Linden City.  

The pointed tower red brick roofs were staggered neatly, with a few oval-shaped wooden windows slightly open. Outside, clothes were hanging on iron nail-built ropes for drying, and a very small number had potted plants.  

The buildings on the city outskirts were densely packed, made of square beige kiln bricks and red tiles piled layer upon layer. The main cobblestone roads were crowded with people: laborers trying to make a living, wandering martial artists, vendors selling strange and exotic items, and mercenaries from all over.  

Although the residences and various shops and inns seemed haphazardly pieced together, dazzling and overwhelming, the grand buildings rising up in Linden City’s inner ring could be seen from anywhere within the city.  

The admiral’s castle, some key functional buildings, the Adventurers’ Guild, the municipal office, as well as noble estates and high-end entertainment venues.  

Within Linden City, there was also a respectable Arcane Academy and several other schools. They weren’t the absolute best but were still top-tier.  

These buildings showcased the city’s splendor—flying ribs of arches and intricate wall carvings emphasized dynamic curves. The façade’s floral decorations were broken up, the eaves curved horizontally, and the wall surfaces were deeply textured. Luxuriously ornate, with intense light and shadow effects, combined with religious landscapes featuring unknown sacred figures’ relief sculptures and monster carvings, shrouding the city in a layer of strange mystery.  

A large portion of visiting merchants or travelers would stop in their tracks upon entering the city gates to admire this scene.  

This, however, did not include the Black Sails Pirate Crew.  

The three of them passed through the city outskirts, passing by the overwhelmingly foul-smelling seafood market, where a makeshift wooden execution platform had been set up. Executioners were ready with nooses to hang criminals.  

Li Site had no interest in joining the spectacle. Anyone who came here without weighing their own strength usually ended up like that.  

They arrived at the agreed rendezvous point with the dark elf Shadi. If all went well, he would have already finished his business.  

In front of a moderately sized inn, the iron rooster weather vane on the roof swung with the sea breeze, squeaking intermittently.  

Li Site spotted Shadi from afar. His appearance practically screamed “dangerous.”  

Shadi had joined the crew six years ago, originally from the Far Eastern Islands, and dressed like someone from there. Standing about 1.89 meters tall, he wore a loose black raincoat, a pair of flood boots, a ronin-style straw hat on his head, and a slender blade typical of the Far East hung at his waist. He exuded a strong wandering swordsman aura.  

Li Site had heard Shadi brag before—he claimed to have studied qigong in the various nations, though no one knew if it was true. Regardless, he fought fiercely when it came to battle.  

Seeing only Shadi at the rendezvous point, Li Site raised his eyebrows, sensing something was off.  

"Damn it, did something go wrong?"  

Ren scanned the surroundings warily, worried that the four men had been killed, or that Shadi had turned traitor and sold out his brothers.  

Ox believed those men’s skills made it impossible for anything to have happened. The first mate and that other man were terrifyingly skilled. Still, he kept his hand on the giant sword’s hilt just in case.  

Li Site, as the top figure, could not afford to show weakness.  

“Can your dumb head at least come up with some good news instead of acting like a damn drama queen?” Li Site walked over nonchalantly, reaching out with one large hand to snatch Shadi’s straw hat off and asked, “Is anyone else here?”  

Shadi’s face, which had been mostly hidden under the wide hat, was now fully revealed.  

Though he was a dark elf, he possessed very unusual features. On the Western Continent, this was considered a bad omen, but it actually was a condition called albinism.  

His skin was pale white, his eyes bright red. His silver hair fell past his shoulders, tied with a leather band. His chiseled, three-dimensional facial features made him stand out even among elves as one of the fiercest-looking.  

A passing woman on the street stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing him. A little girl nearby dropped two eggs from her basket without noticing, completely stunned by Shadi’s striking appearance. Standing next to Li Site and the others, Shadi was on a whole different level of looks.  

“They’re still at the bank. The matter is already settled, but the first mate is still reconciling accounts. It will take some time. Let me go back and report first.”  

Shadi didn’t want to attract attention and pulled his hat back down over his head.  

“I told you, the first mate and Brother Killer couldn’t possibly have gotten into trouble.” Ren grinned, “That’s some skill, woohoo, takeoff.”  

Ren was already imagining their spoils being squandered wildly back at Heaven’s Port. He had several mistresses there, truly a lucky man.  

“Now is… fantasy time.”  

Shadi had no reply. Ren was easy to read, at least when he was in a good mood, his saliva dripped noisily.  

