Chapter 91: The Wokou Pirates of Fusang

Huo Yuanzhen rode his white horse, carrying nearly sixty thousand taels of silver bills, on his way to the city of Dengfeng, intending to settle the debts of the money shop.

This time, Huo Yuanzhen was alone. After acquiring internal martial arts and the Wuxiang Jue (Unchanging Finger), he no longer needed to be cautious as before. When it was time to act, he could do so without relying on anyone for protection.

In a good mood, Huo Yuanzhen allowed his white horse to trot along leisurely, taking about an hour and a half to reach Dengfeng.

Once in the city, the streets became more crowded, and many people recognized Huo Yuanzhen, greeting him as he passed by.

With one hand on his chest in a gesture of greeting, Huo Yuanzhen nodded slightly and made his way directly to the money shop.

Inside the shop, Zhao Wuji, seeing Huo Yuanzhen arrive, hurried out to meet him.

Today was different from the past. The young monk who used to be unknown was now the abbot of a well-known temple in Dengfeng, a figure revered by countless followers. Zhao Wuji didn't dare be dismissive.

"Ah, Abbot Yijie, where did you come from?" Zhao Wuji asked with a smile.

"From the East of the Tang Dynasty," Huo Yuanzhen replied with a smile, in good spirits.

"Haha, Abbot Yijie, you're joking! Meeting you today, I seem to sense a presence like that of the ancient pine, making one feel awe-struck," Zhao Wuji said. Though he didn't know about the Wuxiang Divine Skill, he could indeed sense something different about Huo Yuanzhen.

The two entered the money shop, and Huo Yuanzhen took out the silver bills. "I've borrowed the money for several months, and now I've gathered enough. It's time to repay the debt."

"Of course! I wouldn't doubt the Abbot. Come, let's settle the debt right away," Zhao Wuji said, gesturing for his staff to take care of the accounting.

While the staff worked on the calculations, Zhao Wuji poured Huo Yuanzhen a cup of tea and invited him to sit. The two of them sipped tea slowly as they chatted.

"Abbot, have you heard of something that happened recently?"

"What happened?"

"Three days ago, a group of Fusang pirates arrived in Dengfeng. After coming here, they started challenging various martial arts schools and escort agencies. They've been wreaking havoc throughout the city. Chen Ding, the great hero of Dengfeng, had been recuperating at home after being defeated in a martial arts contest, but when the pirates heard of him, they went to his home to provoke him. Angered, Chen Ding fought them, but he was stabbed in the abdomen with a single blow and is now gravely injured, likely to die soon."

"Such a thing happened?" Huo Yuanzhen furrowed his brow.

The Fusang pirates were the Wokou, a notorious group that had made trouble along the coast of Shandong. Though Huo Yuanzhen had heard of them in his previous world, they had never been active in Henan, as it wasn't a coastal region. This time, however, their presence in Henan raised many questions.

Currently, Henan was still under the control of Guan Tianzhao. Though the princess had returned to Chang'an, there had been no significant action from the capital. The imperial court had mentioned the possibility of an expedition against Henan, but no troops had yet appeared. On the other hand, Guan Tianzhao had been actively preparing for war, frequently moving his army and even recruiting soldiers from the common people. It was clear he was preparing for conflict with the imperial court.

Now, these Wokou pirates had appeared in Guan Tianzhao's territory, which raised suspicions.

As for the fact that they had challenged martial arts schools and escort agencies in the city, Huo Yuanzhen wasn't surprised. It would be stranger if they didn't cause trouble; perhaps one day they would challenge the Shaolin Temple itself.

"Do you know how many pirates there are? Where are they staying?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

"There are quite a few of them, around sixty or seventy. Among them, there are several leaders who are quite formidable. Even though Chen Ding has been famous for years, he didn't need to call on the leaders for help. A random one of them, armed with a strange sword, defeated Chen Ding in less than an incense stick's time."

"An East Fusang battle sword," Huo Yuanzhen murmured.

"I didn't catch the name of the sword, but it is said that the pirate's sword technique was incredibly fast and ruthless. Chen Ding's folding fan, which is his signature weapon, was completely ineffective against it, rendering him helpless."

Huo Yuanzhen nodded slightly. Chen Ding's folding fan was a subtle weapon; compared to the cutting power of the East Fusang battle sword, it was no match. Moreover, Chen Ding was only a mid-stage martial artist, so it was understandable that he was defeated.

Zhao Wuji continued, "And those pirates said that they're not just going to defeat all the martial arts schools and escort agencies, they also want to challenge all the martial factions here. They've said they'll be going to Shaolin Temple in a few days."

"Oh? Have they gone to Zhongyue Sect?" Huo Yuanzhen asked. This was a key point because the Zhongyue Sect was located closer to Dengfeng, and if the pirates were truly going on a rampage, it would be logical for them to challenge Zhongyue first.

