CHAPTER 727: SECTION 514: TAN MO AND BEACH LOACH

The night’s deep colors enveloped Snake Rat Island.

The light from the lighthouse guided a warship from the Holy Bright Empire to dock smoothly at the pier.

The warship had a sturdy bow, with its superstructure positioned in the center of the deck, resembling a cube, equal in length, width, and height, just like a treasure box.

The treasure box-like superstructure’s surface was adorned with layer upon layer of Magic Arrays. The Arrays were embedded with an abundance of gemstones, including fist-sized Blue Gemstones, head-sized diamonds, carriage-sized Yellow Gemstones, and so on.

It was indeed the Treasure Chest.

The Lord of Snake Rat Island, Beach Loach, had already arrived at the dock with a group of subordinates, waiting in anticipation.

When Captain Tan Mo of the Treasure Chest, together with his entourage, descended to the dock, Beach Loach hastily went up to greet them.

Beach Loach said, "Cousin, you’ve arrived! It’s been a tough journey, the banquet is already prepared."

The Lord of Snake Rat Island, Beach Loach, was an ordinary-looking, short and chubby middle-aged man of the Human Race, while Captain Tan Mo of the Treasure Chest was corpulent with a thick, short neck, his small eyes twinkling with a shrewdness that not even the night could hide.

The two were members of the same family clan.

Tan Mo said, "Cousin, it’s been three years since we last met, hasn’t it?"

Beach Loach laughed heartily.

Tan Mo gestured to his subordinates with his eyes, "Go, unload the cargo, these are all specifically transported for cousin Beach Loach."

Beach Loach’s face lit up with joy, watching the Navy begin to unload the cargo, he again invited Tan Mo to the banquet.

Tan Mo said, "I’m in a rush, so don’t make it too grand. Some people who don’t need to be seen can be spared."

Beach Loach understood, nodding incessantly, he immediately made new arrangements.

Carriages had already been prepared. Tan Mo and others boarded the carriages and were quickly ushered into the City Lord’s mansion.

The dinner was indeed lavish, meticulously prepared.

Originally, there were some key figures from Snake Rat Island at the banquet, but since Tan Mo preferred not to meet them, Beach Loach had them disperse directly.

In the vast banquet hall, only two members of their clan and a few servants remained, giving it a somewhat desolate atmosphere.

Tan Mo held his wine glass, sipping a little red wine, then looked out through the French windows towards the dock.

His gaze was fixated on the lighthouse on the dock.

This was no ordinary lighthouse, slender in build, with a cubical structure at the top, three meters to a side. Both the tower body and the cube were silvery white.

The cube had a closed eye engraved on each of its east, south, west, and north faces, and at the top end, there was a person-height prism-shaped crystal.

This was a Light Cannon Tower.

Tan Mo’s expression was cool, but he offered flattering praise, "Cousin, your financial power is unexpectedly strong. How long have you ruled Snake Rat Island before you were able to set up a Light Cannon Tower already?"

"I believe the family clan will be very pleased to see your successful management here."

Beach Loach hastened to respond with a wry smile, "Cousin, don’t mock me. As part of the Navy, you surely understand that the cost of a Light Cannon Tower is far less than that of a Mage Tower. It’s something the Empire has deliberately developed to be used as a consumable for defense in the invasion of the Wilderness Continent."

"I wouldn’t even dare to dream of a Mage Tower."

"Even this Light Cannon Tower, I had to tighten my belt, penny-pinch, and hesitate for a long time before making the tough decision to buy it."

"Alas, for this tower, the City Lord’s mansion of Snake Rat Island has indeed drained its coffers."

"Life is hard for me, but I have no choice, pirate activities are becoming increasingly rampant. Maritime conditions are turbulent and unstable, and even more various demons and evil spirits have emerged. Twin Eyes Island, which is rather close to mine, suffered a major attack by Fishmen a few months ago."

"I also saw in the reports that the Light Cannon Tower performed quite well in that battle."

"Considering the security of my territory, I had no choice but to make a purchase. Just this one time!"

Facing Beach Loach’s complaints and cries of poverty, Tan Mo just sniffed disdainfully and glanced at Beach Loach teasingly, then refocused on the red wine glass in his hand.

Leaning back in his chair, he lazily swirled the tall glass and said, "Beach Loach, do you really think I’m unaware?"

"You took down the Rou Cang pirate group and made a fortune from the war!"

"You captured Bone Shell alive and have already had him ransomed back by the Blood Light Sanction Court. Because of this, you’ve netted a hefty ransom."

"And let’s not forget Rou Cang himself—that’s a Gold-level pirate. You handed him over to the Empire and earned a substantial amount of military merit. After tallying up this merit, it’s very likely you’ll get a promotion in rank."

"However, if I were you, I would have sold Rou Cang to the Blood Light Sanction Court as well. They are willing to pay; they have deep pockets and can afford a hefty ransom."

