Chapter 465: The Entire Army Wiped Out?

“Fourth Prince, they don’t seem to have many Sixth-Rank fighters either. Most of them are Ninth-Rank martial artists. We might be able to fight our way in.”

After observing the situation carefully, Pei Ran of Extreme Flame Sword Manor offered a suggestion.

“We can’t be sure whether there’s anything to be gained in there. Charging in like this would be extremely unwise,” Qin Kunlun said calmly.

Pei Ran glanced at him but said nothing. He was only responsible for making suggestions. He didn’t care who made the decisions.

“Perhaps the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance has already discovered something here. That would explain why they sent so many martial artists...”

Zhao Zheng stared at the scene in the distance.

“Among those thousand or so martial artists, there are at most fifty or sixty Sixth-Rank fighters. The rest are Seventh-, Eighth-, and Ninth-Rank.

“They should be carrying powerful crossbows. If they charge straight at us, we’ll suffer casualties. We’d have a better chance if we split up and spread out.”

There was a rustling sound, as if someone were approaching.

Yang Ling’s senses immediately picked up on something unusual.

But he didn’t act rashly.

There were too many martial artists surrounding them, and every one of them carried a powerful crossbow or longbow.

Most crucially, he seemed to sense someone who shouldn’t have been able to set foot on the island.

“Is that a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster? Weren’t we told that if a Grandmaster set foot on the island... it would invite disaster?”

The moment the thought crossed Yang Ling’s mind, Zhao Zheng and the others also realized they were completely surrounded.

The Star-Sea Fishing Alliance’s experts were aiming at them, some with powerful crossbows and others with longbows.

“Zhao Zheng, Fourth Prince of Zhao State. Qin Kunlun of Divine Sect. Jie Shu of Arhat Temple. He Tongchen of Extreme Flame Sword Manor. And Zhao Yingying, daughter of Prince Pinglan.”

A young man with shoulder-length white hair and exceptionally handsome features, who looked no older than eighteen or nineteen, stepped out from the crowd.

With a casual remark, he identified Zhao Zheng and the others’ backgrounds perfectly.

At the same time, Zhao Zheng and the others sensed a hint of danger from him.

“This is... Fifth-Rank? No, he’s a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster!”

A flicker of surprise passed through Zhao Zheng’s eyes.

What!? A Fourth-Rank Grandmaster!?

Everyone gasped sharply.

Weren’t they told that Fourth-Rank Grandmasters would never set foot on the island?

How could a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster from the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance come ashore?

“Zhao Zheng, you have a good eye.”

The white-haired young man looked at Zhao Zheng. Although his features were handsome and youthful, his voice carried an unmistakable trace of age and weariness.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Hua Jinsong, village chief of Furious Tide Fishing Village.”

Hua Jinsong smiled faintly.

“I visited your Zhao State many years ago and met your father.”

The village chief of Furious Tide Fishing Village?

Xu Qingnian’s eyes flickered.

Yang Ling’s expression remained unchanged.

He was secretly glad that he didn’t stand out among this group at all, just a Chief Constable of the Ironclad Department.

The village chief of Furious Tide Fishing Village had only identified Zhao Zheng and the others, not him.

“So it’s Senior Hua!”

A respectful expression appeared on Zhao Zheng’s face as he clasped his fist and bowed.

Hua Jinsong smiled. “Come along. Visit my place for a while.”

None of the Sixth-Rank fighters present dared refuse an invitation from a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster.

Along the way, the fishing village disciples stationed there bowed respectfully to Hua Jinsong one after another.

Then they sized up Zhao Zheng’s group with mocking, derisive looks.

Before long, they arrived at the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance’s temporary encampment in the area.

Seven or eight figures were seated there. When Zhao Zheng and the others entered, their gazes swept over them in unison, cold and sharp.

An invisible pressure settled on everyone’s shoulders.

“These are all village chiefs from the fishing villages of the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance,” Hua Jinsong said with a faint smile.

They were all Fourth-Rank Grandmasters?

Everyone’s scalp went numb. A chill seemed to creep up from the soles of their feet and shoot straight to the top of their skulls!

By now, they were certain that something enormous had happened on Fire Flood Dragon Island. It had to be the reason the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance’s Fourth-Rank Grandmasters dared to set foot on the island, and were now sitting here so leisurely!

