Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 167 - 4 The Death of Lady 10?

Chapter 167 -4 The Death of Lady 10?

“Madam Shi won’t hold on much longer!”

Li Yan’s face darkened and a mix of anger and urgency showed on his face. He gestured forcefully and said, “Lead the way.”

As the tide slapped against the rocks, the group ahead, escorting Li Yan and Cha Xiaodao along with others, quickly crossed the shallows, heading for the houses hidden in the dense forest.

Known among the pirates as Tianbao, Li Yan had merely been a wild child brought up in their dens over a decade ago. As a child, he drifted to Lantau Island aboard a wooden basin, regarded by many as blessed by “Mazu” herself, hence the nickname Tianbao.

At the age of thirteen, recognized for his valor and fighting prowess, Tianbao was taken as an adopted son by the leaders of the Red Flag Gang, the Zheng couple, which elevated his status within. Throughout endless skirmishes over the years, Tianbao made a name for himself. Still, he was mostly regarded as a rising star, nowhere near the stature of those who had cut their teeth in the gang for decades.

A turning point came two years ago.

The leader of the Red Flag Gang and the Alliance Hierarch of the Five Flagsi Alliance, Zheng Yiguai, suddenly perished in a maritime disaster. He left behind no sons, only a five-year-old daughter, causing unease within the Red Flag Gang.

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At this critical moment, Zheng Yiguai’s widow, Madam Shi, stepped forward.

Many leaders of the Five Flagsi Alliance were descended from naval commanders of Treasure Island. Like her late husband, Madam Shi had inherited a ruthless streak from her ancestors.

Before turmoil could erupt, Madam Shi utilized Tianbao’s subordinate forces as a spearhead, eradicated the restless old-timers, seized several large merchant ships from the Red Haired Devils, and then tightened the gang’s discipline and consolidated its following. Under her leadership, not only did the Red Flag Gang avoid showing signs of decline, but it flourished even more in two years.

While Madam Shi was highly skilled, she was, after all, a widow with few people she could rely on; most trusted among them was her adopted son, Tianbao. To the younger generation, Tianbao, known for his generosity and righteous nature, was seen as the undeniable alpha of the pack.

In the past six months, Madam Shi had increasingly delegated responsibilities to Tianbao. Although only in his twenties and with just over a decade in the gang, Tianbao had all the makings of a successor.

It was no exaggeration that Tianbao had many loyal supporters in the Red Flag Gang; enough to weave a vast network. Should Madam Shi pass on, Tianbao’s ascendancy seemed certain, with little chance of betrayal from his subordinates.

One set of Patriarch Lv’s Notes in exchange for the vast Red Flag Gang, tens of thousands of men, hundreds of ships, and countless guns. Li Yan stood to become a formidable pirate leader throughout the South Sea, a deal that was certainly worth it.

However, even the fattest meat requires a good set of teeth to be enjoyed…

After all, there were deep-sea sharks in these waters, ready to swallow a man whole. And, great power didn’t automatically translate into tangible benefits for Li Yan. The way to ascend was a craft in itself, and once in power, managing the pirate factions, authorities, and the Red Haired Devils at sea would prove a significant challenge.

The group who delivered the message to Li Yan were the law enforcers of the Red Flag Gang, about a hundred strong. Each bore the bold red word ‘Gaoli ghost’ on their attire; the Red Flag Gang had over two hundred Gaoli ghosts, with the majority directly loyal to Madam Shi. This was the largest inheritance she had received from her husband.

These men led Li Yan into a house made of vines. Beside a stone bench was a delicate young girl, only seven or eight years old, with silver rings on her wrists and ankles. Adorably crafted, she was very charming.

Clutching a red embroidered ball, the little girl remained sullen despite the coaxing of the women around her. However, her eyes lit up when she saw Li Yan approaching brusquely, and she ran to him with her little feet, her voice sweet:

“Tianbao!” She opened her little arms, “Tianbao, give me a hug.”

Li Yan’s eyes flickered as he searched his memory, then recognition dawned, and his face broke into a smile as he picked up the girl.

“Xiu’er. What’s making you unhappy?”

This girl is the seven-year-old daughter of Zheng Yiguai.

“Tianbao brother, mother has lost so much blood…” The girl lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers.

Li Yan glanced into the room, put Zheng Xiu down, patted her head, and without a word, walked inside. No one dared to stop him. As Cha Xiaodao was about to step forward, he was stopped.

“Daozai, what crowd are you trying to join!”

The red-headed man rebuked him rudely.

Cha Xiaodao pursed his lips privately, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but on second thought, he realized that Madam Shi was Tianbao’s foster mother, and with Li Yan inheriting Tianbao’s identity, he naturally assumed the vast power of the Red Flag Gang.

But naturally, he also became Madam Shi’s son,

One could imagine, Madam Shi, the wife of a pirate leader, was not to be called fat and ugly, yet she was a fifty-year-old granny.

It struck him that Li Yan was forcibly assigned a “foster mother” by Yan Fu this time, and should this “foster mother” actually die, he would have to wear mourning dress. Since Cha Xiaodao had been in contact with Li Yan, he had not seen him suffer a loss, and “Daozai” felt quite pleased inside, yet it was a pity he couldn’t witness the splendid sight of Li Yan calling a middle-aged woman “foster mother.”

Creak~

Li Yan stepped in, the atmosphere inside the room was serene. There were potted plants by the window, lacquerware with a distinctive Fujian and Zhejiang style, bamboo curtains, and a huge ink dragon painting on the wall that was impressive.

But the moment Li Yan lifted the curtain to enter the inner room, dozens of bird guns were pointed at him simultaneously. Li Yan’s pupils shrank, and it was too late to retreat. The red-headed man who had led him into the room stepped forward and pressed a steel knife handle against Li Yan’s lower back, his tone not without guilt, “Tianbao, I’m sorry. I am just a runner. The matter between you and Madam Shi, you should clear it up yourselves.”

Li Yan’s brow raised, but he didn’t panic. His eyes scanned around, and no one met his gaze. Then, Li Yan looked towards the bed draped with a mosquito net.

There, a red glow flickered in and out of sight.

When the red glow was intense, it was extremely dazzling, and when faint, it resembled smoke, almost invisible.

While Li Yan was looking, slender fingers from inside pulled back the mosquito net curtain. The woman was in her mid-thirties, with faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but still could be considered an exceptional beauty. There was an occasional fierceness in her eyes that was intimidating. Her hair was simply adorned with two wooden hairpins, yet oddly reminded one of a black widow on a spider web.

However, the woman’s complexion was terribly pale, and the bed was surrounded by blood-stained bandages that had been removed. The copper basin on the stool was full of red.

Without a doubt, this was Madam Shi.

Li Yan’s lips curved up, and ignoring the guns pointed at him, he brashly walked forward two steps, and no one stopped him.

How thick was his face? Wasn’t it just acknowledging a cheap mother, what was the big deal?

“Foster mother, your son has returned a bit late, my apologies for that. What’s with all the knives and guns, what are you planning to do?”

Li Yan had always prided himself on having a myriad of scheming hearts and a thousand tricks up his sleeve, but he didn’t notice that as soon as the words “foster mother” left his mouth, a look of desolation swept across Madam Shi’s face, followed by a deep, intense fierceness in her eyes…