607: This ability is good

Scarface opened his mouth, stammering for a long time, unable to speak. Finally, he gave a bitter smile, only now fully realizing that he had truly been too clever for his own good.

The things he cared about, Shen Bei, the new captain, didn't care about at all.

"Alright, Captain, I will do what I'm supposed to do on the Ghost Ship."

Shen Bei nodded noncommittally…

All he needed was someone capable of being a good first mate. After searching around, he only found Scarface to be suitable. And most importantly, Shen Bei felt that even if he went all out without using his Overlord Bloodline, Scarface still wouldn't be able to defeat him.

Since he had openly stated his demands, what was there for Shen Bei to be afraid of using him?

Compared to winning hearts and being open and honest, Shen Bei still felt that this kind of transaction was the most reassuring.

After all, it wasn't uncommon for those who flattered and fawned in peacetime to stab you in the back at a crucial moment.

Moreover, there were indeed others in the lower-level dungeon who could be used, but Shen Bei wouldn't dare to use them.

The character ' crime' (crime) on Scarface's forehead was a permanent tattoo left on those exiled from the Great Wilderness, subjected to the most stringent seals. This character could not be erased, a punishment even crueler than direct execution.

Unable to set foot on the territory of the Great Wilderness, he could only wander outside the most prosperous and resource-rich areas. With this tattoo, outsiders dared not help him rashly, leaving him to drift like a refugee without a fixed abode.

Most importantly, once branded with this character, his Realm could never advance even an inch. He could only watch time slowly pass, possessing talent yet only able to witness himself grow old, waiting for the day his Lifespan was exhausted.

Even if he were to procreate, his descendants' talents would be forcibly locked, making even the most basic Cultivation impossible. It would take generations for the Bloodline's seal to slowly dissipate before his descendants could rise again, but by then, their talents would be very low, or even nonexistent.

According to Scarface, he belonged to the Jius, one of the three nomadic tribes outside the southern border of the Great Wilderness.

In fact, it wasn't a biological race; the meaning of Jius was the 'clan of criminals.'

Their ancestors were people who had been expelled and branded.

However, those with this ' crime' (crime) golden mark were very few. Most were branded with 'exiled to a certain place,' and the seal was not as strong, nor was the harm to their descendants as terrifying as the ' crime' (crime) golden mark.

Shen Bei didn't know what Scarface's identity in the Great Wilderness was before, but to be subjected to a punishment that affected dozens of generations, he either committed a major crime or offended a powerful figure at the top.

Regardless, he had lost all hope of rising again in the Great Wilderness. Becoming a pirate was actually a good outcome.

As for what Scarface wanted to do after completing the One-Blade Gorge mission, Shen Bei didn't care.

For now, as long as he could honestly do his job as a crew member, Shen Bei felt it was enough.

"Crack..."

Shen Bei looked down. Little Hei Pi, drooling profusely, bit into the three-headed pig demon Shen Bei was carrying, tearing off a large chunk of meat.

Once freed from its shrunken state, the mouthful of meat suddenly expanded hundreds of times, pinning Little Hei Pi underneath.

Little Hei Pi stared blankly at the meat, which had grown hundreds of times larger in front of him, his eyes glowing green, leaping three feet long.

"Chomp, chomp..."

Like chewing on rocks, Little Hei Pi's mouth moved up and down, creating a blur, devouring the large chunk of meat completely.

"Eat outside," Shen Bei patted Little Hei Pi's head.

Little Hei Pi smacked his lips, closing his eyes, unable to bear looking, afraid he wouldn't be able to resist.

Shen Bei smiled wryly; this was exactly like his own experience during that period...

Going up to the first floor, Shen Bei glanced at the Burning Life Enchantress.

"Now I am the captain of the Ghost Ship. Be my crew member, pilot, and lookout. Will you do it? If not, continue to wait for death here."

"Yes!" Ran Xiaoran nodded incessantly. She had no choice at all.

"Come out. I know what you need. I won't control you. As long as you can do what I ask of you, you can seduce anyone besides me—that's your skill. But on some matters, I will not tolerate even a single mistake."

The cell door opened, and the black nails pinning Ran Xiaoran's wings fell off by themselves, allowing her to step out of the cell.

Ran Xiaoran stretched her waist, not caring that she had been seen completely naked. Instead, she smiled, her gaze burning as she looked at Scarface and Little Hei Pi.

"Can this be eaten?" Little Hei Pi also drooled, his eyes glowing green as he stared at Ran Xiaoran.

"No, Hei Pi, remember, you can only eat what I say you can eat." Shen Bei patted Hei Pi's head, specifically cautioning Hei Pi.

Little Hei Pi looked disappointed, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and didn't even glance at Ran Xiaoran...

Ran Xiaoran's face turned pale, and she instinctively took a step back. She clearly felt that Little Hei Pi genuinely and purely wanted to eat her.

Then she looked at Scarface. Seeing the ' crime' (crime) character on Scarface's forehead, Ran Xiaoran completely gave up the idea of seducing him.

As for Shen Bei, just seeing the vibrant, magical, rainbow-colored river of time-like vitality emanating from him, Ran Xiaoran painfully closed her eyes. He was also someone she couldn't seduce...

Any one of the three people in front of her could potentially take her life.

Leaving the cell and walking all the way up, they didn't see a single living person. Scarface's expression was calm, as he had already suspected this. Little Hei Pi's entire attention was on the three-headed pig demon Shen Bei was carrying, completely unconcerned with anything else.

Shen Bei and Jiu Gui completed the handover procedures.

The prison gate slowly closed again.

By the time they arrived outside the Imperial City, on the deck of the ship docked in the harbor, Ran Xiaoran was utterly despairing.

There wasn't a single living person. Where would she absorb Lifespan from? Her Lifespan was already at its end...

"Captain, are all the people on this ship dead? Is it just us few left?"

"Just us few."

"Captain, I'll die in a little over a year."

"Have you found anything around?" Shen Bei also had a bit of a headache.

"I saw two other ships, and inside them were... many men." Ran Xiaoran swallowed, her eyes glowing green just like Little Hei Pi's.

"How far can you see?"

"I can see about fifty li. I'm too weak. Within fifty li, there are only two other ships, and there aren't any very strong creatures nearby..."

Shen Bei nodded, feeling satisfied. Fifty li, as a alert (warning line), was barely adequate, but considering Ran Xiaoran's weakness, this distance was acceptable.

Thinking of this, Shen Bei's mind stirred. As captain, he couldn't let Ran Xiaoran die after a year.

It wouldn't be so easy to find a humanoid lookout and pilot next time; at least there were no suitable ones in the dungeon...

Then he thought that these few people were still not enough...

"There are quite a few men on those two ships. I can take you there, but how you extend your Lifespan is your problem. If you can lure some sailors over, that would be for the best."

Shen Bei said.

If he remembered correctly, those two ships should belong to other Families, so it would be a good opportunity to move around.