NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 160: Setting Sail on the Sea Devil
Chapter 160: Setting Sail on the Sea Devil
"Where are we going now?"
"Can we go out to sea?"
Curiously, Ning Rongrong asked.
Having grown up, this was her first time at the seaside, and she yearned even more for the ocean.
"We indeed need to set sail. Let's find a ship capable of taking us to Sea God Island."
After Qin Xiao finished, he led the group towards the harbor.
Of course.
Along the way, there were no shortages of onlookers, and Qin Xiao didn't know how many envious or jealous gazes he received.
"Luxury cruise, three days at sea, only five gold soul coins."
"Ten gold soul coins, on my large ship, you will experience what it means to live and die in debauchery."
"Brother, want to go out to sea? I provide the ship, you provide the money, let's go on an impromptu trip."
Qin Xiao and the others had just arrived at the harbor, and they could already hear many ship captains boasting about their vessels.
"We want to charter a ship. Who can take us out to sea?"
Beside them, Ning Rongrong asked. She emphasized the word "charter" to convey to the surrounding captains that apart from them five, there was no need for outsiders to interfere.
This statement actually deterred quite a few people.
Of course.
But there were still many who were interested.
"Do you know where you want to go?"
"Let me put it this way, there's nowhere on the sea I can't reach!"
A bearded captain said confidently.
"We want to go to Sea God Island."
"Uh, Sea God Island, let's forget about that."
The bearded captain immediately faltered.
Even those around him subconsciously backed away.
What kind of place is Sea God Island? Can an ordinary ship reach it?
Even a random thousand-year-old sea spirit beast would be enough to take their lives.
"Hey, don't leave yet."
"Prices are negotiable."
Ning Rongrong became anxious; these people had just said there's nowhere they couldn't go.
Why were they running faster than rabbits now?
"Respected sir, ladies, are you planning to visit Sea God Island?"
At that moment, a middle-aged man in his fifties approached, elegantly greeting everyone.
Qin Xiao glanced over; this person gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Indeed, are you also a captain?"
Ning Rongrong nodded.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Heider, captain of the Sea Devil. I have sailed the seas for decades, with rich experience in navigation. I can take you to Sea God Island."
The middle-aged captain Heider said humbly.
Hmm, Heider.
Qin Xiao furrowed his brows slightly upon hearing the name.
Didn't he belong to the famous Black Pearl Pirate Group?
In the original work, Tang San and the others set sail on this very ship.
Interesting, I'd like to see what this legendary figure looks like.
He muttered to himself inwardly, then said to Heider, "That's settled, then. We'll go with you."
"That's fine."
Heider nodded, hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "But before embarking on this journey, there's something I must make clear. A round trip to Sea God Island takes at least a month. The deep sea areas are more dangerous than the shallow ones, and since you've chartered the ship, the price may be quite high."
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong casually took out a black bag from her spatial soul tool and tossed it over. "Here are five hundred gold soul coins. That's all for you."
"How much!?"
"Five hundred gold soul coins?"
Heider's pupils contracted, somewhat incredulous.
This was such a huge windfall, just five million gold soul coins at once.
Even if he robbed for a year, he couldn't amass this much money.
"How about it? Can we go now?" Ning Rongrong frowned and asked.
Heider nodded, "Yes, we can. But let me be clear, with five hundred gold soul coins, you can't just do as you please. With this amount, I can make at most three round trips."
"Pfft."
After hearing Heider's words, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Who needs three round trips?
Just dropping them off at Sea God Island is enough.
"When can we set off?"
Qin Xiao spoke up.
"Respected sir and ladies, please follow me. Our crew has been waiting for everyone aboard the Sea Devil."
Heider made a gesture of invitation, then led the way for everyone.
Under Heider's guidance, they quickly arrived at the Sea Devil.
Along the way, Heider also took the opportunity to introduce the situation of the Sea Devil to Qin Xiao and the others.
Everyone knew that on the Sea Devil, including the captain, crew, and chef, there were a total of eight people.
The Sea Devil had three levels in total: two upper decks and one lower deck.
The lower deck was the living space for the crew, while the upper two decks were for Qin Xiao, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and the others to move around.
"Set sail, we're departing."
Heider issued instructions to the crew, and the Sea Devil slowly started moving.
"Respected sir, ladies, the sea winds are strong. You might as well rest in the dining hall for a moment; we'll soon serve you a delicious lunch."
Heider smiled gracefully and politely.
Qin Xiao glanced at the people around him and noticed that everyone's complexion wasn't very good; some looked pale, as if they had lost their color.
No one complained of discomfort, but Qin Xiao could tell that everyone wasn't feeling well.
It seemed like they were all seasick for the first time. Qin Xiao realized.
There was a significant difference between sailing on the sea and on rivers or lakes.
Because the larger the waves at sea, the more unstable the ship, and even those who don't usually get seasick might feel it.
"All right, let's go back to the cabin first. After days of travel, we can finally relax properly."
Qin Xiao nodded, agreeing to Heider's suggestion.
The cabin was spacious.
Crystal lamps embedded in the dome illuminated the cabin as bright as daylight.
"Please wait a moment, esteemed guests."
Heider said, bowing slightly to everyone with great courtesy before withdrawing.
