Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

Chapter 124 Rest and a Triumphant Return!

The moment the powder came into contact with flesh and blood, it felt as if a red-hot iron had been pressed against it.

Xilun's muscles twitched suddenly, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound, though a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Cecilia pulled up a chair, crossed her legs, and looked on with intense curiosity: "Seriously, just how strong is Cecilia? His reputation is immense among the baptized people of the entire Southern Continent; he's known as one of the monsters closest to the second tier."

While enduring the excruciating pain and continuing to apply the medicine, Xilun calmly replied, "Extremely strong. If we were to fight head-on on land, with no room for trickery, I would absolutely be no match for him."

His swordsmanship was not only fast, but also possessed a power that could cut through waves with unstoppable force.

Cecilia put away her lazy expression, sighed, and said, "Moreover, this person is extremely mysterious. The previous leader of the Grey Hemp Pirates suddenly died three years ago, and then Cecilia took control of this group of outlaws with swift and decisive measures."

If he manages to escape unscathed despite this meticulously planned operation, capturing him again will be virtually impossible.

Upon hearing this, Xilun paused slightly in applying the powder, his brows furrowing tightly.

"They probably haven't gone far yet."

1

Xilun raised his head, his eyes revealing a hint of unwillingness and urgency. "Shouldn't we send a ship to chase after them immediately? The area around the Siren's Anvil is full of reefs. If we just divide our forces to block the only exit in this area, their small boat shouldn't be able to get out."

Ceci shook his head and explained, "Theoretically speaking, they are indeed trapped now, and we can just search slowly. But—if there are secret passages, then we'll be in trouble."

"A secret passage?" Xilun asked, somewhat puzzled.

Ceci lowered his voice and said solemnly, "If, in the past two years, Cecilo had taken precautions and secretly left a hidden passage in the heavy anti-submarine net underwater that could be opened, then..."

He could potentially use that gap to abandon the boat and swim away from the blockade.

"Swimming?" Xiren's brows furrowed even deeper.

"That's right." Ceci nodded. "The nearest land coastline is about 30 nautical miles from here."

This is impossible for an ordinary person, but for a first-tier, seasoned extraordinary individual with an extremely strong will to survive, swimming 30 nautical miles is not impossible.

Xilun's face darkened completely.

The fact that Sislow could possibly escape filled him with a sense of unease and apprehension.

He had crippled the other party's leg and severely injured his shoulder; this was a blood feud that could never be resolved.

A high-level extraordinary individual lurking in the shadows, ready to bite you like a venomous snake at any moment, is absolutely anyone's nightmare.

If he couldn't see Sislow's body with his own eyes, Siren knew he wouldn't have a peaceful life from now on.

Siren applied the last of the medicine to the bruise on his chest, took a deep breath to suppress his agitation, and said to Cecily, "Could you go up to the deck and keep an eye on things? Ask Cook and the others about their search for Sislow. Let me know immediately if you have any news."

"Okay, you can rest for now." Ceci stood up, patted Xilun on the shoulder, and turned to walk out of the cabin.

As the hatch closed, the room returned to silence.

Xilun sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.

Instead of sleeping, he began to use the "Great Ocean Whale Guidance Technique" to replace sleep.

In the quiet of the night, he silently breathed in and out.

With each breath, it felt as if heavy waves were washing over my body, and the damaged muscles and meridians began to heal slowly and steadily under the nourishment of Qi and blood.

Time slips away, bit by bit.

About half an hour later, the cabin door was opened again.

Ceci walked in quietly and saw that Xilun was sitting cross-legged on the bed, with a faint, muffled sound of blood surging around him. He stood aside without disturbing him.

Unexpectedly, Xilun keenly sensed the movement. He slowly pressed his energy into his dantian, calmly opened his eyes, and his eyes appeared even more profound in the dim light.

"How is it?" Xilun asked.

Cecily sighed, his face grim. "We've found the escape ship. Lord Wall is over there. Would you like to come along? How are your injuries?"

Xilun threw off the covers, nimbly rolled out of bed, and said in a calm tone, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

""

Although he had been slashed in several places by the black knife, the wounds were not deep due to the cushioning effect of the black scales. Now, after applying that miraculous white medicine and using breathing techniques to soothe the wounds for half an hour, a thin layer of scabs had formed, and it no longer affected his mobility.

