The Flying Serpent.
Despite the successful whale hunt and the bountiful rewards, there was little joy aboard the Demon Hunting Ship.
A heavy gloom hung over the deck, and the atmosphere among the crew was incredibly somber.
Su Ye stood in the middle of the crowd, a sense of shared sorrow in his heart.
He completely understood this feeling.
The reason was simple.
The casualties were too great.
A headcount after the fact tallied the crew members killed outright and those who had vanished without a trace.
In all, nine people were lost.
On this vast, open sea, to go missing was essentially a death sentence.
And before today, the Flying Serpent had only lost six people over the entire voyage!
'More than doubled in one go…' Su Ye glanced around, inwardly clicking his tongue.
What's more, the sacrifice of these nine men could have been completely avoided!
The Flying Serpent had already decided to turn back and stop hunting demons.
But because of Captain Luo Qingjun's stubborn insistence, the number of casualties had skyrocketed.
"Everything was fine. Why did we have to go and provoke that whale?"
"If the first mate hadn't risked his life, who knows how many more would have died…?"
"That bastard nearly got us all killed!"
Even with Captain Luo Qingjun nearby, the crew couldn't stop their resentful muttering.
As for these complaints, Luo Qingjun… showed no reaction.
The captain himself had been relatively lucky.
Although the Spiritual Boat had been capsized by the Gray Ridge Whale, killing several others on it, he himself was largely unharmed, aside from swallowing some water.
Now, Luo Qingjun sat on a chair brought by Miss Luo, wrapped in a cotton towel.
His eyes were vacant, and his body trembled.
His face, still tinged blue from the cold of the water, looked all the more sickly pale.
He looked like a loser whose brain had shut down after being brutally beaten by the iron fist of reality.
All his spirit and energy had been drained away.
'I have to say, I preferred your spirited and untamable look from before…' Su Ye complained inwardly.
If you knew it would end like this, why did you even start?
Captain Luo Qingjun's checked-out introspection plunged the Flying Serpent into a state of leaderless chaos.
The Gray Ridge Whale's carcass had been dragged onto the ship and was simply left on the deck, with no one to process it.
Miss Luo tried to get the crew to work on processing the whale demon's carcass, but they just spat back at her without mercy.
"Get lost! If you want it done, do it yourself! I sure as hell ain't doing it!"
Having just scraped by death, the crewmen were all acting tough.
Miss Luo didn't dare provoke the crowd's ire, so she could only retreat resentfully. She called over a few crew members from the Luo Family to begin the initial breakdown of the Gray Ridge Whale's carcass.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew loitered on the deck with nothing to do, cursing the captain for being a waste of space.
Su Ye's gaze swept across the scene, and his heart tightened.
'This mental state the crew is in… it's clearly not right.'
But… no one stepped in to stop it.
Or rather, no one could!
The captain?
He had just scurried back to the upper cabins to lick his wounds.
Besides, even if he gave an order, his poor decisions and pathetic performance during the whale hunt meant it would have little effect.
First Mate Luo Jing…
He, on the other hand, had the prestige.
Su Ye was certain that if Luo Jing gave the word, the chaos on the Flying Serpent could be brought under control.
Unfortunately…
First Mate Luo Jing was currently being treated for his life-threatening injuries.
Killing a sea behemoth like the Gray Ridge Whale was not without its price.
The Gray Ridge Whale's final, desperate counterattack had inflicted severe injuries on him!
Su Ye had seen First Mate Luo Jing when he was hauled back on board. It was a ghastly sight…
Both his hands, which had been gripping the Radiant Spirit Spear, were severely fractured!
On top of that, his entire body was covered in bruises and abrasions.
The combination of excruciating pain, blood loss, and immersion in the water had left him unconscious with weak vital signs.
'This is bad…'
'With both the captain and first mate out of commission, the order on the Flying Serpent is starting to break down…'
'Is no one even going to try and placate the crew?' Su Ye's brow furrowed, his heart sinking.
