657: Let you pretend

In the calm sea, a black ship floated quietly.

The burly crew members, who didn't look like good people, were leaning on the deck, slouching and sitting, passing the time.

There was also a young man, draped in a white sheet, holding a fancy sheathed long sword, leaning on the entrance to the cabin with one hand, his face full of frivolity as he blocked Ran Xiaoran, who was dressed rather lightly…

"Xiao Ran, it's only been a few days, and you look a lot more haggard. This can't go on. I have a method I can teach you, and from then on, you won't have to rely on others to live…"

"Hmph, you stinky men, I can tell what you're thinking with just one look. Get lost, I'm not interested in your Dual Cultivation method." Ran Xiaoran snorted coldly, trying to push him away, but her small arms and legs couldn't budge him: "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Xiao Ran, I truly feel for you. Just tell me, what can I do to make you believe me?"

"Pah! Young man, you're still too naive. What kind of people haven't I seen? You men are all no good—hmm, except for the Captain. I saw through you long ago, coaxing good women to stray and urging prostitutes to reform. Get lost!" Ran Xiaoran scoffed angrily. Just then, she saw a star light up in the sky and streak across it. Ran Xiaoran casually replied: "If you can pluck that meteor down, then I'll believe you."

The man in white pushed back his hair and smiled with full confidence.

"It's just an extraterrestrial meteor. Watch me pluck it down for you."

The man in white lifted his cumbersome white sheet and leaped up, flying towards the sky…

But suddenly, he saw this glowing meteor flying straight towards him.

"Hahaha, Heaven is helping me! Xiao Ran, just watch carefully!"

The man in white drew his long sword, performing a showy sword flourish. Streaks of sword shadows flew, like a colorful flower suddenly blooming in mid-air, directly blocking the meteor.

Then, just as the two were about to make contact…

Within the meteor's radiance…

"Boom…"

The colorful hundred-meter Sword Qi flower suddenly exploded, turning into ashes, completely vanishing as if swept away by a sleeve.

"This is the Hundred Flower Sword Stance, most suitable for intercepting meteors. After shattering the momentum carried by the meteor, it can also ensure that all the Materials are collected intact… Uh, what is this…"

The man in white was showing off, but he saw the sword flower he had unleashed suddenly shatter, and a residual force, in an instant, impacted his body…

The man in white was so scared his hair stood on end. He roared, raising his sword to block in front of him…

In an instant, the white sheet he was wearing shattered with a bang, even his underwear disintegrated into dust. His face was distorted by an invisible force. After just a slight pause, his sword shattered, and the man in white turned into a straight white streak, plunging into the sea and disappearing…

At this moment, the stream of light falling from the sky also dispersed, and Shen Bei slowly landed on the deck.

"Not bad, you even know to come and greet me. It seems you've been doing well during this time." Shen Bei scanned the area, very satisfied, then glanced at the continuously bubbling spot in the sea: "Someone go see if that warrior is dead. If he is, pick him up and give him a coffin."

The man in white was truly a warrior.

A Sword Cultivator, plus draped in a white sheet—who else could it be besides the man in white who had proactively surrendered before?

That guy was actually still here, obediently waiting. Shen Bei was truly a bit surprised…

"Captain, you're back! I missed you so much!" Ran Xiaoran's eyes were glistening with tears as she rushed over, hugging Shen Bei's arm and refusing to let go, rubbing against his arm.

Just then, the person who had gone into the water also fished out the naked man in white…

"How miserable…" A sailor sighed.

The man in white's clothes were completely shredded, and at least half of the bones in his body were broken. He was already unconscious. If not for still having a breath and strong vitality, a coffin would probably have been prepared for him.

"Take him to recuperate and feed him some healing Medicinal Pills. He won't die anytime soon."

Stepping into the cabin, Shen Bei paused, then turned back to give instructions.

"Remember, until I return, no one is allowed to leak the news that I'm back. Whoever leaks it, chop yourselves up and feed yourselves to the dogs. Now, immediately set sail and return. If you encounter any fat sheep along the way, slaughter them to death; don't disgrace me."

"The harvest this time is good."

Shen Bei sat in the captain's cabin, drawing a map of the Old Capital's routes. As the saying goes, a bad pen is better than a good memory.

"The remaining two word formulas have also been obtained."

However, Shen Bei was not in the mood to Cultivate right now. He wanted to leave this place first.

As for what would happen next, Shen Bei was not clear.

"Captain, we have fat sheep coming aboard," Scar said as he entered.

"Hmm? Did you disgrace me?"

"The fare is 600 sixth-grade spirit crystals per person, or equivalent treasures."

"Six hundred? Those bastards were all so poor they were practically pawning their underwear before. Now that they're alive and back, they must have made a considerable profit. Only six hundred? At least double!" Shen Bei's eyes widened, then he pondered for a moment: "Forget it, can't be too ruthless. Give them a discount, a thousand per person will do. Those who came aboard earlier are exempt. Collecting money and losing integrity when the ship is already in the river isn't good, but you must tell them they were lucky and got a 50% discount."

"Yes, Captain." Scar's eyelids twitched wildly; he almost couldn't catch his breath. The price of six hundred was already the highest they thought those fat sheep could barely accept.

"What about the man in white? He's not dead, is he?"

"No, he's recuperating in the cabin…"

"Alright, I'll go see him. Remember what I told you before, no one is allowed to leak the news of my return. As for the news that gets out, remember it clearly: we are only here to fleece fat sheep, not actually returning. Don't go back too quickly. Keep an eye on Duan Kong and Little Devil Buddha…"

Shen Bei wasn't worried about the crew on the ship. These bastards, each and every one of them burly and seemingly uneducated, knew very well what to say and what not to say, especially when the Captain had issued a gag order; no one dared to speak carelessly.

Otherwise, the only outcome would be a fate worse than death.

Thanks to the high-pressure policies of the previous Ghost Ship Captain, they knew the ship's rules—what could be played close to the line and what could never be touched, even at the cost of death—better than their current Captain.

All the way to the man in white's cabin, he saw the man in white, wrapped like a zongzi, lying on the bed groaning. Upon seeing Shen Bei enter, he immediately began to cry out in pain.

"Captain… I… I'm almost done for."

"Stop pretending." Shen Bei chuckled and sat by the bed, taking out several jade bottles.

These were things randomly grabbed from the nine-story black tower.

He didn't know if there were any good Medicinal Pills, but he just waved his hand, and quite a few entered his Storage Ring.

"These are all healing Medicinal Pills. Pick whichever one you like and eat it. For external injuries like yours, the effect should be good."

"Captain, I'm severely injured and have rendered great service. At least let me be a co-captain." The man in white continued to groan…

"Man in white, I don't care if you're called the man in white or the man in green. After all, we're just an interest group for sea adventures. Everyone gathers together for the same interests and hobbies. Your identity and School in the Great Wilderness are completely irrelevant. I'm here to tell you not to leak the news that I'm back. Otherwise, breaking the rules will make things very difficult for me."

The man in white was speechless. After all that, the other person already knew he was the contemporary Green-Clad from the Nine Palaces Sword School…