The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 525 Hirado
"Truly...a feast for the eyes."

With one palm, Lu Wushuang pressed the squealing head in front of him into his chest cavity, and then suddenly flicked his sleeves. His two long sleeves became like steel whips, smashing the chests of the Japanese men on both sides until they caved in and blood gushed out.

But ninety percent of her mind was elsewhere.

Karaara—

The towering mast of the merchant ship was violently snapped off. Li Miao's right hand was deeply embedded in the mast, and his protective true energy extended along the surface of the mast, turning it into an indestructible divine weapon.

Woo——woo——

Li Miao held the mast in one hand and casually swung it a few times in the air, producing a powerful, chilling sound as it cut through the wind.

"Hmm, it'll do."

He lowered his head, smiled, and looked at the group of Japanese pirates who were standing there dumbfounded, and said.

"Just bear with it, it will be over soon, it won't hurt at all."

May you be reborn into a better family in your next life.

Before the words were even finished, the mast fell, sweeping across the entire area. Dozens of bodies, along with the cargo and noble houses piled on the deck, exploded, and debris rained down into the sea.

"hiss--"

Lu Wushuang, standing behind, narrowed her eyes and involuntarily clenched her fists, feeling her heart skip a beat.

"That's it! That's it!"

“Only a remarkable man like him deserves my heartfelt trust… Brother An, thank you! When I return to the Central Plains, I will repay you handsomely!”

That attack just now had wiped out most of the Japanese pirates on the ship, leaving the deck completely bare. Only a few Japanese pirates remained inside the cabins.

Li Miao casually tossed the mast into the sea, then turned and walked to the side to lean against it, closing his eyes to rest. He spoke casually, as if he had just brushed off some dust.

"Stop looking, hurry up."

Lu Wushuang replied with a smile.

"Yes, sir, please wait a moment."

After saying that, he flicked his hands and pulled out two short swords from his sleeves, then flipped over and leaped into the cabin through the hole Li Miao had blasted open.

The waves surged, and the ship's hull rose and fell.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Lu Wushuang leaped out of the cave carrying the unconscious Sasakura Nanako, and with one arm outstretched, showed the girl to Li Miao.

"My lord, how about we choose her?"

"She has delicate skin and fair skin, and seems to be someone of status who knows a lot. She's also reasonably good-looking, not at all off-putting. She's young and easy to get information out of people, so she'd be perfect as a guide."

Li Miao didn't even look at him before turning around and jumping off the deck.

"Whatever, I'm leaving."

Lu Wushuang agreed and then jumped off the deck.

--------

Japan, Kyushu, Hirado Port.

In a shed along the harbor, two samurai with katanas at their waists were squatting on the ground, sipping water and talking while looking at the empty harbor.

"If this continues, our salaries will be reduced again."

One of them scratched his head and said with a troubled expression.

“In the past, the port was always packed with merchant ships from the Central Plains, and even on bad days, there would always be about half of them... But in the past month, not a single smuggling ship has been seen.”

"Could it be that the Central Plains court has tightened the maritime ban again?"

The other one clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Who knows? And what does it have to do with us?"

"All I know is that I need to eat. When the next merchant ship comes, I'll just rob some of their goods. Anyway, these Central Plains people are just bastards; they won't dare to complain even if they're bullied."

His companion nodded, agreeing with his assessment. They were just outsiders, and smugglers violating the laws of the Central Plains anyway. Even if they were killed, no one would back them up… That's what we'll do!
As they were talking, a look of joy suddenly appeared on their faces.

Because a black dot appeared on the distant horizon.

ship.

And it's coming this way!

The two samurai quickly got up, tucked their katanas into their belts, and ran towards the port.

But after running only a few steps, their expressions darkened again.

Because it wasn't just the two of them running this way... Just by looking, there were dozens of people, some familiar and some not, and they all had knives at their waists.

The two suddenly realized that with the smuggling merchant ships from the Central Plains not coming, it wasn't just them who were starving; even the daimyo of Hirado Castle, Matsuura Takanobu, hadn't held a banquet for three days, let alone the samurai below.

They're probably all waiting here, with the same idea as the two of them!
As they spoke, the group of down-on-their-luck warriors gathered at the port. They exchanged glances, moved their feet discreetly, and naturally split into three groups based on their usual friendship, each wary of the other.

The three leaders looked at each other but remained silent.

They just wanted to rob some valuables. They were all samurai loyal to the same lord, so there was no need to turn against each other over this... The smuggling merchant ship that had crossed the sea carried enough goods for everyone present to get some profit.

So the atmosphere was somewhat relaxed for a moment.

But after a while, as the ship gradually approached and revealed its full form, these people all frowned.

"so small!"

"Damn it... This isn't a merchant ship from the Central Plains! A ship this small couldn't possibly get here! This is probably a passenger ship belonging to a local merchant; it can't carry much cargo!"

Someone uttered a curse and was about to turn to seek approval from their companions when they suddenly shivered – because the atmosphere had changed and was becoming tense.

Eat your fill and live in harmony.

If there's not enough to eat... then it'll be time to rely on the sword in your hand.

Unlike the Central Plains, Japan has been a land of warring states and fragmentation for centuries. In such chaotic times, human life is cheap, and even more so in the eyes of these samurai who live on the edge of death... Even if they are loyal to the same daimyo, the need to eat and survive is enough to make them turn their swords against each other.

The three leading warriors looked at each other, discussed it, and came up with a plan.

Even after removing excess oil, it's not enough to eat.

The only option is to kill. Since there are only these people present, we can kill whoever comes and divide the entire ship among ourselves. That should barely be enough to support these few dozen people for a while.

Once the plan was set, the hostility shifted to the slowly approaching small boat.

He gripped the hilt of the knife, his thumb pressing against the guard.

“Almost…almost…”

Dozens of people eagerly awaited the small boat to dock, then swarmed it, dragged the people out, and killed them.

Finally, the ship arrived close.

But it seemed to sense something was wrong and suddenly stopped about ten feet from the shore.

"You bastard! Get over here!"

"Hey you! Come closer!"

Upon seeing this, the samurai began to curse angrily.

Then a person emerged from the cabin of the small boat, walked slowly to the bow, and looked at them. Following him was a woman carrying a struggling figure.

The sound of conversation could be faintly heard, but it was in the Central Plains Mandarin.

"...Shall we start here?...Let's assess the situation first?"

"...Patience...Kill them all...There's a guide."

Just as everyone was still confused, suddenly, the man standing on the bow of the boat vanished in broad daylight.

(End of this chapter)