Chương 59: Three Feathers City (Part IV)

The moon seems bigger from here, Lucian thought, looking at the night sky as Wang Chen and Little Crab rowed the boat. After securing the goods, they had talked a bit more about Three Feathers City and what to do with the load upon arrival, and Lucian had used the Rune of Lust to ensure Little Crab was not lying about anything. Curiously enough, the smuggler had told the truth from beginning to end even without the rune.

What Lucian did not realize was that, for someone of Little Crab's status, dealing with cultivators was a nightmare in itself. Little Crab could lick Lucian's boots to guarantee his survival, going so far as to wash his tongue with saltwater beforehand to avoid staining the footwear. For Little Crab, lying to Lucian was the same as courting death. Inside the boat, already out at sea, the waves were far more violent now than when Lucian had arrived, causing it to rock constantly.

Bai Xiaomeng had thrown up twice in less than half an hour, her face pale and her hands trembling, leaving Wang Chen with a permanently worried expression. The plump young man was unaware that, if not for his ghoul's body, he would have fared far worse. When he saw her scrambling to the boat's edge once more, Lucian said, "Tie her to the crates in the middle, and give her a bag. This is getting ridiculous."

"Er..." Little Crab gulped, forcing a nervous smile.

"That could be dangerous, Grand Cultivator. If a wave overturns the boat, she should remain free to swim. Otherwise, uh, well, she dies." He swallowed the rest of his words, not daring to mention that tying her to the crates of goods would make both her and the cargo sink faster, costing them their profits. Lucian turned to Wang Chen and the heaving Bai Xiaomeng with cold eyes and said, "I don't believe either of them knows how to swim. If the boat overturns, tied or not, they're dead."

Everyone stared at him aghast. This was as good as cursing them dead! In the end, Bai Xiaomeng remained at the edge of the boat, vomiting while Wang Chen supported her, even though neither of them spoke much. They were both far more concerned with the violent waves crashing against the wooden hull than with the nausea, however. Their legs trembled as they feared being thrown overboard and swallowed by the sea. Lucian's words had affected them so much that Bai Xioameng's stomach didn't affect her anymore.

Fortunately, their fears never came true. Although the journey was rough, three hours later they saw rows of ships and boats ahead, signaling that they had reached their destination. Three Feathers City was illuminated by countless artifacts, bursting with activity. The ships, numerous along the docks, followed strict navigation rules, with outgoing vessels moving from the rear or right, leaving the left side as the path for new arrivals.

"Where are all these boats coming from?" Wang Chen asked, surprised. Dozens of other vessels appeared on the horizon, and far beyond them, countless ships drifted across the sea, their forms barely visible. They resembled myriad dim lights shimmering in the distance like fallen stars upon the water.

"Everywhere across the Great Sea," Little Crab answered with a hint of pride.

"The other coastal towns and capitals throughout the southwest of the Golden Peng Empire can't compete with us."

"Keep rowing," Lucian said, noticing Little Crab had puffed his chest and slowed down.

"You still need to get us inside if you want to live." Gulping, Little Crab nodded and returned to work. As they approached the docks through a hidden channel, Bai Xiaomeng spoke in a low voice.

"Can we trust him? Isn't he a smuggler and human trafficker? What if there's an ambush ahead?" she asked, glaring at Little Crab. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Before and during the trip, Lucian had questioned Little Crab about the city, its economy, and everything from the slums to high society. Through those answers, Little Crab had begun offering his services, trying to prove his usefulness.

To Bai Xiaomeng, however, knowing he had no issue selling women to brothels and men into forced labor had completely shattered any trust they could've built.

"We can trust that he isn't stupid enough to gamble with his life," Lucian said, waving his hand to dismiss her concerns. Soon, they anchored near the docks and, through a broken house conspicuously built near a bridge, began unloading the goods. Inside the abandoned structure, they separated the materials into different piles, storing them in wooden boxes prepared in advance.

