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“What?” Lu Fei Fan asked, intrigued.
“Do you know what we hunters on Blood on the Blade call ‘White Pearl’?” Da Biao prompted, eager to share.
“I don’t know,” Lu Fei Fan shook his head. “Please tell me more.”
“Hai Shang Tang,” Da Biao said, making an exaggerated upward gesture, indicating the entire cruise ship.
“Hai Shang Tang?” Lu Fei Fan raised an eyebrow, feeling a hint of speculation.
“It’s where, after the mission, if you want to relax, you can call their customer service. They guarantee a good time. As long as you’re willing to spend money, you can have any woman you desire—whether it’s someone with a slim waist and long legs, dressed in black stockings and high heels like Lady Yu, or someone pure and goddess-like. Even if you have special preferences, they can find someone for you, even if it’s a handsome man or someone less attractive,” Da Biao explained enthusiastically, sounding like an experienced guide.
“Of course, you could also go up to the upper deck like Cai Bi and try your luck at finding a free companion. But honestly, I’ve never seen that guy succeed. Hahaha,” Da Biao chuckled at the mention of Cai Bi.
“However, there’s something you need to remember: if you don’t have money and still try to call for services without paying, you’ll end up in trouble. You could get hurt or worse. Plus, you’ll be blacklisted by all the cruise ships,” Da Biao warned. “There are more than just ‘White Pearl’ under the Great Wall of Juhai; they’re part of an organization called Cruise Alliance, also known as Sparrow Nest. Don’t mess with them; their influence is complicated. We in the Special Operations Team can’t afford to provoke them.”
“Sparrow Nest?” Lu Fei Fan was curious about this term.
“The sparrows refer to us—those sea hunters returning from the Recovery Zone and Fallen Zone. Each of us is like a tiny sparrow, and the cruise ship is our comfortable haven. On this ship, no one can kill or rob freely; if they do, they’ll be blacklisted by all cruise ships and no one will serve them. That’s why we call it ‘Sparrow Nest,’” Da Biao explained patiently.
“Also, there are various trades happening on the cruise ship. You can buy any supplies here or sell your goods; however, their commission is quite high—about this much,” Da Biao held up four fingers.
“Forty percent?” Lu Fei Fan asked uncertainly.
“Exactly,” Da Biao nodded. “Generally speaking, unless it’s something hot, we won’t sell to Cruise Alliance; their cut is too steep. The best deal is to take the ship back to the Free Federation and trade with the Commerce Alliance there; they’ll auction your goods for a fixed fee without taking a cut. That way, we come out ahead.”
Lu Fei Fan nodded seriously, taking mental notes and then looked at Da Biao gratefully. “Thank you.”
“No need to mention it! Once we finish this mission and make some money, just treat yourself to a Lady Yu for some heart-to-heart conversation,” Da Biao waved his hand nonchalantly before yawning and collapsing onto his bed.
Meanwhile, Jia Jia shook her head and quietly took out a whetstone to meticulously sharpen her knife.
“How is the Knife Technique?” Jia Jia asked him.
“Not very good,” Lu Fei Fan replied modestly, shaking his head. Although he had learned military combat, his use of the Knife was limited to close-quarters fighting. If he encountered a master, he probably wouldn’t be able to handle it. After all, this world was vast, and it was full of strong individuals.
“The Knife Technique is ever-changing; it’s not about how good the knife is, but about the person wielding it. Do you know what the strongest Knife Technique in the world is?” Jia Jia suddenly stopped and asked.
Lu Fei Fan shook his head.
Jia Jia said four words.
“There is no knife outside the heart.”
“There is no knife outside the heart… there is no knife outside the heart…” Lu Fei Fan kept repeating these four words, feeling they made a lot of sense.
“Understand it well,” Jia Jia smiled and continued sharpening his knife.
At that moment, someone interrupted Lu Fei Fan from behind.
“Don’t overthink it. What he means is that it’s easy to break a thief in the mountains, but hard to break a thief in the heart.”
Lu Fei Fan turned around and saw Vice Captain Da Fu Ge, who wore glasses. He kindly patted Lu Fei Fan on the shoulder, clearly suggesting that he shouldn’t think too much before battle; maintaining focus and conserving energy was most important.
Lu Fei Fan lay on the bed for a while but felt no sleepiness. Jia Jia had fallen asleep on the sand with his knife in hand, while Lu Fei Fan still felt quite alert. He decided to sit cross-legged on the bed and planned to circulate his Fu Mai Xi Shu.
The Pulse Energy surged within his Meridians like a joyful spring, generating energy that began to flow through his Meridians like a stream. It followed the channels of the stream and started to spread outwards along the pulse pathways. Countless streams of Pulse Energy gushed forth from the energy cells, quickly gathering into a river that transformed everything in its path into flowing currents.
Lu Fei Fan was unaware that the operation of Fu Mai Xi Shu had brought him new progress. He simply felt that this time, the Pulse Breathing Technique’s management of Pulse Energy was several times faster than before and remarkably abundant. His mental state was also soaring, as if he had taken several doses of military-grade stimulants, yet he could control himself so as not to exceed his limits and lose control physically or mentally; instead, he felt perfectly invigorated.
