Chapter 205
Chapter 205
Qiu Tianwei said calmly.
“Impossible. Qiu Yao'er's heart is set on distant horizons. Her only interests are slaughter, battle, saving the masses, and exploring the unknown. She has not the slightest interest in power.”
“Ambition can grow slowly in a person. For the future of our Qiu Clan, we must kill Qiu Yao'er, or at the very least, cripple her martial arts.”
Qiu Tianwei roared in anger.
“You fool! Don't tell me you provoked her again? Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You'd better watch your own neck. If she hadn't spared you for my sake, you would have been dead long ago.”
The moment Qiu Tianwei turned, he spotted a wound on Qiu Xiao's back. His gaze turned cold as he asked.
“Did she cut you?”
“No. A dozen of Qiu Yao'er's female warriors surrounded me.”
“What did you do this time!”
Qiu Xiao merely chuckled, “Heh heh,” not answering, then said in a cold voice.
“Father, aren't Qiu Yao'er's warriors unruly? I am the young lord of Raging Tide City, their master in all but name, yet they dared to lay a hand on me. They follow only Qiu Yao'er, paying me no mind. And they pay no mind to the Lord of Raging Tide City either.”
The Pirate King Qiu Tianwei's face twitched once more.
“By the way, it seems someone tried to poison Qiu Yao'er by putting poisoned salt in her food. They apparently colluded with Steward Xu of her fortress to do it, but the steward is already dead, silenced. It was probably Qiu Hu.”
Qiu Tianwei's eyes narrowed as he asked.
“Did they find the cause? How is Yao'er now?”
“She's recovered. A peerlessly beautiful female physician cured her.”
Qiu Tianwei was stunned.
“What kind of female physician could possess such skill? I sought out all the famous doctors in the world, yet none could even diagnose the cause of her illness, let alone cure it. And you're telling me this physician not only found the cause but also cured her?
“That's right. I hear she's a peerless beauty. A woman of such talent—why not take her as your concubine, Father?”
Qiu Tianwei didn't answer, changing the subject.
“Go to Lookout Cliff Island at once. If Qiu Yao'er comes storming to my doorstep, even I won't be able to protect a beast like you. You are not to provoke her for a while.”
“Why? Who is the master of Raging Tide City?”
“Qiu Hu is stationed on Gold Mountain Island, guarding it. That place is vital to us. All the iron, all the armor and weapons we use, come from Gold Mountain Island. In the future, when I lead a great army to attack Lookout Cliff Island, who will defend Raging Tide City? Only Qiu Yao'er.”
Qiu Xiao fell silent. Though he had slandered Qiu Yao'er to his father, he knew better than anyone. Qiu Yao'er was an invincible warrior, a female hegemon. With her stationed at Raging Tide City, it was absolutely secure, impregnable even to an enemy with a massive army.
Besides, what was Qiu Tianwei's greatest fear when leading his troops to attack Lookout Cliff Island? Someone attacking Raging Tide City and causing trouble in his rear.
The pirates based in the Leizhou Archipelago were a rough and savage lot. While some feigned allegiance to Qiu Tianwei, many ambitious pirate captains coveted Raging Tide City. But with an invincible warrior like Qiu Yao'er stationed there, these captains would never dare to make a move. Moreover, Qiu Xiao knew full well that Qiu Yao'er had no ambition and was absolutely loyal to their father. He wasn't worried she would compete with him for the lordship; he was simply jealous that her prestige overshadowed his own.
“Do you know what you must do when you get to Lookout Cliff Island?”
“I do. Anyone who stands in my way and acts tyrannically will be killed! With tens of thousands of pirates at my back, the Jin Clan won't be able to touch a hair on my head.”
“Remember. If the Jin Clan reacts fiercely, you must deal with them gently. But if they treat you with a gentle attitude, you must deal with them fiercely. Be excessive, yet arrogant.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“You must inspect the gold mine yourself. Rumors are often false; believe only what you see with your own eyes.”
“I know.”
“Once you've confirmed the gold mine exists, do you know what to do?”
“I should return immediately and report to you, Father.”
“No. You are to negotiate with Jin Zhuo and Shen Lang over the ownership of the gold mine. If the Jin Clan agrees to give up half of the mine, we will not invade Lookout Cliff Island and will even station troops to protect it.”
Qiu Xiao was astonished and asked in disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
*Father, that would be betraying Tang Lun.*
“At least, that's how we'll start. Later, we'll find a way to kill Shen Lang, and you will take Jin Mulan as your wife. In a few years, won't Lookout Cliff Island belong to our family?”
“But isn't the Crown Prince eyeing Jin Mulan?”
“She is just one woman. Even if we dispatch troops to Lookout Cliff Island, our family would receive at most sixty percent of the profits. Isn't it better to receive fifty percent without sending a single soldier?”
Qiu Xiao laughed heartily and said.
“The Jin Clan will have to choose between giving up half the gold mine or having their entire family die a miserable death. I trust they will make the smart choice.”
“Go, before Qiu Yao'er comes looking for you here.”
“Yes, Father.”
Qiu Xiao then prepared to leave.
“Remember. If they come on strong, you go soft. If they come on soft, you go strong! Negotiate, but avoid fighting if possible.”
“Don't worry. I know what you mean.”
