Conflict on the Island
Old Wang said helplessly, "That's how the weather is at sea. It changes in an instant. One moment it's sunny and bright, and the next it's a downpour and thunder. This kind of thing happens all the time. I've only been at sea for thirty years, so I can predict it a little. I estimate that the storm will come in ten to thirty minutes. We can't keep sailing like this."
Si Ming decisively replied, "You're the expert in this area; it's up to you what to do."
Old Wang said, "Then we'll have to turn around. There's a small island thirty miles to the southwest. The Li State's navy used to be stationed there, but they had to abandon it due to the war with the Barbarian Hu. We can stop there for a while."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it this way."
"The True Qi reserves in the engine are running low. It's barely enough to maintain a normal speed, but to run at full speed, I need to inject more true True Qi. I need to focus all my energy on steering and can't afford to be distracted by channeling True Qi."
Since it was just a small boat, one person was enough to operate it, so Old Wang did not hire any other crew members.
Murong Qing volunteered, "Let me do it. My Internal Cultivation is at level seven; there shouldn't be anyone on the ship with a higher level than me right now."
He Qichang's Internal Cultivation is at level six, while Si Ming and Liu Qingqing are both at level five. In this respect, they are indeed Murong Qing.
"Level seven Internal Cultivation! This girl must still be in high school. Truly, a hero emerges from among the young."
Old Wang gave a thumbs-up in praise, then without saying anything more, led Murong Qing to the control room. The two worked together and quickly turned the boat around, heading southwest.
The old seaman's intuition was indeed accurate. About twenty minutes later, the originally cloudless sky became covered with dark clouds, a dark and gloomy expanse that seemed about to fall from the sky. The sea breeze also became strong and fierce, stirring up waves that made the small boat rock incessantly.
Si Ming couldn't help but feel nervous. His Jade-Clad Dharma Body was impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire, but that didn't mean he wouldn't drown. Although he could swim, he was only at the level of an ordinary person. If his ship sank in the vast ocean, his chances of survival would be no greater than that of an ordinary person. At most, his body would sink to the bottom of the sea, but he wouldn't become food for fish—their teeth couldn't bite through the Jade-Clad Dharma Body.
"Even though I've said it many times, I still have to say it: next time, I'm going to get my hands on the Profound Armor no matter what!"
As Si Ming felt the raindrops dripping onto his face and quickly becoming denser, he couldn't help but feel anxious. He secretly resolved that he would never go out to sea again until he mastered the lightness skill to walk on the sea.
On land, he relied on his Jade-Clad Dharma Body to roam freely, with almost no rivals below the Spirit Transformation. But on the open sea, he lost his domineering confidence and truly felt the helplessness of a lion falling into the ocean.
Seeing a five-meter-high wave rising in the distance and crashing towards the small boat, Liu Qingqing, with the best eyesight, suddenly exclaimed, "I see the island! It's just ahead!"
Si Ming looked into the distance and saw the outline of the island, which immediately calmed him down.
"However, there seem to be people on the island, quite a lot of them, it doesn't look abandoned," Liu Qingqing added.
"We can't worry about that now, let's get to the island first."
Si Ming couldn't wait to get rid of his cowardly state. No matter who was on the island, as long as he could be down-to-earth, he would be fearless.
Chapter 178 Island Landing Conflict
As soon as the small boat docked, a group of patrolmen who had already noticed the commotion at sea surrounded it. They were all wearing armor and carrying weapons, with Sha Qi, and it was clear at a glance that they were not easy to deal with.
Who are you people?
Old Wang hurriedly said, "Sir, it's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! We're just an ordinary passenger ship. These guests have just finished their trip to Thousand Leaves Island and encountered a storm on their way back, so they had to dock here. We'll leave as soon as the weather clears up."
"Passenger ship? Tourist ship? There are two ships a day to Thousand Leaves Island, neither of which depart at this time, and they're not small boats like yours. Tell me! What exactly do you do?!"
The leading soldier had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and the rest of the soldiers were also ready to fight.
