333. In the Tug-of-War

"It seems that the other party is indeed an invading Chosen of the Gods, but we don't know where they are."

Lu Ban looked at the statue in his hand and couldn't help but ponder.

"They might have distracted this person while they were resupplying on Narcissus Island. Are there other accomplices? If I report this person now, will I alert them?"

Based on the conversation just now, Lu Ban was almost certain that the other party was not some evil god from the wasteland, but rather Chosen of the Gods of the same kind.

Judging from the conversation before and after, it seems that only one person was responding to Lu Ban's words.

Not knowing how many Chosen of the Gods the other side had, Lu Ban decided to proceed with caution.

He shoved the idol back into the guard's arms, pretending nothing had happened, and hid in the shadows.

After a while, the guard woke up, and you could see that his eyes were full of confusion, and he didn't know what had just happened to him.

At that moment, a voice rang in the guard's mind.

"I have already bestowed grace upon you. Go back to sleep, and come here again to pray tomorrow."

The guard immediately stood up with a start, looked around, checked the statue in his arms, carefully put it away, and ran off in a flash.

Lu Ban released the repetition of the "Last Words" in the guard's mind and sighed softly.

After throwing the already rotten food and water into the sea, Lu Ban stuffed some straw into the bag, put it back in its original place, and pretended that nothing had happened.

Stepping out of the cargo hold, Lu Ban saw Ayame looking at the sea view from the deck.

Aren't you going to sleep yet?

Lu Ban asked a question.

"The sea breeze smells of blood; it's not a good omen."

Ayame still carried that long sword on her back. Ahead of this ship were the mercenaries' boats. The two ships moved forward on the sparkling sea. The wind was quite nice tonight, and the speed was fast enough. A series of damp sea breezes swept past Lu Ban's ears, along with a faint smell of blood.

This is not uncommon at sea. Putting aside the monsters, predatory fish sometimes stain the sea with blood. When you encounter these, the stench and blood of the corpses are enough to make you vomit.

"We are now entering the Narcissus Channel. Under normal circumstances, this channel will not encounter dangerous situations, but it is very close to a dangerous area. If the enemy wants to launch an attack on us, I think the most likely scenario is that they will force us into the dangerous area when we get close to it."

Ayame's long hair swayed slightly in the sea breeze as she spoke simply.

"You mean, some ships have already caught up?"

Lu Ban thought of the statue. He didn't tell Ayame, firstly because it involved the Chosen of the Gods, and secondly because Lu Ban wanted to learn more about the other party before making any plans.

Since the other side has used this tactic, it means they are not planning to launch a direct attack in the short term. According to Ayame, they are probably waiting for an opportunity to get closer to the danger zone.

"They may have been waiting here for a long time. I suspect that these guys have received help from the people on the Wa Island Grand Shrine. The ones besieging us may be several regular warships."

"Then we have no chance of escaping at all?"

Although Lu Ban can Underwater Breathing and is not afraid of the ocean, he can simply walk on the seabed.

But Amber can't breathe underwater, so I have to protect her properly.

"Only by moving at full speed can we possibly shake them off. If necessary, we may have to have the priestess ride on our ship."

Ayame glanced at the smaller mercenary ship.

Transferring the Amber to a small boat beforehand, using the large boat as bait, is also a viable option.

"I'll leave it to you then."

Ayame looked at Lu Ban and smiled.

"If such a situation arises, I must stay here and keep watch, otherwise the other side will quickly see through our disguise."

"Let's talk about ways to increase the ship's speed."

Lu Ban thought of his "Last Words".

In theory, he could use Speech Bullet to increase the speed of the ship, but the speed is limited compared to car speed, and whether he can escape the pursuit is still unknown.

But we should always give it a try.

"Big Sister, you seem quite determined to escort Amber to the Wa Island Grand Shrine."

Lu Ban asked.

"Being able to gain money and status is a very worthwhile business for mercenaries."

"Ayame replied."

"That's not all, is it?"

Lu Ban, thinking that learning more would increase the exploration, pressed on relentlessly.

"Could it be that you were once a shrine maiden, but left the Wa Island Grand Shrine because you failed to become the Head Miko, and ended up here as a mercenary, so you want to help your juniors?"

He made up a story on the spot.

"My knife hasn't seen any blood for several days."

"Shall we go catch a fish for a midnight snack?"

Lu Ban looked at the dark sea, wondering if there were still any big fish to eat in this cold water.

Seeing Lu Ban's appearance, Ayame sighed.

"I have witnessed the Corrupted Ones killing humans, and I have seen the purifying fire from the Head Miko burning monsters. For us, the existence of the Head Miko is above all else. Since Lady Amber possesses the strongest power, then she should become the Head Miko."

Ayame sighed.

"It's that simple?"

Lu Ban was curious.

Do you need more reasons to do the right thing?

The Ayame asked a rhetorical question.

"That's not necessary."

Lu Ban nodded.

"Moreover, they gave us far too much. Even without considering the benefits Lady Amber will receive after becoming the Head Miko, the money they gave us alone would be enough for us to buy land on a slightly remote island and live a life free from want. After this mission is over, I..."

Before Ayame could finish speaking, Lu Ban interrupted her.

"Big Sister, don't say these things."

He stopped the other party from making a flag-raising move.

In fact, Lu Ban wasn't worried about the other party rushing up directly.

With Laika by his side, plus his own suona and [Minor Disaster Generator], Lu Ban really wasn't afraid of the enemy facing him head-on.

I was worried that it possessed some kind of strange and unpredictable power, and that it could kill Amber from a distance.

However, judging from today's interaction with the statues, the other party may not have the means of direct long-range attacks, and can only rely on bewitching people and using these statues to cause trouble.

That gives Lu Ban a lot of room to maneuver. Basically, as long as Miss Amber doesn't rush in and get herself killed, there's still a chance to fight.

"Although the Narcissus Passage is relatively safe, it also means that there are many pirates. We will not only have to deal with those who are chasing us."

Ayame glanced at the flag on the mast and then said.

She turned around, preparing to return to her cabin.

"You should get some rest too. I have a feeling that the next few days won't be peaceful."

After Ayame left, Lu Ban looked at the flags hanging on the mast.

A strange gust of wind suddenly blew, causing the flag that had been fluttering to fall abruptly.

Lu Ban looked to the side of the ship, at the horizon.

There, a deep purple storm raged, as if it were the edge of the world.

*

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