Above the mage!

Chapter 511 Hanging Lamp

Sarah is certainly not a fool.

In Gaode's understanding, there is currently only one person who has reached this level of mage and is called a fool: David Jones.

This pirate king was infamous for his cunning, treachery, and ruthlessness.

Gaode's direct contact with him was just that one time, lasting only a few seconds.

He didn't realize how cunning the other party was at all; on the contrary, he thought they were incredibly stupid.
As for why they chose to save Sarah instead of killing her along with them to gain a new source point...

From a moral standpoint, Gao De was never a bloodthirsty person.

Although he has been in this world for several years and has been able to integrate into it, understand the operating rules of the extraordinary world, and has no psychological barrier to killing, his fundamental nature of lawful good will not easily change.

Of course, this is not the decisive factor.

Frankly speaking, what truly influenced his choice was consideration of self-interest.

What can you gain by killing Sarah?
[Good Luck], [Bad Luck], and some extraordinary equipment, as well as 1/7 of the Five Rings Origin Points.

There is nothing else besides that.

Moreover, although the "Good Luck" and "Bad Luck" effects are strong, Gao De is ultimately not a mage who follows this style, so they are actually somewhat useless to him.

Furthermore, while these benefits are certainly tempting, they are ultimately one-time only.

What would we gain by saving Sarah?

It's hard to say; there is certainly a risk of the farmer and the snake.

But it's more likely that they will reap huge benefits.

As long as Sarah isn't a truly wicked person, then this act of saving her life is an immense favor.

At least according to Gaode's judgment, Sarah is not a treacherous or ruthless person.

Given the choice between two extraordinary pieces of equipment and a huge favor from a fifth-ring mage, anyone could understand the choice.

Furthermore, it should be noted that David is dead, and in a sense, he could be considered to have "died" at Sarah's hands.

With this record, is it highly likely that Sarah could replace Davy Jones in Black Sails and take over this city of sin?
If Sarah really succeeds, the benefits and advantages that Gaode could gain from befriending the uncrowned king of a famous black market city would be immeasurable.

Putting aside other things, for at least a long time, he would no longer have to worry about the sale and purchase of supplies in the North.

In a well-established country like the Plantagenet Kingdom, Gord has long treaded on thin ice when it comes to trade with the North.

But no matter how much you try to cover it up or exploit loopholes, there will always be some clues left behind.

These traces are like buried landmines, which could be detonated at any time in the future.

If a shipping route to the Blue Flame Islands can be established, these problems and hidden dangers will no longer exist.

Black Sails City was originally a trading city and black market city built in the gray area. Here, no one cares about the origin of the goods; they only care about the value of the goods themselves.

If all the production and sales channels in the North could be transferred here, not only would the hidden dangers be eliminated, but the industry could also be fully unleashed and developed.

Furthermore, in this place, as long as you can afford the price, merchants from all over the world will bring you the treasures you need.

Whether it's the raw materials needed for building and developing the North, the tree species needed for developing Flora Forest, or the potion materials and auxiliary treasures needed for the mage's own training, they can all be obtained relatively easily in Black Sails City.

This city, which brings together merchants from all over the world, is a treasure trove in itself.

Another important point is that the head of Davy Jones was worth 38 goldbird coins.

At this moment, David's body lay sprawled in the blue flames of Ash Isle, and the astronomical bounty seemed within easy reach.

The problem is that not just anyone who produces David's head can easily obtain this enormous reward.

Under normal circumstances, the person who is awarded a bounty is not expected to default on the reward.

Since someone capable of killing David head-on should, in theory, be at least a fifth-ring mage of the same rank as David.

A powerful fifth-ring mage is someone those who have offered bounties for would naturally not dare to offend, and there would be no question of them reneging on their promises.

However, the process by which Gao De killed Davy Jones was not only a lucky break, but also full of drama and unconventional methods.

In this situation, for a second-ring mage to try and claim the bounty alone would be tantamount to possessing a treasure that invites trouble, and would inevitably attract countless covetous eyes.

So, saving Sarah, aside from anything else, at least allows us to redeem this astronomical bounty in Sarah's name.

From a purely profit-driven perspective, killing Sarah was a foolish and short-sighted choice, like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Saving the "chicken" would mean a continuous supply of eggs, unless Sarah is a stingy miser.

The sea breeze, carrying the scent of Ash Isle, rushed towards them. God carried Sarah on his back and flew at full speed until they were completely away from Ash Isle before he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Are you still holding on?" Gao De asked with concern.

However, his inquiry went unanswered.

