Chapter Thirty-Three: The Golden-Scaled King

Xu Bu’s eyes were slightly cold. A golden dragon, roaring thunderously, shot out from her brow, transforming into a dragon several yards long that lunged fiercely at the Buddha. The golden dragon’s momentum was overwhelming, and the Buddha, bold and unafraid, charged forward as well. The dragon twisted and snapped, while the Buddha parried with massive palms, dragon claws against Buddha’s hands, their battle deadlocked.

Yang Nan, watching from the side, felt a wave of relief seeing the Buddha held off by the golden dragon. The river monster was odd indeed—if it was a demon, why did it appear as a Buddha? Could it be that monsters had some link to Buddhism? This thought flashed through his mind when he suddenly noticed the yellow-faced bandit trying to sneak back to his pirate ship. Yang Nan’s mind stirred; he summoned the weapon, Shadow Devourer, which swept across the air. The dozen magical implements the yellow-faced bandit wielded had already been sliced in two by Xu Bu; his Blood Fiend Ring was now useless. Holding a steel blade, he faced the divine weapon Shadow Devourer, which shattered his blade into countless fragments in a single clash. With Shadow Devourer pressed against his neck, its intense aura of death sent chills through the bandit’s soul. He recognized the weapon immediately—a king-level divine armament, one that wounded the soul and shattered the spiritual core!

“Please… don’t kill me!” the yellow-faced bandit pleaded desperately.

“Speak! What is the origin of this monster?” Yang Nan demanded, his face furious. This golden Buddha had destroyed the cargo ship and slain many soldiers, filling Yang Nan’s heart with hate.

A king-level weapon was no joke—it could slice off a head as easily as chopping vegetables. If injured in soul, one might not even reincarnate. The yellow-faced bandit cursed his luck; his fate was in their hands, so he had no choice but to answer honestly: “Spare my life! Just don’t act yet… I’ll tell you… This is the River Lord…”

Yang Nan sneered, “Nonsense. I’m asking for its origins and abilities.” Clearly, the yellow-faced bandit had been colluding with the Buddha for some time; how could he not know its secrets?

Feeling Shadow Devourer dig several inches into his neck and its icy aura freezing his soul, the bandit was terrified and dared not stall: “I’ll tell you, it’s a golden carp spirit, wielding a lotus hammer. This lotus treasure hammer changes endlessly. It has been in the river for hundreds of years. I truly don’t know where it came from…”

Yang Nan saw the bandit nearly faint with fear and suspected he wouldn’t lie. He considered killing him then, but recalled the peculiar scene of him wielding so many magical implements. This bandit might be useful, so he tapped Shadow Devourer lightly, sending the yellow-faced bandit unconscious to the ground without so much as a groan.

Xu Bu, still gravely wounded, faced an opponent at least on par with a demon sect master. Transformed into a Buddha, it possessed immense strength; two lotus flowers spun through the air, barely countering the golden dragon Xu Bu had summoned. Yang Nan saw the Buddha focused on Xu Bu and secretly smiled. Though he lacked martial sect skills, he could still channel his power into Shadow Devourer.

Shadow Devourer silently slipped into the water, and when it reached beneath the Buddha, it burst forth, hacking fiercely at the back of the Buddha’s head. The golden Buddha, caught in a desperate situation, was struck by the weapon. Though its blade was not a threat, the aura of death on Shadow Devourer nearly froze his soul. Unable to hold out, he stiffened and hovered motionless. Xu Bu, experienced in battle, seized the opportunity: the coiling dragon circled swiftly around the Buddha, claws and jaws tearing, shattering the golden light and draining his spiritual energy.

With the golden light broken, the Buddha could no longer maintain his magical transformation and fell into the water, reverting to a man clad in golden armor, wielding twin hammers. He glared at Xu Bu and shouted angrily, “You scoundrel! How dare you ambush me!”

Xu Bu replied with a cold laugh, “Insignificant demon, dare to call yourself a king? You truly know not your fate.” She pointed, and the golden dragon raised its massive claws, ready to eviscerate the armored man.

Yang Nan called out, “Fairy sister, this is a golden carp spirit. Don’t kill him yet—capture him and question his origins first.”

Xu Bu, though impatient, heeded Yang Nan’s voice. She made the dragon coil and withheld some strength. The golden-armored man fought desperately, but with his magic broken and power drained, he could no longer transform; he was no match for the golden dragon. In moments, the dragon bound him tightly, leaving him unable to move. The dragon then transformed into a thick silken cord, threading through the carp’s gills and hauling him onto the ship.

Xu Bu’s mastery of the coiling dragon and its myriad transformations filled Yang Nan with admiration. The golden carp spirit, gills pierced, could no longer change form—like a fish caught on a hook, it was dragged onto the ship, flailing helplessly. The Wang family fleet, seeing their master subdue the invincible Buddha, rallied, brandishing weapons for repeated counterattacks. Niu Laoda and the red-faced bandit, sensing defeat, tried to escape, but Chiyang and Old Crab, seasoned veterans, would not allow it.

The battle lasted only a short while. A black-clawed pincer bound Niu Laoda, whose guardian spirit had been shattered, and a sword danced, flames splitting the sky, stabbing the red-faced bandit into a honeycomb. Seeing their leaders—one dead, two captured—the pirates’ morale collapsed; with a shout, they plunged into the river to escape. The Wang family fleet, filled with hatred for the bandits, pursued them relentlessly.

On the river and on the ships, cries of agony echoed through the night, the slaughter continuing until dawn. Of over ten thousand river pirates, only a few hundred escaped; the rest were either devoured by fish or captured by the Wang family’s soldiers.

Master Wang, seeing his thousand men defeat more than ten thousand pirates, beamed with joy. After this battle, who would dare rob his ships again? In his delight, he thanked Chiyang repeatedly, believing only immortals like Chiyang could summon such powerful allies. He added another debt of gratitude to Chiyang.

In the three-story cabin, Yang Nan interrogated the captured yellow-faced bandit, Niu Laoda, and the golden carp spirit. The yellow-faced bandit, seeing that none in the cabin were easy to deal with, was the first to beg, “Spare my life, master! I’m willing to surrender. Ask me anything, I’ll tell you all I know!”

Yang Nan chuckled, “Yellow-faced bandit, may I ask your full name?” He knew that those who feared death often knew how to seize opportunity. The black-faced Niu Laoda looked unyielding, and the carp spirit kept flailing, even with its gills threaded. It seemed the clever yellow-faced bandit was the key to learning the truth.

Old Crab, seeing the young master’s smiling face, felt a chill and muttered, “The young master’s about to torment someone again. Poor yellow-faced bandit…”

The bandit, noticing the martial master stayed silent while the child questioned him, replied hesitantly, “Master, my name is Huang Shan, second-in-command of Xingxing Lake’s water stronghold…”

“Oh…” Yang Nan nodded gently, showing a trace of warmth. “Second-in-command, I’ve heard much of you. May I ask about the third-in-command? What are your backgrounds?”

Huang Shan, relieved by Yang Nan’s amiable manner, quickly answered, “Master, the three of us come from different sects: Dragon Tiger Mountain, Hundred Refining Gate, and Miaoqing Island—all disciples of Daoist schools. As for the Golden Scale King, his origins are mysterious; I don’t know much.”

Niu Laoda’s eyes blazed with fury, and he shouted, “Second brother, a true man faces death. Why mention our sects? Do you wish to disgrace them?”

Years of dominance made Niu Laoda intimidating; Huang Shan retreated several steps, then gave a bitter smile: “Big brother, you may not fear death, but I haven’t lived enough yet.”

Seeing Huang Shan’s cowardice, Niu Laoda was furious and struggled fiercely: “Traitor! Shameless traitor!”

Suddenly, Huang Shan shed his fear, sneering coldly: “I’m a traitor? Niu Laoda, you’ve harmed your own masters and brothers, and dare call me a traitor? Don’t forget, Dragon Tiger Mountain is looking for you. You and third brother have slain countless merchants these past years, slaughtered three islands and twelve caves, sparing neither women nor elders. If I betray a heartless villain like you, so what?” The more he spoke, the more righteous he felt, his voice rising.

Niu Laoda, exposed, laughed grimly, “Second brother, don’t talk nonsense. Haven’t you done the same? Aren’t you guilty as well? Your Blood Fiend Ring holds the souls of at least a thousand. The Wang family fleet won’t spare you!”

Huang Shan laughed heartily, seemingly unafraid. “Whether I’m spared isn’t for you to decide. I know exactly where our treasures and weapons are kept. As long as the young master shows mercy, my life is nothing in his eyes.”

Yang Nan watched the brothers quarrel, amused, and understood much. Huang Shan was the strategist among the river pirates—clever enough to surrender instantly when the tide turned, offering treasure and weapons as leverage. Who would refuse? No matter how many he’d killed, what did that matter to Yang Nan?

A shrewd calculation! It seemed the third-in-command had done this often…

Huang Shan, wearing a fawning smile, sidled up to Yang Nan, “Young master, as long as you spare me, I’ll serve at your beck and call. All the treasures and weapons I’ve hoarded these years are yours.”

Yang Nan shook his head and sighed, “Second-in-command, do you think such words guarantee your freedom?”

Huang Shan was stunned; Yang Nan suddenly shouted, “Old Crab!”

Old Crab, still eager for battle, immediately replied, “Young master, what are your orders?”

Yang Nan pointed at Huang Shan and sneered, “Drag him out and beat him half to death. Remember, I only want him left with half a life!”

Old Crab, delighted to see the young master lose his temper, laughed, “Rest assured, young master. When I’m done, he’ll be left with only half a life—he won’t even have a breath to spare!”