Chapter 117 - Ambush on the Ocean

Three in the morning, Port of the Pirate Town, Base of the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na

An immense ship, bigger than all the others, was docked on the port. There were about two hundred men on board. Such a number was imposing for a ship.

From his artifact ship that was tiny in comparison, Hei looked amazed. He knew that the Pirate Generals had a lot of power, but he didn't believe it was so much. Only one of the spirit soldiers under Pirate General Ho Ri-Na’s command had a crew of about 200 men.

There were three spirit soldiers under the female Pirate General, so there were at least 600 men. By counting the smaller ships and other affiliated crews, the number easily exceeded one thousand. Now he understood why the sects left the four General Pirates alone. As long as their four didn’t dare to undermine the sects’ authority and power, it wasn’t worth fighting against such an enemy.

Each soldier on Sok Yeong-Gi's ship had cultivation no lower than the third stage spirit apprentice, going up to the seventh stage. They definitely had the power to challenge a big sect.

“A war galleon. I haven’t seen such beauty for some time. The wood used on the ship comes from the bark of tree-type spirit beasts. The impact resistance is higher than the normal wood used in other ships. In addition, the number of crew on board makes it like a mobile fortress. The only flaw is that its size makes it slow regarding rapid maneuver changes. But as long as it rams the enemy ship, you have practically the victory in your hand."

Driving the artifact ship, Old Tohyon illustrated the characteristics of the ship ahead of him. As an expert seaman, he knew what kind of ship it was just from its appearance. He also knew the ship’s strengths and weaknesses.

"I see. Indeed, with such power, Sok Yeong-Gi alone could accomplish the mission. However, in case of unexpected events, the ship's strong point would become its fatal flaw. In that case, if it's about escaping from danger, our artifact ship is the best solution. To Sok Yeong-Gi, it would be enough to give us the primary objective and then go on the run by flying or even getting on our ship."

Thanks to Old Tohyon's words, Hei was able to take stock of the situation. Behind him, Lian nodded as she held Ye and Xing in her arms. On their body, there was a tattoo imprinted on their chest - a sign of a spirit pact's presence. However, it was faintly visible under normal conditions, let alone with the darkness and obstruction of clothes (as far as the two humans were concerned).

“I have a name. Call me with that rather than with primary objective. Besides, don't talk so familiarly while you are talking about Big Brother Yeong. Remember that he is still your superior."

On the ship deck came the irritated voice of Ho Yeon-Hong. By order of Sok Yeong-Gi, she had been placed onto the artifact ship so that she was already in position in case of danger. Or maybe, he had done it not to have her in his way.

Hei rolled his eyes slightly. It was the first time he felt irritated by interacting with a person. Of course, he had already had discussions with others. For example, the outburst he had when Cao Su had insulted spirit beasts. But it had always been single moments. This time it was more an instinctive sense of irritation towards the young gray-haired woman.

Hei didn’t mind the expansive people, provided that they knew how to read the situation, and didn’t insist on harassing him with questions or reproaches. At his side, Lian had frowned her eyebrows. She was even more annoyed than Hei but was holding back. She didn't want to create problems, given Ho Yeon-Hong's status. Fortunately, the two possessed high endurance in any case. Furthermore, they weren’t alone, as Old Tohyon was there with them. He was, in fact, helping them by distracting Ho Yeon-Hong with old tales about his life.

However, it must be said that Ho Yeon-Hong wasn’t a bad person. It was just that, being the sister of General Pirate Ho Ri-Na, she had inherited her older sister's spirit of adventure and curiosity. However, because Ho Ri-Na had a delicate position and had powerful enemies, Ho Yeon-Hong was prohibited from joining a crew.

Thus the young woman had to suppress her passion for the Forgotten Ocean and its secrets. She knew well why her sister was doing that and had accepted her orders without question. However, in the end, the desire to sail had the upper hand.

Thus, she had set out as a stowaway on a ship that was leaving the main base. Once she reached the first city, she then mingled with crews not affiliated with her sister. With her sixth stage, she thought there would be no problems with her safety.

Pirate General Ho Ri-Na also thought so. As long as she kept her identity secret, Ho Yeon-Hong would have no problems. Therefore, even though Ho Ri-Na had found her younger sister, she decided to go along with her desire. In addition, she would have kept her little sister out of harm's way in case things went wrong with Pirate General Hong Shin.

But in the end, Ho Yeon-Hong's identity was leaked, and the ship, she was aboard, was attacked. Ho Yeon-Hong managed to save herself thanks to her skills and wit. However, that also meant the end of her short adventure as a pirate. Her sister Ho Ri-Na ordered her to return to the main base, which then led to the current situation.

However, after some time spent traveling, Ho Yeon-Hong was now leaning on the railing to admire the sea in silence. Inside her head, many thoughts were swirling rapidly.

