Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 42: Small-time Sailor
On the calm sea, as Kervik blew the mirage horn, a cloud of sea fog with a diameter of no more than 500 meters gradually rose up, and in the blink of an eye it covered the two ships, the Valkyrie and the Honest Man, which were anchored there.

As the sun sank into the sea, the Valkyrie's rolled sails became tattered and shrouded in a faint black mist.

At the same time, on the deck of the Honest Man, after a whole day of sun exposure, more and more bubbles began to rise in the oak barrels containing mermaid eggs.

Around the oak barrel, the pirate brothers, Cheng Lang, as well as Yun Ji and Yafuso who came to watch the fun were all waiting patiently.

As night gradually fell and the moonlight finally struggled to penetrate the thick fog on the sea, a distinct sound of bubbles bursting was heard from one of the oak barrels.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

At a certain moment, the sound of bubbles bursting was heard one after another. Before everyone could react, one after another, people covered in mucus stood up from the oak barrel.

Just by standing up, the bodies of these "people" became visibly plumper and stronger.

But immediately afterwards, they fell to the deck one after another, twisting their slime-covered bodies unconsciously like fish just out of water.

"Dear Captain"

Kervik respectfully introduced, "There are a total of 130 barrels of mermaid eggs, and 129 of them have hatched successfully.

They only need one night to adapt and rest, and tomorrow morning they will be able to move freely. After daybreak, they can start learning to control the sails."

"It's better to keep the one that failed to hatch successfully. It may be of great use." Yun Ji reminded at this time.

Seeing Kervik looking at him, Cheng Lang nodded nonchalantly and changed his focus to a question he was more concerned about, "Can you learn it in one day?"

"They drank the heart blood of the ship, and also the blood of Poseidon. They will learn quickly."

Kervik explained, then called on his brother Belvik to return the bucket of mermaid eggs that were about to be thrown away to the cabin.

“It’s amazing”

Cheng Lang couldn't help but sigh, "I mean, they can actually grow so big in such a short time."

"It's all thanks to the blood of Poseidon"

Yun Ji explained, "For sirens, Poseidon's blood is almost equivalent to the best nutrient.

This is also the root of the irreconcilable conflict between the Sirens and humans. Both sides need Poseidon's blood, but for the Sirens, the attraction of that blood is even more deadly."

"I once heard our father tell a legend"

While distributing the bread and water prepared in advance to the newly born sailors, Belvec said in a simple voice, "Our father said that a long time ago, the Sirens ruled by Poseidon used this method to train the cheapest warriors to invade the continent.

These cheap, scrappy warriors are fearless and endless. The only people on the entire continent who haven't been slaughtered by the siren warriors are the elven tribes in the very center of the continent.

"Is that right?"

Cheng Lang asked Yun Ji beside him. She was an apprentice bard. She might not know as much about these rumors as the magic mirror, but at least she knew more than the pirate brothers.

“That’s pretty much it”

Yun Ji said, "There's no direct record in the Elven Principality's archives of whether it's been attacked by sirens, but the records regarding these cheap warriors are not much different from what Mr. Belvik said."

"Have you heard of Saint Barbaya?" Cheng Lang asked suddenly.

"Of course I know," Yun Ji said almost subconsciously, "She is a taboo for elves and orcs."

"Taboo? What does that mean?" Cheng Lang looked at the other party curiously.

"Let's talk somewhere else."

Yun Ji glanced at the pirate brothers and the sailors covered in slime, then walked towards the open-air bridge at the stern of the Honest Man.

"Can I listen together?" Yafuso, who had come to join in the fun, asked with her head raised.

"Come together"

Yun Ji said this indifferently, as if she just didn't want the pirate brothers to know what she was going to say next.

As she walked onto the open-air bridge of the ship, Yun Ji explained, "Saint Barbaya is the greatest astrologer, and the only astrologer, but she is a half-elf and half-orc."

"I heard"

"It was also because of her appearance that the elves and beastmen used laws to prohibit intermarriage."

Yun Ji said, "And since her, even if there have been records of elves and orcs secretly marrying and giving birth, the offspring have all been various beasts."

"Beast?"

"Literally, a beast. If an elf and a fox orc combine, the offspring is a fox, and if they combine with a cat orc, the offspring is a cat."

Yun Ji said, "It is said that this is a law written on the sacred green tree. No elf can violate it, including the dark elves."

"Why?" Cheng Lang couldn't help but ask.

"do not know"

Yun Ji shook her head. "Saint Barbaya witnessed the Valkyrie slaying Poseidon, and for this she received the Valkyrie's blessing and Poseidon's curse. But at the same time, she also enacted the law prohibiting intermarriage between elves and orcs."

As if not surprised by Cheng Lang's expression, Yun Ji continued, "Many bards have speculated that this incident might be related to Poseidon or the Valkyries, but no one knows the truth."

