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The next day, Feng and Mu boarded the ship, setting off for Twilight City. After meeting up with the Alliance Hunter, they would head to Dawn Desert. Even Beiyue had to admit that Mu was currently not suited to living in populated areas, as he was a standard case of being impulsive and short-tempered.
That afternoon, Beiyue and Cui Ming took a ferry to Dawn Empire. They planned to meet with Raefus's subordinates in a seaside town of Dawn Empire, assess the preparations, and then change course to Thunder Sound City. There was no doubt that Pirate City also had ferries; nowadays, pirates had refined tastes and no longer simply plundered merchant ships at will. The ferries entering Pirate City waters were not ordinary ones; otherwise, they would still be robbed, effectively allowing the pirates to control the shipping routes entirely.
Cui Ming commented on Pirate City: "Lank is a talented person who knows when to advance and retreat; he isn't just a hot-headed pirate as he appears." This impression had struck him during their first meeting with Lank. Lank's persuasive words to recruit Vlad into Pirate City already indicated that he was no fool. That said, Feng's remark held truth; cultivators tended to be more rational than ordinary people. Although there were certainly madmen among them, their numbers were relatively few.
The ferry was luxurious, filled with wealthy passengers—only about twenty in total. Among them were descendants of powerful figures from a city-state, retired billionaires, renowned bestselling authors, and influential individuals from another city-state. Because of this exclusivity, the ferry placed great importance on personal privacy. Aside from their companions or young masters, the passengers rarely showed themselves on deck; their cabins offered excellent views and even had private balconies.
Cui Ming and Beiyue's room was quite nice—though one hundred fifty square meters wasn't large by general standards, it was very luxurious for a ferry. Their room was on the second floor, with a long corridor balcony outside furnished with tables and chairs. They could sit there enjoying the sea breeze or sunbathe.
Cui Ming and Beiyue sat outside, gazing at the ocean. Feeling quite relaxed, Cui Ming casually remarked, "If we were a couple, this trip would be incredibly romantic."
Beiyue did not respond but stood up and extended her food towards some seagulls gliding nearby. One of the birds swooped down and snatched the food away. This scene, combined with Beiyue's natural smile, was breathtaking—it even overshadowed Liu Meier's beautiful impression in Cui Ming's mind. Beiyue looked at the nearby seagulls and said, "People are not machines; who wouldn't want to stop sometimes? But like this ship, if you stop moving, you won't reach your destination."
"And what happens when we reach our destination?" Cui Ming asked.
Beiyue unconsciously smiled and leaned against the railing as she replied, "When we reach our destination, there are countless possibilities—perhaps returning home, maybe going to another dock, possibly anchoring in port, or maybe going wherever it wishes to go. Regardless of what happens in the future, before that point arrives, it has both the responsibility and obligation to reach its destination. Cui Ming, shall we swim?"
"Ah?"
"I feel great today," Beiyue said as she tightened her Greatsword bag on her back and leaped off the corridor into the water.
Cui Ming chuckled; it was rare to see Beiyue so playful. He jumped into the sea after her. Submerging underwater, he saw Beiyue about ten meters away with her arms outstretched and eyes closed, releasing her Force as she floated straight in the water while a school of fish swam around her without fear. Cui Ming swam closer. Beiyue opened her eyes and looked at him before gently shaking her head; they exchanged glances for a moment. Beiyue then surfaced and returned to their room. By the time Cui Ming came back, Beiyue was already showering in the bedroom. A few minutes later, she emerged dressed in her usual clothes as if nothing had happened earlier. Cui Ming sat on the balcony reading a magazine while Beiyue meditated in their bedroom, completing her daily practice.
……
This was Cui Ming's first visit to the Western Continent. Even the Thieves Guild, which only operated in the Eastern Continent, found it difficult to function here due to the Dawn Empire's harsh policies against criminals. In summary, the laws of the Dawn Empire and its vassal City-States were lenient towards unintentional crimes, crimes of passion, desperate crimes, and coerced crimes; these were often met with lighter punishments, sometimes even understanding and forgiveness. However, intentional crimes, such as theft, carried severe penalties—at minimum, exile to a deserted island like Bit Island to fend for oneself, and at worst, execution by hanging.
The ship docked at a small town in the Dawn Empire, and everyone disembarked, immediately facing immigration checks. The vessel had originally intended to stop at a certain City-State but was intercepted by a Navy patrol boat that ordered it to dock at this town.
Everyone was required to present identification, and some were subjected to body searches. Cui Ming and his companions managed to leave the dock without incident, while two wealthy individuals were arrested on suspicion of funding the civilian Anti-Dawn Alliance. However, the captain negotiated with the Dawn Empire authorities, arguing that the ship had come from Pirate City and that detaining passengers would harm Pirate City's reputation. This indicated that Pirate King Ronk had some private dealings with the Dawn Empire.
Cui Ming and his group entered using identification from Dawn City rather than practitioner credentials; they did not wish to draw attention from the Ding Family. The Dawn Empire maintained a relatively friendly stance towards countries in the Eastern Continent, especially Dawn City.
