Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 37: Arm wrestling, but lost.

Chapter 37: Arm wrestling, but lost.

After finishing a fairly hearty breakfast in the company of the three black elves, Cheng Lang temporarily took over the steering and the job of teaching Shenba from Gerta, letting the other party have breakfast and take care of the vegetables that were growing well.

"Shenba, what did you do before?"

On the open-air cockpit, Cheng Lang sat on a recliner placed beside the cockpit, holding a glass of fruit wine and asked curiously. Beside him, there was a long-armed vine goblin massaging his shoulders.

“Usually helping out in our hotel”

Shen Ba answered honestly, "When I'm not busy, I'll go to the docks to do some porterage work. If that job doesn't work, I'll go to the forest outside the city to hunt wild animals."

"I heard that the elves have the most accurate archers, so you..."

“I’m not a very accurate shooter.”

Shenba, who was holding the steering wheel, answered honestly, "I always chase by foot. As long as I run faster than the prey, I will always get something.

But my sister is a very good archer, both with the flintlock and the bow, and she is also a good dancer and an apprentice minstrel."

Archer? Dancer? Apprentice Bard?

Cheng Lang glanced in the direction of the forecastle in surprise. Before he met the first black elf, he had heard Magic Mirror mention in a casual chat that, in addition to the famous drunkards, the Elven Principality was most famous for its medical technology and the three major professions of archers, dancers, and bards.

Needless to say, medical technology is a profession that requires the recognition of the Verdant Holy Tree of the Elf Principality, and it is also the pillar industry of the Elf Principality.

Archers are relatively easy to understand. Whether it is a flintlock rifle or a bow and arrow, accuracy and speed are the most important criteria.

But the word "bard" has two meanings. One is more like a singer, and the other is a name for elven scholars. Another profession of a bard is to decipher various treasure maps.

Similarly, dancer also has two meanings. One is the literal dancer, and the other does not dance on stage. This type is sometimes called a battle dancer.

To become a combat dancer, one needs excellent reaction ability, sufficient agility and speed, so in a sense, the combat dancers of the elves are roughly equivalent to the assassin profession in some games in the world that Cheng Lang is familiar with.

No wonder she was given such heavy armor.
Cheng Lang suddenly understood. On the other hand, Shenba seemed to realize that he had let something slip. He scratched the back of his head and added, "Our father is a wandering bard, and our mother is a battle dancer. Otherwise, they would not have been able to take us away from the Elf Kingdom to the Pirate City."

"So your sister is a genius?" Cheng Lang said calmly.

"Our parents have always tried to find two hypocritical masks for us"

Shenba explained with admiration, "My sister started helping them when she was very young, so she learned a lot.

Furthermore, dark elves can communicate with the spirits of the dead, and my sister has been learning from the spirits of our parents."

"What about you?" Cheng Lang asked, looking at this honest crybaby with interest.

"I can't learn it. My brain is too stupid."

Shenba said helplessly, "I only have some talents in strength and endurance, but I can't compare to my sister in other aspects."

"So you are very powerful?" Cheng Lang asked with interest.

"I hold a record of 243 wins and one loss in arm wrestling at the Mermaid Tavern in Pirate City," Shenba boasted proudly, "The last time I lost was because I had diarrhea."

"Goku"

Cheng Lang called out, and Wukong, the captain of the Fujiman team who was hiding in the stern tower, immediately ran over.

"You two try arm wrestling," Cheng Lang said as he stood up and took over the steering, "Don't hurt each other."

"Is there any bet if I win?" Shenba asked as he rolled up his sleeves. This set of clothes was bought for him by Cheng Lang at Pier 12 before he left.

"Yes, I have"

Cheng Lang also became interested. He pulled out the two flintlock rifles from his waist and slapped them on the ship's bell base on the side of the bridge. "If you win, these two flintlock rifles inlaid with armor pieces will be given to you."

"bring it on!"

As Shenba spoke, he had already placed his hand on the oak barrel that originally served as a table for Cheng Lang.

"Whoa whoa!"

The gorilla Wukong also shouted, and immediately, all the idle vine goblins in different parts of the ship gathered around and started to watch the fun with noises.

A moment later, Yafuso and Yunji, who were originally in the kitchen, and Gerta in the lower cabin also came over curiously.

"One round to decide the outcome, let's begin."

Cheng Lang said with a smile, and Wukong and Shenba held hands together.

"This idiot with a brain full of muscles!"

Yun Ji grumbled in annoyance, and then was surprised to see that her brother Shenba had easily defeated the captain of the Tengxiao team!
Not only did she not expect this result, the surrounding goblins who were watching the fun also opened their mouths wide, and the coconut shell helmets in their hands fell to the deck with a clang.

"I won!"

Shenba stood up with a silly grin, picked up the two flintlock rifles and handed them to his sister Yunji, saying proudly, "Sister! I won these from the captain. They're for you!"

"I"

Yun Ji looked at the two flintlock rifles in her brother's hands in astonishment, then looked at the Fujiman with his mouth half open and the captain with his mouth also open and eyes wide open. For a moment, she wished she could stuff her brainless brother into the barrel of the gun.

