Chương 57: Three Feathers City (Part II)

Rowing the boat through the night with the help of two companions, Little Crab spat out a broken tooth and sneered at the man on the other side of the vessel.

"Friend, you should learn to be gentler," he said.

"If we had continued negotiating, things wouldn't have had to end like this." The man in question, wearing a terrifying expression, was Lucian. One of his arms hung limp, clearly broken. His eyes were swollen, his nose bleeding, and he cowered against the edge of the boat. If one paid close attention, however, they would notice the deep coldness hidden in the depths of his eyes. Little Crab's two helpers laughed. Both of them were rough, muscular men, with skin darkened by years under the sun at sea.

"How much do you think we can get from him, Little Crab?" the short-haired one asked.

"He looks like a poor bloke with nowhere to sleep." The other laughed as he rowed faster and said, "I bet those gold and silver coins were his life savings." Little Crab chuckled, greedily examining the drawn map in his hands under the dim glow of a lantern.

"This kid is unlucky. I know exactly where he left the goods. There better be enough for all of us, right?" he sneered, glancing at Lucian.

"Otherwise, my friends here won't be happy." While they spoke, Lucian struggled inwardly. I can't kill these bugs yet, he thought, suppressing his anger. The plan is working. Pretending to be weak is necessary. There are too many hidden forces in Three Feathers City, and dealing with those cultivators now would be a waste of time. And I need people who understand the city's rules... Be patient. He barely listened to their words, afraid that a single lapse in control might lead him to kill them on impulse.

At least manipulating them into sailing toward Wang Chen's rendezvous point had been effortless. They believed they had struck fortune, and all he had needed to do was act desperate, kidnapping Little Crab and forcing him into agreeing to smuggle his supposed clan's hidden goods along with a few people. After that, Lucian feigned surprise when Little Crab led him into an ambush, allowing himself to be beaten senseless. From there, things unfolded naturally.

Through his connections, Little Crab confirmed Lucian's identity with the gate guards, verifying Lucian's claim to be a servant of the Bai Clan. Then he quickly paid the right people, prepared the docks for departure, and ensured a smooth return. He wasn't betting entirely on Lucian, but rather on the possibility that surviving Bai Clan members might still be hiding with valuables. In Three Feathers City, everything could be sold, including war prisoners.

And if some people entered the city unregistered at the gates, it made it easier to use them as free laborers. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Guided by the stars, Little Crab and his two friends sailed through the night, reaching their destination in less than two hours, just before sunrise. Next, using a magnifying lens common among merchant ships, one of the thugs scanned the shoreline. Seeing nothing, he clicked his tongue.

"I bet this bastard was lying, or got lied to," he sneered.

"Maybe his friends ran off with the gold and told him a story so they wouldn't have to share." Little Crab frowned and muttered, "Let's hope not. Selling this one alone won't be enough to make a profit." He stepped toward Lucian, raising his leg to kick him in frustration. But his foot struck only air. Losing his balance, he staggered forward, like a fish thrown onto land, struggling to regain his footing. After adjusting his position, he turned around first in bewilderment, then his eyes bulged in terror.

Little Crab saw his two subordinates smiling, their teeth still showing. The problem was that their heads were no longer attached to their bodies. They rolled across the boat, while blood poured from their severed necks, flowing toward Lucian's right hand. There, a crimson eyeball hovered above a rune depicting a plucked eye, encircled by shifting sigils.

Devilish Arts: Boon of Greed – Blinded by Power As Lucian drained the corpses of their blood, he briefly glanced toward the nearby shore before turning back to Little Crab.

"Keep rowing," he commanded, kicking the headless bodies out of the boat along with their severed heads. The blood was consumed, refined, and the Rune of Greed faded, so keeping the corpses on board was a waste of space. Little Crab shivered and nodded obediently. With great difficulty, he resumed rowing. His atrophied arms made the task slow and exhausting. Without help, their pace was pitiful, but he didn't dare to beg for help. Lucian did not care either.

He watched the horizon, waiting for dawn, as the sky slowly turned orange. Only after letting the first rays of sunlight touch him did Lucian turn his back to it, lowering his head. Inwardly, he wondered, Could I use Qi to feel the sun again? Half an hour later, they reached the shore and anchored the small wooden boat. Lucian waited for Little Crab to secure the boat before standing up, grabbing him by the collar, and throwing him on a nearby rock.

"Please, don't kill me! I–I'm protected by Madame Ching! And… and I can be useful!" Little Crab cried, prostrating himself in fear. Invoking Madame Ching's name was a gamble, but he did not dare act arrogantly in front of a cultivator. After all, they were far from Three Feathers City, and if Lucian killed him here and left, revenge would mean nothing to his cold corpse.

"Of course you can be useful," Lucian said, sitting calmly on the boat while scanning the surroundings.

"Otherwise, the fish would have three mummified bodies to feast on, not two." Shivering at his words, Little Crab bowed repeatedly.

"How can I serve you, Grand Cultivator?"

"Tell me everything you know about Three Feathers City," Lucian said, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"I want to know about the hidden forces, the true rulers, the rumors, who controls the slums, who dominates the docks, everything. From the most sought-after courtesan to the most infamous bandits." Little Crab opened and closed his mouth, unsure where to begin.

"But remember," Lucian continued, his tone turning colder, "I chose you because you are well connected, yet not bound to any Clan, Fleet, or Merchant Chamber. If you lie to me, and I discover it, you die."

"I wouldn't dare," Little Crab stammered.

"I will tell you everything! Not a single lie will leave my mouth! I swear to my mother's grave."

"Good." Lucian stood up.

"Start with Madame Ching. The last I knew, she had been living in an archipelago for ten years, without news of coming back."