Chapter 283, Blank Letter
There was nothing much going on at the Guild in the morning.
Wu Heng left the Guild with Andviel and headed directly to the port.
The allocated ship had already been docked at the Guild's exclusive port, guarded by staff.
"What's your business here?" The guard didn't seem to recognize Wu Heng.
Andviel presented an assistant credential, and the person's attitude became much more respectful.
They stepped aside, allowing the two of them to board the ship.
The corpses on the ship had already been cleared.
However, remnants of bloodstains and bits of flesh could still be seen in the cracks of the deck.
If I weren't a necromancer myself.
I would have suspected this ship was covered in 'soul rings.'
"Master, what do you plan to do with this ship?" Andviel asked.
Wu Heng sat down on a remaining chair and said, "I haven't decided yet. Do you have any suggestions?"
"If Master doesn't intend to form a merchant fleet, you could assemble a fleet for hunting pirate crews at sea. It would be more convenient," Andviel thought for a moment and said.
As the Deputy Steward's assistant, she had reviewed a lot of information.
She knew more about Gold-Silver Island than Wu Heng did.
Previously, Wu Heng only considered forming a merchant fleet, but now it seemed arming the fleet was also an option.
It could be used to chase down pirate crews.
"Hmm, you're clever, as always. That's a good idea," Wu Heng complimented.
The two continued chatting for a bit longer.
Then they left the ship together.
They walked along the road towards Lighthouse Street.
...…
Wu Heng and Andviel first visited an Elven shop.
The wooden bows they ordered hadn't been delivered yet, probably needing two or three more days.
Wu Heng then went to the weapons shop and bought all the arrows and bolts available.
After walking around, it was already noon.
They found a nearby tavern to settle their lunch.
The two entered the tavern and sat in a corner.
Despite it being daytime, several tables in the shop were occupied.
People were drinking and chatting, discussing recent island events.
A plump barmaid with slightly tanned skin came over, smiling, and asked, "What would the guests like?"
"This hibiscus crab, is it named after the crab?" Wu Heng asked, looking at the menu written on the wall.
"Of course not, it's stewed with dragon tail crab, kudzu root, demon red leaves, bamboo shoots, and fish broth," the woman smiled and said meaningfully, "You should try it, I guarantee your evening will be different from usual."
"A few of these ingredients are alchemical materials. Is that safe?" Andviel asked.
Kudzu root and demon red leaves were both alchemical ingredients used in potions.
She had never heard of them being mixed into food before.
"Our chef specializes in alchemical cuisine, and these are our signature dishes. I assure you, there's no problem. But of course, it's a bit pricey—two silver coins for one serving of hibiscus crab," the woman said.
"Then I'll have one, and also a tempura platter, root vegetable salad, and beef patties…"
Hearing him order several of the more expensive dishes, the woman's smile grew wider. She respectfully said to wait and went to prepare the food.
Before long, all the dishes were brought out.
"Enjoy!" The woman bowed and then stepped away to attend to other guests.
...…
The two of them ate.
At that moment, the tavern door opened again.
A bearded man dressed like a sailor walked in, scanning the tavern with his eyes.
He laughed heartily and sat down at a round table where several others were already seated.
The barmaid brought over drinks, and the man grabbed a mug of beer, taking a sip before squeezing her buttocks forcefully.
Putting down his mug, he asked, "I heard the Blood Hand is dead?"
"Keep it down!" someone said.
The man's expression froze, and he glanced around the tavern before leaning in to speak more quietly.
Wu Heng continued eating while keeping an eye on them.
His perception heightened, and his hearing sharpened.
But the deliberate lowering of their voices made it difficult to catch what they were saying.
With a thought, he sent Glenda to stealthily approach them.
The group talked for a while.
The bearded man's gaze landed on the barmaid serving drinks, and he stood up, grabbed her by the hips, and said, "You guys keep talking; we're going to have a little private conversation."
The woman struggled in embarrassment.
But when a few silver coins were stuffed into her chest, she immediately became docile like a kitten.
The man carried her towards the back.
The others laughed and shouted, "Hurry up! I have something to tell her later too."
...…
Glenda returned and re-entered his body.
The scene of the conversation just now appeared in Wu Heng's mind.
"Is the Blood Hand really dead?" the bearded man asked.
The man opposite him replied, "It's confirmed. The Guild sent two Deputy Stewards and wiped out the Blood Hand Pirates overnight. Not a single one walked out alive."
"Not a single survivor? The Blood Hand is a Level 15 Professional. If he couldn't win, he should have at least escaped!"
"The bounty on the Blood Hand Pirates has been issued. It's definitely true," one person said, then asked, "What about you? Any new info?"
