Emperor Taixiang passed away, and with a young master ascending to the throne, turmoil was inevitable. While the Northern Territories remained relatively peaceful under the garrison of Prince Zhenbei, the situation in the Southern Region suddenly grew tense.

“You lot, come over here and crouch down, hold your heads!” Dozens of men dressed as Japanese pirates brandished gleaming Japanese swords, shouting at the people on a passenger ship who had been driven, with nowhere to escape.

The people on the passenger ship successively boarded the pirates’ vessel, crouching with their heads held as instructed by the pirates along the ship’s edge.

The pirate leader pointed at the passenger ship, and soon dispatched a squad of pirates to board it.

Yang Houcheng, crouching on the deck dressed similarly to his companions, winked at a comrade beside him.

That companion had bright, spirited eyes and glared fiercely at Yang Houcheng—it was none other than Xie Shengxiao disguised in men’s clothing.

Yang Houcheng whispered: “Leave that leader to me—”

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Shengxiao unexpectedly leaped up, drew out the soft whip coiled around her waist to hook the pirate leader’s sword, and with a forceful twist of her wrist, seized the weapon. Gripping the Japanese sword, she slashed at the pirate leader.

The pirate leader began wailing loudly.

The pirates remaining on the ship immediately raised their blades to attack, while those who had been crouching with their heads down all leaped up at once, engaging the pirates in fierce combat.

“Reinforcements, reinforcements!” The pirate leader, pressed hard by Xie Shengxiao and struggling to defend himself, shouted toward the passenger ship, hoping to call back that squad of pirates.

What answered him, however, were the sounds of fierce fighting coming from the passenger ship.

“We’ve been tricked, wah wah!” The pirate leader cried out in rage, and in a moment of distraction, his shoulder was struck by Xie Shengxiao’s blade.

Xie Shengxiao swept her long whip with her other hand, forcing back those who rushed forward to rescue the pirate leader, then, with a swift motion of her blade, severed the pirate leader’s head.

The pirate leader’s head flew high into the air, blood spurting from the neck cavity and splashing across Xie Shengxiao’s face.

Yet Xie Shengxiao didn’t even twitch an eyebrow, casually wiping away the blood to reveal a handsome countenance.

“You don’t play fair! We agreed that this pirate leader would be mine!” Yang Houcheng shouted in exasperation.

Xie Shengxiao smiled triumphantly: “Killing pirates requires following rules? Are you an idiot?”

Yang Houcheng kicked away a pirate who took the opportunity to charge forward, fuming: “I’ll settle accounts with you after this is over!”

“As if I’m afraid of you?” Under the bright sunlight, Xie Shengxiao laughed heartily, backhanding another pirate to death.

With the pirates divided into two groups and Yang Houcheng’s men all being battle-hardened veterans, after fierce fighting for over half an hour, they had captured all the pirates.

Of the dozens of pirates, only four or five remained, all kneeling and awaiting their fate.

“Not bad this time, we caught a few alive,” Yang Houcheng said with a grin.

Xie Shengxiao walked over with pursed lips and, with a swift motion, severed one pirate’s head.

“What are you doing? These are prisoners!” Yang Houcheng exclaimed urgently.

Xie Shengxiao glanced at him dismissively, curling her lip in disdain: “What prisoners? Take them back to waste food?”

“But General Xiao instructed—”

Xie Shengxiao interrupted Yang Houcheng: “Well, I didn’t hear it. These damn bastards probably became pirates because they couldn’t get enough to eat and wanted to harm our Great Liang people. If we don’t kill them now, are we supposed to take them back to eat free meals? That would be exactly what these damn bastards want!”

The few captured pirates were half-dead with rage upon hearing this.

This person was looking down on them too much—they became bandits to strike it rich, not to become prisoners just for a free meal!

“Look at these people’s expressions, all looking unconvinced. They think eating free meals isn’t enough—they want to burn, kill, and plunder to make it worthwhile. Why keep such people alive instead of killing them? For the New Year?” Xie Shengxiao chopped off the remaining prisoners’ heads like cutting vegetables, kicked the corpses into the sea, and laughed: “We can’t bring people back, but these Japanese swords and this ship can still be taken back. Alright, job’s done.”

