Me and countless me.

Chapter 505 Merchants and Pirates (5k Free Chapter)

The one who did all this was naturally Li Ke. After changing into the shoes and clothes from the thugs, he threw the corpses into a tributary of the Thames in the slums, letting their bodies sink in it.

During this process, many workers, beggars, and gang members witnessed his actions, but no one said anything, and no one tried to stop him. There was only silence and resignation, as if it were part of everyday life…

No, this is part of the daily routine.

He even saw several children playing on the river, talking about whether they should go down and retrieve the body, then strip off the extra clothes to exchange for money.

Some people might have tipped them off, and some might have questioned Li Ke's motives, but Li Ke did indeed feel the call of the Holy Name, and thus engaged in battle directly.

Yes, his holy name judged that with his current power he was indeed capable of dealing with this injustice and oppression, and even eliminating the mastermind behind it. That's why it urged him to resolve the matter when he passed by, or else it would go on strike.

However, this sense of urgency disappeared after he sank the bodies into the Thames, proving that these people were nothing more than that.

They have no powerful backers at all.

"But that's not surprising. There will never be a shortage of scum like this in the world who only bully those who are weaker than themselves."

So he didn't look at the bodies floating in the water, didn't say anything, just tightened his hood and continued walking toward the port.

Along the way, he witnessed many thugs extorting protection money and robbing other men's wives and daughters. Although he instinctively wanted to intervene, Shengming felt no tremor, proving that this was something he couldn't handle at the moment.

"This feeling is really awful."

Taking a deep breath, Li Ke walked towards the dock. He planned to become a sailor, disembark at a certain dock, gather his own men to rob the British, and then slowly build up a force.

Alternatively, they could go to the New World to find Native American tribes, help them fight against the malicious colonists, lead them in guerrilla warfare, and build up their strength and industry.

In short, either path is fine, and what he needs now is to get away from London as soon as possible, since he really did kill a nobleman.

He strode towards the busiest and most dilapidated tavern at the dock. According to the memories provided by the Holy Name Transformation, he was recruited by a ship captain in the tavern. The captain was a ship that was transporting spices to India and had lost some sailors during the voyage, so he came to the tavern to recruit sailors.

Then comes the story of how the prosecutor, while inspecting the goods, was discovered to possess divine qualities and was subsequently detained and forced to become a gladiator.

Pushing open the almost useless wooden door, a burst of noise entered Li Ke's eyes and nose.

It's described as noisy because even in a slum, it's hard to find such a 'chaotic' smell: the smell of salted fish, various fermented smells, human sweat, and all sorts of putrid odors.

These flavors, combined with the body odor of Europeans and Americans, the gamey smell of stewed beef, lamb and pork, and the aromas of various spices and alcoholic beverages, create a rather lively atmosphere.

He went inside, ordered a bottle of wine, and waited for the captain who would be selecting men to sail out to sea. However, he did not join the crew of the captain who was returning to India, but continued to wait.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Soon, a man dressed in a decent overcoat and wearing a captain's hat walked in and started calling out as soon as he entered.

"The Sleeping Shark is setting sail this afternoon, passing through the Caribbean, heading to the New World... We need a few strong young men to carry things. Anyone willing to come?"

His voice overwhelmed everyone, and he immediately looked at Li Ke, who was taller and stronger than the others, and walked directly towards him.

He ordered two bottles of rum before sitting down next to Li Ke. Looking at Li Ke's strong arms, the calluses on his hands that only appeared from frequent weapon handling, and various scars, he raised an eyebrow slightly. He then carefully examined Li Ke's face, confirming that he had never seen him on any wanted posters and that he did not match any wanted posters. Then, seemingly unintentionally, he spoke.

"A soldier?"

Li Ke nodded.

"I guess so. I had no other way to make a living, so I came out here to earn a living. I see you're hiring... I can do any kind of work, laborer, sailor, rope worker, combatant, as long as you pay me whatever I do. I'll do anything you ask me to do."

While eating bread with rum, Li Ke portrayed himself as a soldier eager to make a living. The old captain looked at Li Ke's thick arms and sharp eyes and agreed without hesitation.

"Okay, count me in. Just come with me in a bit."

Although he had no idea what Li Ke did or whether Li Ke had committed treason, things were the same once he boarded the ship. No one would be stupid enough to kill the captain, because usually only the captain knew how to sail the ship and where the ship was. Even if someone had ulterior motives, they wouldn't kill the captain at sea.

On shore, he had ulterior motives and simply ran away. He didn't have time to kill a captain who was a complete stranger and was still getting paid.
All he needed to know was that Li Ke was truly capable and a ruthless character. Moreover, he looked at Li Ke with a sly grin, revealing the expression of a cunning businessman.

