Chapter 69: Sinful Nightmare

They didn’t need to fight Rou Zang’s pirate group to the death, the survivors had more important matters to go do.

After this battle, they had gained a new understanding of how strong Rou Zang’s pirate group was.

Mo Kong was just Rou Zang’s first mate.

However, just by himself, he wreaked devastation on Snake Rat Island.

During the battle, the priest even had a brush with death.

Of course, the greatest factor was still the magic formation in the depths of the underground.

The magic formation was excellent, it was made of strong materials, was very complex, and was almost gold level.

It could amplify spell casting, and with it, Mo Kong could summon many demons.

During the subsequent investigation, Tan Qiu and the others would discover that Mo Kong did not stint on the cost during his casting, and had used many gold level casting materials.

Without this formation, Mo Kong couldn’t have done such a summoning. He didn’t have enough magic power, so this advanced magic formation had a subsidiary magic power reservoir.

Besides magnifying casting efficacy, this magic formation also suppressed aura and hid the user from detection.  

The latter was very crucial.

During the demonic raid, the merchant alliance magician had been looking for the caster, yet never found him.

Mo Kong hid himself well, thus Tan Qiu and the others had to passively and awkwardly take a thrashing.

Finally, it was Guang Ke who discovered Mo Kong’s whereabouts.

He was worthy of his far flung reputation as a legendary gold fighter.

He had both many battle skills and divine spells!

The latter proved that Guang Ke was at least a pious level believer of the Justice God.

During the battle, Mo Kong’s true strength was revealed. Prior intelligence said he was a mere warlock, but now one could see that he was a fairly outstanding magician!

Not only that, but he could also summon many demons, and even a gold level horn devil. This proved that his bloodline also couldn’t be underestimated.

“This battle has exposed our failings again.” The dragonman youngster’s brows tightened, “We don’t have a way of withstanding fear spells.”

Zi Di pondered, “Speaking of which, War Merchant’s alchemy database actually has a blueprint of a magic device that can protect us from the Fear spell.”

Cang Xu shook his head, “Not only will that be difficult, when Mo Kong uses the Fear spell, although he is just a silver level, even Guang Ke is affected by it. To withstand this magic, only a gold level magic item will be the greatest insurance. Even if we had the materials, we don’t have the ability to refine one successfully.”

“The tower spirit needs to be repaired enough so that it can preside over alchemy procedures, then we’ll be able to have a chance of refining gold level magic items.”

“Otherwise, we have to ask an alchemy master to join us.”

Everyone was silent.

An alchemy master that can refine gold level items would be well received anywhere, why would they join a minor mercenary group?

Although the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was valued by Tan Qiu and the others, it was only because Snake Rat Island was being pressured by Rou Zang’s pirate group and other external threats.

Snake Rat Island was a remote place, and was in its early stages of development, when it was truly developed, not only would there be taxation teleportation formations, but there would also be a magician tower.

With a magician tower, Mo Kong would find it ten times as difficult to sneak in.

In fact, all organizations without a gold level leader were middle or lower leveled groups.

As everyone discussed, they noticed that within this short time, they had no way of solving this weakness.

If they were caught in the Fear spell. They would sink into disadvantageous circumstances.

When experts dueled each other, a lapse of a second or two was unbelievable.

What was worth celebrating was that the Fear spell was not a precise type of magic, rather it was a area of effect, and that after it was cast, it would affect both friend and foe.

The enemy would also suffer.

If they were rendered helpless, they could only depended on their comrades’ help.

If the first mate, Mo Kong, was already such a vexation, what was the one above him, Rou Zang, like?

Carefully thinking back, it was only luck that the survivors had managed to deal with Rou Zang twice.

The first time, Rou Zang had carelessly underestimated them and the Life Scorching Dragon Breath.

The second time, they had caught him unprepared with the gold level cannon.

Rou Zang couldn’t be that weak, and during those two confrontations, he just hadn’t displayed his true power.