Old Wang hurriedly said, "Sir, please don't be impulsive! We really are just a passenger ship, a private ferry, not a government one. As you just said, there are only two ferries to Thousand Leaves Island, so if you miss one, you'll have to wait until the next day. These guests have urgent business to attend to and happened to miss their ferry, so they hired me to try and get back as soon as possible. But the sea god is angry and sent down this torrential rain. My boat is small, and I'm afraid it will capsize, so I dare not sail in the rain. I remembered there was an abandoned island here, and I planned to go ashore to rest and wait for the storm to pass before heading out to sea again. I didn't expect there to be a military officer stationed on the island. Please forgive any offense caused!"
He travels at sea year-round, has dealt with many people, and has met people from all over the world. He knows how to speak to people in a human way and to ghosts in a ghostly way.
The leading soldier slightly removed his hand from his sword, his expression softening, and said, "Your explanation is quite reasonable; you don't seem like a spy for the Barbarian Hu."
Old Wang hurriedly said, "Sir, you are wise. We have absolutely no connection with the Barbarian Hu. Look at us, an old man and three children. Barbarian Hu the barbarians were to hire someone as a spy, they would at least choose a reliable one. They certainly wouldn't send a spy to wander aimlessly at sea. The ocean is vast; what kind of spy could we possibly be?"
"Let's trust you for now and follow our instructions..."
Just as Old Wang breathed a sigh of relief, and even He Qichang and Murong Qing lowered their guard, the soldier suddenly drew his sword and slashed at Old Wang's neck with lightning speed. The soldiers behind him also followed suit, brandishing their weapons and attacking the crowd in a coordinated attack, leaving no room for evasion.
From the very beginning, they had no intention of leaving any survivors. Regardless of whether the other party was a spy for the Barbarian Hu, in order to ensure the success of this operation, they could only close their eyes and kill the innocent.
Just as Old Wang was about to be cut down before he could even react, a figure rushed out and blocked him, simultaneously spreading his arms to catch all the incoming weapons.
A series of clanging sounds rang out, the weapons of the attackers were shaken off, and everyone involuntarily took a step back. The first soldier to strike was so shocked that his hands went numb and his Qi and Blood surged. Seeing that the person who had been stabbed was unharmed, he was even more astonished.
"Iron-Boned Soldiers!"
He immediately looked up and let out a long howl, channeling his inner energy to produce a sound that, even in the storm, was exceptionally piercing and could be heard in every corner of the island.
Old Wang was terrified. He was now completely unable to explain himself. The island was full of soldiers, and they couldn't escape by sea. Even with Three Heads and Six Arms, they were doomed. He hurriedly pleaded, "Sir, it's a misunderstanding! We're not Iron-Boned Soldiers! We really are..."
"Shut up!"
But Si Ming stopped Old Wang with a shout, and then said to the soldiers on high alert opposite him in a confident tone, "We are the Mohist Knight Guard, out on a mission. I am Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens's disciple."
Then, pointing at Murong Qing, he said, "She is the disciple of the Divine Spear of Ice and Snow. If you want to fight, we're ready, as long as you can bear the consequences."
The island's troops reacted quickly. No sooner had Si Ming finished speaking than a group of men rushed over, the leader shouting, "General Liu, don't panic! I, Old Ji, am here to help you kill the traitors!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his double hammers, leaped up, and smashed them down on Si Ming's head.
"Stop!"
General Liu quickly shouted, stopping the man wielding the hammer, then looked at Si Ming and asked, "Are you really Mohist Knight Guard? And a disciple of Yan Jinghong?"
Si Ming, displaying the arrogant demeanor of a second-generation martial arts master, said, "It's the real deal. If you don't believe me, feel free to try. Just make sure you can withstand the wrath of two Spirit Transformation experts."
General Liu's expression shifted between light and shadow, but he ultimately remained silent. It wasn't that he would believe everything the other party said, but one could never be too careful. If what the other party said was true, then the trouble would be immense.
He had never heard of the name "Divine Spear of Ice and Snow," but judging from his words, he should also be a Spirit Transformation expert. However, the reputation of "Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens" was renowned throughout the continent. If he really harmed Yan Jinghong's disciple, given his high status in the Su State, he could mobilize the entire Mohist Knight Guard to thoroughly investigate the truth. In that case, it wouldn't just be their army that would suffer; perhaps the entire Li State would be implicated.
"Please forgive me for my earlier offense. This is a secret operation by our army, and its success or failure is crucial to the fate of our nation. We cannot afford to be careless."
Murong Qing angrily and said, "So, you'd rather kill three thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free?"