However, shortly after setting sail, the crew reported that they had encountered another convoy.
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Chapter 248 Euron Greyjoy
It was a long, narrow, terrifying red sailing ship with a single mast. It had jet-black sails, a dark red hull, and a notorious reputation. At its bow was a black iron statue of a maiden, with long legs, a slender waist, and high, full breasts. Her eyes were made of mother-of-pearl, but she had no mouth. Although he had never seen it in person, Lu Xuan instantly recognized it as the Serenity.
A flag fluttered on the ship, which Lu Xuan could see thanks to his extraordinary vision. The design featured a black iron crown supported by two crows, with a black-eyed, red-eyed creature beneath it.
Raveneye, Euron Greyjoy. His mark was so conspicuous. The entire ship exuded an unbridled rage and madness.
Despite having only one warship, the Tranquility charged forward almost without hesitation upon seeing Dani's fleet.
Lu Xuan's expression changed slightly. He wasn't afraid of a warship. Even though that ship was much larger and faster than their five and a half transport vessels, he could easily take down all the enemies with one hand if he dared to engage in boarding combat.
His apprehension stemmed from his sensing something deep within the ocean. If nothing unexpected happened, it was likely a gigantic sea monster.
Euron uses dark magic in the original story. However, Lu Xuan is unclear about its exact origin. One theory is that he learned dark magic after capturing several male wizards from the Temple of Immortality. Another theory is that he was born as one of the chosen ones of the Drowned God, and his concealed single eye is the source of his magic.
But no matter what, the sea monster in the ocean is inextricably linked to this guy.
In his prime, Lu Xuan wouldn't mind having some grilled seafood. But right now, his physical body has only recovered to about 80%. His chances of hunting a giant sea monster in the ocean aren't very high.
"Sir Jorah, alert everyone." Even without being told, Jorah did just that. He had also heard of Euron and the Tranquility's reputation. Knowing the enemy's fearsome reputation, anyone daring to charge forward was definitely up to no good.
"Bowling ships, archers, all in position!" Jorah shouted, and the centaur guards and mercenaries rushed out, ready for battle. Because it was a five-to-one ship ratio, Lu Xuan's morale wasn't low.
Soon, Lu Xuan spotted the man on the Tranquility. He was pale-skinned, handsome (though in the TV series he was portrayed as ugly), with black hair and beard, and his left eye was covered by an eyepatch. His right eye was a bright blue, flashing with a fierce and crazed light.
As the ships drew closer, both sides came within range of arrows. The ballistae were even at a distance where they could threaten the ships. However, both sides maintained restraint.
Youlun stood at the bow of the ship, his shirt open, utterly arrogant. Lu Xuan almost had one of the crossbowmen beside him shot him. However, the man was very perceptive; the moment Lu Xuan revealed his killing intent, he immediately withdrew.
Lu Xuan: "..." I thought he was really not afraid of death.
The Serenity, just like its name, was silent. Apart from the sounds of the wind, waves, and oars, not a single human voice could be heard. This was because all the crew members were gagged. They were not crew members, but Euron's slaves.
At sea, Euron managed to maintain his power for decades using such oppressive tactics, which shows he certainly had some tricks up his sleeve. At least the crew dared not and could not resist him.
The convoy passed each other, with the Serenity weaving through the five ships with impunity. By this time, some of the crew members had recognized the Serenity. A sense of unease began to rise.
At this point, Euron was already a formidable figure in the eyes of these ordinary mercenaries. However, Lu Xuan's ships were equipped with some defensive weapons, so they didn't completely fall into chaos. But this scene, however, stung Lu Xuan.
With a five-to-one ratio, these noobs are already chickening out before the fight even begins. Speaking of which, there are countless mercenary groups in the Essos region. But aside from the well-known big groups like the Golden Company, the Second Son Company, and the Wind Chaser Company, most mercenaries can only fight in favorable situations and participate in raids. They're completely out of the running when it comes to real combat.
