Chapter 4333 — Something Terrible Has Happened
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
Even if the other three came at him together at the peak of the late Golden Core stage, they would pose no threat whatsoever to Wei Zhao as he was now. If these men had any sense, Wei Zhao might still consider sparing their miserable lives; but if they proved obstinate, then he would simply have to reluctantly send them to follow in the blue-robed man's footsteps. They were all cut from the same cloth anyway—a pack of cutthroats who stopped at nothing, and killing pirates like these was a service to the people.
Wei Zhao sat in the cabin with his eyes closed, resting. The wait stretched a full day, until noon the next day, when a sudden commotion broke out outside. It was not the pirates returning, but rather a stir from beyond the docks.
"Damn it, the lockdown's dragged on so long, and now it's finally lifted—we can put out to sea again. This stretch has really done us in; I'd say we've lost at least ten thousand spirit jade!" Someone nearby was cursing and grumbling even as he counted his blessings.
"Oh, give it a rest. That passenger boat of yours is small and broken—it can't carry more than a handful of people, and one good swell and who knows when it'll capsize. Lost tens of thousands in spirit jade, my foot. You'd be better off switching trades and turning pirate to go rob people..." A bystander cackled with unconcealed disdain.
"Bah, I can't be bothered wasting words on you. Your big brother here is heading out to sea right now—give me a few days, and I'll bring back some fine goods to open your eyes, then you'll know how much I'm raking in!" The man wasted no more breath, immediately shouting orders at his crew and hands, making ready to set sail.
All around, the din was much the same—men rubbing their hands and limbering up, eager to hoist sail at once and hurry to earn back all the spirit jade they'd lost during the shutdown.
So the lockdown really had been lifted! Wei Zhao stirred slightly at heart, yet his feet did not move; he remained seated in the cabin with the calm air of an old hand. At this rate, those pirates should be returning before long.
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, the black-robed man who led the pirates came striding in from the dock entrance, his face livid as iron, followed by the other two—the third and fourth—their heads hung low with shame.
"Good-for-nothing wretches! What time do you think this is, and you're still off chasing women in the brothel, even getting into a brawl with people? Couldn't you hold yourselves together for a mere two days? Damn it, if I hadn't run into you, the state you two were in—dead drunk—you'd have been chopped up and fed to the dogs!" the black-robed man raged.
"But boss, didn't you go there yourself too? Otherwise how would you have found us..." The third and fourth exchanged a glance and weakly talked back. Both were soaked head to toe in cold water, like a pair of drowned rats, yet even so they could not mask the thick reek of liquor clinging to them.
"Damn you, still talking back!" The black-robed man flushed to the ears, then flew into a rage out of sheer embarrassment. "If I hadn't been looking for you two idiots, would I be going to a place like that at a time like this? You think I can't tell what matters from what doesn't, same as you two? I went there because the docks were reopening, to haul you two back—now is the time for proper business, understand? Don't you damn well pull any more stunts on me!"
"But boss, didn't you also hear about the docks reopening from someone at the brothel..." The third and fourth looked at each other. They dared not say another word, and could only hang their heads and shrink back in silence.