Hearing the progress was smooth, Li Site relaxed his frown. If those two weren’t reliable, it would have to be the Arlan Sword King showing up.  

The first mate, a man with a single-character name: Fen.  

He was once a member of the well-known Sorcerer Alliance, a top graduate from the Kingdom of Beima’s national premier Arcane Academy—the Oxford of the Western Continent. He was an extremely rare genuine sorcerer: capable of tanking, fighting, healing, ranged attacks, and noble area damage—essentially a hexagonal warrior. He was also cultured, a stark contrast to the illiterate crew members on board.  

If compared to a mobile game’s character draw, he was absolutely a must-have.  

Recruiting him was not luck. This guy had stirred up a huge mess and fled across the continent to the Beima Principality to hide out. On the entire East Coast, only Li Site dared to take him in.  

The ship’s gunner, Morrison.  

Known as Brother Killer by Ren. Li Site was unsure about Morrison too. His background remained a mystery, but his power was absurdly strong. Sometimes it felt like he could go toe-to-toe with the Arlan Sword King—not because of brute strength, but due to his astonishing skills and battle experience, which had reached the level of art.  

Two months ago, at Blue Bay Port, a Golden-ranked adventurer serving a certain lord was instantly taken down by Morrison in a few moves. His iron whip blade moved like a ghost, leaving afterimages and fakeouts. But then, with one lightning-fast slash across the throat, blood gushed out like a geyser in sync with the heartbeat, killing instantly—a testament to his fearsome power.  

Though wary of this man, Li Site had spent over a year with him and found he was just a straightforward guy, no need to be paranoid.  

“Here’s the plan: Ren, Ox, you two go back to the inn, pack your things, and return to the ship. I’m a little uneasy about those three fools guarding the ship. Shadi and I will go to the bank to finish up city business. After a few days replenishing sailors at the dock, we’ll head back to Heaven’s Port.”  

Li Site had his plan laid out. Indeed, as Ox said, they couldn’t stay long in the city. Aside from bounty hunters, the nobles all had their own schemes.  

The sheriff was just an intermediary, responsible for connecting and taking the blame. After Shadi found a way in, this job was partly for Black Sails’ interests but also to help a local lord deal with enemies. The bank, the related casino, and one lord’s business clashed, so they had to be removed.  

Continuing to work for that lord wasn’t a good idea; after finishing this, they’d leave. Although officially backed for some safety, the city’s lawlessness meant that getting too deeply involved would only make them tools for others.  

Between outlaws and prisoners, Li Site preferred the former.  

“Arriving at the East Sea’s highest port…”  

Ren hadn’t finished his sentence.  

“Not there yet.”  

Shadi interrupted with a snarky comment. This guy really seemed rabid. Then he led the way, guiding Li Site to the underground bank.  

As the two disappeared into the distance, Ox and Ren remained.  

Ren hesitated for a moment.  

“What do you think about that new tiger guy? I’ve been watching him all month. His skills don’t lie—he’s definitely from the Thieves’ Guild. You know, the Thieves’ Guild is a huge organization that never tolerates traitors joining other factions. Such betrayal means being cut into pieces and thrown down the sewer. Something’s fishy. He’s probably a rat—killed the leader or stole something and fled, hiding out on the East Coast.”  

Once the captain left, Ren began gossiping. He didn’t get along well with the new guy on board. Of the ten core members, he had joined last and had only participated in the Blue Bay Port job.  

Ox was silent for a moment.  

“Thieves’ Guild? I don’t know much about affairs on land.”  

Ox casually brushed it off. He had heard rumors that the Thieves’ Guild was indeed offering a bounty on a tiger man and insisted he be brought in alive. The news said this person had fled to the East Coast, which was quite a coincidence.  

If that tiger man really was from the Thieves’ Guild, stealing treasure and hiding out was somewhat understandable; there was room to maneuver depending on what he stole.  

If he had nothing, it wasn’t that they feared the Thieves’ Guild, but hiding something when boarding the ship brought trouble, and then the only solution was to kill him.  

But for now, this was just speculation, no conclusion yet. After all, the East Sea was full of tiger men.  

“I’m just saying.” Ren laughed, “Pack your stuff and get on board, Origin God, start…”  

“Shut up.”  

Ox had no mood for jokes. The tiger man seemed to have been recommended by the first mate. This matter needed attention before setting sail.  

“You really have no sense of humor.”  

Ren held a pouch with about eighty gold dragons, strolling into the inn lazily, feeling bored.