Chapter 351: Section 138: My Son Has Sent a Letter!
In the light of dawn, which had yet to fully brighten the horizon, Zi Di and her companions had already boarded the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
They did not return to Dagger Town but instead unloaded their supplies halfway and left the coast aboard a small boat.
Sea Dog lay hidden on the hillside, helplessly watching the boat sail away.
With the help of the small boat and the Toad Safe, a spatial storage item obtained from the seabed vault, they transferred large quantities of supplies underwater to the awaiting Deep Sea Monster Fish.
The Toad Safe was a high-end alchemy item originally belonging to the Undead Mage and Desecration Priest, ship ghost, but was successfully opened after the Justice Pirate Group deceived him with Pearl Bubble. Not only were the original treasures inside emptied, but the Justice Pirate Group also altered the Toad Safe’s ownership settings and truly made it their own.
The Toad Safe was very heavy and looked like a toad, over half a person’s height, and not easy to carry around.
It only played a role in the transportation of goods.
Zi Di was extremely cautious.
Although they had repelled the local forces, they couldn’t avoid being tailed.
Until they handed over supplies at sea, they utilized the Deep Sea Monster Fish’s powerful scouting capabilities to eliminate surveillance as much as possible.
Back in her assigned cabin, Zi Di couldn’t help but yawn.
She felt somewhat listless.
After all, she had fought in the dead of night, instantly casting more than a dozen spells, causing the ambush team to become disoriented and unable to maintain their offense.
Even after repelling the attackers, Zi Di did not relax at all, remaining tense and vigilant at all times.
Now that she was back in her cabin, the moment she relaxed, she immediately felt overwhelming fatigue and sleepiness.
But she did not fall asleep right then and there; she continued to persist in meditation to restore her mana.
She was diligent and highly disciplined.
It was a good habit she developed while living on her own after falling out with her father—no matter how tired, to always keep her fighting energy at a certain level.
After meditating for a while, Cang Xu’s voice sounded outside the door, “Miss Zi Di, I have something important to ask your advice on.”
Zi Di opened the door to see the old scholar.
The old scholar had not rested all night and had conducted over a dozen experiments, but thanks to the transformation of his body by Undead Magic, he was still full of vigor.
“I’ve encountered some trouble in cultivating Desecration Priests. I was hoping to consult with you for experience and knowledge on this matter,” Cang Xu stated bluntly.
Zi Di herself was just a novice apprentice in Soul-devouring with limited knowledge of Undead Magic, but she had devoured the spirit of the ship ghost.
The person Cang Xu sought advice from was, more accurately, the ship ghost.
Zi Di’s expression immediately became somber. Cultivating Desecration Priests and striving for divine power was one of the keys to overcoming their current predicament and could not be taken lightly.
“I will help you to the best of my ability, but although I have devoured the ship ghost’s spirit, I may not have what you want.”
“Soul-devouring has many drawbacks. Even if the soul devouring is successful, it’s impossible to obtain all the target soul’s memories.”
“Furthermore, the ship ghost was in a very poor state at the time, and his memories are fragmented.”
“I will organize his memories as quickly as I can, and for this, I will need your help.”
“Oh?” Cang Xu was slightly surprised, “Please command me, Miss Zi Di.”
“I need you to create a soul gem,” said Zi Di slowly.
“One of the downsides of Soul-devouring is that devouring an external soul can bloat one’s own, resulting in impurities.”
“I need to remove these impurities, which are fragments of the ship ghost’s spirit that my own cannot digest or absorb.”
“These fragments also contain memories. If I don’t transfer these soul fragments to a soul gem and instead directly remove them, we will lose access to those memories.”
Cang Xu frowned, “I’ve heard of such alchemy items before, and indeed, they require Undead Magic to create. However, I don’t know the method of creating a soul gem.”
Zi Di smiled slightly, “Do you remember the ship ghost’s badge? The method to create a soul gem is hidden within that badge. Infuse it with mana from Undead Magic, probe with spirit, and you’ll know everything.”
“As for the specific alchemy materials, we have all of them.”
“I see,” Cang Xu realized he had stumbled upon an unexpected gain and immediately bid farewell to start preparing the creation.
Watching Cang Xu leave, Zi Di was about to close the door when Fat Tongue approached, carrying a tray of breakfast, “Ch-Chairman, I have prepared your breakfast.”
Zi Di, smelling the aroma of breakfast, suddenly felt her stomach rumble.
She welcomed Fat Tongue into the cabin and tasted the breakfast.
“Not bad, did you cook all this?” Zi Di was somewhat surprised.
Fat Tongue chuckled, “Chairman, while you were unconscious, I-I was a chef of the Justice Pirate Group.”
“You’ve worked hard,” Zi Di nodded.
“Chairman, now that you’re awake, then the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce…” Fat Tongue began, his tone hesitant.
Zi Di shook her head, “Now is not the time. If I reveal my identity now, it’ll only bring trouble to the Guild. I haven’t been in charge of the Guild for long, and without me, the Purple Vine Chamber of Commerce can still operate. There won’t be any major issues in the short term.”
