Starting as dockworkers, they swept through Chongqing.

"That commander did not kill my sister."

"He just had us kicked out and said we could come back when we'd thought things through."

The woman's tears finally fell.

"We've run out of options."

"It may take many years to earn another thousand pounds."

"My mother's health is getting worse and worse. The last message I sent through someone said that she often coughs up blood and can't even get out of bed in the winter."

"I'm afraid she won't live to see that day."

She handed the fifty pounds in her hand to Celen.

The gold note was slightly wrinkled from being gripped so tightly.

"This was money I was saving to buy medicine for my mother."

"It's still a little short."

"But you need it right now too."

Xilun looked at the gold notes.

"So, you lent me the money so I'd owe you a favor?"

The woman hurriedly shook her head.

"no."

"I didn't intend to pay you fifty pounds for your help."

"I just felt that you would need these herbs."

"Besides, my sister used your Blue Soul Potion and took your weapon. We're the ones who have wronged you."

She paused for a moment before saying in a low voice, "But I do have a little selfish motive."

"The clothes you're wearing are very expensive."

"Even my sister said that gun is worth at least several thousand pounds."

"You came out of the spatial rift again..."

"I think you must be no ordinary person."

Celen did not deny it.

The woman raised her head and looked at him with almost pleading eyes.

"Once you arrive in Star Ring City, could you help me find a powerful figure to speak to?"

"We don't want to take Mom back for nothing."

"That thousand pounds is still there."

"As long as the Black Shark Pirates are willing to abide by the rules from ten years ago, we can hand over the money to them immediately."

"If you know any nobles, monastery deacons, or skilled mercenaries in the city, could you ask them to intervene?"

"We just want that commander to give our mother back to us."

As she finished speaking, her voice grew softer and softer.

It seems that even he himself understands that this request is a bit excessive for someone he has only known for a day.

But she had no other choice.

Xilun seemed to be deep in thought.

A pirate crew with only a regular fourth-tier commander is nothing compared to the true major powers of Star Ring City.

Swain didn't even need to show up.

As long as Xilun returns to the Holy Light Monastery and, by virtue of his status as an inner disciple, issues an extermination mission through the mission office, many third-tier disciples will be willing to come.

Moreover, exploiting villagers and illegally controlling mineral veins are things that the monastery does not openly allow.

As for that fourth-tier commander...

Once Xilun recovers from his injuries, although he may not be able to kill his opponent head-on, he will not be without options.

What he gained in the Blackwater Abyss was far more than the high-level techniques left behind by the Lord of Storms.

The ancient water breath has brought about a qualitative change in the power of the Overturning Sea Technique.

If he can fully integrate it, he may very well truly step into the third-tier extreme realm.

By then, with the Breath of the Styx, the Golden Thunder Vortex Scripture, the Heart of the Thunder Dragon, the remnant of the evil god's right arm, and the several exotic talents he had devoured, he might be able to make an ordinary fourth-tier cultivator pay the price.

This wasn't too difficult for Xilun.

"Of course."

He said calmly.

The woman paused for a moment.

She seemed surprised that Siron would agree so readily.

"real?"

"Um."

"Are you willing to help us?"

A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in her eyes.

But the next moment, Xilun's words froze that glimmer of hope.

"But why should I help you?"

The woman stood there, stunned.

Xilen looked into her eyes.

"You lifted me out of the truck, gave me some herbs, and were about to take me to Star Ring City."

"I said I would make it up to you after I recover from my injuries."

"This is enough to repay the kindness of saving me."

"Your sister used the Blue Soul Potion and also confiscated the Thunder Spear. In that respect, you're the ones who owe me."

His tone was neither sarcastic nor deliberately difficult.

Simply state the facts calmly.

"Rescuing your mother means I'll be provoking a fourth-tier extraordinary being and the entire pirate crew behind him."

"It might require using personal connections, it might involve dealing with them, and it might also bring other troubles."

Xiren took a step forward.

The oil lamp illuminated his face, which was riddled with spatial cracks.

"so."

Why should I help you?

......

A dim yellow oil lamp hung at the entrance of the damp alley, swaying gently in the night breeze.

The two figures on the wall appeared to grow longer and shorter, like two silent, confronting ghosts.

"so."

Why should I help you?

Xilun's voice was like a cold stone, sinking into the woman's heart.

The woman opened her mouth.

