Chapter 122 Chapter 121 Reasoning
The bounty of ten thousand gold coins on the wanted notice easily ignites the greed in human nature. For the captain, having ten thousand gold coins in hand is enough to purchase a moderately-sized fleet, allowing him to avoid the life-and-death struggles against waves and sea monsters and to safely collect money from the rear. For ordinary sailors, they seem to see the beautiful white-skinned, long-legged sex workers of Shalin City beckoning to them from the bed.
Greed, however, cloaks reason. Their eyes are filled with malice, and the propaganda of Shalin City’s benevolent master makes them unafraid to use the craziest means to deal with George.
However, they have some brains.
After seeing the naval ships faintly appearing in the morning mist, George thought to himself.
“Yes, I am the brave one before the Temple, George the Hammer.” George looked around at the people and said, “Rest assured, I will not resort to violence to endanger your lives unless absolutely necessary.”
He planned to reason with them.
The sailors said nothing, gripping their knives tightly.
“Captain, you took my money; before you take me to my destination, you must fulfill your duty as a captain to protect your passengers.”
“You are a wanted criminal trying to overthrow Shalin City.”
“My purpose in coming to Shalin City was merely to free a girl from her slave contract,” George said. “But the benevolent master has set his sights on that girl and wants to train her as a slave. I had some conflict with him, and yesterday, Chamberlain led nearly a hundred men to surround me. I fought my way out and boarded your ship.”
The captain and the sailors felt that his words possessed a natural persuasive power, and looking at his sincere expression, they subconsciously believed him.
Although they didn’t think of the Temple as a good institution, they had experienced extortion at the port, witnessed the various dark sides of Shalin City, and certainly didn’t believe the benevolent master was a good person.
Upon hearing this, the captain’s face twisted for a moment, sighed, and took a step back, saying, “Let’s forget it.”
One sailor couldn’t help but exclaim, “Captain, that’s ten thousand gold coins, and the navy is coming.”
“Because of my identity, I apologize for the trouble I have caused you. I believe some reasonable compensation is necessary,” George said. “Later, please help me hide. If I am discovered, I promise I will pretend not to know you and won’t implicate you.”
The captain didn’t know why, but when he heard George’s assurance, it felt as reliable as a signed contract. No, contracts are often torn up, and whether to sue in court depends on connections, but George’s promise felt a hundred times more reliable than a contract.
The sailors, upon hearing this, unconsciously lowered their knives.
The captain said, “Let’s go with this. Everyone disperse; no one is allowed to leak this.”
“Wait, you all must assure me that you will not inform on me.”
“I promise I won’t report your identity,” the captain said, then turned to the other sailors and asked, “What are you still standing there for?”
The sailors successively assured George, and none of them lied.
A smile appeared on George’s face; he was glad to avoid an unnecessary conflict through reasoning.
He said, “Everyone is honest enough to talk sense.”
“Yes, yes,” the captain responded. “You see, gathering here easily arouses the navy’s suspicion, especially—”
“Then let’s disperse.”
“Could you please put down the cargo you are carrying?”
The captain looked fearfully at the three wooden boxes tied together on George’s shoulder. Each box was filled with iron, requiring three strong men to move just one, and it often left them red-faced from exertion.
But George could easily lift them and stood firm on the swaying deck like a mountain.
“Alright.”
George bent down and gently placed the three wooden boxes on the deck.
The people around unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Before he began reasoning, George had bent down to lift the prepared boxes to enhance his persuasiveness.
Fifteen minutes later, the naval ship approached. After receiving a substantial “search fee,” they happily passed by George, boarded their small boat, and left.
George stood at the bow, watching the navy depart, then turned his head to gaze toward the direction of Deep Water City.
…
…
Meanwhile.
In the White City of the Temple, a gentle morning breeze rustled the leaves of a tree in a small courtyard. Birds chirped on the branches, hopping around, and one bird perched, dropping a droppings on the simple wood shed below, where the canvas neatly covered the stacked logs.
Cardinal Gregory selected a piece of pine wood that had been delivered a few days ago inside the shed. He pulled a board from the pile, sniffed it in front of his nose, and his face revealed a content expression as he turned and leisurely walked into his stone house. He walked across the clean stone floor, sitting at a wide table that served as both a dining and writing table, carefully pouring tea leaves into a white iron teapot.
He appeared relaxed, his gaze not aggressive, looking like a harmless old man.
“Thump, thump, thump.”
A series of footsteps scared the birds away.
Wearing a spotless silver robe and exuding a noble aura, Saint Jenna rushed in with a worried look. She almost ran into the stone house, didn’t knock on the door, and hurried toward Cardinal Gregory, saying urgently:
“Cardinal, you must help George; he needs my help!”
“Don’t be afraid.” Cardinal Gregory said while placing the teapot lid on and putting the small teapot on the not-too-big hot water stove. “The last time you infiltrated the Demon King’s City was much more dangerous than being ruled by slave owners in Shalin City. Young people, you still can’t remain calm; it’s only been half a month.”
