Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy scent, drifted through the tavern's broken wooden windows, dispersing the lingering aroma of the "Starfire Brew" on the table.

Lin Yi ran his fingertips along the rim of the empty wine glass, his gaze falling on the still-burning embers of black flames on the street outside the window.

Hughes left with such composure, and that composure was not feigned.

He genuinely felt that it would be a "too much loss" to settle the score with Su Xiao here.

Seeing Mondl's hesitant expression, Shangyue sighed and placed her wine glass on the table.

She turned her head and looked at Mond's face, which was full of confusion.

"Ask whatever you want."

Mond paused for a moment, then scratched his head.

A rare hesitation appeared on his rugged face, as if he was carefully considering his words.

“That spellcaster.” Mond scratched his white buzz cut, his confusion still lingering. “What did he mean? He killed Dylin and then just left without fighting?”

Although Mondstadt was at odds with the Winged Race, he loathed spellcasters even more.

This deep-seated hostility cannot be dispelled in a day or two, but at this moment he wants to know the answer even more.

"Why didn't you attack just now? There were four of us here: you, Bai Ye, and the doctor. Even if that guy Hugh is strong, he couldn't possibly beat the four of us, right? Why did you let him go?"

He paused, then added, "To not nip the problem in the bud is pure idiocy."

This is how the demon race thinks. Since they are already enemies, they will strike while the iron is hot and give the enemy no chance to breathe.

This way of thinking was ingrained in their blood during the long racial wars, becoming a kind of instinct.

Upon hearing this, a complex emotion flashed in Shangyue's silver eyes.

She didn't answer immediately, but instead picked up the wine glass on the table, took a sip, and looked out the window through the rim of the glass.

Outside the window, the direction Hugh had gone was deserted. The black flames on the street were gradually dying down, leaving only embers flickering with a dark red light in the night.

"Hugh doesn't want to fight tooth and nail in the third round."

"Why?" Mond was even more confused. "Isn't he from the Arcane Eternal Star? Aren't spell destroyers and spellcasters mortal enemies?"

"Guess," Shangyue put down her wine glass, her voice as cold as ever, "how many people are watching us right now?"

Mond paused for a moment, his gaze instinctively sweeping around.

A few pirates sat sparsely in the tavern; some were snoring on the table, some were talking in hushed tones, and a few were leaning against the wall, drunk and unconscious.

Everything seems to be normal.

But Mondl wasn't really stupid.

He just prefers to be straightforward in battle; that doesn't mean he's completely oblivious to these intricacies.

His gaze lingered for a moment on the snoring pirates.

Those people's postures were too deliberate, and their snoring was too even, as if they had rehearsed it countless times.

He then looked at the drunkards in the corner.

One of them squinted his eyes into slits, and the light shining through those slits was so clear that it didn't seem like the kind of light one would expect from someone who was drunk.

Mond withdrew his gaze, and the confusion on his face gradually turned into seriousness.

"You mean..."

Shangyue did not answer, but instead turned her gaze to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi sat by the window, and Mond followed his gaze but saw nothing. However, he understood what Lin Yi meant—there were more than just a few of them on this island.

"Dozens of contestants are hiding on this island. They are extremely well hidden and are observing Bai Ye and Di Lin's battle through various means."

Shangyue paused, her tone becoming even colder.

“In that situation just now, if Hugh were to leave the arena, then everyone else would definitely follow suit. Everyone knows that the people present are the most formidable opponents in the tournament. If we have the opportunity to eliminate them all here, those people will definitely not stand idly by.”

Mond fell silent.

He understands this principle.

Although demons act recklessly, they also know how to weigh the pros and cons when faced with life-or-death situations.

He was just provoked by Hugh's attitude and subconsciously wanted to make a move.

“Moreover,” Shangyue continued, “he wasn’t even born when Hugh’s era of destruction ended. For him, hatred in the classroom and hatred with a knife to his throat are two completely different things.”

“If Serphia’s hatred were directed at Hugh, he would never have gone to such lengths to kill Su Xiao. The reason he’s here today, and acting alongside Dillin, is simply because he’s from Arcane Eternal Star, nothing more.”

After hearing these words, Mond's solemn expression gradually turned into a thoughtful one.

He glanced at Su Xiao, who was sitting in the corner.

Su Xiao remained leaning there, her eyes closed, as if she were dozing.

But Mond knew that people in this state were the most dangerous—like a beast in a slumber, ready to pounce at any moment.

"So," Mond scratched his head, "that fight just now was actually for show?"

Shangyue did not answer, but her silence spoke volumes.

A commotion came from outside the window.

The pirates who had been driven away by Hugh's black flames began to return to the streets one after another.

Some people were cursing as they inspected their burned-out shop signs, others were squatting on the ground picking up scattered debris, and a few drunken guys were emerging from the ruins arm in arm, humming unknown pirate songs.

