Chapter 14 Fighting the Pirates (Part Two) Making a Name for Oneself Among the Three Heroes of the Martial World...

On the deck, Zhou Ziheng held the whip that Xi Bingyi had brought down, his expression cold as he stared at the approaching pirates. There were more than fifty people on the two ships, and he stood alone in the storm, his red clothes fluttering in the wind, the only bright spot in the dark world.

"You guys are really... courting death."

Boundless rage and murderous intent filled Zhou Ziheng's mind. The angrier he became, the colder he grew. The scalding curse of Zhegui seemed to want to pierce into his flesh and blood.

Standing for too long caused his fractured lower leg to ache, forcing him to shift his weight to the other side.

The waves resembled a wild beast with its jaws wide open, and Zhou Ziheng confronted the pirates, like a torn chapter in a dark wilderness.

Zhou Ziheng flicked his whip, casually tossing a pirate into the sea. However, he had never practiced whipping before, and his whip was not as powerful and precise as Xi Bingyi's. He could only rely on his skill to strike the pirates during gaps in their climbing, causing them to fall into the sea in their panic.

This insignificant blow naturally caused no serious consequences, and contemptuous laughter rippled through the pirate group. Several men exchanged sarcastic remarks, as if asking and answering each other:

"Oh dear, Grandpa, my back is a little itchy, what should I do?"

"Have that guy on the boat scratch you!"

Amid the laughter, Zhou Ziheng remained unmoved, not even sparing a glance. He continued to guard the ship alone, occasionally raising his hand to slap the pirates down, but otherwise just watching them climb up in a daze.

"Have they given up resistance?" The pirates exchanged glances and revealed bloody smiles.

Zhou Ziheng's calf was hurting more and more; the broken bone made it difficult for him to move. He didn't want the pirates to see his predicament, and also to lower their guard. After all, even a layman could see that he wasn't very good at using the whip, and if he took it out too early, who knew what kind of storm he would face.

Gradually, pirates boarded the ship. They didn't need commands; the bloodthirstiness and cruelty hidden in their bones led them to slaughter everything in their path. The pirates charged forward, brandishing their knives. One went straight for Zhou Ziheng's upper body, slashing horizontally with his knife, aiming straight for his neck. Another attacked Zhou Ziheng's lower body, slashing diagonally with his knife, targeting his legs.

Zhou Ziheng remained unmoved. With a skillful flick of his whip, he coiled the broadsword beneath it, tightly binding it and preventing it from advancing even an inch. At the same time, he used his other hand to raise Hongchen to block the sword above, twisting and turning it to force the blade to change direction and slash at the air. Finally, Hongchen thrust forward, and the scabbard slammed into the pirate's face, leaving him bruised, swollen, and bleeding.

Dealing with two pirates was more than enough for Zhou Ziheng, but then a dense swarm of more than fifty pirates rushed up and surrounded him, their blades flashing like a woven net, ready to capture him!

Zhou Ziheng had never been so calm. He dropped the beautiful whip and drew out the crimson Red Dust sword. At that moment, the red clothes and red sword made the world change color!

The mortal world is unstoppable, like a red ribbon or a blazing fire, tearing a bloody path through the flashing blades!

Zhou Ziheng first killed the two pirates closest to him with lightning speed, then blocked the barrage of broadswords that were about to strike him. With a powerful swing of his arm, the laurel seal was scorching hot, and with just one sword strike, he knocked away several broadswords.

Immediately, Zhou Ziheng made a move.

He understood that staying put would only lead to his death. The pirates were endless, but a person's physical strength and energy were limited. He could not guarantee that passively resisting would allow him to escape unscathed, so he chose to attack and take the initiative!

The fracture in his right shin was still too painful for him, even causing Zhou Ziheng's prized agility to falter for a moment. Zhou Ziheng gritted his teeth, the taste of blood filling his mouth, and gripped the Red Dust Sword tightly, just as he had gripped it tightly in the Sword Tomb. Alone with his sword, he swiftly harvested heads in this vast world!

