Chapter 940: A Song to Capture the Enemy

Chapter 930: Capturing the Enemy with a Single Melody

The Ghost Ape wanted to pick a fight, but the stone giants didn't engage. With a clatter, they shattered into piles of rubble, completely blocking the passage so tightly that even a mouse couldn't squeeze through.

"That divine ability was used perfectly," He Lingchuan remarked, even having the presence of mind to offer a compliment.

There truly are no useless divine abilities; their effectiveness simply depends on the context of their use.

"Can we go around?"

"Yes!" Min Tianxi exclaimed, looking particularly fierce with half his face splattered with blood that he hadn't had time to wipe off. "But the detour will add another fifteen minutes to our journey."

"No problem, let's take the detour," He Lingchuan said. There was no point in them acting as mountain movers here; taking the longer route was more practical.

The "longer route" actually meant circling around the base of the mountain to approach the Centipede Cave's sea exit.

This sea exit was quite concealed, and its outer perimeter featured a large rocky beach, making it very easy to sprain an ankle while walking.

By the time the five hundred people, panting, arrived at the rocky beach, they saw two fast boats emerging from within the mountain, swiftly gliding out to sea.

Min Tianxi's intelligence had been accurate; the detour indeed added an extra fifteen minutes.

This fifteen-minute window was enough time for Yue Pinghe and his group to board the boats within Centipede Cave, untie the moorings, and paddle away from shore.

These pirates were skilled sailors; they quickly got the boats moving, departing the island and heading out into the water!

The fast boats passed less than thirty *zhang* from the rocky beach. However, catching them was impossible, so He Lingchuan and his group had no choice but to slow their pace.

Standing at the bow, Yue Pinghe pointed downwards and began to hurl curses.

"Min Tianxi, Huang Zhao, you two ungrateful bastards, you lickspittle lackeys! I always treated you like brothers, and now that you've found a backer, you turn around and bite me? Be careful, that young brat will eventually slaughter you both, chopping you into seventeen or eighteen pieces to feed the fish!"

Dawn had not yet broken, and Yue Pinghe's booming curses echoed across the rocky beach.

The more he cursed, the more spirited he became, and the pirates on the ship also joined in the jeering.

As their insults grew increasingly vile, Qiu Hu raised his bow and fired an arrow.

With a "whoosh," the pirate who had been cursing the most lewdly and enthusiastically was struck through the mouth by his arrow.

At this, both sides became alert and began to raise their bows and shoot at each other.

The rocky beach offered no cover, putting them at a disadvantage in a bow battle. Everyone sought shelter behind Old Mother Zhu and the Ghost Ape. Simultaneously, He Lingchuan ordered, "Retreat twenty paces."

Seeing their pursuers fall back, a burst of laughter erupted from the pirate ships.

Huang Zhao spat on the ground. "Look at that Yue's face," he sneered.

Watching the pirate ships sail away, Old Mother Zhu raised a paw to wipe her mouth. "Why the rush?" she mumbled.

In fact, when the two sides were within thirty *zhang* of each other, she could have sprayed spider silk to entangle the ships. The Spider Mother's silk was far stronger than any cable; if tied to a few large rocks, the vessels might not have been able to move at all.

But He Lingchuan deliberately prevented her from doing so.

Firstly, boarding engagements often led to heavy casualties, as the cornered enemy, with nowhere to retreat, would fight desperately. Secondly, there was a more important event scheduled for that night.

As Yue Pinghe's ships receded into the distance, with only their laughter and curses carried on the wind, Qiu Hu sought permission: "Young Master, it's about time."

He Lingchuan nodded, then casually took out a flute, brought it to his lips, and began to play.

As the flute's melody began, Min Tianxi and the others nearby immediately felt the hair on their backs stand on end.

It was intensely sharp, like a swordsman drawing his blade with raised brows, or a brave warrior departing never to return. Within ten miles, the air thrummed with a martial, murderous sound.

