C4 There Are Quite a Lot of Pursuers!

Before, she had been conducting business at sea, never anticipating that she would ultimately fall into the clutches of pirates.

She braced herself for the worst, yet unexpectedly, the situation took a turn.

Indeed, it was quite the saga of twists and turns.

Zhang Hai, this man, didn't seem like your typical pirate; he bore a closer resemblance to a Bounty Hunter.

Such individuals are loyal only to money, not to people.

At the Blue Flying Free Port, within the Wong family's domain.

"How is the situation being handled?"

A young man, looking quite content with a beautiful woman in his embrace, inquired casually.

To him, such a trivial issue should be easily resolved.

The middle-aged man seemed hesitant, his gaze shifting.

Still, he spoke up.

"Young Master, there's been a complication. The young miss could have remained outside, but we've encountered a band of pirates. They've already reached out to us, demanding a ransom."

Wong Yuvwei's lips twitched into a faint smile, though his eyes emitted a chilling gleam.

"You can't even manage this simple task. Utterly useless."

Sweat began to bead on the middle-aged man's forehead.

The woman in the young man's arms, however, paid no mind to their exchange.

As a professional, she understood what was her business to hear and what was not.

She intensified her efforts, hoping to please the young master enough to earn herself a few more encounters.

Wong Yuvwei nonchalantly retrieved a bag of Refinement Crystals and tossed it to the middle-aged man.

"Go, ensure she stays outside. And those pirates—dispose of them directly."

"Yes, Young Master."

"And take care of this woman as well."

Out of nowhere, he delivered a palm strike to the back of the woman's head. Flames traveled from his fingertips into her brain.

She met an inexplicable end right there.

This was nothing like what she had envisioned.

Wong Yuvwei maintained a serene facade, long accustomed to such occurrences.

Li Zhongyuan proceeded with ease, lifting the woman's lifeless body.

A Magic Array materialized in his hands, and in a moment, she was reduced to ashes—as if she had never existed in this world.

Above, at the zenith of the sky.

At the round table, several individuals anxiously awaited the astrologer's verdict. Lately, ominous signs had been appearing, suggesting impending misfortune. The Sea God Star, which had preserved order for millennia, could not afford to undergo any changes on their watch.

However, at that moment, the astrologer coughed up a mouthful of blood. His once white hair and aged visage now appeared even more wilted.

"The Three Realms are in chaos! A disaster star descends, ghosts, spirits!"

He mustered all his strength to utter these fragmented words, as if speaking them cost him his life.

As soon as he finished, his body disintegrated into ash and vanished into thin air—a consequence of breaking the rules that not even the Heaven Clan could withstand.

The others remained silent, their wings fluttering subtly behind them, a feeble attempt to mask their astonishment.

"Enough, we've heard it all. There's no need for further discussion. Go now, and let the Human Clan and Sea Clan investigate thoroughly. Find any leads on this harbinger of doom and snuff it out in its infancy. Better to err on the side of caution than to let it slip through our grasp!"

"Yes! We will heed the Heavenly Emperor's command."

The following morning, he was rudely awakened by a jarring alarm, as was Wong Jiangxue.

Gazing outside in a daze, she saw no immediate danger.

"System, what's the situation?"

His consciousness was alert, but his mind still foggy.

"Captain, a fleet has been detected approaching us from five hundred nautical miles away."

"Our preliminary assessment indicates that we are their target."

"You're joking, right? How could any fleet lock onto us?"

"Governor, they're not after us. It's our guest, Miss Wong Jiangxue, who they seek. I've detected a magical signature emanating from her."

"Great, just great. Why didn't you say so sooner? And here I thought earning those ten thousand Refinement Crystals would be a breeze."

Now fully awake, he realized that five hundred nautical miles meant only a few hours' time.

Escape was not an option.

He lacked the necessary Warship Experience.

With some time to spare, he checked the latest videos and nearly lost his temper.

What were these people thinking with their comments?

"Uploader, you've got quite the perspective. I'd wager you're the one playing the skeleton fodder."

"Your perspective is quite unique. I just have to ask, do skeletons need to eat? Do they need to... you know, get busy?"

"Come on, you bunch of single folks, aren't you even considering whether you can find a girlfriend first?"

"You all have such talent. Doesn't anyone else feel that this gory scene is incredibly realistic? It's a vast improvement over green blood."

"Yeah, how did this kind of graphic content get approved? It's still up there, and the battle scenes are on par with blockbuster movies. Are the headlines really that sensational now?"

There was a slew of chaotic comments below. But why were there only a few hundred likes? Are you sure these weren't just some pranksters brought in by a monkey?

Feeling frustrated, he accessed the System Merchant Shop for the first time.

He browsed through the available items, which were few in number.

The Revival Potion could bring back a fallen warrior to life. However, any battle experience gained would be reset to zero. Priced at 100 points, it was quite affordable.

Then there was the Advanced Revival Potion. It preserved the Warship Experience, but the cost was a steep 1,000 points—way out of his budget.

The Warship Repairer could fix up damaged warships. It was beneficial not just for his own ship but for others as well. With a hefty price tag of 500 points, it remained out of reach.

But now that he had the Repairing Gravity Field, the worth of the repairer had diminished.

Then, something caught his eye—a bargain.

The Devil Moving Torpedo, a shallow-water mine, was particularly deadly against Barbarian Blood Level Warships. Just one could cripple an enemy's engine.

It was akin to the Pulse Electromagnetic Bullet. Both were tactical weapons that wouldn't cause substantial damage to enemy warships.

"Not bad, this will do. Fifty points each. I'll take six."

Three hundred points vanished in an instant. The remaining change was barely enough to buy a couple of lollipops.

Since when did lollipops become so pricey?

At that moment, Wong Jiangxue hurried onto the deck, where she ran into Captain Zhang Hai.

"Excuse me, is something going on?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It looks like someone has taken an interest in you. With your soft, delicate skin, it's no wonder you've got quite a few admirers."

Wong Jiangxue's expression turned grim.

"Are you suggesting someone is out to kill me?"

"Not necessarily. There's also a chance they're here to rescue you."

To her, those words felt like a cruel joke.

"Alright, don't overthink it. I'll handle things from here. You should head back to your room."

Wong Jiangxue gave Zhang Hai a long, searching look before nodding slightly.

She returned to her room in silence, curious about what would unfold next.

With time's passage, over ten standard Barbarian Blood Warships came into view.

They began forming an encirclement well before closing in.

Zhang Hai's lips twitched into a slight smirk. He thought it would be odd if such a pathetic encirclement could stop him. His consciousness melded back with the Phantom Warship as he inwardly scoffed.

He altered the ship's course, feigning terror as if he were a coward desperate to flee.

"Boss, the kid's trying to make a run for it."

The scar-faced middle-aged man's lips also curled into a smirk.

"Stick to the usual plan—hunt him down. I never expected this mission to be so easy."

It was a job worth ten thousand Refinement Crystals, and he had braced for a tough skirmish.

But all they faced was one measly vessel.

Their combat power was more than tenfold that of their opponent.

Ten warships of the same caliber against one was overkill.

Especially since his own vessel was the superior Demon-Hunting Warship.

"Daily dose of self-pity +1, isn't that a bit insincere?"