Shackles of Humanity

Luo Kai nodded. True, with Shisan’s abilities, he would certainly be fine.

”Second Brother, you said you were rescued by the Dragon Shark Pirates?”

”Yes. I returned to the mainland with the first group of pirates to be granted amnesty. I heard your name as soon as I arrived in Longyang City, Third Brother. I was planning to look for you in a few days, but I didn’t expect you to find me first,” Li Gui replied with a smile.

Staring at Li Gui’s newly young and handsome face, Luo Kai said in amazement, ”How did your appearance change so much?”

Li Gui touched his own face and sighed. ”Sigh... I won’t hide it from you, Third Brother. This is my true appearance. Back on Nanya Island, I had no choice but to use a Secret Technique that drained my life force to survive. It made me grow old prematurely, and I’ve only just recovered in the past two years.” As he spoke, a venomous light flashed in his eyes, and his face twisted involuntarily. Clearly, the price for such a life-draining technique was immense; recovery could never have been so simple.

Luo Kai continued to ask, ”So, is this Elemental Coral a real thing?”

Li Gui was exceptionally skilled at controlling his emotions. His expression instantly returned to a state of calm as he nodded. ”That’s right. The Grand Commander of the Dragon Shark Pirates obtained a fruit from an Elemental Coral in his youth, which gave him the power to manipulate water. That’s how he was able to dominate the South Sea. This piece of Elemental Coral is a cutting from the branch that bore that fruit!”

”Can people really control water?” Luo Kai asked doubtfully.

”Of course. Some powerful Elemental Masters can even move mountains. During the great war against the Fierce Beasts long ago, several Great Elemental Masters erected an entire fortress overnight. Though Elemental Masters are rare, they represent humanity’s greatest fighting force!”

Luo Kai felt a sense of longing. ”Can an ordinary person become an Elemental Master?”

Li Gui explained, ”Elemental Masters are divided into Innate and Acquired. Innate abilities are self-explanatory, but becoming an Acquired one requires a stroke of luck. For instance, consuming the fruit of an Elemental Coral or undergoing a genetic mutation both offer a chance to awaken some form of Elemental Power! Of course, some Races are different. With the Sea Race, for example, nearly one-third of their newborns have a chance of awakening the Power of Water Element. A Great Elemental Master from the Sea Race is terrifying. It’s said they can summon clouds and rain with a mere wave of their hand!”

Luo Kai’s mind drifted to Shui Su. ’Could the mysterious Power Shui Su used during my Bone Forging have been this kind of Elemental Power?’

”Unfortunately, the anomalous materials that can awaken Elemental Power in ordinary humans are exceedingly rare. These things can only form under a unique confluence of events. The core of the Elemental Coral was likely an unusual piece of metal from a subterranean volcano. After an undersea eruption brought it to the surface, it was colonized by coral polyps. Exposed to the wind and sun day after day, and because it possessed the Five Elements Power—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—it gradually fused into a strange life form. The offshoots that split from it, the ’fruits,’ are what hold the power to change life.”

’The evolutionary potential of life is truly terrifying,’ Luo Kai marveled to himself. ’Even back in my previous life, some creatures had strange abilities. Electric eels, for instance, could generate bio-electricity, and there was a species of lizard that could induce a chemical reaction in its body to spew fire and smoke.’

Afterward, the two of them drank tea and shared what they had been through over the past year.

Luo Kai briefly recounted his experiences over the past year, holding nothing back.

When he heard that Luo Kai had killed quite a few Black-clothed Guards, Li Gui frowned. ”The Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold is extremely powerful. You need to be careful, Third Brother.”

Li Gui had been rescued by the Dragon Shark Pirates. Relying on his sharp intellect, he thrived among them and even secured a position as a Staff Officer. He was the one who orchestrated their acceptance of the amnesty from the Great Lord of the Xingma Kingdom. After arriving in Longyang County, he collaborated with the Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold and the City Lord’s Mansion to establish the Dragon Shark Trading Group, dedicated to suppressing the Black Stone Trading Group. If all went well, they would soon replace the Black Stone Trading Group to become one of the three powers in control of Longyang County.

