Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The small islands piled up by black reefs had half of their ‘backs’ exposed on the shallow sea, lying quietly in front of Zhang Lisheng’s eyes.
Looking down through the clear waters, the area occupied by the island on the bottom of the sea occupied at least seven to eight square kilometers. According to an island standard, one could consider this size very small. However, if these were the remains left behind by the giant dead beasts, then the scale of these ancient beasts was merely unimaginable.
Standing on the bow, a wet sea breeze occasionally would pass by; the young man, staring at the distant reef island, seemed to feel an itch on his face, as he reached out a hand to scratch himself. When his fingers moved, the waves around the island closest to the flagship of the fleet began to turn rapid.
In the surging dark tide, thousands of excellent water currents mixed with sands infiltrated into the reef but did not attract anyone’s attention.
“The powerful tribe in the Nutao Sea has admitted that their ancestors were the Hellfire tribesmen, but they no longer live as Hellfire tribesmen. For this reason, you must watch out when you’re communicating with them. Lumoluki has a very high position in the Nado tribe, so the token that he gave you should be handy. Still, you should never ask too much…” At the last moment of the voyage, Yaj poured out everything that she should say to the black-haired young man. Before she could finish her words, she inadvertently saw that his full spirit had wilted in just within a brief period. At once, she could not help but ask in puzzlement, “What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing. I suddenly feel a little dizzy, maybe it’s seasick.” Lowering his head to cover the unconcealable shocked gaze in his eyes, Zhang Lisheng took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. Pointing to the distant reef island, he asked, “Yaj, are there many islands like those small islands that are said to be transformed and weathered from the remains of the primitive giant beasts in the Nutao Sea?”
“Not many. The three islands of the Nutao Sea are just too huge,” The sea was calm. Of course, Yaj, who had been on the voyage with the young man for a few months, did not believe in his seasickness explanation, but she knew that she would not get any other answer even if she asked again. Immediately taking another note in her heart, she pretended to answer nonchalantly, “Just the land area of the Rovan Island alone is enough to compete with the Kattaman City State. I don’t dare to say that there are only five black reef islands like this in the entire Nutao Sea, but I’ve never seen another island similar to these before.”
“Since it’s so rare, can we sail closer to take a better look?”
“Of course not! This is the Nutao Sea! Since we have already established our route, it mustn’t be changed!” This is the first time Zhang Lisheng made a request to Yaj in a pleading tone, but she immediately rejected him.
The fleet continued to sail. After approaching the Rovan Island, it began to slow down under the guidance of the navigators as it sailed slowly against the edge of the island.
From time to time, they could see poor indigenous tribes on the shore. Most of these natives would be covered with dirty cloaks made of leaves, with their nether regions covered with animal hides. They were driving a group of sea birds similar to cormorants but was six to seven times bigger to fish on the beach.
Somehow, these people had a hateful look in their eyes as they looked at the mainland’s fleet that sailed in front of them. Even so, nobody made a hostile and threatening action. They merely continued to work continuously by cutting the fish open and smearing coarse salts on the fish after cutting off their internal organs.
Standing on the bow of the ship and looking at the shore with a hand over his eyes, Zhang Lisheng, who felt sleepy, sensed that something was not right the more he looked at it. Stunned, he said, “These Hellfire tribesmen are even more impoverished than any indigenous tribe I have ever seen. The chiefs with feathers in their heads among them don’t even have a complete animal skin to cover their asses. Don’t tell me that this is your so-called ‘strange civilization of the Hellfire tribesmen that are in no way inferior to the mainland’?”
“Sir Lisheng, your words are really crude in front of a lady!” Yaj frowned in disgust as she answered. “Those people wearing bark and leaves are slaves. In Rovan Island, the dominant tribe who claimed to be the ‘Rovanian’ is the ruler and the slave master. The natives from the weak tribes are still called the Hellfire tribesmen, who are also the targets of slavery. As far as I know, over 100 tribes are slaving away for just Nado tribe alone.”
While the woman was speaking, her face that was being brightly shone by the setting sun radiated a soft luster, reflecting the blue sea around her, resembling a beautiful picture. Just her side face alone already stunned the crew on the deck. Only Zhang Lisheng alone could still digest the news that he had just learned like he did not see her at all.
The more the young man learned about the Nutao Sea, the more he felt that this region that occupied about a quarter of the total area of the entire Hellfire Archipelago differed from other ordinary Hellfire islands.
Lost in his contemplation, the flagship of the caravan he was standing on took him slowly along the shore to turn a corner. After sailing forward for a while, several dozens of long ripples suddenly surged on the sea surface that was as calm as a mirror. A group of beasts with ugly human head and octopus-like body leaped up from the waves, waving their tentacles around as they started to crawl along the hull to the deck.
The appearance of the sea monster immediately snapped Zhang Lisheng back to his senses in alarm. However, when he saw that Yaj, who was by his side, did not show any sign of tension but showed a charming smile in this attack, he did not make any reckless move.
