Chapter 53 of 100

Chapter 53

14 min read3,601 words

"Tomorrow morning, the ship will set sail on time, with a voyage duration of two months and twelve days. The destination is the largest port of Sabesi, the largest country in the western region of the Blue Sea. Of course, this is just the official schedule. In reality, our best hope is to encounter the Blue Sea Shadow Warriors, or rather, the pirate group. If we don't encounter them, or if the pirate group is too cautious, we will need to stay in the largest port of Sabesi, Saran, for two months. After that, we will load up with more valuable cargo and return to Hai Tian Kingdom. The entire journey is expected to take more than half a year."

Hao Qi leaned against the wall of a building at the port, smoking a cigarette. Looking out, the port was right before his eyes, and the giant ship he and Zhang Heng would board was also in sight. It was a super-large ship with a displacement of over 70,000 tons, which was considered a super-large ship for this era and one of the few ships capable of crossing the Blue Sea from Hai Tian Kingdom.

In the national bounty tasks of Hai Tian Kingdom, if one could destroy the Blue Sea Shadow, Hao Qi could receive a ship with a displacement of over 20,000 tons, up to a maximum of 80,000 tons, and the type of ship could be chosen freely. This was already a very generous reward, allowing one to cross the Blue Sea. According to Hai Tian Kingdom's ship engineers, as long as there was enough water depth and width, there was no need to worry about sea beasts.

Beside Hao Qi, Zhang Heng was holding a notebook, writing something down. He spoke while writing, "We've basically bought all the essentials. Is there anything else you need? Do you want to buy some rare healing and antidote medicines? Although they are expensive, costing over a million each, it might be worth having a few on hand."

Hao Qi thought for a moment and said, "No need for the healing medicines. Unless they can truly bring the dead back to life, healing medicines are not as useful as internal energy. Even if you suffer a fatal injury, as long as I'm nearby, my internal energy can save you. As for the antidotes... let's buy two rare ones. You can choose them since you have some medical knowledge, even if it's limited, you know more than I do."

Zhang Heng nodded in agreement and finished his notes. He then said to Hao Qi, "I asked some people at the headquarters and looked through some information about the warrior groups. Hao Qi, should we recruit more members for our group? With just the two of us, many group affairs cannot be handled. For example, we need a financial manager, a steward, a manager, a planning team, and even some guards. There are also other aspects of daily life to consider..."

Hao Qi waved his hand and said, "If we do that, what's the point of seeking freedom? We might as well serve a country, where everything is provided. That would be simpler. It's better with just the two of us. Unless we find like-minded companions, I don't plan to recruit members like other warrior groups."

Zhang Heng smiled but did not try to persuade him further. He went about his business. In the current group, Zhang Heng was mostly in charge of logistics, though he was still learning, he was more responsible than Hao Qi.

That day passed without incident. The next day, Hao Qi and Zhang Heng boarded the giant ship on time, and it set sail for the western region of the Blue Sea.

In his previous life, Hao Qi had never been on any long-distance ship. Even when he traveled abroad, he only took flights. This time, sitting on a long-distance ship, despite having a mission and it not being his own ship, Hao Qi was incredibly excited, running around the deck and making Zhang Heng constantly apologize to the staff.

Then, Hao Qi...

Vomited...

"I actually... get seasick..."

Hao Qi leaned over a bucket, retching, then lay weakly on the bed, looking at Zhang Heng, who was reading a book in a chair beside him, and said resentfully, "Hey! Why are you still so energetic!?"

Zhang Heng put down his book, somewhat helplessly, and said, "Probably because of the crimson blue grass, which enhanced my physical attributes. By the way, if you incorporate your internal energy into your body, you won't get seasick."

Hao Qi stubbornly replied, "No way! You might not know, but I am very sensitive to internal energy. Although we are on the high seas and a storm is coming, I can't be sure that incorporating my internal energy won't attract the attention of other internal energy practitioners. I'd rather vomit; I'll get used to it eventually..."

