Chapter 19: Pirate Invasion

Fang Yun watched as Fang Lin lightly tapped the ground with his toes, effortlessly soaring down the mountain. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious and wondered if he should practice lightness techniques without relying on mobility spells. After all, although his speed under the influence of his magic was not much slower than Fang Lin's, his posture was indeed rather awkward.

It seemed that if he had the chance, he should learn a bit about this. With such thoughts in mind, the two quickly reached the foot of the mountain and continued to rush south toward the island along the ground path.

They crossed rice fields and a large bridge, soon arriving in front of a town. At this point, Fang Lin finally stopped and led Fang Yun inside. Without pausing for a moment, they directly entered the great hall within the town.

The layout of the great hall was not particularly luxurious. At the far end, there was a large chair, with a small tea table next to it. On either side, there were two rows of chairs, each with five seats, making a total of ten. Each chair also had a small tea table beside it.

At this time, apart from the first seat on the right side being empty—clearly reserved for Fang Lin—all other seats were filled with people who had evidently been waiting for a while. As Fang Yun entered the hall, he quickly scanned the nine people on either side.

Aside from Fang Zhou, who sat in the second position on the right, he did not recognize anyone else. Among the remaining people were six men and two women, the youngest of whom were at least in their forties or fifties. The oldest man sat in the first position on the left, his hair white and face wrinkled. Fang Yun could even sense a decaying aura emanating from his body. Clearly, his life was nearing its end.

The presence of someone with such a short lifespan indicated that the situation was quite serious. Thinking of this made Fang Yun even more anxious.

While Fang Yun was sizing up these individuals and collecting and analyzing information, the others also noticed Fang Lin entering with a young-looking man. Although Fang Yun had never seen these people, they were all familiar with his appearance. After all, he was the only cultivator in the family and the clan leader.

As clan elders of the family, these people naturally knew Fang Yun.

"We pay our respects to the clan leader!"

Everyone bowed deeply, showing great respect to Fang Yun. He was momentarily taken aback by this scene, as he had never been treated with such reverence in his two lifetimes, leaving him a bit embarrassed. After clearing his throat, he said, "Everyone, there's no need to be so formal. Please, stand up!"

"Thank you, clan leader!"

At this moment, Fang Lin guided Fang Yun to the central position across from him and said, "Clan leader, let me briefly introduce the elders present here! The first person on the left is our family's Grand Elder, Fang Jianting. He is 102 years old and a living fossil of our clan. Don't let his age fool you; he possesses remarkable wisdom and has contributed countless strategies for the family."

Fang Jianting nodded slightly and cast a warm gaze at Fang Yun.

Fang Lin continued the introduction: "The second person is Fang Hong. He manages the family's trade affairs and has made significant contributions to the clan's economic prosperity."

Fang Hong cupped his hands in greeting, wearing a steady smile on his face.

"The third is Fang Yong, responsible for the family's military strength. He oversees the family's guard and has defended the clan multiple times in dangerous situations." Fang Yong was tall and robust, with sharp eyes.

"The fourth is Fang Ming, who is skilled in medicine. The health of everyone in the family relies on his care." Fang Ming exuded a scholarly aura and smiled as he nodded at Fang Yun.

"The fifth is Fang Qiang, who manages the clan's logistics. He organizes everything meticulously." Fang Qiang looked honest and simple.

After introducing the people on the left, Fang Lin turned to the right: "These two are the only female elders in our clan and are not any less powerful than anyone here. The one on the left is Fang Xue. She specializes in planting and has guided the family's rice fields to abundant harvests almost every year."

Fang Xue had a cold expression and nodded slightly.

"The one on the right is Fang Jie. Her skills in crafting weapons are superb, and she has created many fine weapons for the clan." Fang Jie had a kind appearance and offered a friendly smile to Fang Yun.

At this moment, Fang Lin pointed to a middle-aged man who had not yet been introduced and said, "This is Fang Hao. He is responsible for the family's intelligence gathering and has very reliable information."

Fang Yun listened attentively to Fang Lin's introductions, nodding at everyone present while trying to remember their names, appearances, and specializations. As the clan leader, even though Fang Yun didn't participate in the clan's specific affairs, it was important for him to know about the elders, or he would come off as incompetent.

After the brief introductions, it was time to discuss the serious matters at hand. Fang Yun didn't bother with pleasantries and directly asked Fang Lin, "What exactly is going on? Why are pirates suddenly attacking our Ling Shui Island? If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be any pirates in the vicinity, right?"

Fang Lin stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Clan leader, it's better for Elder Fang Hao to explain the specifics. He manages the clan's intelligence and knows more details!"

Upon hearing Fang Lin's words, Fang Yun turned his gaze to Fang Hao.

Fang Hao didn't decline; he stood up and said, "Clan leader, esteemed elders! Indeed, based on past experience, our Ling Shui Island is quite remote, and there are rarely any isolated islands nearby, so pirates are extremely rare. However, since the last generation's cultivator of our Fang family passed away, somehow this information spread.

Starting last year, pirates have appeared in the surrounding areas. But out of concern for our Fang family's strength and the resources left by the previous cultivator, they have not dared to attack recklessly. Recently, it seems that they have either gathered enough manpower or found some other leverage, as they have gradually been advancing toward us. It is estimated that they will reach Ling Shui Island within a few days! We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible!"

After finishing his statement, Fang Hao sat down. His task was complete, and now it was up to the clan to devise a response plan.

Fang Yun hadn't expected that this issue stemmed from the passing of the previous generation's cultivator. The previous cultivator had merely been at the second layer of Qi Refining; how could his deterrent power be so strong? When he was alive, no pirates dared to invade, but now that he had passed, someone actually had the audacity to threaten Ling Shui Island.

For the first time, Fang Yun deeply realized how formidable the deterrent power of a cultivator was to the ordinary people in this world. However, even with this realization, Fang Yun didn't dare to feel any pride, as he understood his own limitations. After all, a mere second-layer Qi Refining cultivator wasn't anything to boast about. It was better to remain cautious in the face of a conflict of this level.