[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-120":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338583,4572,"Chapter 120: The Skull Boss","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-120",120,"\u003Cp>“No! I surrender...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the crimson-tinged cold light slash toward him, the Skull Boss’s eyes flickered with fear—he tried to beg for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad, his words were cut short as the sword struck his ribs with swift, precise brutality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Skull Boss let out a shriek and collapsed, writhing in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“L-Lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pirates froze, faces as white as chalk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas saw this and knew today’s matter was settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Skull Boss is dead! All pirates who surrender shall not be killed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surrenderers shall not be killed!” the soldiers immediately echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrified pirates immediately dropped their weapons and fell to their knees with thuds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We surrender, Commander! Don’t kill us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What followed was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soldiers bound the bandits tightly and dragged the nearly dead Skull Boss before Gervas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gervas paid no attention to the bandits—he walked to the village square.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers of Resurrection Island were ashen-faced, heads bowed, trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raise your heads!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas snapped coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers didn’t understand, but they still lifted their heads shakily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet when they saw Gervas’s face, the village chief and several representatives cried out in shock, “The Lord of Stormhold?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you remember me? Then you must also remember the letter I sent you?” Gervas sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spare our lives! Noble lord, spare us! We didn’t mean to offend you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers immediately banged their heads against the ground with thuds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, every villager’s intestines were twisted with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, this noble lord had sent them a recruitment notice—but at the chief’s suggestion, they had rejected it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they hadn’t refused then, today’s disaster might never have happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First attacked by pirates, now captured by this noble lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew that whether they fell into the pirates’ hands or this noble lord’s, their fate would be equally grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the villagers could only keep pounding their heads, begging for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noble lord, spare us! Noble lord, have mercy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pah! You wretched fugitives—our lord showed you kindness by recruiting you, yet you showed no gratitude and dared to defy him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you beg for mercy? Dream on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Migen and the others showed no sympathy at the slaves’ pleas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they had watched these bastards insult their lord with righteous fury just days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not from the Kingdom’s army?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the weak and gasping Skull Boss drew breath and glared at Gervas with accusation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me introduce myself—I am Gervas Gale, Lord of Stormhold!” Gervas turned with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cowardly noble!” The Skull Boss snarled through gritted teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Skull Boss, even if I’m not from the Kingdom’s army, you didn’t think you could change the outcome, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph! If not for the fear of the Kingdom’s army, my men would’ve torn a piece of flesh off you!” The Skull Boss seethed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hundred men were no weaklings—yet they’d been tricked into surrendering outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, even in death, they could’ve taken several of you with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then you’re just stupid,” Gervas sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d noticed their misconception early on, so he’d played along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, these pirates—more vicious than the Scorpion Bandits—would’ve inflicted heavy casualties on his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now? Not a single man lost, and every pirate captured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as Gervas thought this, the Skull Boss suddenly laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha! Noble, you think you’ve won? No—I tell you, this battle is still won by me, the Skull Boss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Skull Boss didn’t let Gervas wonder long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then continued, “Send someone to check—the Sea Stone on that warship—is it still there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas’s expression changed, darkening—he gestured to Eve Lan in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Eve Lan returned, “My lord, Captain Jack says the pirate ship’s Sea Stone is gone!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Skull Boss laughed again, triumphant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the Sea Stone had been hidden by the Skull Boss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was standard procedure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent betrayal and theft of the ship, the Scorpion Boss always took the Sea Stone ashore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That way, even if his men stole the ship, they’d drown in the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Meng stepped forward and kicked the Skull Boss over, then searched his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Lei Meng rose, face grim, and shook his head at Gervas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! Useless, noble—I hid the Sea Stone the moment I knew you’d attacked!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And don’t expect me to hand it over—I’m already dead. I’ll take the Sea Stone with me to the grave, so you’ll never get it! Hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Skull Boss’s triumph was complete—all his fury from being tricked was vented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet just as the Skull Boss reveled in victory, a knight hurried to Gervas’s side and whispered into his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas froze—his grim expression vanished, and a smile curled on his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was the Skull Boss’s turn to stare—then he sneered, “Hmph, crafty noble, don’t try to trick me again—I won’t fall for it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our Skull Ship’s Sea Stone is standard Kingdom Navy issue—disguised as an ordinary rock. Only I know where it is!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unless you search every single stone on the island—hahaha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to the Skull Boss’s shock, Gervas showed no alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then four soldiers hurried over, followed by a ragged fugitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-Noble lord, this is the Sea Stone I found! I was hiding in the woods and saw the Skull Boss throw it right there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fugitive bowed his head, holding a rock the size of two fists above his head with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Skull Boss saw the rock, his face turned ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he quickly masked it, Gervas already knew the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas took the Sea Stone from Lei Meng, then stood and stepped close to the Skull Boss, grabbing his collar and lifting him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What do you want?” The Skull Boss was frozen by Gervas’s icy gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, very few people have made me this angry—you’re the first,” Gervas said coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You threatened me, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think only you can find the Sea Stone, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’d rather die than yield, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud-thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wanted to deny me the ship, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud-thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re ugly and full of nonsense, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Skull Boss: “???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud-thud-thud...\u003C\u002Fp>",1021,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3f59e61e7c66ebe4c803b79f8614b588910187f96b0fa2997d89d3a6c8b6859d","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-121","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-119",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]