Seeing the deep suspicion on the pirate leader's face, Lu Xunguang let out another cold snort. He pulled out a jade pendant from his bosom and threw it straight at the leader without hesitation.
The pirate leader caught the jade pendant. After taking a careful look at it, a look of wild joy suddenly flashed across his face!
"The white jade intertwined bamboo - knot pendant! Are you the one the young miss has been looking for?"
As soon as these words were spoken, all the pirates on the ship showed looks of utter astonishment.
A few months ago, the young miss had issued a strict order. They had to find this person, alive or dead, even if they had to dig three feet into the ground.
Several groups of brothers had given their all, shed gallons of blood, but they had found nothing.
Who would have thought that after searching high and low to no avail, this person had now come to them on his own!
The pirate leader could hardly contain his excitement. He ignored Li Ying and Su Buchi and excitedly beckoned his minions. He was about to tie Lu Xunguang up tightly like a mummy and take him back to claim the reward.
"Let them go first. Otherwise, I will never surrender without a fight!" Lu Xunguang coldly scanned the wolves around him, his tone full of contempt.
Seeing that the pirates still eyed Li Ying hungrily, he sneered, raising his eyebrows and asking, "Lian Ji sent several groups of good hands after me before but couldn't do anything to me. If I'm determined to fight to the death instead of surrendering, what are your chances of winning?"
This was the truth.
The pirate leader knew it well. Lu Xunguang was only willing to sacrifice himself now to protect Li Ying and Su Buchi.
After a brief hesitation, he simply waved his hand. He splashed a basin of cold water on Su Buchi to wake him up and said impatiently, "One for one. I'll count to three, and we'll let them go at the same time!"
He gave Su Buchi a push on the back. Su Buchi stumbled towards Li Ying. Lu Xunguang calmly let the pirates put a hemp rope around his neck.
He watched Su Buchi get on the small boat. Seeing that Li Ying still looked worried, he said in a deep voice to comfort her, "A Ying, don't be afraid. I'll find a suitable opportunity to escape."
He sounded so confident, but how could Li Ying believe him?
Although she didn't understand why the pirates kept calling Lian Ji "the young miss", Lian Ji was the mastermind behind the attempt to kill Lu Xunguang on that rainy night.
He had been on the verge of death that night. If he was captured like this today, with so many pirates, even if Lu Xunguang had great skills, how could he possibly survive?
How could she just watch Lu Xunguang sacrifice himself to save her?
"Little Master - Uncle, you take Zhenzhu back to the village first. Tell everyone to be careful of the pirates. Don't worry about us!"
Before her voice faded, Li Ying jumped off the small boat without hesitation and swam with all her might towards the pirate ship!
The pirates didn't expect her to come back. They secretly mocked her useless kindness in their hearts.
It would be really stupid to miss such an opportunity of her walking into a trap.
They were about to get ropes to tie Li Ying up tightly too.
But Li Ying wasn't here to die in vain.
She had already sized up the wind direction. Taking advantage of the pirates' momentary confusion, she quickly took out two "coconut fog bombs" from her space. She lit them with a fire - starter without hesitation and threw them downwind!
The thick smoke from the burning saltpeter syrup instantly made it hard for the pirates to tell directions.
Li Ying seized the opportunity. Like a flexible fish, she rushed to Lu Xunguang's side and fumbled to untie the ropes on him.
Many pirates had already experienced the power of these smoke bombs from Su Buchi. They were only a little panicked at first, but then they quickly regained their senses. They covered their mouths and noses forcefully and angrily pounced on Li Ying.
Seeing their fierce looks and murderous intentions, Li Ying didn't have time to think. While the wind was still right, she threw all the remaining "smoke bombs" and "tear - gas" at them without hesitation.
The chili powder spread in the sea mist, and there were screams one after another on the pirate ship.
"My eyes! My eyes!"
The pirates couldn't tell directions. They waved their swords wildly, and most of them ended up cutting their own comrades.
Even the wine barrels in the corner weren't spared. Several were smashed, and the wine gushed out. When it met the gunpowder in the "tear - gas", it burst into flames immediately.
The wind fanned the flames, and since the pirate ship was made of wood, it was soon ablaze. The wails of the pirates were like those from hell.
The pirate leader never thought that a plan he thought was a sure - win would end up in such a fiasco.
Pirates always regarded their ships as their homes. The ship was their life. Now the ship was about to turn to ashes. Many pirates who couldn't hold on any longer simply abandoned the ship. They jumped into the sea one after another like dumplings to save their lives.
The pirate leader knew that the situation was hopeless, but he had been roaming the waterways for decades and had seen many storms. How could he be defeated by a woman and a young man?
He couldn't swallow this humiliation.
"Boss, run quickly! Our ship is doomed!" the pirate at the helm pleaded. The pirate leader was so angry that he pushed the man away forcefully. He stared with his blood - red bull - like eyes and tightly held the helm.
Fine, fine!
You've destroyed my warship. Then I'll take you all down with me!
He exerted all his strength with both hands, and the ship rushed towards the southeast without hesitation!
"Boss, no! That's the Sea Wolf Whirlpool. If we go there, the ship will never survive!" The sailor at the helm had just managed to get up when he saw the leader's blood - crazed look. He let out a scream of horror!
But how could he snatch the helm from the pirate leader's hands?
A huge wave crashed down on the ship. The flickering flames on the ship were mostly extinguished.
The last few solid planks on the ship's side were smashed to pieces and floated on the sea.
A large ship that had been intact just a moment ago was now falling apart.
The sea water rushed in. Many cabins were filled with water, and it wouldn't be long before the ship started to sink.
"Die! You all have to be buried with my ship!" The pirate leader shrieked hysterically. Even at the last moment, he still tightly held the helm and refused to let go even as the ship sank.
Lu Xunguang held Li Ying in one arm and barely grabbed the still - floating mast with the other. Their figures were like a flag in the storm, on the verge of collapse.
"A Ying, why did you come back?" he looked at her helplessly.
Below them was a dark whirlpool. Silver - scaled wolf - fish were swimming through it like sharp blades, showing their rows of sharp teeth. It really did look like the center of a storm, extremely terrifying.
This must be the "Wolf - fish Storm" the pirate helmsman had mentioned.
If they fell into the center of the whirlpool, they would probably be devoured by the fish in an instant and turned into skeletons.
Lu Xunguang frowned tightly, but Li Ying just stared at him and gave a charming smile.
"Lu Xunguang, do you trust me?"