Above the mage!

Chapter 491 Making a lie come true
"You mean to lure the snake out of its hole?" Gao De instantly understood Sarah's intention.

Sarah turned around, her red hair dancing like flames on her shoulders, her azure eyes gleaming with determination.

She made no attempt to hide her thoughts and nodded: "In the entire Black Sails City, only the [Spell Bottle] can make Davy Jones appear on his own."

“But someone as cautious and cunning as him won’t be easily fooled,” Gao De warned.

"Greed is the best bait. Dominating Black Sails City for so many years has made him much less vigilant than he was at the beginning."

Sarah gazed into the distance and said slowly, "Even the Holy Empire couldn't do anything to him. Although this was because the Plantagenet Dynasty was nearby, preventing the Holy Empire from sending out truly skilled experts and a large number of military mages, no matter how many other factors there are, they cannot change this fact."

"This has always been Davy Jones's proudest achievement, and it has also made him arrogant. After all, if the most powerful empire in the world can't do anything to him, who else can he really take seriously?"

"If we make the news of the [Spell Bottle]'s emergence seem even 50% true, and with the combined power of greed and confidence, he will surely appear."

"But why me? And what do you need me to do?" Gao De was silent for a moment before finally asking the question.

Sarah went to great lengths to invite him to Ash Isle and talked to him about so many things.

This includes the secrets of the strange object, and she makes no attempt to conceal her intention to kill Davy Jones, certainly not to confide her girlish feelings.

Gao De knew perfectly well that Sarah wanted him to join the operation.

But as he asked.

Why him?

Why would someone who was a complete stranger and had just arrived in Black Sails City be allowed to participate in such a crucial project?
This is simply unreasonable.

Unless it's something that requires his attention, only he can do it.

"If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. The Pirate King isn't stupid, otherwise he wouldn't be alive and well with such a huge bounty on his head."

"As I said before, the news of the [Spell Bottle]'s appearance must be at least 50% true for it to attract him to show himself," Sarah said softly.

"The biggest problem now is how to make the news of the [Spell Bottle]'s emergence seem even 50% true."

“My initial plan was actually to find the [Spell Bottle],” Sarah sighed softly, then revealed a secret, a real secret: “My third-circle feat can help me heal mental injuries, which allows me to briefly venture into areas covered by blue flames.”

"With this expertise, I have never stopped exploring Ash Isle since I came to the Blue Flame Islands."

"However, this recovery ability is relatively limited, or rather, the mental damage caused by the blue flames is too severe. In short, every time I venture into an area covered by blue flames, even if it's only for less than an hour, I need several months to recover, so the efficiency of treasure hunting is relatively limited."

"Over the years, I have certainly made some gains. I have found many extraordinary equipment left behind by the Blackwing Gang members, but I have not been able to find even a trace of the [Spell Bottle]."

"Either the [Spell Bottle] has already been snatched up by some lucky person, or the blue flames in the core Blue Flame Sea area of ​​Ash Isle are too turbulent, and even with my specialization, I cannot enter."

"I lean towards the latter, because if it were the former, such a powerful artifact as the [Spell Bottle] would not have remained completely unknown for so many years."

"But in short, this plan can only fail."

Gaode remained silent.

The more Sarah talked to him, the less he could refuse her next proposal.

“If we really can’t find anyone, we’ll have to put on an act,” Sarah said, her gaze falling on God. “I need someone with enough courage and intelligence to help me with this charade.”

"While I am honored to receive such praise from you," Gao De said with a helpless shrug, "we've only met twice. Aren't you giving me far too much credit?"

"Besides, don't you think it's too risky to hire an outsider like me?"

Such a top-secret plan should involve finding one's own "suicide squad," not some random passerby.
“We have to find an outsider,” Sarah said, seemingly oblivious to God’s polite refusal. “David has informants all over Black Sails City. If he wants to know, he can find out exactly when people who appear on Blue Flame Islands arrive and where they come from.”

“If I use my own people, he will easily find out that they are my people. It would be like putting the trap right in front of him. On the contrary, he will not suspect too much if you are a genuine stranger.”

"That's why my plan has been delayed for so long. I need a suitable person to appear and help me lure the snake out of its hole."

“I only learned of you today from Gar.”