Watching his subordinates bow their heads to suppress laughter while cleaning up the battlefield, Yang Houcheng said with a dark face: “You’re a young lady after all—could you not keep saying ‘damn bastards’ all the time?”

Xie Shengxiao coiled the long whip around her waist, casually wiped the blood from her hands on her robe, and walked toward the passenger ship while sneering: “Then how can you say such things?”

Yang Houcheng followed: “I’ve told you eight hundred times—I’m a man!”

“Ha, then let me ask you: when pirates harm our Great Liang people, do they show mercy to Great Liang women and only kill Great Liang men?”

“Well, they don’t—”

“That’s right, so why can’t I call pirates damn bastards?”

“The way you are, who would dare marry you?” Yang Houcheng muttered quietly.

“What did you say?” Xie Shengxiao stopped.

Yang Houcheng’s scalp went numb: “Nothing, let’s hurry. General Xiao is still waiting for us to report back.”

The two led their subordinates back to camp with their spoils of war, walking shoulder to shoulder into the tent.

General Xiao was studying sea charts in the military tent. Hearing the commotion, he set down the charts and smiled: “You’re back. How did it go?”

Yang Houcheng excitedly recounted the battle, while Xie Shengxiao coolly interjected: “I killed the pirate leader.”

“So eager to claim credit!” Yang Houcheng grumbled.

Xie Shengxiao ignored him, her eyes bright as she asked General Xiao: “General, we agreed that whichever of General Yang and I killed ten pirate leaders first would become the vanguard general, while the other would serve as deputy. Now you should fulfill your promise, shouldn’t you?”

General Xiao burst into laughter: “General Xie reminds me—it’s time to fulfill the promise—”

“Wait!” Yang Houcheng became extremely anxious: “General, Xie Shengxiao has only killed nine pirate leaders, not ten yet!”

Though he was currently behind by one, he still had a chance to catch up.

It was all because Xie Shengxiao was cunning—otherwise, today he would have been ahead by one.

General Xiao stroked his short beard and smiled: “Here’s the thing—last night, General Xie secretly executed a mission and killed a pirate leader, so including today’s, that makes exactly ten.”

Yang Houcheng’s eyes nearly popped out as he pointed at Xie Shengxiao: “Xie Shengxiao, you cheated!”

Xie Shengxiao lightly brushed away his hand, saying coldly: “Showing no respect for hierarchy—is this how you speak to a superior?”

“You—”

Xie Shengxiao smiled at General Xiao: “General, then this subordinate will go wash up first.”

“Go ahead,” General Xiao said with a grin.

“This subordinate takes leave,” Xie Shengxiao cupped her fists, turned, and walked out.

“Xie Shengxiao, stop right there!” Yang Houcheng chased after her in exasperation.

Xie Shengxiao stopped, turned around, her pale face still stained with blood: “Does General Yang have business with me?”

Yang Houcheng, thinking about having to follow Xie Shengxiao’s orders in the future, felt it would be like living in darkness. He raged: “I’ve never seen such a shameless, cunning as a fox, crude and savage… woman!”

Hearing Yang Houcheng struggle to string together a series of derogatory words, Xie Shengxiao picked her ear and asked unhurriedly: “Are you done?”

“No!” Young General Yang was nearly in tears, finally concluding forcefully: “In any case, a woman like you will never get married in this lifetime!”

Upon hearing this, Xie Shengxiao turned and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Yang Houcheng blinked, somewhat regretting having spoken too harshly.

After taking two steps, Xie Shengxiao turned around and said with a beaming smile: “Who says I can’t get married? Someone once said he would take responsibility for me. Oh my, let me think—who was that forgetful bastard?”

Yang Houcheng watched helplessly as Xie Shengxiao walked away with swagger, only then coming to his senses.

There was a fool who wanted to marry Xie Shengxiao? Who was so desperate?

Wait, that fool seemed to be him—