Seeing this, Cecily nodded: "Alright, put on your clothes, let's go."

Siren put on a thick black coat and followed Ceci out of the cabin and onto the cold, windswept deck.

At this time, the armed merchant ship had left its original anchorage and sailed to another secluded area of ​​water behind the Siren's Anvil Island.

Not far ahead was the heavy anti-submarine net that stretched across the sea surface and was originally thought to be indestructible.

Siren and Cecily climbed down the rope ladder and boarded a small kayak together.

Two strong sailors rowed with all their might, the kayak bobbing up and down in the cold waves, moving closer to the two huge pirate ship wrecks opposite.

The Grey Hemp Pirates possessed two heavily armed ships, both of which were now anchored alone in this desolate bay.

On the mast, the flag embroidered with gray hemp rope and skull patterns fluttered forlornly in the night wind, telling the story of the demise of this once invincible pirate gang.

The kayak was moored to the side of one of the pirate ships, and Celen grabbed the dangling rope and nimbly flipped onto the deck.

The bloodstains on the deck had turned black, and there were scattered muskets, scimitars, and the corpses of pirates everywhere.

At the stern, on the wheel, Wall stood with his back to them. He held a lit cigar between his fingers, the strong smell of tobacco filling the air.

His face was extremely worried, his brows were furrowed, and he stared intently at the dark sea outside the ship's side.

Hearing footsteps, Wall turned his head and glanced at Xilen.

"Lord Wall, how is the situation?" Siren walked to Wall's side and followed his gaze to the sea.

Wall took a deep drag on his cigar, exhaling a thick cloud of white smoke, his voice filled with deep helplessness and annoyance: "The situation is very bad, Ceci was right."

Wall pointed to the churning sea below: "This stretch of water is precisely where the two iron chains of the underwater anti-submarine net connect. Normally, the pirates use extremely complex heavy mechanisms to secure this area tightly. But now—"

Wall gritted his teeth and snorted coldly: "The mechanism was forcibly opened from the inside. A huge gap appeared in the underwater anti-submarine net, big enough for two or three people to pass through side by side."

Xilun's pupils contracted slightly.

"That cunning bastard Sislow must have seen things were going badly and abandoned this conspicuous big ship."

He parted the anti-diving net, carrying the island's most valuable assets and some precious and extraordinary items, and dived directly into the deep sea, swimming away. "Wal's tone was filled with resentment.

"Can we catch up?" Xilun clenched his fist, his knuckles turning slightly white.

Wall exhaled a long breath and threw the half-eaten cigar into the sea, as if to throw away the anger in his heart.

"In the vast ocean, there's no way of knowing which direction he fled in."

Wall shook his head. "The currents around here are extremely complex, with treacherous undercurrents. As a first-tier extraordinary being, he could simply dive underwater and disappear in any direction, making it impossible for our large ship to track him."

Wall turned around, patted Siron on the shoulder, and said with a hint of reassurance, "I will immediately use the Brotherhood's channels to notify the St. Laurent City Police Department to issue a warrant for Siron's arrest in all ports across the Southern Continent. But you should know that the effect may be limited."

Wall knew the nature of those official police officers all too well: "Someone of Sislow's caliber is impossible for the regular musketeers to handle if he's determined to hide. He's very difficult to arrest easily."

"Of course, there's no need to worry too much. Under the church's supervision, it won't be easy for a wanted criminal like Sislow to stay in Saint Laurent City!"

Xilun remained silent for a moment, suppressing his anxiety and murderous intent deep within his heart.

He knew that showing panic now was pointless; the only way to deal with the potential bites of venomous snakes was to continuously become stronger.

He nodded calmly, his face stern: "I understand, thank you for your trouble, Lord Wall."

Looking at Xilen's composure, which far surpassed that of his peers, Wall's eyes once again showed admiration.

"Although I don't think Sislow would dare to swagger back to Saint Laurent after being seriously injured and becoming a stray dog."

But he's a madman after all, so you should be extra careful when you're out and about in the city. If anything seems amiss, come find me immediately.

"I will." Xiren nodded slightly.

