zhǔ shì de èr dāng jiā zé shì yī féi tóu dà ěr de xiū xiān zhě 。
主事的二当家则是一肥头大耳的修仙者。
The second in command, who was in charge of the matter, was a corpulent and bald-headed cultivator.
dǎ bàn yǔ shì sú de shān zéi zhēn chà bu duō 。
打扮与世俗的山贼真差不多。
His appearance was not much different from that of ordinary bandits. He wore a pair of jacket-like robes, shouldering a large ghost-head saber. His ears were wide and his nose resembled garlic; he was ugly to begin with, but what really stood out was the vulgar aura emanating from him.
chuān zhe yī duì jīn mǎ guà ， jiān tóu zhī shàng ， káng zhe guǐ tóu dà dāo 。
穿着一对襟马褂，肩头之上，扛着鬼头大刀。
To the naked eye, he seemed just an ordinary bandit—hardly someone who could be connected with a master cultivator. But as the saying goes, "One should not judge a book by its cover," and this fellow truly turned out to be a high-level cultivator. The spiritual pressure radiating from him was indeed that of a Separation Realm cultivator, thick and robust.
zhāo fēng ěr ， suàn tóu bí ， róng mào chǒu lòu zàn qiě bù tí ” guān jiàn shì ” hún shēn sàn fà zhe yī gǔ yōng sú zhī qì 。
招风耳，蒜头鼻，容貌丑陋暂且不提”关键是”浑身散发着一股庸俗之气。
He naturally saw Lin Xuan leave the Spirit Boat and quickly approach his location. His eyes narrowed slightly as he let a hint of amusement show on his face: "Interesting. This fat sheep has some guts."
kàn shàng qù ， jiù yī pǔ tōng de shān zéi ér yǐ ， shuí huì jiāng tā yǔ gāo shǒu lián xì 。
看上去，就一普通的山贼而已，谁会将他与高手联系。
"Second Brother, could there be a trap? The other party's actions are not too bold," said the Sage Hand Scholar with more caution, his expression stern.
kě sú huà shuō ， rén bù kě mào xiàng ， hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng 。
可俗话说，人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。
"There is no trap. In this vast area, there can't possibly be another cultivator of Separation Realm. A mere Separation Realm cultivator from the other side, how could he possibly turn things around?"
zhè jiā huo ， hái zhēn shì yī gāo shǒu lái zhe ， hún shēn suǒ sàn fà chū lái de líng yā ， què shí shì lí hé ， hún hòu wú pǐ de fǎ lì ， zài tā jīng mài zhōng ， sì yì liú tǎng zhe 。
这家伙，还真是一高手来着，浑身所散发出来的灵压，确实是离合，浑厚无匹的法力，在他经脉中，肆意流淌着。
The second in command dismissed such thoughts. While it was true that one should be cautious when doing business, being overly careful wasn’t always wise. There was a limit to everything; overthinking would only make one lose sight of the opportunity.
tā zì rán yě kàn jiàn lín xuān lí kāi líng zhōu ， zhèng kuài sù jiē jìn cǐ chù ” bù yóu de yǎn jīng wēi mī ， zuǐ jiǎo biān yě liú lù chū xiē xǔ xiào yì ：“ yǒu yì si ， zhè féi yáng ， dào pǒ yǒu dǎn shí 。”
他自然也看见林轩离开灵舟，正快速接近此处”不由得眼睛微眯，嘴角边也流露出些许笑意：“有意思，这肥羊，倒颇有胆识。”
That young man was at most mid-stage Separation Realm, and he could take him down alone without much trouble.
“ èr gē ， huì bú huì yǒu zhà ， duì fāng de jǔ dòng ， wèi shǐ tài dà dǎn le a 。” shèng shǒu shū shēng huán yào jǐn shèn yī xiē ， biǎo qíng zé yán sù wú bǐ 。
“二哥，会不会有诈，对方的举动，未始太大胆了啊。”圣手书生还要谨慎一些，表情则严肃无比。
"Stay here while I go and play with them."
