Chapter 98

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In the violently shaking cabin, Zhou Chong, who had been lying on the bed, also stood up. The cabin was shaking so violently that lying on the bed would definitely result in being thrown off, so he could only hold onto the pillar in the cabin to avoid falling down, which showed how fierce the storm outside was.

At this moment, Xie Lingyun pushed the door open and walked in, which made Zhou Chong's heart leap with joy. However, a few guards followed her in, and although they were not as formidable as the Black Uncle who used to be by Xie Lingyun's side, they were all strong and muscular, clearly trained fighters.

Seeing the guards behind Xie Lingyun, Zhou Chong's heart sank. Capturing Xie Lingyun as a hostage with these guards around was not an easy task. If he failed, he would lose his only chance of escape. Therefore, he had to wait until he was absolutely sure before making a move.

With this in mind, Zhou Chong put on an angry expression, took a few quick steps toward Xie Lingyun, and said with a hateful voice, "Xie Lingyun, I trusted you so much, but I never thought you would use my trust to deceive me and bring me onto this ship. You truly have a heart as venomous as a scorpion!"

At Zhou Chong's angry curses, a faint trace of pain flashed in Xie Lingyun's eyes, but she maintained a calm expression and said in a very composed tone, "Business is like a battlefield, even more bloody and cruel. Young Master Zhou should understand this. What I did today was out of necessity!"

"Ha ha ha~. What a necessity! Your Xie family is so wealthy and powerful, several times stronger than our Nanyang Chamber of Commerce, yet you still use such despicable means against me, Zhou Chong. And you even have Miss Xie do it personally. Truly, the most venomous are women!" Zhou Chong shouted again, and while speaking, he pretended to lose control and tried to get closer to her, but was stopped by the guards three steps away.

"If Young Master Zhou called me here just to hear your curses, then I will take my leave!" Xie Lingyun said, turning to leave. Each curse from Zhou Chong felt like a knife stabbing her heart. Now, her heart was bleeding, and she was afraid that if she continued to be cursed, she would burst into tears.

"Stop!" Zhou Chong took a deep breath, calming his anger, and called out. Xie Lingyun indeed stopped, but did not turn around, as she did not want Zhou Chong to see the tears in her eyes.

"Although I have guessed some of the reasons why your Xie family wants to eliminate me, there are still some things I don't understand. Could you tell me the specific reasons why your Xie family wants to eliminate me? Even if I die, I want to die with a clear conscience!" Zhou Chong deliberately put on a puzzled expression. With the guards around, he had no chance to make a move, and he couldn't get them to leave. So he came up with this plan to buy some time. If he still had no chance in the end, he would have to fight his way out.

When Xie Lingyun heard that Zhou Chong wanted to hear her explanation, she finally turned around. Just as she was about to speak, a cheer suddenly came from the deck outside, followed by a man stumbling in to report, "Miss, Uesugi Kojiro has been captured and is now on the deck!"

Xie Lingyun's face lit up at the news, but when her eyes met Zhou Chong's, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. Uesugi Kojiro's capture also marked the end of Zhou Chong's life. She did not have the courage to look at Zhou Chong and quickly averted her gaze.

"Take me to see him!" Xie Lingyun suddenly said. Now that both Uesugi Kojiro and Zhou Chong were in her hands, she could order them killed, but for some reason, she found it hard to give the order in front of Zhou Chong, so she wanted to leave.

"Wait, I also want to see Uesugi Kojiro!" Zhou Chong suddenly said. The guards around Xie Lingyun were protecting her so tightly that he had no chance to act. Seeing her about to leave made him even more anxious, and without thinking, he made this unreasonable request.

Xie Lingyun wanted to refuse, but when her eyes met Zhou Chong's determined gaze, her heart softened, and she inexplicably nodded, "Alright, Young Master Zhou, please follow me!"

Seeing her agree, Zhou Chong was taken aback, but then he was overjoyed. The cabin was small, and with the guards protecting Xie Lingyun so tightly, he had no chance to act. But if he could get to the deck, the storm would make it difficult to stand, giving him a better chance to find an opportunity.

Xie Lingyun and Zhou Chong came to the deck, but Zhou Chong was now accompanied by two burly men, the same guards who had been guarding the cabin door. It seemed the Xie family was not foolish and also worried about Zhou Chong's tricks, so they had someone follow him wherever he went.

