The sound of explosions echoed outside the city, booming like thunder. The Click Pirate Group had set fire to the junkyard, and there were only a few hours left for their main mission. After three days of preparation, it was finally time to reap the rewards.
Su Xiao moved through the encroaching darkness, heading toward the city gate.
Outside the city, at the junkyard.
The explosions had created a wall of fire, sending flames high into the sky and tossing burning trash into the air. The homeless people who had been resting in the junkyard were jolted awake by the sudden blasts, and the fire quickly spread across the heaps of garbage. By the time they realized what was happening and tried to escape, the flames had already engulfed their shelter.
Screams of terror mixed with the sound of explosions, painting a scene straight out of hell. If hell truly existed, the junkyard was it.
The members of the Click Pirate Group watched as the fire spread, quickly making their way toward the city gate. They had previously agreed with Su Xiao that once the junkyard was ignited, they would head to the city gate, where Su Xiao would send someone to open it.
However, the Click Pirate Group was not about to trust their lives to someone else. So after their meeting, Su Xiao sent his trusted aide, Hank, to follow the Click Pirate Group.
At this moment, Hank had disguised himself as a pirate and was trailing behind Click.
"Quickly! The fire is about to spread! We’ll be in danger!" Click shouted, and his men hurried their pace.
Three minutes later, they arrived at the city gate. As they stood in front of it, smiles spread across the faces of the pirates. They had accomplished their task, and now all they needed to do was enter the city and enjoy their new lives. Click, in particular, was already daydreaming about life as a noble—luxurious homes, exquisite food, and beautiful women.
At that moment, Click even thought about completely abandoning his identity as a pirate.
“Bang, bang, bang.” Click knocked on the city gate. “Open up! We are the Click Pirate Group! We’ve set the junkyard on fire!”
After Click knocked, there was only silence. The only sound was the night wind stirring the flames, and the city was eerily quiet.
“Hey! Open the door! The fire is about to spread!” Still, there was no response, and Click began to panic.
Behind him was an all-consuming fire, and in front of him was the solid city gate. They were trapped. It wouldn’t be long before they were burned alive.
“What’s going on? Why hasn’t the gate opened?” Bloodshot eyes filled with rage turned to Hank.
Hank’s lips turned pale. He had been sent out by Su Xiao and was just an ordinary guard. He had no idea that the king had no intention of keeping his promise.
“No, it can’t be! Wait! Let me try!” Hank stammered, sensing something was wrong.
“Bang, bang, bang! Open the door! I’m Hank from the guard team! Bai Ye, come out! Come out!” Hank began to shout, omitting the honorific.
“Bai Ye, I’m going to kill you!”
Click realized he had been tricked by Su Xiao. They were just pawns, sacrifices in a game. His bloodshot eyes turned to Hank.
“Burn him!”
After Click said this slowly, his men quickly tied Hank up and tossed him into the nearby flames.
“Ah! It’s not my fault! Bai Ye, you won’t have a good end!”
The flames began to "kiss" Hank's skin, and his screams faded after a few seconds.
Just as the Click Pirate Group was on the brink of despair, a deep male voice came from the city wall.
“Hey, down there! Do you want to live?”
Everyone at the city gate shuddered.
“Who are you? Show yourself!”
Click, losing his mind, looked up at the wall, where a thin middle-aged man stood.
Just as Click was about to speak, the man began tossing down barrels of explosives.
Seeing the barrels land, Click felt a chill run down his spine. Behind him was a sea of fire, and this was an attempt to kill them.
“Blow open the gate! You still have a chance!”
After saying this, the middle-aged man retreated into the darkness.
After hesitating for less than two seconds, A Jin was the first to rush toward the barrels, placing them at the city gate.
Voices of urgency could be heard from inside the gate, indicating they had noticed something was happening outside.
Click tore off his black cloak, revealing yellow armor underneath. He raised his arm and shot at the barrels.
“Boom!”
The explosion sent a shockwave that knocked the pirates back. Some unfortunate pirates were struck by debris and fell dead.
The pirate group, which numbered in the hundreds, lost at least a dozen men due to this explosion. But it was worth it because the gate had been blown open.
Behind the shattered gate lay several broken bodies—guards who had been on duty.
The Click Pirate Group stepped over the broken gate and entered the royal city.
These were angry pirates, and they were ready to burn, kill, and loot in the royal city.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
Click looked toward a dark corner, raising his arm with his gun pointed forward.
“Don’t shoot! I saved you!”
The middle-aged man from the wall stepped out of the shadows, fear in his eyes.
“Why would you save me? I don’t think I recognize you.”
Click still didn’t lower his weapon.
“I have a grudge against Bai Ye. An enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
A cruel smile spread across Click's face.
“Where is Bai Ye?”
“In the palace. He’s being rewarded by the king and is said to have been granted noble status.”
Words like “reward” and “noble status” ignited Click’s anger, as those should have been his.
“Bang.” The gunshot rang out, and the middle-aged man’s chest was pierced, a hole as wide as a fist appearing. Click had shot his savior.
“You bastard! You dare throw explosives at me? Trying to kill me?”
After saying this, Click charged toward the palace. He wanted to kill Bai Ye, kill the king, and loot the palace to make up for today’s losses.
The middle-aged man fell to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, his body twitching.
Watching the Click Pirate Group leave, the man’s eyes began to dim.
At that moment, a young man with a cigarette in his mouth stepped out from the shadows.
“Give the money to my wife and daughter. I’ve done as you asked.”
Su Xiao squatted in front of the middle-aged man, exhaling a puff of smoke.
“Good job. The money has been given to them.”
“That's great! Thank you, thank you!”
With that, the middle-aged man’s eyes closed completely, dying from Click’s gunshot.
This man had been a death row inmate rescued by Su Xiao from prison; everything that had happened was just a transaction.
Su Xiao paid money, and the man paid with his life—a deal that was both fair and unfair.
Watching the Click Pirate Group disappear into the distance, Su Xiao tossed away his cigarette and stamped it out.
“Click Pirate Group, don’t let me down.”
Su Xiao vanished into the night, hurrying toward the palace.
(End of Chapter)