Leaving the Ship

It was another day of turbulent winds and waves. Hu Mang was sitting on a small stool on the deck, looking up at the sky.

The Spiritual Qi concentration on the Spiritual Qi detector has exceeded 60, which is quite extraordinary. You should know that even half of the blessed lands in Heavenly Gate do not have this level of spiritual energy.

This strange phenomenon, where small Spiritual Qi storms frequently occur, made everyone, whether they knew about the Dragon Blood Tide or not, realize that something bad was likely going to happen this time.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Yu asked, leaning closer.

"Look how many more Golden Core have been added today," Hu Mang pointed towards the direction of Vast Sea Island.

"There's another human Golden Core cultivator over there."

Then it pointed in the direction of Jellyfish Island.

"There's another sea creature Golden Core cultivator over there."

Then he pointed to a fresh seafood boat on the dock.

"Suddenly, a Golden Core appeared over there. It's impossible to tell if it's a demon or a human; it must have been concealed by some kind of Law Artifact."

Xiao Yu nodded at first, then realized what was happening and exclaimed in astonishment:

"How can you sense a Golden Core cultivator? Aren't you Foundation Establishment?"

Hu Mang grinned. "I was just guessing."

"Do you have one of those 'Golden Core Locating Radars' on you? The kind that can detect the aura of Golden Core cultivator. They're military-grade but modified for civilian use. I heard that rich guys in Heavenly Gate are into playing with these lately."

Xiao Yu guessed.

"Then if you say so, then so be it."

Xiao Yu's gaze towards Hu Mang immediately changed; he was a rich second-generation.

Is this someone who's come on an incognito visit?

Is it still arguing downstairs?

"They were arguing so badly that the chief engineer almost got slapped by Old Zhu, so I ran upstairs to escape the noise."

"Oh~"

Ever since the Dragon Blood Tide was confirmed to be happening in the last few days, Old Zhu's temper has been flaring up. He's been blocking the boat captain every day, demanding the boat and the crew back. The boat captain, being an incorruptible man, has publicly stated that anyone who disembarks will be fired. And so the two sides have become locked in a stalemate.

Xiao Yu glanced around and suddenly whispered, "Old Zhu told us privately that he temporarily got a smuggling boat through an acquaintance. The boat has a diving array, and if all else fails, he plans to sneak down with his men. He asked me to ask you for your opinion."

"Really?" Hu Mang was taken aback. "Old Zhu is really Divine Ability; he can still get a boat now."

"Don't be fooled by how well these Thirty-Six Islands of the Eastern Sea are developing now. They used to be a notorious smuggling base in the East Sea. Countless smuggling routes ended up loading and unloading goods here. Those island owners Divine Ability powerful. It's said that some goods could be smuggled into the Heavenly Gate as legitimate cargo just by putting on a label."

"Awesome."

"What are you thinking? This is Dragon Blood Tide, a phenomenon that only occurs once every ten years!"

Just as Hu Mang was about to reply, Spirit Pivot No. 1 suddenly rang, and at the same time, Xiao Yu's phone on the other end also rang.

"Old Zhu's?"

"Yes, it's from Old Zhu."

Hu Mang patted his butt and got up. In fact, he would have gone even if Old Zhu hadn't. After staying in Heavenly Gate for so long, cultivation fortuitous opportunity had almost become urban legends.

Fortunately, this tradition is still preserved overseas.

Xiao Yu and Hu Mang quickly entered the cabin and went to a room where the crew usually rested.

When they arrived, there were already five people in the room, including Old Zhu.

Old Zhu nodded, gesturing for them to sit wherever they liked.

Xiao Yu looked at a few acquaintances, who shrugged, indicating Grand Pure One the situation either.

So after waiting a while, another crew member arrived, and not just any crew member, but the ship's only cook.

"Cook, what brings you here too?" Xiao Yu asked in surprise.

"I was just thinking of getting some seafood to nourish everyone," the cook said with a simple smile.

"Most of the people have arrived, so I'll get straight to the point."

Old Zhu looked around and said:

"First, based on what I understand, the Dragon Blood Tide is indeed about to erupt, within the next couple of days. Moreover, the island lords of the East Sea Immortal Island are not actually prepared for this, otherwise they wouldn't have only called for reinforcements these past two days. Based on my previous experience with Dragon Blood Tide, they usually prepare three months in advance, with manpower, formations, Law Artifact, and sea beasts ready to enter the sea. This means that our opportunity as outsiders has arrived!"

Everyone present held their breath.

"Secondly, I can get my hands on a smuggling boat. I guarantee the hull will be fine, but don't expect a smuggling boat to have an array that can withstand Nascent Soul attacks. It'll be good enough if it can defend against ordinary Golden Core cultivators. But the smuggling boat itself comes with a diving array, which means we can dive down to the edge of the Dragon Blood Tide first, loot a bit, and avoid competing with those Golden Core cultivators for the big goods in the center of the Dragon Blood Tide."

"The advantage of doing it this way is that it's less dangerous, but the disadvantage is that you won't catch particularly fat fish."

"Third, the owner of this smuggling boat will come with us. He is a Golden Core cultivator and will be responsible for disposing of the stolen goods for us. However, the price he pays is that he will take 30%, while I will only take 15%."

