Chapter 394, Pirate Village
On one side of the road, several people burst out.
A disheveled beggar fell to the ground, wailing loudly as four men armed with wooden sticks chased him out of an alley.
They quickly closed in, shouting curses.
"Damn it, let's see if I don't beat you to death."
"Break your legs, let's see you run away again."
The beggar curled into a ball, retreating slightly while mumbling, "Don't hit me, don't hit me."
The pursuers, seeing he wasn't running anymore, heaved a sigh of relief.
Still cursing, they advanced quickly to teach the beggar a lesson.
Just as one raised his stick,
a voice came from behind, "Stop it. What are you causing trouble for here?"
The group turned to see the guild's squad approaching.
"Village chief, he…," the leader began, pointing at the beggar.
The village chief's face darkened. With a glance behind him, he said, "What are you doing making trouble with a fool? Take him home."
"Oh, yes, yes!"
The beggar tried to move closer but was grabbed and dragged away by the group.
"Esteemed guests, he's just a fool, his mind's been gone for years. Please don't mind him," the village chief said.
Sheila Grey glanced at the departing figure. "How did he lose his mind?"
"Don't bring it up. Years ago, pirates attacked the village. His family was killed, leaving only him, and then he became like this," the chief explained.
Sheila Grey didn't say more, and the group continued following the chief further into the village.
...
At a courtyard.
Several people shoved the beggar down, striking him heavily with wooden sticks.
After a few curses, they dragged the injured and battered beggar into a half-underground cell and threw him in.
One man locked the door with chains and spat, "Wait till those guild lapdogs leave. I'll skin you alive."
With a final curse, he turned and left.
The beggar remained curled up on the ground, motionless.
Once the others were gone,
a semi-transparent wraith slowly emerged from the iron cage.
"Are you still alive?"
The beggar stirred slightly but didn't get up.
The wraith circled in the air before entering the beggar's body. After performing two self-healing actions, it leaned against the wall to sit upright.
Separating again, the beggar opened his eyes and grinned foolishly.
He showed no fear of the wraith, unlike most living beings.
The wraith asked, "What's going on in this village? Tell me what you know."
The beggar kept his foolish smile,
even as blood dripped from his mouth.
The wraith stared, speculating.
Was I wrong?
Was this beggar not trying to report anything to the guild?
Just running around randomly?
The wraith tried again. "Cult?"
"Ritual?"
"Lies and murders in the village?"
"Pirates?"
"Pirates! Pirates!" The beggar's body stiffened, his bloodshot eyes bulging as he shouted, "Pirates! Guild!"
Screaming, he crawled like a dog to a corner of the cage.
Digging through the straw and mud, he retrieved a cloth bundle and clutched it tightly.
Then, as if in a fit, he slammed the bundle against the wall.
"Kill the pirates!" the beggar screamed hoarsely, his eyes wide with madness.
The wraith floated to the bundle.
It pulled it outside and carefully unwrapped it layer by layer.
Inside was a piece of rolled fabric. Scrawled in what looked like blood were the words: "Pirates massacred the village. All men, women, and children slaughtered."
The wraith's semi-transparent body trembled.
A massacre.
Then who were the villagers here?
Clearly, this beggar knew many details. Why hadn't he been killed? Why was he being kept in a cage like an animal?
Why had they invited the guild here? What was their true motive?
The wraith pondered before turning to leave.
Glancing back at the furious beggar, it said, "Someone will come to save you."
With that, it vanished.
...
Outside the village, in a wooden hut.
A knock on the door, and the village chief cautiously entered.
The small room was crowded with people.
The chief bowed toward the front and said, "Leader, we've settled them."
A man in religious robes sat at the head of the room. "Did they find anything?"
"No. They only inspected the designated altar room and, as it got late, didn't check anywhere else," the chief reported.
The robed man nodded. "How many of them are there? Anything special about them?"
The chief recalled, "Thirteen in total, including the two deputy stewards from Golden-Silver Island you mentioned."
The man's brow arched, and he said approvingly, "Good. You've done well. Leave the rest to us."
"Yes, leader."
"You may go."
The chief bowed again and left.
The man's gaze shifted downward.
In a serious tone, he said, "Stick to the plan. Four of you will handle the necromancer. Be wary of his undead minions. If you can get close, killing him won't be difficult. The rest will follow me to deal with the other two deputy stewards and their squad members."
"Understood," everyone nodded.
"Prepare yourselves. We'll act once it gets darker. Everything must be cleaned up before dawn."
The group stood and began their preparations.
...
The guild's assigned lodging in the village.
The guild members ate simple food they had brought and set up shifts for night watches.
Despite having rested on the ship, they still felt the journey's fatigue.
Wu Heng sat in his room, double-checking his weapons and tools.
Since arriving in the village,
something had felt subtly off.
The village looked simple, with little farmland, yet the living conditions were oddly decent.
The villagers behaved crudely. Though the population seemed large, there were few able-bodied men.
Knock, knock, knock~!
A knock on the door, and Sheila Grey entered directly.
She glanced around the room and said, "If you've discovered anything, just say it."
Wu Heng was about to say he hadn't found anything significant when Glenda returned invisibly, merging into him.
A scene flashed into his mind, shared by the wraith.
Processing the information, Wu Heng's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Seeing his expression, Sheila Grey drew her sword, scanning for threats.
Finding none, she frowned. "What's wrong? Why that look?"
Wu Heng organized the shared information, released Glenda to continue scouting, and said, "We might be in trouble."
"What do you mean? Are you talking about the cult?"
Wu Heng shook his head. "No, there's no cult here. This is a pirate village, and the cult was just a ruse to lure us here."
Sheila Grey's pupils contracted, her expression turning to shock.
She understood what a pirate village entailed.
Golden-Silver Island had once been a pirate stronghold, where families and captives lived, forming a self-sustaining base.
Essentially, it was a bandit's lair—but for pirates.
In other words, this was all part of a scheme.
To lure them away from Golden-Silver Island.
No wonder Steward Imiro had suspected something was amiss before they departed.
So many coincidences lined up too perfectly.
After her surprise, Sheila Grey continued, "No cult exists, and we were lured here for the 500 gold coins on your head? If they kill you, will the pirates abandon this village? Aren't they afraid the guild will investigate?"
"What happens afterward isn't clear yet."
Sheila Grey asked again, "So, what's our next move?"
"First, inform everyone about this situation. They'll likely act soon."
Sheila Grey nodded and was about to leave.
Just then, the wraith Xiaoxiao returned from outside, merging into Wu Heng's body and sharing a new vision.
Shadowy figures were rushing toward their residence, surrounding the courtyard.
"They're here. Prepare for battle!"
As Wu Heng spoke, white bone armor began forming over his body, encasing him completely.
Sheila Grey's face shifted immediately.
Realizing the attack had begun, she drew her sword and charged out into the courtyard, shouting, "Enemies incoming! Get ready to fight!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~!
The sound of projectiles cutting through the air filled the surroundings.
Countless alchemical grenades were hurled into the courtyard from outside, landing all around.