Chapter 46 - 34 Vanishing into Thin Air (Seeking Recommendations)
“We want to see your boss.”
“The leader isn’t here.”
The guard was just a nobody, sitting cross-legged, leaning against the broken shed, not even glancing at the two of them.
“Killing invites feuds, hitting does the same,” Isefia said, “Better pay up.”
“Here.”
Bailuo decisively threw out a small bag of money, and the gangster wrapped his hands around it, opened it for a quick look: “Please, follow me, guests.”
Those who could stand guard at a stronghold had surely not much combat power, but they were certainly more alert than most.
There were many such strongholds throughout the slums.
Regulars and newcomers had some significant differences.
If Bailuo hadn’t paid but chosen to beat up the guard instead, that would mean he was looking for trouble, and didn’t care about the strength of the Venomous Snake Gang at all.
Such guests were neither welcomed nor dared to be welcomed by the Venomous Snake Gang.
On the other hand, if the other party did pay, it meant an extra source of income for the gang, and it also tested the visitor’s character.
One who knew when to advance or retreat, to bend or to stand.
Those were the friends that the Venomous Snake Gang required.
Following the gangster, the two rode their horses to a secluded stronghold.
Bailuo asked Sherri and Radish to wait outside, and he himself took off a bag hanging behind Radish, which contained the money for purchasing a ship.
Of course, there was also Lilith, with this fairy princess along, Bailuo had absolute confidence.
And so, led by the underling, Bailuo and his senior sister entered a rather hidden underground tavern.
“Isn’t this Lady Faya, long time no see.”
The person in charge of the Venomous Snake Gang was a burly bald middle- aged man, bare-chested, displaying an elaborate snake tattoo with nine heads on his torso, something Bailuo noticed.
“Is this time for offering a job, or taking one, eh?”
Lude put his feet up on the table, a large round one that could accommodate a dozen diners.
“I wouldn’t call what I have to do with you ‘business’.”
Faya was Isefia’s alias outside, and she didn’t care about Lude’s taunts: “You still owe me the final payment from last time.”
“So you’ve come to collect a debt?”
Lude’s expression shifted slightly, and the surrounding gangsters moved slightly forward, Bailuo quickly raised his hand: “No, we’ve come to do business.”
Lude looked at Bailuo, noticing that his senior sister sat down quietly because of what Bailuo said.
“Ah, so you’re the boss.”
De Lu was curious, not quite understanding Bailuo’s identity, but about the senior sister’s, he had some clue. A man acknowledged by the senior sister must be no simple figure.
In fact, the senior sister rarely exposed her true power as one of the People of Yatun.
Her public performance might not even reach half of 10% of her true capacity.
Otherwise, De Lu wouldn’t dare to be so arrogant.
“My name is Luo Ya, I’m a merchant, but lately, the Iron Eagle’s business hasn’t been doing well, so I’m thinking of buying some ships to go seek opportunities at sea.”
“Going out to sea…”
Lude immediately caught the issue with that word and laughed heartily: “Then why don’t you take a cruise ship?”
“Do you pry into these details when doing business?”
“I don’t need to pry if the money is right.”
No sooner had Lude finished speaking than the senior sister tossed a bag onto the table, sliding it in front of De Lu.
Lude grabbed it casually, then his gaze shifted slightly: “You two…”
A bag full of gold coins, at least forty or fifty of them, more than enough to buy several ships.
Bailuo’s request wasn’t much, three ships, each capable of carrying 30 people.
It didn’t matter if the space was small, everyone could squeeze together. No one from Yatun was spoiled, even the frail Shuster could handle it.
Once they reached the overseas islands, the People of Yatun could look forward to a bright future.
“Smuggling, am I right?”
Lude plainly stated Bailuo and his senior sister’s intention, closed the bag, then casually tapped a rhythm on it while sitting cross-legged.
“Are you spying for the Nobles now?”
“No, no, no, I have nothing to do with them, your smuggling has nothing to do with me either.”
“The ships…”
“Of course, you can have them!”
“However.”
Lude’s tone shifted: “There will be an extra charge!”
Bailuo’s brow furrowed deeply, and Lilith on his shoulder sensed her master’s displeasure, her small black dress stirring without any wind.
Fairy creatures aren’t just synonyms for beauty.
In some fairy tales, they are occasionally more terrifying than demons, with curses that are enough to make a child cry.
“Fine!”
Bailuo wasn’t short on money, nor did he need it.
If money could solve a problem, then there wouldn’t be a problem.
“Bang!”
