31

Another month later, Pef and Xie left towards Port Li, moving along the shoreline. A trader ship didn't arrive in Lacrimosa on time. And as Emperor, he kinda had to fix the problem.

The capital was mostly safe, with 3 Earth ranks guarding it, and a fourth one, Aunt Zian, only a step away.

She was now also straining her soul with smithing, crafting herself Spirit and Earth items, from some bones gifted by her son-in-law.

In a year, Zian should cross the peak into Earth rank, as long she kept up loving and training.

Pef's soul scanned the various coves and inlets along the shore, and kept a lookout for fishermen and pirates. Often the same people, as it happens.

"Found four white auras below!" Xie exclaimed in amazement. Pef took her hand then folded the airship, while he also tried to locate the potential recruits. Only the shore was empty.

"Where are they?" Pef muttered a bit annoyed.

"Look towards the sea, my dear husband" Xie whispered while gently poking his chin.

As Pef turned around, Xie climbed on his back, in a natural move by now.

Two boats were going parallel, dragging a net between them, and aboard were four people with white auras.

Pef sped up and in a minute her arrived above them.

A man, a woman and two boys were rowing with smooth moves, while the sails were rolled up.

Pef descended closer, scanning the ships and cargo. Then he pretended to attack, forming pistol fingers with both hands. The woman yelled in fear, and held a hand up in defense.

"Bang Bang, you shot me down!" he chanted, blowing imaginary smoke from his fingers.

"Is there a point in scaring the poor woman?" his wife asked confused.

"Finding an oracle" he whispered as he debarked in the small boat, but kept his mass low.

"Great sage! Don't hurt us!" the woman pleaded, her eyes wide with fear.

"Fishing is not illegal. Why would I hurt you, woman?" the Emperor asked faking confusion.

"But...I sensed it. Just like storms or rain. I'm mostly right when I sense things" the woman whispered, looking towards the net full of fish.

Pef leaned lower and grabbed the net, and it vanished, along with the fish inside.

"I am Pef, this is Xie, my wife. We need to talk" he told the scarred woman, looking at his hand with wide eyes.

An hour later, the fisherman family found themselves flying, not something they expected, when they left their home for this fishing expedition.

"So, we can be Guardians? Like the nobles?" the boys asked with childish naivety.

"Nobles are just people born with qi, who lived long enough to become rich. As are all four of you. Although you're all very young..." Pef explained while his gaze searched them in turn.

"I am 18!" the first boy proclaimed proudly.

"I am 16!" the other followed.

"My husband is 49, and I am 44." the woman said with a small voice.

"Nice. I am 18 as well. Xie is...."

"Much older" his wife continued in a warning tone.

"And yet you're the one flying, and she is not..." the fisherman noticed with a frown.

"My wife suffered some mishap. But she'll recover in a few years. She is a badass woman" our hero explained with a small grin.

"So, why are you flying slowly over the shore like this?" the youngest boy wondered, his face curious and innocent.

"There're some pirates prowling about. And they have a ship building base somewhere..."

Xie answered while her eyes changed to silver for a second.

"Being a pirate would be really cool!" the boy continued with dreamy eyes.

His brother slapped his head, in a natural move, like he had done thousands of times.

"Yes, chasing down merchant ships, looting precious cargo, massacring the crew...maybe they even have passengers. Some ladies maybe. You could rape and torture them, before you gut them and throw them to the fish..." Pef mused to himself, and copying the dreamy voice.

'Ah, piracy! So romantic from far away' the gloved mused wisely. Xie growled a little, then her eyes flashed silver, and she stopped.

A weird silence followed, as the people on board stared between the two boys.

The young boy looked sick. "That's not...I wouldn't..." he muttered as the words filtered into his brain.

"I thought I raised you better, Jun!" his mother yelled as her face paled.

"Sorry ma', stupid head dreaming of adventure..." Jun pleaded with a shamed look.

"So, esteemed oracle. You have an idea where these pirates might be?" Pef asked in a careless voice, while one hand kept the airship steady, and the other a spider carapace shard, which he was soul forging into a machete shape.

It wasn't easy yet, but he pushed harder, forcing the hard material to obey and flow. As Xia explained, one had to overpower the qi inside the beast bone and bend it to your will.

And it was why smiths had powerful souls.

After a few hours, the oracle opened her eyes and nodded. "Blue cove, I think. There was a small village there"

'Found it, if it's a round lake' the glove said in a second.

"Round lake, with a small exit to the sea?" Pef asked while checking his inner map.

"There are also some big rocks in front, waters are blue and calm, waves aren't big at all" the oracle confirmed with a cautious nod.

"Seems over 500 kilometers away. About 5 or 6 days, if we get good winds" Pef answered with a quick mental check.

"Mister Pef, you're going to fight the pirates, by yourself?" the old boy asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Pef scratched his cheek, eyeing the monster beside him. "What do you say, dear wife?"

"Don't stand between me and my fun" Xie answered in a sweet voice.

Pef nodded amused. "So, how do you fishermen deal with pain?" he asked with some ulterior motive. The young family blinked back confused.

While the new Guardians cried and teared, Pef continued smithing, and cooking. Xie took turns flying the airship, and feeding the poor recruits.

A week later, he had made a set of armor and machetes for the new recruits. Barely Practitioners all four of them, but with an Earth rank breastplate and helmet each.

"Xie, leave like 40 of them alive, just crush their limbs..." Pef whispered before his wife jumped in.

Pef circled round, and brought the airship to land on the beach. Screams began filling the cove, as the beast was rampaging through the pirate base.

An hour later, the sun began rising out of the sea, red as blood.

"Okay, let's go see what's left of the brave pirates" Pef said calmly, while the new recruits clenched their weapons with white hands.

"Is it safe?" the husband asked cautiously.

"Walk slowly, and don't startle the monster" our hero whispered with a shudder.

As they crested the hill, a horror scene of gruesome proportions greeted them, the blue waters were red and filled with human limbs and organs.

The pirate ships were half-sunk, masts broken and decks ripped open. One the beach, more blood flowed freely, coming from a few hundreds heads dangling from broken weapons.

Some 40 pirates were lined on the sand, without legs or arms, and barely alive. All were Core ranks however, thus able to hold on for another day, if anyone wanted them.

Xie was somewhere inside a building, and desperate screams emerged, begging for help or mercy.

'Wow, she moves fast' Pef thought to himself, while his recruits observed the scenery in awe. Or maybe horror.

'You were twice as fast, at that rank' the glove answered after comparing some old records.

'Yea, I never stopped to stomp on people's groins, waste of time.' the hero allowed with a sigh.

"Guys, each of you take 10 pirates. Go for the necks, or we'll be here till evening" Pef ordered pointing at the crippled pirates.

He walked around and entered the building, where Xie was still melting of some guy's groin.

Beside the men were a few young girls, dead and bloody.

Pef walked outside without a word. Revenge would work even hot, this time.