Vol. 2 - Ch. 13 - Turtle’s Son, Bastard of a King

Lake Tai.

The surface rippled with gentle waves, shimmering under the moonlight. The bright moon cast its glow over the waters, where the ripples sparkled like silver. A soft breeze stirred, sending ripples dancing across the lake.

Five boats drifted on the lake.

On the lead boat stood a burly man with a dark face, his features fierce and menacing. A long scar ran over his left eye, making him look even more ruthless.

His build was robust, and his fists, hanging at his sides, were as large as vinegar bowls, their knuckles covered in thick calluses—clear evidence of a man well-versed in fist techniques.

The dark-faced man stood at the bow, staring intently at the water, as if waiting for something.

Beside him was a small, skinny young man with shifty eyes that darted about ceaselessly.

“You really think this will lure Zhang Shun out?”

The dark-faced man frowned as he asked.

The young man, Xiang Wei, nodded, his beady eyes rolling as he spoke.

“Master Wang, Zhang Shun has been entrenched at the southern shore of Lake Tai for a year now.

In that time, anyone who cursed him with ‘turtle’s son, bastard of a king’ has ended up drowning in the lake.”

“That man’s got issues. You curse him with anything else, he doesn’t care—hell, he might even curse you back.

But the moment you call him ‘turtle’s son, bastard of a king,’ he loses his mind. He will hunt you down and kill you.”

Xiang Wei glanced at the water.

“So as long as we shout that, Zhang Shun will definitely show up.”

As he spoke, he stole a quick glance at Wang Jie beside him.

“But… once Zhang Shun appears, it’ll be up to you, Master Wang.”

Wang Jie’s lips curled into a cold smirk.

“That so-called ‘White Stripe in the Waves’—at best, he’s just a second-rank novice.”

“Since Lord Zhou hired me for this job, I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”

Xiang Wei nodded in agreement, buttering him up. “With Master Wang in action, Zhang Shun is as good as dead.”

Wang Jie—the master of Taiheng Martial Hall in Suzhou.

A late-stage second-rank fighter, formerly a lay disciple of Shaolin, skilled in the famed Shaolin Divine Fist.

His mastery of the technique was absolute—one punch wouldn’t bruise the skin, nor shatter the bones, yet the internal force alone could kill.

In Suzhou, he was known as “Divine Fist Wang.”

And in the jianghu, his name carried weight.

Suzhou’s wealthy merchant, Zhou Tongfu, had spent five thousand taels to hire Wang Jie to take Zhang Shun down.

For over a year, Zhang Shun had robbed him no fewer than five times, causing him losses amounting to tens of thousands of taels.

Zhou Tongfu loathed him to the bone.

“Mmm! Mmm!”

Suddenly, muffled noises came from nearby.

Both Wang Jie and Xiang Wei turned to look.

A young woman stood beside them, dressed in men’s clothing.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her hands were bound with rope, and a cloth was stuffed in her mouth.

The muffled sounds had come from her.

Wang Jie’s expression turned cold. He averted his gaze, refusing to look at her.

Xiang Wei, on the other hand, yelped in surprise. “How the hell did you get out?”

The woman puffed up her fair cheeks and forcefully spat out the cloth.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she blurted out, “Were you two just talking about betraying your employer?”

“Count me in! Count me in!”

Xiang Wei’s face turned green on the spot.

This woman had been picked up along the lakeshore on the way here.

Seeing her dressed as a man, yet looking quite attractive, Xiang Wei assumed she was the runaway daughter of some wealthy family.

He figured he could take her back and offer her as a concubine to Lord Zhou.

But the moment he approached, she had eagerly asked if he was planning to harass her.

Then, she asked if there were any skilled, handsome martial artists around.

That question had completely baffled Xiang Wei.

After pondering for a while, he decided she was just an idiot—so he tied her up.

Yet somehow, she had managed to slip out of the cabin.

“Get back inside! Some hero will come to save you later,” Xiang Wei grumbled darkly, stuffing the cloth back into her mouth and dragging her toward the cabin.

Meanwhile, several dozen meters away…

Hidden among the reeds, a few small boats lay in wait.

At the bow of one of them stood Sun Sheng, gripping the reeds, his eyes squinting as he peered toward Wang Jie’s boat.

“Brother Shun, we’ve got the intel. That man at the bow is the master of Taiheng Martial Hall, a late-stage second-rank fighter.”

“The young guy beside him is Zhou Tongfu’s trusted aide.”

“The men on the other boats are all disciples of Taiheng Martial Hall.”

A tall, thin young man with a sallow complexion, only a few years older than Sun Sheng, spoke up beside him.

Sun Sheng squinted his eyes, observing for a moment, then licked his lips and said, “Xiao Liu, get ready. Once they get closer, we’ll sink their boats.”

The tall, thin Xiao Liu responded with a quick acknowledgment and turned to notify the others.

“Wait a moment!”

Sun Sheng suddenly raised his hand, stopping Xiao Liu in his tracks.

His sharp gaze pierced through the reeds, his expression tightening.

After a year of nighttime raids and battles with other water bandits, Sun Sheng’s night vision had been honed to an exceptional level.

Even though it was nighttime, the moonlight was bright enough that, within a range of several dozen meters, everything appeared as clear as day to him.

“What’s wrong, Brother Shun?”

Xiao Liu halted and crouched beside Sun Sheng, whispering his question.

Sun Sheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze shifting across the bow of Wang Jie and Xiang Wei’s boat.

There, he spotted a woman dressed in men’s clothing.

Though the distance was considerable, the moonlight allowed Sun Sheng to make out her delicate features—she was quite a beauty.

Her hands were bound with rope, and Xiang Wei was stuffing a cloth back into her mouth.

From the looks of it, she had been taken aboard against her will.

Sun Sheng pondered for a moment.

Zhou Tongfu had a well-known habit of abducting women.

With the Suzhou prefect backing him, no one dared to interfere.

If they immediately sunk that boat, the woman would likely drown.

She looked decent enough—perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to rescue her and see if she was willing to become a maid.

His adoptive father just happened to be looking for a bed-warming servant.

Given that she had offended Zhou Tongfu, she wouldn’t be able to stay in Suzhou without facing severe retaliation.

By saving her, he could consider it an act of goodwill.

Fixing his gaze on the five boats ahead, Sun Sheng gave his order to Xiao Liu.

“Tell the brothers to get ready. Sink the four surrounding boats—leave the one in the middle for me.”

“Yes!”

Xiao Liu swiftly disappeared into the reeds to relay the message.

Sun Sheng didn’t command a large crew—only a dozen men.

But every single one of them was an excellent swimmer, and they weren’t the type to kill indiscriminately.

…

On the enemy’s boat

Xiang Wei shoved the woman back into the cabin.

Then, stepping onto the deck, he took a deep breath and bellowed across the lake:

“Zhang Shun!”

“You turtle’s son, bastard of a king!”

“How dare you steal from Lord Zhou? Are you tired of living?”

“You turtle’s son, bastard of a king, get your ass out here!”

Standing at the bow of his hidden boat, Sun Sheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Ever since he had made a name for himself as the "White Stripe in the Waves," it had been a long time since anyone had dared to insult him like that.

His expression turned icy.

Taking a deep breath, he gestured to his men.

Without a sound, he slipped into the water.

Beneath the surface, he moved like a swift fish, speeding toward the enemy’s boats.

Splash… Splash…

Soft splashes followed as his men also submerged.

Each of them bit down on a short hollow tube for breathing, with chisels strapped to their waists, as they swam silently toward the five boats.

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