Chapter Thirty-One: The Three Heroes of Hunjiang

“White Robe, quickly help Butterfly Robe inside to rest. Her spiritual power is exhausted, but a few days of rest will set her right.” Yang Nan turned and ordered White Robe to carry Butterfly Robe inside. The Wang family fleet, seeing that a master was now among them and that the enemy had already lost a third of their fighting force before the pirates had even launched their attack, erupted in cheers. Morale soared. Every soldier knew: although the remaining pirate ships still outnumbered them two to one, victory was suddenly within reach.

Crimson Sun and the Crab General were equally astonished. They had not expected the multicolored feather fan, wielded by the delicate Butterfly Robe, to have such effect. Yet Butterfly Robe had spent all her power and could no longer lift the fan.

Though the feather fan had proved effective, Yang Nan’s demeanor did not relax in the slightest. For most of the damaged pirate ships were crewed by ragtag brigands, while a neat row of pirate ships behind them remained untouched by the storm, speeding forward past the wrecks!

Orderly soldiers, gleaming blades and spears, matching uniforms—Yang Nan’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. He understood: among the enemy pirates, there were masters as well, clever enough to send expendable rabble to their deaths first!

But at this moment, he was powerless. In an instant, more than twenty pirate ships, brimming with fierce pirates, clashed head-on with the Wang family fleet. Arrows rained down, blades and spears met, and the sounds of battle rang out. The flagship beneath Yang Nan’s feet was targeted by three enemy ships, which closed in alongside!

There were masters aboard the enemy ships as well. Suddenly, thunderous roars echoed, and spectral soldiers and generals appeared on the river, drifting on gusts of cold wind as they attacked the Wang fleet.

“These are paper soldiers—one of the Daoist talisman sect’s specialties. Cut paper into soldiers; against mortals, it works well enough,” Crimson Sun observed, brow deeply furrowed, as the shadowy troops rolled in.

The Crab General, seasoned in battle, displayed the might of the Water Lord without fear against mortal pirates. He smashed his pincers together and shouted, “Men! The young master is watching us today! Whoever kills the most enemies, I promise him all the wine and meat he can handle from now on! Go—kill!”

The demon soldiers, hearing the command, raised their weapons and charged the pirates boarding their ships. In a flash, the grim-faced demon soldiers became entangled in fierce combat with the pirates, who outnumbered them more than threefold. Though most water demons possessed only modest magical strength, they were still superior to ordinary mortals and held their ground.

The paper soldiers boarded the ships, fighting fearlessly with the official troops. If struck by their blades or spears, a soldier would bleed and be wounded, but when a paper soldier was cut, it reverted to a paper figure, falling to the deck.

With Bu Xu’s golden dragon’s aura behind them, the Wang fleet’s troops fought with renewed morale, wielding their blades and spears fiercely against pirates and shadowy soldiers alike. Every man understood: should their ships fall into pirate hands, their lives would be forfeit. Desperate and fearless, they summoned all their courage!

Seeing this, Yang Nan felt more at ease. The demon soldiers’ magical arts were stronger than those of ordinary Daoists. The Crab General, leading a thousand demon soldiers, wielded blades and summoned waves, and before long, they forced back the pirates, outnumbered three to one.

On the dozen ships of the Wang fleet, only the flagship held the advantage, but the other ships, seeing the flagship undaunted, found their courage multiplied. The battle raged back and forth, fierce and unresolved.

The pirates, seeing the flagship so hard to tackle, could not restrain themselves and finally resorted to their ultimate weapon. Three pirate leaders, surrounded by a group of robust pirates, finally boarded the Wang family flagship!

One was as stout as an ox, with a face like iron. Another had a head of white hair and a ruddy complexion. The third was emaciated and sly, his sallow face adorned with shifty eyes that spun with wicked schemes.

These three were the infamous Three Heroes of the Turbid River, notorious for murder and pillage, masters of secrecy and cunning. The imperial troops of the Great Yuan dynasty had repeatedly tried to root them out, but always failed. With the court in chaos, these river pirates had become bolder, leading great gangs to raid merchant ships.

Master Wang, owner of the fleet, was all smiles as the Crab General swept through the pirates with fierce vigor. Yet when the three infamous river pirates appeared, his face turned deathly pale. “The Three Heroes of the Turbid River… Why are they raiding my ships? Haven’t I already paid them off?”

Yang Nan, seeing the pirate leaders finally appear, was actually pleased. He had no wish to be tangled up with these river pirates for long—Bu Xu was gravely wounded and waiting for his healing. Capture the leader first; swift victory is the way of the strategist! Behind him stood ten demon soldiers, selected personally by the Crab General for their strength, each at the pinnacle of demon warrior rank and about to break through to demon master level. This was Yang Nan’s greatest advantage.

The river pirates boarded, and the iron-faced leader laughed, “Master Wang, how are you? The brothers have come to pay you another visit.”

