Chapter 38: Ghostly Hunger
With the help of the divine artifact, Cang Xu and Zi Di showed no flaws.
Thanks to Rou Zang’s vicious infamy, the two intimidated the higher-ups of Da Zhao’s pirate group.
Soon after, they deceived them into thinking they had repelled the survivors, however their boss escaped.
“Rou Zang” expressed that they needed to kill these dregs, therefore they needed Da Zhao’s people to provide clues
How could they have any clues?
When the survivors ambushed Dao Zhao’s pirate group, the entire battle was baffling.
It was quite difficult for them to describe what the survivors looked like.
Thus, “Warlock Mo Kong”, expressed: they needed to use the memory extraction device on them, they had to cooperate with them.
Dao Zhao and the others submitted to Rou Zang’s terrible might.
The entire process went exceptionally smoothly!
Not long after.
“How wonderful, this magic device is quite marvelous.” Cang Xu help a memory crystal in his hand, his mouth constantly gasping in surprise.
The memory crystal was long and milky white, it bore a striking resemblance to the high level treatment artifact, Angel Tears.
“Unfortunately, the tower spirit’s database does not contain the blueprint for this magic device.” Cang Xu said ruefully.
If they had the blueprint, Cang Xu wouldn’t have needed to be so cautious.
Zi Di muttered to herself, “The tower spirit’s data was not complete. However, there is no reason why such an important thing shouldn’t have been kept in its deepest recesses.”
“I believe this was something War Merchant merely purchased.”
“Memory modification comes from You Shen, then the founder of necromancy imparted it to his apprentices. Some necromancers are able to make this magic device.”
“Sometimes, necromancers in need of capital will sell these magic devices.”
“Whenever they are auctioned on the black market, they will, without exception, be sold for a high price.”
Zi Di analyzed.
She once controlled the Wisteria Merchant Alliance, and knew much about the markets and trade.
Cang Xu contemplated for a bit, then nodded, “Currently, it seems this is quite likely. Although War Merchant was a grandmaster alchemist, he hadn’t researched necromancy much.”
“This can be seen through the Deep Sea Monster Fish, it has no defenses against ghosts. How we got this data from the tower spirit also proves this point
Cang Xu looked at the memory crystal in his hand again, “The memories in these crystals provide detailed information, we now understand Rou Zang’s pirate group far more.”
“Not only that. But Da Zhao’s and the other’s cultivation experience is also a treasure. Perhaps we can use it to cultivate our own people.”
Zi Di cautiously replied, “Are you saying you want to impart these memories to others?”
She shook her head, “I do not recommend that, it is very dangerous and uncertain.
“Regardless of whether it is our alchemy or necromancy attainment, both are far from sufficient to do this.”
Using a unconcerned tone, Cang Xu answered back, “Of course our current attainment is insufficient, however we can still try. Magic cultivation does not only need meditation to improve magic power. Knowledge is the wellspring of a magician’s power, and research and experimentation is an effective way of gaining new knowledge.”
Zi Di instantly knew what Cang Xu was implying, “You want to conduct experiments? I support that, however I must also warn you to be balanced.”
“After all, we are a team. Us survivors only have we necromancers.”
“Of course I won’t make things difficult for the Lord Captain.” Cang Xu immediately declared.
Zi Di nodded, but the worry in her heart did not dissipate.
She looked at the corpses on the floor, Cang Xu had killed them all.
Zi Di had witnessed Cang Xu taking the lives of Da Zhao and the others with her own eyes,
She understood that Da Zhao and the other captives had to die, and was also used to death. However, the nonchalant way Cang Xu had gone about doing it had made her wary.
After interacting with Cang Xu for a long time, the ghost girl had a deeper understanding of the necromancer’s gloomy and cold temperament.
Cang Xu did not treat Da Zhao and the others as living beings, rather he treated them testing materials.
After sensing the final traces of souls dissipate from the corpses, Zi Di said, “I still think you will call them back and make them into ghosts.”
Zi Di had received Cang Xu’s necromancy inheritance.
This inheritance mostly contained information about ghosts.
The primary magic in it was the Soul Summoning spell, High Grade Soul Summoning spell, Ghostly Possession, Soul Control spell, Soul Devourer spell, and Soul Treatment spell.
From this, one could see that those who mastered this necromancy inheritance could summon souls and make ghosts. The quality of the ghosts and how many could be summoned depended on how strong a necromancer was.
Souls had always been something Cang Xu had sought after, thus in Zi Di’s mind, if there was an opportunity to get more, Cang Xu wouldn’t let it by and would do everything to obtain more.
Cang Xu shook his head, “This lot of souls are pretty good. I also believe that if I summon them back, it is unlikely to be noticed. But I cannot brave this danger!”
“Many forces and strong people have been studying how to restrain necromancy.”
There is a Sheng Ming Sect priest on Snake Rat Island, the Heavenly Emperor is an expert of seeing these things.”
Cang Xu was not worried about the silver level church priest, he was afraid of their god, Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming!
Therefore, he would rather let these souls dissipate into nothingness than use the Soul Summoning spell and leave behind a potential flaw.
Zi Di silently stared at the corpses on the ground with an indescribable expression.
Cang Xu’s eyes flashed faintly, “Necromancers study the power of death. The death power When death power remains in a body, it is a zombie. When it remains in a skeleton, it can make it into a skeleton soldier. A condensed soul can form ghosts, resentful spirits, evil spirits, and so on.”
“Zombies, skeletons, and ghosts are condensed negative energy, they are lifeforms of innate hatred and disgust.”