“ yǒu zhà ， shén me zhà ， zhè fāng yuán shù wàn lǐ ， jué zhǎo bù chū dì èr míng xiū shì ， duì fāng qū qū yī míng lí hé ， nán dào hái néng fān chū tiān lái me ？”
“有诈，什么诈，这方圆数万里，绝找不出第二名修士，对方区区一名离合，难道还能翻出天来么？”
Unlike other Black Gale pirates, this second in command not only craved wealth and was viciously cruel but also enjoyed killing. Seeing Lin Xuan come alone, he couldn't resist the urge to fight.
èr dāng jiā què shì bù yǐ wéi rán de shuō ， jiā gē shì shuō guò ” zuò mǎi mài de shí hòu yào xiǎo xīn ” duō jiā liú yì ， dàn jǐn shèn bìng bú shì wèi shǒu wèi wěi de dài míng cí 。
二当家却是不以为然的说，夹哥是说过”做买卖的时候要小心”多加留意，但谨慎并不是畏首畏尾的代名词。
Killing a mid-stage Separation Realm cultivator would be quite satisfying!
fán shì dōu yǒu yí gè dù ， tài guò zhān qián gù hòu hái zuò shén me wú běn mǎi mài le 。
凡事都有一个度，太过瞻前顾后还做什么无本买卖了。
"Second Brother," the Sage Hand Scholar couldn't help but laugh at his brother's recklessness. But since his stubborn brother wouldn’t listen, he could only watch helplessly.
nà xiǎo zi bù guò zhōng qī ， zì jǐ yí gè rén ná xià dōu méi yǒu wèn tí 。
那小子不过中期，自己一个人拿下都没有问题。
It was definitely not advisable. No matter how one looked at it, this fat sheep showed no fear and had no backing; such behavior would be unwise in normal circumstances. However, the second in command ignored all advice and charged out.
“ nǐ men zài zhè lǐ kàn zhe ， běn zhài zhǔ qián qù xì shuǎ 。”
“你们在这里看着，本债主前去戏耍。”
Lin Xuan was taken aback. This didn't seem like Black Gale pirates' style—too bold and arrogant. Had he picked the wrong target?
yǔ bié duì de hēi fēng dào bù tóng ， zhè èr dāng jiā bù jǐn tān lán hěn dú ， wéi rén hái hěn shì shā ， jiàn lín xuān gū shēn qián lái ， bù yóu de yī zhèn shǒu yǎng 。
与别对的黑风盗不同，这二当家不仅贪婪狠毒，为人还很嗜杀，见林轩孤身前来，不由得一阵手痒。
Before his thoughts could fully form, the second in command hastily drew his ghost-head saber from his shoulder.
miè shā yī lí hé zhōng qī ， gǎn jué yīng gāi bù cuò ba ！
灭杀一离合中期，感觉应该不错吧！
What a war-loving fellow!
“ èr gē 。”
“二哥。”
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but be speechless. This was completely different from what the rumors about Black Gale pirates had described.
shèng shǒu shū shēng zé kū xiào bù dé ， kě pí qì zhí niù de xiōng zhǎng tā gēn běn jiù quàn bú zhù ， zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe 。
圣手书生则哭笑不得，可脾气执拗的兄长他根本就劝不住，只能眼睁睁看着。
However, despite his surprise, he knew he couldn't stand idly by once the other party attacked. With a wave of his sleeve, the Nine Heavens Moon Ring flew out and rapidly grew to intercept the saber's blade.
bù tuǒ jué duì bù tuǒ ， bù lùn cóng nǎ ge fāng miàn kàn zhè cì de féi yáng ， dōu háo wú wèi jù zhī sè ， ruò shì méi yǒu shén me yǐ zhàng ” àn cháng lǐ lái shuō ， duì fāng jué bú huì zhè me zuò kě èr dāng jiā yǐ jīng bù tīng quàn de chōng chū qù le 。
不妥绝对不妥，不论从哪个方面看这次的肥羊，都毫无畏惧之色，若是没有什么倚仗”按常理来说，对方绝不会这么做可二当家已经不听劝的冲出去了。
Soon, the two precious items clashed. Although the ghost-head saber was of high quality, it could not compare with Lin Xuan’s ownsoul-bound treasure.
