Confronted by Fang Senyan’s questioning, Kerry promptly transmitted the detailed process of accepting that hidden mission via the Nightmare Imprint. Fang Senyan nodded, made to push the door open, took two steps, then turned back.

"Oh, right." Fang Senyan fixed Kerry with a look. "You're injured right now, and your own strength doesn't seem up to much. Those pirates are not exactly saints—they extort, blackmail, burn, and kill. They wouldn't dare touch you while I’m aboard, but if I go to the port on business now, you can't possibly show your face openly in Tutuga Port and will have to stay on the ship. So, you'll have to fend for yourself afterward."

Kerry instantly squawked like a cat whose tail had been trod upon:

"My God! You can't do that!"

Fang Senyan shrugged, his tone perfectly flat.

"Kerry, I haven't violated any agreement between us. And frankly, you've never been entirely open with me either, so I don't feel obliged to perform any acts based on friendship."

Kerry choked, forcing a dry chuckle.

"Yan, how can you say that?"

Fang Senyan replied coolly.

"Then why won't you tell me the reason for your raid on Fort Tutuga, the whole process, what you gained, and what lessons you learned from the assault?"

Kerry's face immediately soured, and he mumbled.

"You never brought it up, so I assumed you weren't interested? I was actually quite passive when attacking the fort; Boss Nick handled all the arrangements. We were like assembly-line workers, only needing to handle the tasks assigned to us..."

Kerry was the epitome of someone who looked simple but was actually shrewd beyond measure—decisive when facing costs, yet utterly cunning and airtight when trying to avoid them. After rambling on for so long, Fang Senyan only managed to extract one useful piece of information: "They were after an artifact inside the Fort of Tutuga Port." Still, it was better than nothing.

"Fine," Fang Senyan said, staring at Kerry. "I have a bit of a fearsome reputation for killing to establish authority on this ship. If anyone hassles you, just claim a very close relationship with me, and I guarantee I'll seek retribution for any wrong done to you. That should make even the boldest ones think twice."

Kerry had considered this method himself, but it required Fang Senyan's explicit approval. Otherwise, if he bluffed his way out of trouble only for Fang Senyan to deny the connection upon his return, those scared-off adversaries would surely return with vengeance tenfold. Having secured Fang Senyan's consent, Kerry felt genuinely relieved.

After settling Kerry in, Fang Senyan got back onto the dinghy and rowed toward Tutuga Port. Undeniably, Kerry was only scared senseless temporarily, causing his judgment to decline. Moreover, he hadn't had the opportunity to interact with factions capable of plundering Tutuga Port. As soon as Amand sought him out for questioning, Kerry would realize how vital his intelligence was to these pirates.

But that didn't matter much. Fang Senyan had certainly saved his life and brought him aboard for his own strategic purposes. The immediate priority was to accept the hidden mission Kerry provided and then see if it conflicted with his prior planning and schemes.

Tutuga Port was still bustling, yet the gazes exchanged between the pirates on the street held an indescribable strangeness. The port's security patrols and manpower had doubled, but many merchant ships engaged in trade were already slashing prices and dumping cargo, apparently keen to leave this place of strife sooner rather than later. Following the address Kerry described, Fang Senyan arrived before a shop on the west side of the port. Looking up, he couldn't help but feel a peculiar sensation—it was the exact same "Chicken and Dog" general store he had visited when he first entered this world.

Spotting the old man, his head wrapped in white cloth, sweeping dust with a feather duster, Fang Senyan took a deep breath.

"Mr. Mower, Lady Tata from India asked me to pass on a message to you."

The old man seemed unaffected, continuing to dust. Then, suddenly, a small ceramic cup was knocked off a shelf, shattering into five or six pieces. He coughed a few times, twisted his right hand to massage his back, and only then spoke slowly.

"Ah, I'm getting old and useless."

"!!... %￥m;m;... %What the—!" Fang Senyan was instantly exasperated. "How could this be? Kerry explicitly told me that mentioning Lady Tata would make this old man sigh and recount old stories to me! Why is it like this now?"

"Could that wretch have lied to me? But this was notarized through the Nightmare Imprint; he couldn't pull any tricks. So what is going on?"