The songs were rough and loud, drifting in the sea breeze.

The song seemed to be about the glorious deeds of a pirate crew, with lyrics full of boasting and bragging.

The pirates returned to their respective houses and were remarkably receptive to new ideas.

There are many unexpected situations at sea, and what is happening now will at most make them more vigilant tonight.

Before long, the tavern became noisy again.

The returning pirates took their seats, clamoring for wine and meat, as if nothing had happened.

The wooden door was pushed open and closed again, and footsteps, curses, and laughter mingled together, creating a unique noise that could only be heard in such a place.

The wine bottle on Lin Yi's table became the new focus.

Many pirates' eyes were fixed on the wine bottle, which was already more than half empty.

These pirates were all heavy drinkers; the aroma of the Star Flame Brew, aged for three hundred years, could be smelled even from several meters away.

But those gazes only lingered on the bottle for a moment before quickly shifting away.

These pirates also knew their own limitations.

They had seen the battle from afar: the black flames, the blue-green blades, and the exploding weapons.

They don't even qualify to be cannon fodder.

On this island, the pirates who survived to see the sun rise the next day all understood one thing—some things are better left unthought of.

Lin Yi stood up and walked to the tavern counter.

There was no one behind the counter. The owner had disappeared somewhere; he probably ran away with the pirates when Black Flame cleared the area.

Several empty wine bottles and a pile of greasy copper coins were scattered on the counter, with an open ledger next to it, the handwriting crooked and messy, as if written with a foot.

A pirate who seemed fairly sober noticed Lin Yi standing in front of the counter, grinned, and revealed a set of rotten teeth stained brown with rum.

“The bartender has run away again,” he said, with a nonchalant air of familiarity. “He probably won’t be back for another ten minutes or so. In every fight, the bartender here is the fastest to run away.”

Being a bartender is not a safe job here.

They did indeed have powerful figures behind them, but the drunken pirates didn't care about that at all.

Alcohol numbs their self-control; once you provoke them, they'll shoot you dead without hesitation.

Lin Yi nodded, indicating that he understood.

He didn't return to his seat, but stood in front of the counter, his gaze sweeping across the pub.

Some of the pirates were drinking, some were bragging, and some were fast asleep on the table.

A few who remained sober were glancing at their table out of the corner of their eyes.

Lin Yi withdrew his gaze and looked at Su Xiao.

At this point, it's time for one to play the good cop and the other the bad cop.

Su Xiao opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing in her half-closed pupils.

He didn't say anything, but simply stood up and walked into the tavern.

His steps were slow, but each step was firm and steady.

The rhythm instilled a strange tension, like the drumbeats a condemned prisoner hears as they walk toward their execution.

Su Xiao approached from behind a drunken pirate.

The pirate was slumped over the table, snoring loudly, with several empty wine bottles lying beside him.

He was wearing a dirty leather jacket, stained with oil and wine, and his hair was disheveled and scattered on the table. Su Xiao reached out and easily lifted him up.

The pirate was still snoring when he was lifted up, his whole body limp like a lump of mud.

Su Xiao placed him under the wooden table, where he sat next to two pairs of smelly, large feet.

The owner of those two large feet glanced down at them, then quickly looked away and continued drinking his wine.

This kind of thing is all too common in places like this.

Being thrown under the table, kicked into a corner, or even thrown out the door when drunk is commonplace.

Lin Yi returned to his seat, took out the remaining half-bottle of wine from the table, and placed it in the center of the table.

The bottle gleamed with an amber luster under the dim light, and the remaining liquid inside was still swaying slightly, occasionally flashing with a silvery light.

Many pirates turned their gazes in that direction.

Those eyes were filled with longing, a longing like that of a dog that has been starving for three days seeing a piece of meat.

The aroma emanating from the Star Flame Brew, aged for three hundred years, was an irresistible temptation for these alcoholics.

But none of them moved.

As it turns out, mindless weaklings are rare.

Su Xiao and Lin Yi hoped to encounter such small fry, as it would make it easier to gather intelligence.

Judging from the pirates' gazes just now, Hugh's wine looks very tempting.

Unfortunately, the aura of bloodlust emanating from Su Xiao deterred them.

That kind of bloodlust wasn't murderous intent, but rather the aura of someone who had long walked on the edge of life and death. Ordinary people couldn't sense it, but these pirates who made their living at sea year after year could.

Lin Yi sat there, his gaze calmly sweeping over the people in the tavern.

He was wondering if the price was too low.

If these few half-bottles of wine aren't enough to entice the pirates, then other methods will be needed.

Just as he was about to speak, a pirate suddenly stood up.

He was a middle-aged man with a face full of scars, a scar running diagonally from his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, and his left ring and little fingers were severed at the base, leaving only three fingers.