lín xuān yě bù yóu de dà gǎn jīng è ” zhè bù tài xiàng hēi fēng dào xíng shì de fēng gé ， tài guò zhāng yáng bá hù ， nán dào zì jǐ zhǎo cuò duì xiàng le ？
林轩也不由得大感惊愕”这不太像黑风盗行事的风格，太过张扬跋扈，难道自己找错对象了？
The disparity was obvious from the start; after barely touching, he was forced into a defensive position. As time passed, his situation grew worse, and the spiritual light dimmed.
rán ér nǎo hǎi zhōng de niàn tou shàng wèi zhuǎn guò ， duì fāng jiù jí hǒu hǒu de jiāng káng zài jiān shàng de nà bǐng guǐ tóu dà dāo jì chū 。
然而脑海中的念头尚未转过，对方就急吼吼的将扛在肩上的那柄鬼头大刀祭出。
"This..."
hǎo yí gè hào zhàn de jiā huo ！
好一个好战的家伙！
The second in command was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected such a result when he rushed out to fight. How could an ordinary mid-stage Separation Realm cultivator be so powerful?
lín xuān yě yǒu xiē wú yǔ le ， zhè zhēn de yǔ hēi fēng dào chuán yán de qíng bào bù fú 。
林轩也有些无语了，这真的与黑风盗传言的情报不符。
It seemed that his third brother’s doubts had some merit after all.
rán ér jīng è guī jīng è ， duì fāng jì rán yǐ jīng dòng shǒu le ， lín xuān dāng rán bù kě néng zài zhè lǐ shǎ zhàn zhe 。
然而惊愕归惊愕，对方既然已经动手了，林轩当然不可能在这里傻站着。
Although he loved fighting, he naturally didn't have much interest in losing. Seeing Lin Xuan's overwhelming strength, he began to think of retreating. After all, these bandits might kill and rob, but they were always cowards who feared the strong.
xiù páo yī fú jiǔ tiān míng yuè huán fēi lüè ér chū ， xùn sù bào zhǎng ， yíng xiàng le dāo máng 。
袖袍一拂九天明月环飞掠而出，迅速暴涨，迎像了刀芒。
However, it was too late now. The second in command, despite his strange appearance, clearly held a high position among the Black Gale pirates. Lin Xuan couldn't let him escape so easily.
hěn kuài ， liǎng jiàn bǎo wù jiù dòu zài yì qǐ ， nà guǐ tóu dāo suī rán pǐn zhì bù dī ， què rú hé gòu yǔ lín xuān de běn mìng fǎ bǎo xiāng bǐ 。
很快，两件宝物就斗在一起，那鬼头刀虽然品质不低，却如何够与林轩的本命法宝相比。
With a wave of his sleeve, the surrounding heavenly qi surged wildly, and a green hand appeared before reaching out to grab the other party.
nà chā jù shì xiǎn ér yì jiàn dì 。
那差距是显而易见地。
Seeing how quickly Lin Xuan gathered the heavenly qi, the second in command also sucked in a cold breath. He too waved his sleeve, but what came out were two bright black lightning pearls.
jī hū shì gāng yī jiē chù ， jiù bèi bī luò dào xià fēng le ， suí zhe shí jiān de tuī yí xíng shì yuè lái yuè bù lì ， líng guāng àn dàn wú bǐ 。
几乎是刚一接触，就被逼落到下风了，随着时间的推移形势越来越不利，灵光黯淡无比。
Boom!
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
A loud humming sound filled his ears as the terrifying power churned the sea for miles around. His hand was shattered into pieces by the explosion.
èr dāng jiā chēng mù jié shé ， tā mào mào rán chū zhàn ， wán quán méi xiǎng dào shì zhè yàng de jié guǒ 。
二当家瞠目结舌，他冒冒然出战，完全没想到是这样的结果。
The bandit disguised second in command didn’t waste any time and transformed into a streak of light to flee towards his companions, preparing to regroup with them.
yī lí hé zhōng qī de xiū xiān zhě ， zěn me kě néng qiáng dào rú cǐ dì bù 。
一离合中期的修仙者，怎么可能强到如此地步。
Unable to fight back, he ran away. This guy was quite clever.
kàn lái sān dì de yí lǜ ， shì yǒu gēn jù yǔ dào lǐ 。
看来三弟的疑虑，是有根据与道理。
Lin Xuan vanished from sight, reappearing more than a thousand feet away. Nine Heavens Microstep!