Beach Loach’s expression went through a series of changes before he finally lamented, "Ah, to tell you the truth, I wanted to do just that."

"But there was no way. The Justice Sect was originally in charge of Snake Rat Island."

"After the battle with Rou Cang, the priest died in battle, causing changes in the sect here."

"Now, the Justice Sect has moved in, actively pushing against the Holy Bright Sect and has gained the upper hand completely."

"I needed to ease my own relations with the Holy Bright Sect, so I followed their approach and handed over Rou Cang."

"But with this cut taken, the military merit I can gain is definitely much less; I shouldn’t even dream of being promoted in rank!"

Tan Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, curious, "That’s good news as well."

"The Holy Bright Sect is too domineering. Compared to them, the Justice Sect is practically a minor sect."

"This is quite beneficial to your authority as a lord."

"It seems, dear cousin, your tactics are truly not low-level; you’ve actually settled matters with the Holy Bright Sect without getting entangled in sectarian strife."

Beach Loach smiled wryly again, "Cousin, introducing the Justice Sect was part of the pre-war agreement."

"Lord Guangke came from the Justice Sect; we urgently needed his Gold-level combat strength. Thus, not only did I agree, but the priest also represented the Holy Bright Sect in consenting."

"There is a clear Magic Contract, and this is the best reason to keep the Holy Bright Sect from causing me trouble!"

Tan Mo looked at the rueful Beach Loach, his eyes deep with thought.

He couldn’t help but reminisce about the past.

In his memory, the cousin before him had always been unremarkable. Within the family, peers named him "Mud Loach."

"Who would have thought that this little Mud Loach would revitalize Snake Rat Island?"

"On the Holy Bright Continent, given his status, how could he possibly have obtained such vast territory?"

"Though it is somewhat barren, it also has a pillar industry!"

"Tide Snakes, Melted Rats... even the Hunter Guild has been attracted here and has set up a branch."

"And then, there’s the struggle between the Holy Bright Sect and the Justice Sect... My cousin’s political acumen is not low, and his luck isn’t bad either. The Holy Bright priest actually did die in the naval battle."

"In the future, these two sects will counterbalance each other and further highlight his authority as a secular lord!"

At this thought, Tan Mo’s emotions became somewhat complex and subtle.

"Sir, the inventory of the goods has been completed," reported an underling of Beach Loach at this moment, "but a batch of Slime Glue is missing."

"Hmm?" Beach Loach’s brow furrowed instantly.

The cargo unloaded from the Treasure Chest was the material he had purchased through his family’s channels.

This time, the route of the Beach Loach just happened to pass by Snake Rat Island, so the family had the Treasure Chest act as a transport ship once.

The space inside the Treasure Chest was very spacious, quite suitable for transportation.

"Though Slime Glue isn’t expensive, it is the most basic material for constructing defensive works. We absolutely can’t do without it!" Beach Loach immediately furrowed his brows.

He questioned his subordinate, "Have you checked everything thoroughly?"

The subordinate hurriedly replied, "We’ve counted it three times now. The only possibility is that it’s still in..."

At this point, the subordinate’s voice unconsciously grew weaker, swiftly raising his eyes to sneak a glance at the Beach Loach sitting opposite at the dinner table.

Beach Loach sighed, thinking to himself: "What was coming, has finally come."

He knew the nature of this cousin of his all too well. This time he had already paid the transportation fee, but he hadn’t expected this turn of events.

Beach Loach dismissed his subordinate with a wave of his hand and turned to look at Beach Loach, seeing the latter’s face smiling and beaming.

Beach Loach suppressed his anger, pretending to be clueless, and asked, "Cousin, my subordinate just tallied the cargo and found that a batch of Slime Glue is missing."

Beach Loach replied with an ’ah,’ very surprised, "Is there such a matter?"

Beach Loach expressed with a sorrowful face that, although Slime Glue was a very basic alchemy material, it was very important for Snake Rat Island. He hoped that Beach Loach would send his subordinates to check and find the missing glue.

Beach Loach, however, intentionally frowned, "It’s difficult, cousin brother. It’s not that I don’t want to find it, but it’s really tough."

"You don’t know, there’s a big shot aboard my ship. I can’t afford to offend him!"

"It seems that the Slime Glue is stored near the big shot’s cabin; that area isn’t allowed to be noisy."

"May I know which big shot it is?" Beach Loach pursued.

Beach Loach chuckled and said, "It’s someone from the Blood Light Sanction Court, they’re off to investigate the Undead Mage on Twin Eyes Island. It was my order to transport him here. Speaking of which, you are also benefiting from his presence. Otherwise, how could my ship have possibly come to Snake Rat Island?"

"The Blood Light Sanction Court?!" Beach Loach was suddenly startled, his expression changing.

