Chapter 292: Steel

Leikton withdrew his gaze from the distant sea, slightly pondering as he looked at Yudeshen.

"Because of A Meng, I have some understanding of the things on this path."

"Are you interested in becoming a demigod, even an angel, on this path?"

"You want to use me to lure A Meng?"

Yudeshen warily glanced at Leikton, his right leg unconsciously stepping back one step.

Leikton pressed down the corner of his mouth, speaking with a slight tone of disdain:

"You're overestimating yourself too much; if you were delivered to his mouth, A Meng wouldn't mind eating you, but as for luring him, just forget it!"

Yudeshen's expression froze again; he didn't know whether to be glad he wouldn't be used as bait to lure A Meng, or to be sad that even being bait was looked down upon.

Ignoring Yudeshen's expression, Leikton said to himself:

"Are you interested in continuing on this path?"

"Given the Jacob family's current situation, it's basically impossible to give you any effective support; moreover, most of this path's characteristics are concentrated in A Meng, so if you rely on yourself to advance, the chance of being delivered to A Meng as a dessert is even greater."

"You might as well choose to ally with me!"

Yudeshen drew a quiet breath, slightly lifting his chin as he said:

"I'm the third mate of the Golden Dream; I can't possibly leave the captain."

"You all like Ai De Wen Na, but she doesn't like you."

"I like the captain, but wait—what do you mean 'you guys'? Who else?"

Before Yudeshen's feigned calm words were finished, he suddenly froze, then immediately realized and pressed on with a question.

While speaking, he had already mentally screened everyone on the ship.

"That gloomy guy Bu Lu? Or maybe Ao Er Fu Si; every time I try to talk privately with the captain, he pops in to interject. Dan Ni Er Si is also suspect—he always asks the captain all sorts of stupid questions, perhaps just to draw the captain's attention."

Yudeshen the more he thought, the more he felt everyone around him was suspicious; he gritted his teeth, a flash of anger crossing his eyes. These damned fellows, actually secretly liking the captain behind my back!

Leikton watched Yudeshen sink into thought, gradually becoming irritable, and let out a hey:

"You don't think you're the only one on this ship who likes the captain, do you?"

After a slight pause in his speech, not waiting for Yudeshen to ask, he continued on his own:

"Your rivals are all the men on this ship."

"You also like the captain!" Yudeshen immediately became wary.

Leikton's face stiffened; this guy's reaction was even bigger than when we just talked about A Meng.

"Except me."

"You really don't like the captain?"

Yudeshen gave Leikton a doubtful look, as if saying, "The captain's so perfect, you actually don't like him! Something's off!"

Leikton's mouth corner twitched slightly; he felt like punching this love‑brain, then took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and said:

"Do you want to know what kind of person Ai De Wen Na likes?"

"What kind?"

Yudeshen wanted to sneer, but considering the power gap between them, he sensibly suppressed that suicidal thought.

Leikton let out a light laugh and said:

"According to my observation, Ai De Wen Na likely likes a man who can discuss and study knowledge together with her."

"And you, or rather the crew of this ship, obviously lack this quality."

Yudeshen opened his mouth but couldn't utter a rebuttal; after thinking it over, he found the other's argument actually rather reasonable.

Thinking of this, he felt a bit lost, lowered his head, and murmured softly:

"Why am I not an extraordinary one of the Reader's path?"

"Stealing knowledge isn't difficult for a high‑sequence thief; by then, wouldn't you be a scholar with profound learning?"

Leikton timely reminded him with a sentence.

Yudeshen struggled inwardly for a moment, then lifted his head to look at Leikton and said:

"What do you want to recruit me for?"

"My condition is the resources for advancement, and I still remain a member of the Golden Dream."

Leikton slowly curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile as he said:

"Go to the South Continent to preach!"

"Preaching?" Yudeshen was a bit dazed for a moment.

Furious Sea, aboard the White Agate.

Daniz stood by the window, gazing at the dim sky, clouds rolling, the sea surface with waves of varying height, a sign that a storm was about to arrive.

He spoke with a slight sense of emotion:

"This is the sea. No matter how strong the power, it appears tiny before it."

"Fortunately, we're about to reach the 'City of Generosity'."

After a while, neither Geerman Sparro nor his fat rabbit responded; Daniz spread his hands helplessly, feeling a bit suffocated.

After a while longer, he saw Geerman Sparro raise his head to look at him, smile, and say:

"You can tell me which contact points in Baiyam belong to pirates."

"Damn! You'd better not speak!" Daniz's expression twisted instantly.

