## Blissful Joy Ship: Section 5 – Plundering Pearl City
2013-02-09 Author: Gu Zhenren
Hongshang Fairy’s eyes lit up. “Hmm? There are no treasures. Why are you so nervous? We must go and see this immediately.”
“I’m really not lying to you. Pearl City’s treasury is Lord Shangguan Fengye’s military supplies. It’s sealed, and if I dare touch anything, my own life would be forfeit!” The City Lord of Pearl City was already crying by this point.
“If you don’t take us, you die now. If you take us, you’ll live a while longer. Think carefully.” Chu Yun deliberately held the Drunken Snow Saber to the City Lord’s throat.
The City Lord of Pearl City turned deathly pale. The icy saber energy stimulated him, chilling him to the bone. A coldness seeped into his heart.
“No! Two brave sirs, I’ll take you there now!”
Since things had escalated this far, Chu Yun decided to be uninhibited. With the hostage in his hand, the Curved Sabre Elite Soldiers who arrived later dared not act rashly and merely prowled around the City Lord of Pearl City.
“I didn’t expect Pearl City’s arsenal to be so large. It seems this city is quite important in terms of logistics.” Chu Yun and his companions approached the arsenal entrance. The gate itself was three zhang high and two zhang wide, almost as large as the city gate.
A seal was affixed to the vermilion gate. On the white paper with black characters, the words “Sealed by Lord Shangguan Fengye. Those who tamper will die!” were written in large letters.
“One judges the person by their writing. These characters are sharp and brimming with killing intent, revealing Shangguan Fengye to be a bloodthirsty, sinister, and cruel individual,” Hongshang Fairy commented upon seeing the words.
“Dunhuang Country is in turmoil, divided into several major factions. The former Prime Minister of Dunhuang Country, Tie Shan, is the first major force. Shangguan Fengye is the leader of the second major force. Later, Princess Dunhuang emerged, becoming the third major power by leveraging the royal family’s influence. These three factions are the most likely to compete for the position of Country Lord of Dunhuang. Forget it. That brat Shi Jiaming is currently working for Princess Dunhuang. I’ll send him a great gift first by raiding this arsenal!” Chu Yun looked at the imposing gate, a fierce glint in his eyes.
“Ugh!” The City Lord of Pearl City, held in his hand, finally understood what kind of audacious and brutal individual he had provoked upon hearing his words. Realizing the consequences of the major loophole in the city he was guarding, he fainted from fear.
“Be careful! This seal is actually a Lesser Demon Soldier containing a special Dao Method. It can plant a spiritual mark on anyone who breaks it!” Just as Chu Yun reached out to tear off the seal, the Blissful Joy Ship vibrated, and Feiyang Fairy’s voice came through.
“It seems some intelligence was indeed correct. Shangguan Fengye is not only a powerful Beast Tamer with Tribulation Demon combat strength but also a Weapon Forging Master.” Chu Yun stopped his hand.
“Hmm… I’ve seen the flaw. As long as this seal is broken from the ‘seal’ character in the very center, it can be completely destroyed without taking effect,” Feiyang Fairy’s faint voice soon transmitted again.
Shangguan Fengye is a master of weapon forging, and she is too. It seems bringing the Blissful Joy Ship along was indeed a wise choice.
Chu Yun swung his saber, and amidst the startled cries of the surrounding elite soldiers, he forcefully broke the seal. Then, he kicked open the gate and swaggered inside.
The arsenal was filled with an unimaginable quantity of swords, spears, axes, and halberds. Chu Yun glanced around and roughly estimated that these weapons could equip a force of twenty thousand men!
“What is this Demonic Beast?” Deep within the arsenal, they saw a peculiar spherical Demonic Beast, palm-sized, with spikes on its surface.
“This is a Needle Bomb. Shangguan Fengye commands an elite unit called the Needle Bomb Elites, and this is one of their equipment. This elite unit numbers three thousand men and is his trump card. They are rarely used, only brought out for decisive battles. They are truly undefeated, having never lost a single engagement,” Chu Yun said in a deep voice. He had prepared thoroughly, gathering detailed intelligence on Dunhuang Country while in Huode City.
“An elite unit of a thousand men can already rival an army of over ten thousand ordinary soldiers. This Needle Bomb Elite unit actually has three thousand men. Even the Mad Confucian General would not dare to confront this force directly. No wonder they have such a distinguished record,” Hongshang Fairy said, her beautiful eyes fixed on the boxes and boxes of Needle Bombs.
She suddenly smiled. “These little things look quite interesting. Let’s move them onto my Blissful Joy Ship and let the sisters have some fun. Those who enjoy weapon forging will surely be very interested.”
“Take it all. I will destroy all the other military supplies. Let’s just cause a huge ruckus! The opening of the Dunhuang Sand Eye has plunged the already chaotic Dunhuang Country into even greater disorder. We’ll burn this arsenal, then loot Pearl City’s treasury, and flee immediately. In this vast sea of people and expansive Dunhuang land, no matter how capable Shangguan Fengye is, he won’t be able to find us.” With wealth right before his eyes, and the situation having escalated this far, Chu Yun could not back down.
“Hehehe, fun. It’s getting more and more fun!” Hongshang Fairy clapped her hands happily, extremely excited.