Wall's tone shifted, becoming more relaxed and serious: "Putting aside the minor regret of Sislow's escape, you deserve the most credit for wiping out the Grey Hemp Pirates. Your performance was outstanding; you executed the decapitation plan perfectly, saving the Brotherhood a great deal of face."

Walter paused for a moment, then offered a very tempting promise: "When we get back to headquarters, I will personally report your achievements to my superiors and apply for a special reward for you."

If you have any specific intentions or urgently need any resources, you can tell me now.

When this topic came up, Sirenna's gloomy mood, which had been somewhat dispelled by Sislow's escape, was finally dispelled considerably.

He suddenly perked up, his brain working at full speed.

What he lacks most right now is a trump card that can directly enhance his combat power or assist in cultivating advanced breathing techniques.

Xilun thought for a moment and said frankly, "My lord, is there a specific range of choices? I am not very familiar with high-level extraordinary items and mystical resources. I don't want to waste them."

Upon hearing this, Wall laughed heartily: "Haha, it's alright. Extraordinary items are things that can only be found by chance."

After we return to White Crow Wharf, I will go to the headquarters' treasury and get you a directory.

Take it home and take your time to choose the one that suits you best.

"Thank you, Lord Wall."

Xilun finally let out a long breath, feeling the weight on his heart lighten slightly.

The two exchanged a few more words on deck about the arrangements for subsequent defenses, then Xilun took his leave and returned to the armed merchant ship in a kayak.

When he returned to his cabin, he looked out the porthole and saw that the eastern horizon was already showing a hint of dawn.

It was almost dawn.

Outside the cabin, the corridors and decks began to get noisy.

Cook and his crew, who had gone to plunder the island, had returned laden with spoils. The sailors were chanting in unison as they unloaded heavy chests of gold coins...

Silver bars, precious spices, and various unidentifiable materials were laboriously carried into the cargo hold of the large ship.

During breaks in the loading, the sailors gathered in small groups, wiping their sweat and excitedly whispering about their incredible mission.

"It's unbelievable! You didn't see it, there wasn't a single ghost in that impregnable fortress on the island."

A young sailor lowered his voice, his tone filled with disbelief. They couldn't understand why the operation had been so easy. "Facing the Siren's Anvil, a place even cannons couldn't breach, we just walked up there and carried off the money so easily?"

Some of the older sailors who knew a little about the inside story laughed mysteriously and said in a pretentious tone, "You don't know anything! I have a relative who's the first mate, and he once heard Lord Wall say in the command room that this is part of the plan!"

"What plan? Stop keeping me in suspense!" someone urged impatiently.

The old sailor spat and whispered, "It seems to be called something like—'Operation Decapitation'! Didn't you see the corpses all over that pirate ship? Especially that scarred guy, his throat was crushed by someone's bare hands!"

"It's likely that one of our ship's most powerful high-level extraordinary individuals sneaked in like a ghost in the middle of the night and slaughtered all those pirate leaders!"

Upon hearing this, everyone simultaneously conjured up the image of the young man covered in blood, climbing out of the sea.

For a moment, everyone's eyes were filled with deep awe.

A sailor who had suffered a loss on the Greywater River let out a long sigh of relief, patting his chest with satisfaction. "Whoever did it, those damned Greywater pirates are finally dead! They robbed Lott's cargo ship and cruelly killed the young men on Old Man Mark's ship. Now they've finally gotten their comeuppance!"

Now, we ship sailors can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Another person chimed in, his eyes slightly red: "Yes, every time I go to sea, my wife can't sleep all night, afraid that I'll be captured by these pirates and enslaved."

Now that the pirate is dead, I can finally put her mind at ease when I get back.

Inside the passenger cabin.

Lying on the not-so-soft bed, Siron listened to the sailors outside the door, their heartfelt joy and laughter.

His nerves, which had been tense all night, finally found a moment of real relief.

He slowly closed his eyes and quietly fell asleep amidst the exhaustion of surviving the ordeal and the anticipation of future strength.

Shortly after, the armed merchant ship let out a long and loud whistle.

The huge sails billowed again, and the ship slowly turned.

As the first rays of dawn broke over the sea, this warship, laden with wealth and glory, cleaved through the waves and set sail smoothly, soon to return to White Crow Wharf.