Chapter 393: Investigating Lan Zao

The Divine Wind.

Several people gathered inside the cabin.

Lan Zao lay on the bed, still unconscious.

By the bedside stood Bing Xiao, the human ringleader, and a priest.

The priest carefully examined Lan Zao's entire body.

Most pirate crews lacked priests, but the Divine Wind Pirates were an exception. Their ships carried a small contingent of priests of the Sea Wind God.

After completing the examination, the priest wiped sweat from his brow, “For now, his condition is remarkably stable!”

The human ringleader looked astonished. "How is that possible? Priest, does he look well to you?"

At that moment, Lan Zao's entire body was swollen, and his normally healthy skin tone had changed, tinged with a hint of blue, as if he were poisoned.

The priest of the Sea Wind God shook his head and said, “I know what you're thinking. These symptoms he's showing now are precisely signs that his body is improving.”

His original injuries were minor and have already healed through previous treatments."

“His current unconscious state and these symptoms are solely due to his bloodline awakening!”

“Bloodline... awakening?”

Bing Xiao and the human ringleader exchanged a swift glance, both seeing astonishment on each other's faces.

The Sea Wind God's priest looked at them: “Surely you know what bloodline awakening is?”

Bing Xiao and the human ringleader shook their heads simultaneously. The latter replied, “Of course we know!”

“We just never imagined the legendary phenomenon of bloodline awakening would occur in one of our own faction members.”

Bloodline awakening referred to a qualitative transformation in the concentration of a specific bloodline within a life form.

This process was often accompanied by visible physical changes. The root cause lay in the bloodline's intense restructuring of the organism. For instance, beastman bloodlines manifested tails, while demon bloodlines sprouted horns.

Among the offspring of great nobles, those with exceptional bloodlines might exhibit signs of awakening during their growth.

Marquis Jin Mang Ke of the Sheng Ming Empire, whose cultivation of the battle qi technique perfectly aligned with his bloodline, exemplified this. When unleashing his full power, battle qi surged through his body, enveloping him in a swarm of golden lightning sparks. Simultaneously, his original black hair transformed entirely to gold, the strands swelling and coalescing into dense, block-like masses resembling engorged muscles.

These were manifestations of bloodline awakening.

Some manifestations were passive, others active.

Including the dragonman youngster—whenever he activated his Bloodcore, forming the ring mounds of a smoke-spewing dragon upon his body, people interpreted it as a physical mutation signifying bloodline awakening.

The Sea Wind Priest shifted his gaze to Lan Zao and remarked speculatively, " In my view, he likely experienced a stimulus during the escape battle at the dock earlier. Under the pressure of death, his bloodline was triggered, leading to this awakening."

"Of course, that was merely an external catalyst. The true accumulation came from his constant growth in daily life, where the concentration of his bloodline within him steadily increased."

“Finally, at this moment, the quantitative change brought about a qualitative leap, reaching the minimum threshold for bloodline awakening.”

Bing Xiao couldn't help but ask curiously, “Then, what exactly is his bloodline?”

The priest of the Sea Wind God chuckled and shrugged, “How should I know?”

"I'm just a priest of the Sea Wind God, not someone from the Life Church. I don't possess the relevant divine spell to detect the truth of a bloodline."

“However, you can make some educated guesses based on his physical traits.”

"Of course, he's still in the midst of awakening. His bloodline characteristics haven't fully solidified yet and aren't particularly pronounced. From what we can observe now, he seems to be awakening some sort of water-based bloodline."

The human ringleader nodded slightly, silently agreeing.

In his eyes, Lan Zao appeared as a human. As a member of the gang who has lived in Snow Bird Harbor for years, where water elements abound, awakening water-based bloodlines had a solid foundation in reality.

Bing Xiao furrowed his brow slightly: “Priest, in a case like his, does he need to take bloodline stabilizers?”

The priest shook his head without hesitation: "Given his current state, he's actually doing quite well and doesn't require bloodline stabilizers. Such potions are used to manage conflicts between bloodlines. But you see, he's only in the process of awakening—it's not complete yet. Perhaps in the future, the awakened bloodline within him might clash with the residual impure bloodline. In that case, bloodline stabilizers would be necessary."

Bing Xiao pressed further: “Does the Divine Wind Pirates' stockpile contain anything like bloodline stabilizers?”

The priest shook his head. "Certainly not. Bloodline awakenings are exceedingly rare. We don't stock such specialized supplies."

"You're heading to Flower Skirt Island next. Perhaps you could procure the necessary potions there?"

Flower Skirt Island was small, and the priest couldn't say for certain.

Bing Xiao and the human ringleader saw the priest off before returning to the cabin.

Gazing at the unconscious Lan Zao, both fell silent for a moment.

The human ringleader spoke up, "Bloodline stabilizers don't come cheap. Lord Bing Xiao, it seems you hold high hopes for this lad. Do you intend to nurture him?"

Bing Xiao made no attempt to conceal his thoughts, nodding frankly, “Indeed, that is precisely my intention.”

