Pillar of Yita

The merchant whom Fang Hong rescued was named Bunigu. He was not from Istania, but rather a member of the Colin caravan returning from Istania. This portly middle-aged merchant was full of gratitude for the Seven Seas Travel Group, repeatedly proclaiming, ”Lady Roman, bless you.” He took out the Scales Holy Emblem and kissed it tearfully several times.

Fang Hong interrupted him, asking, ”It’s been ages since any merchant groups passed through here. How did you end up in this place?”

Upon hearing this, Bunigu cursed immediately, ”It’s all because of these damned sky pirates. Who would come this way willingly? My merchant group encountered these guys around Eden. They killed my guardians and didn’t spare us, forcing us along for three days and nights to this godforsaken place... Right now, all my goods are in their hands, more than half of my beasts of burden are dead, and this time it’s a complete loss for me.”

After speaking, he spat angrily on the ground and stomped on it a couple of times, as if it were the Blood Shark Sky Pirates.

Eden is west of here, closer to Ankuid Bay. Fang Hong knew there indeed was a trade route passing through there, which made him believe the other man’s words. But what was the point of the Blood Shark Sky Pirates going through so much trouble to take these people and bring them to Idus?

Simply killing people and seizing their goods would obviously be easier, and taking hostages for ransom didn’t seem practical. This wasn’t Earth; these merchants’ relatives were scattered far and wide, unlikely to gather ransom money and deliver it here. Moreover, if they were to negotiate directly with Colin Ishurian, they would only attract the kingdom’s navy.

Could it be that the Blood Shark Pirates needed labor? That seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.

Upon hearing Fang Hong’s question, Bunigu quickly replied, ”I know a bit about it, young Captain. In fact, it’s not just us. I heard the sky pirates invaded several villages in that area and drove all the people to this place.”

This confirmed Fang Hong’s suspicion, but he only asked, ”What do these sky pirates want all these people to do?”

”Well... I’m not too sure, but from what I gathered, they seemed to want us to help them dig something,” Bunigu spat again, ”They said if the work was done well, they would return our goods to us. Who believes that nonsense? Only a three-year-old child would think--could they even bring my dead beasts of burden back to life?”

Fang Hong couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless about this man who was still bickering over his losses in such a dire situation.

Just then, he heard a low sobbing sound coming from behind. Fang Hong looked in that direction and saw a half-grown boy kneeling beside a woman. The woman’s face was weathered and it was hard to discern her age, but she was lying in a pool of blood.

His cousin, Gita and Tianlan, were also there. Tang Xin rose from the ground, put away the Ritual Staff, and gently shook her head towards the others. ”How could this be possible?” Ai Xiaoxiao, standing in the back, seemed a bit surprised. She couldn’t help but grab her friend’s hand, asking again, ”Tangtang, might as well try again.”

”She’s already dead, Little Princess,” Tang Xin appeared much calmer but her face was very unsightly, ”The dead cannot be revived.”

Ai Xiaoxiao staggered back a step, her little face pale. It was the first time Fang Hong saw the young girl show such an expression. Beside Ai Xiaoxiao, the ragged little boy wiped his tears with his arm, while using the other hand to touch his mother’s cheek, his sobs grew deeper.

”This mother and her child are not from our merchant group,” Bunigu sighed at the sight, ”Earlier when you appeared, those people said she was in the way and slashed her with a knife... This poor woman is now without starlight, damn those bastards!”

Fang Hong had seen dead people before—in Dulun, he had seen the so-called ’rebels’ hanged like dried husks swaying on the gallows. But seeing from afar was quite different from the scene now.

He walked over silently, inspecting the woman’s injuries. Upon closer examination, he could see that she was at most just over thirty years old. But her forehead had wrinkles, and her hands were rough to the touch, not resembling someone who led a life of luxury.

The cut described by Bunigu had landed on her neck, blood staining the ground red, causing the woman to lose her life long before. Yet, even so, her pale hand still reached out towards the little boy.

Fang Hong was moved in his heart, looking at the little boy, and subconsciously thought of his own parents.

Then he looked at the others, noticing that the eyes of several of the women were red, as women are naturally of a softer heart, except for the Elf Miss who remained calm but also sighed lightly at the scene.

This group of captives included seven people in total, apart from Bunigu’s two servants, the rest were not part of the merchant group. Fang Hong also saw a girl, with her right hand cut off at the arm, the sleeve hanging empty. She kept her head down, silent even when facing the crowd.

Bunigu told them that the sky pirates attempted to violate this young girl, but she resisted desperately and lost a hand in the struggle. Fortunately, those bastards ultimately didn’t succeed, and the girl, close to death, was saved by the others.

”If I had known earlier, it might have been better not to save her,” Bunigu somewhat regretted, ”These damned people, in the end, probably won’t spare us either. Sooner or later, we’ll have to report to Lady Roman. If I wasn’t concerned about my goods, I wouldn’t have followed them to this place.”

”Will her arm return to its original form after being healed?” Tang Xin couldn’t help but ask.