Puyu suddenly remembered something. Back when Lu Yin’s performance had first started skyrocketing during the Astral Combat Tournament, before he joined the Council of Astral Academy, Nightqueen Yanqing had falsely accused him of being a pirate. However, this accusation had been put to rest after another lady from the Daynight clan vouched for Lu Yin’s innocence. This issue had caused a series of problems later on, but could Nightqueen Yanqing have possibly been right? Could Lu Yin really be a pirate? If he wasn’t a pirate, then why were so many pirates helping him?
Puyu was not the only one to have such thoughts. Wen Sansi had received the same news and shared Puyu’s suspicions. Did Lu Yin have pirates backing him?
Many people speculated about the matter.
Lu Yin felt very awkward at this moment, as if he had swallowed a fly. Many pirates had attacked the space stations of the various powers, and it just so happened that a majority of these powers were at odds with him. With such perfect timing, who would believe him if he said that he was not colluding with pirates? Who was trying to frame him?
Barley gave Lu Yin a strange look. Is this man a pirate?
“Seventh Bro, are you a pirate?” the Ghost Monkey asked, curious about the matter.
Lu Yin did not respond, but at that moment, his personal gadget lit up with a call from an unknown number. Lu Yin’s face immediately changed, and he asked Barley to leave. While Barley was leaving, Lu Yin also screened the monkey off before accepting the call, only to see Uncle You Ling appear on the screen.
“Little Yin, it has been a long time since I last saw you,” Uncle You Ling greeted Lu Yin.
Lu Yin felt something was odd since Uncle You Ling’s tone was peculiar. He usually spoke to Lu Yin in a cold manner, but right now, his tone now was that of forced cordiality. It made Lu Yin feel somewhat out of sorts. “Hello, uncle. Is anything the matter?”
Uncle You Ling coughed twice. “Nothing much. I’m just checking in to see how you are doing.”
Lu Yin’s expression revealed his increasing confusion, but then he suddenly thought of something and his expression grew serious. “Uncle, what’s your relationship with the pirates?”
Uncle You Ling was now the one with an awkward expression on his face.
Lu Yin was speechless. “It really was you guys! No wonder I got a weird feeling from you today. Alright, tell me. What’s the family’s connection with the pirates?”
“Heh heh, Little Yin, the family has always treated you well. I am sure that you know this,” Uncle You Ling said with a dry laugh.
Lu Yin was horrified by the sound. “Uncle, please do not laugh anymore. It’s way too creepy.”
Uncle You Lings expression quickly returned to normal. “Little Yin, you should know what Big Sis’ wish has been all this time.”
Lu Yin nodded. “Yes, Big Sister wants to go back to some place.”
“Let me tell you about it now.”
“Wait a minute, uncle. Aren’t you afraid that someone might be listening in on our conversation?” Lu Yin asked, flabbergasted.
Uncle You Ling shook his head and loftily replied, “Don’t worry. We’ve already returned to that place. From now on, we won’t need to fear anyone anymore. This includes you as well, Lu Yin. Remember, uncle is saying that we don’t need to fear anybody.”
A glint flashed through Lu Yin’s eyes. “Do I have some backing now?”
Uncle You Ling smirked. “You indeed have some backing now, and you are no longer alone. From now on, Lu Yin, you are now a member of Leon’s Armada.”
Lu Yin blinked. “Cosmic Sea? Leon’s Armada? One of the Four Pirate Crews?”
Uncle You Ling nodded. “Yes, one of the Four Pirate Crews. And it’s not just any regiment, but the regiment that has been publicly acknowledged as the strongest of the four: Leon’s Armada. We are a regiment that is feared throughout the universe. Our leader is Highsage Leon.”
Lu Yin wrinkled his brows. Highsage Leon? He then cried out in alarm, “The pirate king?! That Highsage Leon?”
Uncle You Ling pursed his lips and nodded. “The Pirate King, Highsage Leon.”
Lu Yin did not know what to say. He had just discovered that, shockingly enough, he was a subordinate of the pirate king. The family had never mentioned that they had any ties to the pirate king. “Uncle, is Big Sis also a member of Leon’s Armada?”