Cheng Lang asked, "Do you know where Santa Barbara is?"

"I know. Everyone who knows Santa Barbara knows where she is," said Yun Ji.

"Where?" Yafuso subconsciously asked the question that Cheng Lang wanted to ask.

Iron Oak Forest

"Iron Oak Forest?"

Cheng Lang was stunned for a moment. "That Iron Oak Forest on the Iron Oak Island that was blocked by poisonous fog hundreds of years ago, where Iron Oak Blood Cores are produced?"

"Yes, that's right there."

Yun Ji nodded and said, "Saint Barbaya disappeared after the Iron Oak Island was blocked by poisonous fog. The only letter she left for her disciples said that she was going to visit a friend in the Iron Oak Forest.

She disappeared after that, and no one knew whether she really crossed the poisonous fog sea to Iron Oak Island, nor did anyone know whether what she said was true.

The only thing everyone can be sure of is that she is still alive. After all, she cannot die."

At this point, Yun Ji looked at Cheng Lang and said, "Saint Barbaya is not only the greatest astrologer, but also the original bard. She is also the teacher of all bards. And since her, there has been no astrologer in Xinghai Continent."

The secrets are increasing.
Cheng Lang couldn't help but mutter in his heart. He originally wanted to find Saint Barbaya to ask some questions, but at the moment, this matter had to be put on hold for the time being.

"She is also the only one who may know the Valkyrie's secret about this world."

Yun Ji said abruptly, "When the Valkyrie carved the secrets of the world on Poseidon's reverse scale, she showed it to her. At least that's what the rumors say."

"If that's the case, why do elves hate the sea?" Cheng Lang asked.

“There are many reasons.”

Yun Ji shook her head, "The Elf Principality doesn't have its own seaport, and it's difficult for elves to gain recognition from the ship's heart and become captains.

Of course, there are a few elves who are willing to leave the Elf Kingdom and go to sea. At least I have seen quite a few of them in Pirate City.

But most of them work on land, and very few elves are willing to serve as sailors."

"Aren't we sailors?" Yafuso said proudly.

"We are the Dark Elves"

"Okay, we are dark elves." Yafuso was immediately deflated again.

"Is the Siren still training cheap fighters like that?"

Cheng Lang turned his head to look at the open deck. In just a few words, those sailors covered in slime were already trying to climb to the edge of the deck. They, or they seemed to want to crawl into the sea.

"Now the sirens and humans have reached a certain level of reconciliation."

Yun Ji explained, "Ever since the fall of Poseidon, the Sirens have been living in tribes or underwater towns. They don't have the concept of a country.

Although we cannot rule out the possibility that they might be secretly planning something, at least they have maintained a relatively peaceful state for so many years."

"Pfft!"

Just at this moment, the first mixed-race sailor climbed over the side of the ship with difficulty and dived into the sea, but the pirate brother was not worried. Instead, he started betting on who would be the last one to jump into the sea.

As they watched, one mixed-race sailor after another jumped into the sea. At the same time, one sailor after another climbed up from the other side of the ship, stood up shakily, took the clothes handed to them by their pirate brothers, and began to put them on awkwardly.

Some of them tried to wear their pants on their upper body, some tried to wear their coats as pants, and some were so clever that they wore their shoes on their hands.

"Captain, let's go back first."

Yun Ji suggested, "They should study some basic common sense throughout the evening."

Hearing this, Cheng Lang swung the whip around the mast above his head and skillfully swung himself onto the Valkyrie not far away.

Following closely behind, Yun Ji also embraced Yafuso, grabbed a rope and swung over.

They had to wait another whole day before the Honest Man could move with them.

The only thing they could do during this time was to eat and drink. Of course, this did not include the pirate brothers, who were busy teaching those ignorant sailors some rules all night long.

As everyone was preparing, a sumptuous dinner was placed on the long table in the conference room. At Cheng Lang's suggestion, Captain Wukong of the Fujixiao team specially sent a portion to his pirate brothers on another ship.

Of course, given what happened to the Honest Man when it was still called the White Conch, there was no possibility of serving strong liquor. Instead, there was an unlimited supply of freshly squeezed juice.

That very night, the Flamingo and the Crucible, loaded with spices specializing in the Vermilion Bird Islands, also caught a current and, pushed by the wind, sped towards the Star Sea Continent.

On the same night, several snakeheads also landed on an armed merchant ship at Pier 17 of the Zhuniao Islands.

On the same night, an ordinary three-masted sailing ship was getting closer and closer to the Valkyrie and the Honourable Man anchored on the sea, and finally passed them by less than 50 nautical miles away, and soon after ran into a group of Siren raiders who were also looking for something.

Cheng Lang and others naturally had no idea what was happening 50 nautical miles away.

