"Hoo..."
After killing Feng Dequan, Su Ye didn't dare let his guard down. He controlled the Blood-Drinking Spear from a distance, turning the man's brains to mush.
Only after confirming his opponent was truly dead did Su Ye relax slightly, beginning to reflect on the gains and losses of the battle.
'There were still some oversights in this battle.'
'For an Early-stage Qi Refining cultivator like Menghou, I can rely on my panel attributes, skills, and Magical Artifacts to kill them...'
Previously, to be on the safe side, Su Ye had used the Whale-Hunting Spear to instantly kill Menghou.
While not a mistake, it added an extra layer of risk when he later faced Feng Dequan.
'The Whale-Hunting Spear is immensely powerful, but with my current physique, it's difficult to use it multiple times in a short period.'
'When the situation is unclear and I might be facing multiple enemies, I should be cautious about using this move and save it for the most valuable target...'
Reflecting even in victory was Su Ye's consistent style.
SHIING.
As the Blood-Drinking Spear returned to his hand, Feng Dequan's shattered corpse fell from the wooden wall.
Washed by the downpour, the faint scent of blood seemed almost fresh.
Su Ye went forward to loot the body, taking Feng Dequan's magical flying dagger into his hand.
He channeled his Magical Power into it, and a gleam of golden light flared up.
"It's still in good condition. Not bad..." Su Ye examined it for a moment, his face breaking into a grin.
A low-grade Magical Artifact was worth about thirty to fifty Spirit Stones.
Even if it was damaged, he could refurbish it and still sell it for a good price.
However, aside from this magical flying dagger, Su Ye found nothing else.
'Was he really that poor, or... did he keep all his personal belongings in his room?'
Su Ye speculated.
It was highly likely.
After all, without a storage-type Magical Artifact like a Storage Pouch, carrying many miscellaneous items during a fight would be very inconvenient.
'I'll go search his room later and find out.'
Su Ye shook his head. There was no rush.
He knew where Feng Dequan and the others' rooms were.
'The priority right now is to deal with the aftermath of this incident,' Su Ye thought.
Killing Feng Dequan and suppressing a crew mutiny as a Level Two Qi Refining cultivator was too conspicuous. He needed to make some preparations.
...
「Daybreak.」
The morning sun rose from the sea horizon.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The clear sound of the ship's bell rang out.
Inside the captain's cabin, Luo Qingjun's face was gaunt and pale as paper.
The venom of the Poisonous Forked Stabbing Fish was incredibly sinister.
Even after taking a large number of Antitoxic Pills and meditating all night, he had only managed to keep his condition from worsening.
Now, hearing the ship's bell, Luo Qingjun forced his eyes open, a look of hatred on his face.
"These traitors..."
Luo Qingjun forced himself to his feet and staggered toward the door.
He knew very well that the loyalty of a Demon Hunting Ship's crew was mediocre at best.
If he, the captain, didn't show his face now, most of the crew would likely choose to side with the victors!
"Never!"
"I am the captain!"
Luo Qingjun gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
Steeling himself for a final, desperate struggle, he walked out of his cabin.
The first thing he saw was Feng Dequan's corpse and the rebellious Loose Cultivators tied to the mast.
"This..." Luo Qingjun rubbed his eyes.
He was half overjoyed, half confused.
The mastermind of the crew mutiny was dead, just like that?
"Greetings, Captain."
"The rebel leader has been executed."
At that moment, Su Ye stepped forward from the crowd of crewmen and spoke with a calm and respectful demeanor.
"You killed that traitor?" Luo Qingjun asked in surprise.
The young man before him was only at the second level of Qi Refining.
"It was a stroke of luck. At the time, Feng Dequan's ferocity was astounding. He traded injuries for injuries, killing several people in a row."
"Thanks to this Magical Artifact gifted to me by the First Mate, I used the effect of its [Bleed] inscription pattern to ambush him, causing him to bleed uncontrollably."
"I fought a running battle, delaying for time. In the end, affected by the blood loss, his injuries flared up and he died full of regret..."
As Su Ye recited his prepared speech, he made sure to show a fitting expression of luck and lingering fear on his face.
To support his story, his clothes were torn, he was wearing bandages, and there were several bloodstains on his body.
After listening, Luo Qingjun nodded solemnly.
"Well done!"
He didn't doubt Su Ye's story.
Su Ye had killed the mutinous rebel leader, Feng Dequan, and showed no intention of attacking him, even in his extremely weakened state.
This was enough to prove Su Ye's loyalty!
And for a cultivator at the second level of Qi Refining to use the advantage of a Magical Artifact and delaying tactics to kill an injured cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining—while an excellent performance—was not an unimaginable feat.
...
Luo Qingjun was, after all, the legitimate captain of the Flying Serpent.
Even though he was in poor condition and had lost an arm, his appearance greatly reassured the crew.
It was worth noting that after the chaotic night, the crew's support for Luo Qingjun had actually increased.
That's just how people are.
Only after experiencing the feeling of cowering in their rooms, their lives hanging in the balance, trembling with fear, could they understand how precious order was.
Next, with the help of Su Ye and the other crew members, Luo Qingjun propped up his injured body and began to issue commands.
He took stock of the casualties and losses, executed the mutinous crewmen, and swiftly restored order on the Flying Serpent.
Soon, the tally was complete. The loss of property and damage to the ship's hull were minimal.
After all, the Flying Serpent was a ship.
It was isolated on the vast, boundless sea.
Even if some Loose Cultivators took advantage of the chaos to do some "zero-cost shopping," as long as they weren't crazy enough to attempt a sea crossing on a sampan and reenact their own fantasy drift, they would be identified once the turmoil subsided. No matter how much they had swallowed, they would have to spit it all back out.
However, while material losses were small, the number of casualties was staggering!
Including the executed mutineers, a total of eighteen crew members had died!
Su Ye glanced at the [Cultivation Acceleration] panel.
[Crew Members: 28/50 (0%)]
The Flying Serpent now had only twenty-eight people on board.
Less than half the number from when they first set sail...
In particular, the cultivators from the Luo Family had been nearly wiped out!
Luo Qingjun's expression was grim as he watched the familiar corpses being carried out and laid on the deck one by one.
Most of the dead were members of the Luo Family, including even a Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator like Miss Luo!
For Luo Qingjun, the only piece of good news was that the Luo Family physician attending to First Mate Luo Jing had seen that things were going wrong and had promptly activated the restrictions on the upper-level cabins.
This wise move had saved both his and the First Mate's lives during the chaotic night.
...
"Everyone has worked hard. From today onward, all crew members will receive an extra portion of Gray Ridge Whale meat each day."
Having been busy all day while also suppressing the poison, Luo Qingjun forced himself to stay spirited and motivate the crew.
As for Su Ye, who had performed the greatest service, his treatment was even more generous.
"Su Ye, you have performed a great service by executing the rebel leader. You will receive an extra portion of Gray Ridge Whale meat with all three of your daily meals."
"The family will remember your contribution. Once we return to Donglong Island, there will be another reward for you!" Luo Qingjun said gently.
After this drastic event, Luo Qingjun seemed to have matured a great deal.
However, that had little to do with Su Ye.
He had chosen to side with the Luo Family purely out of self-interest and had very little loyalty to speak of.
「Night fell.」
The crew finished their dinner and returned to their rooms to rest.
Su Ye locked his door, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.
'Finally, it's time to check my spoils.'
RATTLE.
Su Ye pulled on a woolen blanket, dragging out a pile of miscellaneous items from under his bed, among which were several cowhide pouches.
"Time for the unboxing!"