tā suī rán hào zhàn yǐ jí ， dàn duì yú luò bài zì rán méi yǒu shén me xìng qù 。
他虽然好战以极，但对于落败自然没有什么兴趣。
Once this secret technique was unleashed, the distance between him and the second in command rapidly narrowed.
cǐ shí jiàn lín xuān qiáng dé lí pǔ ， yǐ xīn shēng tuì yì ， shuō dào dǐ ， zhè qún dào zéi ， suī shā rén yuè huò dàn wú yī bú shì qī ruǎn pà è de jiā huo 。
此时见林轩强得离谱，已心生退意，说到底，这群盗贼，虽杀人越货但无一不是欺软怕恶的家伙。
The other party was both surprised and angry but had no way to stop it; he seemed to be outmatched even by his elder brother.
bù guò xiàn zài xiǎng pǎo ， yǐ jīng wǎn le ” duì fāng dǎ bàn suī rán lí pǔ dàn cóng shí lì lái shuō ， míng xiǎn yǐ shì zhè qún hēi fēng dào de zuì gāo tóu mù 。
不过现在想跑，已经晚了”对方打扮虽然离谱但从实力来说，明显已是这群黑风盗的最高头目。
Thinking so, the second in command didn’t dare turn around. He just ran as fast as he could.
lín xuān zěn me kě néng ràng tā cóng yǎn qián bái bái liū wú xiù páo yī fú sì zhōu de tiān dì yuán qì fēng kuáng fān yǒng ， yī zhī qīng sè de guài shǒu chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn zhōng ” shì huǎn shí jí ， xiàng zhe duì fāng zhuā qù 。
林轩怎么可能让他从眼前白白溜芜袖袍一拂四周的天地元气疯狂翻涌，一只青色的怪手出现在了视线中”似缓实急，向着对方抓去。
But such efforts were futile. As Lin Xuan was about to catch up, a voice shouted: "Release!"
kàn jiàn lín xuān jù jí tiān dì yuán qì de sù dù ， èr dāng jiā yě bù yóu de dào xī le yī kǒu liáng qì ， tóng yàng shì xiù páo yī fú ， bù guò cóng tā yī xiù zhōng fēi chū lái de ， què shì liǎng kē wū hēi fà liàng de léi zhū 。
看见林轩聚集天地元气的速度，二当家也不由得倒吸了一口凉气，同样是袖袍一拂，不过从他衣袖中飞出来的，却是两颗乌黑发亮的雷珠。
Before he could react, countless light waves appeared before him, along with ice arrows and various elemental spells. The spiritual light was so bright that it almost obscured the sky.
hōng ！
轰！
Lin Xuan’s pupils constricted; this wasn’t just the effect of the crystal cannons on the ship. The pirates had joined in the attack as well.
jù dà de wēng míng shēng chuán rù ěr lǐ ， kě pà de wēi lì jiāng fāng yuán shù lǐ de hǎi miàn jiǎo dé fān tiān fù dì 。
巨大的嗡鸣声传入耳里，可怕的威力将方圆数里的海面搅得翻天覆地。
One person couldn't defeat you alone, but many could. Even a master cultivator feared numbers. With so many attacks, how could he possibly defend against them all?
guāng shǒu yī zhèn mó hú ， bèi zhà dé sì fēn wǔ liè diào le 。
光手一阵模糊，被炸得四分五裂掉了。
The attacks covered every angle, and the third in command’s strategy was truly cunning; there would be no chance for Lin Xuan to escape. The Nine Heavens Microstep was now meaningless.