"What are you thinking about?" Hei decided not to be influenced by his feelings and asked Ho Yeon-Hong. During their journey to the Continent and once they reached it, Hei and his family would meet more and more people. He couldn’t isolate himself, surrounded by spirit beasts as they had done during their stay at the Flower Sect. Instead, he had to learn to interact with every type of person. Even with those who at first glance didn't think he would get along.

Ho Yeon-Hong looked up at him in amazement. She didn’t expect Hei to speak to her on his own initiative.

“Tell me, Hei, have you ever felt trapped as if you were a bird in a cage? Having wings and being able to fly, but not being able to do it. All you can do is circle in your tight space."

Ho Yeon-Hong's voice appeared melancholy as she returned to look at the ocean water that was moved by the movement of the artifact ship. From above, the moon projected its image onto the water surface, illuminating the travelers.

Hei approached her and stood beside her, observing the dark waters of the ocean as well.

"Cage? I lived for a period confined in a certain limit of space, but it never seemed an imposition to me. Despite my curiosity about the world, as long as she stayed with me, I wouldn't have minded staying in the cage. In a sense, the cage you hate so much is also the one that protects you from the outside world. If you were to lose it, all you would do is miss that cage."

“If I was to lose it? Have you lost a loved one?"

At Ho Yeon-Hong's question, Hei didn't answer. But from his silence, the gray-haired girl could guess the answer.

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"You know, in a way, I think I understand what you want to tell me. I love my sister and am proud of what she has become and the position she has achieved. I am also grateful to her for helping me and protecting me. But I don't always want to depend on her.

You know. She is truly incredible. She embarked on a ship before she even awakened her spirit power. She slowly made her way through that ruthless world. She is now a spirit soldier and is known by all as the Steam Goddess, one of the Four Pirate Generals.

But I don't want to live in her shadow. Wherever I go, I'm just the Pirate General Ho Ri-Na's little sister and not Ho Yeon-Hong. They treat me well just not to offend my sister. They don't look at me for the kind of person I am. Big brother Yeong is also the same. If it weren't for my sister, he certainly wouldn't be willing to escort me to the main base. In a way, I'm grateful to you. Even if you know my identity, you don't wear a mask. You show me your irritation when I exaggerate with my curiosity."

It was the first time Ho Yeon-Hong had revealed such things to someone. Not even to her sister, she had confessed this. Yet, now, she had told her innermost feelings to Hei, someone who could be practically defined as a stranger. Maybe it was because Hei was the first person not to be impressed with her sister's status or had ulterior motives for interacting with her.

At Ho Yeon-Hong's words, Hei scratched his head. He wasn't sure about what to say since he hadn't done that to impress her.

“It's not that I don't wear a mask. We all have secrets. However small they are, as long as we keep them hidden, then we wear a mask. I showed you my irritation because I'm not good enough at interacting with people, that's all. If I had the ability, I wouldn't have revealed my feelings to you."

“Hahaha, you're an outspoken one, huh? Really. It was such a romantic moment, and you ruined the atmosphere. Many people would have paid dearly to stay in your place right now."

Ho Yeon-Hong revealed a smile as she turned to Hei. It seemed that her melancholy had been temporarily dissolved. Hei only reciprocated with a slight smile.

He had no particular interest in knowing the young woman's life and wasn’t one of those types to pursue a beautiful woman wherever they went, appearing as the hero of fairy tales who saved the girl from her unhappy life. Ironically, however, that definition of a hero was valid in Lian's case. But she was the only one who had pushed him to act differently than he would have usually done.

As Ho Yeon-Hong went to the cabin under the bridge of the artifact ship, suddenly, Xing jumped out of Lian's arms and headed for Hei.

'Big Brother. There is something wrong. I have a bad feeling.’ Xing said in an agitated voice. The hair on her body was moving nervously back and forth as the little spider attempted to pick up external noise.

"What's up? Is someone coming?” Hei asked her little sister. Meanwhile, Lian had approached them carrying Ye.

'I do not know. I feel the vibrations of something that is approaching, but I can't understand where. Yet it is getting closer.’

"Ye, you feel something. Do you sense scents?”

Since Xing couldn’t understand where the vibrations she felt came from, Hei turned to Ye, who could sense the scents from afar. At the same time, he activated Snake Tongue and Spider Hair to help his little sisters detect the anomaly.

To the side, Ho Yeon-Hong was surprised and a little disgusted to see Hei stick his tongue out, with the saliva dripping down his face. But Hei didn't have time to pay attention to her further.

'No, big brother. I don't smell, are you sure you're not wrong Xing?’ (Ye)

'No, I'm not wrong! It's like asking you if you were wrong to detect a scent.’ (Xing)

“Calm down, don't fight. You are both right. I feel vibrations too, but there are no scents.” Hei appeased his little sisters revealing that both hadn’t been wrong.

"Hei, if you and Xing can feel the vibrations but not the smell, it means that the origin of the vibrations is moving through a medium that conceals the smells but not the sounds," Lian suggested to Hei. He immediately understood what she meant.