"Not yet. They did meet with some of the people from Zhongyue Sect, but many people thought they were about to fight. However, the two sides simply ignored each other and walked past," Zhao Wuji replied.

Huo Yuanzhen smiled. This was indeed an interesting detail. The Zhongyue Sect was part of the Tiandao Alliance, which represented the martial world of Henan. For both sides to have ignored each other was quite telling.

"Where are these pirates now?" Huo Yuanzhen asked.

"They said yesterday that they'd be going to challenge the Qinglong Escort Agency in the city today. They should be leaving soon. Are you going to watch the fun as well, Abbot?" Zhao Wuji asked.

"If there's such excitement, I should go take a look," Huo Yuanzhen replied.

By the time the accounting had been completed, the total debt, including interest, amounted to fifty-two thousand taels. Huo Yuanzhen paid the remaining silver and bid farewell to Zhao Wuji.

As he left, he noticed that many people were heading in the same direction—toward the Qinglong Escort Agency.

The Qinglong Escort Agency was led by Wu Chaotian, a mid-stage martial artist known for wielding a great broadsword. His strength was similar to Chen Ding's.

Though Huo Yuanzhen's horse was fast, by the time he arrived at the Qinglong Escort Agency, the place was already crowded with people.

From the outside, it was impossible to see what was going on inside, but as soon as Huo Yuanzhen arrived at the door, the crowd parted to let him through.

Huo Yuanzhen tied his horse outside and entered the yard alone.

Inside, two groups of people stood facing each other. One side was made up of the Qinglong Escort Agency's bodyguards, all armed with weapons. There were about twenty to thirty of them, and Wu Chaotian stood at the front, holding his great broadsword and glaring at the other group.

The other side consisted of only four people—Fusang pirates. They wore white robes with baggy pants and wooden sandals, their hair styled in high buns.

The leader, a short pirate, held a battle sword, gripping it with both hands, the blade pointed downward as he arrogantly stared at Wu Chaotian and the others.

"Wu Escort Chief!" The pirate's voice was a bit rough but still understandable, indicating that he had studied the language of the Tang Dynasty.

"Think carefully. Do you want to take down your sign and leave, or do you want to fight? We're giving you a fair choice!"

"Bah! My Qinglong Escort Agency has been in Dengfeng for nearly twenty years. We've never taken down our sign! You barbarians, how dare you come here and act so arrogantly. Do you think there's no one in the Tang Dynasty who can stop you?" Wu Chaotian shouted, planting his great broadsword into the ground with a force that cracked the stone beneath.

The bodyguards behind him also shouted, urging the pirates to leave.

The crowd, consisting mostly of ordinary people, joined in, cheering for Wu Chaotian to teach the pirates a lesson.

Though the Qinglong Escort Agency wasn't the strongest, the fact that they were Tang people made the crowd rally behind them.

Hearing the crowd's cheers, Wu Chaotian felt more confident and shouted, "You lot, kneel down and apologize. Say you will never set foot in the Tang Dynasty again, and I will let you leave. Otherwise, none of you will leave here alive!"

At his words, the crowd erupted in cheers. This felt like a great release of tension!

The pirates, however, looked at each other and suddenly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny, you little brats?" Wu Chaotian growled in anger.

The pirate leader sneered, "In the Tang Dynasty, there's a saying that the wise recognize the time. We, the pirates of Fusang, have come to Dengfeng, and we've been undefeated everywhere we've gone. The only one who even somewhat knows martial arts here is you, and yet you threaten us with such strength? How dare you!"

"Shut up! Xiao Liu, go teach them a lesson!" Wu Chaotian barked.

From behind him, a young, tough-looking man jumped out, holding a steel knife. "Anyone dare to face me, Sixth Brother?"

With that, the young man swung his knife in the air, performing a flashy, but amateurish, display. He was clearly eager for a fight.

Huo Yuanzhen watched from the side, inwardly startled. This boy's sword technique was terrible. He almost cut himself with such sloppy moves. How embarrassing to make such a fool of himself in front of others.

But the crowd didn't see it that way. They cheered enthusiastically for Sixth Brother.

The pirate leader looked at the situation and then turned to one of his subordinates. "You're the weakest, deal with him."

The pirate nodded. "Got it. It's disgraceful to use weapons against such weaklings."

He stepped forward, leisurely, and addressed Sixth Brother, "Come at me, if you dare."

"Ha! Don't underestimate me!" Sixth Brother yelled as he charged forward, swinging his steel knife in an overhead strike.

"Sixth Brother, go!"

The crowd erupted with cheers again.

The pirate casually dodged the attack and, with lightning speed, threw a punch into Sixth Brother's abdomen.

Sixth Brother doubled over and collapsed, his face turning red. His tongue hung out as he gasped for air, clearly having the wind knocked out of him.

The cheering crowd suddenly fell silent, their excitement drained by the turn of events.