The glimmer of hope that had just appeared in her eyes seemed to be mostly extinguished by the cold wind blowing in her face.

She lowered her head, her fingers nervously gripping the gold notes, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force.

Yes.

Why?

They were just strangers who met by chance.

His sister took his weapon and also consumed his Blue Soul Potion.

Even if the convoy gave him a ride along the way, it wouldn't be worth nearly as much as those two items.

Moreover, the other party is now so seriously injured.

She, however, hoped that he would provoke an entire pirate crew, or even a fourth-tier extraordinary being, for the sake of an old woman he didn't know.

This request seems a bit like pushing your luck.

The woman's face turned pale, and a jumble of complex thoughts raced through her mind.

Shame, panic, and the last vestige of hope she refused to give up intertwined, leaving her speechless for a moment.

The crunching sound of wheels rolling over stone slabs could be heard from outside the alley.

In the town's tavern, the faint smell of murky laughter and curses, along with the mingled aromas of cheap beer and roasted meat, drifted through the air.

Two drunk miners walked past the alleyway arm in arm, their heavy footsteps fading into the distance.

Xilun did not urge them.

He simply stood there quietly, observing the woman's reaction.

The woman before him was not a bad person, but that did not mean that Xilun would immediately agree to risk his life for her because of a few tears.

He has never been averse to transactions.

Conversely, clear costs and rewards are often more reliable than fragile goodwill.

A moment later, the woman seemed to have finally grasped something.

She looked up and quickly said, "The pirate commander who is guarding us should be a third-tier extraordinary being."

"Watching you?"

Xilun's eyes flickered slightly.

Sensing the doubt in his words, the woman quickly explained, "He's not the actual fourth-tier commander of the Black Shark Pirate Crew, but the leader in charge of guarding the mines and seven villages. We usually just call him Commander."

"His name was Hornach, and the pirates secretly called him Bloodhook."

"He has an iron hook in his right hand, which he replaced many years ago after his hand was bitten off by a sea monster."

This man lived year-round in the stone fortress east of Baisha Village, and was in charge of the mine's guards, steam gun emplacements, and ore-carrying ships.

Siren said calmly, "Continue."

The woman calmed down a little.

As long as Xilun is willing to listen, it means that things haven't completely lost hope.

"Blood Hook is probably a third-tier extraordinary being."

"His physique has been perfect for many years."

"However, he probably hasn't achieved full strength yet."

At this point, the woman paused, seemingly afraid that her judgment was wrong and would endanger Xilun, and quickly added, "My sister told me all this. My sister fought with him and secretly observed him for a long time."

"Blood Hook practices his swordsmanship outside the stone fortress every morning. He is very strong when he practices, but his chest and right shoulder tremble slightly every time he finishes his stance."

"My sister said that this is a sign that although his physique is perfect, his strength is not yet fully integrated. He is much stronger than an ordinary third-tier cultivator, but he is still far from reaching the peak of the third tier."

Siron did not respond immediately.

Although his physique had been perfect for many years, his strength had not yet reached its full potential.

With this kind of strength, one would be considered a powerful figure in the outside world.

However, for Westren at its peak, they were not a particularly formidable opponent.

Even now, as long as his injuries have mostly healed and he prepares in advance, it will be difficult for his opponent to escape alive from his gun.

The real trouble comes from the fourth-tier extraordinary individuals behind the Black Shark Pirates.

"You know his schedule?" Siren asked.

"learn."

The woman nodded repeatedly.

"Every month, the convoy would deliver a batch of goods to Shibao. My sister didn't want me to stay there, so she would usually go into Shibao herself, while I was responsible for counting the goods outside."

"However, I've been there many times."

"Bloodhook likes to drink, and every three days he summons the mine's guard chief to the stone fortress. They drink until very late at night, and usually don't get up until noon the next day."

"He practices a breathing technique similar to that of a shark."

The woman tried hard to recall.

"He takes long breaths and makes a deep sound in his throat when he exhales. Before each practice session, he has his servants prepare a large tub of hot water mixed with sea salt and fish blood. He soaks in it for at least half an hour after practice."

"My sister said that at that time, his strength would be temporarily dispersed into his skin and blood, which was when he was at his weakest."

"Also, he has a history of injury to his right shoulder. When the weather is cold, he is a little slower at making a cut than usual."

Xilun seemed to be deep in thought.

Knowing the enemy's breathing patterns, old injuries, routines, and times when their strength is weak means that you can plan an attack in advance.