“What a stupid question! Of course she is! Let me tell you something—the person who saved you back then was not Big Sis. When you fell into the Cosmic Sea, it was our leader who saved you, and Big Sis took care of you. After that, Big Sis and the leader had a falling out because of certain reasons, so she took you away. If not for those reasons, you would’ve already undergone the training of Leon’s Armada. You would already be a proud warrior of the Cosmic Sea,” Uncle You Ling replied.
“More like a proud pirate.” Lu Yin grinned.
Uncle You Ling’s expression turned solemn. “Are you looking down on pirates?”
Lu Yin hurriedly shook his head. “Of course not.”
“Good.” Uncle You Ling heaved a sigh of relief and then gave Lu Yin a serious look. “Little Yin, regardless of whether it’s our leader or Big Sis, both of them have taken very good care of you. You became a member of Leon’s Armada the moment the leader saved you. In other words, you are a subject of the Pirate King. This is a fact that you cannot change, though I don’t think that you even have an inkling of the power that the Four Pirate Crews wield.”
“It’s a great power. In the Tournament of the Strongest, just the Arcadian Arrow Crew caused the powerful Sword Sect the quake in fear,” Lu Yin said.
Uncle You Ling nodded his head. “The Cosmic Sea is a magical place. It connects the Innerverse with the Neoverse. Anyone who wishes to travel to either region has to pass through the Cosmic Sea. Thus, any group that has the authority to travel unhindered within the Cosmic Sea is a regiment that wields great power. In fact, many powers throughout the universe have frequently tried to create their own regiments in the Cosmic Sea, but their efforts usually fail. Not many groups can survive in the Cosmic Sea, even including the Sword Sect and Daynight clan. If they want to cross the Cosmic Sea in peace, it would be stupid for them to offend the regiments.
“And in the middle of all of this, the Four Pirate Crews stand as an insurmountable hurdle. Even if a powerful figure wants to pass through the Cosmic Sea, they still need to inform the Four Pirate Crews. It is just like the Giant Vessel in the Astral River which ferries people to and from the Outerverse, but the difference here is that the envoys of the Astral River must listen to the orders from the various powers whereas the Four Pirate Crews do not. They themselves are the masters of the Cosmic Sea.”
After a short pause, Uncle You Ling continued, saying, “I am wasting my breath by telling you all this right now since you still won’t truly understand what the Four Pirate Crews represent. Let me put it in another way.” A haughty expression crept across Uncle You Ling’s face as he explained, “Let’s say that the Ten Arbiters want to enter the Neoverse. They too would need to contact the Four Pirate Crews and seek permission before entering the Cosmic Sea. If they don’t receive permission, then they would have to leave or else risk being killed by the Four Pirate Crews. That’s how powerful the Four Pirate Crews are.”
Lu Yin’s pupils constricted. The Ten Arbiters Council wielded immense power. Their power was not only the individual power of each Arbiter, but it also included the collective power of their countless connections, which spanned the entire Universe. Puyu alone was capable of forging an alliance of over a hundred powers, which just went to show how much influence the Ten Arbiters enjoyed. If even those influential figures had to defer to the Four Pirate Crews, it was no wonder why a mere Arcadian Arrow Crew was enough to scare both the Sword Sect and Daynight clan so badly.
“Why is it that the Four Pirate Crews can travel unhindered throughout the Cosmic Sea? Is it because of their familiarity with the Cosmic Sea?” Lu Yin asked.
Uncle You Ling’s attitude turned haughty once again as he replied, “Of course not! It’s because of their prestige and influence. The Pirate King, Highsage Leon, once charged into the Technocracy alone and returned without incident. That is how powerful our leader is.”
Lu Yin inhaled a cold gust of air. That single feat of entering the Technocracy alone and exiting without issue was sufficient to show how powerful the pirate king truly was. Every now and then, there would be an extremely powerful human who tried to charge into the Technocracy, but this often ended up badly for them. However, anyone who dared to enter alone was definitely extremely powerful. Up to this moment, Lu Yin had not encountered anyone that powerful. Shockingly, Highsage Leon was the first person he knew of who had been able to perform such a feat.
“Now you know what kind of people are backing you,” Uncle You Ling declared, full of arrogance. Even though his tone still held a touch of coldness, the dejected feelings that Lu Yin had once felt from this person were now gone. Rejoining Leon’s Armada allowed Uncle You Ling to be even more confident than he had before.