A flash of anger crossed Master Wang’s eyes, his pale face flushing red. He replied loudly, “Big Ox, you took five thousand taels of silver from me—now you’re raiding my ships again. Where’s your code of honor?”

The red-faced pirate extended a hairy hand and chuckled, “Don’t be angry, Master Wang. My big brother has no choice. The court cares nothing for you or me, and the brothers from the eighteen river strongholds and thirty-six fishing villages all want a piece of your fortune. If we don’t join in, we won’t even get soup. So forgive us, Master Wang, it’s nothing personal.”

Master Wang suddenly understood—the river pirates had colluded with local martial clans! With the court in turmoil, these groups had banded together for murder and robbery. What was once a few hundred river pirates now had such power!

The sallow-faced, sly man grinned, “Don’t say the brothers lack feeling. The silver you paid was your ransom; after we take the goods, we’ll leave you alive—not without honor, right? Besides, every ship carries tens of thousands in gold. If you hadn’t paid early, we wouldn’t have bothered with your ransom at all…” The three laughed triumphantly, and Master Wang knew his fate was sealed, his face ashen.

Yang Nan saw these pirates were indeed arrogant and ruthless. Not only did they seize goods and kill, they planned to leave Master Wang alone to return. Though wealthy, the Wang family had invested all their fortune in the fleet. If the pirates took everything, wouldn’t that force Master Wang onto a path of ruin?

He sighed inwardly, stepping forward with a cold sneer. “Do you three leaders intend to swallow all ten ships whole? I fear your appetite is too large.”

The three pirates saw a delicate young lady come forward to speak, her beauty unmatched. Big Ox stroked his beard and laughed, “Little lady, if you like silver, my share is yours. Marry me, and I’ll give you my water stronghold too!”

The sallow-faced third brother leered, “Big brother’s right! Such beauty, I’d die for her!”

“Silence!” Crimson Sun, seeing the pirates grow ever more vulgar, waved his hand, and a sword flashed toward the trio. The sallow-faced pirate was startled, muttered an incantation, and summoned a spinning red magical blade to block Crimson Sun’s sword. He laughed, “I knew there were cultivators among you. Trying to ambush me? Not a chance!”

Big Ox shouted, “Just a mere battle master. With so many here, what’s there to fear? Get them!”

His pirates suddenly stripped off their outer garments, revealing battle attire. Each looked calm and sharp-eyed—clearly skilled fighters. Crimson Sun sneered, “So, it’s those disgraceful martial clans, joining pirates and robbing. Are you not ashamed?”

The martial experts did not reply, but charged forward with swords drawn.

“Wretched villains! Your martial skills are wasted!” Crimson Sun smiled coldly, and without resorting to magical arts, wielded his two-inch Fire Yuan Sword. In his hand, the sword became a flickering fire serpent, enclosing the group in its glow.

Crimson Sun, filled with hatred for these accomplices of evil, showed no mercy. With a fierce cry, countless cold stars flashed, and wherever the blade swept, throats were slit and legs stabbed. In the blink of an eye, the martial experts lay dead or wounded, unable to rise.

Crimson Sun smiled, sword raised. “You aided evil, deserving death. Go where you belong!” Several crimson swords shot from his brow, burning the fallen experts to ash.

The crew watched in awe at Crimson Sun’s profound swordsmanship and divine abilities, cheering loudly. The three pirates remained unfazed. The sallow-faced third brother grinned, “Cultivator, you’re only one. We are three. If you cooperate, a tenth of the goods—worth millions—can be yours.”

Crimson Sun was furious that the villain dared bribe him in broad daylight. “If all cultivators were like you, what’s the point of cultivation?”

The third pirate shook his head and sighed, “So old-fashioned, rotten wood that can’t be carved. Since you refuse, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Big brother, let’s do it!”

Big Ox’s face darkened as he summoned a talisman from his pocket. Chanting a spell, the talisman transformed into a towering golden-armored deity. The deity possessed him, and Big Ox became tall, imposing, and awe-inspiring.

“Talisman body possession? So you’re a disciple of the Talisman Sect!” Crimson Sun immediately recognized the Daoist technique. The Talisman Sect specialized in magical talismans, with many branches, and those who summoned divine generals to possess them were a major faction, with many disciples. Who would have thought that such Daoists would engage in murder and robbery!

The red-faced second brother was no weaker; he produced a small flag, and with a wave, thunderbolts rained down, incinerating several demon soldiers locked in combat with pirates. The flag was extraordinary, its surface crackling with lightning, destroying all who opposed it!

The sallow-faced third brother was stranger still. He summoned a jumble of magical artifacts, each floating in the air and shining brightly, like a treasure-laden Daoist. Each artifact unleashed its own magic—ice, stone, and more—causing the demon soldiers to wail and howl. Once the trio acted, their pirates surged forward, weapons raised, launching a coordinated attack.