Chapter 20: Deception and Blood Money

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions echoed from outside the city.

The Krieg Pirates had ignited the Gray Terminal, and Su Xiao's main mission deadline was only a few hours away. After three days of preparation, the moment of reckoning had finally come.

As the night descended, Su Xiao moved silently through the dim streets, heading toward the city gates.

Outside the city, at the Gray Terminal.

Explosions rocked the area, turning the sky into a blazing inferno. The burning piles of garbage were flung high into the air as the flames quickly spread.

The homeless who had been sleeping in the Gray Terminal were startled awake by the sudden explosions. As they scrambled to escape, the fire had already engulfed the garbage heaps, trapping them.

Horrific screams mixed with the roaring flames and explosions created a nightmarish scene. If hell existed, this was it.

The Krieg Pirates, watching the fire spread from a safe distance, began to make their way quickly toward the city gates. According to their agreement with Su Xiao, once the Gray Terminal was set ablaze, they were to head straight to the gates, where Su Xiao would have them opened.

Of course, Krieg didn't trust Su Xiao completely. Handing his fate to someone else was something he couldn't tolerate. After their meeting, Su Xiao had sent his trusted subordinate, Hank, to accompany the pirates.

By now, Hank had disguised himself as a pirate and followed closely behind Krieg.

"Hurry! The fire is spreading fast, and we'll be in danger if we stay here too long." Krieg shouted, urging his men forward.

Three minutes later, the Krieg Pirates reached the gates.

Seeing the massive gates in front of them, the pirates grinned. Their task was complete, and soon they would be inside the city, ready to enjoy their new life. Krieg, in particular, was already fantasizing about his future as a noble—luxurious mansions, fine food, and the bodies of beautiful women.

At that moment, Krieg even considered giving up his life as a pirate.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Krieg knocked on the gate.

"Open up! We're the Krieg Pirates, and the Gray Terminal is burning as planned!"

But after the knock, there was only silence. The only sound was the crackling of the fire behind them, while the city remained eerily quiet.

"Hey! Open the gate! The fire's spreading!"

Still nothing. Krieg began to panic.

Behind them, the fire raged, devouring everything in its path. In front of them stood the sturdy, unyielding gates. They were trapped.

It wouldn't be long before they were consumed by the flames.

"What's going on? Why isn't the gate opening?" Krieg's eyes were bloodshot, and he turned to glare at Hank like a furious beast.

Hank's lips trembled as fear gripped him. He was just an ordinary guard sent by Su Xiao, completely unaware of the king's betrayal.

"No... no way. Wait, let me try again." Hank stammered, starting to realize the horrifying truth.

"Bang, bang, bang! Open the gate! I'm Hank from the Royal Guard! Byakuya, get out here! NOW!"

Hank's shouts echoed through the night, but there was no response.

"Byakuya, I'll kill you!" Krieg's voice was filled with rage as he finally understood. He had been tricked by Su Xiao, and now they were nothing more than disposable pawns.

His bloodshot eyes fixed on Hank.

"Burn. Him. Alive."

Krieg's voice was low and menacing, and his crew wasted no time. They bound Hank and threw him into the approaching flames.

"No! It's not my fault! Byakuya, you'll burn in hell!" Hank's screams echoed through the inferno, but within seconds, they were silenced.

Just as the Krieg Pirates were on the verge of despair, a low, calm voice spoke from atop the city walls.

"Hey, down there. Do you want to live?"

The pirates flinched in unison.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Krieg demanded, his voice unsteady.

By the light of the flames, they could make out a thin, middle-aged man standing on the wall.

Just as Krieg was about to speak again, several barrels of explosives were thrown down from the wall.

Seeing the barrels land near them, Krieg's heart raced with fear. Behind them was a wall of fire, and now it seemed the plan was to blow them up.

"Blow open the gate, and you might still have a chance." the man said before vanishing into the darkness.

There was a brief moment of hesitation, but then Gin, Krieg's trusted lieutenant, ran forward and started positioning the barrels against the gate.

Voices of alarm could be heard from inside the city as the guards realized what was happening outside.

Krieg tore off his black cloak, revealing his yellow armor underneath, and raised his arm. A gunshot rang out as he fired at the barrels.

Boom!

The explosion sent the pirates reeling, knocking them backward. Several unfortunate crew members were struck by flying debris and killed instantly.

The Krieg Pirates, once numbering in the hundreds, had lost at least a dozen men to the explosion. But it was a small price to pay.

The gate had been blown open.

As they stepped over the broken bodies of the city guards, the Krieg Pirates entered the capital.

This was a group of enraged pirates, and they had come to pillage, burn, and kill.

"Hey! You there, stop!" Krieg's sharp gaze fell on a figure hiding in the shadows, his gun still raised.

"Don't shoot! I'm the one who saved you!" The middle-aged man from the wall stepped out of the darkness, fear evident in his eyes.

"Why did you save me? I don't remember knowing you." Krieg said, not lowering his weapon.

"I hate Byakuya. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." the man explained quickly.

Krieg's lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Where is Byakuya?"

"He's at the royal palace, receiving a noble title from the king as a reward." the man replied.

Hearing words like "reward" and "noble title" made Krieg's blood boil. That should have been his.

Bang! The gunshot rang out, and a large, bloody hole appeared in the man's chest. Krieg had shot him dead on the spot.

"You bastard, throwing explosives at me... you tried to kill me!"

With that, Krieg and his crew stormed toward the royal palace. They would kill Su Xiao, kill the king, and loot the palace to make up for their losses that night.

The middle-aged man lay on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth as his body twitched. His vision dimmed as the Krieg Pirates disappeared into the distance.

Just then, a young man with a cigarette in his mouth emerged from the shadows.

"Did you... did you give the money to my wife and daughter? I did everything you asked." the dying man gasped.

Su Xiao crouched down beside him, exhaling a puff of smoke.

"You did well. The money has already been delivered to them."

"Thank you... thank you..." The man's eyes finally went dark, and he died from Krieg's gunshot.

The man had been a death row inmate Su Xiao had rescued from prison. Their arrangement was simple: Su Xiao paid him money, and in return, the man paid with his life. A fair and yet unfair deal.

As Su Xiao watched the Krieg Pirates vanish into the night, he crushed his cigarette underfoot.

"Krieg Pirates... don't disappoint me now."

Disappearing into the night, Su Xiao quickly headed toward the royal palace.

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note :- I am Not that familiar with a lot of the fictional worlds mentioned in the story. So if I make a mistake naming something please correct me by writing a paragraph comment on the mistake. Thank you.

Also should I change the name of the character from Byakuya to Bai Ye or White Night. I went with Byakuya as it sounded more Japanese but now I think Bai Ye/White Night will look good. Please tell if I change the name for the Chinese One or the English One.