Chapter 41: Driving the Price Down

Zong Ge continued to preside over training till night fell.

The trainees were frothing at the mouth, and most of them did not even have the strength to eat their dinner.

The rest weren’t having a great time either. 

Zong Ge also trained them during his spare time.

One day later, the sailors were all exhausted.

The scout birds perched on the sides and portholes of the ships recorded the sailors’ private complaints and bewilderments about Zong Ge. Some even called Zong Ge a madman.

The pirates who had been on battlefields and felt the pressure of death, began to have their impression of Zong Ge change dramatically.

They would rather fight on the battlefield than endure this oppressive training torture.

“A group of bandits, all completely useless.” Zong Ge coldly snorted when he found out.

He could now only entrust his hopes more into those beastman slaves.

For that mission, Tripleblade had gone to a village pub.

The pub was indeed bustling at night!

Stone fireplaces were raging hot, and there were candles hanging from ceiling lamps and every corner, lighting the entire place up.

In the bright place, a barman at the counter was busily pouring wine.

On a small stage, a blond and freckled female dancer was flicking her red and white dancing skirt and thumping the floor along with the music.

There were some sitting in dark nooks. Some were whispering to each other, ass if they were conspiring something. Others were drinking quietly and watching the stairs that led to the second floor, or perhaps leaning on the dagger in their hands.

Hei Fei was in the upstairs room seeking pleasure, as a captain, he naturally had his subordinates guarding him.

Down on the first floor, his first mate was making the loudest noises at his drinking table. His face had an ugly scar from a knife wound, back in the day, a knife nearly cut his face into two.

He drained his cup, rolling his Adam’s apples several times, then suddenly threw the oaken wine cup away.

“You’re so ugly, begone from me!” The first mate bellowed.

The female dancer jumped back in fright, she had just narrowly avoided the wine cup. She was an ordinary person, if the thick wine cup had smashed into her, it would have left her badly bruised.

The band also stopped fearfully.

Everyone else began to look at the first mate.

The first mate emitted an iron level aura, and with disheveled hair and red eyes, he looked back at them.

Customers who weren’t strong enough turned away, none dared to look him in the face.

The barman at the counter did not speak, they were somewhat pale. The tavern owner didn’t show his face. Although some of the strong customers indignantly snorted, they didn’t do anything.

Hei Fei had many people here.

“Hehehe!” The first mate heartily laughed as he emitted his tyrannical aura. He turned to his side and yelled, “Boys, let’s gives this group of country bumpkins some real entertainment.”

The sailors around him knew what the first mate’s disposition was like and immediately jogged out.

Very quickly, sailors from the back of the pub crowded together, their hands tugging iron chains.

The iron chains clacked together against the bonds of the living creatures held by them.

They were short, green skinned, had large eyes, sharp noes, and pointed ears.

“Are those goblins?” The first mate frowned, displeased.

A sailor rushed to explain, “My Lord, the captain told us that you cannot kill the beastman, we need to sell them tomorrow.”

The first mate coldly snorted, “Then give me a proper show!”

The sailors promptly hurried to the tavern’s small stage, raised their whips, and flogged the goblins.

The goblins were chained to the stage, but not completely immobile. To dodge the whips, they scattered across the stage, and from time to time, the iron chains yanked them to the floor, accompanied by loud shrieks.

The whips were barbed, and when they touched flesh, it would leave it lacerated, splattering the walls and floor with scarlet blood.

Seeing this, the first mate howled with laughter and glee. 

“Ah, now this is a dance. Where is the music? Don’t stop!” He growled.

The musicians began to play at once.

As the music and screams of the goblins intermingled, the first mate laughed.

Some people could not bear to watch as they either looked up or at their wine cups. Others were interested and admired the sight, they too laughed from time to time.

Tripleblade pushed open the tavern door and walked in.

He knew He Fei and his men were here.

A few scouting birds were on the town’s bell tower or roofs and continued to monitor this place.

Almost all of the Captain’s Hei Fei’s chief subordinates were here pleasure seeking.

The night tavern was a good place to relax.

