Chapter 120: Cannon Transaction Part 1

Two Eyes Island’s scale was incomparable to Snake Rat Island. Before the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps arrived, there were 27 silver levels on the island. Of these silver levels, there was no shortage of strong ones. Such as the city guard commander, some merchant alliance managers, and don’t even mention the Wealth God priest.

These people could not be recruited.

Of the silver level cultivators, there were a few free agents, and of them, three were the most renowned.

They were the wandering ronin Ku Feng, the treasure hunter Hong Zhu, and the card magician Shi Fa.

The dragonman youngster had spent the last few days contacting these three.

When the beast tide appeared, the Mercenary Guild branch immediately issued missions. These beast tide confrontation missions had considerable rewards, because the feudal lord and priest were both backing and pushing for them.

The rewards moved everyone, and the silver level cultivators were no exception.

For one, eliminating the beast tide would protect their safety and benefits.

If the beast tide was allowed to spread, and wasn’t stopped, Two Eyes Island’s auction was assured to fall through.

It wasn’t known how many tons of people were awaiting this auction.

Almost everyone was acting around the beast tide.

Ku Feng, Hong Zhu, and Shi Fa didn’t have ships, and to eradicate the ocean beast tide, they had to join a ship.

Since that is so, their options for that were few.

The first option was that these free cultivators join up with each other and charter a ship for sailing. This option had many systemic problems, such as if they had a lack of qualified and well-coordinated sailors, they would find it difficult to control the ship and even be each other’s enemy during the voyage.

The second option was to join the city guard and patrol fleet. But these organizations were not easy to join, and they wouldn’t rashly admit outsiders into their ranks.

Two Eyes Island was a commerce island, not a fishery island and didn’t have large ocean fishing fleets.

The third option was choosing a merchant alliance fleet.

The final option was choosing a mercenary corps.

Unlike mercenary corps, merchant alliance fleets emphasized the transportation and protection of merchandise.

Therefore, Shi Fa and the others trended more towards joining a mercenary corps.

Mercenary corps were also not the city guard and were more open to outsiders. Even in normal times, many silver level cultivators were external members of mercenary corps.

Since mercenary corps were the choice, then the three most precedented options were Two Eyes Island’s three biggest mercenary corps. 

The Bandage and Iron Club Mercenary Corps were deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people.

But after the beast tide came, the most in the limelight was nevertheless the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Every time the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps returned to port; they returned with full holds. Perceptive people could see that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was powerful, especially their information gathering abilities. They could determine where the beast tide’s weak points were and powerfully struck there.

Which mercenary corps would be more appropriate to join?

Therefore, as if by prior agreement, Ku Feng, Shi Fa, Hong Zhu, and others chose to depart on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ ships.

During the fights against the beast tide, they would contribute their power in exchange for a profitable mission commission.

The dragonman youngster enthusiastically welcomed these people.

For the last few days, he tried his best to rope them in and enhance his relationship with them.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was always expanding.

Regardless of whether it was the dragonman youngster or Zong Ge, both were recruiting new manpower and strengthening themselves.

However, with respect for ordinary personnel, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had reached its limit, and it was inappropriate to expand that aspect.

Because expanding that aspect wasn’t profitable enough.

Besides increasing supply consumption, it wouldn’t improve the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ strength by much.

Before on Snake Rat Island, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had press-ganged many pirate captives. Not enough time had passed, and these people hadn’t been completely converted to their side yet, while at the same time, they had a large equipment deficiency.

The most serious one was cannons.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps lacked ordinary level cannons.

There were many deficiencies.

Many ships’ cannon holes were empty, and if they encountered a normal fleet, in respect to their long range firepower, they would be found lacking.

There were also deficiencies with their ships.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ ships (not including the Deep Sea Monster Fish, because it couldn’t be treated as a conventional weapon) were all ordinary ships, they needed a magic ship.

Only with a magic ship could hold their position in fierce naval battles.

But although Two Eyes Island’s trade was booming, it didn’t have a shipyard, a large harbor, or sell cannons.

Of the bronze level and iron level cultivators, Lan Zao, Tripleblade, and others received equipment, became well-known figures among them, stabilized their positions, and helped the survivors control the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

But in truth, it was still tenuous at best.

Before the lower level cultivators truly acknowledged the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, the dragonman youngster didn’t dare recruit more lower level cultivators to the corps. For it would destabilize the survivors’ control of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ lower ranks.

Expanding in those two aspects was out of the question, but they could still attract silver levels.

This was the world of the strong.

One bronze was better than 10 ordinary people. An iron level was usually as strong as a hundred people, and a silver level’s battle strength could shake off several iron levels. So long as one had abundant battle qi, a thousand people couldn’t stop a silver level.

As far as the survivors were concerned, the requirements for recruiting a strong silver level were relatively ripe.

First of all, they had an honest identity – The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Secondly, they had abundant capital for the time being. For example, to solicit Shi Fa, a magician, the team had to be able to satisfy his many resource requirements. Currently, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ material storehouse is very full.