As the Pulse Breathing Technique cycled through again and again, it experienced a breakthrough. In what was once a chaotic void with only a few stars of Pulse Energy, a previously extinguished sun unexpectedly reignited its brilliance and even illuminated four more stars.
What surprised him even more was that the Gods' Armor flickered with hints of golden light. This was a phenomenon of Pulse Energy resonance; it seemed that the Gods' Armor particularly liked this kind of Pulse Energy attraction, making Lu Fei Fan feel as if this armor was growing alongside his own Pulse Energy.
A few short hours passed swiftly, and when Lu Fei Fan awoke, he found Da Biao and Jia Jia already packing their belongings.
Lu Fei Fan let out a deep breath and checked his Military Backpack. There was no need for a thorough inspection; he had kept it close at hand during the journey and had checked it several times already, so nothing was missing.
Once the three finished packing, they stepped out of the room. The cavalry team emerged at the same time as others, and after checking out, Lu Fei Fan disembarked from the cruise ship. Under the sunlight, he realized that the Juhai Great Wall appeared far more majestic than it had in the night. The walls were constructed of dark gray materials whose composition he could not identify, while some sections were covered in metal, leaving him uncertain about what sturdy materials lay beneath.
“How is it? Impressive, right? I was totally blown away when I first came here. You know, the Juhai Great Wall has nearly two hundred years of history. Every time a tsunami hits, it faces the brunt of it; each time is a grand battle that shakes the earth,” Da Biao seemed to long for that kind of scene.
“I still hope the tsunami doesn’t come,” the cavalryman replied seriously. “It’s no joke.”
Da Fu Ge nodded in agreement.
“A tsunami?” Lu Fei Fan had heard of it but didn’t quite understand what it was.
“The ocean periodically triggers Hai Chao. It may not always be a true tsunami; it could be a Sea Beast tide or extreme weather conditions, or sometimes it’s just regular tidal waves. But every time there’s a tsunami, Sea Beasts surge toward the Juhai Great Wall, trying to enter the safe waters of the Free Federation, which is why it's called a ‘tsunami,’” Cai Bi, the team medic, explained while observing the wall. “To ensure humanity's survival, several such Juhai Great Walls have been built, like the Storm Wall and Flood Barrier belonging to the Free Federation.”
“Alright, enough of the lesson; we should get going,” Cai Bi glanced at Lu Fei Fan.
Lu Fei Fan looked at the Juhai Great Wall and realized that his safe world existed only within these high walls. Without them, his world would surely turn into ruins.
“Don’t worry; guarding these Juhai Great Walls are not just the elite troops of the Free Federation but also a formidable Special Operations Team composed of war gods. I’ve heard there are even stronger beings stationed here. Who knows? Regardless, whenever a tsunami occurs, everyone must contribute to protecting our world behind us, right?” Da Biao patted Lu Fei Fan on the back before heading down the deck with the other team members.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Fei Fan quickly followed suit.
Arriving at last night’s floating dock at Dock 6, the cavalryman presented their identification for verification to a soldier from their regiment. After stamping their documents, the soldier allowed them to pass through a long tunnel that stretched over a hundred meters to reach another side of the wall and encountered an entirely different scene.
This was the view outside the wall; numerous ships were coming in and out of the floating dock. The port outside seemed even busier than before. The cavalryman led them toward an old Cargo Ship that looked somewhat worn down. An elderly man with a scruffy beard dressed in tattered work clothes and smoking a pipe appeared to be the captain while three or four crew members busied themselves aboard.
“Hey, Lao Han! You’re still alive!” The cavalryman approached him with familiarity and exchanged high fives.
The bearded old man laughed heartily as he patted his large belly. “I can eat and sleep just fine; I’m doing great! Hahaha.”
“How's business lately?” the Captain asked him, then waved to the crew, signaling them to board the ship.
“Things have been pretty good recently, with quite a few Special Operations Teams heading out to sea, and it seems like they’re bringing back decent hauls. I hope you all return loaded as well,” the bearded man said with a hearty laugh. “Come on, let’s have some tea on the ship.”
The Captain followed him aboard as the crew began to raise the anchor. The rough engine roared to life, producing a significant noise, but it had impressive power.
The Cargo Ship rocked as it headed towards the waters beyond the Juhai Great Wall. During the journey, Lu Fei Fan spotted several islands, but there weren’t many buildings on them. Da Biao informed him that these were islands that had been reclaimed; they were inhabited by only a small number of people. However, compared to the safe waters of the Free Federation, this area was considerably more dangerous.
“After all these years, it seems like the Expeditionary Force hasn’t accomplished much. These islands look utterly lifeless,” the Captain remarked as he gazed at the distant islands receding into the horizon from inside the cabin. Some islands had clusters of buildings, but most were in ruins, turned into desolate wastelands. The scant population couldn’t change any of that.
“Most of those who were scared have gone back to their own world. Only those who are either reckless or barely hanging on stay out here. The Expeditionary Force… is no longer what it used to be,” the bearded old man said with a hint of melancholy as he put down his pipe and emptied its ashes.
Lu Fei Fan stood on the deck of the Cargo Ship, facing into the wind. He didn’t want to hide in the cabin and miss everything he was seeing for the first time in this outside world.
He had heard and seen so much along the way; this outside world was far more vast and colorful than his previous one.
For him, this was truly an adventure stage.
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