Li Xi stood at the bow of the ship, watching Pearl, which was about to dock, with immense satisfaction. It turned out that not only had the leader of the Hunters' team hidden his money with Greybeard, but others had also stashed their private funds there, essentially treating Greybeard's place as an offshore bank. Now, Li Xi had taken it all.
Li Xi told no one the exact amount, but it was a considerable sum. Even Li Xi, with his current wealth, felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of so much money.
Coupled with the vast number of correspondence found in Greybeard's lair, Li Xi could have secured a safe and soaring career in politics, a cutthroat arena, with these documents alone.
As the ship docked, the soldiers led out three enchanted carriages. Philin, with all her charm, invited Li Xi to share one with her, but Li Xi, citing the difference in status and the need for propriety between men and women, refused.
Three ogres, keeping Greybeard, who constantly begged for a quick end, under guard, followed behind. The other pirates were left to their own fate. Even if they were untied and released, they wouldn't make it a hundred meters. The ogres had relentlessly squeezed their stamina, leaving them with just enough breath to live. Of course, when their control slipped, many pirates were tossed into the sea to feed the fish. For the past two days, fish had been following the ship, waiting for food to fall. As a result, Li Xi no longer fished. The pirates still breathing now were only a quarter of the original number.
Before the convoy could even leave the dock, two hundred city guards, standing loosely, arrogantly demanded an inspection. At this moment, Albert, with sharp eyes, hid behind the city guards, appearing like an insignificant official watching the fun. From the enchanted carriages, the sturdy horses, and the strong warriors, he deduced that the newcomers were anything but ordinary. Seeing this, Albert cautiously shrank his body, ready to dig a hole and bury himself if things felt wrong.
Facing the blocking city guards, Li Xi thought they were about to have a dramatic confrontation at the dock. Nuohan stepped forward, slapped the leading general of the city guards, sending the weak-bodied general spinning in a dizzying one-thousand-eight-hundred-degree turn, and left him disoriented.
Upon seeing their general struck, the remaining city guards immediately raised their shields and spears, intending to kill Nuohan on the spot.
Facing the raised spears, Nuohan sneered, pulled out a token, and thrust it before them. The token was engraved with a charmingly round black and white bear. As soon as the city guards saw the token, they dropped to their knees like startled rabbits, trembling with fear. Nuohan looked down on them with disdain. "Scram, and don't appear before us again."
The city guards acted as if they had been pardoned, a relieved smile on their faces, their fear mixed with gratitude. They bowed respectfully and retreated, disappearing from sight faster than a startled sow. As for Albert, the city guards cursed him inwardly. Why had they been made to do such a suicidal thing? They vowed to get revenge later.
Albert's keen eyes had spotted the black and white bear on the token when Nuohan produced it. His pupils seemed to have experienced a magnitude eight earthquake. How could such a powerful family be here? Their movements, even the slightest, were usually closely watched. Why had they suddenly appeared here?
Such a person was not to be trifled with. Fortunately, he hadn't been the one to step forward. He decided to pretend he didn't know them and turned to leave, but a large hand grabbed his collar and dragged him to the front of the convoy.
Nuohan threw Albert to the ground. Albert dared not get angry. He cautiously looked up and saw a handsome young man looking down at him. The handsome young man smiled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth, took out several pieces of paper from his spatial ring, and compared them with Albert's face. "Albert, tax official of Pashkovo Port. I assume you're quite familiar with the Greybeard from behind. Weren't you sharing a baron's wife and daughter? Close as brothers. Now that we've met, why don't you go say hello to an old friend?"
When Albert heard 'baron's wife and daughter,' his heart turned to ash. His last shred of hope vanished. This was a secret known only to him and Greybeard. They had conspired to ruin a baron, forcing him to sell his property tearfully. Driven by perverse desires, Albert had used the baron's money to buy his wife and daughter at a high price. After enjoying them, under the baron's tearful thanks, he had given them to Greybeard. The outcome was obvious. Dirty deeds only truly disappeared when the perpetrators did, but he never expected these things to be dug up.
Now that his secret was exposed, there was no doubt his secrets were all revealed.
A dim prison cell, foul-smelling dirty water, rats and cockroaches everywhere, perverted criminals who enjoyed anal sex, constant whipping, moldy black bread – all scenes more painful than death flashed through Albert's mind. This was likely the life he would face for the rest of his days.
However, the experience he had gained from dealing with various people on the docks for years instantly told him that if the other party truly intended to harm him, they wouldn't have wasted words. No matter how important his position was, in the eyes of such a noble figure, he was no more significant than a mole rat. Who would sentence a mole rat before killing it for its mistakes?
Therefore, Albert's left cheek immediately showed clarity, and his right cheek showed obsequiousness. It was difficult for one face to display two such opposing expressions. "Sir, you jest. I am an imperial official; how could I associate with pirates? The pirates were rampant before, and I merely wished to extract their whereabouts. If I were to be honored, it would be to serve under a distinguished personage like yourself."