"However, since this is your first time at sea, I can only give you the beginner's fee."

Li Ke did not object, and he continued to shout. Soon he recruited several more drunkards and people looking for work. However, like Li Ke, most of the people he recruited were newcomers, and they were basically laborers who could only do the most basic work on the ship.

He didn't recruit any core staff members, and he only paid them the minimum wage.

This would guarantee his profits from this voyage, but it would also increase the risks of the voyage. So, while Li Ke was waiting for him, he saw an old sailor spit disdainfully at his captain.

"Pah, Joseph the newbie... he's doing this kind of suicide mission again!"

He didn't continue speaking, muttered a few words, and left with the rum. Few people had actually undergone sailor training; most sailors were trained this way. Anyone could become a qualified sailor as long as they didn't die on a voyage.

Moreover, there were many captains like Joseph, but even so, Li Ke still saw many people with little sailing experience flocking here to board ships they had never been on before, heading to the endless sea, just to escape from this city of London.

Captain Joseph quickly gathered the necessary sailors, and he called out to buy two cases of rum from the tavern owner, which he had several eager men carry as they headed toward his ship.

However, instead of sending people directly to his cargo ship, they led them to a plaza at the dock.

The lazy Captain Joseph stood on a pile of freshly unloaded cotton, looked at the sailors below, chuckled, and then raised the wine bottle in his hand.

"Ah, everyone, although I have already agreed to let you board the ship, there are some things that need to be made clear beforehand. The sea is different from the land, so before boarding, everyone must remember the rules and swear in the name of God that they will abide by them, or I will throw them to the sharks!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at everyone and, after confirming that no one intended to protest, continued.

"Listen up, you bunch of trash! At sea, the captain's orders are absolute! No one is allowed to hoard anything. Each person receives a daily ration of rum and bread. All spoils of war must be handed over for me to distribute. Anyone who disobeys will have their fingers chopped off. Those on night watch are absolutely not allowed to sleep; if caught, the deck will be washed for three days..."

Joseph went on and on about all the rules at sea, then checked and registered personal belongings, and then signed a parchment.

The other crew members signed without even glancing at it, but Li Ke picked up the parchment and read it. He found it to be a relatively fair contract, the most unreasonable of which was that he had to obey all reasonable orders from Captain Joseph at sea, or else his wages would be deducted.

However, his act of reading the parchment once again attracted Joseph's attention. He immediately came over with his pipe in his mouth and looked at the package in front of Li Ke, especially the book that was wrapped up in his clothes.

He keenly noticed that the clothes in Li Ke's package were all very small, so he picked up the Necronomicon, tapped it to confirm that it was not empty and was a real book, then put it down and looked at Li Ke.

"You can actually read? Do you speak Spanish and French? How many words can you write?"

Li Ke packed up her belongings and then answered naturally.

“I know a little bit of everything. I also know some Latin and Hindi, and I can speak Chinese, Captain.”

He said this in Latin, German, Spanish, and Hindi, which made the captain raise his eyebrows.

"Looks like I've really struck gold. Come on, how about you sign this contract?"

He pulled out another contract, though it was tattered like parchment, but the terms were much more generous. It even made a written promise to teach Li Ke most of the knowledge about the sea, but the contract period was much longer, a full five years. "Forget it, I just want to make a quick buck."

Li Ke shook her head and refused, but Joseph didn't mind. He simply nodded and handed the previous contract back to Li Ke.

"Understood. I hope we can work together smoothly. However, your salary can be increased a bit, and you won't have to sleep in the warehouse anymore. You'll have your own small room. But you'll still have to do the other work, and you'll have to negotiate with me when dealing with other people. Understand?"

Li Ke nodded and signed his name on the contract. Joseph then took the contract, gestured for Li Ke to board the ship, and assigned him a room.

Soon, the sailors, led by the veteran sailors, began to board the ship and start working. Li Ke also took off his cloak and began to move cargo with the others.

The heavy wooden crates were filled with various iron and chemical products, which could only be produced in London. They were loaded into the ship's hold one crate at a time. Sweat dripped from Li Ke's muscles, which gleamed in the sun, making him seem to glow.

His work efficiency was also completely different from that of the somewhat thin sailor next to him.

He could easily carry three or four boxes of goods, and could make two round trips in the time it took other people to make one.

As the captain, Joseph stood on the ship, looking at Li Ke, who was completely different from the other sailors, seemingly lost in thought. His first mate, seeing that Li Ke was almost half again as tall as the other sailors, couldn't help but speak up.

"Captain, where did you find Hercules?"

Joseph, seeing Li Ke carrying a box of ironware without any erratic breathing, couldn't help but tease him.