The bearded man said, "The kingdom of Yeko—its old king is critically ill, and the whole kingdom's situation has become tense."
The second man said, "The Iron Barrel Pirate Crew is in turmoil; the captain was killed, and the vice-captain has taken over the crew."
They whispered, wondering why so many pirate crews were facing trouble lately.
Then they all looked at the third person.
The third man said, "The vampires have been capturing rogue thin-bloods. I've heard that some of these people gained a portion of the vampires' power through some means, causing the vampires a lot of trouble."
"Something similar happened on Gold-Silver Island recently. A human noble was imprisoning girls to drink their blood, but the Guild killed him," the person who first mentioned the Blood Hand Pirates said.
"The Guild's been pretty ruthless lately."
"Indeed, those two Deputy Stewards are said to be quite powerful. The Guild might intervene forcibly around here."
At that point.
The bearded man lost interest.
His gaze followed the voluptuous woman.
He casually said a few more words and walked towards her.
...…
After hearing their conversation, Wu Heng took a sip of his drink.
This group seemed like a small intel-exchange team, sharing the information they had gathered.
Aside from the first piece about the Blood Hand Pirates.
The other three were actually things Wu Heng didn't know about.
The bearded man mentioned the political situation in the Kingdom of Yeko. The old king was critically ill, and as a result, the kingdom was becoming more tense.
This was likely a matter of succession, or someone might be trying to seize the throne.
Wu Heng found it a bit odd.
Those in the Secret Cult often had strange artifacts to extend their lifespans.
Couldn't the king extend his life too?
Or had he already reached the end even after extending it?
This issue didn't affect him much, except perhaps for Madam Slater in Blackstone Town. But Blackstone Town was remote, and Madam Slater, as the Guild's Steward, wouldn't likely be dragged into it.
The second piece of information was about the Iron Barrel Pirate Crew. Earlier that morning, Andviel had seen a bounty for a crew that had a wyvern.
Just as they were being confirmed as his next target, their captain was replaced.
The third piece of information had a direct connection to Wu Heng.
The vampires were starting to hunt down illegal thin-bloods, which, in simpler terms, meant hunting down members of the Secret Cult.
This was exactly what Wu Heng wanted. Hopefully, they'd be hunted down to the point where they wouldn't dare show their faces.
...…
After finishing lunch.
Wu Heng and Andviel left the tavern.
Andviel returned to the Guild to resume her duties, while Wu Heng went straight to the Snake Emblem Consortium.
He had obtained two of the Consortium's notes from the Blood Hand Pirates' leader.
Upon entering the Consortium and showing his emblem, he was invited into a lounge.
Sitting down in the lounge, a middle-aged man in formal attire quickly entered.
He respectfully asked, "Sir, what can I do for you?"
Wu Heng took out the two notes and placed them on the table, sliding them forward. "Retrieve the contents of these."
"Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment!"
The man picked up the notes and left.
A short while later, he returned with two staff members, each holding a sandalwood-colored box.
Wu Heng glanced at them. Judging from the weight the staff used to hold the boxes, there didn't seem to be anything heavy inside.
Probably no gold or silver coins, either.
"Sir, these are the items related to the notes. Should you need anything else, please call us anytime." The man bowed again and left with the other two.
Once the door closed.
Wu Heng bent down and placed the two boxes in front of him, opening the first one directly.
Inside were two certificates laid flat.
Wu Heng flipped them over and took out the papers.
「North Saint Siga Shipyard: Ship Certificate - Large Warship」
「North Saint Siga Shipyard: Ship Certificate - Large Warship」
Two ship certificates.
Wu Heng frowned.
Pirates had stored ship certificates at the Snake Emblem Consortium.
What kind of move was that?
Wu Heng had guessed money or some rare items.
But he hadn't expected the ship certificates to be kept here.
Not that it mattered; he now owned four ships.
Even though he had no immediate plans to set sail, his fleet was already taking shape, at least stronger than most pirate crews.
His gaze shifted to the second box.
He opened it directly.
Inside was a blank envelope, sealed with wax in the shape of a ram's horn.
Wu Heng examined both sides.
He ripped open the seal and shook out the letter inside.
The letter was still a blank sheet of paper.
No writing, not even any indentations from past writing.
"Blank?"
Wu Heng held it up to the sunlight, then checked if the paper had any hidden layers.
It turned out to be just a blank sheet.
Storing a blank paper at the Consortium?
Wu Heng couldn't figure it out either.
He stowed it away in his spatial ring, thinking it might need some kind of potion to reveal the text.
After organizing everything.
