Black Sail
Chapter 208: CCVIII. Year-End

Chapter 208: CCVIII. Year-End

The heavy snow at the year’s end had blanketed the entire island with a layer of white frost.

Whenever this time of year came around, it would always freeze a lot of people to death.

Many junkies, veterans, and prostitutes had sought refuge here. When their money ran out and they had no means of earning a living, pitching tents in the wilderness to burn wood for warmth was no solution. They couldn’t withstand the cold and hunger and would sooner or later perish.

Boss might not care about the squalor, but he still took care of the dead on the island.

Every winter, he would have people drag carts to collect the bodies and burn them in a pile to prevent the spread of plagues and contagious diseases when the spring thaw came.

SS Fuma Keqing Revenge had docked at the harbor.

There were no more tents pitched on the winter beaches, as it was bitterly cold, and no one would come ashore for a quick one. They had to warm up by the fireplace inside a building first.

All the pirates had come back for the New Year, as the merchant ships had stopped running. What was there to plunder?

Passenger ships were all dormitory-style too. Luxury ships with private cabins only fools would try to rob. The guards of the lords weren’t vegetarian; besides, nobles didn’t follow the same schedule as commoners, so there were no luxury ships around this time of year.

So the docks were densely packed with pirate ships, seven or eight hundred of them. One dock couldn’t accommodate them all, so many had to find a wild shore to dock at, or simply stay at sea and take a small boat back when done.

There were many ships at the docks, but not many people, as only the crew left on watch miserably cleared snow off the decks.

As a favorite of Taylor’s, Liszt always had a VIP spot for docking his ship.

Drop the sails and drop anchor.

A group of pirates howled and followed the Immortal Emperor on his campaign to suppress the ancient darkness and chaos of the Extreme Yin Land.

"Look at the distant snow-covered mountains, my family."

For Weber, this was his first time traveling so far, and he was thrilled to the extreme. He had waved the Magic Technique of Flame Scholars Promotion a few times and had already become one of Liszt’s most esteemed Human Pillars.

The snow fell heavier on the island, like goose feathers. Heaven Port was full of idle people with nothing better to do, flocking wherever there was excitement, not to mention during the New Year. The festival atmosphere was particularly strong, and the docks were even decorated with colorful ribbons.

In the Inner City and Outer City, people could already be seen setting off fireworks, crackling loudly.

Boss understood corporate culture and would always sponsor the island to make it festive for the New Year. For the pirates who had performed well, he would even give out gifts as a thank-you for a year of hard work.

Liszt, however, was fully prepared. He needed to secure the chest and jewels carefully and return to the Black Sail Inn in the Inner City with his core team.

There weren’t many people on the docks, but the Inner City and Outer City were bustling with activity.

Inside the Black Sail Inn.

Since Dreya was in charge, the place had undergone a significant renovation and had been transformed into a retro style, looking completely different from before.

Ben, the Shadow Messenger of the Thief Guild.

This Dark Elf, dressed in a bartender’s black vest, despondently polished glasses, having fully transformed into a slave worker for Black Sail.

He had a plan, of course.

How could this tiny Heaven Port possibly contain Lord Ben?

All he had to do was wait until his injuries healed. On a dark, windy night, he would slip away just like that.

The plan was indeed very full of promise.

Once the wound on his chest made by the Lostra Transfer Person and the cut on his disfigured face inflicted by Butterfly Knife had healed, he would set out.

Forty days ago.

Ben had begun to flee.

But the trust placed in others must be honored.

Even though Dreya presided over the inn, Old Wei was also responsible. Whatever happened in the inn couldn’t be ignored. Knowing about the Stele and Dragon, how could they let you escape? Ben was caught at the docks in the middle of the night.

At that moment, Ben didn’t care at all. The old geezer was past his prime, a few moves and he’d be done. What was there to say?

However.

When Ben regained consciousness, he found himself back in the clinic, utterly clueless as to what had happened. It was freakingly bizarre.

The Outer City was a sea of people, bustling with activity. On the streets, sheep were being slaughtered on the spot. A melting pot of various races, a true mishmash of cultures. With the New Year, bloody incidents also decreased, better to start fresh after the holidays.