Lu Yin nodded his head. However, his expression quickly soured. “Even if that is so, you guys didn’t have to lie to me.”
Uncle You Ling let out an awkward cough. “We didn’t lie. It’s just that the leader was unhappy with what some of the powers were doing, so he decided to teach them a small lesson.”
Lu Yin rolled his eyes. “That’s still lying to me.”
Uncle You Ling then gave Lu Yin a stern look and said, “Little Yin, our leader has a message for you.”
Lu Yin’s eyes lit up. “Tell me!”
Uncle You Ling pondered for a moment before continuing, “In his own words, ‘Kid, you can do whatever you want and offend whoever you want. If anyone tries to bully you, I’ll back you up. Remember, I got your back.’ That’s all he told me to say to you.”
Lu Yin was stunned. Even though the message seemed to be admonishing Lu Yin, it left him with a warm feeling. A feeling of being protected.
“Little Yin, even though our leader’s words may have been a bit coarse, the meaning behind them is clear. In this universe, no one can bully you. If you lose to anyone at your own level, then you’re on your own. However, if anyone dares to try and use their elders to bully you, then our leader will back you up. You may not understand it, but for powers like the Daynight clan, they understand what it means for our leader to get involved in these matters. Our leader’s strength is beyond belief, so just do whatever you want. You have a strong backer,” Uncle You Ling earnestly exhorted.
Lu Yin felt his scalp grow numb. Highsage Leon telling Lu Yin to do whatever he wanted was essentially asking him to wreak havoc. For example, take Lu Yin’s current circumstances. If he had not handled it well, it would have created substantial problems for him in the future. Colluding with pirates would disqualify him from certain positions, and the Ten Arbiters were definitely one of them.
”Uncle, is the pirate king unreliable?” Lu Yin asked.
Uncle You Ling flew into a rage upon hearing his question. “Do not spout nonsense! The leader is very reliable! There is nothing that he can’t settle with his mighty sword!”
Lu Yin’s face twitched. “So basically, he solves everything with violence?”
Uncle You Ling’s mouth jaw dropped, and his previously arrogant look was replaced with one of embarrassment. His reaction caused Lu Yin to lose all hope. He was now absolutely certain that the Pirate King was a musclehead who settled all his problems through brute force. He was a reliable backer, but if Lu Yin relied on him for help, then it would probably only make matters worse.
“Alright then, I already have said my piece. Just remember—you can do anything boldly, though our leader has reminded us not to actively assist you. You have to make your way on your own. After all, you are a member of Leon’s Armada.
“Also, before I forget, our leader has a gift for you.” Once he was done speaking, Uncle You Ling cut off the communications.
Lu Yin tried in vain to stop the call from being ended, but it was already too late. He was dumbfounded; he had actually wanted to ask for money. Since he had no other choice, he could only wait to ask at a later time. As for the Pirate King’s gift to Lu Yin, since it was a gift from a pirate, could it be money?
At that moment, Mira contacted Lu Yin; Arbiter Wen wished to see him. Lu Yin released a breath. He already knew that Arbiter Wen would want to meet him.
Very soon, at a corner of San Dios, outside of a simple study, Wen Sansi held a scroll in his hands. He exuded a gentle demeanor.
Lu Yin walked over and greeted the Arbiter in a respectful manner, “Arbiter Wen.”
Wen Sansi set down his scroll and motioned for Lu Yin to take a seat.
After Lu Yin sat down, he asked, “Arbiter Wen, is anything the matter?”
Wen Sansi laughed gently. “Nothing much. It’s just that Puyu complained about you abusing your power. There are a hundred different organizations that have come together to boycott you.”
Lu Yin put on a helpless expression. “Councilor Puyu is very biased against me. He keeps trying to frame me.”
“Frame?” Wen Sansi raised his head to look at Lu Yin, waiting for an explanation. He initially wanted to simply allow Puyu and Lu Yin to fight it out, not intending to look out for Lu Yin so as to warn this young Limiteer. However, after the pirates had attacked the various powers, it caused Wen Sansi to become more interested in Lu Yin. He did not know what sort of relationship Lu Yin might have with the pirates.
