Chapter 57: Soul Loss Disorder

A dull thunder rumbled from the distant heavens, and outside, the rain suddenly intensified, turning the world into a blur of white.

Inside the dimly lit room, Fang Yue and Ren Junlin sat facing each other.

Fang Yue had intended to open the window, but the sudden downpour sent sheets of rain sweeping into the room, forcing him to shut it tight again.

“After heeding your advice, I’ve had people keeping a close eye on the pirates of the Eastern Sea. News has reached me recently—they truly might attack the county seat of Ping’an,” said Ren Junlin, his expression grave. For merchants dealing in maritime trade like themselves, there was always some entanglement with sea bandits.

Aside from a few utterly unscrupulous ones who directly colluded with pirates—fencing stolen goods, procuring supplies, or even providing intelligence—most were compelled by necessity, paying protection fees to the powerful marauders along the trade routes in exchange for safe passage and a respite from harassment.

Yet the sea was not like the land. Pirates shifted like shadows; while some larger groups claimed territories, countless minor raiders still roamed unhindered, and in the vastness of the ocean, they were nearly impossible to contain.

Thus, even after paying protection, merchant ships were far from truly secure. If their cargo fell to pirates, merchants would have to seek out intermediaries—people respected by both the underworld and the authorities—to ransom back their vessels, goods, and crew.

So it was that, over time, maritime merchants became entangled with pirates, and from time to time, fragments of pirate rumor would reach their ears.

The Ren family was one of the leading shipping companies in Ping’an County. They had once dealt mainly in rare timber, then gradually shifted to medicinal herbs, and at last even opened their own apothecary.

After learning from a nightmare that the pirates might attack, Fang Yue had done more than just report to the county office—he had also confided in his childhood friend Ren Junlin, hoping he could use the family’s connections to seek out more concrete information.

Now, with the entire Ren family hastily relocated back to Yutou Town, it was clear that trouble was indeed brewing.

Fang Yue asked, “Do we know the size of the pirate force? And has the county office made preparations or reported this to the higher authorities?”

If the Ren family had chosen to flee, that meant the pirate threat was no small matter, and there was little confidence that the county could hold the city. This was a situation that demanded an urgent request for reinforcements.

Sure enough, Ren Junlin replied, “No exact numbers, but several notorious pirate bands have gathered on the offshore islands near Baiquan Prefecture. Even the legendary Pirate King of the Eastern Sea is rumored to be among them—there must be at least ten thousand men.”

Worry clouded Ren Junlin’s heart. With so many pirates, Ping’an County’s forces alone could never hold. If the city fell, the great families would suffer devastating losses.

“Once we heard the news, my father joined with other prominent families to petition Magistrate Hu, urging him to report to the prefecture and request reinforcements. Hu agreed on the spot.”

Fang Yue breathed a sigh of relief. “So long as it’s been reported. My only fear was that officials would be complacent and ignore the threat. As long as they take it seriously, with the garrison strength of Baiquan Prefecture, we need not fear these pirates.”

The imperial garrison in Baiquan Prefecture numbered in the tens of thousands; with due preparation, the city could be held.

If the commanding general was sufficiently valiant, they might even annihilate the invading pirates.

Ren Junlin evidently shared this view. Though anxious, his caution was the prudence of a businessman; in truth, with advance warning, he felt there was hope the city could be defended.

In his mind, even if ten thousand pirates attacked Ping’an, the city walls would hold for a time. As long as they could last until reinforcements arrived, the pirates ashore would be trapped like fish in a barrel.

Still, the county’s forces were thin, and there was the risk that they might fall before help could come. With this in mind, the Ren family had relocated to remote Yutou Town for now, intending to return only after the storm had passed. Isolated and out of the way though it was, it was safer—and the mountains behind offered a refuge should the worst occur.

Neither man imagined that the reinforcements they counted on would never materialize, nor that the pirates’ aim was not merely plunder, but the lives of every soul in Ping’an.

Fang Yue pressed further, “Is there any word from the imperial navy? Normally, these pirates roam the vast seas and are hard to catch, but now they’ve gathered on offshore islands—why hasn’t the navy moved against them?”

In private, Ren Junlin could not restrain his resentment. “Don’t mention those bastards. They extort bribes at every checkpoint, but when they’re actually needed, they vanish without a trace. Who knows where they’re hiding now?”

Ren Junlin’s bitterness was plain. The sea merchants relied on the navy for protection, yet these officers were quick to accept offerings but nowhere to be found in a crisis—a source of endless frustration.

But Fang Yue’s brows knit together. Even if the navy was incompetent, they were still the imperial navy—natural foes of the pirates. Now, with the pirates nearly at the gates, their disappearance was deeply suspicious.

For Fang Yue, the pirates were a constant thorn in his side, consuming much of his energy. He longed to establish his workshops in Yutou Town, but feared all his efforts would be destroyed before they ever bore fruit.

If the navy would only bestir itself and sweep these pirates from the islands near Baiquan Prefecture, he could begin his “workshop plan” in earnest.

With the workshops up and running, earning silver would be easy, whether to amass merit or to collect martial arts manuals.

...

The conversation about pirates ended there. In truth, Ren Junlin had braved the rain to visit Fang Yue not solely for this matter.

He took a cloth bundle from his breast and smiled. “I heard you’ve been collecting martial arts manuals lately. I happen to have a few—see what you think they’re worth.”

Fang Yue took the bundle in surprise and opened it to find four martial arts manuals inside.

The bold titles on the covers read: “Firecloud Technique,” “Flame Palm,” “Fire Step,” and “Iron Body of Fire.”

It was a complete set, covering inner power, palm technique, lightness skill, and hard-body training.

Ren Junlin explained, “I was never much of a scholar—barely managed to pass the preliminary exam. For a while I took an interest in martial arts, so my father hired a renowned master to teach me, and even paid a hefty sum to acquire this set of manuals from a disciple of a fallen sect.

“Of course, I later gave up the practice, and the manuals gathered dust in my study.

“When I returned from the county to the town, I heard you were collecting martial arts manuals, so I brought them along.”

Fang Yue was utterly taken with the four manuals—they were exactly what he lacked. Yet he shook his head, saying, “This is a complete set—inner power, palm, agility, and hard-body technique all included. They must be worth several hundred gold. I can’t afford them right now.”

Ren Junlin replied, “They’re useless sitting on a shelf. I brought them to give to you.”

Hearing this, Fang Yue did not stand on ceremony. He grinned. “Since you’re so generous, I’ll gladly accept. I truly need these right now. But surely you didn’t brave the rain just to deliver these. Tell me—do you need my help with something?”

Ren Junlin cleared his throat. “It’s my father—he insisted I come at once, wouldn’t even let me wait for the rain to stop. He was in a great hurry.”

“Master Ren wants to see me? What for?”

“It’s about my Sixth Mother. She’s recently fallen ill with a case of soul-loss.”