Chapter 143: Trouble

At noon, even on Titan Island Chain—the hottest place on Terra—was at its most scorching; no one but followers of the Sun God could muster any energy at this hour.

But today, Banmaide Port experienced an unexpected event: vast numbers of sailors were frantically flooding the docks; normally, these pirates would be boasting in taverns, squandering their life-risked wealth in gambling dens, or still unconscious from hangovers or debauchery.

Yet now, they were all frantically hoisting sails, turning helms, trying to flee this port city—the forward bastion of the Titan Island Chain—as fast as possible.

And the reason? Because of that ship, still forty kilometers away.

More precisely, it was a warship.

Though not directly under the Sea People's Sea God Fleet, and bearing no faction's flag, it was certainly not something ordinary pirates could dare to provoke!

Moreover, unlike the Sea People's vessels brimming with oceanic divine arts, this warship clearly bore strong technological traits; for pirates who roamed the Cradle Islands and routinely fought divine-favored foes, it might even be more dangerous than the Sea People themselves.

Yet their panic was clearly unfounded; given their cowardice at the sight of a warship, they were certainly not worthy of a warship concealing its designation to enforce law across sea regions.

As the ship slowly docked, pirates who had already sailed out relaxed, and some bold ones even returned to the port, trying to investigate which elite had acquired such an astonishing 【BEEP】 vessel.

…

"Didn't expect in just half a month, you'd make it here…" The ship stabilized; a young man in a red hooded long overcoat, carrying a green briefcase, twitched his nose. Beside him, a gray hound gently wagged its tail.

"Here? Are you certain?" A middle-aged man in traditional Garuda Island attire stepped out of the cabin, skeptical of the youth's judgment.

"It is the revelation granted by divine grace." The youth dropped a warning-like remark, then leapt from the ship's rail. The middle-aged man, rebuked by the young man, felt his pride wounded, yet still growled:

"Follow!"

"Yes!" Over a dozen robust men, though dressed plainly, clearly not ordinary folk, responded in unison, then followed the red-clad youth—no extraneous noise, no wasted motion.

The bounty hunter guild clerk who had been trying to approach instantly turned grim, swiftly ducking into a basement cubicle and dialing an emergency contact system.

"What happened?"

"Banmaide, active Garuda Island Group Type-III destroyer, no identification code, sixteen combatants with clear military traces, one Beast-Tamer, one Phantom Divine Beast, one unknown individual, uncertain if more power remains aboard." The clerk delivered the report with zero fluff.

The other end fell briefly silent; after roughly five seconds, a voice spoke again:

"No matching records detected; no recent warship losses reported. Not official action. Assumed private operation. Alert protocols issued. Maintain surveillance."

"Understood…"

Not just the bounty hunter guild, but many major factions began monitoring this group's movements as they set foot on the island; ordinary pirates merely thought they were a crew of elite types who'd stolen a warship, and some bold ones even approached to ask if they needed new recruits.

But this group clearly didn't care; they strolled brazenly into the trading zone.

At this moment, Feng Xue had already spent a fortune purchasing dozens of tons of various ores, including substantial quantities of divine mineral stones like Moonstone.

Right now, Feng Xue stood before a stall, haggling with a man who was also a Mau follower—

"You pay 300 yuan per piece for Sunstone—why won't you buy Moonstone?"

"Brother, we're all children of Mau—do you think I need to buy Moonstone?" Feng Xue offered a helpless smile. The man, however, refused to back down, glaring:

"I don't care! As a follower of Mau, you alone refuse to accept the goddess's blessing—that's an insult to the goddess! If you don't buy my Moonstone at the same price, I'll go straight to the High Priest!"

The onlookers weren't fools; they all saw this was pure extortion. But since it was a matter within the Moon Goddess sect, other sects had no reason to interfere—even if they had grounds to, they'd gladly watch another god's followers humiliated.

Feng Xue's eyes burned with visible anger, yet he paused a moment on the intricate crescent emblem pinned to the troublemaker's chest, then sighed:

"How much do you have?"

"Not much—two hundred pieces!" Seeing Feng Xue yield, the man beamed. Years ago, he'd been a fool trading Moonstone for lighters—but now, he understood the value of Wealth Goddess coins. Too bad Moonstone, though common among Moon's followers, still required effort to find; though valuable outside, sales were sluggish. He'd brought only about two hundred pieces this trip. Now, encountering such a fool, he dumped them all out—and even regretted not bringing more.

Hearing the number, Feng Xue internally sneered, yet feigned gritted-teeth fury, pulling out his card:

"I'll take it! Do you have Moonsteel?"

"No, I only brought two hundred pieces of Moonstone!" The man's eyes darted, then ordered his men to bring the Moonstone—ignoring Feng Xue's question entirely. He was joking—Moonstone had mediocre demand, but Moonsteel was hot merchandise; he planned to ship it straight to Yana Island for auction!

Watching Feng Xue being cheated, the middle-aged man in formal attire frowned:

"Are you sure here? They're all Cradle Islands natives! Look at that dog—where's the slightest trace of a Wild Wolf? And do you really think the target would be in the mood to buy ores here? We don't get many chances—be precise!"

"Outward appearances can be disguised, but divine guidance never lies. Our prey stands before us." The red-clad man spoke in cryptic tones. The middle-aged man studied him deeply, then finally nodded:

"As long as you're certain."

With a wave of his hand, the sixteen disciplined youths instantly scattered, subtly surrounding the stall.

Feng Xue "reluctantly" paid for enough Moonstone to last Liu Yunxi for over a decade, then suddenly frowned—

He'd maintained his Qi-Seeing Technique since landing, and now, amid the already chaotic colors, he spotted a new hue!

Not dismissing it as coincidence, Feng Xue activated Ghost Clap, whispering softly to Salar:

"Scan the surrounding prayer energy… the divine component. There's unfamiliar divine energy present!"

"There is? I didn't sense any… wait! Where's the Hunting Divine Energy coming from?"

(End of Chapter)