Chapter Nineteen: The Ghost Ship (Part One)

Kuang Chi remained in the Demon Flame Caverns for only about ten days before leaving.

It was not that he did not wish to stay longer; the caverns were far more beneficial to his "Tyrant Moon Body Tempering Art" than he had ever imagined. However, he always felt uncomfortable staying with the Master of the Demon Valley. Although the two rarely spoke, each simply finding a spot to cultivate, the atmosphere remained stifling.

Upon returning to Nostalgia City, Kuang Chi mentioned his encounter with the Demon Valley Master to the three elders of Tyrant Dragon Peak. To his surprise, the three elders exclaimed in unison. The Great Elder, who had only arrived in Nostalgia City shortly before Kuang Chi left for the caverns, hurriedly pressed, "Young Master, that old monster didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"Old monster?" Kuang Chi was puzzled by the epithet.

The Third Elder chimed in, "We all call him the 'Old Monster.' That man is at least nearly a thousand years old; he has been the Master of the Demon Valley for over eight hundred years."

"Ah!" Kuang Chi could not help but exclaim. He had already been astonished that people on the Forgotten Star could live to be five hundred, but to think someone could reach nearly a thousand was inconceivable.

The Great Elder mused aloud, "If that is the case, the Old Monster's longevity must be tied to the Demon Flame Caverns. Could the demon flames actually possess the power to extend human life?"

Just as Kuang Chi was about to speak, Jing'er’s voice echoed from outside: "Fatty, are you in there?"

At the sound of her voice, the three elders wore strange expressions, and their gazes toward Kuang Chi became increasingly peculiar, leaving him utterly bewildered.

When Kuang Chi opened the door, Jing'er pulled him into an empty room. Before closing the door, she snapped at the three elders standing outside, "This is none of your business; go do whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing." The elders chuckled heartily before walking away.

Blushing, Jing'er closed the door and asked, "Fatty, do you have any plans for the warship you want to build? Or is there a specific model you have in mind?"

Kuang Chi pondered for a moment. "Didn't you say you would help me select the latest model from the database we retrieved?"

Jing'er flushed again, thought for a moment, and suddenly asked, "Fatty, have you ever heard of the Ghost Pirate Ship?"

Kuang Chi searched his memory. He recalled his subordinates mentioning it back when he was a ship captain. "I heard it was a famous band of space pirates from several hundred years ago. They say no man-made equipment could track its trail. It was so elusive that it was dubbed the 'Ghost Pirate Ship'."

Jing'er nodded excitedly. "Fatty, let's build a Ghost Pirate Ship, shall we?"

Kuang Chi was stunned. "You found the blueprints for the Ghost Pirate Ship?"

Jing'er nodded vigorously, pulling a black, palm-sized chip from her pocket. "This is it. The Great Elder of the Clear Mist Pavilion gave it to me. They say it was left behind by the captain of a Ghost Pirate Ship that crashed on the Forgotten Star centuries ago. I’ve checked the data inside; it matches the legends perfectly."

Kuang Chi took the chip, examining it closely. "What makes a Ghost Pirate Ship different from a regular spacecraft?"

Jing'er explained with fervor, "First, its exterior. The designer was an absolute genius. Do you know why our current human equipment cannot detect it?" Kuang Chi shook his head; if he had known, he would have built such a ship long ago.

"The entire exterior and the deck plating are uniquely designed," Jing'er continued. "Current detection equipment relies on energy waves, but the ship's armor and structural design absorb the vast majority of any energy waves that touch it."

Kuang Chi was skeptical. "Is such a design even possible? If it were, wouldn't all future spacecraft be built this way?"

Jing'er rolled her eyes. "It’s not that simple, and that’s only the first factor. Second, the ship contains a miraculous crystal that absorbs ambient energy and creates a localized space-time turbulence. That is the primary reason it became known as a 'ghost' ship."

"Third, its thrusters are the most advanced even by today's standards. If we combine them with the power unit we’re planning to build, I guarantee it will be twice as fast as the fastest ship in existence."

Seeing Jing'er’s face twisted with excitement, Kuang Chi asked, "Is there really a need to be this happy?"

Jing'er huffed playfully. "Fatty, do you know what I yearn to do most? Do you know my dream?" Kuang Chi shook his head.

Jing'er snatched the chip back angrily. "My dream is to be a legendary pirate captain. That is what I want more than anything."

Kuang Chi burst into laughter, only stopping when Jing'er swatted at him. "Jing'er, you want to be a pirate captain? You're a princess of the Empire! Do you intend to plunder your own subjects?"

"I want to be a noble bandit," she insisted. "I will rob the rich to help the poor."

Realizing she was serious, Kuang Chi asked, "Are you really sure about this?"

Jing'er hummed softly. "Of course. I’ve already spoken to the Demon Valley, the Clear Mist Pavilion, and the elders of your Tyrant Dragon Peak. They are all willing to provide me with elite experts."

Kuang Chi frowned. "You are truly going through with building this?"

Jing'er nodded and grabbed his hand, shaking it. "Fatty, promise me you'll help. I’ll be the captain, and you’ll be my first mate."

The way she acted made Kuang Chi shudder. However, he had no strong objection to the construction itself—utility was what mattered. If the Ghost Pirate Ship was truly as miraculous as legend claimed, building one might actually be his best option.

Seeing his pensive expression, Jing'er pouted, "Don't be so stingy. I’ll be the captain, but the ship will still be yours. It’s not like I’m taking it away from you."

Kuang Chi laughed, half-joking, "I didn't say I disagreed. If you want to build it, we’ll build it. You can be the captain, but have you thought about where you’ll go, who you’ll rob, and how you’ll do it?"

Jing'er nodded eagerly. "Of course! We’ll go to the Devil’s Star Sector, right at the border between our Stormwind Empire and the Space Federation. It’s always been chaotic there. We can use the Forgotten Star as our base. The wormhole leading out of the Abandoned Star Sector is right there. Isn't that perfect?"

Seeing how thoroughly she had planned this, Kuang Chi finally understood why the three elders had reacted so strangely earlier.

Jing'er added, "Also, that strange crystal for the ship is currently with your Tyrant Dragon Peak. You have to get it for me; the three elders are being stingy and won't give it to me."

"Is that crystal so precious?" Kuang Chi asked.

"It depends on how it's used," Jing'er replied. "But with it and the ship's unique design, it will become a true ghost ship."

After Jing'er left, Kuang Chi summoned the three elders. They entered immediately, clearly having not gone far.

Kuang Chi watched them in silence until they began to look uneasy. "Did you know all along that Jing'er wanted to build a pirate ship?"

The elders exchanged glances and nodded. The Great Elder smiled, "We had no objections to Miss Jing'er's ambition, but we didn't know if we should support it without the Young Master's word. If you support it, that’s fine. The crystal is precious, but it makes little difference to Tyrant Dragon Peak without it."

He paused before adding, "But Young Master, if you really help her become a pirate, and word gets out, it will reflect poorly on the reputation of the Kuang family."

Kuang Chi snorted. "Who gave her the chip for the Ghost Pirate Ship in the first place? This isn't just about our reputation; it could have disastrous consequences. How do you think the Emperor of the Stormwind Empire would react? But since she is determined, what are we to do?"

The Great Elder tugged at his beard. "It was that old hag, the Great Elder of the Clear Mist Pavilion. She’s been going out of her way to please Miss Jing'er lately. Whatever the young lady wants, if that old woman has it, she hands it over immediately."