What they didn't know was that at this very night, there were already more sirens sniffing underwater for anything related to the scent of the Boerlan Royal Witch Hunting Group.

"cheers!"

In the conference room of the Valkyrie, Yafuso held up a glass of freshly squeezed blood orange juice and clinked the glass in Yunji's hand with hers - like a qualified female sailor.

That night, the two ships, hidden in this small patch of fog, encountered no accidents or trouble. The cheap sailors on the Honest Man also learned some basic instructions, such as how to dress, under the careful instruction of their pirate brothers. Of course, there was still much more they needed to learn.

When the sunlight dispelled the thick fog summoned by the Mirage Horn, the sails of the Valkyrie became white and clean again. The Honest Man also struggled to lower the sails and raise the anchor under the two captains' shouted orders and the busyness of those small sailors who made countless mistakes.

"boom!"

Following a cannon shot, the upper gun deck of the Honest Man began to roar sporadically. These were the small sailors learning to fire. For this reason, the Valkyrie deliberately stayed away to avoid being accidentally injured.

Although the learning is still ongoing, at least the Honest Man can now set sail with difficulty.

Just as Shenba said when the ship was first recognized, the Honest Man was a very fast smuggling ship, so even though the ship's crew of small-time sailors were still in the learning stage, its speed far exceeded that of the Valkyrie, which had no cargo.

"Our Valkyrie is too slow"

In the captain's office, Cheng Lang said helplessly that now the two ships were almost empty except for some supplies in the cargo hold, but the Valkyrie was almost one-third slower than the Honest Man.

"Respected Captain, this ship has never been very fast."

The magic mirror said, "Ever since I was sent to this ship as a gift, I have heard every captain of this ship complain more than once."

"Is there no other way?" Cheng Lang asked.

"Every captain has put it into action," the magic mirror urged. "When the Valkyrie is at its fastest, even the swordfish in the sea can't catch up."

"What method did the captain use?" Cheng Lang asked subconsciously.

"I am not sure"

The magic mirror spread its hands. "Not every captain is willing to reveal the secrets of the ship to a poor mirror like me, but you can ask Yun Ji. She may be able to give you some answers."

"All right"

Cheng Lang nodded and asked the long-armed gorilla who was cleaning the office to invite his new crew member Yun Ji.

"Captain, what do you want to see me about?"

Not long after, Yun Ji walked into the captain's office, which was not closed at all, and asked.

"sit"

Cheng Lang pointed to a sofa not far away and said, "Yun Ji, our boat is too slow. Do you have any suggestions?"

“I don’t know a lot about ships.”

Yun Ji shook her head. "But my brother might be able to give some advice."

"Go and invite Shenba"

Cheng Lang called out again, and the gorilla immediately ran upstairs.

"Captain, are you looking for me?"

Not long after, Shenba's loud voice came from outside, and then the big man ran in.

"Our ship is too slow. Do you have any suggestions?" Cheng Lang asked again.

"A way to increase the speed," Yun Ji reminded.

"The Valkyrie's sail layout is too backward"

Shenba immediately said, "Maybe we can go to Shipbreaking Island to exchange for some new sails."

"Any more?"

Cheng Lang asked, changing the sail is definitely not an option, the Wanghaivine has already parasitized on the mast, and moving the mast will be a big project.

"There was once a pirate ship in Pirate City equipped with oarsmen," said Shenba.

"We don't have so many sailors at the moment," Cheng Lang followed.

"Then we can only seek help from some armor or something like that." Shenba scratched his head, "But I don't know much about these things."

Before Cheng Lang could say anything, an alarm bell rang from above his head. At the same time, in the mirror on the table, Yafuso appeared, ringing a small bell. Then the scene turned to the sea, on which were floating the corpses of several sirens.

"Did you run into those grass carp bastards again?"

"Snapped!"

Yun Ji hit her brother on the back of the head and said, "Don't swear!"

Before Shenba, who subconsciously shrank his neck, could say anything, Cheng Lang and Yun Ji had already run out of the captain's office one after another and ran all the way up to the open-air bridge.

"Wait for me!" Shenba also chased after him, covering the back of his head.

"Captain, the body of a siren appeared on the sea!"

Yafuso stood on tiptoe and pointed to the left front of the route. At the same time, Yun Ji had already run up to the watchtower on the top of the mast at a speed that Cheng Lang envied.

"There's a boat farther away!" Yun Ji shouted, "It's about to sink! But there are still people fighting on the boat!"

In just a short while, a corpse floated behind them from between the Valkyrie and the Honest Man.

Seeing this, Cheng Lang immediately swung his whip and pulled the corpse up.

