Ah Bu and Nia were utterly astonished to see Jia Fang actually take the initiative to extend his right hand.

’Ptolemy’s greatest advisor, the arrogant Jia Fang, a Cabinet Minister as venomous as a snake, was actually showing goodwill?’

’Had that ever happened before?’

Shi Ming smiled faintly and extended his right hand, silently activating the Black Tortoise Shield.

He gripped Jia Fang’s hand tightly.

It was always wise to be on guard.

In an instant, he felt a treacherous little snake seep into his body from Jia Fang’s palm. It was as light as a feather, yet carried a chilling, blatant malice. Had it not been for Shi Ming’s incredibly sharp senses, he never would have noticed.

’An S-rank skill: Nether Snake Feather?’

Before the little snake could even begin to cause trouble, it was like a sheep walking into a tiger’s den. It was cornered by three different powers—the Right Arm Red Pattern, the Black Tortoise Power, and the Titan Power. They pounced like a pack of hungry wolves, instantly obliterating the tiny serpent.

Like a fatty piece of meat thrown to a pack of wolves, it was torn to shreds in less than a second.

Not a single scrap remained.

’A mere 97th-ranked skill dares to act so presumptuously?’

Shi Ming was a little disappointed.

’If I’d known, I wouldn’t have wasted the Physical Strength to activate the Black Tortoise Shield.’

But when the Right Arm Red Pattern absorbed the little snake’s power, he discovered his Attack Power had actually increased by a small amount.

[Attack Power +1]

’An unexpected bonus?’

Having gotten a taste of the benefits, Shi Ming gripped Jia Fang’s hand even tighter, unwilling to let go.

Jia Fang, however, frowned.

’What’s gotten into this kid?’

’I show you a sliver of courtesy, and you think you can just cozy up to me?’

’How shameless.’

’Don’t worry. In a few days, you’ll get what you want.’

Nether Snake Feather was a curse-type skill. As long as it made physical contact and entered the target’s body, the implantation was considered a success.

Afterward, it would rapidly and stealthily divide and multiply like a parasite, similar to spores. Within seven days, it would drain all of the host’s energy. Cursed marks would also appear on the body, as if the victim had angered a god. The curse could only be barely suppressed with the energy of Dome Crystals or Pure Dome Crystals. However, doing so would only accelerate the formation of the "Nether Serpent’s Heart," which would yield a plump fruit to nourish the caster.

As a curse-type S-rank skill, it was incredibly difficult to detect.

Therefore, although Jia Fang was disgusted by Shi Ming’s forwardness, he was also secretly delighted.

The Netherworld Serpent power in his body began to "boil" with even greater intensity, making his heart pound.

’Are they cheering with joy, too?’

’For the imminent harvest?’

...

Through that handshake, Shi Ming confirmed that the man before him, Jia Fang, was the *Pharaoh’s* new S-rank Awakened. He was the one who had bathed in the blood of the Netherworld Feathered Serpent to awaken the Nether Snake Feather skill. And he was the source of the curse.

The Endless Ocean was full of treacherous deeds. While Shi Ming found them distasteful, he couldn’t possibly involve himself in all of them. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But now that he’d been targeted directly, how could he just take it lying down?

’He’s courting death!’

With a warm smile on his face, Shi Ming continued to grip Jia Fang’s hand. Secretly, he mobilized a sliver of the Deep Sea Titan’s most violent power within him, compressing it with all his might. He then mixed in some Black Tortoise Power to counteract and temporarily neutralize its rampage.

This neutralized power, a silent blend of Black Tortoise and Titan Bloodline energies, did not seep into Jia Fang’s body like the Nether Snake Feather had.

Instead, it lay dormant on his clothing and his elaborate ornaments.

That way, it would be much harder to detect.

Although this small amount of power was nowhere near as uncanny as an S-rank skill, it could still be useful at a critical moment.

...

