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墨書 Inktalez
The arranged rooms were at the Seaside Grand Hotel, with each person having a spacious suite. Pirate City was bustling with activity; initially, it was a haven for smugglers and traffickers. After Lank took office, he began to steer the city towards a more upscale direction. Human trafficking, casinos, and establishing a haven for pleasure were all part of his vision, catering to a middle to high-end clientele. Now, Pirate City resembled more of a tourist destination. Lank himself did not run these enterprises; he merely provided the ideas while the city lord managed them. The previous city lord had been quite capable, but after being captured, Lank even attempted to rescue him, only to be thwarted by Cui Ming and Wei Wei, who ultimately killed him. The current city lord was also competent; Cui Ming could tell that Lank was trying to clean up his image.
Pirate Island was small, covering just over ten square kilometers, while Pirate City spanned only six square kilometers. As Cui Ming and the others traveled to the hotel in their car, they even spotted several legitimate banks—more than ten in total. The driver explained that gamblers with proper identification could take out loans directly from these banks. The gambling scene in Pirate City was particularly enticing; beyond traditional dog racing and poker, there were pirate treasure hunts and even a reality show.
In this reality show, a ship was captained by one leader and crewed by ten pirates. The captain had to lead the pirates through various tasks to acquire gold, food, and water. All eleven participants were desperados—there was no shortage of them in Pirate City. Each day there was a vote; if the pirates were satisfied with their haul and no one opposed it, the captain could designate one pirate's loot for himself. However, if the pirates were dissatisfied with their captain, they could vote him out; if more than half agreed, he would face execution by pirate methods—blindfolded on the deck, walking into the jaws of a shark. This game continued until only five remained; if they agreed on their current haul, the game would end. If not, they would continue their adventure and must vote to execute one person each day until all remaining participants consented to end the game.
This reality show was bloody and violent, filled with deception and conflict. Several television networks were eager to import this program since such content could not be produced in the Three Continents.
Due to the show's success, new industries emerged in Pirate City focused on extreme reality shows. There were hunting expeditions where gamblers participated in real-life hunts; successful hunters received eighty percent of the betting pool while those who escaped claimed the same amount. There was also a live Revolver competition featuring six contestants. Each participant had six shots from a revolver—two of which contained real bullets. Through competition during the day, the champion earned immunity and could pull the trigger on anyone once; if that person survived, they could not be chosen again. This continued until only two players remained who would then share an eight million prize; if both agreed, they could engage in one final round where the victor would claim all eight million.
These extreme gambling formats attracted gamblers and wealthy individuals from around the globe while also drawing young dreamers hoping for overnight wealth. Pirate City had become known as a paradise for adventurers. As the city transformed, it also attracted many migrant workers.
Observing the construction both inside and outside of Pirate City, Cui Ming believed that within three years it would become the world's premier luxury tourist destination.
Upon entering the hotel, Cui Ming pushed open the door as everyone habitually entered together; he quietly stepped back and closed it behind him. Feng and Beiyue noticed several stunning women in bikinis lounging around a small fountain in the hotel lobby.
Curious, Feng opened Beiyue's room door only to find muscular men of various builds inside. He happily headed to his own room. Just before entering his room, Feng said, "Well then, let's leave the day after tomorrow."
Beiyue frowned slightly: "No way! You all leave tomorrow morning. Cui Ming, handle this."
Cui Ming explained to the accompanying manager that he and Beiyue were a couple; immediately understanding, the manager quickly arranged another vacant room for them while leaving behind an awkward third wheel.
The luxurious suite was spacious enough that there wouldn't be any need for a man and woman to share a bed uncomfortably. Beiyue went into the bedroom to tidy up; just before entering she turned back and asked, "Feeling regretful?"
Cui Ming gazed out at the sea view from the window in confusion before replying, "What do you mean?"
"Nothing." Beiyue said, "You should wash the wood."
"Wash the corpse?"
"You've washed pork before." Beiyue looked at the wood. "No other meaning." He closed the door, sighed, and thought it was a good thing that the wood didn't understand that his previous statement was inappropriate.
Cui Ming went to the bathroom and had the wood stand still while he turned on the water, teaching it how to apply soap. The wood seemed to be having a great time. Cui Ming stepped out, sat on the sofa, and picked up the phone to contact his handler. The person on the other end informed him that the call needed to be transferred; they were using a buoy signal tower from Dawn Empire at sea, which could connect him to the outside world, but the call would be quite expensive. Of course, he immediately stated that money was not an issue.
It was indeed a bit troublesome; Cui Ming rarely made international calls. Not only were the rates exorbitant, but the transfer process was cumbersome, and worst of all, the signal was poor and intermittent. Beiyue had already finished washing his hair and body, wrapping his hair in a towel, while Cui Ming was still sweating profusely during his communication with Wandering.
"How's it going?" Beiyue asked as he sat beside Cui Ming.
Cui Ming turned to look at Beiyue. Although he was still wearing his own clothes and hadn't wrapped himself in a towel, the combination of soap and body scent stimulated his senses. Plus, Beiyue's hair wrapped in a towel... The next scene wasn't supposed to be him and Beiyue locking eyes and then leaning in for a kiss, followed by...