After his son left, Qiu Tianwei headed straight for Qiu Yao'er's fortress. First, he wanted to see what kind of female physician possessed such miraculous skills to have cured Qiu Yao'er's illness. If a woman was that capable, he would, as his son suggested, bring her into the lord's estate. Even if she refused, he would keep her by force. As long as she wasn't a woman like Qiu Yao'er, he could make any woman submit. Second, he needed to console his adopted daughter, Qiu Yao'er. It was a fact that Qiu Xiao had committed a beastly act. A great war could break out in the future, and if he was to entrust the defense of Raging Tide City to Qiu Yao'er, he couldn't afford to alienate her. However, while he was still a good distance from Qiu Yao'er's white fortress, a piercing sound reached his ears.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
It was the sound of many people striking their armor with their swords. The air was thick with killing intent; it seemed Qiu Yao'er was venting her frustration. *This won't do. I can't go now.* Qiu Xiao hadn't gotten far yet. If he went to Qiu Yao'er now and she demanded he hand over that beast Qiu Xiao, he would have no way to refuse. *I'll visit her tomorrow.*
* * *
A day passed, and Shen Lang awoke the next morning. He immediately felt as if his body wasn't his own. Every joint seemed to have been dismantled, his lower back didn't just ache but felt as if it had been seared by fire, and his precious member throbbed as if someone had tried to tear it off. The moment Shen Lang fluttered his eyes open, he saw that his body was covered in wounds.
*My god! This is... too much.*
But that was nothing. The moment he looked down, Shen Lang almost screamed in shock.
*My god! What on earth happened to me last night? How... how am I still alive?*
Shen Lang looked as if he had been violated by a hundred burly men. Moreover, he wasn't on the floor but lying in bed. He was even covered with a blanket, but there was no one beside him.
“Is anyone there?”
Shen Lang called out instinctively, but his voice was completely hoarse, and no sound came out. His lips also felt raw and scalded. Looking in the silver mirror beside him, he saw they were swollen to an unbearable degree, so red he couldn't tell how many tiny blood vessels had burst. Shen Lang couldn't help but scream internally once more.
*My god! What in the world happened to me last night?*
He reached out to pat his head but found a still-wet bloodstain on his palm. Sniffing it, he caught a strange scent. He tapped his head forcefully, desperately trying to recall. He had been drugged with an aphrodisiac, not the truth serum he had created himself, so a few taps on the head should bring back some memories.
In that instant, everything that had happened last night flooded his mind, and he was both thrilled and dumbfounded.
*I... I was violated? By Qiu Yao'er?*
The detailed events of the previous night that surfaced in his mind were utterly unbelievable. The scenes were frightening enough to drive a man mad. It was crazier than any movie he had ever seen. What goddess? She was a tigress, and Shen Lang was the rabbit laid before her.
*I... I survived. It really wasn't easy. Still, last night, Qiu Yao'er was truly... beautiful.*
She was far more beautiful than any movie heroine, delivering a shock so profound it felt etched into the depths of his soul.
*But where is Qiu Yao'er now? Why can't I see her?*
Then, a fatal question popped into Shen Lang's mind. Why hadn't Qiu Yao'er killed him? It was said that she hated men so much that she had personally killed five thousand of them. And hadn't he deceived her by cross-dressing? Given Qiu Yao'er's personality, she should not only kill him but also tear his body to shreds.
*So why hasn't she killed me yet? Right. I must have passed out, and she probably thought there'd be no fun in killing me then. Once I'm awake, she'll surely tear me limb from limb to vent her anger. No, I have to get out of here! I have to run for my life.*
Some might ask why Shen Lang, the one who was ravaged and the victim, had to flee. But would a powerful female hegemon listen to reason? Her hatred for men was an absolute fact; she wouldn't even let a man touch her. She would rather die of illness than let a male physician take her pulse. And to top it all off, Shen Lang had deceived her by cross-dressing...
With great difficulty, Shen Lang got out of bed, dressed with even greater effort, and tried to tiptoe away, muffling his footsteps.
*Where did that woman, Xu Qianqian, go? Why isn't she here to help me escape?*
Just as Shen Lang stealthily reached the door, it creaked open. The woman who entered was none other than Xu Qianqian. She had dark circles under her eyes, which were bloodshot, and she looked dead tired. What on earth had happened to her?
Shen Lang asked quietly.
“Nothing happened between us last night, right?”
Xu Qianqian ground her teeth and said quietly.
“You wish.”
“That drug was incredibly potent. How did you manage?”
“Achoo, achoo...”
Xu Qianqian sneezed several times in a row and instinctively shook her hands. Shen Lang's gaze naturally fell on them. Both her hands were shriveled and coated with a white layer of frost.
*Damn, you're really something!*
The words escaped Shen Lang's lips.
“Qianqian, you've suffered.”
Xu Qianqian grated her teeth and said.
“Say one more word and I'll kill you.”
*They say you have to bow your head when you're under someone else's roof. You weren't this arrogant when you came to my Count of Xuanwu's Estate, were you?*
Shen Lang sighed.
“Hah! Thank goodness nothing happened between us last night. Otherwise, I would have felt terribly guilty.”
“A scoundrel like you feels guilty?”
“Of course I do. Not towards you, but towards my wife. Ack...!”
That vicious woman, Xu Qianqian, stepped forward and kneed Shen Lang. He was already injured there, and her knee strike made it feel like his skin was being ripped apart. In truth, Xu Qianqian had used very little force, but that part of Shen Lang's body was just too tender.