"All you have to do is one thing: lure Davy Jones to Ash Isle according to my plan."

"The rest is none of your business."

“I know this is very risky,” Sarah said with a flamboyant smile, raising the amulet in her palm to Gao De. “If you agree to help me, this [Drunkard Amulet] is yours.”

"This is considered a deposit."

“If I succeed in killing Davy Jones in the end, his head will be yours.” Sarah’s tone was casual, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

The head of Davy Jones is worth 38 goldbird coins.

Of course, it sounds wonderful, but for it to become a reality, Sarah would have to actually win over David Jones.

Gaode fell into deep thought.

Sarah only spoke of the benefits of cooperation, without uttering a single threat, seemingly allowing him to refuse the offer of "cooperation."

But Gaode Maps is certainly not that naive.

Sarah didn't directly say "kill him to silence him" when she refused, but in order to keep the news from leaking out, she certainly wouldn't let him go until everything was settled.

The reason we don't say anything is because everyone here is smart enough to know these things perfectly well, so there's no need to bring them up and disrupt the current harmonious atmosphere.

Even if both parties are aware of something, whether they say it or not is a completely different matter.

He looked up at the flames in Sarah's eyes and realized that from the moment he stepped onto Ash Isle, there was no turning back.

"If he shows himself, are you confident you can kill him?" Gao De raised his doubts.

At least in his view, neither "luring the snake out of its hole" nor "killing Davy Jones" would be easy to accomplish.

David's ability to survive for so long despite the enormous bounty is no small feat.

"I'm fairly confident," Sarah replied conservatively, but she didn't elaborate on the second step.

Since Gaode Maps wasn't involved in the second step, there was no need to elaborate on it.

"What do I need to do?" Gao De pondered for a moment before asking. "Here you go." Sarah simply tossed the amulet in her hand.

The amulet traced an arc in the air.

Gao De quickly caught it; the wood felt rough yet warm, and the copper rust in the cracks prickled his fingertips.

He looked at the priceless object in his hand and calmly put it into his pocket.

“Gal told me that you got a ticket to the Day of the Dead auction from Santos, so you must have come to Black Sails City for the auction?”

"Yes." Gao De nodded; there was no point in denying it.

“Very good. The simpler and more innocent your purpose is, the less likely David Jones will suspect you.” Sarah nodded in satisfaction.

"The fabric of your crew's clothing is from the County of Byrne, and they speak with an accent from the southwestern coast of the Plantagenet Dynasty," she continued, "so you must be a native mage of the Plantagenet Dynasty?"

"I guess so." Gao De nodded again, without asking Sarah how she knew this information.

These things are no secret to the local tyrants of Black Sails City if they wanted to investigate.

“That’s even better. The mages of the Plantagenet Dynasty naturally distance themselves from the Holy Empire. Given David’s current strength and status, only mages from the Holy Empire would make him observe for a while longer.” Sarah was even more satisfied.

From any perspective, Gaode Maps is a "destined connection" bestowed upon her by heaven.

“What I need you to do isn’t complicated.” After Sarah found out about God’s identity and background, she finally began to reveal the specific action plan.

“Just participate in the auction as usual and buy what you want. However, during the auction, I need you to deposit these two treasures with the auction house for auction.” Sarah clapped her hands lightly.

Soon, footsteps came from outside the door, and the man who had been called Baozai on the deck came up carrying a tray in both hands.

Two pieces of jewelry were placed on the tray:

A ring inlaid with blue flame crystals, its surface covered with spiderweb-like cracks; a rusty silver chain with a twisted skull pendant.

“These are…” Gao De’s eyes flashed over the two pieces of jewelry.

“These are Blackwing Gang relics that I’ve collected from Ash Isle over the years,” Sarah pushed the tray toward God. “They are the accessories that the Blackwing Gang’s vice-leader carried with him back then. They are all Tier 5 extraordinary equipment, but they are all a bit damaged, so their value is greatly reduced.”

"During the auction, you will deposit these two pieces with the auction house for safekeeping and auction."

“Even if a fifth-tier extraordinary item has flaws, it will definitely be a heavyweight item at the Anguish Day auction, and as the organizer of the Anguish Day auction, David Jones will surely receive news about these two items.”

