Published: March 12, 2025
CHAPTER 384: I'm Afraid You Can't Handle It
Zhao Hai sat on the Peach Blossom, having already left Tianshui City and entered the offshore waters. Although they were still within the territory of the Roson Empire, there were hardly any Roson Empire warships visible in this area.
The Roson Empire's defenses at sea were not particularly strong. Their warships mainly patrolled the nearshore waters to maintain maritime security, while the empire also operated its own piracy fleet. In other words, these people were legally sanctioned pirates of the Roson Empire.
It sounded absurd, but it was a fact: the Roson Empire indeed had its own royal maritime raiding groups, although they seldom operated within the empire's waters, and the imperial family had yet to officially acknowledge this matter.
In fact, such royal piracy groups were almost an open secret on the continent. Nearly every country had these kinds of royal raiding groups, with different operating locations and flags, but in general, these groups were controlled by a particular nation.
However, these raiding groups rarely had good endings. If they did poorly, their nation would deal with them; if they did well, the country they plundered would retaliate. Among the members of such raiding groups, only the masterminds were the true core; the rest were mostly mercenaries.
For example, the royal maritime raiding group of the Roson Empire was led by a member of the imperial family, while the others were mostly hired mercenaries who turned into pirates. When they were in other countries, they were illegal and considered pirates, but upon returning to the Roson Empire, they might receive protection from the imperial navy.
Zhao Hai and his crew were currently on a nearshore route. Although they had not left the Roson Empire's territory, the empire's control over this area was not very strict.
It's worth noting that such routes were the favorites of merchants. Although they would be safer by approaching the Roson Empire's coastline, they would also have to pay taxes. On the other hand, taking these routes might encounter pirates, but that was only a possibility. If they didn't run into pirates, they could avoid paying taxes, which were quite high for maritime trade.
Zhao Hai didn't mind; his ship bore the emblem of the Karlqi Family. With this emblem, he was exempt from taxes within the Roson Empire's waters, which was a privilege.
With such privileges, Zhao Hai certainly wanted to make use of them. He didn't want all his money going to the Roson Empire as part of their tax revenue.
At present, Zhao Hai was sitting on the deck of the ship, looking at the scenery on the sea. Several small islands floated lazily on the water, creating a tranquil and serene view.
Zhao Hai loved the tranquility of the ocean. He felt that the sea was like a person, sometimes in a good mood and sometimes in a bad mood. While every aspect of it was charming, Zhao Hai believed that it was at its most beautiful when it was calm, like a beautiful woman sleeping.
Just then, several ships appeared in the distance, making their way toward them. Zhao Hai was taken aback when he saw the ships, as they were not ordinary vessels but warships of the Roson Empire. Leading them were three six-masted ironclad warships, followed by seven three-masted warships, a total of ten ships approaching them.
Zhao Hai was slightly startled; these warships wouldn't typically appear here. Their presence could only mean one thing—they were coming for them.
He furrowed his brows and activated the monitor. The ten ships were already not far from them, and he should be able to see the other side now.
Zhao Hai knew that the main figures were likely on those three ironclads, so he focused his gaze on them, slowly searching for suspicious individuals.
Laura and the others stood beside Zhao Hai, naturally aware of what was happening. They were also watching the monitor, eager to see who was trying to intercept them. After all, their ship was flying the emblem of the Karlqi Family, and ordinary people wouldn't dare to act against them easily.