Snake Rat Island hadn’t had much construction on it, besides this tavern, there really wasn’t anywhere else to go.

Tripleblade stared blankly, the first thing he saw was his fellow kin being flogged on a stage.

He was also a goblin.

In an instant, his eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously gripped the scimitar at his waist.

Many people looked at Tripleblade, their gazes wary.

He had used the Deceptive Disguise formation to pretend to be human, however his height could not be disguised. Therefore, in the onlookers’ eyes, he looked like a dwarf.

But Tripleblade was iron level!

The long cultivated temperament of a mercenary commander as well as the scimitar at his waist also told the others that he was not someone to trifle with.

Tripleblade’s complexion sank, then after quickly running his eyes around, he directly walked towards the first mate.

The first mate stopped laughing and stared at Tripleblade.

The people around them slowly stood up from their drinking tables.

After waiting until Tripleblade had walked to him, the first mate said, “Friend, what is it?”

Expressionless, Tripleblade replied, “I am looking for your captain, I want to do business.”

At that moment, the screeching and sobbing of women came from the second floor.

The first mate smiled, “No matter what business it is, we cannot disturb the captain’s spirits. I am the first mate, you can speak to me.”

Tripleblade responded, “I am very interested in your beastmen.”

The first mate nodded, “If you want to buy them, you can go to the market.”

“Tomorrow, we will sell a batch of slaves.”

“Eh?” During Tripleblade’s detailed inquiry, he discovered the slaves the other party wanted to sell were defective goods.

These slaves either had physical discrepancies or injuries. The slave ships were worried these slaves would die enroute, therefore they wanted to sell them first. 

These were not people Zong Ge and Tripleblade wanted.

Tripleblade shook his head, “We want robust beastmen.”

“Those aren’t for sale. This place cannot offer a good price.” The first mate also shook his head.

Tripleblade, “What’s the price?”

The first mate informed him of it.

Tripleblade couldn’t help but purse his brows.

“A high price.” He gazed into the first mate’s eyes.

The first mate laughed, “Friend, that is the price!”

“The current market price has changed.”

“A large scale war is about to break out on the Wilderness Continent.”

“In recent times, we are finding it hard to capture beastmen slaves.”

“This price is very reasonable!”

Tripleblade sank into silence.

He knew beastmen slaves had always been in high demand.

Because beastmen had stronger bodies than humans, they were always better miners and farmers.

The beastmen the empire wantonly seized from the Wilderness Continent were not only sold in the empire but also to other continents.

Many imperial citizens who had immigrated to other continents to expand the empire’s territory required cheap laborers.

Tripleblade tried to lower the price.

The first mate shook his head, his refusal was very obvious.

He continued to lower prices.

As a former mercenary commander, he also could negotiate and was used to careful accounting.

But this only resulted in mocking and ridicule.

“Forget it, you can’t afford it.”

“We can sell it for higher elsewhere, why must we sell it to you?”

The sailors around the first mate gazed at him with contempt, and even the first mate exposed an impatient expression.

At that moment, a green figure suddenly jumped off the small stage and ran upstairs to the second floor.

A startled shout rand out, “Oh no!”

“A goblin is escaping!”

“Capture him now!”

One of the whipped goblins somehow managed to struggle free of their chains.

At that moment of life and death, the goblin stimulated all of their strength, catching everyone by surprise, and choosing not running into the street, but instead up to the second floor.

“Damm it!” The first mate was greatly alarmed, his battle qi broke out as he jumped up the stairs and into the second floor.

Ding.

A moment later, there was a dull echo.

The door to the second floor was kicked open.

The goblin was killed by the kick, and its broken body splattered with the splinters of the wooden door onto the stairs and floor.

Captain Hei Fei only had a bedsheet wrapped around him as he wrathfully walked down.

“Why weren’t you watching for this wretched thing?!” Hei Fei verbally abused.

“Captain.”

“Boss.”

The first mate and the others straightened their bodies, like cicadas in cold weather. 

Hei Fei’s entire body was steeped in a silver level aura, as he looked around, his gaze paused on Tripleblade and then the small stage.

The small stage was covered in bloodstains and had a group of scared goblins huddling together on it.

