Chapter 563: The Empire's Investigation
The gold level warship cut through the night sea, riding the wind and waves.
The cube-shaped forecastle gleamed with gold and splendor, its opulent aura unmasked even by the darkness.
This was the Empire's warship, the Treasure Chest.
Captain Tan Mo, also one of the Empire's Rear Admiral, stood at the bow, gazing into the distance.
Within the thick night, an island gradually came into view.
“Two Eyes Island, we've finally arrived!” Tan Mo's heart swelled with joy.
In that moment, intelligence on Two Eyes Island surfaced in his mind.
The island's location was prime, sandwiched between the Magic Power Shipping Route and the Masked Shipping Route, making it a hub of thriving commerce.
Two Eyes Island was also unique, it was itself a giant living organism, a coral cage tree. It had grown from two branches of a single cage tree, an outstanding achievement of artificial intervention. The Blue Green Coral fishman clan had paid a tremendous effort and cost, while the Hun Tong had ultimately claimed the fruits of their labor.
The patrol fleet signaled and approached the Treasure Chest.
The fleet's leader, the silver level One Eye, wore a broad smile. "Lord Tan Mo, you've arrived! Our island lord has been awaiting you for quite some time. Please follow me into port."
Tan Mo leapt suddenly, transferring directly from the Treasure Chest to the patrol vessel, startling One Eye.
Tan Mo smiled, patting One Eye's shoulder. “Then let's hurry back to port.”
Though he was the captain, his days aboard the Treasure Chest had been grueling. He was carrying several important figures: a saint level shield guardian, a gold level Secret Gate Church believer, and one with even more formidable connections, a member of the Blood Light Punishment Institution!
In their presence, Tan Mo could only bow and scrape, serving them diligently.
The patrol fleet escorted the Treasure Chest smoothly into port.
Two Eyes Island possessed no natural harbor, nor even a sandy beach.
This dock bore the unmistakable marks of human construction, with exposed tree roots, vines, and coral visible everywhere.
“Lord Tan Mo, welcome to Two Eyes Island.” The island lord, Hun Tong, opened his arms wide and embraced Tan Mo warmly as he leapt onto the dock first.
Hun Tong was deeply concerned about the arrival of this group.
The reason was the appearance of necromancer traces on Two Eyes Island, and his own defection during the fishmen offensive, where he had killed many of his own comrades.
All of this required investigation.
Thus, Hun Tong displayed both intense warmth and palpable tension.
Tan Mo returned the embrace tightly.
His thoughts, however, were elsewhere: "I made a fortune on Snake Rat Island, but Two Eyes Island is far wealthier. Despite the beast tide and the fishmen's offensive, Hun Tong struck it rich."
“Tan Qiu's spoils pale in comparison to his haul!”
With Hun Tong facing investigation, there was immense potential for extraction.
As this thought crossed Tan Mo's mind, he squeezed Hun Tong's back harder, as if trying to pull a pile of gold coins into his own embrace.
Tan Mo's heart burned with fervor.
Feeling this “heat,” Hun Tong's tension eased slightly.
He leaned close to Tan Mo's ear and whispered, "Lord, the banquet is ready for you. There's also an after-dinner entertainment program, guaranteed to immerse you in the exotic charm of Two Eyes Island."
Tan Mo's mouth split into a silent grin.
Hun Tong was so considerate!
“Hold on a moment,” Tan Mo said. “The key figure in this investigation is still aboard my ship.”
“No rush, no rush,” Hun Tong replied, his face plastered with smiles.
As the warship entered the harbor, Tu Ji of the Blood Light Punishment Institution stepped ashore and approached Tan Mo.
He flatly declined Hun Tong's invitation, his tone stiff and gaze icy: “Eat? Nothing matters more than the investigation.”
“Even a moment's delay could cost us the precious chance to hunt down the necromancer!”
“It's precisely because you've been so careless, complacent, and negligent that Two Eyes Island has become a haven for the necromancers!”
Tu Ji's words left Hun Tong stammering in protest.
Hun Tong instantly grasped Tu Ji's temperament and turned to Tan Mo with pleading eyes.
Tan Mo, however, averted his gaze, as if his earlier enthusiasm had been an illusion.
“Let Tu Ji take the lead first. There's nothing wrong with that.”
“The more Hun Tong grasps the gravity of the situation, the more money he'll cough up, right?”
Tan Mo had his own calculations.
Thus, when Tu Ji disrupted the lavish banquet, Tan Mo felt no regret.
What was a meal worth?
Even the most lavish “entertainment” couldn't compare to the glittering gold coins.
While inwardly cursing Tu Ji as a madman, Hun Tong had no choice but to lead them into the city government palace.
Following prior arrangements, he had already prepared the interrogation chamber.
As the city lord, he had arranged an interrogation chamber within his own residence.
Though Two Eyes Island lay a considerable distance from the Sheng Ming Empire, Hun Tong remained firmly under the Empire's control.
Separated by a desk, the two parties took their seats.
Tu Ji occupied the seat of authority, his gaze fixed on the standing Hun Tong as he demanded, “Island Lord Hun Tong, traces of a necromancer have appeared twice within your Two Eyes Island.”
“First question: When the first necromancer surfaced, why did you choose to conduct your own search instead of reporting it to the Empire, to the Blood Light Punishment Institution?”
Tan Mo occupied the secondary seat, his tone gentle and face smiling. “Lord Hun Tong, no need to be overly tense. Speak freely.”
“The Empire is just. It spares no villain yet wrongs no innocent!”
Tu Ji frowned slightly but ultimately refrained from contradicting Tan Mo.
He understood Tan Mo's role extended beyond that of a fleet captain, he was also an imperial military investigator.
Tu Ji had only one objective: to hunt down the necromancer. Tan Mo, however, was here to investigate and verify the allegations that Hun Tong had killed his own comrades during the fierce battle.
Hun Tong forced a faint smile at Tan Mo, then turned to Tu Ji with solemn gravity. “The circumstances are rather complex. I must begin with how I seized control of the Two Eyes Island.”
Tu Ji's brow furrowed deeper. He was about to snap, “Make it quick!”
But Tan Mo spoke first, his eyes crinkling in a smile. "No rush, Island Lord Hun Tong. The more detail, the better. It will help us assess and verify the facts. We might even uncover clues about the necromancer hidden within the information."
Tan Mo's last remark was clearly directed at Tu Ji.
Tu Ji snorted coldly but refrained from arguing. Instead, he fixed Hun Tong with an even sharper gaze.
Hun Tong took a deep breath, striving to make his tone steady and authoritative to bolster credibility. “Though I seized Two Eyes Island, I never fully eradicated the perpetrators.”
“The perpetrators are the Blue Green Coral fishman clan.”
“I once attempted an underwater assault, suffering heavy losses. Recovering from those injuries alone consumed months of my time.”
“Since then, I've understood that relying solely on my own strength to eradicate the fishman clan hiding deep underwater is exceedingly difficult.”
“And just when I was at a complete loss, an imperial spy approached me, seeking contact.”
“His code name is Shadow. He is an intelligence operative dispatched by the Imperial Secret Spy Agency, specifically assigned to handle matters concerning Two Eyes Island.”