They all call me Great Master

In First Mate Albert's field of view, vortex after vortex appeared beneath the thirteen ships trailing behind the 'Oriental'.

The immense suction force directly dragged the thirteen ships to the bottom of the 'Inland River'.

In the span of a breath, the entire ship vanished without a trace.

And not a single person on board escaped.

This scene assaulted Albert's understanding of the world.

In all his nautical studies, such vortices should have been impossible.

Never mind why the 'Oriental' had just sailed past without any incident, but the pursuing ships were engulfed by the vortex when they reached the same point.

Just the distinct separation of the vortexes that swallowed those ships was implausible.

Moreover, they disappeared after consuming their prey.

It was as if...

They were being controlled by someone!

Having reached this conclusion, Albert stood stunned.

At that moment, 'Big Mouth' Barry clapped Albert's shoulder again.

"The world is a vast place.

Our big boss is called the 'Spirit Medium' of South Los, you know.

Spirit Mediums, they always have something to do with godly mumbo jumbo.

Maybe the 'God of the Inland River' is our boss's honored guest, perhaps now conducting an extraordinary ritual to send off our boss on his voyage?"

'Big Mouth' Barry said with a chuckle.

The First Mate, Albert, subconsciously wanted to say that's impossible.

But as the words reached his lips and he saw Barry's grin, the young First Mate felt that maybe, just maybe, it could be true.

For a moment, the First Mate began to doubt his entire existence.

Similarly, doubting her life was the pitiable Lady Yula.

When the First Mate Albert screamed "This is impossible!" so too did this lady inwardly cry out in disbelief.

She watched as the ships of her comrades sank one by one, her heart sinking with them.

She knew that the mission had ended in utter failure.

Initially, the plan had been to rob this famed passenger ship that had recently risen to prominence and to ransom the guests on board for a fortune, but no one expected to be met with such a predicament.

'Damn it!

What's with this bizarre vortex?

Could what they say about the 'God of the Inland River' actually be true?

Damn! Damn! Damn!'

Yula grew increasingly agitated as the plan fell apart.

She was on the verge of pacing back and forth in the cabin.

However, just as she turned around, Yula saw the utterly dejected Joe.

Ever since everything that had happened on the deck walk, this self-proclaimed exceptional Joe had plummeted into despair.

Stripped of his right to the inheritance.

Ostracized from the family.

Wandering the streets.

Starving to death in some nameless alleyway.

Scenes like these relentlessly bombarded Joe's mind.

And it seemed they would not leave him be.

Because Joe knew very well that these could easily become reality—his father had over a dozen sons and certainly didn't miss him.

Moreover, he wasn't even one of the primary heirs in the line of succession.

No!

Even the heir first in line, after today's incident, would surely be handed over by his father to quell the fury of the 'Spirit Medium' of South Los.

'Sons?

If I lose one, I can father more!

Just as long as I'm safe!

I can have as many as I want!

But if I'm in trouble, what good are so many sons to me?'

That was his father's famous saying.

With such a philosophy, Joe had no illusions about his fate.

At that moment, Joe's heart was awash with terror.

But then, a pair of warm hands rested on his shoulders.

Instinctively, Joe turned around to find Yula there.

"You..."

"No matter what happens, I'm willing to face it with you."

When Yula uttered those words, Joe instantly felt as if he had been struck.

He experienced a warmth he had never felt before.

He seemed to feel ...

Love!

"But I have no money left, and I no longer have the support of my family. Before, I was just trying to deceive you, just playing around with you," Joe said straightforwardly, being a man without schemes.

The moment the words left his mouth, Joe regretted them, but it was too late.

The young man braced himself for the disappointment he expected to see in Yula's eyes as she looked at him.

But there was no disappointment.

No disappointment at all!

There was not a tiny bit of disappointment in Yula's eyes.

On the contrary, Yula grabbed hold of his hand.

"I know.

But I am not playing games!

I am serious!" Yula's gaze was steadfast, even more determined than her words.

And deep down, she scoffed—

'Since the big feast is gone, might as well enjoy a little dessert! Joe's family has plenty of money; I can use Joe as a breakthrough!'

Joe was oblivious to this.

He was simply moved.

Lucius, who had been hidden outside the door, now looked on with an increasingly fierce gaze.

Meanwhile, on the crowded dock where this scene was unfolding, a chorus of shouts broke out—

"The River God!"

"It's the God of the Inland River!"

Suddenly, someone among the crowded dockworkers, merchants, laborers, and bespectacled scholars fell to their knees and exclaimed in awe.

At this moment, they were all the same, kneeling there shouting loudly, their faces filled with fervor.

Immediately, the crowd became chaotic.

The people of South Los certainly had heard of the God of the Inland River.

It was rumored that during the Imperial Age, people had worshiped the 'God of the Inland River'.

But rumors were just rumors, and no one had ever seen the 'God of the Inland River'.

Even records were extremely scarce.

There was no description of what the 'God of the Inland River' looked like, just that this deity ruled over 'Inner Bay'.

To those living in the Pioneer Era, the people of South Los treated it as nothing more than a story, but the scene before them now made them start to doubt themselves.

After all, aside from Divine Spirits, who else could accomplish such things?

'The Oriental' was unscathed, yet those thirteen ships conveniently sank?

How could this be possible!

Marinda, who had already boarded her carriage upon hearing these cries, furrowed her brow.

The 'Lady of the Long Night' sharply sensed something amiss.

These shouting people were off.

Their identities clearly did not match their current attire, and they had not shown malice toward her before, so she had ignored them earlier, but now upon closer inspection, the zeal in their eyes was all too familiar.

Each shout seemed like those figures from her childhood, those who intended to strip her of her blood and bones.

'Where do these lunatics come from?!' the lady wondered inside.

Then, with a puff of smoke, she was about to start writing with her hand.

Although the lady did not know where these lunatics had come from, now that they had appeared in South Los, they had to be closely monitored.

Moreover, the lady was preparing to mark them as targets to be possibly eliminated.

It was to be a more ruthless action than the earlier covert arrests.

South Los was this lady's stronghold.

It was the lifework of the lady.

Naturally, she did not want any accidents occurring here.

Of course, what was most crucial was that Marinda knew of these madmen's capacity for destruction.

If she wasn't careful, all of South Los could be ruined in an instant.

But just as the lady's palm was about to touch the smoke, Fujin, who had been quiet within the carriage, echoed Arthur's voice—

"Marinda, have your people shout that what just happened is: The God of the Inland River conducting a unique ritual to farewell my departure!"