In the Dawn Empire, Fungus Men were quite common, dressed in standardized uniforms, particularly in border areas. Currently, relations between the Dawn Empire and a neighboring country were strained; both sides had recalled their ambassadors, and the Dawn Navy was patrolling waters near this neighbor. The leaders and citizens of the neighboring country vowed to resist becoming puppets of the Dawn Empire. The Eternity Alliance had intervened, making military conflict unlikely.
Internally, serious conflicts had arisen within the Dawn Empire. The current president demanded that military forces serve political ends and held command over the Fungus Men. However, the Elder Council insisted on maintaining control over national defense forces; if power were handed over to the president, he would have to significantly weaken the Fungus Men due to declining public support. Citizens had been calling for disarmament due to decades of military downsizing in Twilight City; they did not want their taxes supporting millions of soldiers. This reflected global commercialization's impact—money's influence among ordinary people was gradually increasing, becoming an important standard for measuring success.
Cui Ming and Beiyue took a taxi to the only inn in town. They encountered a scene reminiscent of a television drama: the inn had only one room with a single bed and a small area of about twenty square meters; fortunately, it was clean and tidy.
After settling in at the inn, they had a meal in the dining hall on the first floor. Many Fungus Men were present—mostly Navy personnel—who maintained strict discipline and tried not to disturb other guests during their meals. After lunch, Beiyue returned to their room while Cui Ming contacted Raefus regarding transportation. The nearest small city was three hundred kilometers away, and due to heightened tensions at the border and investigations into Anti-Dawn Alliance activities, checkpoints were set up along this highway where every vehicle underwent thorough inspections for contraband. As a result, local drivers disliked long-distance trips; however, if offered enough money, some would still be willing.
When Cui Ming returned and closed the door behind him, he felt somewhat frustrated as he placed a map on the table. "I initially estimated we could reach Thunder Sound City in five or six days," he said. "But because an Elder was assassinated by an Anti-Dawn Alliance assassin and with border tensions rising, soldiers have set up checkpoints here, here, and here; every vehicle must undergo comprehensive checks and random passenger searches."
Beiyue asked, "Are Dawn City residency permits effective?"
"Generally speaking," he replied. "Their key point is... these seven countries versus our own citizens."
Looking at the map, Beiyue noted that while it was possible to take a direct route, it would be too exhausting given the distance. She suggested, "What if we use practitioner credentials?" These credentials offered unparalleled privileges; even if one were transporting a wanted criminal across borders, customs could not intervene.
"The cultivator's credentials can pass, but they will definitely be reported. The Ding Family, Cao Family, and Liu Family all belong to the Dawn Empire. Although the Cao and Liu Families are not interested in politics, the Ding Family has always been a pillar of the Dawn Empire. Moreover, there are many cultivators in the Ding Family, with over thirty members, including seven or eight elite heroes like Ding Nuo." Cui Ming said, "The political situation in the Dawn Empire is currently unstable, with rising public protests. The Elder Council has already submitted an impeachment proposal against the president to the Supreme Court. If it were one-sided, that would be one thing, but many young and passionate people believe that the Elder Council is very important and that military strength is crucial. They encourage the Elder Council to go to war with neighboring states. While walking in the streets, they wave banners proclaiming 'Treason against the Dawn,' vowing to punish those who betray them in support of the Elder Council. This has led to clashes between two groups, and they even resorted to firearms. As a result, soldiers have entered various cities to control both sides. I spoke with Raefus over the phone; they said that the Dawn Empire urgently needs footage from Hero City to divert domestic anger and dissatisfaction."
Beiyue pointed at the map. "What about going through the wilderness?"
"The straight-line distance from here to Thunder Sound City is one thousand seven hundred kilometers. At an average speed of sixty kilometers per hour, it would take about three days, excluding rest and camping—let's say four days; we should be fine. However, Raefus can't do that right now; large-scale commercial promotions cannot be conducted in the Dawn Empire at this time, so only Raefus's subordinates are waiting for us in Thunder Sound City," Cui Ming replied. "We originally planned to use a shoe exhibition as bait, but that's no longer an option."
Beiyue said, "Since we're here, even though we didn't bring fishing rods, we still have our hands."
"Alright." Cui Ming nodded helplessly; this was not his style. He disliked variables. "Let's rest for a day. Raefus's people will contact me, and then we'll make a decision."
Beiyue suddenly asked, "Cui Ming, if we can't catch the witch this time..."
"I'll be fine; if we can't catch her this time, then we won't force it," Cui Ming answered calmly before adding, "But I must catch the witch."
Beiyue asked, "To prove yourself?"
"Maybe," Cui Ming replied.
In Beiyue's mind, she thought that if Cui Ming had directly said it was for clues about her father, she would have been very pleased. Women sometimes think this way; they know that saying something to a man makes a significant difference. This is why sometimes women would rather believe a lie than know the truth. Men are different; as long as they understand the situation internally, expressing it feels pointless. Bad men tend to be more articulate while honest men suffer from just talking without action. A small number of women who have been abandoned by bad men realize that finding an honest man is their best choice; this means they are not unaware of who is good or bad; it's just that honest men cannot provide some of the emotional things that bad men do.
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