun not only possessed his existing forces but also had outstanding individual martial might.

Just like his father, he had always been strong. Moreover, he was extremely tall and well-muscled. In addition, through plundering, he had learned many martial arts, and there were few who could rival him on the seas.

"Eldest Hyungnim, no, Captain!"

"Yeah. What is it?"

“I see a s-ship!”

"It's not the navy, is it?!"

Recently, the navy’s movements have become unusual due to their continuous assaults.

The current emperor was already famous for his martial arts, so Fang Jun was worried that the emperor might be planning a large-scale suppression.

“That’s not it..."

"Then what are you doing? Go loot it!"

"W-well... it's just a small boat."

"Huh?"

Fang Jun tilted his head.[4]

Just what kind of crazy bastard would cross the sea with a small boat? Even though they were currently still near Hainan Island, it was still foolish.

The sea has always had rough waves, and the weather was also crazy, so even large ships didn’t know what to do.

"So we're seeing all sorts of crazy bastards, then. They must have gotten caught up in the ocean current and swept far away. Ignore them!”

“Captain! There’s a beauty! There’s a beauty on board!”

“What, a beauty? Get out of the way!”

Fang Jun shoved his men away in annoyance, leaned over the railing, and looked down.

"Gasp!"

It was a beauty.

And not just any beauty—she was so stunning that it made his head spin.

Even from a distance, her looks made his mouth water.

When she briefly lifted her bamboo hat and he caught a glimpse of her eyes, his heart began to race. He felt like he was losing his mind.

There were two men next to her, but that didn’t matter.

“Get down the ladder quickly!”

In fact, it was impossible not to feel suspicious at first glance.

A peerless beauty, who could be called the most beautiful woman in the South Sea, had come to the middle of the sea on a small boat without any escort. It would be even stranger if it wasn’t suspicious.

However, her beauty was too precious to pass by, and since there was no one else around, Fang Jun decided to proceed without worry.

It was a decision he would soon regret.

No matter what, he shouldn't have lowered that ladder.

Zhou Xuchuan had already decided that he would need to use water immersion arts to rescue Gan Yezi and infiltrate the base of the South Sea Dragon Gate.

Regardless of his cultivation at the Coruscant Realm, it would be difficult for him to exert his full strength underwater. Not only was the inability to breathe a major limitation, but there was also a significant impediment to properly performing one’s techniques in the water.

Since one of his Manifestations of One's Path was Imitation, as long as he actually gained access to a water immersion art, he would be able to imitate and practice it, quickly overcoming the problem.

The bigger problem was the water immersion art itself.

For a Righteous Faction martial artist, especially a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, learning the martial arts of another sect would be problematic in many ways. This meant he had to learn them secretly.

Putting aside the Hainan Sword Sect, even the other sects of Hainan Island would have their own issues if he were to ask for their arts. So, he considered another option—pirates.

"You're going to borrow some stuff?"

"Yes, supplies. After all, the current Hainan Sword Sect has suffered severe damage, hasn’t it? We should fill those gaps first.”

Although Li Yicai could help right away with the supplies he had brought from the merchant company, there was a limit to what he could do.

He couldn't bring much money because he had to load people, medicine, and supplies onto the ship.

"Ahah, I understand."

"Also, I plan to regain the people’s trust by suppressing the pirates. If I make that move, we'll also gain the hearts of the people."

"That's a good idea."

Although Zhou Xuchuan was making excuses to avoid unnecessary suspicion, it was by no means a lie. What he was doing was actually necessary.

The Hainan Sword Sect, like the Righteous Faction, defeated the Eastern Pirates on behalf of the navy, just as the Central Plains murim's forces suppressed the Nine Forest Gangs.

However, after fighting with the Returning Deer Gate, they lost the ability to suppress the pirates, and naturally the pirates became more active.

One of the reasons the public had lost trust in them was due to the rise in plundering caused by pirates.