Subsequently, the two wreaked havoc in Pearl City. Not only did they burn down the arsenal, but they also plundered two treasuries and a treasure vault.
Pearl City was a very prosperous coastal city and a key logistical hub for Shangguan Fengye. Its treasuries contained large amounts of Disha Stone Coins and Tiangang Stone Coins. Chu Yun already regretted how thoroughly he had prepared. Before coming to Pearl City, he had already prepared two mountains of stone coins in his Star Sea Dragon Palace Immortal Pouch.
His Immortal Pouch could no longer hold more. Fortunately, he had the Blissful Joy Ship. This ship was, as expected, a Demonic Beast built with the nation’s resources by the Tang Jin Kingdom. With each part of the beautiful Demonic Beast assembled, its power increased tenfold. Even with the combined efforts of the eight Immortal Consorts, Chu Yun, with all his might, was no match for them.
What made Hongshang Fairy happiest was not the stone coins filling the Blissful Joy Ship, but an unexpectedly discovered component of a beautiful Demonic Beast in the treasure vault. This was one of the components of the Blissful Joy Ship that had been lost.
The treasure vault also contained many rare treasures.
Some were peculiar Demonic Beasts, some were rare Demonic Beast eggs, and there were no shortage of artifacts and antiques, all of great value.
As for the qualification token for the black market auction, it was found in the City Lord’s Mansion.
“It’s over, I’m finished.” The City Lord of Pearl City had woken up halfway there and was held tightly by Chu Yun. He personally witnessed how this lawless man and woman unscrupulously plundered Pearl City.
“I’m completely finished. Even my father can’t save me. Kill me and give me a quick end!” He was dejected, beating his chest and stomping his feet, consumed by anger and hatred to the point of losing all reason.
“Isn’t your father Li Gang?” Chu Yun teased.
“My father is Li Gang, but not Shangguan Fengye’s…” The City Lord of Pearl City’s face was ashen, his eyes vacant. He slumped to the ground like a dazed person, a stark contrast to his former spirited demeanor.
He now deeply regretted provoking these two harbingers of disaster. Coincidentally, the general guarding the city had led his troops out to suppress a band of outlaws. Otherwise, how could such an important logistical base have such weak defenses? These two disaster-bringers were truly lucky.
“Then I’ll give you a quick end.” Chu Yun acted decisively and without hesitation. He first took out his Heart-Mind Whip and shattered the City Lord of Pearl City’s soul. Then, he summoned the Spirit Snake and absorbed his Spirit into himself. Finally, he brought his saber down, severing his head. Even though his internal Spirit was scarce, even a mosquito’s leg is still meat, wasn’t it?
After finishing all this, he and Hongshang Fairy immediately fled. Having caused such a huge mess, the Gem Secret Passage could not be used, as it would leave information for pursuers. Chu Yun had two speed-type Demonic Creatures in his possession, and his speed was not slow. It took them two days and two nights to fly directly to Cursed City.
Cursed City was the complete opposite of Pearl City. It was located in a desolate Gobi Desert, with walls built of black iron ore, giving it a rough and wild impression. It was a den of vice, adhering to a bloody dark order. All sorts of people, such as wanderers, explorers, spies, and assassins, mingled here. It was also a place where all sorts of rumors and gossip spread the fastest.
To avoid suspicion, the Immortal Consorts entered the Blissful Joy Ship and did not show themselves. Chu Yun entered the city alone, disguised. He wore a burlap headscarf, carried a crudely made curved saber, and wore the Swift Gale Boots, which looked dusty and inconspicuous.
He directly presented the qualification token and approached the black market representatives. The attendant examined the token and wondered how such a valuable symbol of status had fallen into the hands of such a down-on-his-luck wanderer.
“You’re one day late, and the auction would have ended. Young man, you’re lucky. Follow me.”
The attendant led Chu Yun deep into winding alleys. Even with Chu Yun’s exceptional sense of direction, he became dizzy. Finally, they arrived at a dead-end alley. The attendant suddenly knocked on the wall in front of them.
This wall was actually a disguised Demonic Beast secret door. The attendant knocked three times: two short knocks and one loud one. From the other side of the wall, a voice as cold as ice replied, “Password.”
The attendant stated the password and showed Chu Yun’s qualification token. Only then did the secret door open. The dim yellow light from within suddenly illuminated the dark and deep alley brightly.
After Chu Yun entered, the secret door closed with a click. The dead-end alley once again fell into deep silence and darkness.
Inside, a staircase descended, winding like a venomous snake. The passage clearly led underground. The walls on both sides were covered with hidden holes, and countless scrutinizing and monitoring eyes shot out from beyond the holes, carrying a faint, naked scent of blood.
Every ten paces along the walls, there was a torch. The flames flickered, casting grotesque, dancing, magical colors on the large, dark, and gleaming stones around them.
This was the first time Chu Yun had entered this place. He was extremely vigilant. This Cursed City was nothing like Pearl City. It was situated between major powers, surviving in the cracks. Who knew how many heinous individuals were hidden in the darkness? Those without strength could not survive here at all. The black market was their place to sell stolen goods. The auction was a grand event attended only by magnates from various factions and notorious powerhouses. In a way, Chu Yun was stepping into the core power of Cursed City, a microcosm of the entire Dunhuang Country!