Wu Heng left the lounge.
He greeted the staff outside and exited the Consortium, heading towards his residence.
...…
Returning home.
Opening the courtyard gate, he saw Minnie and Gardener No. 1 squatting down, tending the flowers.
It was unclear whether it was because the plants of this world sprouted faster, or if they had used some special method, but the seeds planted a few days ago had already grown tender shoots.
The entire flowerbed was lush and green, no longer the original brown soil color.
"Master, you're back early today!" Minnie cheered, hopping over.
Wu Heng put his arm around her shoulder and said, "There wasn't much going on, so I came back early."
"Master must have missed me. Really, Master is becoming more clingy," Minnie said softly, hugging his waist.
Wu Heng chuckled, pinching her cheek, "You sound like you're in a play."
"Really? Do I have a talent for it?" Minnie asked as they walked towards the room.
"Maybe. Let's have Andviel take a look tonight."
"Hehe, sure!"
At dusk, Andviel also returned from the Guild.
After dinner, they trained for a while in the courtyard.
Then they returned to their rooms to rest.
...…
The next morning.
Wu Heng gave Andviel some instructions as she headed to the Guild.
He had no plans to go to the Guild himself.
After a quick tidy-up, he opened the realm gate on the fourth floor and went to the zombie world.
He appeared in the bedroom and looked out the window.
Taking out the radio, he said, "Get the car ready and have Qiangzi take solid rounds with him. We're preparing to set out."
Li Yanhong's voice came through quickly, "Alright, will get it ready immediately."
About half an hour later.
The radio crackled again, "We're ready."
"Okay, I'm heading down now."
Wu Heng exited the building and saw three vehicles parked at the entrance.
Li Yanhong's bus and two military trucks.
"Boss." Qiangzi and the others waved from the car.
"How many solid rounds did you make?" Wu Heng asked.
"Over five thousand, we've added some new molds."
"Good." Wu Heng nodded.
Just as he was about to get in, Li Yanhong stepped out of the bus with another figure.
Qi Hancai!
"This is Qi Hancai!" Li Yanhong then gestured towards Wu Heng, "And this is the leader of the repair shop, the King of Hell."
Every time he heard this name.
Wu Heng felt it was a bit too edgy.
But he also didn't want to reveal his real name.
Qi Hancai's eyes narrowed, as expected, the leader was the King of Hell.
Li Yanhong was just the face, acting as a manager.
"King of Hell, I've heard a lot about you." Qi Hancai extended her hand.
Wu Heng shook her hand, "Welcome aboard."
"Thank you!" Qi Hancai said.
Li Yanhong continued, "Now that you've joined, we're all in this together. Keep these matters to yourself, and make sure your people do the same."
It was blunt, but true.
Every refuge had its precautions.
The repair shop wasn't afraid of others, but it didn't want its internal matters leaked.
"Don't worry, I don't play double-cross," Qi Hancai assured.
Li Yanhong nodded, "Alright, let's head out!"
"Okay!"
Wu Heng and Li Yanhong boarded the bus, while Qi Hancai got in the last truck.
As the doors closed and the convoy slowly moved.
Wu Heng asked, "Is Qi Hancai coming along?"
"The third truck is loaded with forklifts and ammunition made by Qiangzi's team. It was originally planned for Wang Chengang to drive, but Qi Hancai wanted to come along, so I agreed," Li Yanhong said, looking over. "If you don't want her to come, I can have her swapped out now."
"No problem, just curious."
"Oh."
The convoy continued forward, reaching the end of the road.
...…
Crash~!
The skeleton army began to prepare.
In the distance, dense hordes of corpses began to converge, rushing toward them.
Behind them, two skeletons loaded the ammunition into the wyvern's frame, Qiangzi secured the clips.
He double-checked the stability.
"Alright, ready to fly," he said.
Wu Heng gestured for the skeleton warriors to climb onto the dragon's back and lightly patted the skeleton dragon, "Fly along the road ahead."
Whoosh~!
The skeleton wyvern soared into the sky, reaching the airspace above the horde.
A dense rain of iron fell from the sky.
Boom, boom, boom~!
The deafening sound echoed, and the ground trembled continuously.
Thick dust rose two to three meters high, covering the entire road.
Everyone crouched low.
Qi Hancai, witnessing this for the first time, leaped back like a startled rabbit, staring in horror at the scene before her.
Is this evolving towards modern weaponry?
Whoosh~!
The sound of air being cut filled the air as the wyvern landed.
Qiangzi and his team immediately stepped forward, unlatched the clips, and replaced the ammunition.
Once the replacement was complete, he patted the dragon's head, "Fly again!"