Zhou Ziheng dodged and shifted positions constantly, the swordsman becoming an assassin, his Red Dust Sword stained with the blood of countless people. The entire blade seemed to have been washed in blood, and a thick stench of blood filled the air.

Zhou Ziheng felt nauseous, but what was even more painful was that the impact of the previous explosion not only affected his right leg, but also made his internal organs churn and shake. Now, amidst the high-speed flashes, Zhou Ziheng's vision went black for a moment.

In that instant, the pirates seized him, one knife slashing fiercely at his shoulder, the other about to stab his stomach. Zhou Ziheng bit his tongue hard to force himself to wake up, but he only managed to knock away the knife aimed at his stomach.

A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder, and warm blood instantly spread across his entire arm, only to congeal completely in the cold sea breeze. Zhou Ziheng even felt the knife still spinning inside his shoulder. He was in so much pain that he broke out in a cold sweat, and a suffocating agony rose in his throat. Zhou Ziheng let out a weak groan, stopped the dizziness in his head, chopped off the pirate's head, and, with his wounded body, vanished once more.

Zhou Ziheng's consciousness was becoming hazy. He could barely remember how many people he had killed or what wounds he had sustained. In the endless chaos, he could only instinctively protect his head, heart, and lungs. The strenuous activity accelerated the loss of blood, and he could even feel the traces of blood flowing out of his body, feel his life slipping away.

It's getting colder and colder, but that damned curse of winning the laurel wreath is still burning.

Zhou Ziheng traded blows for blows. As long as the knife didn't strike a fatal spot, he would tear off the pirates' heads. In an instant, the entire ship was covered in blood and brains. Zhou Ziheng stepped over one corpse after another and charged towards one pirate after another. He was like a true Grim Reaper. Under the red sword light, no one could escape.

At the same time, Zhou Ziheng himself was covered in blood, with not a single piece of good flesh on his body.

Zhou Ziheng stood atop the mountain of corpses, seemingly oblivious to the pain. He lifted his eyelids, glanced at the pirates who were clearly stunned and terrified, and revealed a utterly contemptuous smile.

Some of the pirates were terrified, some were trembling with fear, and some were even weak in the knees. Of the two ships and more than fifty men, Zhou Ziheng had already killed nearly twenty of them!

Someone's voice trembled, but they still gritted their teeth and said, "What are you afraid of! He's already at his last gasp! There are still almost thirty of us; one spit from each of us could kill him!"

"To achieve fame and fortune, and live a life of wealth and honor, begins today!!"

Just as the pirates were spouting nonsense and charging onto the deck with their swords drawn and eyes bloodshot, Hochin's arrow finally arrived.

He pierced the man's throat with an arrow, and drew the bowstring again amidst the raging wind.

"To make a name for oneself in front of the three heroes of the martial arts world?"

"He has backbone."

-

"Dad, what are you looking at?" Young Xi Bingyi was not even as tall as the desk. She stood on tiptoe and barely managed to peek her head out from the desk, staring intently at Xi Ling.

Xi Ling put down the book in her hand, picked up Xi Bingyi, and let her sit on her lap. She rubbed her chubby cheeks and said with a smile, "Little Bingyi wants to read a book too?"

Xi Bingyi shook her head angrily: "It's Chinese New Year, and Dad is still reading. He doesn't even eat with us!"

At this time, five-year-old Xi Bingyi had already been sent to the sacred mountain to study for two years. She could not easily come down the mountain, and could only reunite with her parents during the Spring Festival each year. But the family of three had a deep affection for each other, and even though they were separated for long periods, Xi Bingyi still trusted and loved her parents.

"Alright, alright." Xi Ling stood up, holding Xi Bingyi, and casually closed the ancient book. Xi Bingyi didn't know many characters at this time, and could only see the pictures in the book with a quick glance.