Therefore, even though the alliance had Guang Ke, there were still great risks in dealing with Rou Zang’s pirate group.

“We have already joined the alliance.”

“Tomorrow at dawn, we will go exchange for the Green Jade Gold Coffin. Afterwards, we will look at the situation, perhaps we can find a chance to leave both the island and the alliance.”

“Don’t forget, we agreed to a magic contract, what can we do?”

“The Deceptive Disguise spell only helps camouflage our identities. The magic contract was signed with blood, it will still restrict us.”

The contract’s clauses are comparatively loose, perhaps we can find a way to overcome them.”

“Even if we cannot, during battle, we can also actively restrain our strength. In fact, during the demon raid, no one used their full strength, right?”

Mo Kong certainly went all out, but by contrast, the higher ups of Snake Rat Island were holding back.

Firstly, they didn’t all come from one force, rather they came from all over the place.

Secondly, Tan Qiu and the others were guarding against hidden enemies.

At the time, it was very likely Rou Zang’s pirate group would appear.

But in the end, when the battle concluded, Mo Kong had fled and not a shadow of Rou Zang and his men were seen.

“Speaking of which.” The dragonman youngster had a weird expression, “What was the goal of Rou Zang and his people?”

“During the demon fight, I was always worried that Rou Zang would appear in the public square and join in the raid.” Cang Xu sighed.

“I was anxious that he would take that opportunity to bombard the port. As long as the port was destroyed, boatswains were killed or injured, and the port’s fleet was eradicated, we would be trapped on the island like a turtle in a jar and be forced to wait for an outside fleet’s support.” Said Zong Ge, causing everyone’s heart to shiver.

But from start to finish, Rou Zang didn’t show up.

No matter how much the survivors talked it through, they didn’t understand.

“Don’t tell me they only wanted to probe Guang Ke’s skills?”

“Indeed, a part of it was probed out. I didn’t expect that Guang Ke had such an amazing divine spell.”

“But to probe that out, they had to expose the magic formation, an unworthy trade.”

“If I was Rou Zang, this magic formation would be of enormous value when it came to assaulting Snake Rat Island, it would a element for victory!” Zong Ge shook his head.

“It is indeed so. This is a loss.” Zi Di agreed.

In short, no one could guess what Rou Zang intended.

Mo Kong didn’t know either.

Under the curtain of night, with a wobbling heart filled with worry, finally flew onto the deck of the Bath Tub.

“The first mate has returned!”

“Lord Mo Kong, what happened to your eye?”

“What happened?”

The sailors immediately greeted him.

Mo Kong didn’t heal himself, not because he couldn’t, rather he wanted to show off a miserable state because he was worried that the savage Rou Zang would seek to settle accounts with and attack.

“I need to see the captain.” Mo Kong was uninterested in explaining to these sailors.

“The captain…” The sailors stammered.

“What happened?” Mo Kong immediately realized things were bad.

“I have already locked him up.” A voice transmitted from the Bath Tub’s upper level.

Stunned, Mo Kong looked up.

He saw a shaved martial monk looking down from the ship’s top at him.

“What are you?” Mo Kong’s eye narrowed.

The shaven martial monk was a middle aged man, emaciated, and had yellowish black skin.

He smiled, then exposed his gold level life aura, “I come from the Great Pain Monastery, you can call me Gu Qiao.”

“The Great Pain Monastery?” Mo Kong blankly stared, then recalled that his captain, Rou Zang, had defected from that very monastery.

“Run away!” Without hesitating, he immediately flew into the air and away from the Bath Tub.

Upon seeing Mo Kong quickly flying away, the middle aged monk known as Gu Qiao didn’t seem worried.

He calmly watched and waited until Mo Kong was several hundred meters from him before acting.

Gold light streaked across the sky.

Mo Kong was struck dead on and fell into the ocean.

“Fish him out.” Gu Qiao ordered.

The sailors didn’t dare disobey and immediately did so.

They personally witnessed Gu Qiao defeat Rou Zang with his own hands.