An ocean-faring ship was already a place on the fringes of human society.
There was no law to speak of!
Order was maintained entirely through a strict hierarchy and the martial prowess of the leadership, suppressing the crew by force.
'But no matter how strict the hierarchy, its punishments could never be worse than death.'
'After the staggering casualties from the whale hunt, the system's deterrent effect has clearly weakened…'
'As for martial prowess, with First Mate Luo Jing—the only sixth-layer Qi Refining master—severely injured, it is now clearly insufficient.'
Su Ye leaned against the mast, the cool, salty sea breeze on his face, as he mulled things over.
'The only silver lining is that we'll be making port soon. The captain can't possibly force them to risk their lives again.'
'We have two months at most. Once they can divide the Spirit Stones and go home, the worst-case scenario probably won't happen…'
Su Ye rubbed his chin.
Just then, a cry of pleasant surprise rang out on the deck.
"Miss Luo, there's Whale Brain Oil, and a lot of it!"
The Luo Family crewman processing the Gray Ridge Whale had a look of delight on his face as he reported to Miss Luo, as if presenting a treasure.
Hearing this, the crewmen on deck couldn't help but stop and glance over.
Whale Brain Oil could be used to make various types of incense beneficial even to high-level cultivators, making it incredibly valuable!
But as Su Ye watched this scene, his briefly relaxed mood suddenly tensed up again.
'No, I was thinking about this all wrong!'
His previous assessment had overlooked the Gray Ridge Whale itself!
This first-rank, high-grade whale demon, once skinned, deboned, and carved into pieces, would bring in a profit of at least two to three thousand Spirit Stones!
Add to that the haul of demon fish already accumulated on the Demon Hunting Ship…
It was a rare treasure trove worth over five thousand, nearly six thousand, Spirit Stones—and one with a guaranteed market!
HISS… Su Ye sucked in a sharp breath.
He knew from the original owner's memories that a single Foundation Establishment Elixir typically auctioned for ten to twelve thousand Spirit Stones!
Right now, the Flying Serpent was carrying the equivalent of half a Foundation Establishment Elixir!
This was a fortune vast enough to tempt even a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Su Ye's gaze swept over the deck. The expressions and mannerisms of many crewmen had turned strange.
And… were they the only ones?
Even Su Ye himself, upon hearing the news, felt a wave of greed rise in his heart that he couldn't shake off.
If he could safely get his hands on such a huge fortune, the cultivation resources he could exchange it for would be enough for him to smoothly cultivate to Qi Refining Ninth Layer Perfection before the age of forty!
There was a saying that one had until the age of sixty to reach Foundation Establishment. Reaching Qi Refining Perfection before forty meant having a real chance to break through!
And once one successfully reached Foundation Establishment, not only would their Magical Power soar, but their lifespan would extend to two hundred and forty years!
HUFF… Su Ye took a deep breath.
'Calm down!'
Captain Luo Qingjun had just demonstrated the consequences of being blinded by greed!
'I have my panel ability. I don't need to take such risks.'
Su Ye comforted himself with this thought and suppressed the greed in his heart.
Spirit Stones were good, but his own life and safety were more important!
However, as he looked at the other crewmen on the deck, Su Ye couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
If he could think of it, then naturally, so could others!
Su Ye strode quickly to the side of the cluelessly wandering Zhao Li and said in a low voice,
"Get back to your cabin. Don't come out and wander around for the next few days unless you have to."
"Mr. Su?"
"Don't ask questions. Just listen to me."
Su Ye persuaded the foolish boy Zhao Li to leave.
Then, he too returned to his own room.
Closing the door tightly, Su Ye sat on his bed, stroking his Blood-Drinking Spear, a glint in his eyes.
He understood very well that out here on the lawless high seas, the moment order collapsed, the Flying Serpent would instantly become a living hell of mutual slaughter!
…