80 Clear Water

Jack's brows rose in surprise, but he didn't hesitate as he took out the Deep Water Iron cylinder from his Star Bag and stepped up to the table to give it to the Captain.

The Captain gave him an incredulous look as he received the cylinder. In the next minute, he looked at and through the camouflage-colored cylinder, spun it in his hands a few times, and even started pouring spirit energy into it.

When Jack sensed the spirit energy moving, he quickly spoke up "Please stop, you can imbue it a little, but if you go overboard it will crack, or even worse, explode."

The Captain stopped as soon as Jack started talking, and then frowned down at the cylinder. A few seconds later, he looked up at Jack and asked "Is this just a metal tube?"

Jack gave him a confident nod and answered "Indeed, it is. Made out of Deep Water Iron and colored in that pattern for easier concealment during the night and out in the wild."

The Captain's frown deepened as he placed the cylinder down on the table and asked "How did you use it to kill those Kung?"

Jack motioned towards the cylinder and asked in return "May I?"

The Captain hesitated for a second, but then he gave a sharp nod and watched every move that Jack made.

Jack picked up the cylinder, aimed it to his left, and unleashed an Air Blast spell through it. The cylinder let out a low whistling sound as an explosive but weak gust of air exited through the other end.

He lowered the cylinder and turned to the confused Captain to say "That is how you use it. Of course, you need the correct projectiles to make it deadly, but that is the gist of it."

The Captain's brows rose in surprise as he asked "What kind of projectile?"

Jack reached into his Star Bag and took out a metal ball. He handed it over to the captain and explained "You put the metal projectile into the cylinder, plug the end turned towards you with your thumb, extend threads of spiritual energy through the metal, and form the Air Blast spell behind the projectile. The air pressure will have nowhere to go, and will launch the projectile through the cylinder and at your target at deadly speeds."

When the Captain heard the explanations, he looked down at the metal ball in his hand and flattened it between his thumb and forefinger. His brows furrowed and he asked "How deadly is it and how long does it take to train a person to become practiced in this skill?"

Jack shrugged as he looked down at the cylinder and said "So far I had success with killing up to grade six cultivators. I had to take them by surprise and from close range, but I did a few of them in. It gets easier as the grades of cultivators you are fighting go down."

He looked back up at the Captain and continued "From my experience, I guess that it would take around two hundred days of training to make the average cultivator proficient with the usage of this weapon, three hundred to make him deadly."

The Captain's frown deepened as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the cylinder on the table.

A dozen seconds later, the Captain looked back up at Jack and gestured towards the seat opposite him as he ordered "Sit." He straightened his posture and continued "I am Bei Kuaipo, the Captain of the Unbreakable Fortress."

Jack clasped his hands as he introduced himself "I am Jack Song, leader of the Lament mercenary company. You can call me Jack." and sat down in the offered seat.

The Captain, Bei Kuaipo, frowned a bit at the strange name, but Jack just added "We are not from around here." making Bei Kuaipo's frown disappear.

Bei Kuaipo studied Jack for a few seconds, while Jack looked down at his hands and waited for the older man to get to the point.

When he decided that he saw all that he needed, Bei Kuaipo asked "How much spirit stones would you ask for returning to the White River Outpost with me and teaching this skill to a few select people in the White River family?"

Jack gave him a sad shake of the head as he answered "I am sorry, Captain. The Lament is already on a mission of its own. We cannot abandon it."

Bei Kuaipo snorted at his excuse and said "What, for that old man that works for you? Do not think that I do not know what happens on my own ship, boy." His face darkened when he finished his last sentence and Jack could feel a threatening aura focusing on him.

Jack endured it with a calm face as he explained "I do use him to deal with people in higher cultivation grades than me, but that does not mean that we are not on a mission."

Bei Kuaipo's face remained dark as he threatened "I can just take you back with us and turn your people into hostages. I am sure that you would cooperate then."

Jack gave him a relaxed shrug as he said "You can do that, but in that case, I would try everything in my power to sabotage your family's operations from the inside." When he saw anger blossom in Bei Kuaipo's eyes, Jack added "I have a counter offer that might make us all happy."

Bei Kuaipo barely held back his anger as he growled "What offer?"

Jack laid his hands on the table and touched the cylinder with his fingers as he started talking "I will write all of my insights into the operational principles of the weapon, its construction, and the required form of the Air Blast spell needed for you."