In any case, he used the temporary suppression of the pirates as an excuse. However, the number of people accompanying him wasn't that large.

While the work in the sea was important, the work on land was just as important. As a result, they left behind the Gold Will Sword Sect, Benevolence Clinic, and the Qingcheng Sect forces.

There were only three who came to subdue the pirates—Zhou Xuchuan, Duan Lihua, and a disciple named Zhao Yangxian of the Hainan Sword Sect who was their guide.

“Uh, uh, is it really okay with just the three of us?" Zhao Yangxian asked nervously as he climbed the ladder.

As a martial artist of the Righteous Faction, he shouldn’t have been afraid of mere pirates. But there was still something called common sense.

The Eastern Pirates who dominated the South Sea, Fang Jun and his men, were incredible pirates that had troubled both the Hainan Sword Sect and the navy.

At first, the warriors who accompanied them from the Central Plains had said they would help them with the pirates. However, when they got to the ship, their words suddenly seemed to change.

Since Zhou Xuchuan had said that they were only going to scout, Zhao Yangxian had guided them toward the pirates on a boat. However, as soon as they spotted the pirate ship, the young man suddenly said they were going to attack it.

Zhao Yangxian was terrified and tried to refuse.

"Oh dear, you're not really thinking of going back, are you? I... I really hate men who are loud and strong only in the bedroom though..."

Damn it, this crazy bastard! Zhao Yangxian cursed inwardly.

Still, the moment Duan Lihua rubbed her plump lips with her fingers and gave him a sultry glance, Zhao Yangxian somehow found the confidence to move again.

In the end, they didn’t board just one, but a whole group of six pirate ships.

"Oh dear, I finally feel alive again."

Whether Zhou Xuchuan noticed Zhao Yangxian’s feelings or not, he climbed onto the ship, stretched his shoulders, and smiled brightly.

"You feel alive again?"

“Hahaha!”

The pirates on the ship burst into laughter.

As there were many Eastern Islanders among them, they spoke in foreign languages.

“Gulp!”

"Wowwow, she's pretty."

However, the mood changed as soon as Duan Lihua boarded the ship. They all drooled with blank expressions.

Their eyes filled with desire were gleaming with ugly lust.

Eeek! It's over!

Zhao Yangxian’s face turned pale.

Even though he was a Peak Realm expert, fighting this many people on the unstable surface of a ship was impossible. Even at a glance, there were at least a hundred people on this ship, and a similar number aboard the pirate ships nearby.

“I’ve experienced a lot of things while traveling the sea, but this is the first time I’ve experienced something this absurd.”

Thud, thud.

The floor shook with every movement. Zhao Yangxian couldn’t tell if it was the rough waves moving the ship or a man's footsteps.

"South Sea Eastern Pirates, Fang Jun!"

Fang Jun, the pirate and representative of the South Sea division of the Eastern Pirates.

Seeing as how his body was white but his face was black, he was definitely Fang Jun, the infamous pirate of the South Sea.[5]

The aura that could be felt radiating off of him wasn't ordinary. Even Zhao Yangxian, a Peak Realm expert, was overwhelmed.

"Kekeke!"

Fang Jun looked at Duan Lihua lustfully.

Just catching the man's gaze was enough to send shivers down Zhao Yangxian's spine. However, Duan Lihua responded with a laugh as if she felt nothing.

"Oho, look at this bitch."

Admiration and curiosity flashed in Fang Jun’s eyes.

Normally, one would be terrified when surrounded by pirates—or feel humiliated under their lustful gazes. However, instead of showing fear, this girl smiled confidently, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“You’re so beautiful that even the immortal fairies living in the Dragon Palace would be jealous, and your cultivation is also quite impressive. Very well, I’ll make an exception. You’ll be my wife."

"You really do talk too much, Fang Jun."

Shing!

When Zhou Xuchuan drew his sword, Duan Lihua and Zhao Yangxian also drew theirs.

“...Hainan Sword Sect?”

