"Does that even need asking? He definitely wants to know what Sister Linda and that punk Shi Yan are talking about. It’s strange, though, ever since that boy went to see the sea bandits with Sister Linda, she’s been treating him specially, calling him over to talk every now and then. They must have a secret!"

"They definitely have a secret! Sister Linda must want that kid to do something for her, otherwise, she wouldn't summon him so often."

"I wonder if Kamon overheard anything. Look how long he's been standing there."

"Who cares about Kamon? Doesn't everyone know what his mind is set on?"

"..."

The martial artists on the deck gathered in knots, murmuring amongst themselves.

Whether it was those leaning toward Kamon, like Huo Jie, or those loyal to Linda, like Jett, they all watched Kamon covertly, hoping to glean some scrap of information from him.

The group muttered in low tones while furtively sizing up Kamon, making themselves quite comfortable.

Suddenly, under everyone’s gaze, Kamon’s face turned utterly foul, like a man who had just been cuckolded—his expression was venomous and enraged, his features contorted, and his eyes burning with murderous intent. "Hmph!"

Huo Jie, Jett, and the others cried out in unison, all looking at Kamon with surprise.

"You wretched pair!"

Kamon snarled, his expression savage, and then suddenly roared, gathering power in his left hand, which erupted in a flash of brilliant light.

"Rumble!"

The wooden door at the head of the stairs instantly exploded into splinters, wood shards flying everywhere. Kamon had shattered the door that held everyone in suspense with a single strike. With such violent force, Kamon himself was jarred backward a step, his stance unsteady.

"Kamon!"

Jett shrieked, "***, have you gone mad?"

Huo Jie and the others were equally aghast, not knowing the cause of Kamon’s fury. They shouted in alarm and rushed over, attempting to halt Kamon's reckless aggression. After that single blow, Kamon’s momentum momentarily stalled. Once he regained his balance, he was about to charge down into the cabin.

At this moment, Huo Jie, Jett, and the others caught up, leaping several feet to reach the spot, pulling and blocking Kamon. "Get out of the way!"

Kamon roared, shaking off Huo Jie’s and Jett’s grasp, and plunged into the cabin.

This small boat was not large. Cargo was stowed on the deck. Inside the hold, besides piled food and fresh water, there was only one small wooden room, which belonged exclusively to Linda. The wooden door at the stairwell had been installed to prevent Kamon, Jett, and the others from accessing the supplies and water in the hold. Furthermore, the small room had another wooden door; since Linda was the only woman aboard, this room was used by her for changing and resting.

Kamon’s furious strike had obliterated the door at the stairs, and he immediately burst into the hold.

At this point, Huo Jie, Jett, and the others rushed in too, trying to stop Kamon inside the cabin.

Kamon seemed frenzied, unleashing the raw, violent power of the Human Realm, Third Heaven. He slammed Huo Jie aside, gritting his teeth as he charged toward the small inner door of the cabin. He bellowed, "You wretched pair!"

Kamon roared again, raising his foot as if to smash this inner door to pieces.

"Creak."

Just then, the inner door opened on its own. Shi Yan stood in the doorway, his clothes disheveled, frowning, blocking anyone from seeing the scene inside.

The doorway was not wide, and Shi Yan, with his currently powerful build, virtually blocked the entire entrance just by standing there. The cabin was already somewhat dim, and as everyone craned their necks to peer in, they could see nothing. "Who exactly are you calling a wretched pair?"

Shi Yan stared at Kamon with a grim face, impatiently waving his hand like one shooing away a predatory hawk. "If there’s nothing important, buzz off and don't disturb us from our business."

He and Linda had just been at the height of their passion, almost reaching the summit; Linda had even let out soft whimpers. Kamon’s sudden explosive strike against the first door had startled Linda into hastily pushing Shi Yan away, and the two of them had been scrambling to get dressed.

If Kamon hadn't experienced that slight pause after his initial strike, and if he hadn't been held back by Jett, Huo Jie, and the others for a moment, he might have charged in to catch them red-handed.

Fortunately, Shi Yan was quick-witted. He had only pulled his trousers halfway down before quickly pulling them up completely and immediately standing guard at the door, successfully shielding everyone's view.

"Punk, I'll kill you!"

Kamon's face was a mask of distortion, his eyes harboring an immense, surging rage.

From the tips of his ten fingers, threads of spiraling, sharp light suddenly shot out. These lights whirled, glittering brightly, striking directly toward Shi Yan’s chest like arrows.

"Spiral Force!"

Jett screamed, exclaiming in shock, "Kamon, have you lost your mind? Are you really trying to take Shi Yan's life?"

Spiral Force was Kamon's signature martial technique. He rarely used it, but deploying it meant he was genuinely intent on killing.

Spiral Force was a Profound-Tier martial art that could condense vital essence into a thread-like spiral of power, drilling into an opponent’s body like an auger—it was devastatingly sharp and powerful.

Jett, Huo Jie, and the others had witnessed Kamon use Spiral Force once to bore ten bloody holes into the body of another martial artist of the same level, causing that man to expire on the spot. Seeing Kamon immediately deploy his most prized technique upon meeting him, everyone was stunned, thinking Shi Yan was surely finished this time.

"Dodge, quickly!"

Nanor, who was not on good terms with Kamon, couldn't help but shout, "Stop blocking the door, hurry and move! You can't block Spiral Force!"

