Sheyan nodded with delight after obtaining a most satisfactory answer, before patting Dark Widow’s head as though he was a dog. Then, he casually served Dark Widow several mouthfuls of rum, and turned to leave. Gazing upon their receding back view, Dark Widow’s slender tiny eyes revealed a trace of venom.
Yet at this moment, Sheyan suddenly spun round as he issued a sneer to the once again, cowardly and fearful looking, Dark Widow.
"I know, you wish for us to die aye?"
Dark Widow shook his head incessantly and wailed.
"I’ve already answered everything you asked, it was absolutely the truth!"
Instead, Sheyan smiled faintly.
"Aye, I believe you aren’t deceiving me, your words are true. Honestly, you are quite the schemer; leaving out the fact that the gypsies are exceedingly treacherous. Trying to allure us by describing exorbitant rates of 2-3 times the price, and thus wish for us to seek them out directly. Your aim for us, thereby, is peris.h.i.+ng to them, ain’t it?"
Dark Widow’s face instantly turned ashen, but persisted in his desperate deathbed struggle.
"I wasn’t, I really wasn’t!"
Sheyan squinted his eyes and laughed; the very same expression he had when heaving up a net filled with fidgety fishes in the real world.
"Then perhaps every pirate in Tortuga is a fool? Since they are able to earn more, why not sell directly to the gypsies? Why should they allow those large emporiums to earn? The only explanation is, only those emporiums that possesses the capabilities and confidence can deal with the gypsies; only a powerful villain can prevent themselves from being villainized!"
Sheyan then proceeded to whisper callously into Dark Widow’s ears.
"Although you harbour such dissent, but on account of the truthful information you shared, I’ll let you retain a complete corpse."
With eye sockets that were seemingly splitting, Dark Widow howled fanatically.
"You’ll sink to Davy Jones’s Locker!"
Then, Canbi pounced forward; reining in Dark Widow’s chin, he blatantly twisted it. Kapa! With smooth nimbleness, Dark Widow’s neck was snapped.
Shaking their sleeves, the four of them took their leave; not a single one obstructed their exit.
Brother Black then casually looted the tavern; fis.h.i.+ng up a bulky looking pouch, as the swelling clinking of gold guineas resonated within.
Yet at this instant, the trio received the notification.
[ You murdered Barbossa"s Tortuga minion and ransacked his tavern ]
[ Your relations.h.i.+p with Barbossa has plunged to ‘Nemesis’ ]
[ Hidden Main Mission: ‘Curse’ activated ]
[ Mission Summary: Barbossa and his deadly pirate mates belongs to the crew of the Black Pearl, who are relentless contemplating the problem of dispelling their bodily curse. Hence, they are travelling around the caribbean sea in search of scattered Gold Coins. Therefore, they have no time to seek your trouble. However, sooner or later, the curse of the Black Pearl will be dispelled. By then, be prepared to face the wrath of the Black Pearl’s crew ]
[ Mission objective: Secretly retrieve an Aztec Gold* of the Black Pearl’s curse, and prevent Barbossa from dispelling his curse ]
(TN: Aztec Gold are the gold coins Barbossa requires to dispel the curse of the black pearl)
[ Note: You must minimally preserve owners.h.i.+p of the Aztec Gold for 3 days. After 3 days has past, every additional day will increase the evaluation given by the realm. Limit: 1 week. ]
[ Mission deadline: 1 month – when deadline is met, you can use 10,000 utility points to earn an additional day of mission deadline. Maximum prolonging period: 7 days. Mission will fail after the seven days. ]
[ Mission failure penalty: You will be pursued by the Black Pearl pirates for 1 week. All your fortune gained in this world will be deducted. ]
[ Warning: there is a possibility for this mission to conflict with the missions of other contestants. ]
********
"It’s here!" Sheyan whispered internally. "Ah, indeed this is an incredibly tough mission that is worthy of a ‘B+’ grading. With the present time node, all of the Aztec Gold resides in two places."
"The majority would be in Barbossa’s treasure stone chest of the Isla de Muerte, while the final Aztec Gold is the worn medallion of the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann."
"For a stranger to reach the Isla de Muerte, then fastest means would be to obtain that mystical tool in Jack Sparrow’s hands – The compa.s.s that doesn’t point north. Whereas, the difficulty of that is needless to say."
"On the contrary, acquiring the Aztec Gold from the beautiful Elizabeth Swann may seem rather harmless, but never forget – Men persuades the world, but woman persuades men."
Indeed, the governor’s beautiful daughter need only convince two individuals.
One, the mighty son of a pirate, the future captain of the Flying Dutchman – Will Turner.
Two, Captain James Norrington who was about to be promoted.
The former possessed outstanding fighting skills, while the latter superb commanding abilities…...moreover, if one were to conspire against her, both individuals may very possibly collaborate to devastate the common enemy.