He looked up at Bei Kuaipo, saw a small thoughtful frown on his previously furious face, and continued "In return, you will give me the spell I saw your men using to purify the White River's water into pure water. This way we both get what we want and part on good terms."

Bei Kuaipo kept his thoughtful expression for a few seconds before he focused his gaze back on Jack and asked "What prevents you from scamming me and me from killing you once you finish your part of the deal?"

Jack leaned in towards Bei Kuaipo and said "I do not want to anger the White River family while I am in the lands in which they have a lot of influence, and you would not kill me because you might need my help with the weapon in the future." He leaned back and added "And I will give it, for a price."

Bei Kuaipo studied Jack for a few seconds before he nodded his head and exclaimed "Deal!" He reached into his Star Bag and took out a bottle and two cups. Once he filled them, he floated one over to Jack with his spirit energy and rose his cup in a toast. Jack grabbed the floating cup and downed his own drink.

He felt the alcohol burning as it went down, followed by a mellow feeling that made his mind relax. Jack started operating the Beast Recovery Method as soon as he felt the drink begin influencing his mind, and half a minute later, managed to blink the haze from his eyes away.

Bei Kuaipo gave him a surprised smirk and said "Not bad, boy." He raised the cup bottle up and asked "Want another one?"

Jack could only politely refuse as he felt cold sweat running down his back from the loss of control he experienced under the influence of that one cup.

Bei Kuaipo shrugged as he poured himself another cup and downed it. After giving a satisfied sigh, he stood up, said "Follow me.", and started walking towards the exit.

Before he reached it, Jack cleared his throat, and when Bei Kuaipo focused his gaze back on Jack, he asked "Can I take my weapon back now?"

Bei Kuaipo looked a little lost, but then he realized that the painted cylinder still lay on his table. He considered it for a few seconds and then nodded his head as he said "You may."

With that, he turned around and walked out into the fresh air. Jack let out a quiet sigh of relief as he stored the cylinder into his Star Bag and followed after Bei Kuaipo.

Once on the outside, Jack saw the officer that escorted him waiting next to Bei Kuaipo a few meters away from the cabin. Jack joined them and watched as Bei Kuaipo instructed the officer to "Give the boy a Clear Water spell scroll."

The officer looked a little surprised at the order, but he reached into his Star Bag and fished out an old-looking scroll. When he handed it over to Jack, Bei Kuaipo said "I have kept to my part of the bargain, you will come to my cabin tomorrow morning and write down all the information that I want."

He paused as a humongous shimmering spiritual energy enveloped Jack and made him unable to move. After a few seconds of making Jack's bones creak, he released him and added "Or else I will crush all of your bones and throw your broken body to the Kung."

Jack could only give him a stiff bow of acknowledgment and wait for the two men to disperse before he started his way back down to where his people waited.

After he greeted everyone and asked about any changes that happened in his absence, Jack went to his makeshift bed, unfurled the new Clear Water spell, and started reading it. The more he read, the larger the smile on his face became.

Jack had found out that they should not drink the White River's water from the other cultivators as soon as he came to the White River Outpost. None of them knew the exact reason why, but they all knew that you shouldn't. Even his men heard the stories and only drank the water they could buy from traveling merchants.

When he first entered the White River Outpost, he asked around a little and found out that no one in the city ever drank the water from the River. When he asked a few of the barmaids that belonged to the family, they said that they received purified water from their Elders every day.

Jack had never planned to drink the water since the first few warnings, but after he did his first dissection of the dead man from the hut town, he swore that he would never touch the stuff. The dead man had patches of white sediment encrusting most of his meridians. Jack didn't know what they did, but he felt sure that it wasn't anything good.

On that day he instructed old Long to get some extra clean water for their voyage just in case they got stranded somewhere that had none at hand. He even asked around the White River Outpost if anyone knew how to purify the water, but they all said that only the White River family and the tribes from the wilderness had access to that spell.

He made peace with that fact until today, when old Long and himself stayed on the top deck and saw the sailors using the purification spell on the water they dragged out of the River.

Jack planned to have old Long approach one of the officers and act as a trader that wanted to buy it, but he never knew that he could get it from the Captain for such a low price.

He never worried about giving the White River family a weapon that would become useless to him once he rose to a higher grade of cultivation.

With a wide grin, Jack focused on the new spell's structure deep into the night. Not even the horrid smell of the hold bothered him during his studies.