Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 211 - 48: The Black Rider Ghost’s Personal Old Grandfather

Chapter 211: Chapter 48: The Black Rider Ghost’s Personal Old Grandfather

The Ghost Rider’s eyes glowed with an intense red, his black gauntlet growing tighter and tighter. Amid the steady friction of sawdust, he finally extracted the object the size of a soccer ball—the “Bai Laotou”!

Having freed itself from the white tumor-like mass, the black wooden figure’s mouth moved incessantly while its sharply pointed chin displayed a manic smile that looked rather terrifying.

Lan Sou’s face was filled with excitement as he kneeled on the ground, muttering prayers without stopping.

The Black Rider Ghost bowed his head, gazing at the “Bai Laotou” in his hand.

The texture was somewhat soft, snow-white, and seemed to pulsate with life, contracting rhythmically. And it was… withering away.

No, it was melting into the body of the Black Rider Ghost.

...

As the “Bai Laotou” in his hand shrank, more and more white, threadlike substances protruded from the Black Rider’s shoulders, eventually forming an oval cocoon.

Throughout this process, Li Yan’s Yan Fu points steadily decreased and ultimately settled at one hundred and fifty.

As the last bit of white vanished into the hands of the Black Rider Ghost, the cocoon on his shoulder finally broke open. Emerging from it was a tuft of white… beard?

[You have completed the extraneous Yan Fu event: The Awakening of Bai Laotou.]

[You have unlocked the purchase rights for Wupozi’s lineage; details can be checked upon return.]

Evaluation: 100% (Thank you for your patronage; a total of 3258 Yan Fu points).

The evaluations for this Yan Fu event have been upgraded.

Li Yan scrutinized the Black Rider Ghost who had remained motionless since a moment ago.

His black armor was much deteriorated, as if it had been ravaged by many years. The crimson glow in his Star Helmet remained, his figure standing upright in the room, exuding an overwhelmingly fierce aura. On his shoulder lay a languid old man.

This old man was clad in white from head to toe—white hat, white trousers. Standing just over a foot tall, he was plump and round, with his beard and eyebrows connected, hanging down to his chest.

He was currently tugging at his long beard, grimacing and yelping nonstop. When he saw Li Yan looking at him, he suddenly started shouting and leapt from the Rider Ghost’s left shoulder to the right, babbling on and on. Li Yan couldn’t understand a word. He turned to look at Lan Sou, only to find the old lady just as confused.

[Ghost Rider]

Summon (Li Yan)

Symbiosis: Bai Laotou

Specialization: Marksmanship 83%

Passive Skill: Spell Nightmare (Kinetic damage ineffective)

Growth Limit: Nine Luminaries

Li Yan took a deep breath, locking eyes with the Bai Laotou, who was tugging at his own beard.

Apart from the addition of the word “symbiosis,” there were no changes. Li Yan had to swallow the fact as his own. If he had damaged the Ghost Rider’s black armor, even the passive skill “Spell Nightmare” would be gone, and that would be truly indefensible.

Thankfully, he had another chance to draw from the inheritance… what a joke!

Three thousand plus Yan Fu points, all Li Yan’s assets, exchanged for a fat old man who did nothing but play with his beard?

Li Yan checked several times and found that this Bai Laotou indeed had no combat ability to speak of, and he fell into silence for a moment.

He reached out to grab the old man by the nape of his neck. The old man was quite agile, but he was no match for Li Yan’s reach.

Li Yan’s expression was ominous as he held the Bai Laotou before his eyes, displaying a cryptic smile. It was the expression of a gambler who had lost everything, filled with transference of anger.

The Ghost Rider’s eyes flickered with red light, and a muffled roar came from the armor.

Thanks to the subtle connection between master and servant, Li Yan was surprised to find that the Ghost Rider was pleading for mercy on behalf of Bai Laotou.

At first, the old man was all teeth and claws, fiercely struggling. But when he realized the Ghost Rider was backing him up and noticed the hesitation in Li Yan’s eyes, his expression relaxed and he revealed a “naughty smile” reminiscent of Wang Nima’s rage comics.

With one eyebrow drooping, he rested his chin on one hand and crooked his finger at Li Yan.

Are you messing with me!

Slap!

Li Yan grabbed Bai Laotou’s ankle with one hand and swung him around, smashing him against the wall.

The sensation transmitted through his arm felt like that of jellied meat. Li Yan tugged at Bai Laotou’s face and beard a couple of times, finding the little thing incredibly tough, not harmed at all.

Seizing the moment when Li Yan’s hand slipped, Bai Laotou, holding his cheek, jumped back onto the shoulder of the Ghost Rider, pointed at Li Yan, and began squawking.

“Warara wurra~”

Go, Pikachu!

The Ghost Rider didn’t move.

“Jiggu jirulu~”

Kabutops Giant, activate your super transformation form.

The Ghost Rider snorted through his nose, still remaining motionless.

Realizing the situation, Bai Laotou shamefully hid behind the Ghost Rider’s neck.