"The ocean! Underwater!"

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Shortly after that, the water around the war galleon and the artifact ship began to shake violently. It wasn’t due to the movement of the two ships but to something else. Suddenly, dozens of dark shapes appeared from under the water, ranging from one meter and a half up to two meters.

As soon as the moonlight illuminated them, the crews of the war galleon and the artifact ship could see that they were fish-type spirit beasts. No, it wasn’t correct.

“Killer whales, Orca. Why are there so many?" Hei immediately recognized the identity of the new arrivals. But his question was answered quickly afterward.

A tremor greater than before was created in front of the war galleon. An imposing spirit beast came out from the ocean. It had dark black skin marked by huge scars several meters long. In total, its body had to be 15 meters long.

"Bowhead Whale!" Hei was speechless at the appearance of that creature.

The Bowhead Whale was a rare type of whale. It was characterized by the arched shape of the head derived from the triangular structure of the skull. It didn’t have a dorsal fin and had a mouth larger than any other type of whales. Instead of teeth, it had laminae about three meters long, called baleen. They were used as a filter to expel water from the mouth and holding its prey. Its blubber was also the thickest of the whale species, making it incredibly tough.

But what surprised Hei most wasn’t the appearance of this rare spirit beast nor its size. But its cultivation. The whale in front of him was a second-level spirit beast; meaning, it was comparable to a spirit soldier.

From the whale head, a small figure (compared to the size of the whale) slowly ascended into the sky. It was the silhouette of a man, and by the fact that he could fly, it meant that he had at least reached the rank of spirit soldier.

"Sok Yeong-Gi! Why don't you come out and play with me? The punishment that your Captain's whore awaits will first be imposed on you by myself."

The man's voice exploded throughout the surrounding area, making it audible to anyone around. Immediately afterward, from the war galleon, Sok Yeong-Gi flew high in the air, reaching the same height as the man who had challenged him.

"Pang Ja-Kyung! What do my eyes see?! The famous beast tamer under that asshole Hong Shin. What brings you here?"

"Haha. You make me laugh. You get too ahead of yourself when you're just a first stage spirit soldier. Among the rank of spirit soldier, you are only at the bottom of the ranking."

"Look who's talking. Aren't you also a first stage spirit soldier? Do you think you can compare yourself to me in a one vs. one? You, a beast tamer?"

"Stupid. Do you believe I can't defeat you in a one vs. one? You are very wrong if you catalog me with the rest of that trash beast tamers. I can fight very well alone. Plus, once my whale has slaughtered your men, it will only be a matter of moments for you to suffer the same ending."

"Pang Ja-Kyung! If you believe that you and your stupid whale can beat me, come forward! I, Sok Yeong-Hong, one of the three Spirit Soldiers under Pirate General Ho Ri-Na, will kill you."

The speech between the two pirates ended there. Although Sok Yeong-Hong seemed self-confident, he wasn't. He was arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid. Pang Ja-Kyung alone was already a big headache for him, but now there was also his whale to worry about. If they attacked him together, Sok Yeong-Hong even had doubts about being able to escape. At that juncture, the only thing he could think of was...

‘Hei, as your superior, I order you to engage the whale and take time.’ Sok Yeong-Hong sent a spirit message to Hei.

The situation was beyond all his expectations. If he wanted to survive, he had to save Ho Yeon-Hong. But if he had brought her with him flying, Pang Ja-Kyung would have reached him. If they had used the artifact ship instead, he wasn’t sure that the boat could resist enough to distance themselves from the whale.

The only solution was to keep the whale as busy as possible while he was fighting Pang Ja-Kyung. And the only ones to whom he could entrust that task were Hei and his team, which had two seventh stage martial artists and two equally strong spirit beasts. In extreme cases, he could use his and Hei’s crew as bait while escaping.

‘Understood.’ Hei replied briefly. There was no point in arguing now. Being affiliated with Ho Ri-Na, although not officially, there was no way that Pang Ja-Kyung would let him go. The only thing he could do was to take out the Bowhead Whale, a second-level spirit beast.

“Old Tohyon. For this battle, your help will be crucial. But if you don't feel it, I'll understand perfectly."

"Master Hei, are you kidding? I have never felt more alive in all of my life. I am ready when you want."

Hei smiled at the expert seaman, "Lian, we can't fly. So you'll have to keep us in the air, okay?"

"Got it, Hei."

“Ho Yeon-Hong. Even though we should protect you, I have to ask you to stay close to Lian. You absolutely have to make sure she isn't disturbed.”

Ho Yeon-Hong was confused as to how the situation had degenerated. But she still nodded her head. Although she had little experience, she knew it was better to rely on those who were more experienced.

‘And what about us, big brother?’ Ye and Xing asked nervously together. It was the first time that they faced such an opponent.

“The three of us will attack the whale. We will eat whale meat for breakfast, so let’s do it!"

'Yes!' The two little divine beasts screamed excitedly, ready to fight with all of themselves.