“If we want to master the power of death, we need to withstand the erosion of negative energy. Normal magicians utilize neutral the attributes of fire, wind, water, thunder, etc., their burden of usage isn’t as heavy as ours.”
Zi Di sighed, then frankly acknowledged, “That’s right, I just felt hungry.”
“In fact, I have grown more and more ‘hungry’.”
Cang Xu was solemn, “I understand. You are a ghost, wanting to devour souls is an instinctual desire of all ghosts. Despite the fact that you can rely on medication to maintain your existence, your hunger cannot so easily be eliminated, it will continue to accumulate more and more.”
“With respects to this, I am faced with lesser difficulties than you.”
“After all, my soul is still in my body.”
“For this, I have two suggestions.”
“Please advise me.” Said Zi Di immediately.
Cang Xu raised a finger, “First, you can enter your body once again, and stay there for a bit. This will alleviate your ‘hunger’, however you will harm your body, after all, right now you are brimming with negative energy.”
“Second, you can become a magician. Having your own magic power can help you withstand the erosion of negative energy.”
Zi Di still wasn’t a magician yet.
Despite the fact that she was one in life.
Ghosts were magic beings of negative energy, and had racial magics.
After Cang Xu said that he hesitated for a bit, then raised a third finger, “Mayber there is a third way, finding soul crystals.”
“Soul crystals?” Zi Di’s eyes suddenly lit up, “That is a mysterious magic material, I’ve heard of it.”
Cang Xu continued, “Soul crystals are a soul fusion and purification technique. Regardless of the person, those who absorb soul crystals can increase their own soul foundation, without side effects.”
“But the creator of soul crystals is You Shen. Only a few people know how to, because You Shen only gave this knowledge to his apprentices.”
“If we want to obtain that, I fear we’ll need more good luck.”
Zi Di sighed, “I understand. Soul crystals cannot be requested, necromancers are already rare, and there are few among them who even have this technique. All who can make soul crystals will use them themselves, very few will be sold to outsiders. Because if it was exposed, it will cause the empire, and even other necromancers, to conduct slaughters and pillages!”
The necromancers’ enemies were not only the empire or other forces, but also each other.
It was early morning when a small fleet sailed into Snake Rat Island’s harbor.
“Please pay the anchoring fee, Captain Hei Fei.” A barefooted clerk immediately came up.
From the ship, a group of people walked down, all of them looked haggard. They were headed by a wizened man smoking a pipe who asked, “How much?”
The clerk smiled, “As per the rules, it will be 10 silver per ship.”
Captain Hei Fei’s eyes suddenly opened wide, “Heavens, its gone up in price again!”
The clerk replied, “So sorry, the pirates have become too rampant recently. Uh…you have 3 ships, altogether it will be 35 silver. Medium sized ships cost an additional 15 silver, and large ships cost an additional 30.”
The clerk sized up the ship, then gave another smile, “Captain Hei Fei, it is only 35 silver. If you sell off ten or so of your slaves, you can earn it back. It seems you’ve encountered a storm, your ships need repairs. You know, the next supply point is quite far from here.”
This small fleet specialized in the slave trade.
The clerk and Captain Hei Fei were already acquainted with each other.
Captain Hei Fei’s eyes flashed ominously, however he managed to furl a frown and nodded, “Give it to him!”
“Dammed nobles, you think that by just by breathing on this island gives you the right to walk away with this man’s hard earned coin.” Captain Hei Fei’s complaint dripped out.
His first mate stepped forward, untied a purse, and paid the toll.
Captain Hei Fei remined him, “Repair my ships, I will pay the fee later.”
The clerk shook his head, “You have to get in line, currently the boatwrights are repairing those five vessels.”
When Captain Hei Fei sailed in, he had seen those other ships.
“What for?” Captain Hei Fei lifted his chin, and indicated, “Our time is precious, we can pay to have our repairs done first! The Wilderness Continent will soon erupt into a wider war, who knows what the future will look like.”
“Out of the question.” The clerk shook his head again, “Those are my Lord’s personal guests. They are also quite strong, although they are only silver levels, they have a gold level cannon. They destroyed Da Zhao’s pirate group, and repelled Rou Zang not once, but twice.”
When Captain Hei Fei heard the survivors had eliminated Da Zhao’s pirate group, his expression slightly changed. When he heard Rou Zang had been repelled, his face lit up with fear and amazement.
To conduct slave trade between the Sheng Ming Continent and the Wilderness Continent, one naturally had to be strong.
“Did they really repel Rou Zang?” The first mate found it hard to believe.
“This was what my Lordship said himself, you think it false?” The clerk shook his head.
Captain Hei Fei indignantly spat out a glob of black tobacco, if the survivors were this powerful, they were people he could not provoke. He could only reply back depressed, “Then we’ll line up behind them.”
“Of course.” Said the clerk.
Captain Hei Fei looked at the sky, “Damm it, it seems we’ll be here for several days.”
The first mate softly suggested, “There is a batch of goods onboard that we can process here.”
Captain Hei Fei nodded, “Then we’ll sell it on Snake Rat Island. Arrange it.”
After saying that, he left his first mate and called out to his other subordinates. “Move, we’ll find some fun in the taverns first!”
His subordinates cheered and swaggered off.
They also knew Snake Rat Island well and scattered, with almost all of them headed towards taverns or inns, only one of them quietly snuck into a side street.
When he exited it a while later, he had changed into another appearance, now his clothes looked very similar to that of a resident of Snake Rate Island.
He gazed at the port with rapt attention and thought to himself, “There is no rush to destroy their ships, I first need to learn who they are.”
It was Mo Kong, the silver level warlock and Rou Zang’s first mate.
He had snuck onto this island with orders to act against the survivors.