Hei Fei gloomily looked down at the first mate, and from the gaps between his teeth, a voice squeezed through, “Clean up all of your toys, if something disturbs me again, you will feel my fury well.”

“Understood, boss!” The first mate responded at once.

Hei Fei coldly snorted with satisfaction and slowly returned to the room.

“Hey, stop.” Tripleblade’s voice suddenly cut through the deathly stillness of the tavern.

The people around him slowly widened their eyes and their faces twisted into disbelief.

Hei Fei’s footsteps ceased, and he looked at Tripleblade, his mood vile, “Did you just speak?”

Upon saying that, he glanced at the first mate.

The first mate’s heart jumped as he pounced Tripleblade, “Outrageous!”

Shing.

The sound of a blade drawn was sharp and clear.

Everyone’s eyes seemed to blur as they watched Tripleblade suddenly disappear.

When he reappeared, he was in front of the first mate.

He lifted his scimitar, the blade point touching the first mate’s chin.

The first mate locked in place, he was in the middle of an attacking motion, the dagger in his hand still raised high.

He looked especially embarrassed.

He felt bewildered and fearful, as well as angry and spiteful, for there wasn’t enough time for those feelings to fully dissipate.

Everyone’s mouths dropped, cried of alarm still in their throats when Tripleblade suppressed the first mate.

“Good speed!” On the second floor, Hei Fei’s eyes contracted.

The first made fumed with rage, but didn’t dare to rashly act.

“Friend, where are you from?” Hei Fei said, “You best understand the consequences.”

Tripleblade smiled, “We are from the sea.”

“Our ships are next to your ships.”

“Consequences?”

“I understand those!”

“Damm it!” Upon hearing Tripleblade’s origins, the corners of Hei Fei’s eyes couldn’t help but tremble.

“It’s that group of people!” The first mate’s and others’ hearts sank. 

Information about the survivors independently streaked across all of their minds.

Two silver levels, one iron level magician, a gold level cannon, they annexed Dao Zhao’s pirate group, and forced Rou Zang to withdraw…twice!

“So, it turns out to be a neighbor, hehehe.” The silent Hei Fei suddenly laughed, “It seems we have been acquainted through fighting.”

He changed his attitude and walked down the stairs.

Upon seeing this, Tripleblade drew back his scimitar, but did not sheath it.

The first mate gagged and immediately took a few steps back, fear restraining him.

“He came to purchase slaves.” The first mate faced Captain Hei Fei.

Hei Fei raised an eyebrow, “We can sell.”

“But the price needs to be appropriate.” He added on.

To be able to obtain slaves and transport them between continents, Hei Fei had to be a highly capable person.

He did not want to offend the survivors, but he also wanted to protect his own benefits.

Tripleblade watched Hei Fei attentively, the other party was a genuine silver level, while he was only an iron level, in addition to the other’s many men, he was not their opponent.

But his manner was more unyielding than before, “Currently, this isn’t a business problem. He just stabbed me.”

Hei Fei’s brows wrinkled further, “But you aren’t injured, instead it’s my man…”

The first mate touched his throat, and felt a trace of blood, causing him to raise his hand at once and indicate to everyone, “See! You all see!”

Tripleblade coldly snorted and stared back at Captain Hei Fei, “And you.”

As a silver level, Hei Fei felt offended, and barely restrained his anger, “Friend, don’t push your luck.”

Tripleblade was calm and fearless, he first looked at the dead goblin on the floor.

The unlucky goblin had their entire chest caved in, and its fresh blood was flowing onto the ground. Their eyes were open wide, they had died with unresolved grievances.

Tripleblade’s gaze changed to look at his own chest.

He reached out and wiped his hand across his bloodstained chest.

It did not come back clean, but with a handful of blood.

Tripleblade looked back at Hei Fei, “You see, you splashed blood on me.”

Captain Hei Fei coldly snorted, “What do you want to do about it?”

His kin’s corpse reflecting in his eyes, Tripleblade used a heavy tone of voice as he slowly replied, “Therefore, the price has to be cut.”

Everyone: …...