At 6 p. m., before the storm arrived, the White Agate reached the capital of the Luosede Archipelago, the 'City of Generosity,' Baiyam.

Klein placed an illusion on the rabbit Tu Ba Ge following him; after stepping off the White Agate, he turned to Daniz beside him and said:

"You're free."

"Huh?" Daniz was still a bit unaccustomed for a moment.

Ke Lai En ignored the dazed Daniz, tapped his hat, lifted his suitcase, and with Tu Ba Ge sitting on the suitcase, walked along the road toward Hai Fang Jie.

Really let me go? Daniz stood in place, still a bit doubtful. No matter what, I'm worth 3,000 gold pounds, no, that's just a unilateral bounty from Luen! How could Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo let that huge fortune lie in front of him!

He straightened his back, glanced at Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo's retreating figure, and when he saw the other party truly walk away without looking back, he immediately turned and left via another road.

He occasionally turned corners, sometimes using obstacles to look back, striving not to be followed.

Soon, he arrived at the row of houses near the dock warehouses,

After repeatedly confirming he hadn't been used as bait by Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo, he finally relaxed completely.

I can already foresee that tomorrow will be incredibly wonderful; a bunch of guys will scramble to flatter me, wanting to become my servants!

Daniz, in a good mood, knocked on the door, three long beats followed by three short beats, very rhythmic.

This is the Golden Dream's contact point at Baiyam Dock; when Ke Lai En previously had him explain, he only mentioned the contacts of pirates who weren't on good terms with them.

Soon, he heard approaching footsteps inside, the door creaked open, and a familiar face came into view.

Daniz chuckled lightly and greeted the other.

"Old guy, didn't you drink today?"

Opposite him was one of the Golden Dream's contacts on Luo Si De Qun Dao, Old Lin'en.

Old Lin'en coughed twice, his eyes seemed to glance behind Daniz, then he cleared the way.

Daniz paid no mind to the detail, stepped into the dim room, and his nose twitched suddenly.

He smelled the aroma of Lie Lang Qi wine.

No, Old Lin'en prefers the locally produced Baiyam Blackland!

The thought flashed, and Daniz shivered in alarm, stopping in his tracks and becoming instantly vigilant.

Then he saw a person standing with their back to him, tall, dark‑skinned, hair curled like tiny marbles.

"'Steel' Maiweit!" Daniz's pupils constricted sharply, and he instinctively uttered the other's title.

He is the second‑in‑command of the Blood Supreme General, a great pirate worth 6,000 pounds!

"Hey 'Flame' Daniz, a big figure wants to see you, or rather anyone from your Golden Dream ship."

"'Steel' Maiweit" said in a hoarse voice.

Recalling the great figure who suddenly appeared before him two days ago, he still trembled instinctively; that was a true great person, a saint walking the earth.

He also learned from the other what had happened during the time he left the Blood and Flesh Tree ship; he was immensely grateful he had been sent to Baiyam, otherwise he would have become a pool of mutated, collapsed limbs and flesh.

Boom!

A burst of crimson flame surged toward Maiweit's face.

At the moment he threw the fireball, Daniz darted backward, rushing out before Old Lin'en could fully close the door.

But a figure moved even faster than him!

Maiweit ignored the crimson fireball Daniz threw, lunging forward; his speed was extreme, leaving a blurred afterimage behind him.

The hunter's dangerous instinct made Daniz roll sideways forward on the spot, evading a punch that could have shattered his ribs.

Stabilizing his stance, Daniz planted one hand on the ground to rise, while the other rapidly gathered scorching white flame, forming a long spear wreathed in white fire.

Daniz thrust his right hand and knee simultaneously, springing off the ground, and hurled the white‑flamed spear from his left hand.

As Maiweit turned, he already raised his right hand, blocking horizontally in front of him.

Boom!

The white‑flamed spear exploded the instant it struck Maiweit's arm, the powerful impact and blaze forcing Maiweit's left foot back a step, his eyes narrowed.

When the blaze faded, Daniz was astonished to find a faint white frost coating Maiweit; the white‑flamed spear had inflicted no effective damage, not even igniting his clothing.

Shit! Is this guy really made of steel? My white‑flamed spear had absolutely no effect on him.

While muttering curses inwardly, he thrust both hands forward, crimson fire flared, and a flock of fire crows gathered around him.

They centered on Maiweit, bombarding the surroundings.

With a wailing sound, a biting cold wind rose sharply, mixed with snowflakes, rapidly melting the fire crows Daniz had summoned.

White frost gathered on the ground, a cold, transparent ice layer spreading outward at speed.

(End of Chapter)