Chapter 10: The Scarred Face

Smack!

A sudden beam of light pierced the darkness amidst the reeds.

Bai Xian held a flashlight in one hand, dragging the heavy body of Scarface with the other as she slowly swam toward the shore.

Having grown up by the Yangtze, Bai Xian was a skilled swimmer since childhood—her confidence in infiltrating the pirate boat came from this very ability.

Her spare clothes were all soaked, but the heat of the night left her unconcerned about catching a cold.

She casually gathered some dry wood and reeds, took a lighter from her private stash, and set them aflame. The fire quickly dispelled the lingering chill on her body.

A fit of violent coughing brought Cai Wei back from unconsciousness.

“Th-thank you, miss, for saving my life…”

Bai Xian waved his gratitude away with a dismissive gesture.

“You’ve already thanked me for that. There’s just one thing I don’t understand—what possessed you and your fellow officers, none of whom can swim, to come all the way out to this Blackwater Fen to catch river pirates?”

At her words, a flush crept across Cai Wei’s scarred face as he finally revealed the truth.

It turned out that while they were indeed officers of the court, this mission against the pirates was an unauthorized one.

The authorities in Jiangzhou had long been aware of the pirates entrenched in Blackwater Fen. The imperial court was weak and overrun with monsters, unable to spare men for the problem. Yet the pirates had grown ever more brazen lately—not only robbing but also killing. Many villagers had come to the yamen to beg for help, describing the pirates’ cruelty.

Cai Wei had pleaded repeatedly for action, but not only was he refused, he was thoroughly berated by the county magistrate.

Angered, he took a few loyal brothers to sound out the pirates’ strength.

But before they could even meet the pirate leader, they nearly drowned in the attempt.

“If I’d known, I’d have reported it to the Constabulary.”

“The Constabulary?” Bai Xian asked, puzzled.

“You don’t know? The Constabulary is the court’s department for dealing with evil spirits and monsters. I thought you might be a captain from there.”

Suddenly recalling, Cai Wei’s face turned anxious. “By the way, did you see my comrades?”

“I did.” Bai Xian pointed to a distant reed bed. “They were all captured by the river pirates.”

Cai Wei followed her gaze, his eyes widening in shock. There, amidst the reeds, stood a massive water fortress built from reeds and poles, candlelight flickering atop it.

Blackwater Stronghold.

Inside the main hall, woven from bamboo and reeds, all two hundred pirates of Blackwater Stronghold had gathered.

Each was lean, fierce-looking, armed with a curved blade—a rough crew, not to be trifled with.

“Kneel!”

The pirate chief, Ma Pei, barked the command. The boatmaster who’d dived into the water went weak at the knees and dropped to the ground.

“Do you know your crime?”

“Chief, I was wrong…” The boatmaster gritted his teeth, kowtowing until his forehead was a bloody mess.

Ma Pei strode to the grand armchair and sat.

“What was your mistake?”

“I acted rashly, chief, without knowing how tough the target was. I got several brothers killed and disturbed the River God…”

“Hmph. At least you know your place.” Ma Pei snorted. “You know what must be done?”

Trembling, the boatmaster drew his dagger and, with a scream, cut off his right ear, then sliced off his nose, and finally plunged the dagger into his eye socket.

When it was done, he fainted from the pain.

“He’s at least a man.” Ma Pei nodded in satisfaction, his gaze turning cold again. “Though he failed, it’s clear that the black-uniformed dogs on the boat came for us.”

“Several brothers died today, and even the River God was startled.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll offer these black-uniformed dogs as a sacrifice to the River God.”

He paused, then continued, “Their leader hasn’t been found. Organize a search of Blackwater Fen—I want them alive or dead.”

“Yes, chief.”

The pirates answered in unison, knives in hand, and quickly left.

Soon, only Ma Pei and his two trusted followers remained.

“Chief, the River God’s appetite has grown insatiable. At this rate, even we’ll end up in its belly. We’ve made enough over the years—maybe it’s time to…”

Ma Pei’s face darkened.

When he first founded Blackwater Stronghold, he’d discovered something terrifying in the depths of the fen. After many trials, he learned that offering living people brought the monster’s aid, and in time, the stronghold flourished—so much so that even local officials dared not interfere.

He’d hoped for better days, but lately the River God, for some unknown reason, demanded more and more. The usual offerings no longer sufficed—the pirates had to plunder more and more.

If this continued, travelers would dwindle, and in the end, they’d be forced to sacrifice their own.

His resolve to leave was now firm.

After a long silence, Ma Pei finally nodded.

“Second and Third Brother, take the sister-in-law and the chests of gold and silver from the warehouse and leave at first light. I’ll settle things here and follow after.”

We’ll escape with the gold, silver, and sister-in-law!

Second and Third exchanged a glance, unable to hide their delight.

“Yes, chief. We’ll protect sister-in-law and wait for you.”

With that, the two left the hall side by side, leaving Ma Pei alone, his eyes flickering with thought.

As the three leaders plotted their escape, dozens of small boats rowed out from the reeds. The stronghold’s able-bodied men, lanterns in hand and curved blades at the ready, began searching the fen.

One by one, the drowned bodies from the ferry were dragged ashore, but the scarred man and the strange woman remained missing.

Until two pirates, punting a raft near the reeds, started probing the thickets with long-handled knives. One blade suddenly stuck, refusing to budge no matter how they pulled.

“Damn it, it’s bad enough out here at night, and now the knife’s caught on something…”

“Quit whining and get in the water to clear the weeds, then let’s move on,” grumbled the other, swatting at mosquitoes. “It’s roasting hot and the mosquitoes are hell tonight.”

Cursing, the pirate stripped to his underclothes and jumped in.

Reaching below, he felt around in the water.

“There’s…someone down—mmm! Gurgle, gurgle!”

“What did you say? What’s under the water?”

The little boat rocked gently. A clear female voice sounded by the pirate’s ear.

“He said, there’s someone under the water.”

Bam!

The pirate felt a sharp pain at the back of his head, the world spun, and he tumbled into the water, unconscious.

With the small fry dispatched, Bai Xian reached out and hauled the soaked, scarred Cai Wei into the boat.

Panting for breath, Cai Wei stole a cautious glance at her.

Inwardly, he marveled: For such a slender girl, she’s remarkably strong. He himself was a strapping man of six feet, and with his sodden clothes and sword, he weighed over three hundred pounds—yet she’d hauled him out of the water with one hand.

Seated cross-legged in the center, Bai Xian checked the spear in her waterproof bag and arched a delicate brow. “Is there something on my face?”

Cai Wei shook his head hastily.

“Then get rowing.”

“Oh…”

The six-foot man hunched his shoulders, picked up the oar, and rowed in silence, not daring to irritate the girl who barely stood five foot seven—the scene was indeed peculiar.

The pirates’ search spread outward, but no one noticed the single boat quietly turning its prow toward Blackwater Stronghold.