At the time, Rou Zang had intended to use the Bath Tub to attack Snake Rat Island’s port.

However, Gu Qiao had completely wrecked this plan of attack.

Snake Rat Island, the port.

Bai Ya was lying in his hammock, his eyes were closed as a nightmare permeated him, causing his head to constantly shake and his face to grimace if fear.

In the nightmare, Lan Zao was giving him the dagger.

Bai Ya took the dagger, bit his teeth, and stood before Jia Sha.

He looked down at Jia Sha, and a scene nigh impossible to envision was happening: a aloof lord, a priest of the Heavenly Emperor Sheng Ming, Jia Sha, was kneeling before a commoner!

Jia Sha had been riddled with scars, he was soaked head to toe in blood, and his flesh had been peeled away to expose deathly pale bone, yet he hadn’t dropped dead yet!

The pain that tormented Jia Sha caused his mouth to froth and his expression to twist.

“Don’t hesitate, youngster, hit him.” Lan Zao urged Bai Ya to the side, he hadn’t walked far.

Bai Ya clenched his teeth and raised the dagger.

But he froze there, he hesitated, his arms shivered, causing the dagger in his hands to shudder more so.

When Jia Sha saw this, he suddenly laughed.

With a weak voice, he hoarsely said, “Hehehe, you are scared! You should be scared, because you knowingly killed me, you have committed a capital offense! You will be fugitives of the empire, the Sheng Ming Church’s enemy. Your serious crime will not be repaid by your death, and in accordance to imperial law, your relatives will pay with their lives too!”

“Come, hit me, killing me will consign you to eternal damnation!” Hehehehe!”

Bai Ya grew more hesitant, and he nearly fell down.

“Shut up! You lunatic.” Lan Zao shouted, “It is because of you that we are trapped in desperate straits. Bai Ya, hit him!”

Bai Ya was deathly pale, he really couldn’t bring his hands down.

For the last twenty years of his life, everyone had taught him that he couldn’t offend the nobility, otherwise the consequences would be extremely grave. But now, he had to kill Jia Sha!

He didn’t hesitate to risk his life to save Cang Xu from the lizard group, but he couldn’t kill Jia Sha.

“I can’t do it…” Bai Ya trembled with a weak voice, he wanted to cry.

Everyone else had dealt a blow to Jia Sha, and now countless gazes were focused on Bai Ya.

Lan Zao was somewhat anxious, he wanted to step forth and lend a hand, but Zong Ge stopped him, “Let him do it himself, for only if he does it voluntarily, can he be considered one of us.”

“Hit him!” Lan Zao suddenly bellowed.

As if being electrocuted, Bai Ya’s body shook as his arms subconsciously forced the stab down.

The dagger dug deep into Jia Sha’s neck, and into the latter’s trachea.

As blood slowly gushed out, and bloody foam poured out from Jia Sha’s mouth, he laughed, “You’re done for. Your entire family is done for. All of you sinners will die! I am only the first to leave, I will wait for you, I will wait for all of you, hehehe…”

Bai Ya was dazed, he unconsciously let go of the dagger, and constantly rocked his head as he stepped back, causing him to land of his buttocks and tumble onto the ground.

Jia Sha’s breath gradually faded away, however, his laughter constantly grew.

The scarlet blood bubbling out began to pour in and gradually change color from red to a deep blue.

The blue blood flooded the entire fourth level as the sound of the tide whistled, and in an instant, Bai Ya found himself swept into the deepest abyss of the seafloor.  

A moment later, Bai Ya suddenly awoke.

“What happened to me…” Bai Ya struggled to get up, but he felt incomparably weak and didn’t have an smidge of strength.

His heart was beating wildly from the terror he still felt there.

“Did I fall ill?” On Mystifying Monster Island, he had fallen seriously ill.

A familiar feeling had attacked again.

But it was a little specious.

What he didn’t know, because of the night covering it up, was that black smoke as emerging from his body.