Chapter 420, The Omniscient of the Emerald Sea
The ship continued forward.
Bullets cleared away pirate ships along the route.
Wu Heng put away the sniper rifle, and the surrounding battle gradually neared its end.
When the gunfire ceased,
silence fell over the area.
All the pirate ships drifted with the waves on the sea.
Their decks were pitted and covered with blood and corpses.
Wu Heng ordered the skeletons to drag over the corpses of the two pirate captains and wrap them in straw mats.
He stored them directly in his spatial ring.
Then, he continued to release [Battlefield of the Dead]. The fallen pirate corpses on the deck turned into skeletons and slowly rose to their feet.
"Charge into the cabins and kill everyone."
Clatter~!
The converted skeletons rushed into the cabins of the ships.
Soon after, fierce fighting broke out, accompanied by the pirates' roars and curses.
Wu Heng stood aside, waiting for a while.
Corpses of pirates were gradually dragged out from below deck.
They were placed on the deck.
Wu Heng continued casting his skill, converting them into skeletons.
At this moment, Xiaoxiao and Glenda, who had been scouting the situation, flew back together.
Xiaoxiao pointed at the merchant ship surrounded by pirates and said, "There are people inside."
Glenda added, "Judging by their attire, they're not pirates; they're likely the people from that merchant ship."
Xiaoxiao nodded. "Yes, they don't look like pirates."
When Wu Heng arrived, fighting was still ongoing.
It seemed his appearance had distracted the pirates, preventing them from completely killing the crew.
"Let's go. Let's check it out and finish up so we can return early," Wu Heng said, steering his ship closer and jumping onto the opposing deck.
Maintaining a certain distance, he called toward the cabin, "I am the Deputy Steward of the Gold-Silver Island Guild. You're safe now; come out and talk."
Murmurs of conversation came from the dark cabin below.
Wu Heng glanced aside and gestured for Glenda, still in stealth mode, to enter the cabin.
She soon flew back out.
Leaning close, she whispered, "They're suspicious of whether you're really from the Guild and are hesitant to come out."
As she spoke, a well-dressed but somewhat disheveled dwarf with a large beard emerged, holding a crossbow.
His eyes scanned the surroundings.
His pupils contracted sharply, and he froze for a few seconds before regaining his senses.
Adjusting himself, he performed a dwarven salute. "'Captain Leopold of the Bay Grape' greets the Deputy Steward."
"Are you a merchant ship?"
"Yes, we're transporting ores and industrial parts. After transiting through Gold-Silver Island, we'll proceed to a human port," the dwarf captain replied.
Wu Heng nodded. "Alright, you're safe now. You can leave on your own or follow me."
"We'll follow you," the dwarf immediately responded.
"Alright, inspect your ship. When I leave, follow behind me," Wu Heng instructed.
The dwarf expressed his gratitude joyfully. "Thank you, Deputy Steward. Once we reach Gold-Silver Island, I will personally visit the Guild to thank you."
Wu Heng waved him off and returned to his ship.
The dwarf then called for his crew to emerge. While tending to the injured, the rest began repairing the ship in preparation for departure.
Once the battle was completely over,
Wu Heng reassigned the skeleton crews on each ship.
With everything arranged, the fleet began its return journey.
...…
Flying Fish Pirate Ship.
Phillipa kicked open the cabin door and yelled, "Babucci, you bastard, you're really from the Guild!"
Inside the cabin, several core members of the Flying Fish Pirates sat.
Startled by the sudden intrusion, they jumped in fright.
Upon seeing it was Phillipa, they sat back down.
The bearded Babucci also looked grim as he said, "Don't talk nonsense. I lost a ship too. How could I be with the Guild?"
"Then why did the Guild show up just as we were about to seize the merchant ship?"
Babucci frowned, his thick brows shading his sharp eyes as he suspiciously asked, "How do you know it was an Guild ship? From your position, you were behind us."
Phillipa hesitated briefly but quickly said, "I'm a ranger; my tamed beasts saw them. Now explain why an Guild ship was there."
Babucci continued shaking his head. "I don't know either. Maybe it was just a coincidence."
"Bullshit. How could it just coincidentally show up and charge straight in?" Phillipa snapped.
Babucci scowled at her. "What are you implying? I lost a lot of brothers too. Do you think I'd rat us out?"
Their subordinates also began watching each other warily.
The Guild's appearance was too well-timed. Coupled with recent rumors of informants, suspicion was inevitable.
Phillipa said, "Babucci, I trust you. We've killed people together; the Guild would never let us join."
"True."
Phillipa continued, "What I mean is, could someone else in the fleet have leaked information? The rumors about the Guild planting informants in pirate crews have been rampant."
"You're saying someone in our team leaked the info?"
As she spoke, the others in the cabin turned their attention to her.
Phillipa explained, "It could be us or one of the other two pirate crews that escaped with us."
"What's your plan?"
"Kill them all and split the ships between us."
Babucci's eyes flickered. He glanced at his crew behind him before nodding. "Alright."
...…
The next morning.
The fleet neared Gold-Silver Island.
After explaining the presence of the damaged pirate ships, they slowly docked at the port.
The dwarf captain of the merchant ship expressed his gratitude again. Wu Heng hired a carriage and headed directly to the Guild.
Upon arriving at the Guild,
he first delivered the two corpses to the mortuary and explained the situation to the coroner.
Procedures still had to be followed, especially since this involved his merit and Phillipa's bid to join the Whisperers.
After chatting briefly with the coroner,
Wu Heng left the mortuary and headed to the steward's office.
The elven steward Imiro, dressed in a purple formal robe, sat composedly in his chair. He glanced up. "What is it?"
Wu Heng said directly, "There was intel about pirates planning to raid merchant ships on the 'Lingaxi Route.' I acted on this and killed two Tier 3 wanted criminals while rescuing the merchant crew."
Imiro looked surprised and glanced at him again. "Where are the bodies?"
"I sent them to the mortuary."
Imiro nodded approvingly. "Well done. Your little pirate did well too."
"Thank you, Steward," Wu Heng expressed his gratitude, then continued, "Steward, this time, based on Phillipa's intelligence, we've eliminated three Tier 3 wanted criminals."
"This is about the Whisperer matter, right? I've noted it. Once the autopsy process is complete, I'll report this to headquarters."
"Then I thank you on behalf of Phillipa," Wu Heng said.
Imiro nodded, speaking calmly, "Tell her to keep collecting intelligence. Once her merits and rank improve, we can arrange for her to work within the guild."
"Understood!"
...…
Exiting the study, Wu Heng returned to his office.
Andviel was busy cleaning the room in the morning.
Seeing Wu Heng return safely, she beamed with delight. "Master, have you had breakfast yet?"
"Not yet," Wu Heng replied, taking a seat.
"I'll go to the tavern and order some for you."
"Keep it simple."
"Got it." Andviel put down her tools, taking the little owl with her as she left.
Wu Heng poured himself a cup of fruit tea and returned to his chair.
He took out the spatial rings belonging to the two slain captains.
They contained numerous items.
Everyday supplies, miscellaneous items, underwear, and a significant amount of gold and silver coins.
Piracy was a high-risk profession, but it was also a highly rewarding one.
Every pirate was incredibly wealthy, accumulating sums ordinary people couldn't save in a lifetime.
He piled the useless items to one side, intending to have someone dispose of them later.
Then his gaze landed on an old, weathered book he had taken out.
"A Brief History of Pirates—The Omniscient of the Emerald Sea"