Lan Hao Tian and Shui Xin Ling were walking together toward the harbor. Neither of them spoke further, realizing that if they kept talking, the conversation might never end.
"So, which boat do you think we should pick?" she asked, her eyes scanning around the docks.
The harbor was quite large, packed with vessels of all sizes, lined up like a free buffet for the two of them to choose from as they pleased.
He wasn't greedy. He knew that large ships required a full crew to operate, so a small one would be more than enough for the two of them right now.
"That one over there. It looks like it could carry five people with no problem, and it seems pretty new too."
"Alright, so we've got a boat. What about a map?"
The two of them acted as if the boat was already theirs. Whoever the real owner was, one thing was certain—they were about to cry.
"The map? That's easy. We just need to hop onto the biggest ship around and borrow one. They probably have several onboard."
"Ah, I see. Knowledge absorbed," she nodded thoughtfully, analyzing his reasoning.
Without hesitation, the two of them boldly entered the docks and headed straight for the largest ship in sight.
Since this was a public docking area, the ships weren't owned by pirates—most belonged to fishermen, merchants, and the occasional tourist. But that didn't matter to them. For now, they were playing the role of pirates, and all they needed was to "borrow" what they wanted—regardless of who owned it.
Standing before the large ship, she asked,
"Hey, how are we supposed to talk to them? There's no one guarding the ship."
"Is that even a question?" he replied. "Of course, we just get on board and look around. If we run into someone, we ask—it'll be faster that way."
Just then, the ship began to move. Shui Xin Ling said,
"What a coincidence! Did they somehow know we were about to visit?"
"No time for questions. Let's catch up!"
With that, the two of them sprinted forward and jumped, grabbing onto the ropes hanging along the ship's side. In a flash, they climbed up and reached the deck.
As soon as they arrived, they saw dozens of crew members bustling about. Among them were several guards, visibly armed with swords.
Naturally, they didn't carry firearms. If the navy caught wind of merchants possessing guns, they'd be accused of plotting rebellion against the empire—a crime far too severe. No sane merchant would ever take that risk.
As soon as the crew saw unfamiliar faces boarding the ship, they immediately became alert. But upon realizing it was only a young man and a woman, their tension eased slightly.
Lan Hao Tian and Shui Xin Ling strolled casually across the deck. After all, this ragtag group of weaklings was no threat to them.
"Hey, do you guys have a map of the nearby seas? We'd like to borrow it for a bit," Hao Tian said.
His tone sounded far less like a polite request and much more like a command.
Just then, the ship's owner appeared, his expression clearly displeased by Hao Tian's attitude.
"Is that how you talk to people? You barge onto someone's ship and speak so arrogantly? Do you think you're a pirate or something, you brat?"
Before Lan Hao Tian could reply, Shui Xin Ling stepped in.
"That's right, we are pirates. So if you know what's good for you, hurry up and bring us the map."
"Hahaha…" The crew burst out laughing. To them, these two were just a pair of foolish kids playing pirate.
Even the ship's owner was both irritated and amused. It was laughable that he had just spent the last few moments seriously talking to a couple of wannabe pirates.
"Alright then. If you're claiming to be pirates, you should know that piracy is a crime. We'll take it upon ourselves to teach you a lesson, for justice's sake. Men, beat them down—but don't kill them. They're just kids with no bounty on their heads yet. There's still hope they can turn their lives around."
Despite his annoyance, the man still saw them as misguided youths rather than true criminals. He didn't want to kill them—just give them a lesson they wouldn't forget.
A burly crew member charged at Lan Hao Tian, throwing a heavy punch straight at his face.
Hao Tian casually tilted his head to the side, dodging with ease. He grinned and said,
"Haha, way too slow."
Then, with a swift uppercut, he slammed his fist into the man's chin. The brute was sent flying into the air, his jaw now looking like it had just undergone some crude reconstructive surgery.
Silence fell over the deck. Everyone was frozen in shock.
The ship's owner suddenly realized he had made a terrible mistake. These weren't kids pretending to be pirates—they were the real deal. Powerful individuals who had just set foot on the open seas and hadn't yet built a reputation.
"All hands on alert! These two are dangerous—stay sharp! Focus on the girl. Take her hostage!"
At his command, the crew sprang into action. A few moved to hold off Lan Hao Tian, while the rest quickly surrounded Shui Xin Ling from all sides.
Seeing the group of burly men closing in, she scratched her head and laughed lightly.
"Haha, looks like I've been underestimated, huh?"
The sailors twitched at her words. Over a dozen grown men ganging up on one girl—who was underestimating whom, exactly?
"Cut the chatter! Restrain her, now!"
They rushed her from every direction. One crewman slipped behind her, reaching out to grab her by the neck.
But it was as if she had eyes in the back of her head. She casually shifted aside, effortlessly dodging the attack.
In the same smooth motion, she weaved through every strike aimed at her with elegant, precise movements. Not even a strand of her hair was touched.
Just as the encirclement tightened, she leapt high into the air and stomped down hard on one man's head. He crumpled to the ground, and the others staggered in confusion.
Using his head as a springboard, she kicked off and landed on another man's shoulders. With her free leg, she calmly delivered a series of sharp kicks to his mouth. His face swelled up instantly, and he soon collapsed in agony.
She threw a punch that sent one man flying. Then he spun, delivering a roundhouse kick that knocked another out cold. One by one, they fell before her—utterly helpless, like a group of children trying to brawl with a seasoned warrior.
The owner of the ship was now in complete panic. He inwardly cursed as cold sweat trickled down his brow:
"Fuck it! Is today some sort of cursed day? Why did these two monsters have to be the first persons encountered at sea?
Desperation was now completely established in his heart. Right now, all he could hope for was that these pirates wouldn't choose to kill him.