Wu Ma still came in the end.
He stormed into the City Lord’s Manor, bringing with him a murderous intent that left no room for survival.
Inside the bedroom, Wu Yi stamped her little bare feet anxiously as she listened to the commotion outside.
She was in her Seer state right now barely able to walk, let alone fight or help Wu Ma deal with his enemies.
“Congratulations on your triumphant return, General Wu Ma.”
A clear, youthful voice greeted him.
Judging by the tone, its owner sounded quite young.
“You’ve got the gall to show your face in front of me?”
Wu Ma’s fury was unmasked.
“Lu Sheng, City Lord, if you’re a real man, then face me head-on. If you want to kill me, bring it on. Why all the underhanded games?”
In the receiving hall, Lu Sheng sat comfortably at the head seat, sipping tea with calm leisure.
“Looks like you’ve gotten a taste of what those pirates are truly capable of.”
“Keel-hulled ships rivaling the navy, backed by mid-tier Spirit Tamers, and swarms of sea bandits with intimate knowledge of every waterway… All thanks to you, you bastard, and your generous funding. That’s how they can stand toe-to-toe with the official navy.”
“Indeed,” Lu Sheng sighed, long and slow.
“Even the navy finds them difficult to handle. Now imagine a civilian merchant ship or a frontier exploration vessel running into them. How could they possibly stand a chance?”
“If not for your support, they wouldn’t be this rampant.”
“If I hadn’t supported them, someone else would have.”
Lu Sheng waved his hand, and a maritime record prepared well in advance unfurled before him.
“Please, General, take a seat.”
“I’ll pass.”
The City Lord didn’t mind the refusal.
He calmly flipped open the record and began reading aloud:
“New Calendar, Year 7, March 9. The Liu family merchant ship departed from Azurewave Port. Near Yara Bay, it was attacked by pirates. Three thousand stones of tea leaves, two thousand bolts of silk, and various Spirit Tamer materials stolen.”
“The Liu family went bankrupt. They appealed to the Poke Continent for justice but were refused because the pirates held a privateering license issued by Poke, which meant the raid was legally protected.”
“Year 8, July 4. The Wang family ship sailed from Thousand Sails Harbor. Attacked near the Sixfold Strait. Goods plundered…”
“Since the pirates had a Plains Continent license, the case was dismissed.”
“Year 8, September 3. The Starlight Exploration Team departed Azurewave Port to scout the New World at Mysterious Island. On their return, they were raided every bit of newly discovered material and their illustrated research journals were taken.”
“Because the attackers were licensed by the Aoxin Continent, no legal action was taken.”
Lu Sheng read off over a dozen such incidents.
“…And these are just the tip of the iceberg in the maritime records.”
He looked up, calm and fearless, meeting Wu Ma’s eyes head-on.
“What’s the point of telling me all this?”
Wu Ma stood at the threshold, leaning on his spear.
The killing intent in his voice remained unchanged.
Unfazed by the pressure, Lu Sheng continued:
“Ever since the fall of the Divine King and the lifting of the oceanic restrictions, pirate attacks have become rampant.
When merchant ships are looted and legal or diplomatic channels fail to reclaim their cargo, Poke, Plains, and Aoxin continents offer the shipowners privateering licenses and military support—
Allowing them to become pirates in turn, raiding ships from rival continents to recoup their losses.”
“What a joke.”
Wu Ma sneered, disdain dripping from his tone.
“Barbaric nonsense. An endless cycle of vengeance. If everyone who gets robbed becomes a pirate, how will the seas ever know peace?”
“I agree with you completely, General Wu Ma.”
Lu Sheng nodded.
“But right now, everyone is robbing. And only our Donghuang merchant ships are playing by the rules getting looted clean day after day.
If we don’t issue privateering licenses or collaborate with pirates to protect Donghuang ships, who in their right mind would still dare venture out to sea?”
“Then don’t go to sea!”
Wu Ma argued as if it were obvious.
“Donghuang is vast and abundant. It borders major continents like the Plains and Poke by land. We can trade just fine overland.”
“Sigh—”
Lu Sheng looked up and let out a long sigh.
“General, do you know what this is?”