"Hoi, d.a.m.ned." Brother Black shrugged his shoulders, seemingly the one most affected. "This is truly a terrible news, but fortunately, the good news is that we no longer have to rush. To h.e.l.l with those departing gypsies then."
"No." Sheyan suddenly replied. "Specifically because of this, we have even more reasons to find them!"
After this commotion ended, time was even tighter now.
At present, a few other merchant s.h.i.+ps had started gliding into the port in succession, while the Tortuga crowd was surging up turbulently.
Sheyan and crew hastily squeezed into the human crowd, as they laboriously rushed towards a lateral hillside.
The hillside was decorated with multicolored caravans, and distinctly pointed tents; intensely ornamented with a Bohemian style. A raging bonfire had illuminated the surroundings, while people could be seen busily s.h.i.+fting around various objects; with many women covered with veil and head cloth in the mix.
One could tell, most of the gypsy males didn’t live a luxurious life. They normally wore greyish or maroon ragged and worn-out trousers, with holes that exposed their welt-contaminated skin. Tugging along thick and long ropes on their shoulders, they exerted strength to haul.
To these males, although they crossed the age of 30, their external appearance would seem like it had reached the sixties threshold. It was simply a challenge to deduce their actual age.
They frequently wore brown woolen caps or stained felt hats. However, their malnourished clutters of balding hair would be vivid upon unravelling their hairdressers. Their deeply socketed eyes further justified their state of malnourishment.
Just glancing at their current exterior, it was inevitably a great blessing that the pirates of Tortuga did not attempt to bully these gypsies. There was seemingly nothing portrayed that would deter the pirates.
Nevertheless, if dangers were always gloriously displayed, then their threat wouldn’t be considered great. Due to this, Sheyan approached with heightened vigilance.
At this instant, Sheyan suddenly recalled that crystal ball that Zi had utilized in battle. Her crystal ball could prophesy the movements of her rival several seconds beforehand, and perhaps it was possible she had acquired it from gypsies. Besides, divinity and crystal b.a.l.l.s were their forte.
Right now when the four of them had entered deep into the gypsy campsite, Canbi stalled a shabby looking male. Tossing 5 silver s.h.i.+llings over, he brazenly demanded.
"Ahoy, mate. Me hears of the vast knowledge of the nomadic gypsies, that ye can identify all booties?"
The male received the silver coins and scanned them with a suspicious gaze. Then, he whispered in a coa.r.s.e voice.
"Leave at once! Before someone notices you!"
The male then strolled away, leaving the stunned Canbi behind.
Upon hearing his words, Sheyan couldn’t help but feeling a strong sense of mystery overwhelming his back. Yet without a doubt, there was no turning back for the trio. After alerting Brother Black and Reef, he instructed.
"Let’s head there."
A gorgeous, brightly coloured tent with the largest roof was situated at the center of this campsite. A triangular flag was erected and fluttering atop its pointed roof, doodled with a gaily-colored lipstick clown. The clown was painted upside down, and appeared rather peculiar.
The busy and complex state of the campsite didn’t impede the trio’s advancement. Nevertheless, Sheyan could notice the surrounding male gypsies casting pitiful and sorrowful glances at them.
After approaching within 20 metres of that tent, a middle-aged woman shrouded with a black scarf on her head approached them. Examining them briefly, she inquired.
"Foreigners, aren’t you aware that you have violated the customs of us gypsies. Why have you come?"
Canbi duplicated his earlier stage dialogue once again. Instead, that middle-aged woman replied emotionlessly.
"Wait here."
After instructing, she turned and entered the tent, before exiting soon after. Then, she coldly announced.
"Jiejie* instructs me to receive our guests."
(TN: Author uses Jiejie (节节) as the t.i.tle of the leading gypsy. Similar to their queen or boss etc.)
The trio only desired smooth completion of this main mission, therefore, such slighted treatment didn’t really bother them. Besides, they had already briefed Canbi clearly on what he was required of.
Biting their lips, they allowed Canbi to negotiate with her while the trio spectated silently by the side.
Canbi then produced a tiny black cloth. Upon opening it, its contents were shockingly those enormous sarga.s.sum seeds that Blacksail had offered to Sheyan earlier.
Irradiated by the flickering blaze, the seeds’ surface were suffused with a cyan-black metallic l.u.s.tre; looking exceptionally strange.
Sheyan had already inferred previously. If the gypsies were a significant link to this hidden mission, then it was very probable for these seeds to be a vital triggering object of a mission. These very seeds that were related with those enormous sarga.s.sum and the Chupacabra. Hence, they decided to experiment with it here.
When the black-headscarf female gypsy saw it, her face drastically changed as she immediately reached out for it. Instead, Canbi crudely pushed her away, and warned menacingly.
"Arghh, I haven’t permitted ye to touch it!"