ér nà shān zéi dǎ bàn de èr dāng jiā ， zé sī háo dān gē yě wú ， huà wèi yī dào jīng hóng jiù fēi xiàng le yuǎn chù ” zhǔn bèi yǔ tóng bàn huì hé 。
而那山贼打扮的二当家，则丝毫耽搁也无，化为一道惊虹就飞向了远处”准备与同伴汇合。
Attacking from multiple sides was the wolf pack tactic—no matter how fierce a lion might be, it could only retreat.
dǎ bù guò jiù duǒ ， zhè jiā huo ， dào yě mán jī líng de 。
打不过就躲，这家伙，倒也蛮机灵的。
Although they were bandits, Black Gale pirates weren’t low-level thugs. They had been trained rigorously; such coordination had been practiced countless times. The few cultivators holding up array flags indicated that their previous attack not only relied on coordination but also utilized the power of an array.
xīn zhōng rú shì xiǎng zhe ， lín xuān què shēn xíng yī shǎn ， cóng yuán dì xiāo shī dé zōng yǐng quán wú ， suí hòu zài chū xiàn yǐ zài qiān yú zhàng zhī wài le 。
心中如是想着，林轩却身形一闪，从原地消失得踪影全无，随后再出现已在千余丈之外了。
Even a Separation Realm peak cultivator would be severely injured if hit head-on.
jiǔ tiān wēi bù ！
九天微步！
The Sage Hand Scholar was confident about this. After all these years, Black Gale pirates had been able to live freely because they weren’t just cautious; they had other tricks up their sleeves as well.
zhè mì shù yí dàn shī zhǎn chū ， tā yǔ èr dāng jiā jiān de jù lí ， dùn shí jí jù suō duǎn 。
这秘术一旦施展出，他与二当家间的距离，顿时急剧缩短。
This coordination was something even major sects couldn't replicate. Using the wolf pack tactic, they had defeated many formidable enemies.
duì fāng yòu jīng yòu nù ， què sī háo bàn fǎ yě wú ， zhè nǎ xiàng lí hé zhōng qī ， jiù suàn dà gē ， sì hū yě yǒu suǒ bù jí 。
对方又惊又怒，却丝毫办法也无，这哪像离合中期，就算大哥，似乎也有所不及。
The Sage Hand Scholar’s lips curled with satisfaction. The second in command's form also stopped. His third brother’s move this time was truly perfect—would he be completely annihilated if caught off guard?
èr dāng jiā xīn zhōng rú cǐ xiǎng zhe ， què gēn běn jiù bù gǎn huí guò tóu lú ， zhǐ shì yī xīn pīn mìng pǎo zhe 。
二当家心中如此想着，却根本就不敢回过头颅，只是一心拼命跑着。
He stared wide-eyed, his face full of unhidden anticipation. Soon, the smoke cleared, but the thick fog formed by the evaporating water vapor didn’t obscure their vision for cultivators.
The second in command, who was in charge of the matter, was a corpulent and bald-headed cultivator.
His appearance was not much different from that of ordinary bandits. He wore a pair of jacket-like robes, shouldering a large ghost-head saber. His ears were wide and his nose resembled garlic; he was ugly to begin with, but what really stood out was the vulgar aura emanating from him.
To the naked eye, he seemed just an ordinary bandit—hardly someone who could be connected with a master cultivator. But as the saying goes, "One should not judge a book by its cover," and this fellow truly turned out to be a high-level cultivator. The spiritual pressure radiating from him was indeed that of a Separation Realm cultivator, thick and robust.
He naturally saw Lin Xuan leave the Spirit Boat and quickly approach his location. His eyes narrowed slightly as he let a hint of amusement show on his face: "Interesting. This fat sheep has some guts."
"Second Brother, could there be a trap? The other party's actions are not too bold," said the Sage Hand Scholar with more caution, his expression stern.
"There is no trap. In this vast area, there can't possibly be another cultivator of Separation Realm. A mere Separation Realm cultivator from the other side, how could he possibly turn things around?"
The second in command dismissed such thoughts. While it was true that one should be cautious when doing business, being overly careful wasn’t always wise. There was a limit to everything; overthinking would only make one lose sight of the opportunity.
That young man was at most mid-stage Separation Realm, and he could take him down alone without much trouble.
"Stay here while I go and play with them."
Unlike other Black Gale pirates, this second in command not only craved wealth and was viciously cruel but also enjoyed killing. Seeing Lin Xuan come alone, he couldn't resist the urge to fight.
Killing a mid-stage Separation Realm cultivator would be quite satisfying!
"Second Brother," the Sage Hand Scholar couldn't help but laugh at his brother's recklessness. But since his stubborn brother wouldn’t listen, he could only watch helplessly.