The senior sister, having received Bailuo’s signal, hastily placed a box on the table and opened it; the extremely familiar fragrance wafted through the room. “Black pepper!”
Lude stood up, surprised as he looked at the contents of the box.
The senior sister grabbed a handful and casually scattered it onto the table, nearly causing Lude’s eyes to bulge out of their sockets.
“This…”
One of the peppercorns rolled in front of Lude. The bald man picked it up and took a light sniff: “This intoxicating aroma, it’s black pepper, and not just any, but top-grade!”
As the leader of the Venomous Snake Gang, Lude’s lifestyle was naturally not lacking and he had tasted many spices.
But an entire box of black pepper, at least 5 kilograms, was worth 200 small gold coins.
“Hahaha.”
Lude laughed, “Ah Si, take these two to the shipyard.”
Watching the ecstatic Lude, Bailuo’s gaze grew colder, and he said in a disappointed whisper, “I command you, dissipate into nothingness.” “Huh?! What’s going on?”
The black pepper in Lude’s hand was turning into smoke and disappearing.
Not just that one; all the black pepper in the box was vanishing rapidly.
If it were second-generation black pepper that had been grown, or food that had been eaten, Bailuo couldn’t make it disappear, but the black pepper in front of them was clearly not subject to this limitation.
“Why is this happening? What have you done?”
Caught off guard by the sudden change and such an incredible occurrence, Lude could no longer remain calm. In disbelief, he looked at the two, “Who are you, and how did you do this?”
“You are too greedy!”
As soon as Bailuo’s words had fallen, the senior sister had already made her move, her speed was astonishingly fast. In just an instant, her silver-white Cross Sword burst forth with numerous flashes.
“Thud thud thud.”
The sounds of bodies hitting the floor rose almost simultaneously. Lude saw his underlings clutching their necks, convulsing and struggling on the floor, their hoarse cries filled with agony, “Ugh cough, when…”
“How can she be so fast?!”
The strength of the senior sister completely overturned De Lu’s expectations.
He had never imagined that Faya, who was just a regular mercenary, could possess such skill.
“Uh!”
Lude tried to run, only to find himself enveloped by an invisible force: “This, ah?!”
Only the bald man’s legs were seen flailing as he levitated, but he couldn’t move an inch.
On Bailuo’s shoulder, Lilith flicked her finger.
“Crack!”
“Ah!!!”
The next moment, Lude’s agonized screams tore through the air as his limbs were bent backward by an invisible force, his bones snapping.
What in the world was this?
How could such things happen!
The disappearance of the black pepper, in conjunction with the Fairy Magic, undoubtedly dealt a massive blow to De Lu’s worldview.
“Don’t worry, a barrier has been erected around us to block out sound; your underlings can’t hear,” said Bailuo as he looked at Lude and then slowly drew his sword: “You were too greedy, knowing we wanted to stow away, you should have taken us to the harbor, not some damned shipyard!!”
“I, I was wrong, please don’t kill me, I’ll give you ships, however big, as many as you want!”
“Spare me, I beg you, spare me!”
Facing Lude’s wails, Bailuo felt no turmoil inside. He simply raised his sword and chopped off the man’s head.
In fact, from the very beginning, the old uncle had never considered buying a ship.
Thus, their plan, from start to finish, had only one goal—robbery!
Some might ask why they didn’t go directly to the harbor and had to make a trip to the Venomous Snake Gang.
This involved some human nature issues.
If the People of Yatun openly stole the Venomous Snake Gang’s ship, and the gang members were still around, with their vast influence and Lude’s vengeful nature, he would surely cause trouble.
Perhaps by giving chase, notifying the nobles—anyway, he would certainly find the People of Yatun until he had his revenge.
So Bailuo simply said—kill him.
With Lude dead, the Venomous Snake Gang would be headless, focusing on who could become the new leader instead of searching for the missing ship.
Similarly, others would not be bothered about a ship belonging to someone else.
This was not a society ruled by law; there were no police bound by duty.
Who would benefit from chasing after the People of Yatun who had stolen the ship? Without any benefit, who would do such a job?
The ship is lost, what does it have to do with me?
I didn’t lose a penny.
Besides, the Venomous Snake Gang had some old scores to settle with the old uncle and the senior sister, so why not settle them while they were at it?
“Let’s go.”
Without looking back, Bailuo and the senior sister left. Their figures vanished in the corridor, concealed by Lilith’s Invisibility Spell.
The Venomous Snake Gang members waiting outside didn’ t even know when Bailuo had left.
Of course, they would never know that Lude was dead; they would only think that Lude and the others had mysteriously disappeared without a trace.