Beach Loach had brought up the Blood Light Sanction Court; that was truly ruthless. Beach Loach dared not harbor such thoughts anymore.

He clapped his hands, summoning a servant, and whispered a few instructions into her ear.

After the servant left, she soon returned, bringing a wooden gift box.

The wooden gift box was exquisite and was placed on Beach Loach’s table.

Beach Loach feigned surprise, "Cousin brother, what is this about?"

Beach Loach put on a smile, "Cousin, just a small token. You are escorting someone from the Blood Light Sanction Court; the task is arduous, and yet you took time from your busy schedule to visit and help me transport materials. I am deeply touched by your kindness, how could I not offer a gesture in return?"

"This is a small gift, representing a little token of affection from your cousin, I hope you will accept it."

Beach Loach slightly opened the wooden box, and a ray of treasure light reflected on his face.

Inside he saw three pieces of Golden Level precious materials, the central mica pearl as big as a small bowl, most eye-catching.

Beach Loach’s heart nearly skipped three beats.

But his face remained composed as he calmly closed the wooden box and then looked at Beach Loach smilingly, "Cousin brother, how can I accept this? You are too generous!"

While saying it was hard to accept, his hands moved naturally and smoothly, tucking the wooden box directly into his storage bracelet.

Beach Loach quickly stated that it was his own intention, and the gift could not represent his profound gratitude.

Furthermore, he expressed how difficult it truly was for him; the Slime Glue was extremely important!

Beach Loach nodded, immediately called for his subordinates, changed his attitude, and instructed them: while not disturbing the big shot, to do their best to find the Slime Glue and carry it down.

His subordinate quickly reported back that the supplies had been located and were currently being riskily moved down.

Tan Mo succeeded in his extortion and didn’t even need the people from Snake Rat Island to move the items; he directly had the slime glue transported down. The attitude was in stark contrast to before.

Beach Loach felt a burning rage inside, but he forcibly held back and raised a toast to Tan Mo in gratitude, "Cousin, you’ve truly helped me out a lot this time."

Now that Tan Mo had gotten what he wanted, he relaxed and genuinely had a few drinks with Beach Loach.

As the mood improved, the topic of conversation naturally fell on the development of Snake Rat Island.

Beach Loach sighed, "The largest resources in the territory are the Tide Snakes and Melted Rats in the underground spaces. To attract the Hunter Guild’s branch, I had to give them substantial concessions."

"Up to now, the numbers of Tide Snakes and Melted Rats have sharply declined. According to the statistics, even if all killing stops now, it would take five years for them to recover to their past peak condition in a natural breeding environment."

Tan Mo was curious, "As far as I know, the Hunter Guild doesn’t operate like this; they’re very conscientious about sustainable development. Why would the local branch be so unwise?"

Beach Loach shook his head, "It’s not their fault."

"The main reason is the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!"

Mentioning these people, Beach Loach clenched his teeth in hatred, "This bunch once came to my Snake Rat Island and secretly mined a lot of Tide Snakes and Melted Rats, seriously damaging the ecology."

"We were kept in the dark, until recently we discovered that a large number of Tide Snakes and Melted Rats had been hunted."

"Oh?" Tan Mo raised an eyebrow.

He had specifically investigated Snake Rat Island’s information in order to extort Beach Loach, which naturally included the naval battle with Rou Cang and he couldn’t avoid the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

So, Tan Mo also knew quite a bit about the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

"It seems they are a group of arms smuggling criminals? Their strength is quite formidable!"

"They really helped you a lot in the naval battle."

"Without them, you probably couldn’t have beaten Rou Cang."

"Uh..." Beach Loach’s expression of indignation paused, and he felt somewhat embarrassed.

He continued, "The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps made too much money from me."

"When they left, they took away many ships. These were all spoils from the naval battle."

"The most annoying thing is that they recruited wildly here, taking away a lot of talents from the island, including giants and mages."

"Even low-level mages are scarce for me."

"As a result, even though there are now supplies, Snake Rat Island lacks people. I desperately need capable subordinates."

Tan Mo didn’t express any opinion, and finally asked, "Have you investigated these people? Do you know who the arms dealer behind them really is?"

Beach Loach shook his head and shrugged, indicating that despite his efforts, they were futile. The other party was too well-hidden!

Tan Mo felt the same way.

After he obtained the identity conjecture from the intelligence, he used his own channels and resources to investigate the background of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

He also came up with nothing.

"It’s very normal for someone who can smuggle arms to be well-hidden. This is a business that can cost heads!"

"If I were able to investigate and find out just like that, I’d actually doubt the authenticity of the investigation."

"However, if the arms dealer could really be dug out, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement!"

Having gained no useful information from Beach Loach, Tan Mo lost the desire to stay longer.

After finishing the lavish dinner, he parted ways with Beach Loach, boarded the Treasure Chest, and left overnight.