89 Chapter 88: Return journey (1/2)
With the main prize in tow, there was no longer any need for us to linger around the Void Ring. Once repairs were made (not that the Mo Bi Di Ke was damaged much during the skirmish), Chuan Zhang immediately ordered a withdrawal.
”We're going home,” he declared, to the cheers of the ragged crew. The newbies, in particular, were getting overly tense after every dangerous encounter with the massive denizens of the sea. The poor youths had their nerves stretched taut to breaking point, and they were extremely relieved once they learned that we had accomplished the mission.
But it wasn't over yet. We still had to complete the return journey to the relatively safe shores of the Middle Continent. Just because we reeled in and slew the Void Whale didn't mean the seas were suddenly bereft of danger. Many other magical beasts and sea monsters continued to linger beneath the abysmal depths of the ocean.
Well, that was what we martial artists were here for. We were supposed to escort the ship safely back to friendly shores. As such, I resumed my shift slightly after the battle. At least that was my intention, until I received the protests from the others.
”Hey, you did the most work, kid!” Qiang Zhe reprimanded me. ”Getting eaten by the Void Whale, delivering the finishing blow directly to its brain…if anything, you're the one who needs the most rest! Go to bed!”
”Zhe is…right, you know?” Mo Fa studied me with those sleepy-looking eyes of her while puffing on her pipe. ”You are…the one who deserve rest…the most.”
”Yeah! You're making the rest of us look bad!” Du Yan complained.
I scratched my head and sighed. I had just taken a shower and changed my clothes, so I should look the freshest out of everyone, but even so…
”You look like hell,” Da Ge told me plainly. ”Go get some sleep.”
”You too,” Lao Ren told Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa gruffly. ”If I'm not mistaken, you were also on your shift when the Void Whale appeared.”
Qiang Zhe and Mo Fa exchanged glances, and then they both nodded.
”I'm beat,” Qiang Zhe groaned as he stretched himself and stifled a yawn. Beside him, Mo Fa cocked her head to the right.
”I've expended too much of my qi earlier,” Mo Fa admitted wearily. ”I'll take you up on your offer then.”
”That's why we're heading down now,” Qiang Zhe agreed as he grabbed my shoulder and roughly pushed me in the direction of the ship's cabin. With no other recourse, I obediently followed the couple down the stairs.
We silently strolled down the corridor, and then suddenly Qiang Zhe turned to stare at me intently.
”At times like this, kids should just be kids and let the adults take care of them.”
”R…right.”
”You…did a great job…”
Mo Fa patted me on the shoulder before she left for her room. Qiang Zhe grinned and slightly pushed me toward the direction of my room.
”You heard her. Listen to Big Brother and Big Sister, all right? Go get some rest. If you really want to work, we'll work you to the bone tomorrow.”
”All right, all right.” Pushing my glasses up, I conceded defeat and complied. Qiang Zhe stayed outside his room, as if he wanted to ensure that I obediently returned to my room instead of sneaking back upstairs.
Like hell I would do that. I had better things to do than to sneak upstairs, just to get caught by the others. I was going to return to my room and sleep.
Admittedly, I was tired after all…
*
The next few days passed by in a blur. Before I knew it, we were out of the Void Ring without any further casualties. Most of the sea monsters were content to let us sail by without incident, and the few who did attack us were slain and stored at seafood in the increasingly packed storage hold.
”I can't believe we did it!”
Zi Xiao Ji was sitting on one of the chairs on the deck, gazing at the gradually brightening sky. We were just about to exit the Void Ring now and return to the light. Beside her, Zhao Shi and Da Ge kept a close watch.
”To think we would be able to successfully hunt a Void Whale!”
”Begging your pardon, Mistress, but why would we have taken this mission if we thought we would fail it in the first place?”
Zhao Shi shot her mistress a withering glare, but Zi Xiao Ji merely ignored her. Dangling her little feet off the chair, she raised her hand to squint against the glare of the bright sun. As for me, my glasses automatically darkened to protect my eyes.
”I can't wait to go home…wait till Father and Mother hear about this!”
”I'm sure they'll be considerably impressed,” Da Ge remarked cheerfully. In contrast, Zhao Shi seemed to groan.
”That's assuming they forgive us for sneaking away and undertaking this mission without telling them…”
”Don't worry,” Da Ge assured her. ”Sect Lady will most likely forgive us and consider this mission an invaluable experience of combat for Blood Blades and the young Mistress. She'll most likely convince Sect Leader that this was absolutely necessary for the young mistress's growth.”
”…huh?” I frowned at that. Wasn't it usually the other way around? The mother should be the one worried while the father encouraged the children to venture out on their own and gain the necessary experience to survive in life.
Or perhaps I was too rigidly stuck in my assumptions of gender role.
A ripple appeared in the sea again as some monster glided just beneath the surface, swimming parallel to the Mo Bi Di Ke. I glanced in its direction, my glasses going overtime and tracking its movements. Even though the Void Ring had hindered most of its sensors, they could still offer a limited function of tracking.
That guy…
Zhao Shi and Da Ge had noticed its presence too, and they slightly tensed. They weren't on edge, just on their guard so that they would be ready if the monster decided to attack us. Over the last few days, there were a few who came close, but they seemed more curious than aggressive and swam away by themselves after a while. If possible, we would prefer not to provoke any of the massive sea monsters into attacking our ship.
However, I was in no mood to fight, even if the current sea monster turned out to be more hostile than the others.