Gao De's heart tightened, and he turned his head slightly in surprise to look at Sarah, who had buried her head in his shoulder. He then realized that she had already closed her eyes, lost consciousness, and fallen into a coma.

Even while unconscious, Sarah's face was contorted with pain, her brows furrowed, her lips pressed into pale lines, and her mouth occasionally trembled slightly from the intense pain.

This delicate appearance is inconsistent with her usual demeanor and temperament, but it creates a sense of contrast, making her even more charming.

Upon seeing this, Gao De's brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.

Of course, it wasn't that he was overly emotional and felt sorry for Sarah, but rather...
This is the "laying hen" on which I have placed my high hopes; I can't afford to let anything happen to her!

He wanted to help.

The problem is that Sarah's injury lies in damage to her soul.

In this situation, Gaode is powerless to help and can only wait for Sarah to recover on her own using her expertise.

"You'd better pull through, or I'll lose everything," Gao De muttered to himself before flying toward the location of the Fire Blade.

In the instant he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a huge black shadow floating on the sea out of the corner of his eye.

Its silhouette resembled a colossal beast lurking in the deep sea, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the twilight.

A thought struck Gao De, and he quickly activated his Mandora's Eye, seeing the outline of the giant beast. It turned out to be a terrifying warship.

From the flags and markings on the warship, God immediately guessed its origin: the Iron Crown, the flagship that David had seized from the Holy Empire.

While he was scavenging for treasure on the island, a lot happened outside, Gao De thought to himself.

However, all of this was expected; otherwise, David would not have appeared on Ash Isle. There must have been many twists and turns in his plans.

Ignoring the Iron Crown for the moment, Gao De flew straight towards the Fire Knife with Sarah.

As the distance shortened, the figures moving on the deck gradually became clearer. When he landed on the deck, the bounty hunters who had been waiting immediately surrounded him.

The one in the lead was Baozai. His expression changed drastically as he looked at Sarah, who was lying unconscious on Gao De's back, and asked repeatedly, "What's going on? What happened?"

Baozai remained relatively calm, while some of the less intelligent and short-tempered individuals displayed anger and anxiety on their faces, their gazes towards Gaode already carrying an unfriendly intent.

Fortunately, no one was really stupid enough to think that Gaode was responsible for Sarah's condition, and no one dared to walk into a trap. They were just eager to come and catch Sarah, saying, "This is our boss, we'll take care of her."

Gao De had no objections and prepared to put Sarah down from his back.

Just as one of them was about to touch Sarah, Sarah, who had been unconscious with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Although her face was still pale, her gaze was firm, and her tone was deep and quick, "He can take care of me."

Upon hearing this, Gao De shrugged at the mage who came forward to take Sarah. "Come with me," Bao Zai said quickly.

He led Gao De into a quiet cabin, where a pot of sea thorns sat by the window and a large painting hung on the wall.

Gao De carefully placed Sarah on the padded bed, but she did not lie down. Instead, she sat upright against the headboard, her pale fingers gripping the edge of the bed tightly to keep herself steady.

“David is dead,” she said to Baozai, her breath coming in short gasps.

Baozai, who had been looking anxious, froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning.

His expression shifted rapidly, sometimes angry, sometimes pleased, sometimes bewildered.
Finally, Baozai said in a dry voice, "Miss, you still managed to do it."

“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been able to come back,” Sarah shook her head, turning her gaze to God beside her, “let alone get revenge.”

what? !

Clearly, this news was completely unexpected for Baozai, compared to the previous one, leaving him utterly astonished.

He looked at Sarah, then at the calm-looking God, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

What level of conflict was between David and Sarah?

Even he wasn't qualified to get involved.

How did Gaode, such an unremarkable mage, manage to achieve this?
Moreover, judging from Sarah's tone, it seems that Gaode played a decisive role in all of this?!

"Why were you there, and how were you able to get away unharmed?" Sarah asked, staring at the calm-faced God.

This question had troubled her for a long time.

On Ash Isle, the question arose in her mind the moment she saw God emerge from the blue flames.

"Didn't you already give me the answer?" Gao De laughed.

"You already gave the answer?" Sarah paused, finally remembering what she had said: "[It's not impossible that some specialization could make a mage immune to this blue flame damage]."

The doubt in her eyes slowly disappeared, replaced by a sense of relief.

"Looks like I'm really lucky." Sarah smiled faintly and repeated what she had said on Ash Isle.

"Good luck doesn't favor fools." Gao De also said that.

After this conversation, the two remained silent for a moment.

“Miss, the Iron Crown is still watching us from outside. Should we hurry up and leave?” Baozai finally couldn’t help but ask cautiously, breaking the silence, after looking at Sarah who seemed lost in thought and then at Gao De who was calm and composed.

David is dead, but the threat from the Iron Crown is not yet gone.

Sarah's current condition is visibly dire.

In Baozai's opinion, the best course of action is to avoid direct confrontation.

Sarah thought for a moment, then turned her gaze to Gao De, "Could I trouble you for one more thing?"

“Tell me, I’ll do my best,” Gao De said calmly.

Although he hadn't had much contact with Sarah, he could tell that she was someone who didn't like to trouble others, and even less liked to owe others favors.

Now that she owes him such a huge debt of gratitude for saving her life, the reason she can still "have the nerve" to ask him for help again is probably only one: in Sarah's eyes, this debt of gratitude is too heavy to repay, so she simply stops worrying about the details.

Iron Crown

The watchtower, like the single eye of a giant beast, stands atop the mainmast.

The lookout in charge of reconnaissance kept a close eye on Ash Isle, monitoring whether the Fire Knife would evacuate as required within the stipulated time.

But clearly, for the previous few hours, the other side of the bay had remained deathly silent.

The lookout wasn't surprised. He licked his chapped lips and thought to himself:
If the Gold Coin Hunters were such cowards, they wouldn't have risen so powerfully in Black Sails City.

At least until the deadline, the lookouts thought the Gold Hunters wouldn't make any moves.

However, something completely unexpected happened.

In his view, the Fire Knife was slowly sailing out of the bay where it was moored, and the trail of its hull cutting through the waves was clearly visible.

Are they chickening out and want to retreat?
The lookout instinctively had this thought pop into his head.

wrong!

He soon realized he was wrong, because after the Fire Knife left the bay, it was heading in the direction of their Iron Crown.

What are they trying to do? Are they going to start a war right now?

While speculating about the Fire Knife's purpose, the lookout had already sounded the alarm.

Before long, Karen Skullbreaker, the vice-leader of the Bloodsail Pirates, arrived at the lookout tower.

"what's the situation?"

The lookout quickly reported his discovery.

Karen Split-Head said nothing, went to the binoculars, pushed the lookout aside, and began to observe through the binoculars.

At that moment, the Fire Knife stopped and ceased its advance.

While Karen Skullbreaker was still trying to figure out the other party's intentions, he witnessed a scene that horrified him.

Through the lens, the outline of the Fire Knife became clearer and clearer, and the busy figures on the deck and the neatly arranged gun barrels were clearly visible.

Just as he was pondering the other party's intentions, the ship suddenly stopped two nautical miles away on the sea, its sails slowly lowered halfway, assuming a strange standoff posture.

"What the hell?" Karen's eyes narrowed to slits.

He would absolutely not believe that the Fireblade was there to start a war.

In Black Sails City, no ship can rival the Iron Crown.

Just as he was pondering this, a chilling sight suddenly appeared in his binoculars.

On the Fire Knife, the spare sail ropes that were originally rolled up were pulled taut by the sailors.

The next second, a dark shadow slowly rose from the horizontal bar of the Fire Knife.

The dark figure was bound by heavy iron chains, its arms outstretched in a cross shape.

As the winch turned, the dark figure was hoisted higher and higher until it finally stopped at the top of the mast, like a sacrifice hanging on a gallows.

“That is…” Karen’s throat was suddenly gripped by an invisible hand, making it difficult for her to breathe.

From the Ironcrown, a top-of-the-line alchemical telescope magnifies every detail:

The shadowy figure's naked body was covered with scorch marks from lightning strikes, and in some places, you could even see the charred and cracked bones. The whole person looked like charred charcoal that had been thrown into a furnace and forged, swaying slightly in the sea breeze, devoid of any life.

But his signature hooked nose still stood out prominently on his head.

The redness on the tip of his nose had long been replaced by a charred blackish-brown, and the hideous old wound that stretched from his brow bone to his jaw was now covered with charred charcoal dust.

Most chillingly, the corpse's neck was pierced by a specially made iron hook, and the end of the chain was wrapped around a pulley at the top of the mast, suspending the charred body in mid-air.

—This is the Black Sails' cruelest punishment, the "Hanging Lantern," specifically used to warn traitors and enemies!

Davy Jones!
Their leader, the uncrowned king who struck fear into the Blue Flame Islands and the pirate king whom even the Holy Empire could not subdue, had now become a "sky lantern" on the mast of the Fireblade!
Karen felt a chill run down her spine and straight to the top of her head!

(End of this chapter)