"Boss, could this be a ghost ship?"
Those who made a living at sea had heard their fair share of tales about ghost ships. Seeing that over a hundred men had boarded and not a single one had made a sound made them feel uneasy.
*Crack.*
The pirate boss smacked the man on the head. "Are you blind? It's a cargo ship. What makes you think it's a ghost ship?"
Despite the scolding and the blow, the pirate boss felt a prickle of unease himself.
Why was it that the pirates who boarded this cargo ship had vanished without a trace? How could a normal cargo ship have such a peculiar occurrence?
Even if there were a thousand soldiers hidden on the cargo ship.
It shouldn't be this long without any movement, should it?
Even if his men were captured, killed, or ambushed, there should at least be some noise or response!
But there was none.
Not a single response!
The men who boarded to take the ship were as good as gone.
"Boss, this cargo ship is too eerie. Are we still going up?"
His trusted subordinate said fearfully.
"What are you afraid of? We sent so many men, are we just going to let it go like this?"
The pirate boss was in a difficult position. If it were only ten or eight pirates, it might be understandable to give up.
But now, nearly two hundred pirates had gone up. Was he really going to abandon them? Even if he were willing, he likely wouldn't be the pirate boss for much longer after returning.
"What's there to be afraid of? I'll go up and see."
The pirate boss gritted his teeth and said.
"Boss, no, this is too risky."
His trusted subordinate hastily stopped him.
"Risky or not, I have to go up and see. If I don't see for myself, I won't be satisfied."
The pirate boss was, of course, afraid, but he couldn't retreat now. After all, so many pirates were watching him.
If he were to slink away with everyone, what would those pirates think? How could he command their respect in the future!
"Boss, take this, it'll be safer."
Another trusted subordinate furtively took a cross from his pocket and offered it to the boss.
"Absurd!"
The boss waved his hand, intending to refuse.
But the subordinate persuaded him.
"Boss, please take it. Better safe than sorry."
The pirate boss was actually quite cowardly. He readily took the cross and hung it around his neck, then picked up his weapon and climbed up to the cargo ship using the rope ladder made from grappling hooks.
Not long after, the pirate boss reached the deck of the cargo ship, one hand holding the cross, the other holding his weapon.
But the deck was empty, not a soul in sight.
"Bloody hell!"
The pirate boss shook his head.
Before coming up, he had imagined the cargo ship would be eerie and terrifying, or perhaps shrouded in black mist.
But there was nothing of the sort. Not even a drop of blood, nor any sign of his two hundred-odd pirate subordinates or their bodies.
"Bizarre!"
"It's truly bizarre!"
A wave of fear began to wash over the pirate boss. Since no one was on board, there shouldn't be any danger.
Just as he was about to call for others to come up and investigate, a figure appeared behind him.
"Who!"
"Who's there?"
The pirate boss spun around sharply, just as he was about to pull the trigger, when his head buzzed, and he fell down, unconscious.
And the one who had knocked him out was, of course, not a ghost or a god, but Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen glanced at the crucifix in the man's hand and found it amusing. Did this pirate mistake him for something unclean?
Ning Beichen didn't know this man was the pirate boss. After eliminating him, he dragged the body to a hidden spot and continued to wait for more pirates to come and meet their doom.
Ning Beichen had no intention of letting these pirates go. These scoundrels frequently roamed this shipping route, plundering countless ships. They were truly wicked and deserving of their fate. Today, Ning Beichen was simply acting on behalf of heaven.
However, after Ning Beichen killed the pirate holding the crucifix, he didn't see any more pirates board the ship, which Ning Beichen found quite strange.
"Could they have been scared off?"
Ning Beichen waited for a long time without seeing any pirates come up, and he muttered to himself.
He had no idea that the man he had killed was the pirate boss.
When the other pirates saw that their boss had gone up and there was no movement, how could they not be afraid?
Although pirates were desperate outlaws, it didn't mean they weren't afraid of death.
When facing an enemy head-on, no matter how formidable or how intense the firepower, they wouldn't be afraid. But this cargo ship was like a black hole; once they boarded, they vanished without a trace. Who wouldn't be afraid?
"Flee!"
This was the thought of the remaining pirates. All the treasure was fake. What good was wealth if you couldn't spend it alive?
Ning Beichen waited for a long time without any pirates boarding. Just as he was about to go and check, he saw the pirate ships all turn and flee in a swarm.
When he leaned over to look, there was no trace of the pirates below. They had all sailed away.
This made Ning Beichen both amused and speechless, and it also dashed his hopes of wiping out all the pirates.
It seemed he had truly scared them out of their wits.
But even if they left, Ning Beichen couldn't be bothered to pursue them. Instead, he threw the bodies of the dead pirates into the sea to feed the fish.
It wasn't just the pirates who were scared out of their wits. The crew and guards on the ship were also terrified. They had witnessed firsthand how Ning Beichen had annihilated these pirates.
"Shocked!"
"Awestruck!"
"Fearful!"
"Terrified!"
These words could no longer describe their current feelings. When they saw Ning Beichen enter, they all hid far away, not daring to approach him.
Only the captain and his wife, seemingly unafraid of all this, walked towards Ning Beichen and thanked him.
If it weren't for Ning Beichen today, their cargo ship, their lives, and the lives of the crew and guards would have fallen into the hands of these pirates.
After all, with their capabilities, they would have been utterly incapable of withstanding the attack of hundreds of pirates.
Even if they managed to escape, if this cargo were plundered by the pirates, they would have been ruined even if they sold everything they owned.
"You're welcome. In the end, it was I who implicated you. Without me, without this cargo, you wouldn't have encountered pirates."
Ning Beichen said to them somewhat sheepishly.
"Mr. Ning, you are being too formal. If it weren't for you, my wife and I would have lost our lives long ago. We wouldn't be alive today."
The couple said with embarrassment.