Chapter 279: Chapter 278: Like a Tiger with Wings
However, facing Ye Fan’s sincere request, the man only replied dejectedly, "Then you should leave."
"Oh?"
Ye Fan couldn’t understand why he would be rejected. So, he asked, "Is three years of service not worth your freedom?"
"A mere three years is nothing, so what if it were thirty? Unfortunately, I’m already a cripple. What use could I possibly be?"
"Therefore, you should go! Since I’m a cripple anyway, just let me waste away and die on this ship!"
Ye Fan said, "Why cling to such despair? Your martial power hasn’t been lost. It’s only your meridians that are severed. I have a way to heal you!"
"What? You really have a way to heal me?"
The man’s head snapped up. He stared at Ye Fan in utter shock, his murky eyes filled with disbelief.
"That’s right!"
Ye Fan nodded. In fact, his greatest strength as the King of Heaven wasn’t his martial prowess, but his medical skills, which were comparable to a reincarnated Hua Tuo.
The man then said, "If you can truly heal me, then serving you for three years is nothing! There’s just one condition: after three years, you must let me go seek my revenge!"
As he spoke, his eyes blazed with fury.
Ye Fan asked, "Why wait three years?"
He replied, "Because within three years, I’ll be no match for that hidden Sect. Forget three years, even thirty might not be enough!"
On this point, he was painfully aware of reality.
"Fine," Ye Fan said. "After three years, I’ll go with you. Consider it compensation for your three years of service."
"Are you really willing to help me?"
The man was astonished.
Ye Fan said, "My word is my bond. What I say, I do. Besides, it’s a good opportunity to see what those hidden Sects are made of!"
"Good, good, good!" the man exclaimed, overcome with emotion. "To think I would meet such a kindred spirit in my lifetime."
Ye Fan walked over to him and said, "Let me break the chains that bind you."
"Go ahead!"
The man held the chains out to Ye Fan.
The Yuanhong Sword flashed. The man saw only a blur of light before Ye Fan had already sheathed the weapon. With that, the chains binding him fell apart.
He struggled to his feet. Because his meridians were severed, Ye Fan stepped forward to support him.
At that moment, he asked Ye Fan, "Leader, to be so accomplished at such a young age, your future is immeasurable. May I ask your name?"
"Ye Fan!"
Ye Fan told him his name without hesitation.
"And your name, Senior?"
The man answered, a bit awkwardly, "Nangong."
It was a unique name. Ye Fan nodded to show he had heard.
Then, Ye Fan led him onto the luxury cruise ship. A group of his men immediately rushed to support Nangong. They were shocked that a man had been hidden away on that dilapidated old ship, and that Ye Fan had brought him aboard.
Ye Fan said to his subordinates, "Take him for a bath. I’m going to reconnect his meridians!"
"Yes!"
Tian Can immediately went to make the arrangements.
Just then, Di Que asked, "Leader, who is this guy? He looks like a beggar!"
Ye Fan replied, "His past name and experiences are unimportant. What matters is that he will soon be another powerful warrior in my Heavenly King Hall!"
"You can’t be serious! The man needs help just to walk. He looks like a lost cause."
Di Que was stunned that Ye Fan had such high expectations for Nangong.
Ye Fan said, "You can’t judge everything by its surface. You don’t believe me? Just wait. You will soon see how useful and powerful he is!"
Once everything was ready, Ye Fan saw Nangong’s true face. Though his features were plain, his aura was in no way inferior to Ye Fan’s own. More importantly, he radiated an aura of profound calm. After all, years of confinement were enough to forge his will.
Nangong asked Ye Fan, "Leader, shall we begin now?"
"We’ll start now," Ye Fan said. "The process will be extremely painful. I hope you can endure it."
Nangong nodded. "I can endure any amount of pain."
Then, Ye Fan took out a dagger and began to make incisions where Nangong’s meridians were severed.
With every cut of the blade, Nangong let out a muffled grunt. His endurance was truly astonishing. Throughout the entire process, his face was deathly pale and drenched in cold sweat, but he never cried out.
Once all the incisions were made, Ye Fan began the process of reconnecting Nangong’s meridians. The procedure lasted for six full hours.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ye Fan said calmly, "Your meridians are now stable, but you must not use any Martial Arts for at least three days."
Nangong thanked him gratefully. "Thank you, Leader! You have given me the courage to live again!"
"Don’t be so formal. We’re all family now. This is what I should do," Ye Fan said.
"Yes!"
Nangong nodded. Despite Ye Fan’s youth, Nangong felt he was a man worth following. He had a remarkably broad perspective, a conclusion he had reached from the very beginning. By contrast, it had taken Black Fog two months of following Ye Fan to achieve such an outlook.
After Nangong joined Ye Fan’s group, the cruise ship sped up, sailing for another three days. Normally, the journey to Japan wouldn’t take so long. However, this mission had to be conducted in secret, so even though the ship was fast, it had to avoid certain routes.
Just then, Tian Can came forward to report, "Leader, the sea ahead is a notorious pirate domain. Piracy here is rampant and unchecked!"
Ye Fan said, "Don’t worry. If they dare make a move, I’ll show them the meaning of doom."
"Yes!"
Tian Can immediately departed.
The next day, as they entered an archipelago, Tian Can, acting as a lookout, reported, "Leader, the pirate domain lies among the islands ahead! A large number of pirates are gathered there!"
"Sail straight for them. Annihilate anyone who stands in our way!" Ye Fan commanded.
"Yes!"
Tian Can ordered the crew to sail the cruise ship forward.
Weaving through the archipelago, Black Fog and Nangong stood before Ye Fan. Sure enough, about ten kilometers ahead, a dense flotilla of ships lay in wait for their luxury cruise ship.
"There are ships behind us, too!"
Ye Fan turned and saw seven or eight ships blocking their retreat.
Although the island cluster contained many sea routes, there was only one true exit. Veering off course would likely mean running aground on a reef or getting lost in a maze of waterways. Clearly, the cruise ship had been caught in a pincer movement by these pirates, who knew the local waters intimately.
As the distance between them closed, Ye Fan used a telescope and saw many unruly pirates on the ships. One man stood out among them.
This man was powerful. Ye Fan judged him to be at the King-level. Although he wasn’t a High-level King-level, anyone who reached this realm was sure to have a few tricks up their sleeve.
To capture the bandits, one must first capture their king. Ye Fan had no intention of foolishly engaging in a bloody battle with the pirates in front and behind. All he had to do was kill the Pirate Leader.
Just as Ye Fan prepared to make a move himself, Nangong suddenly stepped forward. "Leader, leave this man to me."
