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Miss Fortune had already fired four shots at Cui Ming, yet Cui Ming remained patient, saying, "You can't do it now, Miss Fortune. If you kill her now, you're finished. You don't want to risk your life against Wei Wei, do you?" Becoming a wanted criminal in the alliance would erase all her previous achievements, and the most painful part was that her former comrades would have to hunt her down.
Miss Fortune did not fire the fifth shot. It seemed she wanted to lean on Cui Ming's shoulder and cry, but she quickly steeled herself, turning away and walking to the ship's railing. She tucked her pistol into her waistband, facing the sea with a blank expression. Cui Ming had taken quite a beating from those shots, but thankfully Miss Fortune had shown restraint, only using her right hand to shoot and sustaining less damage.
Cui Ming stepped aside and pulled a bottle of rum from the first mate's pocket, handing it to Miss Fortune. She accepted the drink, opened it, and took a few swigs. "After I became a member of the alliance, I always felt we were superior. Practitioners killing someone or stealing something didn't seem like much. It wasn't until my own family was harmed that I realized how despicable these people are. Don't you think that's ironic?"
"You can take revenge in secret," Cui Ming suggested, opting for action over philosophical reasoning.
"How?" Miss Fortune leaned in slightly.
Cui Ming whispered, "Someone like Jinjin is rebellious and values loyalty. She must have some friends—bad friends. First, investigate these friends thoroughly. Then let the police capture them and torture them for information. There's a high chance Jinjin will attempt a prison break when they do. At that point, she'll become a new wanted criminal in the alliance, and everyone will want her dead. Plus, she won't have any chance of immunity left."
"She has friends? The kind of ordinary friends she cares about? And they're bad people?"
Cui Ming replied confidently, "Yes. Otherwise, no matter how poor her upbringing was, she wouldn't have taken this path. During today's voyage, I found some personal belongings in the cabin that I didn't realize belonged to Jinjin. It seems they are hers after all. From those belongings, I discovered she likes metal percussion and has a band where she's the lead singer and guitarist. She also has several records from a band called something like 'The Combination,' which I believe she is a fan of. I've heard of that band in Dawn City. If you have patience, dig up her bad friends; if not, start with her idols and the band. Her arrogant attitude suggests she wouldn't want to resolve things through other means but would prefer violence."
After thinking for a moment, Miss Fortune countered, "What if she doesn't resort to violence?"
Cui Ming remained silent for a long time before saying, "Then I suggest you let her go. Although I know that's unlikely, I don't want you to get hurt because of her or sacrifice yourself for revenge. Who would take revenge for you? Do you think your life and your mother's life are worth just one of hers? Or do you believe her life is more precious than yours? Are you willing to trade your life for hers?"
Miss Fortune stared at Cui Ming for a long time, unsure of what to think. Suddenly, she hugged Cui Ming, then released her and said, "Thank you."
"Do you need help setting things up?" Cui Ming asked.
"No need; I can handle it myself," Miss Fortune replied. "You're right. I can't assassinate her; I could ambush and kill her, but everyone outside would know it was me. I don't want to engage in a bloody battle with hunters. Even more so, I don't want to put myself at risk for her sake; right now, I'm just praying that the demons within her will reignite her violence."
"Yes, if needed later on, we can help," Cui Ming said. "If Jinjin is indeed Elder's daughter and has never been bound by legal rules due to Elder's indulgence and cover-up of the truth while protecting his daughter, it will only make Jinjin more arrogant. She might fear the Force Alliance, but she won't care about the laws of ordinary people’s world. So I'm certain that as long as everything is set up properly, she will 100% commit violent crimes again."
Miss Fortune patted Cui Ming on the shoulder and said, "I like you." She turned to look at the sea, her mood as vast as the ocean.
Is Cui Ming's moral value high or low? Even Cui Ming himself doesn't know. If one were to say it's low, he shows disdain for some reckless behaviors; if it's high, he has also engaged in similar actions, just with different boundaries. In terms of ideology, he is similar to Jinjin, believing that committing crimes against ordinary people isn't a big deal, but there is a distinction—he thinks actions should be driven by necessity, while Jinjin does it for pleasure. Behaviorally, Cui Ming and most practitioners have their limits; they may vary in severity, but generally, they wouldn't kill someone or drive them to desperation. In contrast, Jinjin has no such concerns.
To sum it up, the main point is that Miss Fortune is a friend, while Jinjin is not. If Jinjin were a friend and Miss Fortune was not, Cui Ming would certainly find a way to mediate. He knows the fault lies with Jinjin, and he wouldn't show favoritism. However, if Miss Fortune wanted to take Jinjin's life, Cui Ming wouldn't rule out the possibility of eliminating Miss Fortune first.
One cannot judge individuals with a black-and-white mentality. For individuals, justice and darkness differ from collective perspectives.
...
Twenty minutes later, Jinjin had recovered and sat to one side drinking hot water, expressionless as she watched the others. Vlad bent down to explain the current situation to her. He was unwilling to lower himself to act like one of Jinjin's subordinates. After all, his father was arguably one of the most powerful figures in the Dawn Empire. After exchanging a few words with Vlad, Jinjin stood up and returned to the ship's cabin.