He only took a glance, but his eyes shrank. The chest of the corpse was pierced by a sharp blade. The scene was exactly the same as what he saw at the underground auction at Pier 12 of the Suzaku Islands!
Before he could throw the body down, more and more sea monster corpses appeared floating on the sea ahead.

"Lean closer!"

Cheng Lang issued the order decisively. Now that his side had the advantage in firepower, he could finally escape without having to see the ship.

As the distance got closer, the outline of the sinking ship became clearer and clearer. Even without a telescope, Cheng Lang could see the scars on the hull. He could also see dozens of sirens surrounding the few remaining people in cloaks on the deck.

"Captain! There's a siren underwater rushing towards us!"

Before Yafuso finished speaking, the two layers of cannons on the Honest Man had already opened fire under the command of the pirate brothers!

Amidst the rumbling and dense sound of artillery fire, one cannonball after another hit the water, splashing high columns of water. At the same time, Belvik took out the cloth strip given to him by the heart of the ship and blinded his eyes.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! For courage and glory!"

While Belvik was roaring, he jumped into the blue sea, brandishing a scimitar!

"Plop! Plop! Plop!"

On the deck of the Honest Man, more than half of the small sailors' eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, and then they each jumped into the sea from the side where no guns were fired, waving their scimitars, surrounded Belvik and rushed at high speed towards the siren enemies that were still being bombarded.

In the following scene, the pirate brothers perfectly demonstrated the concept of tacit understanding. They actually came up with a combat method similar to Xu Jin's barrage!
While the upper and lower layers of artillery alternately extended their firepower toward the sinking ship, Belvik also rushed forward with the sailors who had thrown away their fear, hiding behind the barrage of bullets.

Almost as the artillery fire reached the edge of the sunken ship, they had already arrived close.

Under the stunned gaze of Cheng Lang and others, the underwater area of ​​the sinking three-masted sailing ship was quickly dyed red with blood.

Then, Belvik and his small group of sailors climbed onto the ship without any pause, and slaughtered all the sea monster enemies under them in just one round!
"Gulu."

Cheng Lang swallowed his saliva, and he realized belatedly that he seemed to have picked up two treasures.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, a cool look does not last more than three seconds. As soon as the battle was over, all the sailors who rushed over, including Belvik, abandoned their weapons and threw everything on the deck. Then, they jumped into the sea in panic, holding their heads, and fled back to the Honest Man like a stray dog, hiding in the bottom cabin of the ship.

Look at Kervik on this boat. He is picking his ears with his fingers. Don’t ask, he must be deaf.

So weird
Cheng Lang grinned and commanded the Valkyrie to approach the sinking three-masted sailing ship.

"thank you for the help"

On the ship's open deck, a cloaked woman clutching a slender rapier asked, "Are you planning to rob us next?"

"We have no particular interest in a sinking ship."

Cheng Lang said, "Is there anything we can help with?"

"Were those sailors just now hatched from mermaid eggs on the white conch?" the other party asked, seemingly not worried about the boat under his feet.

"That's right"

Cheng Lang nodded. "We snatched the ship back from a group of sea monsters. All the sailors on board were killed."

"Captain, have you ever found a letter on the White Conch?"

The woman opposite asked bluntly, "A letter with the seal of a wandering circus."

"So you're a wandering circus?"

While asking, Cheng Lang finally found out who was the instigator of the chaos at the underground auction.

"That's right"

The woman opposite straightforwardly admitted her identity. "On behalf of the Wandering Circus, I would like to thank you and your fleet for the assistance you just provided in our time of need. If you are willing to accept our friendship, I hope you can give us a chance to redeem the letter."

"You mean, the White Conch is already mine?" Cheng Lang asked with interest.

"Whoever gets it will own it, including the goods."

The cloaked woman brought the topic back to the topic. "Can we talk about the letter?"

"We did find a letter, but I accidentally opened it."

Cheng Lang winked at Yun Ji beside him, "In the drawer of the office."

The latter nodded and turned to walk into the stern deck. Cheng Lang continued, "There's only one golden scale inside. If that's what you want, why don't we go to the White Conch and talk to him in person? I forgot to mention, he's now called the Honest Man."

“It’s an honor to receive your invitation.”

As the cloaked woman spoke, she actually jumped into the water, swam to the side of the Honest Man at a speed no slower than that of the small sailors, and climbed up by climbing up the rope net on the side of the ship.

At the same time, Yun Ji also handed over the golden scale.

Commanding the Valkyrie to approach another ship, Cheng Lang whipped the whip and swung over.

"Is this what you want?" Cheng Lang asked as he took out the scale.

"That's right"

The woman opposite nodded. She was as tall as Yun Ji, but her whole body was hidden in the robe, and even her face was wrapped in a layer of black gauze, making it impossible to see her true appearance.

"What do you plan to exchange for it?" Cheng Lang said, and handed the scales directly to the other party.

(End of this chapter)