Shi Yan frowned, standing motionless by the door, his gaze icy as he looked at Kamon. A mocking curve touched his lips.

"Sss-sss-sss!"

Streams of Spiral Force bored into Shi Yan's chest. His clothing immediately tore open into ten finger-sized holes, and the Spiral Force, like tiny drills, continuously burrowed into his flesh in a helical pattern.

Alas, Shi Yan's body, having undergone petrification, was hard as iron and stone. The Spiral Force struck his chest, producing strange scraping sounds, but Shi Yan’s skin did not split open.

"Bang!"

Shi Yan thrust out a foot, an impact like ten thousand jun of force, falling onto Kamon’s chest like a thunderclap.

Kamon flew upward like a cannonball, slamming into Huo Jie before crashing down five meters away, rolling into a corner of the hold, spitting up blood.

The noisy cabin suddenly fell silent, as if a needle had dropped. Jett, Nanor, and the others stared at Shi Yan with wide eyes, their faces etched with utter bewilderment. Kamon, knocked senseless by the kick, stared blankly at Shi Yan, ignoring the blood gushing from his mouth.

Since Shi Yan had boarded this ship, he had been exceptionally quiet, rarely speaking or interacting with anyone, and had never engaged in conflict with anyone.

Even when Kamon and others tried to provoke him, Shi Yan had always endured it, never once fighting back.

Kamon, Huo Jie, Jett, and Nanor had all regarded Shi Yan as a soft persimmon, not believing he was a martial artist of any great depth. Yet, Shi Yan, whom they considered weak, had emerged completely unharmed from Kamon’s spiraling attack, and had then kicked Kamon five meters away.

This bizarre scene deeply shocked them all.

"I will kill you!"

Humiliated publicly and utterly disgraced, Kamon let out a wild roar and charged forward again, like a maddened demonic beast.

Shi Yan frowned, his face showing deep annoyance. Just as Kamon was about to reach him, Shi Yan struck like lightning, seizing Kamon’s neck with perfect precision, lifting him bodily with a single arm.

Kamon thrashed wildly, throwing punches and kicks at Shi Yan’s body, but Shi Yan remained aloof and indifferent, as if Kamon’s frenzied assault was merely an itch he couldn't scratch, having no effect whatsoever.

Holding Kamon by the neck and suspending him in the air, Shi Yan gradually increased the pressure on his grip.

Kamon struggled for a moment, his face turning deep red, gradually losing breath, his flailing limbs growing weaker.

Shi Yan’s eyes were cold as he stared down at Kamon, tightening his grip steadily.

"Let go! Do you want to kill him?"

Huo Jie’s expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward. "Boom!"

Shi Yan delivered another lightning-fast kick, which struck Huo Jie’s chest like an iron mountain. Huo Jie’s body was violently thrown back again, the sound of his ribs cracking audibly. He rolled into a corner of the hold, his face covered in blood, staring at Shi Yan with terror, no longer daring to move. Shi Yan ignored Kamon, who was nearing asphyxiation, and frowned as he surveyed the other martial artists in the cabin, sneering, "Does anyone else want to save him?"

Huo Jie’s fate lay plainly before them, and the crowd fell silent, struck dumb with fear. Jett, who brought him food every day, also felt a tremor of fear, his open mouth snapping shut, his expression deeply awkward. "Shi Yan, don't kill him."

Linda’s voice drifted from the small wooden room behind him. "Let him go. Give me that much face."

Shi Yan’s brow furrowed. After a moment’s hesitation, he suddenly flung Kamon outward.

Kamon landed in a parabola, landing squarely on top of Huo Jie, causing Huo Jie to cry out in pain repeatedly, grimacing miserably. Shi Yan continued to block the door, then glanced back to confirm Linda was fully dressed. With a slight smile, he stepped out from the doorway. Linda emerged gracefully from the small room, her attire neat.

The martial artists in the hold focused their gazes on the only bed in the small room, noting that the bedding was neatly made, appearing entirely unremarkable. However, the flush on Linda’s cheeks and the faint hint of lingering passion in her eyes filled everyone with boundless speculation. The crewmen stared blankly at Linda, slowly grasping the implication... If Shi Yan and Linda were truly innocent, Shi Yan would not have blocked the door so persistently, Kamon would not have been so hysterical, and Linda would not wear that look of flushed beauty and languid desire.

The situation was now starkly clear. Linda smoothed her slightly tousled hair, feigning composure, her delicate brows drawn slightly together as she calmly inquired, "What brings you all here?"

Everyone managed awkward, forced smiles, no one speaking. Kamon’s eyes were filled with resentment as he swept his gaze over Shi Yan and Linda, but he clenched his teeth and remained silent.

Shi Yan frowned, looking at Kamon, pondering for a moment. He then turned back to Linda and said, "I'm heading up now. I leave this to you."

Without waiting for Linda’s agreement, Shi Yan, his expression distant, walked straight toward the stairwell. As he passed by Kamon, Shi Yan looked up and deliberately placed his foot precisely on the hand bone of the limp Kamon lying on the floor.

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound, Kamon’s left hand, which was retracting, had its bones shattered. This hand of his was likely ruined forever.

In the cabin, everyone’s faces changed drastically, a chill creeping into their hearts as they gained a new understanding of Shi Yan’s ruthlessness.