Fang Jun frowned at Zhao Yangxian.

Considering one of them was using a left-handed sword with a slanted blade, there weren’t any sects in Hainan, or even in the entire Central Plains, that used a style like that besides the Hainan Sword Sect.

Setting aside the three’s personal skills, Fang Jun was more concerned about their possible reinforcements.

“Make sure there’s really no one nearby!”

Fang Jun wasn’t just a pirate who was weak and ignorant.

He had inherited his father’s family business from a young age and picked up many things through a life at sea. Thanks to that experience, he was observant and cautious, which was how he had managed to survive this long.

“Don’t worry. There’s no one else but us.”

Zhou Xuchuan swung his sword around and straightened it.

"Wave Sword Phoenix."

"You can also call me Duan Nuna, what do you think?"

"...nuna?"

Zhou Xuchuan blinked, visibly caught off guard.

I mean, it's not inappropriate, but...

Duan Lihua was twenty-nine. In terms of age, she really was a Nuna.

Of course, in terms of mental age, Zhou Xuchuan was older.

However, if he were to have responded with, ‘I’m actually over a hundred years old,’ people would just think he was crazy.

"It looks like you're not a fan of it. What a shame."

"After all, we're not in that kind of relationship."

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Zhou Xuchuan smiled bitterly.

"What sort of relationship is that? By chance, you're not talking about a physical relationship, are you? You really are quite forward, Sword God, and..."

“Let’s just focus on these guys.”

Zhou Xuchuan sighed and turned his gaze straight ahead.

He seemed to understand why Tang Hui couldn’t make a move against Duan Lihua.

"...what the hell are these bastards talking about right now?" Fang Jun asked with an expression that went beyond anger to bewilderment. The pirates around him looked equally puzzled.

They were surrounded by over a hundred people on a ship, of all places. It was definitely not a situation where they could leisurely exchange jokes.

"As expected, they’re completely insane. Whatever. Don’t kill the men, just throw them in the brig. Subdue the girl, but don’t injure her. Once I’ve had my time with her in my quarters, beat the men and find out what they’re up to. Be especially careful of that Hainan Sword Sect disciple.”

“Understood!”

Shing! Shing!

The sound of weapons being drawn all around could be heard. The blades reflecting in the sunlight were all single-edged sabers.

As expected of the Eastern Pirates, their weapons were all katanas that were about three feet long.

While some of them carried spears, there weren't many of them, and on the neighboring ships, several pirates were armed with bows.

“Unlike on land, moving around on a ship will be a bit annoying," Zhou Xuchuan quipped.

He thought back to his experience when he was attacked by the Watertop Spearman, who was an expert of the Nine Water Gangs and one of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven, and gave advice to the others.

“I’ll subdue the leader, so all you have to do is hold out for a while. Then, I’ll be off.”

Zhou Xuchuan’s figure blurred.

“What?”

Fang Jun was startled.

A person who wasn’t even a ghost had suddenly disappeared, so it would have been stranger if he hadn’t been surprised.

Just as he was about to shout, Fang Jun felt a chill for a moment and unleashed his defensive qi barrier.

Clang!

“Huh?”

Zhou Xuchuan blinked as he appeared in front of Fang Jun.

“Ha, seriously.”

He let out a hollow laugh.

“To think a Harmony Realm Master is a pirate."

1. The Wokou were pirates that went down plundering the eastern seaboard of mainland asia. As the term Wokou can be used as an ethnic slur in Chinese, we will be changing it to the Eastern Pirates. ☜

2. Japan. ☜

3. Joseon, or literally, the Land of the Morning Calm, was the historical title of Korea. ☜

4. From this point on, it reads Fang Man, but I think that's a typo. We will translate it as Fang Jun for now. ☜

5. Pirates are notorious for having black faces from grime and dirt (and just general nafariousness. However, his body is still white because he's originally from the north, unlike most of the pirates, who are from the south seas. ☜