Art Books and the Arrival of "Honored Guests"

Around noon, as they passed a cargo ship, Beianqi signaled with flags to the opposite side for a while. Then she flew over and returned shortly after, carrying a small box.

"Have you purchased any supplies?" Su Ming asked as Beianqi walked in carrying a box in both hands, which looked rather heavy.

The girl forcefully slammed the box onto the table, where it landed with a "thud" right in front of Su Ming.

"Su Ming, this is a gift for you," Beianqi said.

"Oh?" Su Ming was quite surprised; this was the first time he'd ever done this in another world. "Why are you being so polite? Thank you!"

"Read these when you're alone in your room," Beianqi patted Su Ming on the shoulder. "These 'normal' books I had them prepare cost a whole one and a half gold coins. Study them carefully!"

Su Ming was somewhat confused. He told the skeleton to take the box to his room and then continued with his work.

It wasn't until Su Ming returned to his room to rest that evening that he saw the box and opened it.

After the last replenishment of magical materials, shielding layers have been installed in the individual cabins on the ship, making them impenetrable to detection spells. Otherwise, the love-hate relationship between Zijin's Omniscient Vision and Su Ming's Penetrating Vision would be too exhausting.

Su Ming opened it and discovered it was actually a color picture book of this world!

Some are beautiful watercolors that emphasize the beauty of blending and blurring, while others are meticulous woodblock prints that depict postures with exquisite detail.

"No, why would Beianqi buy this for him?" Su Ming was baffled. He recalled the girl's words, "A normal book," "Study hard?"

Su Ming flipped through it; the "knowledge" was all sorts of strange things, but it was all about relationships between men and women. Could this be what she meant by "normal"?

Just how much had Beianqi misunderstood him?! Su Ming lamented inwardly. He desperately wanted to show her the contents of the other T records besides the "Lily Observation Record" to prove his innocence!

Unfortunately, that won't work; if he did, he'd definitely be considered a pervert!

Su Ming, having given up all hope, decided to properly appreciate the cultural treasures of this other world. He flipped through them one by one, and finally found the most beautifully bound picture book at the bottom of the box, with the title "The Dragon and the Holy Sword Maiden" on the cover.

The seller had a note tucked inside the book, saying that all books were too straightforward and boring, so they were including a free book with a pure and innocent love theme.

This seller knows what they're doing!

Upon opening it, I was surprised to find a realistic oil painting, with extremely delicate and meticulous brushstrokes. The first page depicted the female protagonist, the Holy Sword Maiden, who possessed nothing but the Holy Sword in her hand.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the forest trees, dappling the girl and the fallen leaves on the ground.

Su Ming's artistic talent was entirely channeled into artistic creativity, so this was clearly more in line with his aesthetic. He continued to turn the page, and the second page featured a dragon with a delicate, almost fragile appearance, but actually enormous. The dragon occupied most of the picture, while the holy swordswoman fighting against it was squeezed into a corner of the picture, her expression pitiful.

That's right, dragons are female too.

Wait, is this how they play the game in another world?! Su Ming's brain went blank for a moment. This kind of imagination is quite impressive even in the world of fanfiction on Earth!

So what right does Beianqi have to criticize my great Lily Cult?

Su Ming continued flipping through the pages and discovered there was even more plot. The dragon Misaila and the holy sword maiden Atiya met under unusual circumstances, but the dragon and the maiden quickly reconciled and became friends, followed by a confession, and then some fan service such as bathing together.

The water was crystal clear, the hair was clearly defined, and the pure artistic atmosphere made Su Ming feel ashamed of himself.

On the next page, an adorable baby dragon appears between the two, and the story ends.

On the third day of the escort mission, the wind shifted to the northwest, making navigation even more difficult for the convoy. Some cargo ships with poor headwind capabilities even fell behind. As a result, the flagship had to slow down and wait for these ships to rejoin the convoy.

Su Ming was flipping through books in Zijin's library, searching for information about the painter Crystal Orchid.

Theoretically speaking, if the drawing is good, the artist's skill level must be excellent, and they must be a famous artist.

Sure enough, he found the relevant information: a collection of paintings by famous artists contained an introduction to her. Crystal Orchid's real name is unknown; she was a renowned realist painter who favored portraiture and was highly controversial for her unconventional style. In her early years, she worked diligently, only daring to occasionally paint a few pieces and submit them anonymously. One day, she suddenly had an epiphany and stopped caring about worldly judgments.

This lady's creative peak was 150 years ago, during which she illustrated numerous storybooks. Because she liked to draw inspiration from reality,

His untimely death, caused by offending too many people, has left the industry deeply saddened and countless enthusiasts lamenting his passing.

Su Ming pondered, "If I have the chance, I can search for other works by this master."

[Su Ming, this is the first time I've seen you flipping through art books.] Zijin sent a message, quite surprised by what she saw through her Omniscient Vision.

"I'm learning about your world's aesthetic standards," Su Ming replied without changing his expression.

Zijin was very suspicious, but couldn't find anything wrong with it.

[The Golden Barrel has instructed us to proceed to the northwest for standby.] She got down to business.

[If there are no enemies around, then let's go.] Su Ming said. This was the strategy set from the beginning. Just cooperate with the employer whenever possible and satisfy their need to be bossed around. Shen Fang paid so much money; their emotional value still needs to be guaranteed.

"Yes, we have guests," said Zijin. "They're gathering about 70 kilometers ahead of us; there are already more than 20 ships."

Su Ming immediately perked up, "[I'll be right there!]"

****

White Triangle driver's cab.

It was a bit hot today, so all three of them changed into summer clothes.

Su Ming was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt with the words "Free Printing LOGO" printed on the chest.

Although Beianqi received the luggage brought by the Ale, her clothes were too thick, so she borrowed a nearly identical short-sleeved shirt from Su Ming and paired it with shorts.

Zijin glanced at the two of them, then looked away.

Su Ming analyzed the radar signals and discovered that the ship types were varied, with the vast majority being small and medium-sized warships.

"A typical pirate fleet," Beianqi concluded, "And it's a coalition of many pirate groups; they're planning something big."

"According to the tactical plan, let's start with disguise," Su Ming said.

The White Triangle squeezed itself into the middle of the convoy, slowing down to synchronize with the surrounding cargo ships. A large number of zombies climbed onto the deck, erected several makeshift poles, and hung cloth on them, making it really look like a sailboat from a distance.

The pirates did not disappoint. After assembling thirty-one warships, the fleet set sail from the west, heading straight for the convoy with the wind at its back.

In the operations room of the White Triangle, a naval battle sand table was laid out. This battle involved too many ships, and the three of them spent quite a while just setting up the models and making annotations. Afterwards, they gathered around the sand table to conduct tactical analysis.