The white lumps on Wupozi’s back had disappeared without a trace. With an excited expression, Lan Sou said, “Leader Tianbao, on behalf of Wupozi, I want to express our gratitude. From today forward, Guangyi Island will be the eternal friend of the Red Flag Gang.”

Li Yan composed himself and made a courteous bow to Lan Sou.

…

Upon returning, the Red Flag Gang cleaned up and immediately prepared to set sail again, dashing the hopes of many excited and restless pirates.

Before leaving, Lan Sou gave Li Yan a replica of the black wooden carving of Wupozi. This was no mere decorative item.

[Wupozi’s Shell]

Quality: Rare

Category: Supernatural Item

Feature One: Dinghai (calm storms of a certain size and below)

Feature Two: Furious Wind (create a sea breeze that lasts fifteen minutes, with controllable direction)

Feature Three: Underworld Blessing 3/3 (resist cannon attacks, can only be used three times)

Effective when enshrined on the ship, consumes ten pigs and sheep each month.

This object was temporarily placed on the Spirit of the Duck by Li Yan. At the same time, he was reminded of the [Heavy Cannon Regeneration Machine] and considered whether to build his own warship. By combining [Wupozi’s Shell] and [Heavy Cannon Regeneration Machine], it might be comparable to the Wrath. However, with the current level of Red Flag Gang’s shipyard, it was unlikely to build a massive ship like Wrath.

The fleet set out to find the eleven lost sea charts of Quanzhou. Honestly, Li Yan wasn’t completely confident about this trip because it was based on nothing more than an ambiguous hint from Earth Endurance. If the trip to Quanzhou turned out fruitless, then Li Yan would have to find another way to carry out a high-difficulty Yan Fu event required to build the channel. Without using items, the only high-difficulty Yan Fu events Li Yan could think of were to truly conquer Guangzhou or to eliminate the East India Company.

The difficulty and risk of these two things go without saying.

“I hope the Quanzhou Buddha-snatching won’t disappoint me,” he muttered.

On the deck, Ghost Rider sat cross-legged with two short halberds tucked into his waistbelt, letting the sea breeze blow over him.

Irritably gnawing on juicy lychees, Bai Laotou leaned against Black Rider Ghost’s neck. Suddenly, his eyes darted about, and with a few chirps and chatters to catch Ghost Rider’s attention, he sneakily gestured for silence.

Then, under Ghost Rider’s gaze, he pointed at Li Yan, making a fierce expression, then pointed at himself, slapping his own face repeatedly before collapsing on the ground, feigning death.

It was a while before Bai Laotou stood up, whimpering and crying out.

Ghost Rider exhaled a chilly breath, slowly shaking his head.

Three black lines formed on Bai Laotou’s forehead as he hugged his shoulders and stamped his feet, thinking hard for a long time; then, with a sudden clap to his head, he took a short halberd from Black Rider Ghost’s waist and began laboriously scribbling on the deck, drawing indecipherable symbols no one could recognize.

Should Li Yan happen to pass by, Earth Endurance would offer a hint.

[Wupozi’s Sorcery for Beginners] (Requires Wupozi bloodline)

…

“My lord, I have not done my task well,” Cai Qian said with clasped hands, his face full of shame.

All around were festive lights and decorations; on the stage, Yang Jiuxi, the famous actor from the Yu Cheng Troupe invited from the Capital City, was performing for Guangzhou’s General Fulin.

The performance on the stage was lilting and moving. Fulin sat in the upper seat, with Cai Qian beside him.

Fulin spat out a mouthful of tea leaves, his face changing unpredictably as he grumbled, “Asking the officials to send ransom to redeem Lin Yuanfu, huh, he sure has the nerve~”

Leaning forward, he asked sternly, “I want to mobilize the Guangzhou Naval Forces to entirely wipe out Lantau Island. What are the chances of success?”

Cai Qian looked troubled and fell silent for a moment.

“Speak boldly! I want to hear the truth.”

After hesitating for a while, Cai Qian finally replied:

“Not to mention the Five Flags Alliance providing mutual support, let’s just talk about the Red Flag Gang. Lantau Island is easy to defend but difficult to attack. There are more than three hundred large ships, thousands of small ones, hundreds of cannons, and tens of thousands of able-bodied people, most of whom have families. If Lantau Island falls, entire families will face execution. Therefore, the pirates of the Red Flag are extremely determined to resist. That’s the first point.”

“Mobilizing troops requires significant effort and the people will suffer greatly. The Five Flags have eyes and ears throughout Guangdong and Guangxi. If Tianbao is bold enough to use his ships’ speed to strike at various ports, cutting off the officials’ supply lines, I fear that fires would break out all along the coast. That’s the second point.”

“Moreover, cough, the Official Navy has lacked regular training for years, and as for ships… defending might be possible, but taking to the sea to eliminate the pirates is difficult, that’s the third point.”

Fulin slapped his palm adorned with a red jade ring on the table, “So, you mean to say I should obediently pay the ransom?!”

Cai Qian gave a rueful smile, lowering his voice, “Sir, this situation arose entirely because the Guangdong Naval Forces tried to sneak attack Lantau Island initially. That time we also mustered a large force, but the result was only damaging a few of their ships, while our own forces suffered heavy losses. You know this.”

