Chapter 125: On the Warship (Part-24)

At that moment, no one doubted any longer.

Elder Lu was saved.

Soon after, his eyelids trembled slightly. Then, slowly, they opened.

For the second time that day, Elder Lu was pulled back from the brink of death.

And for the second time, it was Ryan who had saved him.

When Elder Lu finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ryan standing in front of him. He froze for a brief moment, as if his consciousness had not yet fully returned. Then, instead of asking about his own condition, he grabbed Ryan’s sleeve and asked anxiously, “Li Wei? What about the golden-masked Lord rank expert? Is he dead? Are you all right?”

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone around fell silent for a heartbeat, and then laughter broke out.

It was not mocking laughter, but laughter filled with emotion and relief.

At the same time, the gazes directed at Elder Lu became even more respectful.

This was Elder Lu.

Even after standing at death’s door, even after waking up from severe injuries, he did not care confirm his own survival. The first thing on his mind was the safety of others.

Ryan felt warmth spread through his chest when he saw this. In that instant, he felt that spending a hundred God of War points to save Elder Lu was more than worth it.

“What are you laughing at?” Elder Lu asked in confusion. He then looked around and finally noticed that Ryan was unharmed, the examiners of Western Mansion were safe, and even the candidates were all standing there intact.

Only one figure was missing.

The golden-masked Lord rank expert was nowhere to be seen.

At that moment, Elder Lu seemed to understand.

“Elder Lu, don’t worry,” Wang Zongyao said with a smile. “Everyone is fine. The golden-masked Lord rank expert has already been dealt with.”

“D-dealt with?” Elder Lu’s eyes widened. He immediately turned to Ryan, disbelief written all over his face. “Li Wei, is that true?”

Although he had vaguely guessed the outcome, hearing it confirmed still felt unreal. When he and Ryan had discussed their plan earlier, he had agreed out of necessity, not real hope. He had never truly believed that Ryan could kill a Lord-ranked expert.

Yet now, it seemed Ryan had actually done it.

“Yes,” Ryan replied calmly, a faint smile on his face. “He’s dead.”

“Good… good… good!” Elder Lu stared at Ryan for a long moment, then laughed heartily and said the word “good” three times in succession. His eyes were filled with satisfaction and anticipation.

Ryan was still so young, yet he already possessed such terrifying strength. What kind of heights would he reach in the future?

Even Elder Lu could not help but feel a surge of expectation.

“Examiners of all cities,” Elder Lu called out solemnly.

The chief examiners immediately straightened and bowed. “We are here.”

“Clean up the battlefield,” Elder Lu ordered. “Count the casualties and report to me within half an hour. No omissions.”

“Yes!” The examiners responded in unison, then dispersed to carry out their tasks.

Elder Lu nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Ryan and said, “Li Wei, come with me.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, he walked toward the deck of the Void Warship. Wherever he passed, the candidates bowed deeply in respect.

Ryan hesitated for a moment, then followed.

They stopped at the deck where the trestle bridge had once connected the two warships. The area was a mess of broken planks, bloodstains, and scattered corpses, bearing clear signs of the fierce battle that had taken place.

Neither of them paid it any mind.

“Li Wei,” Elder Lu said.

“Yes?” Ryan responded, looking at him in confusion.

Elder Lu smiled faintly and pointed toward the skeleton warship drifting nearby. “Do you know what kind of ship that is?”

Ryan looked over and shook his head. “I don’t.”

The skeleton warship was in ruins, silent and lifeless. Its warriors were either dead or had already been cleared out by the Western Mansion examiners.

“That is the Qingxuan Warship,” Elder Lu explained. “Like the Void Warship, it is a rare treasure. What do you think of it?”

“It’s very good,” Ryan replied honestly. “Its defense and attack are both strong, and its speed is impressive. It’s an excellent vessel.”

Elder Lu nodded approvingly. “Not only is it fast and sturdy, but its offensive power is also terrifying.” He looked at the Qingxuan Warship with a smile. “Now, it belongs to us. It is the spoils of war for Western Mansion.”