At that instant, when the human-headed sea monster climbed the ship, their wet horrifying look still elicited a change of look from the old sailors who were very familiar with them. The minority new crew members who sailed the Nutao Sea for the first time were so horrified that colors drained from their faces. Yaj, on the other hand, curtseyed nonchalantly, “Oh brave sea patrollers, we’re friends who bring prosperity and trade to Nado. Golden Velvet Flower Trading has always been protected by the ‘Black Lion Dynasty’ for thousands of years.”
“Miss Yaj, I’ve recognized your caravan, what good things have you brought this time?” The flexible tentacles that had the same functions as limbs bounced and the chief of the monster jumped on the flagship of the fleet. After moving agilely on the wooden board to the woman, it propped up its body to a height that was taller than her by half of her body size, before looking down and asking, with a tone that sounded a bit gentle.
“Sculptures made by masters, gorgeous cashmere blankets, exquisite gold and silverware… And the war armor ‘Thunderclap’ personally ordered by His Highness Adalu…” Yaj took out a black oval badge from the animal skin pouch tied on her waist to hand it over as she spoke.
“May His Highness be able to incarnate into the fiercest’ black lion’ and tear up the most potent enemies!” Upon hearing the name “Adalu,” the chief patroller praised him with awe.
Then, he shook his tentacle and gently touched the badge on the palm of the woman. When he saw that the badge softened immediately and stuck to his tentacles like a living thing, he nodded and threw it away, “Tell your fleet to follow me, Miss Yaj!”
Then, he brought his men to jump back to the sea with a ‘plop’ and guided the fleet forward.
Under the leadership of this group of octopus monsters, the speed of the fleet picked up significantly. Over ten minutes later, when the last afterglow of the sun was about to disappear, a splendid harbor that could compete with the splendor of the sunset finally appeared before them.
The harbor was located in a deep flat bend that stretched into the horizon. The beach was covered with a layer of light black rocks that stretched out into the bottom of the sea and merged with the huge city.
On the rocks stood tens of thousands of thick trees with a variety of height, ranging from three or four meters to over ten meters high. These trees had no leaves and branches. Instead, they radiated soft beige light that lit up the harbor till it shone magnificently.
In the light that resembled daylight, a variety of fully enclosed strange ships that looked like submarines were docked one by one on the berth, with a sea of a group of a human-headed monster on the shore.
“Is this a ‘Monster Ocean Park’ or something?” Standing on the flagship of the fleet, Zhang Lisheng looked at the harbor from afar. Although he was mentally prepared, he could not help but blurt out with a strange smile on his face.
“Those are the warriors of the Nado tribe on the shore. However, they’re using the ‘god-bestowed shell’ that only the Rovanians can use. Actually, it’s just an amazing strange ‘war partner,” Yaj explained.
“War partner? No, no, no! This is not a war partner…” The young man fell into a moment of silence as he stared fixedly at the strange monsters patrolling boringly in a group on the coast. Concealing the excitement in his heart, he muttered to himself.
At this time, the merchant ships of the mainlanders had decelerated and were ready to enter the harbor.
The docking of a fleet of over 500 cargo ships that stretched out to several dozens of kilometers in the berths was not an easy task, but it was clear that the navigators and the captains who were qualified to sail into the Nutao Sea had excellent navigation skills and experience. After the flagship had docked, the other ships approached the bank in an orderly manner.
The chief of the sea patroller had completed his own guiding work, so he jumped onto the coast and propped his body up using the eight tentacles below him. Ostentatiously, he walked at a fast pace towards the group of human-headed strange lion monsters in the distance.
Those hundreds of strange monsters had the hair of a lion’s mane, an upper body of a human covered in black animal fur, and a lower body of a strong lion that had a height of two meters standing on the ground. One of the lion monsters that were being surrounded by other lions was even four meters tall, a head higher than the rest of the other strange beasts.
With a taller height, it was a given that he would have a better view. When he saw that the chief sea patrollers with three feathers on his head walking towards himself, the largest lion beast asked in a booming voice, “Xilunan, whose fleet is that?”
“The fleet from the Golden Velvet Flower Trading from the Sea Haines City, Sir Tumo,” The sea patroller bowed respectfully as he answered.
“The Golden Velvet Flower Trading from the Sea Haines City? No wonder they can form such a vast fleet. What kind of ‘wonderful goods’ did they bring this time?”
Upon hearing the question of the lion monster, the octopus monster hesitated a while before whispering, “They brought the war armor called ‘Thunderclap’ that His Highness Adalu personally ordered. There are a whole 1000 of them.”
“How can the war armors of the mainlander compare to the ‘shell’ of us Rovanians? Brother Adalu is really getting crazy over his cultural obsession with the mainlanders! This is not the blessing of the Nado tribe!” Tumo smiled gloomily. “But in any case, the Golden Velvet Flower has always been protected by the Black Lion King for generations. As the chief guarding the harbor today, I must go up to them to express my delight.”