At this time, Euron was in exile. Westeros was embroiled in civil war. He, meanwhile, was out plundering and winning over the people. Once his brother died, he returned to the Iron Islands and regained power. What he did afterward was utterly incompetent.
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, this guy is practically the epitome of a reverse cheat. Daenerys is insanely overpowered, and so is he. Moreover, he's using the kind of cheat that's typical of web novel protagonists. All sorts of treasure hunts and adventures, all sorts of good stuff, all end up in his hands. Whether it's the Vulcan armor, the Dragon Horn, plus sea monsters, and all kinds of dark magic, he's the quintessential doomsday demon king.
If possible, Lu Xuan would definitely kill this guy the moment they met. In fact, if You Lun suddenly decided to rob them, Lu Xuan would be willing to go all out and kill him instantly as long as he dared to board the ship.
Unfortunately, this fellow, though seemingly arrogant, is actually shrewd. Lu Xuan could tell from the ship's waterline that the Tranquility was fully loaded. So Euron didn't actually intend to plunder. He probably just finished a heist and was in a state of wakefulness. No one knew which side would suffer, but once this guy made a move, he basically left no survivors.
At that moment, Lu Xuan saw Daenerys emerging from the cabin. He didn't speak, but stopped her with a look. Only when the Serenity was far away did he approach and ask.
"What's wrong?"
"Sir Lu, I don't know what's wrong, but I suddenly had a strange feeling. There seemed to be something on that ship that just passed by?"
Haiya chimed in, "I sensed it too. There's more than one magical item on the ship. One of them is so powerful it's suffocating me."
Lu Xuan's heart skipped a beat. The powerful magical artifact that both Daenerys and the warlock could sense simultaneously was undoubtedly Euron's Dragon Horn (it didn't even appear in the TV series...). That thing was a dangerous item.
The key issue is that Euron's Dragon Horn is called the Dragonbinder. As the name suggests, it's the nemesis of dragons. Lu Xuan wasn't sure how effective the Dragon Horn would be against dragons, or even if Euron could use it. But such a thing, in the hands of someone like Euron, would ultimately be a menace.
"Euron Greyjoy, according to him, once visited the ruins of the Valyrian peninsula. Perhaps he found magical artifacts from the Valyrian Freehold era in those ruins."
"Perhaps we can buy what he has..."
“Impossible…” Lu Xuan, Pai Ya, and Jora said at the same time.
Daenerys: "......"
Lu Xuan: "Buying him is out of the question. Don't even try to deal with that person through any normal means. There's no need, because I'll kill him the next time we meet."
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No update tonight
As the title suggests, my family is harvesting wheat, and my workplace has assigned me over 10,000 extra tasks. I'm working day and night, and I can't finish before 11:30 PM. I can't possibly finish writing them all.
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Chapter 249 The Wizard of the Shadow Land
Slave Bay is a culturally and geographically interconnected region on the continent of Essos. Built on the ruins of the ancient Giscali Empire, it was once the absolute center of the global slave trade.
The slave trade—a trade that both Lu Xuan and Daenerys abhorred. But for now, they needed it. At least, the slave trade was a fundamental component of the Unsullied army.
Slaver's Bay has three main cities: Astapor, Meereen, and Yunkai. These three cities are situated on the ruins of the former Giscali Empire.
This was once the most powerful nation on the continent of Essos, and even unified the continent at one point. Thousands of years before Valyria rose to power, they already possessed a disciplined and unyielding army, invincible across the continent.
But unexpectedly, a race with extraordinary abilities suddenly rose to power in a volcanic crater. Even though the Giskali Empire's army was unmatched, they were powerless against the dragon. Because, before this, such a powerful aerial force had never existed.
The Giskali Empire, having lost five consecutive wars, finally collapsed. With its fall, the vast cities of Gugis gradually became ruins. Although the defeats wiped out the vast majority of the Gugis bloodline, the surviving people of the empire built new cities on the ruins—the three mentioned earlier.
And soon, these three cities developed into the absolute centers of the world's slave trade. Thus, three extremely wealthy cities of the slave trade emerged.