Zhou Chong followed Xie Lingyun to the deck, where he found a Japanese man lying on the deck. The man was muscular and had a fierce appearance, with several bloody wounds on his chest and thighs. He was soaking wet, his belly swollen, and dirty water occasionally oozed from his mouth. He was unconscious, and because of this, the Xie family had not tied him up.

"Miss, this is Uesugi Kojiro. I saw him once before in Shuangyu Port!" Shui Aunt immediately reported to Xie Lingyun as they arrived on the deck. However, her eyes were fixed on Zhou Chong, and her expression was complex.

Hearing Shui Aunt's report, Xie Lingyun also examined Uesugi Kojiro. Just then, a sudden change occurred. Uesugi Kojiro, who had been lying like a dead pig, suddenly jumped up, spitting out a mouthful of seawater that hit the faces of the Xie family warriors surrounding him.

Caught off guard, the Xie family warriors were all blinded by the bitter seawater. Taking advantage of this, Uesugi Kojiro quickly crouched down, snatched a waist knife from one of the guards, and slashed off his head. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he rushed to Xie Lingyun, about to strike.

No one expected that Uesugi Kojiro, who had been filled with seawater, would not only be unconscious but also able to attack. Therefore, neither Xie Lingyun nor Zhou Chong, nor the guards, reacted in time. When they tried to protect Xie Lingyun, it was too late.

The closest to Xie Lingyun was Shui Aunt, who had just reported to her. Seeing the murderous Uesugi Kojiro rushing toward her mistress, Shui Aunt stepped in front of Xie Lingyun and shouted, "Miss, retreat quickly..."

Before Shui Aunt could finish her sentence, Uesugi Kojiro kicked her to the ground and placed his long sword at Xie Lingyun's neck.

"Ha ha ha~. Everyone, back off, or I'll have no choice but to be ruthless!" Uesugi Kojiro laughed triumphantly. On the ship, he had seen that he was outnumbered and had come up with a plan similar to Zhou Chong's: to take Xie Lingyun as a hostage.

However, Uesugi Kojiro's method was much more sophisticated. After pretending to fall into the water, he used a special technique to fill his stomach with seawater, creating the illusion of drowning. This allowed him to suddenly spew seawater to blind his enemies, making it easier to counterattack and achieve a desperate victory. This technique was known only to a few highly skilled Japanese warriors and looked almost identical to drowning, making it hard for the uninitiated to detect.

However, Uesugi Kojiro's plan was risky. If the Xie family had been more cautious and tied him up after capturing him, he would have been forced to surrender. But his luck was good. The Xie family, perhaps blinded by the impending victory, relaxed their guard after seeing him drown, allowing him to strike and take Xie Lingyun hostage.

Seeing their mistress in Uesugi Kojiro's hands, the guards who had rushed over were now hesitant to act, and at Uesugi Kojiro's command, they all stepped back, afraid of harming Xie Lingyun.

Seeing Uesugi Kojiro so easily take Xie Lingyun hostage, Zhou Chong was greatly impressed. He never expected this muscular Japanese man to have such skills, not only faking his death convincingly but also being incredibly strong. He doubted he could last long against him in a direct confrontation.

Xie Lingyun was also shocked. She never imagined that the situation would reverse so quickly, leaving her in Uesugi Kojiro's hands, with the guards hesitant to act. The thought of the torture she might suffer at the hands of the enemy made her usually calm face turn pale.

"U... Uesugi Kojiro, don't hurt Miss, we can let you go!" Shui Aunt, who had been kicked away by Uesugi Kojiro, finally got up, holding her stomach in pain. Although she held real power in the Xie family, she was just a woman, and Uesugi Kojiro's kick felt like a knife in her stomach. But with the mistress in the enemy's hands, she, as the highest-ranking person on the ship, had to endure the pain and take charge.

"Let me go?" Uesugi Kojiro grinned cruelly, "I don't trust your Xie family. Prepare a small boat for me, and have Miss Xie see me off. Once I'm safe, I'll release her!"

As he spoke, Uesugi Kojiro's eyes swept over the people on the deck and suddenly saw Zhou Chong, who was flanked by two guards. His face lit up, and he pointed at Zhou Chong, "This must be Young Master Zhou. Please come with Miss Xie to see me off!" (To be continued. Please search for Piaotian Literature for faster updates and better reading experience!)