I Don't Agree to the Terms

"Don't move, if you make a sound, you're done for."

Fang Chen felt someone seize his throat and cover his mouth and nose.

However, he didn't make a sound. He was not a native of the land and lacked any Transcendent powers. It would be futile to resist, especially given his current situation, it was certain that those who had come for him were not from the Godslayer Alliance.

Perhaps he could take advantage of this opportunity to escape the slavery of the Godslayer Alliance.

He only felt himself being lifted and then carried away.

The patrolling members of the Godslayer Alliance didn't notice the two of them until they reached the port, where they dove headfirst into the sea.

The icy water almost froze Fang Chen's thoughts, but his mind still laboriously turned, pondering who might be kidnapping him.

Struggling would be useless; he knew all too well what struggling in the sea would lead to. The kidnapper, likely being a Transcendent, might not suffer any consequences and could even possess the ability to breathe underwater, but he did not. If he were to struggle, he would only end up a floating corpse in the sea.

Moreover, judging by the way the other person was handling him, they were likely not an enemy; the prior threat was simply to prevent any sudden movements.

After a while, they boarded a boat, and Fang Chen could finally see the other person clearly. It was a burly man with an unexpectedly youthful face.

"Chen'er, you've returned," a familiar voice called out, and Fang Chen saw his mother.

"Mother, how are you here!" Fang Chen was also shocked, knowing after seeing Fang Jin that he had made a narrow escape.

Seeing this, Wang Qi didn't delay the mother and son's reunion and instead steered the boat away. He had managed to rescue Fang Chen so smoothly thanks to the plan designed by Gu Shanhai; it was a bloodless victory.

Otherwise, how easy could it be? Merely getting past the patrols and guards was difficult enough, and even if the Godslayer Alliance didn't care about Fang Chen, it would be no easy feat for an ordinary person to infiltrate their ranks.

With the rescue accomplished, they certainly had to make their getaway.

'Next time, I will definitely rescue the boss's true form,' Wang Qi thought guiltily. Gu Shanhai had helped him a lot, but now when he was so close, he was powerless, which led to his complex thoughts.

The mother and son communicated briefly, catching each other up on a great deal.

Afterward, they knelt down with a plop: "Thank you, benefactor, for rescuing my son."

"It's what I should do; no need for such a formal gesture. After all, as per our previous agreement, you're to be a crew member for me, and there's also a condition you have to agree to—you can't renege on that," Wang Qi said.

"Of course, if my mother has promised, then there will be no issue," Fang Chen would certainly not go back on his word. The other party had risked their life to save him; claiming to expect nothing in return would be suspicious.

"Good to agree," Wang Qi replied before going off to make preparations. If the two had refused just now, Wang Qi was ready to kill them and dispose of the bodies.

Indeed, he really was risking his life to save someone, but that didn't conflict with his willingness to eliminate someone if they didn't comply.

Saving someone was to turn them into one of his own. If they couldn't become one of his own, they were the enemy, and killing them was only normal.

The two were completely unaware that they had narrowly avoided a disaster.

Once the preparations for the Tribute were complete, Wang Qi then explained to the two the situation regarding the true form of Gu Shanhai, the "Heavenly Emperor."

"What, the Heavenly Emperor?!"

Fang Chen was unfazed, but Fang Jin reflexively blurted out in shock.

"That's right, the Divine being imprisoned on Wangjing Island by the Godslayer Alliance. He is a Good God who originally protected us all. Even the Godslayer Alliance was formed with His aid, but the higher-ups, greedy for the Heavenly Emperor's power to become gods, took advantage of His kindness and imprisoned Him. They then secretly pledged their allegiance to those Evil Gods," Wang Qi said calmly.

"No wonder, no wonder the Godslayer Alliance suddenly took action; so that's how it is," Fang Jin muttered to herself. She had thought the events on Wangjing Island were a sign of the Godslayer Alliance's treachery, but she hadn't expected these people to be even more monstrous, aspiring to become gods themselves. No wonder they withstood the pressure from Divine beings.

They had obviously surrendered, offering themselves as a Trophy to be the pets of Divine beings, which is why there wasn't the same large-scale slaughter as before.

Fang Chen didn't know much, but he too gleaned some of the truth from their conversation.

"My goal is the Godslayer Alliance and to free the Heavenly Emperor so He can deal with those Evil Gods. More and more Evil Gods are being released by the Godslayer Alliance as Deities opposed to the Evil Gods, and you two also have a deep-seated vendetta against the Godslayer Alliance. So, bound together, I trust you won't betray me," said Wang Qi.

His meaning was clear – he had laid his intentions on the table, revealing even the fact that he paid Tribute to a Divine being. Since the pair also had a vendetta against the Godslayer Alliance, wasn't this the time for them to demonstrate their resolve?

Besides, opposing the Godslayer Alliance required strength, and other Divine beings could not be trusted, but the Heavenly Emperor could be.