Chapter 560, Damn, It's Him
Steward's Study.
Wu Heng took a sip of floral tea and recounted what had happened during his voyage.
When Sheila Grey heard that the Vampire had released the exiles and that each one was level 18, her slightly chubby face immediately tensed up with seriousness.
"What happened in the end?"
Wu Heng took another sip of tea. "Dead! Out at sea, I bombarded them and killed them all."
"What about the Vampire fleet you mentioned?" Sheila Grey continued to ask.
"It was the 5th Fleet of the Blood Knight Order, led by someone called 'Emeka,' a level 15 Professional," Wu Heng said calmly.
Sheila Grey's expression remained grim.
If Wu Heng hadn't encountered them and they had managed to release the exiles—
If they returned to the Vampire, it would at least remain an internal matter for their kind.
But if they didn't intend to go back and instead ran rampant around the Emerald Sea, many people would die—whether on Gold-Silver Island or in other villages and towns.
"What are your plans moving forward?" Sheila Grey continued to ask.
Wu Heng glanced at her. "The Vampire seems to have different families, each scheming against the other. This time, I disrupted their plans and destroyed their fleet, so we might face retaliation. We need to be careful on the island."
"Understood, I'll inform all the squads to stay alert," Sheila Grey nodded.
Last time, a necromancer's retaliation nearly got 'Shiyali' killed in the city.
So, matters like this had to be handled carefully.
The Vampire wasn't some small sect like the Church of Destiny—it was a true major faction.
Then, Sheila Grey asked, "Do you plan to report this to the guild? Reporting it would also serve as a deterrent to the Vampire."
Initially, Wu Heng hadn't intended to inform headquarters.
The exiles weren't on the guild's wanted list, and this also involved internal Vampire matters.
But Sheila Grey had a point—if something went wrong after reporting it, he could use the guild's headquarters to pressure the Vampire. If he didn't report it and trouble arose later, explaining everything from scratch would be a hassle.
"You write a report to the guild about the Vampire conducting live sacrifices in the Emerald Sea. I'll write a letter to Lilith, framing it as a routine exile inspection." Wu Heng pondered and then spoke.
Sheila Grey thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Alright."
Shiyali walked over and handed them paper and pens.
They began writing.
...…
「To Leader Lilith Ann Beshmit:
During the mission to inspect the status of exiles at three locations, we encountered another fleet belonging to the Vampire.
They salvaged the three stone coffins containing the exiles before us and captured fishermen along the way to use as live sacrifices for opening the coffins.
A ship from Gold-Silver Island clashed with the Vampire fleet.
After losing several large warships and many skeletal servants, we managed to sink the enemy ships and eliminate their personnel.
The bloodshed in the battle zone attracted a swarm of sharks, which devoured corpses and rammed into ships.
The scene was utter chaos.
Based on subsequent investigations, the leader of the fleet was named 'Emeka,' captain of the 5th Fleet of the Blood Knight Order. Their goal was to release several exiles from the Emerald Sea.
I do not know their reasoning nor can I speculate on their ultimate purpose.
However, I feel that someone harbors ill intentions toward you.
Please be cautious of hidden enemies in the shadows, Leader Lilith.
—Wu Heng, Island Lord of Gold-Silver Island.」
After finishing, Wu Heng reviewed the letter.
Across the desk, Sheila Grey also put down her pen.
"Are you done?"
"Yes, take a look." Wu Heng handed it to her.
Sheila Grey also passed hers to him.
They each examined the other's report, confirming that while they took different approaches, there were no major discrepancies.
After ensuring there were no issues—
They sealed the letters, and Shiyali took them to the front desk.
The letters would be sent out along with other mail.
After sitting at the guild for a while, Wu Heng got up and left.
He returned to the island lord's manor.
...…
He pushed open the door and entered.
Several maids immediately surrounded him.
They crowded around, asking if he was injured.
Although their questions were nearly identical each time he returned from a trip—
Knowing that someone cared about him was still a comforting feeling for Wu Heng.
It was much better than when he had first rented a place alone in Blackstone Town.
"Has anything happened at home these past two days?" Wu Heng asked.
"Nothing major, but 'Shanaila' spoke to you. You weren't here at the time, so I chatted with her for a bit. She said she's coming back," Minnie said softly.
"Oh? I'll go check it out!"
Walking into the hall, the maids helped him remove his armor.
After a quick freshening up, Wu Heng went upstairs to the radio room.
He first checked the logbook.
Then, picking up the microphone, he said, "Madam Shanaila, are you there?"
