Hou Niao slowly stepped forward, considering his strategy for what came next.
In truth, he did not want an all-out melee either-not out of concern for casualties, but because the Canghai Pirates would face grim odds if one really broke out.
As the Daoists opposite them had wondered, how had the Canghai Pirates grown so quickly over the years? It defied common sense somewhat.
The division of power at sea depended not only on the strength of the leaders, but also on the depth of their backing and whether they could bring benefits to everyone. In that respect, the gap between Shanmen and those Daoist Sect groups was anything but small.
During his absence, Fang Yazi had also been running about in pursuit of the Upper Realm, leaving a gap in their control over the Canghai Pirates. Some people had joined during that time whose backgrounds even he could not fathom.
The Southeast Daoist Sect's skill lay in keenly seizing that opportunity, giving him no chance whatsoever to screen and purge the Canghai Pirates again. Their sudden attack on Prince Wucheng's private ship had been a matter of acting sooner rather than later, striking first while the Canghai Pirates had yet to twist themselves into a single rope and catching them off guard.
On this hastily arranged departure, more people had joined than he had expected. He had originally thought sixty or seventy would come, all veteran pirates of many years whose backgrounds he knew thoroughly. Yet nearly a hundred had turned up at once, far exceeding his expectations and instead arousing his suspicions.
They were not necessarily infiltrators sent by the Wind-Chasing Pirates. More likely, they were remnants of Tiger Tooth, and distinguishing between the two was very difficult.
The Shanmen Sword Cultivators led by Zhang Bigmouth had also