"What kind of flower is that, Dad?" Xi Bingyi blinked curiously and pressed her soft face against Xi Ling's face, this was her way of expressing affection.

Xi Ling nuzzled her cheek and explained, "That's an osmanthus flower. Has our little Bingyi ever seen one?"

Xi Bingyi obediently shook her head.

The father and daughter walked out of the study with smiles. Mei Zhiying came up to them, took Xi Bingyi from Xi Ling's arms, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek: "Let's go, let's go eat."

Throughout the entire event, this "loving couple" did not make any eye contact.

Xi Bingyi was unaware of the strange atmosphere between her parents. Her little eyes were completely occupied by the sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner, and she stared at it happily.

Mei Zhiying laughed: "Little glutton."

Late at night, after finally coaxing Xi Bingyi to sleep, Mei Zhiying pinched her nose, gently closed the bedroom door, and headed straight for the study. She pushed open the study door, the tenderness on her face receding like the tide, revealing naked sarcasm: "You really won't give up."

Xi Ling stared intently at the ancient book, ignoring the aggressive Mei Zhiying, and said silently, "Zhegui Seal absorbs emotions, memories, and humanity. Do you think he can still be considered human now?"

Mei Zhiying braced herself on the desk, her sharp features and the small red mole beneath her eyebrow making her appear particularly lively when she was angry: "So what?! He's already gone! What more do you want? To kill him?"

Xi Ling didn't want to argue. He looked up, closed the book, too exhausted to say a word, and turned to leave.

In the empty study, Mei Zhiying was burning with anger.

...

Xi Bingyi groaned in pain and struggled to wake up from her unconsciousness. Her eyes were still somewhat dazed, and she could barely recall the scene of her family of three celebrating the New Year in her dream, but soon, those memories shattered like sea foam into invisible droplets.

She didn't dwell on her memories for long. She turned to look at her injury—the medicine Zhang Yuanhan brought seemed to be very effective. The wound had stopped bleeding, and the gauze was wrapped and bandaged well. Apart from some swelling and pain, she felt fine.

In the room, Zhang Yuanhan stood to one side. She was lying on the bed, and just as she was about to sit up, Zhang Yuanhan kindly helped her up.

"What's the situation outside?" Xi Bingyi asked, puzzled. She clearly remembered that Zhou Ziheng had killed all the remaining pirates before he fell unconscious, so why did Zhang Yuanhan still seem so anxious?

Zhang Yuanhan was pale and his eyes darted around, clearly showing that he was very uneasy.

Zhang Yuanhan was too anxious to speak; his lips trembled. He finally managed to answer Xi Bingyi's question: "Two more ships of pirates have arrived. Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin are outside..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Xi Bingyi already understood that Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin were fighting a lone battle!

No wonder Zhang Yuanhan was so anxious and worried. Xi Bingyi also became a little worried after hearing this. She was afraid that the pirates would pull out another bundle of gunpowder, and she was also afraid that Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin would not be able to handle so many pirates. She immediately got up to help him.

Seeing her actions, Zhang Yuanhan firmly pressed Xi Bingyi down. His expression was worried, but his words were very rational and ruthless: "You can't go. Going there will only be suicide and cause more trouble."

He was advising Xi Bingyi, and also reminding himself.

When advising others, he is extremely rational. But when it comes to experiencing it himself, Zhang Yuanhan is so anxious that he wishes he could fly to Zhou Ziheng and Huo Qin's side immediately to fight the enemy with them. But he can't, because he is weak and needs to be protected. So he must behave himself and not hold them back.

Zhang Yuanhan's desire to become stronger reached its peak at this moment. He absentmindedly bit his nails until he felt a stinging pain in his fingers. Only then did he regain his senses and let go of his nails, only to taste a faint metallic taste of blood.

He bit his nails until they bled.

However, this insignificant pain was nothing compared to the throbbing in his heart. He never hated himself for being so powerless, only able to listen to the roars of the pirates on deck, and like a coward, seek the protection of the two men and pray for his victory.

He hated himself.