"He devoted a great deal of manpower and effort to finding the [Spell Bottle] on Ash Isle, and he knows the Blackwing Gang inside and out. He would definitely be able to recognize the origin of these two ornaments immediately."

"A newly arrived Golden Flower mage in Black Sails has deposited and auctioned two Blackwing Gang relics that should have been buried on Ash Isle. He will definitely notice you."

“The mage’s feats are quite illogical. Even David is helpless against blue flames, but my third-circle feat allows me to venture into areas covered by blue flames. According to this logic, there must be some feat that can make a mage immune to these blue flame damage.”

"And my goal is to train you to become a mage with this specialization, so that I can provide a reasonable explanation for your later discovery of Dracula's [Spell Bottle]."

“These two Blackwing Gang relics are the very things you inadvertently revealed while trying to acquire the items you needed at the auction.” Sarah spoke confidently, her plan having been brewing for a long time, so she spoke with complete assurance and without any hesitation.

But the more Gao De listened, the stranger his emotions became. Suddenly, he thought of an idiom from his past life:
What was fake became real.

"As for the proceeds from the auction of these two ornaments, they also belong to you. If I fail to kill Davy Jones in the end, or even die at his hands, consider it compensation for my life."

Finally, Sarah finished explaining the specific plan and all the details, and smiled slightly.

"After all, given David Jones' ruthless nature, he certainly won't let you off easily once things are exposed." She made no attempt to conceal the risks, her tone completely calm.

The sea breeze blew in through the open window, lifting a corner of Sarah's leather trench coat to reveal the tight lines beneath the gilded buttons.

Gao De understood that this woman had long since disregarded her own life and death.

I just don't know what kind of deep-seated hatred Sarah and David have that would make her willing to go to such lengths.
“And you’ll need to stay on Ash Isle before the Day of Resurrection auction begins.” Her tone shifted, adding a layer of unquestionable authority.
“These Blackwing Gang relics need to have a ‘reasonable’ origin—for example, you spent three days searching the island to dig them out from the edge of the Blue Flame Zone,” she looked at God. “Is that alright?”

It sounds reasonable enough that they need to stay on Ash Isle for a few days to justify how they obtained these two Blackwing Clan relics.

Otherwise, if David Jones investigates and finds out that he never actually stayed on Ash Isle, he'll be exposed immediately. But at the same time, this is also a subtle form of house arrest.

To avoid betraying Sarah after returning home.

They only let me go when the auction started, so even if I wanted to turn against them, I wouldn't have the time.

Gao De knew exactly what Sarah meant, and he also knew that he couldn't voice any objections.

“I can stay, but Lanwen can leave, because of me,” Gao De briefly recounted his agreement with Apache before he came.

Sarah glanced at Lan Wen and nodded, "Okay."

Lan Wen's expression changed, and he looked at Gao De: "My lord?!"

He left the North and followed all the way here to protect God. How could he be willing to be separated from God now?
"You should go back firstly to fulfill the agreement and take over the dock, and secondly to prepare for your departure. As soon as the auction begins, take the fleet back to Golden Bird. Don't wait for me; I have my own way of leaving. Your presence here would only be a burden to me!"

The next moment, Lan Wen received a message from Gao De via [Communication Technique].

Lan Wen's eyes flickered upon hearing this, and he struggled internally. After a moment, he made up his mind and replied to Gao De, "Understood, Your Majesty."

Then, Lan Wen quickly regained his usual decisiveness, without the slightest hesitation, and turned to leave without dragging his feet.

Inside the cabin, Sarah raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The magical fluctuations of the [Communication Spell] could not escape her perception.

However, she didn't care what the two talked about in private, as long as Gaode stayed. Any other little thoughts during the process were just harmless embellishments.

After Lan Wen left, Sarah said to Gao De, "Bao Zai will take you to the cabin that has been arranged. There will be plenty of water and food. If you want to have a couple of drinks, there are some good wines in the cellar that I have collected. Feel free to take them."

"Furthermore, I will not restrict your movements, but I advise you not to leave the Fireblade, because blue flames could burst forth from any part of Ash Isle at any time."

"Even I would take several months to recover if I were entangled by the blue flames," she kindly reminded me.

(End of this chapter)