Chapter 76

"Drake, please examine the Earl's condition."

"Sure, don't worry."

Drake Jin, the short and plump ship's doctor, had no reason to refuse his old partner's request. He nodded cheerfully, took out a stethoscope and a timer from his medical kit, and began a meticulous examination of Luo Zhengdao.

Fur Chopin was most concerned about Luo Zhengdao's health. The fleet's high-ranking officials knew that his frequent comas were due to a mysterious curse. However, with the intervention of an excellent doctor, it might at least help alleviate some of Luo Zhengdao's physical suffering. The old Fur, who was powerless to do anything, hoped for this and silently prayed for his family head.

Drake Jin's medical skills lived up to his title as the Earl's personal doctor. There were very few patients in the pirate fleet who needed his treatment, and he would only be called upon when other doctors were at a loss. Therefore, the ship's doctor was a significant figure in the pirate gang, and no one dared to offend him easily. Even in the New World, where there were healers like priests and clerics, only a few major nobles could afford to have professional followers. A fugitive noble like Luo Zhengdao had no right to such luxury. The Earl, his adoptive father, had not forgotten to assign a professional in medicine and pharmacology to take care of his son before sending him off to escape. This act of a father's love was truly touching.

Fur Chopin, with a restless mind, paced back and forth in the captain's cabin. He looked at the ship's doctor, who was crouched on the floor examining Luo Zhengdao, and asked:

"Old friend, how is the Earl's condition?"

Putting down the wooden stethoscope that looked like a small horn, Drake Jin smiled and patted the one-eyed captain's shoulder, reassuring him:

"Don't worry. It's the same old story; the curse has flared up again. Come, let's move the Earl to the bed."

After carefully settling the unconscious Luo Zhengdao, Fur Chopin said with a gloomy expression:

"The woman I saw just now, what was her name? Yasha, right! She's definitely suspicious. I swear by all the wine I've drunk in my life, she's a dangerous person."

Hearing this, Drake Jin, while packing up his medical equipment, replied:

"Alright! If you think she's a threat, it's right to increase the protection for the Earl. We can't afford any mistakes."

For these generations of servants of the Furlow Earl family, their interests were already intertwined with the family's rise and fall, forming an inseparable community of fate. Just as Fur Chopin would never tolerate anyone plotting to harm the family head, such a treacherous act would also be considered a grave offense by Drake. Even if he knew it wasn't the right time to eliminate internal threats, he couldn't relax any preventive measures.

At the same time, the battle at sea showed no signs of easing. Zola Hegel, holding a curved sword to block the arrows, shouted to the gunners:

"Brats, listen up! Prepare for close-range cannon fire. This time, load double the shot. We'll give those bastards a big surprise and send them to hell!"

Encouraged by the boatswain, the pirates roared in unison. Soon, the various gun crews shouted:

"Ready!"

"Loaded!"

The two sides chased and shot at each other in the turbulent coastal waters. The difficulty of hitting a target was no less than accurately throwing a ping-pong ball from a speeding car into the window of another car traveling in the opposite direction at a distance of five meters. Therefore, the closer the distance, the higher the hit rate. The pirates were well aware of this, and Zola Hegel, the boatswain, was an expert.

Estimating that the distance to the enemy ship was less than a hundred yards, he raised his curved sword high and shouted:

"Men, the time has come, fire!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

At the boatswain's command, thousands of stone pellets, the size of grapes, along with the white smoke from the exploding saltpeter, roared out. These hard, brittle projectiles raced towards the enemy ship, turning the white sails into a net-like mess. On the vast deck, no one dared to stand up. The enemy ship must have been filled with the agonized groans and cries of the dying and wounded.

"Zola, something's wrong, retreat immediately. We need to retreat now."

Suddenly sensing that something was amiss, the first mate, Brandt Fiery, shouted in alarm and used all his strength to turn the helm of the Yangwei. The massive Yaling warship changed its course, forming a nearly thirty-degree angle with the enemy ship, and its bow pointed towards the enemy.

"Boom—"

In an instant, the powerful shock wave from the explosion of saltpeter spread outwards, making the pale blue air visible to the naked eye. The impact was so strong that the normally dark and murky Ether Sea turned into a sea of golden light waves. The Yangwei, which was at the forefront of the explosion, suffered a brutal impact. The ship, made of tough oak and hard redwood, tilted severely, almost to the point of capsizing.