It was definitely not advisable. No matter how one looked at it, this fat sheep showed no fear and had no backing; such behavior would be unwise in normal circumstances. However, the second in command ignored all advice and charged out.
Lin Xuan was taken aback. This didn't seem like Black Gale pirates' style—too bold and arrogant. Had he picked the wrong target?
Before his thoughts could fully form, the second in command hastily drew his ghost-head saber from his shoulder.
What a war-loving fellow!
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but be speechless. This was completely different from what the rumors about Black Gale pirates had described.
However, despite his surprise, he knew he couldn't stand idly by once the other party attacked. With a wave of his sleeve, the Nine Heavens Moon Ring flew out and rapidly grew to intercept the saber's blade.
Soon, the two precious items clashed. Although the ghost-head saber was of high quality, it could not compare with Lin Xuan’s ownsoul-bound treasure.
The disparity was obvious from the start; after barely touching, he was forced into a defensive position. As time passed, his situation grew worse, and the spiritual light dimmed.
"This..."
The second in command was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected such a result when he rushed out to fight. How could an ordinary mid-stage Separation Realm cultivator be so powerful?
It seemed that his third brother’s doubts had some merit after all.
Although he loved fighting, he naturally didn't have much interest in losing. Seeing Lin Xuan's overwhelming strength, he began to think of retreating. After all, these bandits might kill and rob, but they were always cowards who feared the strong.
However, it was too late now. The second in command, despite his strange appearance, clearly held a high position among the Black Gale pirates. Lin Xuan couldn't let him escape so easily.
With a wave of his sleeve, the surrounding heavenly qi surged wildly, and a green hand appeared before reaching out to grab the other party.
Seeing how quickly Lin Xuan gathered the heavenly qi, the second in command also sucked in a cold breath. He too waved his sleeve, but what came out were two bright black lightning pearls.
Boom!
A loud humming sound filled his ears as the terrifying power churned the sea for miles around. His hand was shattered into pieces by the explosion.
The bandit disguised second in command didn’t waste any time and transformed into a streak of light to flee towards his companions, preparing to regroup with them.
Unable to fight back, he ran away. This guy was quite clever.
Lin Xuan vanished from sight, reappearing more than a thousand feet away. Nine Heavens Microstep!
Once this secret technique was unleashed, the distance between him and the second in command rapidly narrowed.
The other party was both surprised and angry but had no way to stop it; he seemed to be outmatched even by his elder brother.
Thinking so, the second in command didn’t dare turn around. He just ran as fast as he could.
But such efforts were futile. As Lin Xuan was about to catch up, a voice shouted: "Release!"
Before he could react, countless light waves appeared before him, along with ice arrows and various elemental spells. The spiritual light was so bright that it almost obscured the sky.
Lin Xuan’s pupils constricted; this wasn’t just the effect of the crystal cannons on the ship. The pirates had joined in the attack as well.
One person couldn't defeat you alone, but many could. Even a master cultivator feared numbers. With so many attacks, how could he possibly defend against them all?
The attacks covered every angle, and the third in command’s strategy was truly cunning; there would be no chance for Lin Xuan to escape. The Nine Heavens Microstep was now meaningless.
Attacking from multiple sides was the wolf pack tactic—no matter how fierce a lion might be, it could only retreat.
Although they were bandits, Black Gale pirates weren’t low-level thugs. They had been trained rigorously; such coordination had been practiced countless times. The few cultivators holding up array flags indicated that their previous attack not only relied on coordination but also utilized the power of an array.
Even a Separation Realm peak cultivator would be severely injured if hit head-on.
The Sage Hand Scholar was confident about this. After all these years, Black Gale pirates had been able to live freely because they weren’t just cautious; they had other tricks up their sleeves as well.
This coordination was something even major sects couldn't replicate. Using the wolf pack tactic, they had defeated many formidable enemies.
The Sage Hand Scholar’s lips curled with satisfaction. The second in command's form also stopped. His third brother’s move this time was truly perfect—would he be completely annihilated if caught off guard?
He stared wide-eyed, his face full of unhidden anticipation. Soon, the smoke cleared, but the thick fog formed by the evaporating water vapor didn’t obscure their vision for cultivators.