Li Xi patted Albert's shoulder. He had to admit that old foxes who thrived in officialdom, regardless of era or country, possessed extraordinary skills; they were indeed the cream of the crop. With a single sentence, Albert had not only revealed his position but also subtly expressed his willingness to serve.
Li Xi, seeing such an adaptable person, naturally had no intention of playing the role of a righteous judge. He put away the secret letter and said meaningfully, "What you just said is very much to my liking, so you can continue to be the tax official with peace of mind. I will come to find you when the time comes."
Albert's eyes widened upon hearing this. He wasn't punished; instead, he was allowed to remain the tax official. With the promise of the person before him, he no longer had to worry about anyone snatching his position. His former backing, compared to the power represented by the token Nuohan held, was like a rabbit facing an elephant. Both were herbivores, but an elephant could crush a herd of rabbits. His backing had suddenly transformed from a rabbit to an elephant, and his sense of security exploded. Was this the legendary "fortune in misfortune" that befalls transmigrators? He had never realized he possessed such ability before.
Immediately, he patted his bulging, flabby chest, causing a tremor that rippled through him. Li Xi worried his official uniform might burst. "Sir, rest assured, with me here, this place is your private property. I am your devoted steward, and I guarantee your assets will be managed ever better. No one will be able to take a single copper coin from here."
Li Xi was speechless. He had merely intended to place a pawn for easier progress northward, and this person immediately pledged allegiance with utmost sincerity. Was this the legendary "king's aura" of transmigrators? Why had he never noticed this ability before?
At this moment, Philin, from inside the carriage, chuckled. She threw out a token identical to the one Nuohan held. It landed on the ground. Albert, like a loyal dog rewarded by its master, pounced on it, picking it up as if it were a precious treasure. He almost licked clean the speck of dirt clinging to the token.
"You can rest assured and work here diligently. If there are any orders, someone will come to see you." Unlike her youthful exuberance when speaking to Li Xi, Philin was now dignified and grand, exuding an air of high-class nobility.
Albert truly knelt on the ground like a dog. Li Xi vaguely saw a long tongue hanging out, wagging to his master, pleading for favor. "Your command is my mission, and I will serve you to the death."
Now was the time to utilize such an excellent subordinate. Li Xi pointed to the four ships on the sea. "Those three pirate ships are our spoils of war. Find a place to secure them. The remaining ship, Pearl, is leased. Find an opportunity to return it. Someone will come to receive the pirates on board; you are not to interfere."
"Yes, your subordinate obeys." After speaking, Albert smartly retreated to the side. Nuohan flicked his horse's hindquarters, and the three carriages began to move towards Pashkovo City. Greybeard was a B-class mission. As soon as Li Xi submitted it, he could become a B-class mercenary, opening up a plethora of reward missions. Li Xi was becoming impatient.
At the Mercenary Guild, after submitting Greybeard, the golden badge Li Xi had worn for a short time turned into a ruby. This was the symbol exclusively for B-class mercenaries and signified Li Xi's entry into the upper echelons of society, becoming one of the elite.
With this small ruby badge, he would be a welcome guest wherever he went and would never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of his life. Because from B-class mercenary onwards, the Mercenary Guild provided a salary. Even if Li Xi did nothing, he could live a leisurely life without any difficulty.
[Congratulations, Master, for completing a B-class mission and obtaining two chances for a lottery draw.]
[Congratulations, Master, for advancing to B-class mercenary and obtaining one super lottery draw opportunity.]
[Congratulations, Master, for completing two mercenary level advancements, activating the Jonin promotion mission, checking... ]
[Congratulations, Master, for achieving 100% mission completion and successfully advancing to Jonin.]
[Congratulations, Master, for successfully advancing to Jonin and obtaining a level advancement lottery draw opportunity.]
Upon successfully advancing to B-class mercenary, Xiao Fan's messages began to flood in. Simultaneously, a large amount of chakra, which seemed to materialize out of nowhere, appeared within his body. If Li Xi's Chunin-level chakra quantity could be considered a small pond before, it was now a small lake, more than ten times what it was.
Li Xi exhaled slowly, easing the discomfort his body felt from the surge of chakra. The system had this one drawback: it poured all good things in at once, without considering whether Li Xi could handle it.
Previously, his Shadow Clone Jutsu would often fail due to insufficient chakra, and the clones would die from exhaustion after casting a few ninjutsu. Now, from this moment on, Li Xi could use Shadow Clone Jutsu with abandon. The grand mission of grinding quests was officially launched. Jonin was undoubtedly another leap in Li Xi's career, a level of epoch-making significance, yet one he achieved in the fastest and easiest way possible.
"Xi Gege, it's getting a bit late. How about we stay overnight in Pashkovo tonight? I've never played by the sea before," Philin said, her voice sweet and pleading, as if cajoling him. For some unknown reason, she didn't want to leave, despite Li Xi having significantly delayed their journey.