Hearing the Old Captain's words, Liu Zhi froze. He hadn't expected the Old Captain to figure out the origins of the Gold Route so quickly.
But what did he mean by a sacrifice? How did the Old Captain know where the other end of the route was?
Seeing Liu Zhi's bewildered expression, the Old Captain continued explaining.
"Trust my judgment. My men have already reached Southeast Asia, and they even brought something back from there. That's how I confirmed we'd found the Gold Route. It isn't the sea route you all imagined. You jump straight into the whirlpool and can come out on the other side. But to pass through the whirlpool safely, you have to offer it a life."
"A blood sacrifice?"
Liu Zhi's eyes lit up. He felt as if several pieces of a puzzle had just fallen into place, but something still didn't fit. It was as though one clue was missing.
"Does opening the whirlpool require a blood sacrifice?"
Liu Zhi asked, puzzled.
"The whirlpool is always there, but anyone who enters it will have to make a blood sacrifice. No matter how many people go in, one person will naturally be missing when they come out."
Liu Zhi opened his mouth. He wanted to ask what would happen if only one person entered the whirlpool.
In the end, he didn't ask such a stupid question. Instead, he looked at the Old Captain, hoping he would explain why he'd told him this.
The Old Captain put away the Sand Table-like object, shrinking it into something about the size of a fist. "You're with MI6, aren't you? We'll draw the Xida Empire's attention away. Hurry and take this with you.
"Remember, you must deliver it to the Empress."
Looking at the object in his hand, Liu Zhi's