119: deep sea

The smoke and scent of blood on Black Reef Island had not yet fully dissipated, but the survivors' return journey was already on the agenda.

Qin Feng pushed through his weakened state to make arrangements. He had a lightly injured Grand Martial Master from the Four Seas Merchant Guild, along with Mace and some of her subordinates, escort the rescued women, slaves, the heads of the Wokou, and the captured Katanas to the nearest Quanzhou Port.

It was safest for the Four Seas Merchant Guild to step forward and claim the bounties from the government and the Maritime Merchant Alliance under the guise of "hiring Martial Masters to assist in bandit suppression." After all, the Green Fish Bandits' identity was unsavory, and their direct appearance might cause complications. Qin Feng stated that all the bounty money would go to Mace and her subordinates, and the Four Seas Merchant Guild would not take a single cent.

This was not only a fulfillment of his previous promise but also an investment in a relationship. Mace looked at Qin Feng with a complex gaze, eventually just cupping her fists deeply, everything left unsaid. She knew this money would allow her to properly settle the families of her dead and injured brothers and give the Green Fish Bandits a chance to breathe and develop. She accepted this favor. It was remarkably similar to when Qin Feng had invested in Ji Ruxue.

The damaged ten thousand seas and several captured Wokou fast-ships that were still seaworthy carried the wounded and the remaining goods, slowly sailing away from the blood-soaked island and continuing toward Star Moon City.

Inside the cabin, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his face still pale. The backlash from the qi burst pill was more severe than expected; his Meridians throbbed with needle-like pain, and his Internal Energy circulated sluggishly.

A cool hand handed over a bottle of Medicinal Pills.

Qin Feng looked up and saw it was Ji Ruxue. Her own internal injuries had not yet healed, and her complexion was not much better than his.

"I owe you one this time." Qin Feng took the Medicinal Pills, poured out a few, and swallowed them. A gentle medicinal power dissolved, slightly easing the discomfort in his Meridians.

Ji Ruxue leaned against the cabin wall and closed her eyes, her tone still cold and flat: "Feeding medicine, it's fine, I'm used to it." As an assassin, being injured, self-rescue, and mutual rescue were all part of daily life.

At that moment, Xiao Chun walked in carrying hot water and ointment. She first meticulously helped Qin Feng clean the fine wounds on his body caused by Sword Qi and blade winds, then applied a special muscle-growing and scar-removing ointment, her movements gentle and focused. Then, she turned to Ji Ruxue to help treat the blade wounds on her shoulders and back.

Seeing Xiao Chun's busy figure, Qin Feng felt even more guilty. He sighed, his voice low: "This time, it was my intelligence error. I underestimated the strength and ferocity of the Wokou. I didn't expect it to be so dangerous, leading to such heavy casualties for everyone."

Reflecting on the battle, he realized the root cause was over-reliance on the System's intelligence. Since the System had not given a [Black Warning] representing extreme danger, he subconsciously believed the risk was controllable and became overconfident. He had forgotten that even the Opportunities or events indicated by [Yellow] or [Blue] intelligence could still involve immense risks and variables.

"Next time, I must not rely too much on the System, and certainly not let my guard down." Qin Feng warned himself in his heart. Intelligence was an advantage, but not omnipotent. One's own strength, cautious judgment, and sufficient preparation were the fundamentals of survival... That night, at the zi hour.

Despite being extremely exhausted both physically and mentally, Qin Feng forced himself to stay awake, waiting for the daily intelligence refresh. He needed to understand the subsequent impact of this battle and the potential risks ahead.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily intelligence has been refreshed!]

The shimmering panel appeared, but the information on it made Qin Feng's heart sink abruptly.

[Today's Intelligence:]

[White Intelligence: The news of the death of the Wokou leader, Sasaki Taro, has been sent back to Dongying via the deputy commander. His half-brother, 'Zuoi', was enraged upon learning this. Zuoi possesses a Late Stage Martial King cultivation and has a vengeful personality. He has already declared that he will avenge his brother and find the true culprit.]

[White Intelligence: Mace, the leader of the Green Fish Bandits, was originally named Mei Yingxue. She was once the concubine of a certain coastal merchant guild's president. Unable to endure the bullying of the president's primary wife and the abuse from the president himself, she secretly plotted with outsiders to kill the president. After making off with a large amount of wealth, she became a bandit and gradually became a regional pirate leader through her ruthlessness and strength.]

[Black Intelligence: In the deep sea area ahead of the current route (approximately eight hundred li away), a 'Deep Sea Giant Squid Beast' has been awakened by abnormal submarine volcanic activity. Its strength is equivalent to the Martial Emperor level, and its temperament is extremely unstable. It is likely to actively attack passing ships. It is recommended to immediately deviate significantly from the current route and detour by at least three hundred nautical miles.]

"Sasaki's brother... a Late Stage Martial King?!" Qin Feng's pupils contracted, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. A Sasaki at the Early Stage Peak of the Martial King realm had almost wiped them out; now a brother at the Late Stage was coming. This grudge was too deep!

Mace's background also surprised him; no wonder she acted so decisively and ruthlessly.

And when he saw the final [Black Intelligence], Qin Feng's scalp went numb!

"Deep Sea Giant Squid Beast... Martial Emperor level?!" He almost gasped. A Martial Emperor! That was a being truly standing at the Peak of the Martial Dao, capable of founding a sect and dominating a region! Encountering such a terrifying sea beast in this vast ocean was an absolute death sentence!

"Uh... could it be that the System only gives a Black Warning for this kind of absolute danger that can instantly annihilate the entire fleet with no chance of resistance?" Qin Feng felt a wave of lingering fear and powerlessness. The previous battle on Black Reef Island, though tragic, still had a sliver of hope, so it was only a Yellow Warning. But this squid beast was a true natural disaster-level threat!

He immediately rushed out of the cabin, ignoring the lateness of the hour, and found Steward Liu and Captain Zhang Yuan on duty.

"Immediately! Right now! Change course! To the right... no, hard to port! Deviate from the current route and detour by at least three hundred nautical miles! Fast!" Qin Feng's tone was more urgent and serious than ever before.

Although Steward Liu and Zhang Yuan didn't understand why, seeing Qin Feng's extremely solemn and even slightly terrified expression, they didn't dare to delay. They immediately issued the orders, and the massive ten thousand seas began to slowly turn in the night.

Standing by the ship's rail, looking at the pitch-black sea that seemed to harbor endless danger, Qin Feng clenched his fists tightly.

Ahead was the threat of revenge from a Late Stage Martial King powerhouse, and beneath the deep sea lurked a terrifying Martial Emperor-level sea beast.

This seemingly calm ocean was far more fraught with peril than he had imagined.