Chapter 376: Coffin Bearer

The moment Lan Zao was helped up by Bing Xiao, his mind was a fog.

After seeing Bing Xiao shoot and kill several people, he’d assumed he’d meet the same fate.

Instead, Bing Xiao had mistaken him for one of his own.

Lan Zao never imagined such a turn of events.

Yet from Bing Xiao's perspective, everything made perfect sense.

Bing Xiao didn't know Lan Zao had slipped, nor that his mind was foggy. What Bing Xiao witnessed firsthand was Lan Zao risking his life to help him survive the perilous moment of teleportation.

“He must be one of the gang members!” Bing Xiao instinctively concluded.

As the former gang leader, Bing Xiao had retired long ago and wasn't familiar with the current members.

In truth, even in a regular army, commanders don't know every soldier under their command. Not to mention in the complex, motley crew that was the Bayonet Gang.

Bing Xiao assumed Lan Zao was simply another unfamiliar face in the gang.

His presence here, attempting to flee Snow Bird Harbor, and his recent assistance to Bing Xiao—his loyalty to the Bayonet Gang was undeniable!

This very act of Lan Zao's was all too familiar to Bing Xiao.

He had witnessed it many times during his tenure.

Gang members would throw themselves into danger, shielding their boss from blades—even when the boss was powerful enough not to need it.

Through such acts, members expressed their loyalty, earning either generous rewards or promotions.

The gang leader would always lavish praise on such behavior, as it bolstered the organization's cohesion. For any gang, the pursuit of organizational unity was relentless.

In truth, every leader of any group desired such cohesion to be as strong as possible.

Bing Xiao was no ordinary member—he was the former gang leader.

Thus, instinctively rushing to support Lan Zao was almost a primal reflex for this superior figure.

Lan Zao understood at once, his gaze locking onto Bing Xiao's chest.

He pondered: Could a single stab here end Bing Xiao's life?

He noticed Bing Xiao wore bronze level leather armor and carried a silver level flintlock pistol in his other hand.

Lan Zao weighed his options. A direct stab seemed risky, so he resolved to wait for a better opportunity.

The next moment, he heard Bing Xiao mention teleportation.

Lan Zao's heart sank. An impulse surged through him to strike immediately.

But by then, Xiong Ju, Spring Boxer, and the others had already closed in.

He lost his chance once more.

Soon, Bing Xiao piloted the rocket assault boat and initiated teleportation again.

Rocket assault boats could teleport between each other.

When the beastmen developed these vessels, anticipating possible destruction by ranged fire, they specifically designed this feature.

The intent was to allow suicide troops aboard the assault boats to teleport each other, minimizing casualties before charging the enemy.

But teleportation could only be used once.

After activation, the original rocket assault boat could neither transmit nor receive teleportation signals.

In combat, the rocket assault boat initiating teleportation was often facing annihilation or was already severely damaged. Multiple teleports would be futile.

Bing Xiao kept the teleportation secret hidden the entire time.

It wasn't until the dragonman youngster launched his fierce assault that he performed his first teleportation.

He rescued Xiong Ju and the human ringleader, instantly transporting them to the rocket assault boat carrying the black coffin.

Then, carrying the black coffin, Lan Zao, and the others, he returned them to the very rocket assault boat he had first boarded.

This rocket assault boat was moored alongside the Divine Wind.

They had returned safely!

Lan Zao was speechless.

The situation had changed too rapidly.

He had already reached the enemy's flagship.

Only when Bing Xiao and the others stepped onto the deck of the Divine Wind did the old former leader exhale a cloud of stale breath and finally relax.

He had just returned to reinforce them, which was actually extremely risky.

If the magician tower attacked them, they wouldn't have much ability to resist.

But just as Bing Xiao had anticipated, precisely because of their weakness, the magician tower didn't target them first. Instead, it directed its attacks at the rocket assault boats.

Bing Xiao gauged the enemy's intentions: seeing him and his men return; the enemy would be pleased.

After revealing the rocket assault boat's teleportation capability, his situation grew even more perilous

The magician tower realized Bing Xiao might attempt another escape, likely shifting their focus entirely onto him!

Thus, Bing Xiao exploited a gap in Purple Star Lighting Bolt's attack to initiate teleportation.

The magician tower had been fully focused on channeling the Purple Star Lighting Bolt Magic Formation. By the time they realized something was amiss, Bing Xiao had already teleported again, carrying the target item, and successfully returned to the vicinity of the Divine Wind.

This time, even if the magician tower wanted to attack, it was too late.

The Divine Wind was now outside the magic formation's range.

Bing Xiao once again thanked Captain Feng Lian of the Divine Wind.

Feng Lian smiled, "This is the result of your efforts. I merely held my position.”

He held considerable respect for Bing Xiao's daring venture.

“Set sail,” Feng Lian ordered.

But Spring Boxer called out, “Wait! One of our companions hasn't returned yet.”

Bing Xiao explained, “I've made other arrangements concerning Ban Lan Gen.”

The old gang leader gazed at the black chest: "The most crucial item has been retrieved. There's no need to linger any longer."