The gargantuan shape emerged out from the depths of the sea and sliced through the surface, barreling toward us at an insane speed. Right at the boundary, where several faint rays of sunlight trickled through, the massive silhouette of a gigantic shark was visible. Its jaws wide open, it surged toward the ship in hopes of crushing the metallic hull with its countless rows of sharp teeth.
”Damn it!”
”Looks like we've no choice.”
Zhao Shi and Da Ge sprang to their feet, drawing their weapons and getting ready for combat. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, I was in no mood to fight. Even so, I dragged myself out of my seat and staggered toward the railing.
”Wait for a bit,” I told the puzzled duo.
”Eh? But it's clearly attacking us!”
”I know,” I assured Zhao Shi. ”I plan to stop it before it reaches us.”
”Ah.” Da Ge nodded knowingly. ”We'll be relying on you then.”
I smiled back, and then swung my sword. In an instant, I froze the entire area of sea in front of us, ensnaring the shark inside a block of ice and halting its momentum. The shark seemed to twitch, but enclosed within its glacial prison, it couldn't move a muscle.
”Do you want to kill it and then bring it back for shark's fin soup?” I asked the Blood Blades duo. Zhao Shi considered for a second, and then shook her head.
”Nah, not worth the trouble.”
”Agreed.” Da Ge was also shaking his head. ”I want to be out of the Void Ring as soon as possible.”
”All right, let's leave before the giant shark breaks out of the ice.”
I offered no argument, and returned to my seat. Even as I plopped down idly, I kept an eye on the giant shark to ensure its icy tomb wasn't cracking. We didn't want the nasty bugger chasing us all the way out of the Void Ring.
Unaware of what had just transpired, the crew continued to steer the ship forward into the safety of the world outside the Void Ring.
Fortunately, the next few days in the much calmer seas proved to be eventful. Out of the Void Ring, there were relatively few monster encounters. I was half-expecting to run into pirates again, but they never showed up.
That was good. After all the fighting against sea monsters and sparring against Qiang Zhe and Lao Ren, I was in no mood to fight. Hell, I was exhausting myself just from trying to keep up with the both of them.
On the bright side, I learned a lot from the elder and the veteran, so it was totally worth it. I even thought that I would learn more from sparring with them than actually fighting with pirates or colossal sea monsters.
And just like that, another three days passed and we found ourselves within sight of the shore. The docks were growing more and more visible as we neared it, and even from this distance I could see the lively hustle and bustle of the workers and disembarked crews. There was a lot of loading and unloading happening.
Having secured a massive supply of seafood, as well as the extremely valuable carcass of the Void Whale, I knew precisely the kind of work that port work entailed.
”We're finally back, eh?”
Qiang Zhe emerged from the cabin to look at the bustling port, a smile etched across his handsome face. He had clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back slightly to admire the scenery.
”With this, I can not only pay my debts, but also live luxuriously for a couple of decades!”
”Assuming…you don't lose…all of your money…through gambling.”
”Ugh!”
Qiang Zhe winced at Mo Fa's reminder when she came onto the deck. She greeted me with a warm smile.
”It was…a pleasure working…with you. I hope…we will have…another opportunity…to work together…again.”
I accepted her hand and shook it. ”Same here.”
Mo Fa nodded and then turned back to Qiang Zhe.
”I'll be…keeping a close eye…on your expenses…this time.”
”Oh, come on!” Qiang Zhe protested. ”I promise I won't go gambling this time! Even if I do, I swear I'll put a limit on how much I'll bet! Really!”
”You…said that…the last time too…”
”Ugh…!”
Cold perspiration appeared on Qiang Zhe's face as he melted under Mo Fa's scrutiny. Scratching his head, he groaned and glanced toward me for help. I could only shrug before an idea suddenly came to mind.
”Hey, isn't Mo Fa waiting for you to propose to her?”
”Huh?! Propose?! What the hell are you talking about!?” Qiang Zhe almost choked when he heard my question. However, Mo Fa smiled faintly and place her hands on her wide hips, staring at the trembling Qiang Zhe.
”Indeed…I have been…waiting a long time…for it.”
”You brat…!” Qiang Zhe tried to send a glare at me, but shuddered when he felt the intensity of Mo Fa's glare.
”It has…been a long time…coming.”
”Ugh! Fine! Fine! I'll buy you a ring when we get back onshore! I'll propose to you properly!” Qiang Zhe was clutching his head as he howled helplessly. While he submitted to Mo Fa, I smirked behind the scenes, satisfied with what I had done.
I had seen the way Mo Fa gazed at Qiang Zhe, after all, and I didn't want her to suffer the same fate as me. It felt great to push Qiang Zhe toward proposing toward the woman who clearly loved him dearly.
That didn't stop Qiang Zhe from glaring at me. You'd better watch it, he mouthed.
”Congratulations,” I replied outright instead, causing him to flinch. Qiang Zhe sighed and finally shook his head in resignation.
”…thanks, I guess?”
”Yes…thank you indeed.” Mo Fa was absolutely glowing. ”If you hadn't…given this blockhead…a little push, he would…never have proposed…and…I'll be stuck waiting…forever.”
”Don't be so dramatic!” Qiang Zhe complained.
”Ha ha ha ha! What is this? A true occasion for celebration indeed!” Lao Ren seemed to have heard everything and he strode over in delight. ”A wedding! That means a feast! And a party! We should celebrate this joyous event!”
”Not you too…” Qiang Zhe groaned. Lao Ren didn't seem to have heard him, having descended into a raving insanity.
”Ah…how I wish to be young again!”
”Aren't you already married, geezer?” Qiang Zhe growled. Lao Ren started for a moment, and then smiled sadly.
”I…was.”