Sword Among Us

Bang!

The twelve large cargo ships looked like a long and heavy dragon when they traveled together. Under the guidance of the strong wind, they rode through the waves and traveled along the large river. Their grand momentum gave others a different experience from wandering through the plains, but it was also quite enjoyable.

Happy sat cross-legged at the hall located on the second level of the cargo ship traveling right in front of the fleet. He sensed the clear and refreshing wind on his face while he used Constellation Breathing Technique so that his sight and hearing could be improved to the max. He quietly observed the situation around him on the river.

A few minutes ago, he had noticed that the frequency of the shouts from the armed escorts around him gradually increased because some small boats occasionally passed by them. Even though the boatmen on those small boats quickly moved their ships away with great fear on their faces, they still caused Happy to be on guard.

The boatmen on those small boats were strong young men or built middle-aged men. When he looked over, he could vaguely see faint cold light shining at the bottom of their ships.

Thud!

Another small ship knocked into the flank of the ship where Happy was. The action was sudden, and it seemed to be influenced by undercurrents.

‘Is this really a normal item protection quest?’

Happy ignored the shouts from the armed escorts at the bow as well as the cries of surprise and begs for mercy from the boatmen in the small boat. He snorted, drew his Silver Wolf Emperor Breaker Sword, got up, and went to the side of the ship.

There, he saw a few armed escorts. They had their weapons drawn and pointed at the master of the small boat while they scolded him furiously.

“Get lost!”

“Are you asking for death?!”

The boatman had an expression of anguish while he continued to beg for mercy.

“Brother, I really didn’t do it on purpose. Please forgive me, I have a wife, children, and my parents to feed…”

“What’s going on?”

Happy could see everything from his position above, and he noticed when Xu Hong arrived and began to question the event in a loud voice with his eyebrows were drawn tightly together. “We are protecting a cargo, so no other ships are allowed to get close to ours, understand?!”

“Boss Xu, that boat seemed to have been pushed forward by an undercurrent,” an armed escort by the side of the ship quickly explained, and the people beside him nodded in agreement.

Xu Hong said nothing for a moment when he heard that. After a while, he lowered his guard and waved his hand impatiently. “Then hurry up and make him leave!”

“Yes, Boss Xu!”

“Come, everyone, lend a hand and push the boat away.”

A few armed escorts brought out tools and weapons in a flurry of motion to cut off the small boat that had been tangled up in the ropes of the cargo ship.

Xu Hong sighed and cursed his misfortune before he shook his head, prepared to leave.

At that moment, a change happened!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The water around the small boat suddenly imploded! As the continuous stream of sounds rose into the air, armed, half-naked pirates suddenly broke through the surface of the water!

Thud, thud!

The pirates kicked at the air with their feet, and like huge birds, they landed on the deck and the sides of the ship with abnormal agility and ease. The armed escorts were unable to react in time, and they were cut down or kicked into the river.

“Enemy ambush!”

The cargo ship instantly burst into commotion. Twenty or so armed escorts quickly drew their weapons.

But the pirates were definitely not few in number. There was an endless stream of half-naked men who appeared with water splashing everywhere in their wake when they landed on the deck. In a flash, nearly half of the armed escorts on the ship were dead.

“Haha!”

The man on the small boat no longer acted meek and submissive. He laughed long and hard before he jumped up and landed on the boat.

“Capture Xu Hong alive!” he shouted out loudly.

The pirates answered his call with a roar. They pressed toward Xu Hong and the rest, who defended the bow with unpleasant expressions.

“Water Rascal, it’s you! You bastard!”

Xu Hong’s expression was full of shock, and he cursed the pirate. “You sure have guts! How dare you target the Murong Clan’s salt ship?!”

The large man on the small boat was actually the leader of the pirates. When he heard those words, he shook his head and smiled.

“Boss Xu, what you’re saying is incorrect. I, Water Rascal, am not afraid of anything. Who would I not dare to touch among all those who come here? Last time, I didn’t bother to attack you because your goods weren’t good enough for me, but now, hehe, even if the lady of your clan personally escorted the items, I, Water Rascal, would still come and go as I please!”

Right after he finished speaking, a clear voice came from above Water Rascal’s head. “Really?”

Water Rascal’s expression changed.

Dozens of pirates looked up to see a young man in blue robes with an eye-catching sword standing of the second level and staring down at them. He cold gaze was focused on Water Rascal.

“Do you think we need the Murong Clan Lady to personally attack a nobody like you?”

“Who are you?!”

When Water Rascal saw that there was only one person above him, he quickly calmed down. A few pirates quietly leapt to the second level and surrounded the man in blue robes.

Happy smiled coldly.

Clang!

A loud sword whine rang high up in the air above the river.

Splash! Splash!

Four pirates fell down like four kites whose strings had snapped. Their blood spilled in the air, and they were flung out of the ship. Red pools of blood rose on the river.

The half-naked water pirates might have good fighting abilities, but their defenses were simply bad. They could not withstand a single hit from Happy’s Seven Stars Sword Styles, which was already near Grandmaster Realm.

Water Rascal’s expression changed. He took a step backwards and shouted out, “Kill him!”

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Happy saw through Water Rascal’s intentions with a single glance. He shouted loudly, and dozens of pirates who tried to get close to the second level rushed to the deck with waves of sword attacks, but all of them were torn to shreds. Their blood spilled on the deck as they screamed and fell.

“Make sure he stays!”

Happy didn’t care for the normal pirates. His target was the leader—Water Rascal.

“Attack!”

As expected of an old timer who had run wild in the land, Water Rascal was incredibly cunning. He pretended to run, and once Happy rushed over, he turned around and produced a cold glare that appeared as quickly as lightning.

“What a cheap trick!”

Happy snorted, and golden light exploded from his body.

Clang!

A black needle instantly rolled on the deck.

Water Rascal was most proud of his high-tier hidden weapons technique. When he saw that his Funeral Needle, which he had been certain could kill Happy, could not even break his body fortification, he realized that the situation was not right for him and wanted to retreated.

“Block him!” he cried out loudly while rushing to the river himself.

“You’re still thinking of running?”

At the same instant, Happy activated his Phantasm Body Movement Skill and caught up to Water Rascal. He formed his left hand into a claw, and with Dragon Capture, he seized Water Rascal’s ankle.

Bang!

Water Rascal was like a dead fish. He screamed in pain as he was thrown back on the deck. Before he could get back to his feet, he heard endless clangs, and a few swords that shone with a chilling glare were placed against his throat. His face instantly turned pale, and he no longer dared to move.

Once the pirates saw that their boss had been caught, they instantly panicked and jumped into the water to flee.

“Damn it!”

When he saw that all his comrades had run away, Water Rascal fell into despair.

Upon seeing the Murong Clan man approach him, Water Rascal put on an anguished expression with the acting skills of an Oscar-winning actor.

“Brother… don’t kill me, I was asked to do this by someone…”

“I know.” Happy’s expression did not change. When he reached Water Rascal, he looked down at him and said, “You’ve got two choices. Either tell me about the person who is commanding you, or die!”