This sparked even more discussion, with the main point of contention being whether the 45% "channel fee" was too high.

Old Zhu glanced around and chuckled.

"Kids, let me put it this way. If you've ever run a smuggling operation, you know that those who handle reselling take half the commission, and that's considered ethical. There are risks involved: bribing superiors and subordinates, finding buyers, and even getting ripped off."

"Those who are feeling generous can leave now. Just pretend this never happened. If I, Old Zhu, really find something good, I'll give you a big red envelope."

Everyone looked at each other, and no one went out, but one person did ask a question.

"How exactly is it calculated?"

"Whoever catches it keeps it. I'll keep track of the accounts. Then, the seafood will be sold together with me. I'll talk to the Old Shark. If we catch something really good, we might be able to negotiate a lower price."

Old Zhu pulled out a square box, a look of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"This is also one of my old companions, a spatial storage box. It's said to be designed in imitation of ancient Storage Bag. This thing can only hold things without any spiritual energy, so it needs to be used in conjunction with this."

Old Zhu directly pulled a black bag out of his Storage Bag.

"A spirit-concealing bag can shield a treasure's spiritual essence; under normal circumstances, this is sufficient for ordinary treasures."

"If we really manage to catch something big, we'll figure something out then. Old Shark will definitely have some protective charms ready."

"What if we don't sell the treasure and keep it for our own spiritual practice?" a crew member raised his hand to speak.

"Okay, based on the value of the treasure, we'll only charge you 10% of the fee, deducted from the other items you retrieve."

"You're still charging 10%?" someone said, looking troubled.

"This ten percent is protection money to keep you from being murdered and robbed. If that Old Shark gets greedy, I'll take care of him!"

"If any other Golden Core cultivators attack you, I will block their attacks as long as I can."

Old Zhu.

The crew members looked at each other in bewilderment; when you calculate it this way, this 10% protection fee really isn't much.

Would you hire a Golden Core bodyguard for 10% of the cost?

Old Zhu said again earnestly:

"There's one more thing I need to make clear before you go: Dragon Blood Tide isn't a safe place for you to search for treasure; people will die! Last time I led a group to Dragon Blood Tide to retrieve treasure, there were 3 Golden Core cultivators and more than 10 people, and eight of them died when we came out. The number of deaths was exactly the same as the number of people currently on the field."

"..." The crew members.

Old Zhu, do you have to say such unlucky things?

"However, that time we ventured into the very center of the Dragon Blood Tide and encountered Nascent Soul level sea monster. So this time we've learned our lesson and will only fish on the outer perimeter, never venturing deep inside. Think it over carefully. I can take you to collect treasures, but don't expect me to buy you insurance. If you die, you die. Not only will I not buy insurance, but your ship owner will also never pay out! Think it through!"

"Want to make this fortune? Let's see if your luck is tough enough!"

This time, the crew hesitated. After a moment of silence, two crew members left on their own initiative.

So only six people remained on the field.

Old Zhu stopped talking at this point, took out his thermos and started drinking tea. He drank three cups of tea before speaking again.

"So it's settled then?"

After a while, the crew members left one by one, some preparing Law Artifact and others adjusting their state of mind.

Although these cultivators who travel along the coast should be much stronger in actual combat than those inside the Heavenly Gate, Hu Mang thought the exact difference was probably limited. On the contrary, he sensed a familiar aura, Sha Qi, and a bandit-like aura emanating from the Old Zhu opposite him.

Old Zhu stared at the Hu Mang for a while, then suddenly grinned:

"You were introduced by Zhao Tiezhu, which is quite a coincidence. Besides, I don't know how he, an engineer, knows such a Sha Qi person as you."

"Do I have a lot of Sha Qi?" Hu Mang asked in surprise. "I think I performed very well."

"After a few real battles, after crawling through piles of corpses a few times, your eye will naturally develop. I'm all too familiar with the smell on you."

Old Zhu walked over and patted Hu Mang on the shoulder.

"Little Hu, keep an eye on them for me when you go. I won't take your 15% cut."

Hu Mang smiled, neither agreeing nor refusing, but instead asked.

"I have a question for you. I've heard you say that you used to run smuggled goods, but you switched to government vessels because it was too unsafe. Why are you planning to go back to your old ways?"

Old Zhu sighed, "When have you ever seen a dog change its nature and start eating shit?"

That makes sense.

Old Zhu had no intention of completely falling out with the boat captain. The six of them waited until late at night before quietly disembarking, boarding the smuggling boat brought by the Old Shark, and sailing away.

On the deck, Captain Old Gan silently gazed into the distance until the smuggling vessel completely disappeared from sight.

"Are you just going to stand by and watch without offering any advice?" The chief engineer approached unnoticed and asked.

"They never intended to hide anything from me," the boat captain shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Old Zhu even left me a letter, meaning he wanted to signal me if anything happened; he was counting on me to rescue them."

"Old Zhu really has a thick skin," the chief engineer remarked with a click of his tongue.

"It's just that I'm too old, otherwise I could have argued with them a bit."

The boatman shook his head and prepared to go back.

You haven't answered my question yet!

"I've had enough of being the villain on the ship. Let whoever wants to be the villain off the ship do it. Worrying too much will bring divine retribution."