Once again, the survivors had strong people. Although the dragonman youngster and Zong Ge were fighters, they were powerful silvers, especially the dragonman youngster who had firmly fought Rou Zang during the Snake Rat naval battle. With this kind of military success, in all honesty, one could completely command other silver levels.

Cang Xu too was in favor of recruiting other silver level cultivators. He believed that it could hedge the risks in response to Zong Ge going semi-independent.

Finally, there was one other condition, a well-hidden one, it concerned the Bloodcore.

Conventional organizations would find it difficult to admit outsiders. Especially cultivators.

Why? Because it involved power, position, and the distribution of benefits.

To bring in a strong person, one had to give them resources and a place.

The internal organizational framework was already fixed.

Under normal circumstances, if a corps like the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, who had an iron level magician, went out to attract a silver level magician, the iron level magician would most positively be dissatisfied. Unless there was immense external pressure demanding the urgent need to improve team battle strength.

But Cang Xu was quite happy to welcome them in.

It wasn’t because he was selfless. In fact, the necromancer is well acquainted with the path of power. Even when he faced the gold level Hun Tong, he still argued for what was his and gained a great profit from it.

The reason he was welcoming rested with the fact that it wouldn’t jeopardize his most central benefit.

The Bloodcore.

Or in other words, the method of bloodline alteration.

If he could improve his bloodline, he would completely change his future.

Any outsider joining the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would never touch this core benefit.

Perhaps in the future they would, but only after their loyalty was validated.

By the time that happened, Cang Xu and Zi Di would have already altered the bloodlines, raised their strength substantially, and not fear that this core power was being spread.

With all of this combined, the dragonman youngster decided to brazenly solicit silver level cultivators.

Not just Shi Fa, but also Ku Feng, Hong Zhu, and others.

However, none of these people accepted the dragonman youngster’s offer.

They had always been free agents, accustomed to their liberty and liked it that way, or perhaps for another reason.

The dragonman youngster’s offering did not move them.

The one hardest to attract would undoubtably be Shi Fa.

He was a magician!

But of all that were given an invitation, he was nevertheless the only one who didn’t refuse on the spot.

The failed solicitations were something the dragonman youngster had prepared for. He wasn’t frustrated at all as he secretly memorized the four wines then turned to look at the four people coming towards him.

Commander Beng Dai and Tie Bang, as well as the Secret Medicine and Flint Merchant Alliance managers.

The dragonman youngster was somewhat surprised to see them here. He guessed as to why.

“Hello, Commander Long Fu, can we speak with you alone?”

“We can go upstairs.” The dragonman youngster nodded and led the four to the upper floor.

The first floor of the tavern had many eyes mixed in and wasn’t a good place for talks.

When they reached the room on the second floor, the four exposed their purpose in coming.

That also validated the dragonman youngster’s conjecture.

But outwardly, he revealed his astonishment and frowned with a sigh, “You don’t want my corps to continue using the Sweet Blood Potion?”

The Secret Medicine Merchant Alliance manager nodded, “Our merchant alliance can supply a perfect alternative.”

The Flint branch manager then took over, “It’ll be offered free of charge, it won’t cost your corps a cent.”

“Free?” The dragonman youngster mulled it over for a bit with a weird expression, “Will it always be free?”

The Secret Medicine Merchant Alliance manager awkwardly laughed, “Only for a time.”

“So, you’ve come to ask for my help?  Am I understanding that right?” The dragonman youngster leaned back on his chair in a calm manner.

The Secret Medicine Merchant Alliance manager deliberated for a bit, then said, “Indeed. We have come in good faith and hope we can work together. If we can reach a collaboration, then we will owe your corps a favor. You know, we are two of the six great merchant alliances.”

“That’s not quite accurate.” The dragonman youngster shook his head, “If I help you, you guys will owe me a favor, not the Great Flint or Secret Medicine Merchant Alliance. The difference between the two is quite vast.”

The two merchant alliances managers glanced at each other, both equally perceiving the dragonman youngster’s unreasonableness.

They simply didn’t know of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ intrinsic connection with the Wisteria Store.

To find trouble with the Wisteria Store, they had to ask the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps for a favor.

Wasn’t this like seeking the help of the victim’s family to deal with the victim?

If they knew the truth, they would have considered themselves thoroughly stupid.

When they saw the discussion was becoming difficult, Commander Tie Bang and Beng Dai tried to offer their assistance. They used their own experience to tell the dragonman youngster that cooperating with the two great merchant alliances and maintaining a good relationship with them would always benefit the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

“Of course, if the Wisteria Store works with your corps, then pretend we were never here.” Finally, Commander Beng Dai seemed to somewhat probe what was really going on with the dragonman youngster.

The dragonman youngster shook his head and denied it, “My corps just came to Two Eyes Island, how can I have a relationship with them? Commander Beng Dai, you should know when I began to use these two potions. It was at the Mercenary Guild branch; you saw it with your own eyes.”

Commander Beng Dai nodded.

With him bearing witness, the two managers’ already sparse suspicions lessened to nothing.