Fang Senyan attempted to engage the old man again, but the old man returned to his chair, staring silently out at the distant sea. Fang Senyan, usually patient, felt a surge of impatience, itching to grab the old man and land a few punches. But he suddenly recalled the scene from their first encounter: he had bought some betel nuts from the old man, received some intelligence, and then the old man had tried desperately to sell him a tattered rope knot described as an "Amulet with Magical Power"—which he hadn't bought before leaving. And now, inside this shop... it seemed the rope knot hanging on the wall was gone!

With this thought, Fang Senyan eagerly scanned the shop’s inventory. He noticed that quite a few items had been sold compared to the day before, and the missing items were precisely the kind of bogus goods like the "Amulet with Magical Power" used for deception. A thought struck him, and he pointed to a branch hanging on the left wall, asking,

"How much for this... item?"

Seeing a potential customer, the old man Mower finally sauntered over, his face contorted in anger as he snapped,

"Stop talking nonsense! What item? This is a branch fallen from the Sacred Tree growing on Mount Olympus! If recent divination hadn't shown an ill omen, I wouldn't be selling it to raise funds."

Fang Senyan didn't dare provoke him now. He quickly nodded.

"Yes, yes, of course. Then how much is this Mount Olympus Sacred Tree branch?"

Mower responded irritably.

"Two pounds. If you're not buying, get out of my sight quickly!"

Fang Senyan's facial muscles twitched, realizing the downside of his low charm rating, but he could only lower his voice.

"I don't have much money on me. Could you lower the price a bit?"

The old man shook his head repeatedly.

"Heavens above! If even a pauper like you doesn't have enough money, why are you wasting my time standing here? I'll give you five seconds to vanish before my eyes. Anyway, this Sacred Tree branch is already reserved for someone coming to collect it shortly. Generous customers aren't lacking because of you."

Initially, Fang Senyan had spent all his money to complete the "Drunkard" milestone. Apart from that, he only had the few shillings dropped by the slain Harbor Level II Guard "Dice" Kuts, and one Edward V Gold Sovereign. However, the Edward V Gold Sovereign was a valuable item that could be taken out of this world, exchangeable for a hefty 400 Universal Points. Fang Senyan absolutely did not want to use it unless absolutely necessary. But seeing the old man acting so strangely, and with no local currency available at the moment, a thought crossed Fang Senyan's mind, and he pulled out the Edward V Gold Sovereign.

"Fine! Two pounds it is. I can use this treasured keepsake of mine as collateral here, and I'll go back for the cash."

This was also a test for Fang Senyan. Although it was a general store, the front half displayed daily necessities, while the back half sold more bizarre oddities, suggesting Mower was also a collector. Such people, logically, should be interested in ancient items of collectible value.

Indeed, the moment Fang Senyan produced the gleaming Edward V Gold Sovereign, the cunning Mower, though maintaining a calm exterior, could not help but have his eyes glued to it. He took it, bit it first to test it, then blew on it and held it to his ear to listen to the sound, finally pulling out a pocket-watch-like magnifying glass for a close inspection. Only then did he seem reluctantly say,

"How about this: you don't need to go get money. I’m always fair. One gold sovereign is worth about five pounds. I’ll give you three pounds back."

Saying that, he shamelessly began to pull out three actual pounds, apparently intending to toss them over immediately! Regardless of Fang Senyan's willingness, the moment he accepted, the transaction would be complete! Fortunately, Fang Senyan had been sailing since he was fourteen; it was no exaggeration to say he had seen the world and countless scoundrels. Before Mower could throw the three pounds, Fang Senyan had already shoved both hands deep into his pockets, letting the three shameless ordinary British pounds clatter onto the floor. He smiled wryly and said,

"What a coincidence. It seems God heard my heart's cry and delivered an acquaintance right next door. I'll borrow two pounds from him immediately. Mr. Mower, please return my gold sovereign."

The gold sovereign in Mower's hand was like a bone clutched by a starving dog that hadn't eaten in two days; he was loath to let go easily. He immediately swallowed hard and enthusiastically pleaded,

"Actually, this shop has many other rare treasures! Look, this is a mysterious finger bone blessed by the mystical Gypsies, capable of instantly improving your luck? Ah? That's a legendary conch shell from Atlantis, capable of emitting a call that makes even the sea tremble..."

............... The correct answer to yesterday's interaction is a classic line from Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Stallone. Did you get it right, friends? Heh heh. (To be continued, please visit for the latest chapters: .)