Soon, a slightly lazy voice came through, "Ugh, there you go calling me 'Madam' again."
Wu Heng smiled. "Minnie said you're coming back."
"Yes, I'm considering it. Does your island lordship welcome me?"
"Of course. How are you traveling back? I mean, what ship are you taking?" Wu Heng asked.
The other side thought for a moment. "Probably with the Starflower Fleet. I don't have any real power anymore—I'm just keeping the title of guild leader for appearances, so I can't mobilize any ships myself."
"As long as you can come back, that's what matters. I'll have Philipa pick you up."
"Too far. Let's check the situation when I reach the port. If no ships are available, you can arrange something then," Shanaila said.
"Alright, I'll follow your lead."
They chatted briefly about recent events.
Then they ended the conversation.
Wu Heng traveled to the zombie world and retrieved a newly configured printing press.
He set up a workshop in a designated area of the courtyard as a temporary printing room.
...…
Night fell.
After dinner, Glenda handed him the revised novel and a freshly edited newspaper for review.
Wu Heng glanced at them, surprised by Glenda's skill.
The organization and formatting were well done.
It was almost identical to modern newspapers.
The novel section remained as a set collection of detective stories.
The name had been changed to Wu Heng, and the character's appearance had been altered to black hair and black eyes.
Wu Heng felt slightly embarrassed looking at it.
Both Glenda and Xiaoxiao found it impressive. The guild's promotional stories used real names and appearances.
However, Wu Heng's version was fabricated.
Theirs were likely based on actual events.
After double-checking everything, ensuring there were no errors—
Wu Heng took the copies to the printing workshop, where skeletons began mass-producing them.
...…
The next day.
"Come and take a look! Gold-Silver Island Express—stay at home and learn about the world's major events and curiosities!"
On the main street of Gold-Silver Island—
Newsboys held up newspapers, loudly hawking their wares.
"Express news? What's it for?" someone passing by asked curiously.
"This thing is called a newspaper. It collects major events and compiles them in one place," the newsboy explained.
"Sounds interesting. Give me one."
"65 copper."
"You have to pay? Forget it, not worth it," the customer muttered as he walked away.
Many inquired—
But few actually bought it.
...…
Gold Sail Tavern.
A bard quickly scanned the newspaper's contents.
Taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat, he stepped onto the central wooden stage.
He clapped his hands to draw attention.
"Today, I bought a newspaper from the island lord's office. It's a written publication filled with various news stories. Let me share some with you."
A patron frowned. "What's in it? Pirates or streetlights?"
Someone chimed in, "Probably streetlights. They've been talking about that for days."
The bard smiled. "Listen up! This content is worth 65 copper—if you listen, it's free!"
"It costs money?"
"Hmph!"
"Alright, tell us. Now I'm curious."
The bard took a deep breath and began reading—
...…
The crowd gradually started discussing.
"The Ekow Kingdom has been sealed off for a long time now."
"Another live sacrifice incident? First, we had pirates, and now a cult?"
"They're recruiting sailors. That might be worth considering."
"This newspaper isn't worth the price. I don't think there's much to it."
"Only people with too much money to burn would buy it."
The bard took advantage of the chatter, sipped his tea, and clapped his hands again to quiet the crowd.
As the noise died down, he continued, "What's the rush? There's another story below—you'll definitely be interested."
The audience frowned but fell silent.
The bard spoke with confidence, beginning his tale in a low voice.
"..."
"When I stood at the entrance of the Cretlian Tavern, someone suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and recognized him—it was Little Stanfer. Back in Rentam City Hospital, he had worked under me as an emergency medic."
...…
"Poor guy!" After hearing my misfortune, he sympathized and asked, "So what are you doing now?"
"Looking for a place to stay," I replied. "Seeing if I can find a few rooms that are both comfortable and reasonably priced."
Stanfer said, "What a coincidence! Someone else told me the same thing today."
"Who?"
"A guy from work. This morning, he was complaining that he found a really nice place, but he couldn't find anyone to share the rent with. He couldn't afford it alone."
"That's perfect!" I exclaimed. "If he's looking for a roommate, then I'm exactly what he needs. I'd love to have some company too."
Little Stanfer took a sip of his drink and looked at me with a strange expression.
"His name is Wu Heng, and his appearance is quite rare around here."
"Rare? Isn't he human?"
"I'm not talking about his race, but his appearance—black hair, black eyes. In this city, he's the only one I've ever seen who looks like that."
...…
Clatter~!
The idle drinkers listening to the story erupted as if a bomb had gone off.
Wu Heng?
Black hair, black eyes?
Damn, the island lord!