Still, there were those who’d gotten heated over cards or various arguments, and people still pummeled each other with fists in the snowy streets.

Heaven Port could be considered one of the world’s largest dens of prostitutes. Not setting up tents at the docks meant sitting by self-built houses, warming by charcoal fires, applying lipstick and quietly waiting for clients.

Pirates on the island had nothing better to do and were as dim-witted as fools. Despite their menacing appearances, they were bored enough to mess around with fireworks, blasting tiles off roofs and blowing up pots and pans. Their long careers at sea had evidently caused their intelligence to degrade.

Inner City was all decked out in colorful lights as well, and the street lamps were encased with the Holy Spirit’s emblems on red banners. It wasn’t even the 30th yet, just the warm-up. By the day after tomorrow, for the New Year’s Eve countdown, some of the older folks might just get carried away and pull off some crazy stunts.

People greeted Liszt all the way back.

Because of the protection money.

He and Qi Li’s reputation had reached its peak, holding steady for a few months, so things were looking pretty reliable.

Liszt was too busy to indulge in idle chit-chat; he hurried back to the Black Sail Inn, first stashing all his belongings in the cellar and asking General Fen to cast some Magic Technique for protection.

Moreover, Liszt made Hened show his face.

It had to be said, the face of Turbid River Dragon carried weight; it was a face once plastered on Warrants across the Four Seas, rendering people speechless upon recognition.

One thing was clear.

Liszt.

Was planning a big score for the New Year.

Leaving footprints in the snow, he arrived at the door of the Black Sail Inn.

Dreya’s mindset was clearly young; the festive atmosphere was intense here, with vertical banners, streamers, and Fluorite lamps—all intact. She almost seemed ready to hang up a sign declaring her love for the holidays.

"Huh?"

Liszt looked at the inn’s decorations, wondering if he had entered the wrong place. He stepped back to double-check; it was indeed the Black Sail’s lair, no mistake.

Old Wei caught sight of the visitor from outside.

"Damn impressive."

Even he could hardly keep it together at this point, genuinely surprised to see Liszt had made it back alive. With only a few days left before year’s end and no sign of docking, he had thought Liszt might have perished at sea.

"What’s going on?"

Liszt walked in, puzzled, and ordered his core members to quickly move the items into the cellar to be properly hidden.

"Your wife spruced up the place, said folks nowadays enjoy a bit of nostalgia."

Old Wei always had a smile on his face as he wiped glasses.

What was astonishing was that Ben was right beside him, sporting Sima’s face. How could this bunch not have died out there?

A series of surprises left Liszt struggling to gather his thoughts, it was that over two hundred years old freak who enjoyed nostalgia, after all.

And this Thief had completely blended in with the environment, for crying out loud.

"Fucking hell, I thought the pirate’s den would be some kind of treasure vault on an isolated island, in a natural cave or something."

Weber shared his thoughts, having never felt so relaxed before, interpreting this as a sign he could eat and drink for free here and take money when needed, living the life of an Immortal Emperor.

"Don’t believe those novels, alright? All that goddamn treasure has been spent on hookers."

Rein sat down casually and ordered Ben to pour him a drink with an air of authority. Old Wei was a force to be reckoned with, easily dealing with a petty Thief who stole chickens and dogs.

Ben’s forehead bulged with veins, but he still filled a beer from the barrel, some of it spilling over as he slammed it onto the bar.

"Old Wei, give him a lesson, what, it’s been a few days and he’s already tearing off roof tiles?"

Rein took a swig of his drink nonchalantly, finding it refreshing.

"A customer is everything, but if you continue to be impolite, without any value, you might just disappear," Old Wei said calmly.

Ben didn’t dare utter a word, his fists clenched tight.

Rein laughed, pretending to wave Ben over to continue serving him. Ben’s chest was about to explode as he slowly walked over.

"Hey, I didn’t call you yet, I didn’t call!"

Rein raised and then lowered his hand, taunting in a sing-song voice.

Ben was mentally blank, utterly pissed off, straining not to kill anyone.

Fen and Swan were proper folks, ignoring these idiots and moving things to the cellar to be sealed away.

Meredith, on the other hand, was looking for Goria’s figure.