The old gang leader paused before elaborating to the human ringleader, “This boy performed admirably during the battle at the previous dock. He saved my life and deserves commendation.”

“I'm quite impressed with this youngster.”

“He's full of drive, isn't he?”

"He showed no fear toward the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps or the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord. His heart burns with vengeance. Even during our escape, he wanted to bombard the dock. Though it was reckless and naive, such courage is rare and valuable."

“After all, the gap between us and our enemies is starkly evident.”

Bing Xiao had deeply misunderstood the situation.

In truth, Lan Zao had sought to incite conflict between the two sides, hoping to create chaos. This would have given him more opportunities to slip back into the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Ultimately, his suggestion was rejected.

But Bing Xiao had witnessed it all.

Bing Xiao sighed deeply: “The Bayonet Gang suffered too severe a blow. The surviving members are of poor quality, their fighting spirit completely gone.”

“The true grassroots backbone was wiped out by the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord. His preparations were simply too thorough.”

“Our current group is at best marginal - the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord doesn't even consider us worth his attention.”

"Therefore, we must recruit new members, select promising individuals from this group, cultivate them, and forge them into new pillars. At the very least, their loyalty is plain for all to see."

The human ringleader voiced his concern: “Could it be that Mu Si is truly the only mole?”

Bing Xiao chuckled, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes: “There might be others, or there might not. Either way, it won't hinder our rebuilding of the Bayonet Gang.”

“In my view, this lad's suspicion remains minimal.”

“He's been unconscious the entire time, and his gear is remarkably ‘clean’.”

“We cannot allow the fear of potential traitors to paralyze us or slow our progress.”

The human ringleader nodded, “The gang leader speaks wisely.”

“I also doubt this lad is the mole.”

"If I'd planted a spy, I wouldn't have let him openly kill our own men. Instead, he'd save a group on the battlefield to cover his tracks."

Lan Zao had been harassed aboard the Divine Wind after killing several Bayonet Gang members during the dock battle.

Bing Xiao frowned slightly and snorted coldly: “Those guys picking on the kid? Besides losing some close associates, it's mostly about power struggles.”

“What's the name of that iron level troublemaker?”

“Zhao San,” the human ringleader replied.

"Hmph. Zhao San and his crew lack the guts to fight enemies, but they're experts at internal strife. They barely escaped death and already scheme to seize power within the gang, trying to bring this kid down." Bing Xiao understood their nature all too well.

With his extensive experience leading gangs, he'd seen plenty of such characters.

Bing Xiao turned to Lan Zao, his tone softening slightly. "Even without his bloodline awakening, I would have brought him close as my personal attendant. Now that his bloodline has awakened, all the better."

"His achievement shouldn't be limited to the bronze level. If he advances to iron level, he can become a basic group leader. Let that iron level Zhao San who's been giving him trouble be his opponent."

If he can still reach silver level, he'll be one of the Bayonet Gang's ringleaders.

“What do you think of this arrangement?”

Bing Xiao sought the human ringleader's opinion, instantly causing the latter's expression to shift from panic to excitement. He hastily declared the boss's arrangement perfectly reasonable and pledged full cooperation.

This attitude immediately satisfied Bing Xiao, who nodded approvingly.

Only three leaders remained in the Bayonet Gang.

Xiong Ju was a brute, while Spring Boxer was still too young. The human ringleader's combat prowess fell far short of Xiong Ju's, and his potential couldn't match Spring Boxer's. Yet at this stage, he was Bing Xiao's most capable assistant.

It was because he possessed basic political acumen, foundational management skills, and could work in tandem with Bing Xiao.

This was precisely why Bing Xiao patiently explained his views and plans regarding Lan Zao to the human ringleader. On this matter, Bing Xiao and the human ringleader reached a consensus. Lan Zao would become Bing Xiao's future confidant.

“Next, investigate this kid's background,” Bing Xiao ordered, “Come to think of it, I haven't even figured out what this little guy's name is yet.”

The human ringleader nodded promptly: “Yes.”

“There are quite a few gang members aboard the ship. We should be able to learn something from them.”

Snow Bird Harbor.

A certain dueling arena.

Zong Ge and Yue Qian's weapons clashed fiercely, unable to withstand the strain, snapping clean in two.

“Hahahaha! Long Fu, I never expected you to wield the twin-handed war hammer with such skill!” Yue Qian paused the fight; his admiring gaze fixed on Zong Ge.

Not a single spectator watched the arena; this was their third private duel.

Yue Qian studied Zong Ge, “If I'm not mistaken, you served in the military, didn't you?”

Zong Ge nodded. "Let bygones be bygones. I'd rather not speak of it. How about we test our two-handed greatswords next?"

Yue Qian shook his head. "Your greatsword proficiency is clearly formidable. But I yearn for a true battle with you."

"Long Fu, draw your short spears. Unleash your full combat prowess. Use your most potent battle skills."

“Today, we shall settle this once and for all!”