Black Sail
Chapter 144: CXLIV. Gu Refining

Chapter 144: CXLIV. Gu Refining

Five days later.

Black Sail and his group sold all their transportation to an inn at two-thirds of the market price.

From now on, they had to travel through the woods.

They reached the vicinity of the border.

The terrain gradually shifted from wetland to regular mountainous areas, the air no longer as humid.

"Finally, it’s over."

Rein had lost twenty pounds due to the torment, and he was still suffering from acclimatization. Strange diseases were rampant in this dreadful place; a slight carelessness could spell disaster. His large frame now looked decrepit, and combined with his dog-like hair, he had outdone Liszt in looking like a pirate.

The rest were not faring much better, all somewhat out of their element, not to mention the grueling daily marches that nearly ran the horses ragged.

Fortunately, Red Tree Bay Shore was relatively close to the border, and they only needed to run for a few more days. If they had to travel straight from the farthest coast, they would indeed kill themselves.

Mika distributed a bottle of insect repellent to everyone. Although they were nearly out of the Great Wetland, it was still best to take precautions and apply it to avoid being killed by unknown creatures.

This grueling task, of course, did not unify everyone’s intentions at Black Sail; each person had their own schemes.

Each key member had their own goals and ambitions, which to achieve required immense financial and influential power, and they were prepared to stop at nothing.

Even Mika had not only indulged in prostitution but also sought to avenge the disgrace suffered when he had been scapegoated and stripped of his official title years ago.

The park ranger was particularly adept.

Because of the trafficking, a narrow path had long been trampled through the forest; he led the group through the undulating mountains for half the day until the trees thinned, replaced by streams and lush grasslands.

As they had reached a higher elevation, they found themselves above a certain precipitation line, which made them feel much less clammy; ahead was open flatland. This was wilderness, with no boundary markers in sight.

In fact, they had already arrived in an Affiliated Country under Aran.

Rein could almost see, a month later, his group returning laden with spoils along this route.

Fen was marking the map, and although he had memorized the route, writing it down was safer; he rolled up the parchment and packed it in his bag.

"What’s our next move? How long do you estimate it will take?"

Liszt asked, having come to rely on the professional prowess of the two guides who had a knack for smuggling routes.

Reading Sharon’s letter, out of William’s four comrades, there were still two countrymen Liszt truly wished to slaughter.

"Just crossing two palm-sized small countries from here. This side’s environment is safer than the Great Wetland, without ferocious animals at night, we can travel day and night. In three or four days we should arrive, but..."

The guide hesitated.

"But what?"

Liszt figured he might need to spend some gold.

As he expected, the guide explained that while these Affiliated Countries had reasonable security, certainly better than the Great Wetland, the deeper inland, the stricter the border defense became, with guards at every corner.

If they continued on wilderness paths, they’d have to cross mountain ranges filled with Magic Beasts, wasting time. It would be better to clear things with the sentinel captains.

"Ah, I thought it was something serious. Twenty Golden Dragons should be enough, right? The rest you guys split, enjoy yourselves, but make sure to keep this secret, don’t gossip."

Liszt looked meaningfully at the two men, his gaze carrying a hint of threat.

"Understood, understood, twenty Golden Dragons is more than enough."

One of the rangers happily took Liszt’s money, leading the group onward.

And at that moment.

Within Aran’s territory.

Inside William’s luxurious room.

The first wave of manned trials was about to commence, and this operation had far-reaching effects, concerning the relationship between the teacher and the Emperor, and whether the Emperor could further trust the teacher.

Yes.

William and four others who were alumni of the same underground research institute had become students of the Mysterious Wizard.

"I’m really sorry, William, for pushing you to the forefront and burdening you with so much."

A deep voice came through, but there was not a hint of apology in its tone.

The five were discussing matters at William’s house.

Sitting right in the middle of the sofa set, evidently the leader among them, he spoke those words to William.

He was quite handsome, also with black hair and black eyes, his fingers interlocked resting his chin on a small table. It was evident he exercised his muscles often as he leaned slightly forward like a lurking tiger. He blended in completely here, dressed in Knight’s armor, his face as somber as still water.

They had gathered today not only because of the train matter but also because they had received news about several former classmates.

"Elder... perhaps, we should stop here."

Though William was pushed to the forefront, he harbored constant guilt.

Bang!

An ashtray directly hit William’s forehead, cracking it open and blood began to seep out heavily.

William clutched his head, his vision blurry, and only managed to stabilize himself by holding onto a chair.

Mu Ran pinched his hand; he had controlled the force, making sure not to kill his classmate.

The remaining three were shocked by Mu Ran’s action.

"At this point, do you think we can turn back? We have already killed more than forty classmates, and the Magician’s magic is etched into our bodies, it could kill us at any moment. There’s no way out, trust me, if others were in our shoes, they would crush us like bugs, kill us, or even throw us in prison to be tormented slowly. We have been very... merciful, just nodding our heads slightly. Here, the average lifespan is also about thirty or forty years, given their age, it’s not considered a premature death."

Mu Ran spoke coldly.

But in reality, he exaggerated a bit; this place’s thirty or forty years, with sixteen months each year, roughly matched up to about fifty years.

"Well said."

A white-skinned man with glasses applauded and even kissed his college sweetheart, also one of the five. This couple, both handsome and beautiful—the man with slick-backed short hair and his girlfriend with golden wavy hair—both oozed an elite aura and evidently agreed with Mu Ran’s words.

Remaining was one woman, sitting in the corner with long black hair, her brows deeply furrowed, but she said nothing. She was secretly letting people go, doing everything she could, using various tactics and strategies to swap the native criminals of this world in their place.

The reason she was still here was also to save more people.

Mu Ran was the cream of the crop among the top scholars, almost like a walking database.

During his school days, obtaining a green card was effortless; he didn’t need to go through any process but directly severed ties with his homeland, already an associate professor at the University of California.

On the other hand, Mo Yutong was a second-generation immigrant.

"The so-called bottomless abyss, once you leap into it, also leads to endless possibilities."

Mu Ran realized he may have gone too far and picked up a handkerchief to wipe the blood from William’s forehead.

"Let’s see now who else is there, we can send someone to deal with them, otherwise...it’s not just going against the teacher’s plans but also shaking our... position."

Mu Ran sat calmly on the sofa, his plans meticulously crafted. Previously, he had left some survivors to prove to the Magician he was the best among his group, before finally making his move.

The five were also products of the Magician’s Gu Refining.