"Forget about the bet. Shenba is just a child. He was just joking."

After Yun Ji came to her senses, she said to Cheng Lang in an increasingly embarrassed tone that it was unacceptable that they were taking advantage of the lifesaver for free and that they were eating and taking things from him.

"Forget it, I'll admit defeat."

Cheng Lang shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He also didn't expect that Teng Xiao would lose.

Without waiting for Yun Ji to say anything else, Shenba happily hung the two flintlock rifles along with the belt holsters around his sister's neck.

"Whoa whoa!"

Just at this moment, the leader of the vine goblins, the Great Sage, also came out, squatted beside the oak barrel, put his strong arms on it, looked at Shenba provocatively and shouted twice.

"This bet"

"shut up!"

Yun Ji jumped up and gently hit Shenba on the back of the head. She was already starting to worry about what would happen if her big, silly brother won again.

"Whoa whoa--!"

The Great Sage turned his head and glanced at Captain Cheng Lang, his meaning was already very clear, "Place your bets, boss!"

"Use this!"

Before Cheng Lang could even speak, Yafuso had already taken out the black elf dagger that Cheng Lang had given her and placed it on the ship's bell base.

Obviously, this clever little girl was giving both sides a way out. Next, as long as Shenba lost to the Monkey King and then handed over the two flintlock rifles to the captain, the matter would be all right.

"Let's bet on this!"

Yun Ji reacted very quickly and took off the two flintlock rifles that were still hanging around her neck and placed them on the ship's bell stand. Then she tiptoed and grabbed Shen Ba's ear and pulled him in front of her. She gritted her teeth and whispered, "You idiot, don't cause us any more trouble. You are not allowed to win this time!"

"It's okay, just for fun."

Cheng Lang waved his hands and said some polite words. He was indeed reluctant to part with the two flintlock rifles, but he had to appear generous in this situation. After all, he was the captain.

"I understand!"

Shenba patted his chest confidently, squatted beside the oak barrel again, and held the hand of the Great Sage.

As Yafuso shouted "Start", both sides began to exert their strength, and the gorillas around them also started to cheer them on with "Oh Oh Oh".

Compared with the small long-armed Vine Goblins led by Wukong, the large Vine Goblins led by the Monkey King have a world of difference in strength.

Because of this, the arm wrestling became intense from the very beginning.

Just as Shenba, having already exerted all his might, hadn't expected the Great Sage's power to be so immense, Cheng Lang hadn't expected Shenba's power to be so immense either. It was so immense that even the Great Sage couldn't crush him, and could only slowly push his opponent's arm down. Fortunately, even with only a slight downward pressure, the Great Sage was already in a guaranteed victory. At this rate, this decisive round of arm wrestling would be over in a dozen seconds at most.

But just at this moment, the letterbirds hatched from the two eggs sent by Captain Senfa a few days ago also flapped their wings, shook off their feathers, flew over everyone's heads, and landed on the mast a little clumsily.

"Ah--A-choo!"

The Monkey King was exerting himself just as he was inhaling when the fluff fell around his nostrils, and then he sneezed uncontrollably.

Under this trick of fate, Shenba won the bet without even realizing it, despite using all his strength.

"Danglang"

The coconut shell helmet that the goblins had just picked up fell to the ground again, and Cheng Lang half-opened his mouth again, looking at Shenba in surprise.

Next to him, Yafuso, Yunji, and Gerta had the same expression.

"No, this round doesn't count!"

But Shenba said at this time, "You sneezed, let's start over."

"Oh oh!" The Great Sage pointed at Wukong next to him.

"It wasn't even an effort for me to beat him," Shenba said matter-of-factly. "This round doesn't count. Let's play again!"

"Can you understand what he said?" Cheng Lang asked after he came to his senses.

"He means that I just had a fight with Goku, and he already had the upper hand, right?"

As Shenba spoke, he turned his head to look at the Great Sage, who immediately nodded in agreement. He then sneezed again, picked his big nostrils, pulled out a strand of Xinweng's hair, and wiped it directly on the underpants of another Tengxiao next to him.

"never mind"

Cheng Lang shook his head helplessly. "How about calling this a draw? The dagger already belongs to Yafuso, so let's just give it back to her."

"I'll return these two flintlock rifles to you," Yun Ji said. "Shen Ba, that fool, doesn't he know that gambling is not allowed on board."

"If you accept the bet, I'll give you the two flintlock rifles."

Cheng Lang waved his hand. He was a captain after all. There were so many people and gorillas watching him. Even if he was reluctant, he had to save face, right?
Besides, he had other plans. If he lost these two flintlock rifles to the opponent, he might get more rewards.

As if she had guessed Cheng Lang's thoughts, Yun Ji glared at her confused brother, and finally put away the two flintlock rifles after expressing her gratitude repeatedly.

Compared to the slight awkwardness here, Shenba, the brainless crybaby, started chatting with Wukong and the Great Sage for a while.

And looking at their expressions, it seemed that they both clearly understood what the other party meant.

"Captain, I'm afraid we need to talk alone again." Yun Ji looked at her brother and said.