Afterwards, Wang Chen and Little Crab did most of the heavy work, with Bai Xiaomeng assisting when she could, placing the boxes into marked barrels and rolling them through an opening. The barrels bore the stamps of a food supplier, the kind that guards would not question. Watching Wang Chen move the barrels with ease, Little Crab was about to call him "Grand Cultivator" when something lightly struck him. He scrambled to pick it up and recognized his money pouch.

From its weight alone, he knew there were more coins inside.

"Grand Cultivator Lu Xian?" he asked, unsure what it meant.

"You work for me now," Lucian said.

"After securing our goods and placing us somewhere hidden but comfortable, you and Wang Chen, along with whoever you hire, will retrieve the rest. The fact that there isn't an ambush here means you know how to do your job." Previously, Lucian had ordered them to load mainly the less precious goods to test if Little Crab would suffer under another force's schemes, or if the smuggler was smart enough to be a tool. Taken aback, Little Crab could only nod.

"Why?" Bai Xiaomeng asked as she moved through the tunnel with them. But she received no answer. Lucian didn't want to explain things to her. After minutes of traveling, they exited the tunnel through another hideout. This one housed a beggar sleeping nearby. Little Crab tossed two silver coins into a bowl beside him and continued moving the barrels. They walked through narrow corridors, where beggars appeared here and there. For every ten they passed, Little Crab threw coins to two of them.

Ten silver coins later, they arrived in front of a small house, lit by a simple lantern. Ushering them inside, Little Crab closed the door and let out a relieved sigh.

"Very interesting system," Lucian remarked, sitting on an old wooden chair.

"The Shadow Alliance should be ruling this district." Little Crab nodded.

"Yes, Grand Cultivator Lu Xian. As I told you, every gang leader and syndicate chief answers to the Shadow Alliance. The beggars are no different. They sell low-level information and rent out secure hideouts. The Head Beggar, one of the Shadow Alliance's leaders, is the one controlling them." Focusing for a moment and confirming that no one was watching them from outside, Lucian nodded, pleased.

"You should be aware why I let you live," Lucian said.

"You have suffered long in this place, and with such a frail body, you survived through your mind and your connections alone. That's why I'm hiring you." Little Crab bowed.

"I thank you, Grand Cultivator." Inwardly, he felt nothing but relief at still being alive. Whether Lucian spoke the truth or not didn't matter. As long as he survived, everything else could be decided later. Abruptly, Little Crab, Wang Chen, and Bai Xiaomeng felt pressure descend upon them. Lucian, seated leisurely on the worn wooden chair, waved his hand. Without activating any rune, merely through his presence, he forced them to the brink of kneeling.

"This Lord will issue His commands," he said with a cold expression. The trio bowed their heads slightly.

"Wang Chen, you will open a stall and build a small company with Little Crab's help. Through it, you will buy and sell goods. To do so, you must leave the city and re-enter through the front gate. Bai Xiaomeng should be registered too." Instinctively, Wang Chen nodded.

"Bai Xiaomeng, you will go to the Sailor School. Little Crab will help you find work there. You will meet him occasionally and report what you see. Don't be stupid." A bit frightened by his tone, Bai Xiaomeng flinched and nodded.

"You two may leave," Lucian said. With no room to refuse, the duo hurried out, leaving a trembling Little Crab behind.

"What—what can this little one do for you, Grand Cultivator?" Little Crab asked, his voice shaking.

"You will assist those two and gather any valuable information," Lucian said, tapping his thigh.

"And you will, by any means necessary, identify and report to this Lord the richest and most powerful member of the City Council who fears death by disease or age and has little to no family." Little Crab opened and closed his mouth, stunned by the demands. Then, Lucian tossed a pouch toward him. At first, he thought it was gold. But when he opened it, he saw dozens of Gray Spirit Stones. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he wanted to throw them back, but he knew he could not.

"This Lord does not pay only in gold and Spirit Stones," Lucian said, a faint smile forming.

"Prove your worth, and you will no longer be a cripple." That single sentence brought Little Crab to his knees. Even without trusting Lucian, he saw only indifference and coldness on the man before him. Little Crab didn't believe that he was important enough to be lied to. He couldn't help but feel a desire to find out if he could be cured within his soul. And like that, Lucian secured his first underling in Three Feathers City.