Luo Kai was surprised to learn that Li Gui was the mastermind behind the Dragon Shark Pirates. The pirates had always been notorious; it would be terrible if they established a firm foothold on land. But he couldn’t be bothered to get involved in such matters. He was only worried about what would happen to Xiaozhuo if the Black Stone Trading Group were to fall.

Li Gui was well aware of what Luo Kai had been doing in Longyang City. He changed the subject, ”Third Brother, I know you have a decent relationship with the Black Stone Trading Group. Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll spare Zang Haisheng and his family. Letting them live out their days quietly as a wealthy family is a fine outcome.”

Luo Kai stood and bowed to Li Gui. ”Then I thank you, Second Brother.”

Li Gui smiled and waved his hand dismissively. ”It’s a small matter. Third Brother, do you know what’s become of Nanya Island?”

”What?”

Li Gui sighed softly. ”That Tri-Eyed Race Prison Director is truly something else. He actually managed to purchase two Giant KUN-class Battleships from the Dongyuan Upper Country and establish a powerful fleet. Now, even the South Sea Pirates have no choice but to steer clear of them. Nanya Island has become a formidable military fortress. It has its own ironworks and armament factories, making it not only self-sufficient but also an exporter to other countries!”

Luo Kai had little interest in such things and just gave a slight nod.

But Li Gui leaned in conspiratorially. ”Third Brother, do you know who funded the construction of the factories on Nanya Island?”

Luo Kai asked, puzzled, ”Who?”

”It’s a Black Stone Heavy Industry enterprise. Even the iron ore previously mined on Nanya Island was sold to Black Stone Heavy Industry! That Zang Haisheng is no ordinary man. In this contest between the three powers of Longyang County, it’s still anyone’s guess who will come out on top!”

Li Gui’s face was flushed with excitement. Clearly, these power struggles were his life’s passion, whereas Luo Kai found them completely uninteresting.

Li Gui was an excellent judge of character and an expert at reading people. Seeing that Luo Kai had no interest in these topics, he said, ”For us brothers to meet again like this is truly fate. Your Second Brother has managed to build up some wealth over the years. If you need anything, Third Brother, just say the word.”

Luo Kai smiled and said, ”There’s no need. I’ve got no one to feed but myself, so I don’t have any particular needs.”

Li Gui considered this for a moment, then said, ”A moment ago, I saw you were quite interested in the Genetic Potion, Third Brother. I have a few connections and could probably get my hands on some.”

Luo Kai quickly waved his hand in refusal. ”No, Second Brother. You’re acting as if you owe me something!”

Li Gui’s voice grew serious. ”If it weren’t for you and Eldest Brother, I would have died long ago. So don’t stand on ceremony with me. After this deal is done, the ten Genetic Potions will be yours.”

Luo Kai was taken aback. ”What do you mean? Weren’t we supposed to split them?”

Li Gui chuckled. ”Third Brother, I’ll be honest with you. Even without anyone else, I could easily get that piece of Elemental Coral myself. I was just worried about being found out afterward, so I found a few scapegoats.”

Luo Kai felt a prickle of displeasure, but that was just how this world worked. It was a contest of who had the better schemes—or, to put it another way, who had the blacker heart.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, ”What if the other three find out? Won’t they come looking for trouble afterward?”

Li Gui’s expression turned icy, and he sneered. ”Hmph. If I’m not mistaken, they’ll be the ones to leak this information. A deal of mine in the past was supposed to be foolproof, but a traitor sold me out, and that’s how I ended up in the prison on Nanya Island. The mastermind behind it must be a member of the Hunter Guild. The She Mountain Three Tigers are registered hunters with the Guild. They’re powerful; individually, none of them are weaker than a proper Martial Artist. They are the perfect bait to lure out the person pulling the strings.”