Chapter 254: Chapter 248: "5 Fresh Sea Beast Carcasses?

The sun shone upon the Endless Ocean.

Aboard a majestic and imposing Wandering Ship.

"General, regarding the trade for this A-grade sea beast carcass, why don’t you let your subordinate handle it? I can take a small boat. There’s no need for you to go to the trouble yourself."

The loyal subordinate offered his advice, standing behind the broad-shouldered general of the Asahi.

Transactions on the Endless Ocean lacked any guarantee of safety.

Although King-level Wandering Ships conducted strength verifications when registering Hunter terminals, no one could guarantee the original owner was still the one using the terminal after the fact. For a general-class Wandering Ship, traveling two thousand nautical miles for an unsecured trade was a very unwise decision.

But the loyal subordinate would never question his general’s choice.

The general was a beacon on the sea.

To this subordinate, the general cast a shadow like an Iron Tower. Her body was as majestic as a monolith, an unyielding battle flag in the sea breeze, a brilliantly rising sun.

The female general who commanded this general-class Wandering Ship!

Jin Riyi.

She turned to face her subordinate. Her features, sharp as if carved from iron, held none of a woman’s delicate softness, only the acuity and fortitude forged by harsh weather and the great sea. When the Wandering Era began, she was just a child. Now, thirty years had passed in the blink of an eye, and she had become a renowned female general of the sea.

"It’s fine. I haven’t been to the Sea of Soaring Dragons in a long time. This is a good opportunity to visit Da Yu and catch up with a few of my old ’uncles’."

"Prepare the Pure Dome Crystals. I want to meet this Hunter myself."

Anyone who could so easily slay an A-grade Profound Nether Yu Jing couldn’t possibly be a nobody.

Of course, the possibility of a trap couldn’t be ruled out.

But if it was a trap, her Asahi was no pushover.

...

...

...

"Captain, they’re here."

In the distance, Shi Ming saw a colossal ship, over five hundred meters long, gradually appear from the edge of the ocean. Looking through a viewing scope, he could faintly make out a woman with a heroic bearing standing on the observation deck, like the very soul of the great vessel.

The Asahi was also famous, but not for the kind of infamy the Black Society ships had.

Trading with such a well-known Wandering Ship, and in Da Yu’s territory no less, meant there was little need to worry. Of course, Shi Ming wasn’t worried to begin with. He was focused on his own growth and couldn’t be bothered to stir up trouble, but he wasn’t afraid of it either. If anyone was blind enough to try and bully him, the outcome went without saying.

Prince Atte of the *Son of the Sun* was a prime example.

At that moment, the deck of the Da Yun, several dozen meters long, was lined with the carcasses of sea beasts. Aside from the A-grade sea beast, the others had all been hunted by his crew.

The lowest among them were B-grade sea beasts.

C-grade sea beast bodies didn’t fetch a good price and took up space. After a kill, the Right Arm Red Pattern would typically absorb their energy. The choicest parts were kept as ingredients for cooking, while the rest of the carcass was either used quickly as bait or returned to the sea. They were never left on the ship for long.

The Asahi slowly drew near.

Its hull was five or six times the size of the Da Yun. The two ships met on the vast ocean, one large and one small, creating a stark contrast. Though the Da Yun appeared to be just a Silver Wandering Ship, its presence was in no way inferior. Shi Ming stood at the bow as well, a smile on his face as he watched his guests approach from afar.

General Jin piloted a small boat over from the Asahi, accompanied by five trusted aides. As an A-grade Awakened herself, she had no fear of any potential plots against her.

"General Jin, I’ve long heard of your reputation."

"I didn’t expect you to come in person for such a simple trade."

As the seller, such pleasantries were a must.

Meanwhile, General Jin of the Asahi looked at the five sea beast carcasses laid out neatly on the deck of this unremarkable Wandering Ship, and was, for a moment, rather surprised.

The largest one was the A-grade sea beast, the Profound Nether Yu Jing.

Judging by their imposing forms, the others were B-grade sea beasts at the very least.

Most importantly, they were all extremely fresh.

Some of the cuts were still coated in a thin layer of ice crystals. The butchered meat showed no trace of the decay that comes from being stored too long. It was as if they were the freshest catch pulled straight from the water by fishermen at the seafood markets she visited with her father as a child!

’Killed to order!’

General Jin narrowed her eyes.

’When did such a formidable Hunter ever appear in the Sea of Soaring Dragons?’

’Who is he?’

’Even the Rong Bing of the Kunwu would have a hard time killing this many sea beasts in such a short period, wouldn’t they?’

’And he’s piloting a mere Silver ship?’

’But... the more I look at this Silver ship, the more I feel a sense of déjà vu.’

’I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.’

’The trade is what’s important right now.’

"Are you Peerless Firepower?" General Jin asked in a clear voice.

???

’Peerless Firepower? What?’

"Captain, ’Peerless Firepower’ is the ID I registered for the Hunter terminal..."

Shi Ming’s mouth twitched.

’Your taste in names is a far cry from mine.’

"That’s me. General Jin, the sea beast you reserved has been prepared for you. One A-grade Profound Nether Yu Jing, a complete carcass, not even a single tail is missing. It’s perfect for research. And after you’re done studying it, eating its meat can increase your crew’s Physical Strength and Defense Power. For 300 Pure Dome Crystals, it’s a bargain."

Shi Ming explained.

Jin Riyi pointed to the other sea beasts.

"These other sea beasts—did you hunt them to sell as well?"

"Yes!"

Shi Ming replied.

He hadn’t found buyers for these B-grade sea beast carcasses yet.

Sea beast carcasses without blood weren’t particularly popular. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

In truth, Shi Ming could have easily avoided touching the sea beasts’ wounds during the hunt, leaving some active blood inside, which would have sent the selling price soaring. However, these few were ordinary-sized sea beasts, and their blood wasn’t enough to trigger an Awakening in multiple people. This was especially true for the Iron Blood Golden Claw; aside from having a lot of meat, it didn’t have much blood to begin with.

"If you’re interested, General, I can sell them to you as a bundle at a 20% discount. Also, I have another A-grade sea beast on board, an Iron Blood Golden Claw, though its two large claws are damaged. As a show of goodwill between our ships, I can sell it to you for just 100 Pure Dome Crystals."

’Two A-grade sea beasts?’

’Since when were A-grade sea beasts in the Sea of Soaring Dragons this easy to catch?’

’This man is only in his early twenties, and his Wandering Ship is completely unremarkable. He doesn’t look like a High-Tier Awakener at all. Could he be a relative of one of the Rong Bing, abusing his connections to secretly sell off sea beasts caught by the Kunwu?’

She thought she had seen through to the truth of the matter.

But naturally, she wouldn’t call him out on it. Regardless, to be able to produce so many sea beasts, he had to have either real strength or a powerful background. It was best not to provoke such a person in the Sea of Soaring Dragons.

"Alright!"

"Young man, for someone your age, your strength is admirable. The Asahi will take the one and a half A-grade sea beasts! And that most complete B-grade one. Bundle them up and name your price."

"The General is decisive! 400 Pure Dome Crystals, and I’ll throw in that B-grade sea beast as a gift."

B-grade sea beast carcasses weren’t worth much anyway.

As for the partial A-grade Iron Blood Golden Claw, the meat in its two claws was the most succulent, but Shi Ming was already tired of eating it. Selling it for 100 Pure Dome Crystals was hardly a loss.

The transaction proceeded perfectly, with both parties very satisfied.

There were no complications whatsoever.

As she was leaving, General Jin gave Shi Ming a meaningful look.

"Young man, if you can find A-grade Sea Beast Blood capable of triggering an Awakening, the Asahi is willing to pay 900 Pure Dome Crystals! You know full well what a price that is. I guarantee neither you nor the boss behind you will be getting the short end of the stick!"

Shi Ming understood the deeper meaning in Jin Riyi’s words.

’It seems this female general has mistaken me for a crew member or a broker from some major power, one who’s stealing from his own organization to sell on the side.’

’Makes sense, I guess.’

’A Hunter’s strength is usually directly proportional to the class of their Wandering Ship. What respectable, powerful Hunter would be piloting an unremarkable vessel while selling so many sea beast carcasses that are missing their blood?’