Zhang Heng sighed and continued reading his book. After a while, he suddenly said, "You take this mission very seriously..."

"Of course," Hao Qi said irritably, "It's a promise, and I never break my promises."

"Is that all..." Zhang Heng's voice was faint, carried by the howling storm, as if he wanted Hao Qi to hear it or not. Regardless, Hao Qi did not respond.

Life on the ship was very monotonous. After the initial novelty wore off, Hao Qi lost interest in the unchanging sea after a week at most. This was a giant cargo ship, not a luxury cruise liner, and besides the staff, there were only Hao Qi, Zhang Heng, and a dozen other people heading to the western region of the Blue Sea. Life on the ship was mostly dull.

Every day, Hao Qi tried to find something interesting to do, but unfortunately, there was nothing truly entertaining. With his internal energy practitioner's strength, he could have jumped into the sea to swim, explore, or catch some fish, which would have alleviated his boredom. However, he couldn't reveal that he was an internal energy practitioner, so he was left with nothing to do...

"... So! Today it's your turn to tell a story, Xu Zhou!"

After a month and a half, the Blue Sea Shadow had not shown any signs, and the ship continued to sail safely on the Blue Sea. The unique technology of Hai Tian Kingdom ensured that the ship did not encounter any sea beasts. During this time, Hao Qi had also made some guesses about the technology.

It was sonar, or rather, a modified version of sonar that emitted a sound only sea creatures could hear, making them instinctively avoid it. Even if Hao Qi understood the principle, he couldn't replicate it, nor did he know the frequency required to achieve the same effect as Hai Tian Kingdom's technology. It was no wonder that Hai Tian Kingdom said the technology required ships with a displacement of at least 20,000 tons, likely due to energy requirements that only such large ships could meet.

Over the month and a half, Hao Qi figured out the secret of the technology and also got to know most of the ship's staff, as he was extremely bored. If he could practice martial arts, it would have been fine, but he was worried about revealing his internal energy, so he could only practice some basic forms or refine his internal energy. As a result, his Heavenly Net Palm remained at level four, close to level five. Once he reached level five, he could use the Arhat Demon Subduing Technique, but he couldn't practice the Heavenly Net Palm for now.

So, he spent his days chatting and joking with the staff, listening to their stories and experiences on the Blue Sea, which became his greatest source of entertainment.

"Tell a story, you say?" The middle-aged man named Xu Zhou scratched his head, helplessly took a sip of the beer Hao Qi provided, and said, "I'm not good at telling stories, but I've heard many old-timers talk about some legends of the Blue Sea, like the legend of the Azure Giant, Yamon Hadith."

The mention of the Azure Giant, Yamon Hadith, immediately piqued Hao Qi's interest. He asked eagerly, "Oh? Tell me more, what kind of legend?"

"Legend has it that the Azure Giant, Yamon Hadith, is incredibly large. Don't look at me like that; I'm not talking about its size... The legend says that the Azure Giant, Yamon Hadith, is so large that it's almost unimaginable. From the legends, it's said to be larger than the entire territory of Hai Tian Kingdom. This enormous creature is said to have a very slow metabolism. It wakes up, eats, and then sleeps for a hundred years. When it sleeps, its head sinks into the water, and its back rises above the surface. Its back brings up fertile mud from the ocean floor, and various plant seeds and seeds carried by birds and animals grow on its surface. The Azure Giant, Yamon Hadith, also secretes a sticky fluid that provides high nutritional value, allowing the plants to grow lush and quickly. Within a few years, its back becomes a dense forest, and a previously unrecorded island suddenly appears in the Blue Sea."

Xu Zhou took a big sip of beer and ate a few snacks before laughing, "How about that? You've never heard this legend, right? Hahaha."

Everyone around him was captivated by the story. They thought Xu Zhou was just trying to get a free beer and didn't know how to tell a story, so they teased him. However, Hao Qi had a thoughtful expression, as if he had some idea.

A suddenly appearing unknown island...

A pirate group with unknown whereabouts...

Is there a connection?

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