Chapter 131 Lie and get thrown into the sea
Chapter 131 Lie and get thrown into the sea
It turned out to be Karlison and the other crew members who had returned. Their boots thudded heavily against the weathered planks of the dock as they approached, their faces lined with exhaustion and the faint satisfaction of a job completed under pressure.
The harbor air hummed with life: vendors shouting over crates of glowing fruits, gulls screeching overhead, and the distant clang of bells marking the changing tide.
Karlison stepped forward with a respectful nod. “Captain Mei Mei, the cargos have all been delivered successfully. We delivered them straight to the fortress as the elite guards directed us.”
Mei Mei’s eyes narrowed at the last statement, but she nevertheless clapped her hands together happily. A bright smile broke across her face like sunlight piercing storm clouds. The knot of tension that had twisted in her gut since docking finally began to unravel.
Now they could finally leave this troublesome port behind, with its watchful eyes and dangerous politics. She turned swiftly to Lady Safura, offering a graceful bow. “Karlison, prepare the ship to leave for the sea at once. I want the sails unfurled before the next bell tolls.”
Lady Safura stood like a statue carved from imperial jade, her silver-embroidered robes fluttering lightly in the sea breeze. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, lingered on Mei Mei with calculated interest.
“Must you depart so soon? Would you not keep my company a little longer and await Lady Hamisa’s arrival? You and your crew could prove invaluable in the search for those escaped prisoners. Naturally, you would be aptly rewarded…. gold, favors, perhaps even protection.”
Mei Mei’s mind raced with internal curses. Why won’t this woman let it go? Entangling herself further with the fortress’s affairs was the last thing she needed, especially with hidden passengers like the white-haired boy aboard.
She forced a respectful smile, choosing her words like carefully placed blades. “Lady Safura, your offer brings me great honor, and I am truly grateful for the trust. However, I must regretfully decline. Other cargos await delivery to organizations allied with the Devourer’s Choir, and we operate under the strictest timing. Those groups expect us at precise hours. I hope you understand my position.”
Displeasure clouded Lady Safura’s elegant features, her lips pressing into a thin line. She was clearly unhappy, yet she could find no reasonable counter without appearing petty against such a polished rebuttal.
After a tense pause, she inclined her head. “Safe travels, then. And thank you for the coconut drink, it was refreshing.”
The farewell carried frost beneath the courtesy.
Moments later, the crew sprang into action. Ropes were cast off, sails billowed with the wind, and the ship glided away from the harbor, leaving the towering spires of the port shrinking on the horizon. Waves slapped against the hull in rhythmic applause, carrying them toward open waters.
Below deck, in the shadowed confines of a cramped storage cabin lit only by a flickering lantern, Vandal sat in deep meditation. His posture was rigid, legs crossed, white hair veiling his closed eyes.
The dungeon ordeal replayed in fragments: the surge of negative emotions like poison in his veins, the eerie voices echoing in his skull. It was abnormal and dangerous. He needed to verify his inner state before it consumed him.
He plunged into the dimension within his eye, a vast ethereal realm where his core power manifested. The black hole floated serenely at the center, its event horizon steady, the ancient seal intact and pulsing with controlled might. Relief washed over him briefly. Stable. But shifting focus to his internal meridians revealed chaos.
Volatile energies swirled through the channels like trapped tempests: raw anger burning hot, crippling fear that was ice cold, and a killing intent so sharp it could cleave bone. Worse, many sensations felt foreign.
Vandal willed the impurities out, directing his resonance energy like a commanding tide. They resisted.
The energies dodged and writhed as if sentient, slipping through his grasp and intensifying the pressure in his pathways. His brow furrowed, sweat tracing lines down his temples.
If this accumulation continued unchecked, the consequences could be catastrophic, eruptions of power, loss of control, or worse. No memories from his stolen mental library of knowledge offered guidance. He had no map for this internal storm.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed deeper, cycling his breath in ancient patterns, but the foreign forces only grew more agitated, sending faint tremors through the ship’s timbers around him. He couldn’t afford weakness now; survival demanded mastery.
Up on deck, as the ship cut cleanly through the swelling waves under a sky streaked with fiery oranges, Karlison approached Mei Mei near the helm. The wind tugged at his tunic, carrying the clean scent of freedom.
“Captain,” he said in a low, urgent tone, glancing around to ensure privacy, “why lie about those people? You could have handed them over easily. I don’t see the sense in protecting them.”
Mei Mei’s response was immediate and cutting, her eyes narrowing like a predator’s. “My decisions are my own, Karlison. Do not question your captain.”
The rebuke hung heavy in the air. He attempted to lighten the mood with a playful grin, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Just looking out for the crew, Captain. We’re family on these waters.”
But Mei Mei stepped closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Never question me again. Understood?”
The exchange did not go unnoticed. Whispers rippled among the crew as they tended to their duties, coiling thick ropes, checking rigging, adjusting course. Those who had witnessed the dockside events from the boat exchanged uneasy glances.
They sided with Karlison in hushed mutters. “She’s protecting fugitives?” one sailor grumbled while splicing line. “If she’d played it smart, we could’ve claimed a fat reward. Gold enough to repair the hull twice over and fatten our purses.”
Another nodded, eyes darting toward the hatch. “Those passengers bring trouble. The captain’s judgment… it’s not sound on this issue.” Loyalty to Mei Mei ran deep after countless storms and skirmishes, but doubt seeded itself. Why risk the crew’s safety for strangers when a simple betrayal could have secured their future?
Mei Mei soon retired to her cabin, the door clicking shut behind her. She needed rest and time to plot their next moves amid the Devourer’s alliances. Karlison remained at the rail, staring out at the endless sea where waves rolled like liquid obsidian under the emerging stars.
The rhythmic crash against the bow usually soothed him, but tonight irritation festered. Footsteps sounded behind him, light and cautious. Chan emerged topside, stretching after the long confinement below, his posture alert yet weary from the escape’s toll.
Karlison’s irritation boiled over. This man, along with the others and that white-haired boy, had caused Mei Mei to lash out at him twice. Enough was enough. He whirled, blocking Chan’s path with his imposing frame. He did not know the passenger’s name, nor did he care to learn it yet.
Rudely, he jabbed a finger forward. “You. Why are you all on the run? How exactly did you end up as escaped prisoners?” His voice carried a thick threat. “Lie to me, and I’ll throw you overboard myself. The sea does not forgive secrets.”