"What kind of nonsense call is this?" Wandering's voice boomed from the phone receiver, shattering the harmonious atmosphere. He had every reason to be angry; it had taken him ten minutes to convey three sentences.
Cui Ming hurriedly said, "Senior, while the signal is good, please hurry."
"There’s a master in Thunder Sound City, not just any master—he's not an alliance member. He's thirty-two this year; I call him Little Lu. But you shouldn't refer to him like that; you can call him by his nickname: Ranger." Wandering Path continued, "Besides using my name, you can share any Warden intelligence you have with him. He will help you."
The signal suddenly improved. Wandering first mentioned Key Point before moving on to secondary information. Little Lu's father was a friend of Wandering's and also a hunter. In Wandering's youth, during a famous battle against Warden, several hunters died, including Little Lu's father. Unlike what one might expect from a script, Little Lu did not inherit his father's legacy; instead, he harbored resentment towards the Force Alliance for causing his father's death. After his father's passing, Wandering was severely injured and spent years recovering without anyone knowing about Little Lu and his mother. By the time Wandering found Little Lu, his mother had died due to lack of funds for treatment. Although Wandering gained Little Lu's recognition, Little Lu had no intention of associating with the alliance.
When Warden appeared, Wandering did not inform Little Lu because he was unaware of Warden's background. Now that it was confirmed Warden was on Shadow Island, it was even less likely for them to assassinate Warden; thus, Wandering kept this from Little Lu as well. He had been hesitating about whether he had the right to make decisions for an adult. Since Cui Ming happened to need assistance, Wandering took advantage of the situation and recommended Little Lu. Wandering informed Cui Ming that Little Lu was exceptionally strong; he had undergone divine baptism and possessed quite unique abilities.
"How strong is he?"
Wandering pondered for a moment, "How should I put this? The Half-Beast participating in the competition with the Fire Cult is on the same level, or even slightly higher."
Cui Ming said, "We were on Witch Island, and a witch teleported right next to us. Then she unleashed an ice storm that froze us into ice pillars while simultaneously infusing cold energy into our bodies."
"This technique is powerful in extremely cold regions, but it’s not very effective in the Three Continents. It relies on the environment to break through your protective Force; your physical bodies naturally cannot withstand the ambient temperature. However, the witch is still formidable; her ice power can freeze opponents at any moment. Remember, once frozen, you enter a state of training where you must rapidly circulate your Force to shatter the ice. In the Three Continents, the witch herself isn’t terrifying, but if she’s allied with Mundo, that’s quite troublesome. Mundo possesses a dagger infused with dark power and viruses that can be used for stabbing or throwing. If your Force is pierced and reaches your body, it will start to rot immediately. You must quickly repair the rotting wound; remember, don’t be reckless. Over time, even if you manage to save yourself, you’ll end up as a useless person."
Beiyue immediately leaned closer, pressing her face against Cui Ming's. Cui Ming remained unresponsive, and after a moment of surprise, Beiyue quietly pulled away and asked, "Senior, is my father's friend Wei Nan harmed by Mundo?" Wei Nan was a friend of Beiyue's father who had become a lifelong cripple; he was also the one who informed Beiyue about Strict Sword.
Wandering replied, "Yes, no one can be certain about the properties of Mundo's dagger. It has dark power along with various terrifying viruses. You must be extremely careful; once infected, meditate immediately to repair the wound. After all, whether you repair it or not, death is inevitable. Do you understand? Also, his dagger can be thrown from about thirty meters away; it’s not very fast, but Mundo is very cunning—be cautious... Hey... hey..."
Beiyue hurriedly sat up straight but felt it was inappropriate and stood up to adopt a contemplative pose to ease the earlier awkwardness. Cui Ming said, "Alright, since Wandering says it's fine, then it's fine. Let’s order something to eat."
"Okay." Beiyue heard water running from another bathroom and asked, "Is Mu still washing?"
Forgetting about him, Cui Ming went over to find Mu still in the shower but with Shroud accompanying him. The washing didn’t seem effective; it only removed the smell while Shroud still looked as unappealing as ever. Whatever—Cui Ming turned off the water and pulled Mu out into the living room before using a hairdryer on him.
Mu was fascinated by the hairdryer while Beiyue explained its use. Mu learned quickly and soon understood how it worked. Feeling good about it, Beiyue mentioned that they would part ways in the morning. Instantly tears welled up in Mu's eyes. Cui Ming was startled and quickly performed a magic trick to capture Mu's attention. Beiyue gradually comforted him until Mu finally accepted this decision. Beiyue was also taken aback; if Mu cried out of anger, this building would be in serious trouble.
Beiyue sensed that Mu was a dangerous being; before teaching him how to control his emotions and Force, he really shouldn’t appear in the Three Continents. Beiyue said, "I’ll contact the hunters and send someone to escort Feng and Mu." If necessary, they would resort to force; otherwise, if Mu lost control in a densely populated area, casualties would be unimaginable. In such circumstances, the alliance would absolutely not allow someone uncontrollable like Mu in the Three Continents—they would certainly eliminate him.
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