113: Temporary Union

The night was deep, and the sea breeze carried a chill.

Mace was placed alone in a small cabin. Her pressure points remained sealed, forcing her to sit stiffly. Her heart was filled with humiliation, anger, and a trace of apprehension regarding her unknown fate. She had roamed these waters for many years; when had she ever suffered such indignity?

The cabin door was pushed open gently, and Xiaochun walked in carrying a food tray. Looking at the red-haired woman before her who had been subdued by Big Brother Qin, Xiaochun felt a bit afraid, but she still plucked up the courage to step forward.

"You... you're hungry, right? Big Brother Qin asked me to bring you some food." Xiaochun placed the food tray on a small side table next to her, containing simple fish soup and flatbread.

Mace gave a cold snort and turned her head away, but her stomach betrayed her with a growl. She hadn't had a drop of water since noon and had gone through a fierce battle; she was already famished.

Seeing this, Xiaochun scooped up a spoonful of fish soup, carefully blew on it, and held it to Mace's lips. "Eat some, otherwise you won't have any strength."

Mace originally wanted to stubbornly refuse, but the aroma of the fish soup kept wafting into her nose. In the end, she bowed her head to reality and awkwardly opened her mouth to drink the soup Xiaochun fed her.

Looking at Xiaochun's pure and worried eyes, something shifted slightly in Mace's heart. This young girl was indeed different from her subordinates, whose hands were covered in blood.

After finishing the feeding, Xiaochun packed up the utensils and said softly, "Big Brother Qin said that as long as safety is confirmed tomorrow morning, he will let you go. He is a man of his word."

After saying that, she withdrew from the cabin.

Mace remained alone in the darkness, her emotions complicated. That kid named Qin Feng had ruthless methods and acted unexpectedly, but he also seemed... not entirely unreasonable?

...At the zi hour, new intelligence arrived as scheduled in Qin Feng's cabin.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily intelligence has been refreshed!]

[Today's Intelligence:]

[Yellow Intelligence: The leader of the pirates on Black Reef Island is named 'Sasaki Taro', possessing a cultivation at the Peak of the Early Stage Martial King. He was originally a samurai under the 'Kikukawa Family' of Dongying. Because of his lustful nature, his adultery with the Family's matriarch was discovered. He was pursued and wanted by the Kikukawa Family, so he fled to the sea and became a pirate.]

[Yellow Intelligence: Specific strength distribution of the pirates on Black Reef Island: One leader, Sasaki Taro (Peak Early Stage Martial King); three deputy chiefs (Half-Step Martial King); over twenty core members (Grand Martial Master level); approximately thirty ordinary pirates (Advanced Martial Master).]

[Yellow Intelligence: Because the fleet is a conspicuous target, it is expected to be discovered by a pirate scout ship tomorrow morning, after which a naval encounter will break out. Our ship is large and clumsy; being forced into battle may result in heavy losses.]

"Sasaki Taro, Kikukawa Family... so he's an adulterer. Truly a bunch of outlaws." Qin Feng's gaze was cold. Seeing the final piece of intelligence about the encounter, his brows furrowed deeply.

On the sea, their fully loaded 'ten thousand seas' was a sitting duck. Its maneuverability was far inferior to the pirates' fast ships. Once entangled, with the opponent's numerical advantage and their fearless fighting style, plus that Peak Early Stage Martial King Sasaki, even with Zhao Mang present, they would definitely suffer. The safety of the goods and the crew would be hard to guarantee.

Taking a beating passively was by no means a good strategy.

"I must turn the passive into the active..." Qin Feng's eyes flickered as a bold plan gradually took shape in his mind. His gaze seemed to penetrate the cabin walls, falling upon the Green Fish Bandits' ship following far behind.

"Uniting with the Green Fish Bandits... perhaps it's feasible?"

...Early the next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Qin Feng had Mace brought to the deck and unsealed her pressure points. Mace moved her stiff body and looked at Qin Feng warily. "Are you really going to let me go?"

"I, Qin Feng, have always been a man of my word." Qin Feng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the Green Fish Bandits' ships on the distant horizon that were like maggots on a bone. "However, before I let you go, I want to discuss another deal with you."

Mace narrowed her eyes. "What deal?"

Qin Feng flipped his palm, and four Crystal Cards with a face value of ten thousand gold coins appeared in his hand, shimmering with an alluring light under the rising morning sun.

"These forty thousand gold coins—do you want them?"

Mace's breathing instantly quickened. Her eyes were fixed on the four Crystal Cards, and her throat moved involuntarily. Forty thousand gold coins! This was almost equivalent to more than half a year's income for the Green Fish Bandits!

"You... what are your intentions?" She suppressed the greed in her heart and asked with a slightly dry voice. Pies don't fall from the sky; if this kid brought out so much money, his goal must be significant.

Qin Feng pointed toward the northeast, his tone grim. "It's simple. I want your Green Fish Bandits to join forces with us, take the initiative to attack, and wipe out the nest of those pirates on Black Reef Island! Exterminate those beasts under Sasaki Taro!"

"What?!" Mace cried out in shock, as if she had heard the most absurd thing. "Are you crazy?! Attack Black Reef Island? Sasaki is at the Peak of the Early Stage Martial King! He also has three Half-Step Martial Kings under him! Even if you have Zhao Mang, you..."

"Precisely because we have Leader Zhao, plus your Green Fish Bandits, do we have a chance of winning!" Qin Feng interrupted her, his gaze as sharp as a blade. "Waiting passively for them to come and plunder, our cargo ship will be the first to be hit and will surely suffer heavy losses. But if we take the initiative, catch them off guard, and strike at the heart, the outcome is yet to be determined!"

He paused and continued to dangle the temptation: "Forty thousand gold coins is just the deposit. After the matter is successful, the treasures plundered by the Black Reef Island pirates over the years will be split thirty-seventy! Your Green Fish Bandits take thirty percent! Moreover, once these pirates are dealt with, won't these waters be under the control of your Green Fish Bandits from now on?"

Mace's heart hammered. A forty-thousand gold coin deposit, thirty percent of the spoils after success, and a future of dominating the sea... the temptation was simply too great! Furthermore, deep in her heart, she already hated those pirates who had cruelly murdered her brothers to the bone!

She stared intently at Qin Feng. "Are you sure? After it's done, the treasure is split thirty-seventy? You won't burn the bridge after crossing it?"

"I swear in the name of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion." Qin Feng said solemnly. "Besides, exterminating the pirates is also beneficial for our trade route to be clear. It's a win-win move."

Mace's eyes flickered violently as an internal struggle raged. The risk was enormous, but the reward was also extremely bountiful! Wealth is sought amidst danger!

Ultimately, the desire for wealth and the hatred for the pirates overrode the fear of risk. She gritted her teeth and suddenly looked up. "Fine! This old lady will do it with you! However, the planning and command must listen to me! I am more familiar with battles at sea than you lot!"

A smile curled at the corner of Qin Feng's mouth as he tossed the four Crystal Cards to Mace. "Deal! Leader Mace, I wish us a pleasant cooperation!"

Mace caught the Crystal Cards. Feeling their heavy weight, her face finally showed its first smile since boarding the ship, though it carried a hint of ruthlessness. "Pleasant cooperation! That bastard Sasaki Taro—this old lady has wanted to cut off his dog head for a long time!"

A brief Alliance was quietly formed in these peril-filled waters. The sword's edge was pointed straight at Black Reef Island!