Chapter 235
Chapter 235
“Shut your mouth. This was all your doing. I was just standing there that day, so why did you have to come and attack me? You not only covered my body in wounds but also broke my wife's heart. And now you're pregnant with my child.”
“I'll let you down. Attack me.”
“General, haven't we even had a chance to talk about this? Qiu Tianwei has committed countless evil deeds. Why are you willing to throw your life away for him?”
Qiu Yao'er shook her head.
“Years ago, I was adrift at sea, about to become food for the fish, when my adoptive father saved me. He's raised me ever since.”
“In recent years, you've more than repaid your debt by fighting campaigns for Qiu Tianwei across the land. The foundation he has today was built entirely on your achievements, General. And that Qiu Xiao… that human sc... that beast—what has he ever done besides abuse women?”
"Human trash" was a nickname reserved for Shen Lang, so Xu Qianqian didn't want to use it on anyone else.
“I owe my adoptive father my life, and I haven't repaid him yet. If I survive this war and protect Raging Tide City, I'll consider my debt more or less settled. Then, after he returns, I will leave and go far away. That should be enough to repay him.”
Shen Lang said, “There's no need to repay him. Qiu Tianwei is already dead.”
Qiu Yao'er flinched, her body trembling once. For some reason, she believed Shen Lang's absurd words. When Shen Lang spoke with such a solemn expression, he exuded an absolute authority that made his words impossible to doubt.
“Even if he is dead, I cannot betray him. I still owe him my life, so I will protect Raging Tide City for him. Afterward, I'll hand the city over to Qiu Xiao and leave. That will be the end of it. Shen Lang, get down from here and let's continue our fight. Let fate decide who lives and who dies!”
Faced with Qiu Yao'er's stubbornness, Shen Lang grew furious, but then he burst out laughing in disbelief.
“You're a fool who's lost her mind. You stopped owing Qiu Tianwei your life long ago, you foolish woman. Do you know who tried to poison you to death with salt? Do you know who ordered Mistress Xu to administer the poison? It was your adoptive father, Qiu Tianwei!
Qiu Tianwei originally intended to make you his woman. But you were too strong, so he couldn't bring himself to take you and adopted you as his daughter instead! Your strength grew to the point where it frightened him, and all the pirates in the surrounding waters feared you more than they feared him.
Now that you've killed all the pirates who wouldn't listen, there's no one left to oppose the Qiu clan. To Qiu Tianwei, you've become a burden he'd rather see dead! What's more, your prestige has grown so great that it overshadows his own authority and makes his heir, Qiu Xiao, look like an imbecile who only knows how to abuse women. From Qiu Tianwei's perspective, you had to die!”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, the color drained from Qiu Yao'er's face.
'My adoptive father... wanted to take me?'
She didn't know much about the relationships between men and women, but she had sometimes felt Qiu Tianwei looking at her with a strange gaze. Still, she could never have imagined that he would go so far as to try to kill her. The fact that the man who had raised her wanted her dead was too shocking, too difficult to believe. Qiu Yao'er asked in a trembling voice.
“Do... do you have proof?”
“That Mistress Xu is currently locked in a secret underground chamber in the city lord's manor. Bring her here, and the truth will be revealed. First, release Taoist An Zaitian. He knows where she is.”
Qiu Yao'er said, “My adoptive father would have killed Mistress Xu to silence her. A single woman is worthless to him.”
“No, he didn't kill her. Because that Mistress Xu is pregnant. Qiu Tianwei thinks she's carrying his child, but that's not the case!”
The reason Qiu Tianwei had been in such a good mood lately was that a woman he had slept with was pregnant. That's why he couldn't kill Mistress Xu... but the child was actually Taoist An Zaitian's.
A moment later.
Mistress Xu knelt before Qiu Yao'er. Only thirty-six this year, she still possessed an elegant grace. While she couldn't be called a peerless beauty, her gentle demeanor and scholarly elegance set her apart from other women. She was truly a daughter from a family of scholars. It was no wonder that Qiu Tianwei, a man who had enjoyed the company of countless women, had taken a special interest in her. Her belly was visibly swollen. Qiu Yao'er looked at the woman who had been her attendant and asked.
“Did... my adoptive father... order you to poison me?”
Mistress Xu nodded, her voice unnaturally calm as she spoke.
“Yes! Qiu Tianwei ordered me to kill you. For the past two years, I have been using poisoned salt in your meals.”
The whole truth was laid bare.
* * *
The moment Tang Lun woke, he felt a profound coldness in his body. Even though he was wrapped in a thick blanket, the chill seemed to seep from within his very bones. He quickly hugged the blanket tighter. In just a few hours, he felt as if he had aged at least a decade. All his grand ambitions had long since turned to dust.
“Brother Tang Lun, are you awake?”
Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, asked. Tang Lun lifted his eyelids to look at Jin Zhuo.
'A man of mediocre talent became the victor just by getting a good son-in-law. How could the world be so unfair?'
Tang Lun sighed and said, “Kill me. Brother Jin Zhuo, since we are both from noble families of long standing, I only ask that you make it a peaceful death. This is the Isle of Lost Love; no one will know if you kill me here. You won't have to bear any responsibility.”
“I'm not going to kill you.”
“Then let me go.”
Qiu Tianwei was dead, and the private soldiers of the Tang clan had been annihilated. His grand ambitions, his plans to soar to the heavens—all had come to nothing. With no hope left, all he wanted was to return home and live out the rest of his days. His family had beautiful women and fine wine; he could live out his remaining years in comfort.
“I can let you go, but first, you must do something for me. Once the job is done, I will release both you and your sons.”
“What is it?”
“There are still pirates out at sea, holding their positions in their ships. I'm going to eliminate them. Aren't they waiting to come to the Isle of Lost Love and receive their share of the gold?”
Those pirates, who usually paid Tang Lun no mind, were now fawning over him with the utmost politeness. They had begged him to persuade the Pirate King to order them back to the Isle of Lost Love. Everyone else was dividing the gold; why should they be the only ones stuck patrolling the sea?
Tang Lun asked, “You want me to lure them to the island and then kill them all?”
“Precisely!”
Tang Lun nodded.
“Very well. I'll lure them here.”
Tang Lun no longer cared about anything. With Qiu Tianwei dead, what use were the remaining pirates to him?
“Go alone. I'll keep your two sons here.”
“Fine!”
* * *
A little over two hours later.
Two thousand pirates who had been patrolling the sea landed on the Isle of Lost Love, overjoyed. Finally, they were free from the ocean winds. They had patrolled the seas for days and nights on end but hadn't seen so much as a ghost. The Great King was truly a remarkable man, but perhaps a bit too cautious.
“Count of Jinhai, thank you!”
“Incredible! You moved the Great King with a single word. He must trust you a great deal, Count. From this day forward, you are a friend for life!”
The pirates showered Tang Lun with praise. They beat their chests, swearing that if Count Tang Lun ever needed anything, he had only to command them, and they would surely help.
The Count of Jinhai, Tang Lun, said, “The Marquis of Raging Tide understood your feelings and set aside a portion of gold just for you. Once you've all received your share, you must quickly return to the sea and resume your patrol.”
“Of course, of course! Hahaha!”
“The Marquis knows of your hardships, so he's set aside a larger share for you than for the others. However, the gold was only recently smelted, so they are ingots, not coins.”
“Gold is gold. Who cares if it's coins or ingots?”
“Indeed. Ingots are even better! We can make them into rings, necklaces, and earrings. How impressive will we look, all decked out in shiny gold jewelry?”
Tang Lun led the pirates into a refinery. It was a stone building, incredibly spacious inside. There were only two refineries on the island where the mined ore was crushed and smelted. Dozens of pirate warriors stood guard outside. The pirates Tang Lun brought with him found the faces of their guarding brethren unfamiliar and were briefly puzzled. But it was no great matter. It was impossible to know the faces of over thirty thousand pirates, and right now, all that mattered was the gold itself.
One of the pirate leaders asked, “Count Tang Lun, why are we dividing the gold here at the refinery instead of at the Great King's barracks?”
Tang Lun replied, “The gold excavated from the mines is all gold dust. Does it not need to be smelted into ingots here?”
“That makes sense. We brothers are an ignorant lot, so please don't laugh at us, Count.”
The great doors of the refinery opened. Tang Lun said to them, “Take it yourselves. One ingot per person. No more. Because you worked harder patrolling the sea, you've each been allotted two catties.”
Hearing this, the pirates' eyes changed, and they rushed inside like madmen. Sure enough, the tables were piled high with gold ingots. They had a slightly reddish tint, but their brilliant golden luster left no doubt that they were pure gold.
“One per person! Don't snatch or fight over them! Don't snatch!”
But what use were such words to a mob of pirates? They surged into the refinery, frantically snatching the gold ingots from one another. One in the left hand, one in the right, one stuffed in their shirt, and another down their pants. Those who were too slow or too weak got nothing at all. In the end, the pirates began to fight and brawl amongst themselves.
“The Great King said one per person!”
“It's in my hands now, so it's mine. Don't tell me to give it back.”
“What? Then it'll be mine when you're dead. I'll beat you to death! Die!”
Inside the vast refinery, two thousand pirates were tangled in a chaotic brawl, fighting with all their might. Just then.
*CRASH!*
The refinery's great doors slammed shut, and some of the pirates finally began to look around with wary eyes.
'What are they planning to do, locking the doors?'