Chapter 81

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"So, you're also heading to the eastern part of the Blue Sea?"

Zhang Heng and Lan Ling'er walked to the hotel from another direction, chatting as they went. Just as they were discussing their upcoming itinerary, Lan Ling'er asked about Zhang Heng and Hao Qi's plans. Zhang Heng mentioned that they would be taking a ship directly across the Blue Sea, likely returning to the Sea Kingdom in the eastern part of the Blue Sea. He emphasized their national mission to find and destroy pirates, and if they didn't encounter any, their final destination would be the Sea Kingdom in the eastern part of the Blue Sea.

Lan Ling'er then expressed her intention to go to the eastern part of the Blue Sea and hoped to board Hao Qi's ship. Zhang Heng immediately asked curiously.

"Yes, I'm going to set sail next, and I'll be crossing the Blue Sea..." Lan Ling'er said this but didn't specify her destination. However, Zhang Heng, with his preconceived notion, didn't think much of it.

Zhang Heng immediately said, "Of course, that's fine. Hao Qi and I are very worried about you. You're a young girl who doesn't know martial arts and are traveling alone. I even discussed with Hao Qi whether we should send you home first. Since you're going with us to the eastern part of the Blue Sea, there's no problem. You can come aboard with us!"

Lan Ling'er smiled sweetly but didn't say much more, her eyes carrying a hint of unspoken sadness.

That night passed without incident. The next day, Hao Qi took Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng to the port area and found Wang Fu, the Sea Kingdom's representative in Saran. They mentioned Lan Ling'er's plan to join them. Wang Fu didn't object at all but expressed some concerns. According to the Sea Kingdom's intelligence, mysterious people had been spying on the ships, and this return journey might encounter the Blue Sea Shadow Pirate Group. If they weren't afraid of the danger, the Sea Kingdom had no objection to Hao Qi bringing one more person.

Satisfied with this, Hao Qi agreed to protect the safety of the people he was bringing and asked about the return time of the Sea Kingdom's ship, which was in three days. This gave Hao Qi enough time to tour Saran. They then said goodbye and set off to explore the city with Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng.

It was clear that Lan Ling'er had been to Saran before, but she wasn't very familiar with it. Saran was the largest port city in the western part of the Blue Sea, known for its thriving trade. Although the sea beasts in the Blue Sea had cut off deep-sea navigation, no other country except the Sea Kingdom could cross the entire Blue Sea. However, near the coast, it was still possible to sail long distances, even though this would increase the cost of maritime transport. Cross-regional and cross-country trade was highly profitable, making Saran a wealthy city with a bustling port.

After arriving in the western part of the Blue Sea, Hao Qi and Zhang Heng almost immediately met Su Shiyun and others, then went on an adventure in the ruins. They hadn't had time to explore Saran properly. Now, with three days of free time, Hao Qi immediately took Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng out, starting with the food street from the map, then heading to the auction area, the small vendor area, and so on.

A significant part of Hao Qi's dream of traveling the seven seas was to eat his way through them. Although the Sutuka tribe was a desert tribe, it was more inclined towards an ancient civilization with its own food preparation methods and secret channels to learn about external advancements. Compared to the native tribes in the western part of the Blue Sea, the Sutuka tribe was closer to the civilization of the eastern part of the Blue Sea, with similar cooking methods.

In the food street of Saran, there were not only delicacies from the eastern part of the Blue Sea but also many native dishes from the western part. For example, Hao Qi bought a skewer of desert lizard tails, which were about the size of an adult's palm, black in color, and sprinkled with spices unique to the desert. They smelled strangely spicy, and the color and aroma weren't particularly appealing, but they tasted very good. The lizard tails were chewy and had a spicy flavor, making Hao Qi exclaim with delight. Not only Hao Qi, but Zhang Heng and Lan Ling'er also had bright eyes after tasting them. The three of them squatted in front of the lizard tail stall and ate many skewers before patting their full bellies and continuing their exploration.

Throughout the journey, Lan Ling'er laughed joyfully. According to her, she was only fifteen years old, and her behavior truly reflected that of a fifteen-year-old girl. Zhang Heng clearly liked this young girl, and the three of them had a lot of fun. However, when Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng weren't looking, Hao Qi's gaze on Lan Ling'er was filled with compassion, warmth, and a peculiar determination.

Unity of knowledge and action... right?

That day, the three of them ate their way through Saran. In the evening, they went to the most famous seafood restaurant by the sea and had a big feast. That night passed without incident. The next morning, Hao Qi woke Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng early and took them to the Saran trading area for the early market. Despite the early hour, the place was bustling with people. Merchants from various oases and cities in the western part of the Blue Sea, as well as coastal countries from the northern, eastern, and southern parts of the Blue Sea, were trading here. There were also small vendors, street stalls, and even people auctioning items on the street. The place was as lively as a market... well, it was a market, just more vibrant.

This was also the scenery Hao Qi wanted to see. Lan Ling'er saw many desert decorations at the small stalls, such as bone ornaments and gems, which made her eyes sparkle. She squatted by some stalls for a long time, then looked at Hao Qi and Zhang Heng with dreamy eyes, making the two "big brothers" buy her many decorations, which made Lan Ling'er smile all day.

Thus, they spent the whole day in the market. Besides the decorations, they also had some unexpected gains. For example, Zhang Heng bought a long tendon from a flame giant lizard at an auction. The tendon was about one and a half meters long, already tanned, and from its texture and marks, it was at least several decades old. This was a tendon from a mad beast, and he bought it at a small auction for ten billion Sea Kingdom coins. According to Lan Ling'er, this was still a good deal.

Generally, the body parts of mad beasts, especially those that can be used to make weapons and armor, are extremely expensive. A square meter of mad beast leather is worth about ten billion coins, and the internal tendons are even more expensive. If Zhang Heng sold this tendon in the eastern part of the Blue Sea, it would be worth at least twenty to thirty billion coins, and it would be in high demand. Therefore, Lan Ling'er speculated that this might be stolen goods, sold quickly to avoid detection.

Regardless, Zhang Heng was very happy with the mad beast tendon. It was a key component for making a longbow, which could be used by experts at the Inner Strength realm. When Hao Qi was ambushed in the Blue Shadow Republic, the arrow that hit him was from a bow made of a fierce beast's tendon. Zhang Heng's tendon was from a mad beast, making it much more powerful and valuable.

However, on their way back to the hotel, they encountered dozens of people wearing black veils who attacked and robbed them. Clearly, Zhang Heng's generous spending at the auction had attracted the attention of some unsavory characters. But... that was it...

After a simple inquiry among the people lying on the ground and groaning, Hao Qi confirmed that they were just opportunists and not part of any conspiracy. The three of them ended their day's exploration. That night passed without incident, and the next day, they continued their tour...

When the three of them boarded the ship for the long voyage, Lan Ling'er and Zhang Heng were both exhausted, so they went to their cabins to rest. Only Hao Qi was still energetic, greeting the crew and distributing cigarettes, sitting on the deck and chatting, looking completely refreshed.

The ship set sail, a giant vessel capable of crossing the Blue Sea, heading from Saran to the Sea Kingdom on the other side. Not long after this ship set sail, another smaller ship also left Saran, trailing far behind the giant vessel, heading into the depths of the Blue Sea...

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