“I felt the protective charm delivered to George broke yesterday morning.” Saint Jenna took a step forward, placing her hands on the table, her arms grazing the prominent feature of her chest, slightly distorting it. “George must be in danger; he is very stubborn and likes to be stubborn. He won’t turn back until he smashes his head on the wall. Yesterday, I dreamed he was covered in blood; this must be a sign from my god. They held a meeting all day and denied my request for support. Just for me, please make a request to the Privy Council to help George; he needs my help very much.”
“George is a born hero; besides pride, he has no other faults. He is very smart,” Cardinal Gregory said casually, running his finger over the wood piece, reducing it into small bits to stuff into the hot water stove.
Saint Jenna said nothing, her hands pushing against the table, and the hot water stove wobbled. Cardinal Gregory quickly extended his hand with the agility of a youth to support the white iron teapot and exclaimed:
“My tea!”
“I can push harder!” Saint Jenna huffed angrily. “Cardinal, do you still have the leisure to heat tea here?”
Cardinal Gregory helplessly said, “With George’s strength and experience, he can handle Shalin City well.”
“This time is different; he is next to a wicked succubus. This kind of demon is cunning, full of lies, and adept at using their appearance to deceive men. George has never seen such a woman; he has a kind heart, and it is easy for him to be enchanted by the succubus’s lovely appearance and lose his life.”
“You are not just concerned about his safety.”
Saint Jenna’s face flushed slightly. In this place, she couldn’t lie. She summoned her courage and said:
“Yes! Ancient sages have said the ‘suspension bridge effect’; in a crisis-ridden environment, succubi will definitely use this point to tempt George and lead him to ruin.”
“Then the high quality pine wood I just brought from Karlson the day before will come in handy.” Cardinal Gregory picked up a pine wood piece the size of a finger and sniffed it contentedly. “It has plenty of resin; when burned, it will be certainly hot and crackle.”
Saint Jenna recoiled a little in fear and asked, “Are you planning to burn George and his friends?”
Cardinal Gregory glanced at her strangely and casually tossed the last piece of pine wood into the furnace. His finger stretched, emitting a white light that ignited the pine wood, saying:
“I may be old, but I’m not as foolish as goblins.”
“Then why prepare so much pine wood?”
“To burn the succubus,” Cardinal Gregory said. “I will send George along with the succubus to Shalin City, deliberately giving the succubus a chance to deceive. I was previously worried that this task would go smoothly.”
“But why?”
“Lies can’t withstand scrutiny. The more dangerous George’s situation is, the easier it is to see through the succubus’s true nature. The more perilous the situation is, the more mutual sacrifice and dedication is required from both parties; how do you think a selfish succubus would behave? She would only use George as bait, pushing him towards the enemy while escaping herself.”
“She will harm George.”
“George has two teleportation scrolls.” Cardinal Gregory smiled, “And he needs a bloody lesson, ideally one that is so severe he remembers it for a lifetime. This way, he won’t let pride blind his eyes and can walk on the right path. His greatest flaw as a hero is that life has been too smooth for him; he has never faced a setback.”
“So, this was your initial plan.”
“Yes.” Cardinal Gregory became somewhat pleased, “Now, I predict there are only two outcomes. One is that the succubus underestimates George; once things are exposed, she will be caught by him at the Temple, and then my pine wood will come into play. The second is that the succubus escapes, and George vows to catch her; this is good too, as the wood will dry for a few more years and burn even hotter.”
“No wonder everyone calls you the old fox behind your back.”
Cardinal Gregory’s face stiffened slightly, and he retorted:
“Right now, you shouldn’t be worried about George being taken away by the succubus.”
Saint Jenna’s face flushed, and she opened her mouth to deny it but couldn’t produce any sound.
Cardinal Gregory laughed:
“You’re not a kid anymore. When George returns, I will have a good talk with him. You two grew up together, childhood sweethearts, embarking on missions together and overcoming difficulties; your bond is deep. The succubus, haha, is just a minor interruption.”
“I’m only seventeen.”
“Fifteen is old enough to marry.”
“Cardinal, you still haven’t settled down; when will you think about it? I know a few good women who I can introduce to you.”
Cardinal Gregory’s face darkened, and he waved his hand:
“Enough, don’t disturb me for tea if there’s nothing going on.”
Saint Jenna gave a slight bow to say goodbye, lightly leaping over the threshold before closing the door. In her mind, the cardinal’s words echoed.
“The succubus is just a minor interruption.”
Childhood sweethearts… overcoming difficulties…
With her face burning, Saint Jenna skipped lightly, lifted her chin, and hummed a pleasant tune. Suddenly, she looked around alertly. Seeing no one nearby, she felt relieved and happily leaped away.
——————
I apologize; on this day of endless cannon fire, I have flaked. I just hope that when readers embrace their partners before bed, they find joy in this chapter.
Three updates tomorrow.