“It’s good that you have a plan, my lord,” Fat Tongue said with a happy smile.
These days, he was very pleased.
Zi Di’s awakening was beyond his expectations, a pleasant surprise.
Fat Tongue had just returned from Zi Di’s when he saw a Fishman youth feasting in the dining room.
He had just come back. Cultivating his fighting energy had made him very hungry.
Unlike Zi Di, he ate fresh live fish.
He didn’t even remove the scales, using his shark-like sharp teeth to continuously chew and tear away.
He swallowed an entire fish in two bites, not even sparing the innards.
Humans couldn’t eat like this, but for a Fishman, it was more than fitting.
And beside the Fishman youth, was the Big guy.
On the Big guy’s plate, there were no vegetables or fruits, but rather a large bowl of black sludge.
The Big guy scooped up the sludge with a huge wooden spoon, placing it into his mouth, and swallowed continuously.
Sometimes after finishing, he would look at the Fishman youth and flash a naive smile.
The Fishman youth’s cheeks puffed out, filled with fish; he reached over to pat the Big guy’s arm and also showed a smile to him.
Father and son were eating happily.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the Empire, Zhen City.
Inside the castle of Zhen City.
A gorgeous breakfast was laid out on the desk, but the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family had no appetite whatsoever.
This middle-aged man with one arm severed had grown even thinner than before, his complexion pale, his eye bags heavy, showing an utterly exhausted demeanor.
The thought of his son still missing made the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family unable to swallow his food.
Once a great Noble of the south, the now diminished Hundred Needle Family had surrendered to the Holy Emperor, barely managing to preserve their bloodline.
But with Zhenjin’s disappearance, the Hundred Needle Family’s circumstances had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
This was because Zhenjin was the sole heir designated by the Great Emperor for the Hundred Needle Family, and this should not be changed for any reason.
Should Zhenjin fall, the Hundred Needle Family would be left with no successor.
A Noble house without an heir had no future.
And so, the Hundred Needle Family suffered powerful blows and ostracism from all sides; these Nobles and large forces were just like Hyenas scenting the smell of blood, all wanting to make a great profit from the Hundred Needle Family’s falling corpse.
“Thump thump thump,” a steady male voice came from outside the door, “My Lord, Biwa wishes to see you.”
“Come in,” the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family spoke.
The door opened, and in walked a tall, muscular middle-aged man.
He was named Biwa, the most trusted right-hand man of the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family.
“Have you found any news about Zhenjin?” the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family inquired.
Biwa shook his head.
Since Zhenjin disappeared, the Hundred Needle Family had been searching with all their might, nearly spending their entire fortune. Unfortunately, they hadn’t obtained any valuable clues.
Biwa was the person appointed by the Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family himself to be responsible for the search for Zhenjin.
“My Lord, I’ve come because I heard some news. Are you planning to sell the cultivation method for the Swift Bee mounts?” Biwa spoke frankly.
The Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family sighed, casting a glance at the wall of the study.
Not long ago, the wall had been decorated with several famous paintings.
However, to raise funds, these paintings had already been sold.
The Hundred Needle Family was now reduced to nothing, unable to maintain even the last bit of a Noble’s dignity.
Seeing the Clan Leader’s expression, Biwa knew the answer.
He quickly tried to persuade him, “My Lord, the Swift Bee mounts are one of the foundational pillars that established our Hundred Needle Family; you must not sell them. If it is funds you require, I am willing to contribute my manor and lands!”
The Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family gave a bitter smile, “Biwa, my most loyal Knight, I greatly appreciate your kindness. But the matter is not as simple as that.”
“I am selling this method not just to raise capital up to now, there’s another reason, I have no choice but to sell!”
“Such a precious item, the Hundred Needle Family of today no longer has the power to safeguard it. To continue holding onto it would likely attract even more brutal attacks, or even raiding.”
“How could this be?” Biwa was shocked.
The Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family shook his head silently.
Within the Holy Bright Empire, there were many forces that looked unfavorably upon the Hundred Needle Family. Previously, when Zhenjin was still around, he was a member of the Holy Temple Knights.
That was the strong connection between the Hundred Needle Family and the Holy Emperor.
But with Zhenjin’s disappearance, likely meeting his doom, this relationship had been severed.
The Hundred Needle Family was faltering in the storm.
Biwa fell silent, clenching his fists.
The atmosphere in the study was extremely oppressive.
And at that moment, the Housekeeper burst through the door, excitedly shouting, “My Lord, My Lord, there’s news about the young master.”
“What?”
The Housekeeper panted, “Just now, we received a ransom note. The note claims that pirates have captured the young master Zhenjin and his fiancée Miss Zi Di, demanding a ransom from us.”
“Could it be a scam?” Biwa was unmoved.
During this time, because the Hundred Needle Family had been searching with all their might, the matter had become known to many. Therefore, there had been quite a few instances of fraud and extortion.
“No, this time it’s different,” the Housekeeper shook his head, “The note has a special mark, and moreover, its content is encrypted, requiring our codebook to decipher!”
“What!”
Bang.
The Clan Leader of the Hundred Needle Family suddenly stood up, the chair crashing onto the tiled floor.