249: The story of suppressing bandits on an isolated island!

The night was inky black, the sea breeze salty.

Hundreds of miles from Hangzhou, on a desolate reef island, strange rocks jutted out, and waves crashed against the shore with a thunderous roar.

This was not a merchant ship route; ordinary fishermen and merchant ships dared not approach easily. Even if they encountered storms and heavy rain, they would rather take a long detour than pass through here. This place was known as “Ghost’s Bane.”

However, at this moment, deep within the island, inside a hidden natural cave, lights were blazing, and voices were clamoring. The smell of alcohol and sweat mingled, completely out of place with the desolate scene outside the cave.

A group of fiercely grim-looking men, dressed in various outfits, sat together, loudly gambling and boasting about their “achievements.”

Swords, axes, and hammers leaned casually against the rock walls, glinting coldly.

In a corner, some partially opened crates were piled up, revealing glimpses of silk and porcelain, and even some scattered gold, silver, and spirit stones.

This was the target that Zixuan and Xue Yao had finally locked onto after days of secret investigation and following clues: a pirate stronghold known as the “Black Tide.”

The investigation process was not smooth sailing.

Prince Weis Residence and its associated forces were extremely cautious, and the flow of funds had been disguised multiple times, making it almost untraceable.

But Zixuan excelled at stealth and intelligence gathering, while Xue Yao had an intimate knowledge of the Jiangnan underground network.

Working together, they started from several seemingly unrelated clues: the lover of one of the “ferocious bandits” who had died suddenly in prison years ago, now the concubine of a certain merchant guild manager.

A large quantity of special array materials on Prince Weis Residence’s procurement list.

And a seemingly ordinary merchant ship robbery reported by a coastal county, where the lost goods were not valuable items, but a batch of special overseas refined iron.

The clues were fragmented, but ultimately, they all subtly pointed to these “Black Tide” pirates, who had close ties with certain island nations overseas and acted with exceptional ruthlessness and secrecy.

Even more noteworthy was that the period when these pirates became active highly coincided with the time after the Shen Family massacre and the gradual consolidation of Prince Wei's influence in Jiangnan.

They had the power to commit a major crime like the Shen Family case, and they fit the description of “overseas fierce bandits.” The subsequent “capture” and “silencing” seemed even more like they were controlled by an invisible hand, perfectly cutting off all leads.

“Young Master, it’s almost certain this is the place.”

Behind a massive reef in the distance, Zixuan, almost blending into the shadows, whispered to Li Shengyuan beside him.

“There are about fifty people inside the cave, all desperate outlaws, mostly at the sixth or seventh rank of cultivation. The one-eyed leader is roughly at the early fourth rank. There seems to be another passage deep within the cave, possibly hiding more people or treasures.”

Li Shengyuan, dressed in Xuanyi Guard attire, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the cave entrance from which faint firelight emerged, his eyes colder than the chill of this sea night.

He had not brought a large force; he had only brought Zixuan and Xue Yao on this trip.

For a small pirate stronghold on an island, not even having a third rank cultivator, his personal involvement, plus two third-rank commanders, was giving them immense face!

Even if they died, it would be enough for them to boast about for a long time on the road to the Underworld!

“Xue Yao, you will provide support from outside, blocking all possible escape routes. If any slip through, kill them without mercy.” Li Shengyuan’s voice was calm and unruffled, yet it carried an undeniable killing intent.

“Yes, Sir!” Xue Yao responded, her figure dissolving like a phantom into the shadows of the surrounding reefs, her hands already clutching the Xuanyi Guard’s special crossbow and chains.

Li Shengyuan nodded slightly. The next moment, his figure had already vanished from its original spot.

When he reappeared, he was like a weightless fallen leaf, silently clinging to the rock wall above the cave entrance, completely unnoticed by the noisy pirates inside.

He swept his divine sense through the cave, and the layout, number of people, and cultivation distribution were all laid bare before his eyes.

Then, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and a subtle, almost invisible sword qi shot out into the air.

Pfft!

Deep inside the cave, the largest oil lamp extinguished with a pop, leaving only the faint glow of some luminous pearls.

“Hmm? What’s going on?” The pirates, who were gambling excitedly, froze, and the clamor abruptly ceased.

“Was it the wind?” Someone mumbled, getting up to relight it.

Just as he walked into the darkness, a black shadow swept past like a gust of wind.

Crack!

An extremely faint sound of bone breaking echoed, and the pirate who had stood up slumped to the ground, lifeless.

“Old Six? What’s wrong?” A pirate closer by felt something was amiss and peered over.

However, all he saw was a sword light that suddenly flared!

The sword light was like cold lightning, not dazzling, but carrying extreme sharpness and icy coldness, instantly piercing through the gloom of the cave!

There was no need to hide when dealing with low-rank pirates; just capture the minor leader and kill the rest!

“Enemy attack!” The pirate only managed to let out a short cry of alarm before his head flew into the air!

Blood splattered, startling everyone.

“Who is it?!”

“Grab your weapons!”

The pirates immediately fell into disarray, grabbing their weapons. The one-eyed leader reacted the fastest, grabbing the nine-ringed ghost-head saber beside him and roaring:

“Form up! Don’t panic! It’s just some hidden… ”

His words abruptly stopped.

Because the black shadow had already appeared in the very center of the crowd, like the God of Death.

Li Shengyuan didn’t even draw his sword; he simply used his fingers as blades and swords, his body moving with his shadow, sword qi and saber light filling the cave.

His movements didn’t seem fast, yet he always avoided the slashing weapons at the last possible moment. Though he appeared motionless, a pirate would invariably die, either from a shattered throat or a severed heart meridian.

Screams, clashes of weapons, and curses instantly filled the cave.

But all these sounds quickly died down.

Li Shengyuan’s figure moved as if strolling through a rain of blood; wherever he passed, pirates fell like mown grass.

It was as if he was venting the suppressed anger in his heart!

The pirates’ attacks couldn’t even touch the hem of his clothes; their defenses were like paper in front of his seemingly casual finger-sword.

Crushing!

A complete and utter crushing!

In just a few breaths, fewer than ten pirates remained standing, and each was missing an arm or a leg, their faces filled with horror and terror, as if looking at a demon god from hell.

The one-eyed leader’s heart had long been churning with tumultuous waves; he had never seen such a terrifying person!

This was definitely not some ordinary vendetta or official military encirclement!

“Who exactly are you?! What grudge do we have with you?!” The one-eyed man’s voice was hoarse, and the hand gripping his saber trembled slightly.

Li Shengyuan finally stopped, standing amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, yet his Xuanyi Guard attire was barely stained.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the one-eyed man.

“Hangzhou, Shen Family.”