【Yang Ling (Private chat): Zhang Wei, notify Eunuch Xu immediately. Tell him that Fourth-Rank Grandmasters from the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance have appeared on Fire Flood Dragon Island, and there are quite a few of them.】

【Zhang Wei (Private chat): What? You got captured by a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster? How am I supposed to explain to my godfather where I got this information?】

【Yang Ling (Private chat): Figure something out. It’s not just me who got captured. Prince Pingrong got captured too.】

【Zhang Wei (Private chat): I’ll go notify him right away!】

Yang Ling felt relieved. Once Xu Wuji learned of this, he would surely inform Xie Jinjia.

The Fourth-Rank Grandmasters of Zhao State would come ashore as well, and then they could negotiate with the Fourth-Rank Grandmasters here.

“Senior, I am Zhao Zheng of Zhao State.”

Zhao Zheng clasped his fist and bowed.

The seven or eight Fourth-Rank Grandmasters looked at him indifferently, as if his status as a prince meant nothing to them.

“Hua Jinsong, what do you plan to do with these juniors? How about killing them outright?”

One of the Fourth-Rank Grandmasters said casually.

Everyone’s hearts sank.

Only Zhao Zheng managed to keep a strained smile on his face.

“Senior, we’re merely Sixth-Rank fighters. We can’t affect whatever important business you have here. There’s no need to wipe us out.”

The Fourth-Rank Grandmaster gave Zhao Zheng a once-over.

“True enough. You’re a prince of Zhao State, so killing you would be troublesome. Though our Star-Sea Fishing Alliance isn’t afraid of your Zhao State.”

He then turned his gaze to the others.

“Kill the rest. Leave Zhao Zheng alive and return him once this matter is over. That’ll count as making a bit of goodwill with Zhao State.”

They called that making goodwill?

Everyone gasped sharply.

Hua Jinsong smiled. “Old Tu, why are you always so quick to kill? They can’t cause any trouble here. Let them stay for now.

“We can release them once this is over.”

“Then we’ll have to assign people to watch them. What a hassle.”

Old Tu frowned slightly.

Hua Jinsong still wore a smile.

“I said there’s no need to kill them.”

Perhaps sensing a trace of something unusual in Hua Jinsong’s tone, Old Tu didn’t press the issue. He smiled nonchalantly. “Fine. If you say there’s no need, then there’s no need.”

“Zhao Zheng, you came to the island with the Rong tribe to fight in the Sixth-Rank Top Hundred Battle, right? You may also have been thinking of exploring the ruins of the Crimson Refined Fire Flood Dragon Sect.

“Don’t rush to deny it. The fact that you made it here means you already knew there had once been a first-rate sect on Fire Flood Dragon Island.”

Hua Jinsong continued, “To tell you the truth, our Star-Sea Fishing Alliance and the Crimson Refined Fire Flood Dragon Sect shared the same origins long ago.”

A look of surprise flashed across everyone’s faces.

Zhao Zheng was also taken aback.

The Star-Sea Fishing Alliance and the Crimson Refined Fire Flood Dragon Sect shared the same origins?

“By rights, you shouldn’t have come ashore. This place is practically our territory.”

“But the Star-Sea Fishing Alliance doesn’t want to fall out with Zhao State. Since you’ve come here, you can stay here in peace for now.”

“As long as you don’t try to escape or leave the lodgings I’ve arranged for you, I’ll guarantee that you can leave Fire Flood Dragon Island unharmed.”

Hua Jinsong smiled.

The Fourth-Rank Grandmasters present exchanged glances but didn’t object.

Yang Ling felt relieved. As long as they didn’t immediately try to kill them, there was still room for things to change.

“Thank you, Senior Hua. We’ll stay here in peace, then. We’ll have to trouble you seniors during this time.”

Zhao Zheng clasped his fist and bowed, his tone respectful.

Hua Jinsong smiled and nodded. He was just about to speak when a hearty laugh rang out nearby.

“Hua Jinsong, how could our Star-Sea Fishing Alliance interfere with the Sixth-Rank Top Hundred Battle between Zhao State and the Rong tribe?

“Old man has captured everyone from both sides. Let them fight right here.”

Yang Ling and the others abruptly looked up.

They saw the Sixth-Rank fighters of Zhao State, led by Hua Zhuo, being escorted over with dejected expressions.

More than a hundred Sixth-Rank experts from the Rong tribe had been brought in alongside them...

Yang Ling gasped sharply. Had their entire force been wiped out?