He raised a bright yellow fruit.
It had distinct kernels and long, whisker-like strands trailing from it.
“What strange thing is that? Never seen it before,” Wu Ma frowned.
“This is Jinbaogu, a crop found by a man named Christopher Columbus on the distant continent of Aoshenzhou. It holds immense alchemical potential.
And this—this is Silver Spirit Tuber. And this—Niktina grass. When burned, its aroma can numb pain… These are discoveries powerful enough to shake the foundations of civilization!”
Lord Lu Sheng stood up, hands behind his back, and stared solemnly at Wu Ma.
“If our merchant fleets and expeditions all fear the open sea and cling only to the land… then all we can do is watch others explore one new continent after another, unearth secret islands, and gain more resources and technology.
Donghuang will fall behind— from the very start of this Age of Discovery, fall so far behind that we’ll never catch up again.
And when a new God-King rises, what then?”
“This is your excuse for wanting to kill me?”
Wu Ma sneered, stepping forward with his spear.
“Alas…”
Lu Sheng gave Wu Ma a look of genuine regret.
“General Wu Ma, you’re too stubborn. You’ve always blocked my attempts to cooperate with pirates. I couldn’t convince you, so I had no choice but to kill you. There was no other way.”
“How many men are hiding outside this house?”
Wu Ma lifted his chin.
“Five hundred. Including veterans from the War Against the Gods. You can’t win.”
“Maybe not. But I can take you down with me.”
“You have a wife. A daughter.”
Lu Sheng smiled as he poured him a cup of tea.
“They need you. You wouldn’t do something foolish.”
“I already sent them downriver.”
Lu Sheng’s expression froze.
“What?”
“Only one of us is leaving this place alive,”
Wu Ma said, eyes unflinching.
Crash—
Lu Sheng dropped the freshly poured teacup.
Instantly, soldiers poured in through doors and windows from all directions.
Their blades gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting into Wu Ma’s eyes.
But he didn’t blink.
“General Wu Ma, you once fought the gods for the sake of the oppressed—
So why won’t you fight now for Donghuang, for those merchants being pillaged and murdered?”
Lu Sheng’s voice trembled with anguish.
“I’ve always respected you—even now, knowing you might kill me, I still waited here, hoping you would change your mind.
But why… Why is your vision so narrow, so small?
A heart like yours doesn’t deserve the title of General!”
“Lu Sheng,” Wu Ma’s spear pointed straight at his throat,
“You never fought in the War of the Gods. You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t. But I do know this— Donghuang must not stay landlocked. We must break through the stranglehold of pirates and rival continents. Even if it means working with pirates, we need to fight for passage to the sea!
There are thousands of mysterious islands out there— new continents! Each one is like a forbidden zone, a hidden realm, a dungeon! Do you have any idea what lies out there? How many chances? How much treasure?”
“…”
Wu Ma closed his eyes.
“Lu Sheng, you weren’t in the God War… so you don’t know. We Thunder Heralds once swore an oath— To end all burdensome taxes, oppression, and plunder from this world.”
He slowly pushed his spear forward : “I don’t care for grand visions. But I swore to Her Highness Wu Yi… And because of that oath, I cannot— will not tolerate your use of pirates. I won’t allow this gray zone to grow. Because if we let it fester, Donghuang will one day become a land ruled by thieves.”
“Fool!” Lu Sheng roared.
“My apologies… Lord Governor.”
Wu Ma drove his spear forward.
He knew this strike would kill them both.
He closed his eyes, ready for death.
“Wu Ma. Stop.”
Wu Ma’s arm froze.
If it had been anyone else telling him to stop, he would’ve ignored it without a second thought. But that voice… It sounded just like her.
So much so, obeying it had become muscle memory—a reflex.
He turned his head.
From behind the building, a pale-faced, frail-looking blind girl slowly emerged, swaying like a willow in the wind.
Wuyi was gasping for breath, her head spinning with stars from a hard knock.
Thankfully, she made it in time.
Groping her way forward, she calmly settled into the lord’s seat.
One smooth, jade-white leg crossed over the other, her toes lightly tapping the air.
“Just a bunch of pirates, Why not hear me out instead?”
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