He was wearing a dirty leather armor and had a rusty dagger at his waist.

He reached out viciously and shoved a little boy out from behind him.

The little boy staggered a few steps, almost fell, but finally steadied himself and stood in the center of the tavern.

His face was dirty, covered in dust and grime, obscuring his original skin color.

But his eyes were very bright, as bright as the most dazzling stars in the night sky.

Compared to his black, gem-like eyes, the red veins on his face made him look somewhat ferocious.

Those blood vessels spread upwards from the neck, across the cheeks, and all the way to the corners of the eyes.

The blood vessels were a sickly dark red, as if something was wriggling under the skin.

Upon seeing the little boy, the two pirates at the same table picked up their wooden wine glasses, muttered curses, and walked away.

They moved quickly, as if fleeing some plague.

Lin Yi's gaze fell on the little boy's face, then he looked at the two pirates who had left.

"Red Crow Syndrome." The pirate's voice rang out beside Lin Yi, tinged with seriousness.

Lin Yi looked at the pirate.

"This is not a disease, but proof that I have served in a pirate crew. Suffering from Red Crow Disease, I will definitely not live more than three years."

This involves a legendary pirate crew, the pirate crew of Black Sea King Agati.

The little boy stood there, his excessively bright eyes looking at Lin Yi. There was no fear or pleading in them, only an indescribable calmness.

He was wearing tattered, coarse cloth clothes, covered in patches, with some areas revealing exposed skin.

He was wearing a pair of boots that were clearly ill-fitting; the toes were worn through, exposing his toes.

After pushing the man, the pirate stepped aside and watched with his arms crossed.

A look of anticipation crept across the scarred face, as if waiting to see how Lin Yi would handle this trouble.

The noise in the tavern gradually subsided.

All the pirates' eyes turned to the little boy standing in the center of the tavern.

Lin Yi was silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand and beckoned to the little boy.

The little boy paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his black, gem-like eyes.

But he quickly realized what was happening and walked towards Lin Yi.

When he reached Lin Yi, he stopped, looked up, and met Lin Yi's gaze.

Upon closer inspection, the red veins become even clearer.

They extend upwards from the neck, branching into finer lines on the cheeks, and finally converging at the corners of the eyes.

A faint pulsation can be seen at the end of the blood vessel, as if something is flowing inside.

Lin Yi looked at him without saying a word.

The little boy didn't say anything.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Sit down." Lin Yi pointed to the empty chair next to him.

The little boy was silent for a second, then sat down in the chair.

He sat very upright, with his hands on his knees and his back straight, unlike the posture a child his age should have.

Lin Yi pushed the wine glass on the table in front of him, then picked up the wine bottle and poured him a glass.

The amber-colored liquor was poured into the glass, and the unique aroma of Starflame Brew once again filled the air.

Silver light floated in the cup, like trapped fireflies.

The little boy looked down at the glass of wine, a complex light flashing in his black, gem-like eyes.

He didn't drink it.

He raised his head, looked at Lin Yi, and spoke his first words.

What do you need?

His voice was hoarse, not like a child's clear and crisp voice, but more like the sound of an old musical instrument that had been used for a long time.

That hoarseness wasn't innate; it was the result of something wearing it down.

Lin Yi looked at him, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This is a smart child.

Faced with the inevitable death curse of Red Crow disease, and after being pushed aside as trouble by the pirates on the same island, he did not beg for mercy, did not cry out, and did not try to gain sympathy.

He's asking what you need.

This means he sees himself as an object to be traded, rather than someone who needs to be saved.

Lin Yi had seen far too many people like this.

In the cycle of reincarnation, in all the void, in those corners crushed by fate.

Most of them don't live long.

Those few who survived became formidable figures.

"What's your name?" Lin Yi asked.

“They didn’t call me by my name,” the little boy said, his tone as flat as if he were talking about someone else. “They all called me Red Crow.”

Lin Yi nodded.

Red Crow.

This name is very fitting.

"What is Red Crow Syndrome?" Lin Yi asked.

The little boy paused for a second, then spoke.

"Black Sea King Agati's pirate crew would brand their captives and slaves. Those brands would alter a person's bloodline, causing these red lines to appear on their face. Those branded would not live more than three years. After three years, their bodies would completely collapse, and they would die in agony."

His tone remained calm, as if he were stating an objective fact rather than describing the fate he was about to face.

"But during these three years, those who have been branded will gain certain abilities. Their senses will become stronger, allowing them to see clearly in the dark. Their physical strength will increase, enabling them to work continuously for three days and three nights without rest. Their pain tolerance will also increase, and ordinary knife wounds will not affect their mobility."

"That's why pirate crews like to use this kind of person. They're useful, durable, and you can just throw them away after you're done with them, without having to worry about what happens next."

Just as the little boy was answering the question, he suddenly began to cough violently. (End of Chapter)