Lan Zao suddenly spoke up: "But what about the other gang members? Honorable leaders, are we simply abandoning them?"

He disguised himself and spoke boldly.

He had no intention of letting this group escape with him.

The human ringleader immediately shot Lan Zao a glare, the message unmistakable: You're just a lowly bronze level member—keep your mouth shut. You have no right to speak.

Lan Zao caught Xiong Ju's gaze and shifted his eyes to Spring Boxer.

He knew these ringleaders of the Bayonet Gang well.

First, as one of the survivors and a core member all along, he possessed vital intelligence.

Second, he'd witnessed nearly the entire confrontation—the heroic duel between the dragonman youngster and Spring Boxer—and understood Spring Boxer's temperament intimately.

Spring Boxer sensed anticipation in Lan Zao's gaze.

Lan Zao's interruption was bold, bordering on offensive, yet Spring Boxer understood the motivation behind it—coming from a “rank-and-file gang member.”

Spring Boxer replied, “Yes, if we leave, what about the others?”

To support Bing Xiao and the others' breakout, the Bayonet Gang's loyalists had mobilized nearly all their remaining forces. The vast majority of these gang members intended to flee Snow Bird Harbor under their leaders' guidance.

That was precisely what they were doing now.

But they lacked vessels—and even the few boats available were too small for long voyages.

Their only hope lay aboard ships like the Divine Wind.

Now, if Bing Xiao and the others withdrew prematurely, these men would face capture and slaughter in utter despair.

Spring Boxer pleaded with Feng Lian: "Lord Feng Lian, could you use your ship to carry our gang members? Please help us—how much it would cost?"

Feng Lian starred at Spring Boxer with keen interest.

At that moment, the Divine Wind's first mate lost patience: "Wait any longer? Impossible!"

“Every minute we linger here brings another minute of danger.”

"You brat, don't push your luck." Most of your gang members are ordinary people—utterly worthless to save."

But Feng Lian waved his hand, and the first mate immediately fell silent.

Feng Lian smiled, "Interesting. Never imagined Teng Dong Lang would choose a coffin-bearer with such a temperament.”

“I've agreed to your terms, young man.”

“No need for further payment.”

“My ship stays anchored here. Let your gang members come aboard anytime.”

“But this is my bottom line: the Divine Wind will not voluntarily enter the magic formation's attack range.”

Spring Boxer hurriedly thanked him, yet his mind filled with more questions.

Feng Lian and Bing Xiao treated him with unusual respect.

The reason lay in his identity—a coffin bearer.

More precisely, Teng Dong Lang's coffin bearer.

But Spring Boxer genuinely knew nothing about this identity.

Unable to contain himself, Spring Boxer voiced his confusion directly.

Feng Lian offered no explanation. Instead, Bing Xiao spoke: "A coffin bearer is exactly what it sounds like. You will carry Teng Dong Lang's coffin."

As he spoke, Bing Xiao's hand brushed the black coffin.

The coffin disintegrated, revealing a long block of ice within.

Sealed within that ice lay a person.

It was Teng Dong Lang's corpse!

“Ah, gang leader!” Spring Boxer never imagined the black coffin held Teng Dong Lang's corpse.

Teng Dong Lang had always looked out for him; he was his father's comrade-in-arms.

Spring Boxer held deep admiration and reverence for him.

Seeing Teng Dong Lang's body, tears welled in Spring Boxer's eyes. Overcome with emotion, he stepped forward and placed his hands on the transparent ice coffin.

“What exactly happened?” Feng Lian inquired.

Bing Xiao replied, "We got lucky. I recovered his body before it was too late. But I can't predict the final outcome—it's up to his luck now."

He then turned to Spring Boxer: “Teng Dong Lang designated you as his coffin bearer.”

“From here on, you must carry this ice coffin and bring him back to Tranquil Hill.”

“Tranquil Hill?” Spring Boxer was startled.

The name was all too familiar to him, tied to some legendary tale.

“Does Tranquil Hill truly exist in this world?” Spring Boxer questioned.

“Of course it does,” Feng Lian answered, “At least within the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, there is a Tranquil Hill.”

Lan Zao was utterly confused.

Not being a native, he'd never heard the name Tranquil Hill before.

“Tranquil Hill?”

“They're heading to Tranquil Hill!”

“I must relay this vital intelligence to the commander.”

Even without being an intelligence operative, Lan Zao recognized the value of this information.

But how to transmit it back?

He carried a communication device in his embrace.

Yet he needed to find the right moment—he couldn't just broadcast to the dragonman youngster in front of all these people.

Until an opportunity arose, Lan Zao resolved to bide his time.

Bing Xiao had misunderstood him, and he, in turn, had misjudged Zi Di and the dragonman youngster—convinced that the magic potion he’d consumed meant certain death.

Thus, even now, surrounded by enemies, his gaze remained steady and utterly fearless!

It was the dragonman youngster who grew far more anxious.

Gazing toward the pirate ship, the Divine Wind, he declared, “This won’t do! I must find a way to rescue Lan Zao!”