Chapter Fifty-Two: The Severing

Raucous, wicked laughter echoed amid the broken ruins.

A handful of squat, bare-chested brutes were in the midst of their vile deeds.

The woman’s helpless wails, wrung from the depths of her soul, chilled the heart.

An older pirate was severing the heads of villagers, stacking them at the entrance to the village. The faces of men, women, and children—frozen in fury and terror—formed a ghastly mound, a chilling monument of slaughter.

“Animals!”

Chief Constable Chen’s eyes blazed red. He was no saint, but he had a conscience—how could he bear witness to such atrocities?

He seized his blade, ready to charge out and butcher these fiends, but was stopped by Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen drew the captured foreign blade taken from Takeya Oda, its murderous aura biting cold.

“Take them alive, all of them! Not a single one dead!”

Crossbows were readied.

A volley loosed from the shadows, felling the unsuspecting marauders before they could realize what struck them.

Before the pirates could recover from the surprise, Qin Zhen led his men charging from the woods, pressing sharp blades to the pirates’ throats.

The scene in the village was more horrific than anything Qin Zhen had imagined.

More than a dozen corpses lay sprawled in grotesque positions, blood soaking the eaves. In a reeking cauldron, unspeakable remains of children floated amidst the filth.

“We are subjects of the Xietai Kingdom, you wretched Dashang swine! Release us at once!” the pirate leader bellowed. “Or when our men return, you’ll all die! Aah!”

With a scream, Qin Zhen ruthlessly hacked off the man’s left leg, leaving him writhing like a maggot on the ground.

“Do you recognize this blade?”

Qin Zhen raised the foreign sword in his hand; the surrounding pirates turned pale with shock.

Before the words had faded, he severed the man’s remaining right leg as well.

“Chop off all their toes, and pare down their fingers!”

With that, Qin Zhen strode into the village.

Chen Shu grinned viciously, raising his blade and bringing it down.

The pirates’ agonized howls, for once, brought a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Beside a dry well sat a girl, ragged and bruised, perhaps seventeen or eighteen years old.

Her tangled hair veiled her face, but her eyes—once bright and spirited—were now flat and lifeless.

No grief, no anger, no despair. Just the calm of a dead pond, a heart broken beyond mourning.

Qin Zhen wordlessly removed his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders.

He planted the foreign blade before her. The pirates’ screams stirred a faint light in her dulled eyes. She snatched up the sword and, wordless, charged at the helpless pirates, hacking at them in a frenzy.

She uttered not a single word as she struck.

Only when the fiends who had destroyed her village were hacked to pulp and fell silent did she collapse in tears.

Even her cries were soundless. Curled into a ball, streaked with blood and tears, she wept in silence.

“Chen Shu, take some men and bury the villagers.”

Qin Zhen walked over. He wanted to offer comfort, but the words caught in his throat.

All he could do was sigh.

“If you’re willing, come back to the village with us. There’s work, food, and you can help us hunt down more of those black dwarves.”

At the mention of killing pirates, the girl slowly rose, knelt and bowed to Qin Zhen, then to the others in turn. Finally, she came to stand beside him, her voice hoarse.

“I’ll go with you.”

“My name is Qin Zhen,” he said simply. “This is Chen Shu, and that fellow stacking pirate heads is Chief Constable Chen.”

The girl was silent for a moment, then spoke her name.

“Xu Xiang.”

Once the bodies were buried, Qin Zhen didn’t return directly to the village, but circled the outskirts to ensure no pirates had been missed. Satisfied, he headed straight for Golden Sands Beach.

Three sea vessels were anchored just a few dozen yards from shore.

Crowds had gathered, curiosity piqued.

“Aren’t those pirate ships? Could more pirates have come ashore?”

“Very likely! I’d better hurry home and warn the villagers to hide in the woods.”

“No, don’t go to the woods—run to the county seat! The city has walls; the pirates can’t breach those.”

As they spoke, the fishermen caught sight of Qin Zhen’s bloodstained party, weapons in hand, and scattered in terror.

“Pirates! Run for your lives!”

“Pirates, my eye! Open your dog eyes and look properly! Do you know who I am?” Chief Constable Chen bellowed, exasperated.

The fishermen, emboldened, glanced back and realized their mistake.

“Isn’t that Chief Constable Chen from the county office?”

“Why is he covered in blood? Did he fight the pirates?”

Constable Chen climbed atop a stone post and shouted, “Last night the pirates landed ashore, but with the combined strength of myself and the villagers of Little Fishing Village, they have all been slain! The blood you see on me is that of the pirates! There’s no need for fear!”

At these words, the crowd erupted in excitement.

Along the coast, pirates were the terror of all. Whenever they landed, chaos ensued; countless innocents had died at their hands.

Now, hearing that the pirates had been exterminated, the fishermen knelt in gratitude to Chief Constable Chen.

He grinned with self-satisfaction. “Protecting the land and its people is my duty! There’s no need for such thanks!”

But Qin Zhen had no time for Chen’s posturing. His attention was fixed on the three ships offshore.

Ships were treasures indeed! With them, one could fish or even trade along the coast.

A single ordinary vessel could cost hundreds of taels of silver, and might not even be seaworthy. If the pirates could sail across the sea to Dashang, these ships surely had some range.

They were a true prize.

With that thought, Qin Zhen began stripping off his clothes to swim out.

“Brother Qin, what are you doing?” Constable Chen asked, puzzled.

Qin Zhen pointed to the distant ships. “You take the credit, but these three ships are mine. Agreed?”

The glory for slaying pirates was too much for Qin Zhen to claim. The constable, the magistrate, even officials higher up would all be eyeing the credit.

With the corruption rampant in Dashang, Qin Zhen would be lucky to get scraps if he sought recognition.

Better to let it go and claim something tangible.

Constable Chen’s eyes sparkled as he feigned ignorance. “What ships? I don’t see any.”

“Is it a problem?” Qin Zhen asked again.

“The pirates arrived by ship, but when we struck, the survivors fled to sea—how does that sound?” Chen’s grin was sly, reserved only for his own. “I’ll report everything to the magistrate and be sure to mention your merits.”

Qin Zhen couldn’t help but admire the constable’s tact. He truly knew how to survive in officialdom.

“My deepest thanks.”

With that, Qin Zhen dove headfirst into the sea, swimming toward the three ships.