If he were prepared, killing a Tier 3 Extraordinary would indeed be a great opportunity for him.

In particular, what Xilun is best at is never standing in a brightly lit dueling arena with someone and waiting for the deacon to announce the start before drawing his gun in a dignified manner.

Back in the Southern Continent, he did things far more dangerous than assassination in order to survive.

The woman carefully observed Xilun's expression.

Seeing that he was thinking seriously and seemed somewhat tempted, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

But before she could fully exhale, her heart began to clench again.

Is this information really enough?

That's a seasoned Tier 3 Extraordinary being.

Although Xilun's origins are mysterious, he now seems to have some difficulty even walking normally.

The woman bit her lip and continued, "Bloodhook has also amassed a lot of money over the years."

Xilun looked up at her.

How many?

I don't know the exact number.

The woman whispered, "However, my sister once sneaked into the warehouse behind the stone fortress."

There were three large iron and wooden crates, each about half a person's height, covered with iron sheets and locked.

Bloodhook rarely trusted others; most of the silver dust delivered from the mine each month and the money paid by the villages would first be placed into those three boxes.

"Besides money, there should be treasure inside."

"We've seen pirates put potions, extraordinary materials, and things salvaged from shipwrecks into it."

"I've heard that Bloodhook's most precious possessions are hidden there. Perhaps... perhaps what you need is inside."

The alleyway fell silent again.

Xilun's eyes finally showed a slight change.

Three large boxes.

The wealth accumulated over many years and the extraordinary materials.

The Black Shark Pirate Gang controlled a black-veined silver sand mine and exploited seven villages for over a decade.

Even if most of the profits had to be handed over to that fourth-tier pirate commander, Bloodhook, who was in charge of the mine, must have kept a considerable amount for himself.

A greedy and seasoned Tier 3 cultivator who has been operating for many years will have considerable wealth.

If he can kill Blood Hook and rob the treasures in the stone fortress, he will no longer have to worry about cultivation resources for a short period of time.

The materials required to advance from the third to the fourth tier are far more expensive than those required for the previous three advancements.

The Bone-Melting Elixir, the Ice Spirit Elixir and Fire Spirit Fruit to aid in breakthroughs, and the remaining materials needed to cultivate the Flawless Golden Body—none of these can be obtained in just a few dozen pounds.

Moreover, his Thunder Spear was still in the hands of the scarred woman.

That spear, infused with spirit-transforming gold, had accompanied him through countless life-and-death experiences in the Sea of ​​the Dead, the Shrouded Star Coast, and the Blackwater Abyss; it was something that could not be measured by ordinary money.

Once the injury has healed, the spear will naturally be retrieved.

This matter at hand could be his last deal before returning to Star Ring City.

Kill a pirate who has been committing evil deeds for many years, take the wealth he has plundered, and then rescue the two sisters' mother.

As for the fourth-tier extraordinary being behind it...

The area controlled by the Black Shark Pirates is not too far from Star Ring City.

If you act quickly enough, kill Bloodhook and leave immediately; the enemy may not have time to arrive.

Besides, Siron didn't need to destroy the entire pirate crew.

His goal was simply a mine, a Tier 3 leader, and a few chests.

The woman waited nervously.

She had already mentally reviewed all the chips she could offer.

The caravan couldn't be given, the ransom couldn't be touched, and the mother was still in the pirates' hands.

Aside from these messages, she couldn't think of anything else that could move the man in front of her.

Xilun snapped out of his thoughts and calmly asked, "Is that all?"

The woman's expression froze.

She lowered her head, clutching the crumpled gold note even tighter.

In the dim light, although Xilun couldn't see her full face clearly, he could tell that she was trying very hard to think of what else she could use for trade.

However, those things she had just used were almost all of her bargaining chips.

She was only a second-tier extraordinary being.

There was no powerful family, nor any incredibly valuable treasures.

The caravan she and her sister painstakingly built looked quite large, but in reality, most of the money they earned each year was taken by the Black Shark Pirates, and the rest had to be used to maintain the vehicles and guards.

It took the two sisters a full ten years to save up a thousand pounds.

The silence lasted for a long time.

The woman finally raised her head and looked at Xilun expectantly.

"Isn't this... enough?"

Her voice betrayed her unease.

Xilun blinked.

His face was still pale due to his injuries, and the small cracks on his face made his originally young face look cold and stern.