Chapter 799: Section 587: Did the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps take the spoils of war?
Tan Mo nodded and turned to board his Treasure Chest.
The Treasure Chest was already ready to sail and started its journey slowly.
Inside the ship’s cabin prison, the incarcerated Hun Tong, feeling the movement of the ship, opened his eyes with hatred and determination, then closed them again.
Gradually, the Treasure Chest moved away from the dock, and its speed increased.
Tan Mo looked at Yan Yi, who was still watching him from the shore, his expression complicated.
“This guy, he is really something.”
At the beginning, Tan Mo didn’t see Yan Yi’s true face and even made him a middleman, facilitating his own extortion of Hun Tong.
Unexpectedly, Yan Yi manipulated and instigated from behind the scenes, fueling Tan Mo’s greed and Hun Tong’s humiliation and anger.
Step by step, by the time Tan Mo realized something was wrong, the negotiation’s tide had already turned. The conflict between him and Hun Tong had escalated to a point where it could not be easily resolved.
Moreover, Yan Yi promptly enticed Tan Mo with a significant reward. Ultimately, under the relentless persuasion fueled by money, Tan Mo joined Yan Yi and the major guilds’ plan to “replace the Lord.”
Having completed the framing of Hun Tong, Tan Mo now found a chill rising in him as he reviewed the whole affair.
Yan Yi maneuvered skillfully between the investigation team, Hun Tong—the Lord of Twin Eyes Island—and the major guilds, almost perfectly utilizing all forces involved. He even used the Seventh Prince as a token to secure trust for guild collaborations.
He was merely at the Bronze Level!
This maneuver was like a newborn baby dancing among giant crocodiles.
And the key was, this “baby” had actually succeeded.
The courage and insight Yan Yi exhibited, made Tan Mo—an Imperial spy at the Golden Level, and a Navy general—admire him.
Especially the last part, when Yan Yi appeared during Tan Mo’s public arrest of Hun Tong, the acting performance shook Tan Mo internally!
Yan Yi eventually succeeded in deceiving Hun Tong and became the acting City Lord, gaining control over the Golden Shiny. With the endorsement of the previous Lord, and the support from the major guilds, the Wealth Sect, and his own spies… these three factions strongly backed him, positioning him firmly as the Lord of Twin Eyes Island.
“The only trouble is the Justice Sect. They have sent a bishop to Twin Eyes Island, along with a well-known Luminary. Now that Hun Tong is arrested, their investment has gone to waste, turning them into victims. It’s likely they’ll stir trouble. This will be a challenge for Yan Yi.”
But Tan Mo believed that Yan Yi would prevail.
Considering this before his arrival at Twin Eyes Island, he never would have thought a Bronze Level individual could withstand such a level of adversaries.
But now, Tan Mo was quite confident in Yan Yi.
Tan Mo secretly asked himself—if he were in Yan Yi’s shoes, could he achieve the same success?
He believed his own courage and insight were not inferior to Yan Yi’s.
“It’s just the acting skills!”
Undoubtedly, this was a crucial skill that allowed Yan Yi to navigate smoothly between major forces and powerful figures.
Being only of the Bronze Transcendent Level, under his manipulation, it seemed to no longer be a disadvantage but transformed into an advantage.
Bronze Level… naturally underestimated by all.
The Bronze Level Yan Yi, looked down upon but also reassuring.
The major guilds, the Wealth Sect, even Hun Tong himself underestimated Yan Yi. Even he, Tan Mo, had initially undervalued him.
“Mages have a popular saying, ‘Wisdom is power.’ Seeing Yan Yi, I understand this saying even more deeply.”
“If I ever have to contend with such an enemy in the future, I’ll just kill him outright, no nonsense. One mustn’t show falsity or play any noble games with such a person. He seems all wily!”
“Luckily, the limit of Yan Yi’s bloodline is just the Bronze Level.”
With this thought, Tan Mo gently exhaled a breath of relief and felt fortunate.
Tan Mo cast one last glance at the dock of Twin Eyes Island.
With the distance growing, Yan Yi appeared as a mere blur in his view.
Tan Mo turned and headed to his Captain’s quarters.
Stepping onto the deck, his gaze fell as if seeing Hun Tong in the prison chamber from the prow deck.
Tan Mo hadn’t mistreated or tortured Hun Tong.
After all, Hun Tong had not yet been convicted, still holding the identity of an Empire noble, which was the respect he was entitled to.
At the same time, this was also Tan Mo’s method to lull Hun Tong.
“Such treatment will make Hun Tong feel secure, but he’s as good as dead!”
According to the plan, once Tu Ji left, the people arranged by the guilds would act, providing Hun Tong with a dignified and reasonable end.
In another prison cabin, a Fishman was also detained.
It was Dao Hen.
He had been turned by Yan Yi, recanting his testimony, and thus, became an important witness for Hun Tong’s conviction; therefore, he had to embark as well.
“He’s as good as dead too.”
Dao Hen knew secrets, and his death was certain.
“Silver Level Fishman is one thing, but Hun Tong was at the Golden Level and even had his own significant territory; to fall into this predicament is truly regrettable.”
“He had business acumen, adapting to local conditions and revitalizing Twin Eyes Island.”
“But it’s a pity he was poor at judging character, practically blind!”
Hun Tong often lamented the lack of capable people under him. From another angle, wasn’t this the proof that he lacked the insight to promote and cultivate potential talents?
