I Don't Agree to the Terms

Fang Jin woke up in a daze, her head throbbing slightly and her nose, throat, and even her lungs were painfully irritated.

She vaguely recalled someone telling her to cover her mouth and nose, but she was a step too slow; a horrendous stench instantly dominated her thoughts, and then she passed out.

Upon waking up, she saw the young man who had saved her, calling her "Auntie," frantically scrubbing his right hand.

"You're awake. How are you feeling? Anything wrong?" Wang Qi had noticed Fang Jin's recovery and without turning around, remarked that the smell on his right hand had not yet dissipated.

"No, I... wait, why has my voice become like this?" Fang Jin's expression changed. Her voice used to be sharp and clear, but now it was hoarse, like an old woman's, resembling nothing of its former tone.

"Oh, it's from the fumes; it'll get better in a couple of days. Oh, and your hair too. But the hair is due to stress, and the throat is damaged," Wang Qi said, indicating his experience with such matters.

Hair? Fang Jin found herself puzzled, reaching up to touch it, only to discover that all her hair had become stiff and stood on end, so hard that forcing it down would snap it off.

At this revelation, Fang Jin's face paled. What in the world was that, to have such lethal effects?

She naturally understood that Wang Qi had used that thing to deal with their pursuers.

Otherwise, the two of them would have already been captured, rather than waking from unconsciousness and frantically washing hands to the extent of peeling off a layer of skin.

"So, have we now escaped the Godslayer Alliance's pursuit?" Fang Jin asked.

"Pretty much. Right now, we're both on the same boat, and you needn't worry about dragging me into trouble, as I'm already involved. Mind introducing yourself?" Wang Qi inquired.

After a moment's hesitation, Fang Jin decided to introduce herself.

She was originally the daughter of Wangjing Island's Royal Family, leading a lush and fulfilling life, a real winner in life besides her husband's early demise.

However, after the Godslayer Alliance usurped their place and killed her father, she, a sea dweller, not a landlubber, constantly explored and adventured at sea. Furthermore, her own sea community had been wiped out. Had she not escaped by luck, she wouldn't now be pursued.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. The key was that she had discovered a Divine being imprisoned on Wangjing Island. The top officials of the Godslayer Alliance were using live humans to sacrifice to this Divine being, trying to seize its power, a piece of intelligence her father had passed on before dying.

But her return was not to avenge her father. Instead, she needed a way to rescue her son.

Even though she roamed the seas, she had a son, whom her father from the Royal Family was raising as a hands-off Shopkeeper.

"That's quite difficult. If you just go like that, it's almost like seeking death," Wang Qi said, understanding why despite Fang Jin's capabilities, her behavior could seem eccentric. She was considered superior, and that, combined with her father's arrangements, meant everything was tailored to accommodate her.

Thus, though not sharp in perceiving social cues, her lack of political acumen didn't imply a lack of intelligence. In fact, in the field of navigation, she even outshone Wang Qi.

"You can help me, right?" At this point, Fang Jin felt desperate; she had been thinking that even death would not prevent her return.

Seeing now that Wang Qi had the capability, she glimpsed hope.

"What do you think?" Wang Qi could only ask Gu Shanhai.

"How should I look? From within a bottle, none of my concern," Gu Shanhai replied truthfully.

"This is no different than entering a perilous den, but you said her talent is immense, very valuable, and I don't want to just give up."

"So, boss, I'm begging you to save her..."

Wang Qi, who had been by Gu Shanhai's side, had developed a significant skill: to cling to powerful coattails.

When unsure, cling to powerful coattails; when in danger, do the same.

Regarding the excessive reliance on Gu Shanhai potentially affecting his independence, Wang Qi scoffed at the notion. The group of sea dwellers with Transcendent abilities, if not assisted by Gu Shanhai, would have been annihilated by the Divine beings long ago. He felt no shame in clinging to such a powerful figure.

"I'm saving your head! I predict the future, not alter it. This clearly looks like a deadly endeavor," Gu Shanhai quipped, not thinking himself omnipotent.

"There is still a way out here, boss. Please help, and next time an opportunity arises, I will exterminate the Godslayer Alliance to avenge you," Wang Qi pleaded unabashedly.

"Alright, but first I have to calculate whether her son is alive; if he's dead, speaking further is useless," Gu Shanhai didn't commit immediately but made some calculations.

Normally, someone of importance like him wouldn't die easily.

After calculating, indeed he wasn't dead, but his condition wasn't good, having gone from a young master to doing menial tasks, suffering intermittent hunger and myriad difficulties daily while dealing with sails, a truly laborious life.

Luckily, there was good news. He had been stripped of his land dweller status and was located at the port, making a rescue relatively feasible.