Vlad approached and said, "Jinjin said you can take the yacht."
Seeing Miss Fortune's disdainful expression, Cui Ming replied first, "No, we are taking the yacht by force." We don't want what is given; we want what we seize. What kind of theory is that?
Vlad chuckled lightly and didn't seem bothered. "I'm sorry, but I personally don't want to get involved in this matter. I know who is right and who is wrong. However, in this world, one often has no choice. Are you heading to Silent City?"
"Yes," Cui Ming nodded.
"Silent City hasn't been very peaceful lately," Vlad explained. "They've hired some workers for maritime transport of supplies, so I have some information. An Otherworldly Creature attacked residents."
"Ah?" What’s strange about that?
First, Vlad explained about the residents' living areas and then continued, "In uninhabited zones and residential areas, there are few individual residents at the edges. However, this particular Otherworldly Creature attacked those within the residential area itself. It silently devoured people. The most terrifying part is that this Otherworldly Creature, like a lurking hunter, specifically targets solitary individuals. One person was attacked while his neighbor was only five meters away but heard nothing."
Cui Ming asked curiously, "Is it frequent?"
"Cui Ming, this is just hearsay from ordinary workers; how detailed can the information be?"
"Ha ha," Cui Ming said softly. "Vlad, stop making things up. I appreciate your good intentions, but I know someone from the Ding Family is among the guests."
Vlad smiled, neither confirming nor denying it. He continued in a low voice, "About once every half month, there have been attacks on individuals of varying ages. So far, three people have been attacked and consumed, leaving only three legs behind. Among them are two practitioners of Dark Magic and one practitioner of Blood Magic. One of them was quite powerful, at least as strong as you or me, and vanished without a trace, leaving only a leg and a pool of blood. Several elders from Silent City are investigating this matter, and even Toad, who has been in seclusion, has come out. This information is from ten days ago; I hope it is useful to you."
"Thank you, Vlad." Cui Ming was not ungrateful; Vlad had shown considerable goodwill. Perhaps he simply hoped not to be blamed because of Jinjin, or maybe he wanted to make friends for other reasons. It didn't matter.
The soldiers brought the speedboat back. Vlad understood a little about everything, and with his help, the warship provided some green food and smoked meats.
After the yacht departed and the warship returned to port, Jinjin finally emerged from the cabin. She sat back in a beach chair arranged by the soldiers and beckoned Vlad over with her finger. "What did they say?"
Vlad leaned down next to Jinjin and whispered in her ear, "They didn't say much. Once they realized you are the daughter of an Elder, they showed concern and hoped for reconciliation. Miss Fortune hopes you can forgive her."
"Hmph! I don't like being referred to as someone's daughter. I would prefer if people introduced me by saying 'this is my father' when they mention him."
Vlad nodded. "Your father is very worried about you."
"He? He only cares about the Dawn Empire. Tell the captain I want to go to the Eastern Continent for a concert. Don't worry; I promised not to cause trouble again, but who can understand how bored I am? I can't do this or that—what's the point of living?" Jinjin asked. "Am I not allowed to go see a concert?"
"Of course you can," Vlad smiled and quickly walked toward the captain's cabin to relay Jinjin's command. The young girl was growing impatient with life. Earlier, Jinjin had provoked hunters who began searching for her; she had protection and went into hiding, so the hunters lost interest after failing to capture her. Then she got involved with Miss Fortune, who pursued her all the way to the Ding Family's hideout. It wasn't a big problem; Miss Fortune wasn't particularly malicious. However, Miss Fortune had become friends with Cui Ming—friends who had a vendetta against each other’s families. Jinjin had shown no sincerity in seeking forgiveness.
Vlad did not have high hopes for Jinjin's future. To him, she was purely rebellious—rebelling for rebellion's sake, enjoying the destructive thrill of violence while venting her psychological pressure without any kindness or love in her heart. She was carefree and reckless, oblivious to others around her. From birth, she had been at the center of attention due to her father's power; wherever she went in the Dawn Empire, she was always the focus. When ignored by her father, she would cry out for his attention; as she grew older, she resorted to breaking things because that was the only way her father would set aside his work to be with her.
Vlad did not like Jinjin; she had caused too much trouble for everyone. Therefore, he did not advise her but rather stoked the flames of conflict instead. If Cui Ming could eliminate Jinjin, it would be beneficial for the Ding Family. If Miss Fortune killed Jinjin, it would be detrimental. The distinction lay in whether Cui Ming would act justly or treacherously against Jinjin while Miss Fortune would only kill her openly and honorably. If Miss Fortune took action against Jinjin, even if hunters pursued her afterward, they would have their own opinions about anyone or any family applying pressure on them.
Naturally, the Ding Family would become pawns in this game, which could ultimately lead to dissatisfaction among hunters towards them. After all, it made sense that Miss Fortune killing Jinjin could be justified in their eyes.
(To be continued.)
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