Watching the interaction between Shi Ming and Jia Fang, the old man, Ah Bu, was starting to get antsy.

’How can a Descendant of the Dragon from the Dragon Country be led astray by this old scoundrel?’

"Lord Stone, how about this old man shows you the sights of the *Pharaoh* now? Jia Fang still has urgent matters to attend to, so he must be on his way."

"Oh, my apologies. How rude of me, Mr. Jia Fang."

As if just realizing his rudeness, Shi Ming released his tight grip.

"It is of no concern."

Jia Fang retracted his right hand as well.

Shi Ming’s control over his power was superb. Jia Fang had no inkling of the little "gift" Shi Ming had given him in return.

"The *Pharaoh* will be hosting a grand sea beast feast in the coming days. Brother Shi, you should stay with us for a while. The former splendor of the Land of the Pharaohs has been concentrated onto this single wandering ship. We have countless cultural texts, a dazzling and innumerable collection."

"Oh?"

Shi Ming’s eyes lit up.

He seized the opportunity.

"I have long admired the culture of the Land of the Pharaohs. I wonder, are those texts available for public viewing?"

’Understanding some of the history of the Land of the Pharaohs, as well as the design and structure of their tombs, should be helpful when I explore the Underwater Pyramid later.’

???

Jia Fang was rendered somewhat speechless.

’This country bumpkin from the East... can’t he tell I was just being polite?’

’Those cultural texts are treasures from the old world.’

’How could I let an outsider of unknown origin just rifle through them?’

But since he’d already made the grand offer, he had to maintain his dignity. Besides, while texts from the old world were precious, they were worthless in the face of true power.

The culture of the Land of the Pharaohs was as vast as a boundless sea. Even though much was lost during the great flood, a great deal of its essence was preserved. Just showing him a tiny fraction would be enough to broaden this country bumpkin’s horizons.

He doubted someone born in the Wandering Era would be able to tell the difference anyway.

"A guest is a guest. Brother Shi saved one of the honorary cabinet captains of our Land of the Pharaohs, so he is naturally our esteemed guest. I will personally authorize it: you may peruse any of the precious texts aboard the *Pharaoh*. However, the ancient tomes are priceless, so they must be viewed under protective measures."

"Then thank you very much, Mr. Jia Fang."

...

...

...

As he watched Nia cheerfully lead Shi Ming away, a sinister glint flashed in Jia Fang’s snake-like eyes, the look of a successful schemer.

’And here I thought he was a genuine S-rank Awakened.’

’Turns out he’s just a reckless young fool. I implanted the Nether Snake Feather in him with ease.’

’Strange... the Netherworld Serpent power inside me isn’t agitated anymore. Has it also caught the scent of the coming harvest?’

’Over the next seven days, the *Pharaoh* will be holding its grand sea beast feast. I can use that time to find some other suitable prey.’

He was very picky about his prey.

He had four rules about who he would not "consume."

First, he wouldn’t consume a Nether Serpent’s Heart grown from the old and frail. Their Awakening Power was in decline, so there wasn’t much benefit to be gained.

Second, he wouldn’t touch Awakened from major factions like Black Gold, the Lighthouse, or the Twelve Stars. He couldn’t afford to offend them. If he were discovered, it could easily spiral into a diplomatic incident that not even Ptolemy could bail him out of.

Third, he wouldn’t touch those with dark skin, especially from the [Nile River] and [Golden Bodhi] factions. This was purely a matter of personal aesthetics; he simply couldn’t stomach it.

Fourth, he wouldn’t bother with anyone C-rank or below. The benefits gained wouldn’t even be enough to offset the cost of implanting a Nether Snake Feather mark. The return on investment was simply too low.

In this world, the Endless Ocean, the one thing there was no shortage of was "talent."

He could afford to be picky.

Some people didn’t even qualify to be considered "talent."

So Jia Fang thought.

————————

PS: Please vote with your monthly tickets at the end of the month. There will be bonus Chapters for the last few days.