Inwardly, Cai Qian mused that it was nothing short of a miracle that Mrs. Yan’s old wounds had reopened, leading to her death—a fortunate turn like a pie falling from the sky.

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Fulin’s eyes flickered as he spoke in a tone neither cold nor warm, “I have heard that you, Cai Qian, hold the title of a big boss at sea, and that the strength of the merchant convoys and escort ships under your command can match even the Five Flags Pirates.”

Cai Qian immediately stood up, dusting off his sleeves as he knelt down, “This insignificant reputation has been entirely your grace, sir. I am a businessman; how could I compete with the rebels of the Red Flag Gang in a fight? Your discernment is appreciated.”

Fulin, irked, pounded the table, but then Cai Qian sighed, “Those big cannons and ships of the Red Flag Gang were made by the Red-Haired Men. The quality indeed surpasses ours by a considerable margin. Sir, please reconsider your plan to attack Lantau Island.”

Upon hearing these words, Fulin’s eyes suddenly brightened, “Shunguan (Cai Qian’s courtesy name), I understand your difficulty. I remember last year, you spent five hundred thousand taels of silver to buy a Guangxi Candidate position, of the third rank, no less.”

Cai Qian humbly smiled and said, “Although I am a merchant, I too possess a fervent desire to serve my country…”

“What a fervent desire to serve our country indeed!”

Fulin, his face beaming with joy, “As for me, I plan to put up some silver to invite the naval forces of Britain and Portugal to join us in eradicating the pirates on Lantau Island. Didn’t the British recently give that demon thief a beating? And since the Portuguese are leasing our land, shouldn’t they help us exert our strength? Let their king send naval forces to the South Seas!”

Cai Qian’s eyes narrowed slightly, and though he hemmed and hawed, he said, “Your Excellency, those red-haired men cannot be trusted! If we truly allow them to assemble their troops and come to the South Seas, it won’t sound good if word gets back to the Capital City.”

Fulin felt that Cai Qian was reluctant to spend the money, and his tone immediately turned displeased, “I’ve already decided. If anything goes wrong, I’ll bear the responsibility.”

After a pause, he added, “As for the money, the government office will pay a part, and you can help shoulder some of the burden… Let’s give, um, fifty thousand, no, five hundred thousand taels!”

Cai Qian flicked his sleeve, “Done! Your wish is my command.”

Fulin was secretly pleased, thinking about how to spend the five hundred thousand taels when Yang Jiuxi gracefully stepped down from the stage after finishing a performance. Her brow and clear eyes gave Fulin a glance on the way out that left his heart itching.

Speaking of Yang Jiuxi’s voice, it was truly seductive, like a siren’s song that could melt bones. Listening to it made Fulin feel like his bones had softened.

Cai Qian leaned in and whispered, “Master, everything has been arranged for you. Room number one with the yellow tag – you’ll stay there tonight. I’ll have Dequan and the others return to the General’s residence on their own.”

Upon scrutinizing Cai Qian, Fulin’s impression of him improved. None of his other sons had such acumen; entrusting him with the Thirteen Hongs was indeed considerate and meticulous.

“Then, very well. Someone, help me up,”

Fulin’s eyes were half-open.

Cai Qian wore a friendly smile as he watched the half-drunk imperial family general, his eyes deepening…

Yan Ajiu quietly moved behind Cai Qian, “Boss, his appetite is getting bigger and bigger. This time he dares to ask for five hundred thousand taels at once. Why not take this opportunity to finish him off.”

“Hmm… A foolish ‘master’ is not easy to find, especially one from the Aixinjueluo clan.” Cai Qian stared at Fulin’s silhouette: “No matter how much he wants, I’ll give it to him.”

…

The next day, at the British Consulate.

“But we have not yet found the missing ‘Heavy Cannon Regeneration Machine,’ and that is…”

Aber’s expression was hesitant.

“The ocean is a miraculously mysterious place, always filled with unsolved puzzles. We also haven’t found the crew’s bodies, have we? And that’s hundreds of people. Besides, at this point, whether it’s Zhufen or Zhang He, they should not be obstacles to us.”

“The original plan was to send out two of the seven large ships, but one was lost before the plan could even start. Should we still proceed with this?”

“‘Jealousy’ is enough; we only sent out two as a precaution. Take immediate action; this is also the board’s decision.”

Aber pursed his lips unwillingly. Although the man didn’t say it outright, it was obvious. After this operation, everyone at the Guangzhou branch, including himself, would have to take responsibility for the ‘Wrath’ disaster.

Next time I encounter that sorcerer (Zhang He), I must kill him!

So Aber thought.

“But the government will not let British soldiers enter the South Seas so easily, let alone the Portuguese.”

“You will know soon enough… very soon…”

The visitor’s smile was eerie.

On May 15, in the fourteenth year of the Jiaqing era, the Guangzhou General Fulin, with one hundred and fifty thousand taels of military pay, invited the British and Portuguese navies to join forces in eradicating the pirates of the South Seas. Both countries readily agreed, and their warships and soldiers, from the Straits of Malacca, drove straight into the South Seas…