The ship's planks, under the impact of the explosion, rubbed against each other, making a "creaking" sound as if the entire warship was about to fall apart. Fortunately, this did not happen.

Just before the enemy ship exploded, thanks to Brandt Fiery's timely perception of danger and his heightened sixth sense, he turned the helm to the left a few seconds before the explosion. The Yangwei barely avoided the center of the explosion, only catching the shockwave. Even so, the pirates, who were in a cabin that felt like a roller coaster, still felt as if the end of the world had come, with a deep sense of fear enveloping their hearts.

With his ears ringing and unable to hear his own voice, Brandt Fiery gestured to the boatswain a few steps away and shouted:

"Recall the sailors from the Chao Yong, we're leaving here."

Terrified by Najef's ruthless and indiscriminate tactics, the pirates turned and fled at a speed that seemed almost panicked. Taking advantage of the enemy ship's failed self-destruct trap, the Yangwei broke through the edge of the battlefield and returned to the sea.

Equipped with true demon-pattern cloth, the Yangwei's speed was its greatest advantage, even surpassing the original Yaling battleships. This was especially useful when preparing to flee.

Once the storm had passed, the senior crew members of the Yangwei returned to their normal state and gathered in the captain's cabin to check on Luo Zhengdao's condition. Facing the unconscious Earl, they felt a sense of uncertainty about the future. Although Luo Zhengdao, when awake, seemed like a non-essential figure or a team leader, his absence made the pirates realize that they had lost their direction without him. The fleet, which Luo Zhengdao had managed to bring together, had different factions and divisions.

After some negotiation, the foreign pirate faction led by Zola Hegel and the Qiongzhou faction represented by Fur Chopin both intended to maintain the earlier cooperation, making mutual compromises. Splitting up would benefit no one, and working together was not just an empty phrase. If the ship sank, no one would gain anything. However, the crew still felt a sense of estrangement.

"What's wrong with the captain?"

"When will he get better?"

"Hey, can you treat him?"

Faced with the crew's questions and doubts, the ship's doctor, Drake Jin, felt helpless and spread his hands in defense:

"The Earl has a persistent high fever. I've tried herbal remedies and bloodletting, but none of these methods have been effective. Now, we can only use alcohol to reduce his temperature. I hope the ancestors and the gods protect the Earl and help him escape the disasters and sufferings of the world."

At this moment, Vena Dubov, who was still recovering from her illness, dragged her weak body to visit Luo Zhengdao. Her pale face and the need to rest after every few steps made her look more like a patient than the one lying in bed. With the help of others, she sat beside Luo Zhengdao's bed, her eyes fixed on the unconscious student.

Seeing this, Fur Chopin felt the atmosphere in the room was somewhat delicate and coughed, saying:

"Miss Vena, please take care of yourself."

Hearing this, the half-elf beauty's expression changed several times, and then she nodded:

"I will."

As usual, Luo Zhengdao, who had lost his consciousness in the outside world, wandered aimlessly in a strange dream world. This time, he couldn't even find the Eternal Library. Everywhere he looked, there was a grayish-white fog, and the sky and earth were a boundless chaos.

A sharp, noisy voice, as if right next to his ear, shouted:

"Do you think you are someone? Human! What right do you have to decide the life and death of others? You are a fraud, a shameless pirate, a brutal and vulgar executioner. You are guilty."

Not knowing the source of this voice, Luo Zhengdao initially ignored it. But when it became too annoying, he finally spoke up in frustration:

"I just want to live. Is that too much to ask? If you don't want to live, who are you to question me?"

Like the melting of snow in the spring sun, the noisy voices in Luo Zhengdao's ears disappeared, leaving only a deathly silence. He thought vaguely that since there was no way out, he might as well wait patiently. Luo Zhengdao sat cross-legged on the ground, watching the fog change around him, waiting for this mysterious situation to change.

PS: The number of favorites has been increasing very slowly these past two days. Is it really so difficult to reach a thousand favorites? Don't worry, I won't abandon the story. I currently have 700,000 words in reserve, and it would be a disservice to myself to abandon it. Feel free to favorite and read the story!

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