Yet, this melody, while grand, also carried a hint of sorrow; within its resonant notes lay hidden grief. The longer they listened, the heavier their hearts became, to the point of almost shedding tears.

The morning breeze carried this elegy far across the sea, as if to pierce the darkness before dawn.

This was one of the earliest pieces He Lingchuan had learned, for it was "Heroic Souls," a tune played by the soldiers of Panlong City in honor of their fallen comrades. After every major battle, someone would play it at the edge of the battlefield to bid farewell to the valiant spirits.

It was also one of the fundamental melodies that all residents of Panlong City were required to learn, even forming part of the children's curriculum.

For Panlong City, the philosophy of living fully in the face of death needed to be instilled from an early age.

He Lingchuan's sudden decision to play this particular song was, of course, no mere whim.

As the flute music carried over the waves, the sea surface to the left of the pirate ship suddenly erupted. A massive, dark creature leaped from the water, slammed onto the vessel, snatched two still-bewildered pirates, and with a flick of its tail, slid back into the sea.

It was a Shadow Viper, four *zhang* in length.

Immediately after, another four or five Shadow Vipers surfaced and attacked, either leaping onto the ships to seize people or shaking the hulls from beneath. The vessels rocked as if caught in a Category 17 hurricane; how could the pirates possibly remain standing? Several immediately tumbled overboard, while the rest stumbled about like drunks.

"Shadow Vipers!" Yue Pinghe roared. "Get the long spears, quickly! Throw the Demon Sound Grenades!"

He swiftly smeared medicinal liquid onto his spearhead, grabbed a long spear, and hurled it, fiercely impaling a Shadow Viper.

With true energy infused, the spear plunged a *chi* deep, causing the Shadow Viper to hiss in pain before it turned and lunged at him.

Having lived in the waters of the Yangshan Archipelago, they and the Shadow Vipers were neighbors they rarely encountered, though occasional sea encounters were unavoidable. Through years of practical experience, the pirates had developed a range of methods for dealing with Shadow Vipers. For instance, white flame grass crushed with black miasma insects could create an antidote for Shadow Viper venom. The most effective weapons against them were long forks and spears coated with white flame grass juice, as well as Demon Sound Grenades that could explode underwater with powerful sound waves to stun the vipers.

The pirates' reactions were swift; no sooner had Yue Pinghe finished speaking than several heavy grenades were thrown into the water. They exploded fiercely a *zhang* beneath the surface, sending powerful shockwaves and sound waves in every direction.

These Demon Sound Grenades were custom-designed for Shadow Vipers; they typically stunned nearby vipers upon detonation underwater, causing any others that experienced their effects a few times to flee.

The problem was that the Shadow Vipers currently assaulting the ships were all elite, more than double the size of their ordinary counterparts; typically, encountering even one such viper in a group was remarkable. However, at He Lingchuan's specific request, the Shadow Viper King's first deployed viper army consisted entirely of giant vipers. These Demon Sound Grenades could, at most, cause their ears to ring, allowing them to shake their heads and resume their assault.

Watching the two ships teeter precariously under the Shadow Vipers' assault, the people on shore cheered, yet secretly felt a chill of awe.

Island Master He could actually summon an army of Shadow Vipers!

The agreement he had forged with the Shadow Viper King clearly went beyond mere neighborly relations.

Yet, everyone also felt a surge of relief: the Shadow Viper army was indeed formidable, and thankfully, they were allies.

Amidst the lingering flute melody, the human screams, and the Shadow Vipers' roars, one ship was collaboratively capsized by over a dozen Shadow Vipers, plunging headfirst into the seawater.

The other ship had a large hole gouged into its hull...

With this, the song concluded.

As the final note gently faded away, the slaughter at sea simultaneously ceased.

Everyone was at a loss for words. Island Master He had done nothing but stand on the beach and play the flute, and the pirates' escape had been utterly foiled?

Where else in the world could one find such a leisurely pursuit?