"Alright"

Cheng Lang nodded. The reason why he was not so sad about losing the flintlock rifle to the brother and sister was essentially because of the profession that Shenba had let slip before - an apprentice bard.

If Yun Ji is really an apprentice bard, then the two unsolved treasure maps that he has saved and the unopenable box that he found in the temple on the Savage Island might contain some surprises.

Yun Ji, carrying two flintlock rifles, came directly to the captain's office. Cheng Lang poured a glass of fruit wine for her and himself, which is also the most common drink at sea.

As for tea, he had never heard anyone mention it, nor had he seen it at the two docks in the Suzaku Islands.

"Shenba must have said something to you."

Yun Ji placed the two flintlock rifles on the large table, picked up her cup, clinked it with Cheng Lang's, and spoke straight to the point.

"He said you're an excellent archer and combat dancer, and an apprentice bard." Cheng Lang took a sip of fruit wine and answered truthfully, "I don't think you're one of those ordinary elves who earn pennies by singing and dancing at the docks."

"That's right"

Yun Ji asked bluntly, "I can't take these two precious flintlock rifles for nothing, Captain. Perhaps there is something I can help you with?"

"How do you think you can help me?" Cheng Lang asked with a smile.

"You probably have enough shooters on board."

Yun Ji replied, "I don't want to use my combat dancer abilities to help you kill people, so I hope I can help you with your apprenticeship as a bard."

"Wait a mininute"

Cheng Lang said this, stood up and left the office, went downstairs to the bedroom and took out the unopenable box he got on the Savage Island, as well as the two treasure maps with pictures of anchors and cloaks.

Returning to the office upstairs, he pushed the wooden box to Yun Ji, who was sitting opposite him, and asked, "Can you find a way to open it? Or do you know what this is?"

After taking the wooden box and looking it over, Yun Ji finally shook her head and said, "I can't tell what this is, and I don't know how to open it."

"Okay, next one."

Cheng Lang wasn't surprised. He took the wooden box and put it aside. Then he handed the treasure map with the Phantom Bat's cloak painted on it to the other party. "Can you solve the puzzle on this treasure map?"

"cloak?"

Yun Ji stared at the treasure map and fell into deep thought. After a long time, she rolled up the treasure map and returned it to Cheng Lang. "I need to think carefully before I can give you an answer."

"It's ok"

Cheng Lang said as he handed the treasure map with an anchor on it to the other party. He also took the treasure map with a cloak on it and put them together with the box at hand.

"Anchor on the beach?"

Yun Ji thought for a moment and pushed the treasure map to Cheng Lang, "I guess this treasure map may require us to go to the heart of the Scorching Sand Sea to unlock it."

"In the heart of the Burning Sand Sea?"

Cheng Lang couldn't help but look at the huge sea chart hanging on the wall not far away. He didn't know where the Scorching Sand Sea was.

"In the depths of the sea of ​​despair"

As Yun Ji spoke, she stood up and walked over to the sea chart. She picked up a wooden pole hanging on the wall and pointed to an area of ​​sea shrouded in sea fog. "The Scorching Sand Sea is almost as big as two pirate cities, but the entire island is desert. There's no oasis, no fresh water, and no life. Only endless yellow sand. Strange, why isn't this island on your chart?"

"Why here?" Cheng Lang also walked to the edge of the nautical chart, but did not answer the other party's question.

"Rumor has it there's a saltwater lake in the heart of the Scorching Sand Sea. In the middle of the lake sits a tiny island, and on that island sits a stone anchor."

Yun Ji explained, "This rumor was recorded in the 'Journey to the Sea of ​​Despair', which was left by an unknown adventurer about sixty years ago. It describes in detail everything their adventure ship experienced while sailing through the desert."

"What are you doing? Sailing in the desert?" Cheng Lang raised his eyebrows.

"That's right"

Yun Ji nodded and pointed to the Sea of ​​Despair on the nautical chart again. "It's just like putting skids on a ship in the polar ice sea and sailing on the ice. Of course, this is the method described in that travelogue."

Even this deserted island called the Burning Sand Sea was painted in the Sea of ​​Despair because of that travelogue. But in reality, in the past sixty years, no ship has ever found that small island covered with yellow sand.

"Since it has never been found, why mark it on the nautical chart?" Cheng Lang asked.

"why not?"

Yun Ji asked, "That travelogue says that although the environment in the Burning Sand Sea is harsh, pure crystals can be found everywhere.

And 20 years ago, someone did discover the shipwreck full of crystals mentioned in the travelogue, and they even found a lot of high-purity crystals in the shipwreck."

Hearing this, Cheng Lang nodded, but he was wondering in his heart whether the captain of the demon hunting ship who discovered this treasure map had also looked for the existence of the Scorching Sand Sea.

"Captain, you should change to the latest nautical chart."

Yun Ji reminded, "Before we reach the Pirate City, I will also do my best to help you solve the puzzle of the other treasure map."

"In that case, those two flintlock rifles are yours." Cheng Lang happily reached a deal with the other party.

(End of this chapter)

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like