"You might not believe it, but I found this demigod in a tavern."

The first mate was a little incredulous. Li Ke's performance was enough to make him a favorite of those noble ladies. His handsome face, his muscles that seemed to glow when wet with sweat, and his dignified and lonely temperament all made him seem like the protagonist of a knight's tale, but definitely not a stinky sailor.

While he was pondering this matter, it was time to rest. Li Ke took the wine bottle and bread offered by the other party and sat on the wooden box to eat.

The sea breeze gently blew against his clothes, and his strong muscles and melancholy eyes gave him a unique aura. His eyes, which seemed to hold the stars, seemed to speak, singing in the hearts of the first mate and Captain Joseph.

The first mate took a deep breath and then looked intently at his captain.

"Are you serious? Make him our sailor?! This guy looks like he's something else, okay?!"

Joseph remained noncommittal, even taking out his binoculars to observe Li Ke and offering his own assessment.

"It's alright, he's not as handsome as me."

"what?"

The first mate made a questioning sound, but the next moment, Li Ke felt that the wind was a bit strong, so he put on his hood and smiled at Joseph.

At that moment, Joseph couldn't help but put down his telescope. He felt a little flustered because he seemed to see a kind prince who was saddened by the suffering of his country.

He couldn't help but glance at it again, and then he saw Li Ke sharing the bread in his hand with the children wandering around the dock, and even taking out more bread from his pocket to share with the children.

He immediately pressed down on his binoculars and looked at the sky with a puzzled expression.

"What the hell did I recruit?"

"How should I know! You were the one who recruited them!"

The first mate cried out in alarm, and when he saw Li Ke finish the bread, stand up from the ground, and pick up a crowbar, he excitedly patted the captain on the shoulder.

"Look! The way he's holding the crowbar looks like he's holding a sword!"

Joseph immediately looked in Li Ke's direction and saw Li Ke casually flick the crowbar with his sword, then place it under the cargo, lift three heavy boxes of goods by himself, and hoist them onto his shoulder.

"This person's movements are so elegant! Just who is he?!"

The first mate was even more excited because Li Ke was incredibly elegant even when carrying things, just like the protagonist in a play. Captain Joseph, on the other hand, looked horrified, staring at Li Ke carrying three boxes, speechless.

The first mate, getting no response, looked at his captain in confusion, only to find the captain staring at Li Ke in disbelief. Li Ke, also puzzled, smiled at the two idle men who were just observing him and moved the cargo into the hold.

After the cabin visibly shook, Li Ke went back to work. The first mate, however, stared at Li Ke's backside and couldn't help but speak up.

"My God, by the sea god, if I were a woman I'd probably spread my legs wide by now! Captain, Captain?! What's wrong with you? You're not thinking of bending over at this guy, are you? I think it's normal for you to think that, but at least wait until we're at sea, right?"

He then realized that his Captain Joseph had completely lost his voice, and couldn't help but nuzzle his captain, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Then, he saw Joseph point in horror at the box that Li Ke had easily lifted again and opened his mouth.

"Inside... were solid steel ingots! But he carried three boxes like they were salted fish!"

Upon hearing this, the first mate also looked at the three boxes on Li Ke's shoulder in astonishment. Seeing the word 'bread' marked on them, he and the captain fell silent.

Because those three boxes of steel ingots weighed at least three tons! But when Li Ke put them down, he used only one hand! It was as if he were actually carrying three boxes of bread!
They watched in silence as Li Ke easily carried all the iron ingots onto the ship. The entire process was completely silent. Only after all the cargo was on board did they fall into deep thought.

Looking at the man leaning against the mast gazing at the stars, the two men who could decide the fate of the ship began to whisper among themselves.

"Could he really be Hercules? Wouldn't that make our voyage very dangerous? I remember Hercules and the sea god weren't on good terms. How about we give him some money and let him disembark?"

The first mate looked at his captain with concern and couldn't help but offer a suggestion. The captain shook his head, rejecting the first mate's suggestion.

"Then you go and tell him?"

The first mate immediately shook his head. Although he didn't want to take Li Ke with him, he also didn't want to antagonize a monster that could single-handedly pull three tons of steel, so he spoke up righteously.

"This is the captain's responsibility!"

"Then I, as captain, order you to do this!"

"But we're on land now! And we haven't even officially started sailing yet! So you have no right to order me around as the captain!"

Joseph rolled his eyes at his first mate, whose face was full of resistance, and then took a deep breath.

"Come on, we know none of us dare offend him... but I don't think he's the type to be a sailor... Hmm, how about this? We'll take him to the next dock, and then..."

He gave a wicked grin.

"I recommend he go to that bastard Jack Sparrow's ship!"

The first mate then smiled.

(End of this chapter)