“His biggest mistake was failing to read the situation.”
“He thought he was far from the Emperor’s reach on Twin Eyes Island, yet the entire Main Plane is the Empire’s chessboard! Who can escape?”
Hun Tong misjudged the situation, and even now, he thought this was simply a clear-cut frame-up. He believed he was innocent, with the corrupt and reckless Tan Mo as the main culprit.
Little did he know, the current of the era had already dragged him underwater.
Only drowning awaited him!
Tan Mo thought of Hun Tong and warned himself, “The empire’s march into the Wilderness Continent has already stirred a giant wave in this era.”
“On the Beast Race Continent, those constantly rising castles and the various scales of battles are just the surface of that giant wave.”
“And underwater, there are rampant dark currents.”
“These dark currents are not limited to the Beast Race Continent; they’re expanding throughout the Holy Bright Continent, permeating the entire Main Plane.”
“No one is immune.”
“Even those of the Golden Level, even the lords of the empire, if not careful, could be engulfed by the dark currents.”
“Hun Tong is merely a casualty of this era right before our eyes.”
“His case is certainly not the only one.”
“In such times, even those of Golden Level, if not cautious, could be utterly destroyed.”
During this trip to Twin Eyes Island, Tan Mo made quite a fortune.
Yan Yi and the Trade Union Representative asked Tan Mo for help, and after some haggling, the latter immediately obtained 80,000 Gold Coins.
Including the bribery from Yan Yi and Hun Tong earlier, Tan Mo’s total earnings this trip exceeded 100,000 gold!
“I wasn’t wrong, this operation turned out to be quite profitable.”
“All that effort spending 30,000 gold in gifts to wrangle this job wasn’t in vain.”
Tan Mo demanded bribes, and he also funneled benefits up the chain.
30,000 gold was his biggest expense on this mission, with essentially no other expenditures.
The supplies used during the voyage of the Treasure Chest could be reimbursed by the Imperial Navy.
Almost all crew on the Treasure Chest were his kinsmen, their salaries still paid by the Navy.
Tan Mo had also prepared a bribe for Tu Ji.
But Tu Ji had never accepted it; he couldn’t get on board with Tan Mo.
So Tan Mo wisely and timely held back, no longer embarrassing himself.
There were also two important figures on Tan Mo’s ship, one a member of the secret door sect, the other a Holy Domain Level shield guard specifically for security.
But these two, with heavy responsibilities, always kept to themselves, rarely appearing.
Whether during the stopover at Snake Rat Island or Twin Eyes Island, they never left their respective rooms.
Tan Mo had earned a large sum, yet his mood wasn’t as joyful as he anticipated.
He returned to the captain’s cabin with mixed feelings.
Alone, with no one else around.
He opened up the documents and carefully reviewed the intelligence sent by Yan Yi.
After a moment, he looked away, pensive.
“The second Undead Mage once used an Alchemy Puppet to seize the Iron Lump. Yes, I’ve also seen the Magic Image about that battle, it did include that scene.”
“After the Pine Wind Sea Battle, Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps captured the Iron Lump. That’s also a fact.”
“According to intelligence, after the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps arrived at Snowbird Port in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, they suddenly became extravagant, frequently selling antiques and high-value artworks.”
Thinking this, Tan Mo’s eyes sparkled brilliantly.
“Interesting… Yan Yi’s speculation makes sense.”
“It seems likely that the Undead Mage used Alchemy Puppets during the sea battle, taking the entire island’s treasures.”
“And then, they were all wiped out by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.”
“Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps… back on Snake Rat Island, Beach Loach also mentioned them briefly.”
“If they really got hold of those spoils of war, how many gold coins would that be?”
“That was the accumulated wealth of an entire island!”
“Especially since Twin Eyes Island is a commercially prosperous island, many pirates come to this island to launder their loot!”
Merely speculating about the value of these spoils made Tan Mo’s breathing grow heavy.
“If these spoils really fell into the hands of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, what should I do?”
“Their background is complicated; they’re likely a group masquerading as arms smugglers. Great! This is the perfect reason for me to investigate them.”
“No wonder Yan Yi said that I could possibly be the biggest winner of the Twin Eyes Island sea battle. Ha, if fortune favors me and I really get those spoils, that would be too marvelous for words!”
Tan Mo, naturally greedy, found his earlier caution and wariness dissipating quickly, replaced by a strong surge of impulsiveness!
With his current identity and mission, he was already aware of some follow-up intelligence about the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps reaching Ice Sculpture Island.
“Humph, even if Long Fu can slay Golden Level with Silver, so what?”
“He’s still just Silver Level!”
“Tu Ji is disembarking midway. Without that restraint, I can act more freely.”
“Even if the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps have some ace up their sleeve, I’ve got a Holy Domain Level shield guard by my side.”
“Yan Yi, a mere Bronze Level, can manipulate situations to his advantage. I can use the momentum myself, a classic ‘borrowing the tiger’s fierceness,’ which is perfectly feasible!”
Tan Mo murmured under his breath, his greedy nature driving him into frenzied thoughts, making him restless to meet this Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps face to face!
“Pass down my order, increase our speed.”
“I want to head to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom at top speed!”
As Tan Mo gave the order, he thought, “I need to be quick. If the spoils are really in their hands, I need to get there quickly.”
“To prevent them from spending all the money.”
“That money is all mine!”