“Congratulations, Elder Lu,” Ryan said, cupping his fists.

Elder Lu waved his hand dismissively. Then, after studying Ryan for a moment, he asked with a smile, “If I gave you this warship, would you want it?”

“What?” Ryan was stunned. He quickly waved his hands. “Elder Lu, that wouldn’t be appropriate. This is Western Mansion’s spoils of war. I’m only a candidate. How could Western Mansion give such a treasure to me?”

Although Ryan was tempted, he knew where the line lay. Taking such a powerful treasure now would only be asking for trouble. With his current status, it would bring far more danger than benefit.

Elder Lu glanced at him knowingly and chuckled. “I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry, I’m not giving it to you right now.”

He continued, his tone calm and assured. “With your talent and strength, it’s only a matter of time before you rise within Western Mansion. When your position is stable enough, this warship will naturally be yours. Until then, just focus on moving forward.”

Hearing this, Ryan finally relaxed. He bowed deeply, his expression sincere.

“Mm.” Ryan nodded. After thinking it through, he felt he could accept Elder Lu’s arrangement.

If the Qingxuan Warship were handed to him now, it would only bring endless trouble. He would have to worry day and night about the safety of the Li Clan, about his relatives and friends becoming targets.

This time, when he left home, Ryan had already been uneasy. That was why he deliberately left Xiao Hei, the little beast, behind at the Li residence instead of bringing him along to Western Mansion. Without drawing attention, and with Xiao Hei’s strength, protecting the Li Clan should not be a problem. But if Ryan openly obtained a Qingxuan Warship, the situation would be completely different.

Once powerful figures with ill intentions set their sights on him, how could Xiao Hei alone protect the Li Clan from pressure coming from Western Mansion-rank forces?

So when Elder Lu first mentioned gifting him the warship, Ryan had hesitated deeply. Now that Elder Lu had clarified it would wait until Ryan’s position within Western Mansion was secure, everything made sense.

Having resolved this concern, Ryan’s gaze drifted back to the Qingxuan Warship, and his eyes unconsciously heated up.

Sooner or later, that massive warship would belong to him.

At the same time, another question surfaced in Ryan’s mind. Elder Lu seemed far too familiar with the Qingxuan Warship, as if he knew it inside and out.

“Elder Lu,” Ryan said after some thought, “there’s something I don’t quite understand. May I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead,” Elder Lu replied calmly.

“Why are you so familiar with the Qingxuan Warship?” Ryan asked directly.

Elder Lu smiled faintly. “Because Western Mansion already possesses several Qingxuan Warships. They are all spoils seized from the Reaper Bandits.”

“Oh.” Ryan nodded in understanding, then his brows lifted slightly. “So all these warships come from the Reaper Bandits?”

“Yes.” Elder Lu nodded. “The Qingxuan Warship is their signature vessel, just like the Void Warship is ours.”

Ryan absorbed this, but his curiosity was far from satisfied. He continued, “Then who exactly are these The Reaper Bandits? I’ve heard the name, but I don’t understand where it comes from, or what kind of enmity they have with Western Mansion. This is the Western Region, after all. Aren’t they afraid of retaliation from Western Mansion?”

When Ryan subconsciously referred to Western Mansion as “we,” a hint of satisfaction flashed through Elder Lu’s eyes.

This sense of belonging mattered.

Only someone who identified with Western Mansion would truly fight for it in the future. With Ryan’s terrifying talent, if his heart leaned toward Western Mansion, the institution’s future would only grow brighter.

Elder Lu nodded slightly, then said, “Even if you hadn’t asked, I would have explained it to you sooner or later.”

“The Reaper Bandits are an extremely powerful organization. They do not belong to the Western Region, nor to any of the Four Domains. They come from beyond the domains, a mysterious place we know almost nothing about. They do not attack us out of hatred. They attack simply because they are sky raiders.”

“Beyond the domains? Sky raiders?” Ryan was stunned.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep