Their boat arrived at the bustling harbour under the cover of routine trade traffic. The docks were alive with noise merchants shouting, sailors hauling cargo, the scent of salt and smoke thick in the air.
Yet among the chaos, no one paid attention to the two elegant women stepping ashore. They blended in perfectly. Without hesitation Luo He made his way toward the pirate king's quarters.
Jin Mulan following a step behind, fully in character. At the entrance, armed guards crossed their spears, blocking the path.
"State your business," one demanded.
Before Luo He could answer, a voice echoed from within. "Let them in."
Pirate King Ti Nang had already taken notice. His gaze lingered on Luo He with open curiosity and desire. Inside the chamber, the air was heavy with incense and arrogance.
Gold ornaments, stolen treasures, and rich fabrics decorated the space, reflecting the power of a man who ruled by fear and indulgence.
Luo He did not hesitate. He walked forward with a gentle sway, each step deliberate, drawing closer until he stood before Ti Nang. Then in one fluid motion, he applied the lipstick. With his final
preparation now complete he leaned in.
Settling lightly onto the pirate king's lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Ti Nang's composure cracked instantly.
His breath grew heavier, his guard lowering under the spell of beauty and proximity. Luo He's eyes flickered cold for just a moment.
Then he leaned in and kissed him. It was brief. Soft. Fatal. Within seconds, the poison began its work. Ti Nang stiffened, confusion flashing across his face before his body betrayed him completely.
His strength faded, his grip loosened, and the life drained from his eyes. Luo He pulled away calmly as if nothing had happened.
Without wasting even a moment Luo He rose, drew the pirate kings blade and cleanly severed his head. The act was swift, efficient and devoid of hesitation.
He then moved to a nearby chest, retrieving some of Ti Nang's garments. Changing quickly, he concealed his disguise beneath the pirate king's attire.
Moments later, the doors opened. Luo He stepped out, carrying the severed head in one hand. The guards froze. Silence fell like a blade across the corridor. No one dared to move.
"My brothers… Ti Nang is dead."
Luo He's voice rang across the courtyard, calm yet commanding. The severed head of the former pirate king hung in his grip. Blood still fresh, a brutal proof none could deny.
A ripple spread through the gathered pirates. Some stepped back in shock, others leaned forward, eyes gleaming with excitement and hunger. Power had changed hands in a single moment.
Luo He raised his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping over them. "I am your new pirate king." Murmurs broke out uncertain, testing.
He did not give them time to think. "Follow me," he continued. His tone sharpening, "and I will give you gold and pleasures beyond anything you have ever known."
That did it. Cheers erupted from the majority, rough voices shouting in approval. Greed burned brighter than loyalty in their eyes.
But not all were convinced. A small group stepped forward, faces hard with defiance. "You think killing Ti Nang makes you king?" one of them spat. "Power isn't taken so easily."
He never finished. Steel flashed. Before the crowd could even react, those who opposed him were cut down not by Luo He, but by their fellow pirates. Blades turned on brothers without hesitation.
Gold had already chosen their loyalty.
The courtyard fell silent again, save for the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground.
Luo He watched without emotion. So this is the nature of pirates, he thought. Predictable. Within moments, the last of the resistance was gone.
Just like that, Luo He stood at the head of nearly a thousand pirates. He then reached out and pulled Jin Mulan standing nearby closer.
By placing a firm hand around her waist. The gesture was deliberate, possessive meant for every eye present. "This woman," he declared loudly, "is mine."
His voice dropped into something colder.
"No one touches her." The pirates roared in response, some laughing, others shouting crude admiration. "She's a beauty!" "A queen for the new king!"
Their eyes lingered, but none dared step forward. The earlier bloodshed had made the consequences clear. Jin Mulan remained composed, though her eyes flickered briefly toward Luo He.
She understood the performance and the warning beneath it. Leaning slightly closer to her, Luo He spoke in a low voice only she could hear.
"Go. Bring your father." Her brows tightened slightly. "Alone?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," he replied. "Tell him to come without soldiers, without weapons. Only wine, food, and open arms." There was a pause.
Then she nodded. Without another word Jin Mulan turned and left, her figure disappearing through the gates as the pirates continued their noisy celebrations.
Hours later, the heavy gates creaked open once more. The sound of waves and creaking wood filled the air as ship after ship entered the harbour, twenty in total.
Each one carried barrels of alcohol, crates of food, and servants moving quickly under watchful eyes. The pirates grew restless, their attention snapping toward the incoming supplies.
"Is this real...?" One said. "Look at all that wine!" Another jolted form pleasure.
Barrel after barrel was rolled onto the docks. The scent of strong alcohol quickly filled the air, mixing with roasted meat and spices.
Luo He stood above them, watching.
Then he turned to Jin Mulan who had returned alongside her father. "Have the guards load the ships," he said calmly.
"Take the pirate king's gold and divide it." Her father froze. "Divide it?" he repeated, disbelief clear in his voice. "That treasury is worth a fortune" Jin Quan protested. "Then give them one third," Luo He interrupted.
Silence.
Even Jin Mulan's expression shifted slightly. "A third that's about 800 thousand gold?" Jin Quan said. Almost in a whisper. "That alone is more than enough," Luo He replied, his tone steady.
"Do it." He commanded. Reluctance was written all over the older man's face, but under the weight of the situation and Luo He's unyielding gaze he had no choice.
Orders were given. Chests were opened. Gold spilled into view.
The pirates surged forward, eyes wide, breaths heavy. Even a fraction of the treasure was overwhelming. Piles upon piles of glittering coins stacked high. "By the sea gods!" "That's... that's ours?"
When the division was complete, even a third amounted to an enormous sum hundreds of thousands in gold. The reaction was explosive.
Cheers, laughter, shouting some pirates fell to their knees, clutching their share, others raised their weapons in the air in wild celebration. "Long live the pirate king!"
For now, "their loyalty was absolute."
Jin Mulan's father watched it all, still stunned. "You've bought them," he muttered under his breath. Luo He gave a faint, knowing smile. "For now."
He turned his gaze back to the sea of celebrating pirates, his expression sharpening slightly. "Never forget," he said quietly. More to himself than anyone else, "a pirate's loyalty belongs to nothing but gold."
The distant sound of waves crashed against the shore, as if in agreement. And amidst the roaring celebration a fragile truth lingered beneath it all. This loyalty could vanish as quickly as it was bought.
As the night deepened the pirate stronghold transformed into a roaring festival. Fires burned bright, casting flickering shadows across drunken faces. Laughter, shouting and the clashing of cups echoed endlessly as barrels of alcohol were emptied one after another.
But amidst the chaos, Luo He remained composed. He stepped closer to his
father-in-law, his voice low and controlled. "Do not send any of our soldiers to join them."
The older man frowned slightly. "They have been working hard all day. At least let them eat properly." Luo He shook his head.
"Give them only what is necessary. No alcohol. Minimal food." There was a pause. "That will create resentment," his father-in-law said carefully. Luo He's lips curved faintly.
"Yes," he replied. "That is the point."
Understanding slowly dawned in the older man's eyes, though he did not speak further.
Orders were quietly passed. While the pirates indulged themselves drinking, feasting, shouting without restraint, the soldiers stood apart in the dim edges of the harbour.
Their meals were plain, their portions small. No laughter reached them, only the distant noise of excess. They watched, and as they watched, something began to grow.
Tightened jaws. Hardened expressions. A silent, shared bitterness. "They feast like kings." one soldier muttered under his breath. "We stand here like beggars, until they eat our food and drink our barrels dry," another replied.
No one raised their voice but the feeling spread quickly. From group to group, the resentment took root. All of it exactly as Luo He intended.
From his elevated position, he observed both sides. The wild yet careless pirates, and the disciplined, increasingly angered soldiers. His eyes remained calm, calculating. Division breeds control, he thought.