"Qin Xiao, why do I feel like something's off about this person?"
After Heider left, Ning Rongrong asked with a furrowed brow.
Qin Xiao asked with interest, "What do you mean?"
"Although he hides it well, I still feel like there's something shining in his eyes."
Ning Rongrong crossed her arms, one hand rubbing her chin, speaking seriously.
"If I had five hundred coins, I'd shine too."
On the side, Dugu Yan interjected, "These people doing business on the sea, who knows how long it takes them to earn five hundred gold soul coins? If they're not shining at the sight of five hundred coins, that's strange. After all, with five hundred gold soul coins, we could buy this ship."
Actually, what Dugu Yan said made some sense.
But Ning Rongrong shook her head after hearing it, "No, it's definitely not about the five hundred gold soul coins. The feeling he gives me is like there's a thief's gleam in his eyes. In his eyes, we're like lambs to be slaughtered."
"What?"
"Is that really the case?"
Dugu Yan was stunned.
On the other hand, Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran also frowned, a cold murderous intent erupting from both women.
The temperature in the cabin dropped significantly.
Even Ning Rongrong felt a chill.
Instinctively, she glanced at Qin Xiao.
She saw...
Qin Xiao sitting down at the long table, pouring himself a glass of water and drinking it leisurely.
"Qin Xiao, aren't you going to say something?" Ning Rongrong looked at Qin Xiao anxiously.
It was already this time, and this guy was still calmly drinking water?
Faced with Ning Rongrong's anxious look, Qin Xiao smiled slightly, "What should I say? Haven't you already revealed the true situation?"
"Is there really a problem?"
Everyone was stunned.
Since Qin Xiao nodded and said so, it meant the matter wasn't trivial.
"What's the big deal? Pirate groups set up some tricks in the harbor, looking for some fat lambs to prey on. This is normal."
"Normal?"
Ning Rongrong pouted.
"Your Majesty, if you've already seen through Heider's identity, why did you still board this ship?" Dugu Yan asked, puzzled. Qin Xiao's calmness actually reassured him somewhat.
Qin Xiao looked at Dugu Yan and replied, "Do you remember, it seems like besides this guy, no one else was heading to Sea God Island from the harbor. If we don't choose his ship, what else can we do?"
Dugu Yan: ...
Is it because there's no other ship to accommodate everyone that they have to board even if they know it's a pirate ship?
He had never been so speechless in his life.
"Okay, it's just a pirate ship."
Qin Xiao waved his hand nonchalantly in the face of everyone's vigilant gazes.
Actually, he didn't even put Heider, let alone the entire Black Pearl Pirate Group, in his eyes.
After all, even the strongest in the Black Pearl Pirate Group, Purple Pearl, was just a Soul Saint of over seventy levels. Even if Qin Xiao hadn't fully recovered from his injuries, he could still handle them one by one.
However, for the safety of everyone, he still took precautions.
Qin Xiao took out several white pills from his personal soul tool.
"What are these? They smell so good?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, and her throat unconsciously rolled.
Her only thought was to eat them.
Qin Xiao explained, "These are pills I asked Dugu Bo to refine before. After taking them, your resistance to various toxins will greatly increase for a period of time. You all should take them. If Heider and the Black Pearl Pirate Group really dare to make a move on us, it'll prevent us from being caught off guard."
"Okay."
Zhu Zhuqing and the others nodded in agreement.
Ning Rongrong was the first to take the pill from Qin Xiao's hand, eagerly stuffing it into her mouth.
However...
Her smile instantly turned bitter.
Bitter, really bitter.
It was like eating something called "huanglian" from childhood.
"Ugh."
She even wanted to spit out the pill.
But with a light pat on Ning Rongrong's shoulder, Qin Xiao made sure the pill was swallowed with a gulp.
"Qin Xiao, are you intentionally tricking us? Is this stuff even edible?"
Ning Rongrong asked Qin Xiao with a furrowed brow.
"Good medicine tastes bitter, it's normal."
Qin Xiao replied with a smile, though the hint of mischief on his face couldn't be concealed.
Meanwhile...
On the third level of the Sea Devil.
As Heider arrived, the crew immediately surrounded him.
"Captain, you haven't told us who these people are."
"Yeah, Captain, these people look so young. Are they really fat lambs?"
"I can only say that those few girls look pretty good."
The crew members spoke one after another.
"Why are you questioning my judgment?"
Heider's gaze swept lightly over everyone.
Subconsciously, the crew's eyes flickered, unable to meet his gaze directly.
Seeing this, Heider smiled satisfactorily, "Heh heh, let me tell you, this time, we might hit the jackpot. Even if we don't use these people, extorting their families behind them will still make us rich."
"Really?"
"How much did they pay us for the passage?"
The crew members' faces were filled with surprise and curiosity.
"It's this much." Heider held up a hand.
"Five gold soul coins? That's not bad, but it's not a lot for chartering a ship."
"It definitely isn't just five gold soul coins. I think it must be fifty gold soul coins to match what the captain said."
"Fifty gold soul coins? If that's the case, they're definitely a fat lamb."
The crew members spoke excitedly, their faces showing joy.
After all, they couldn't earn this amount in a year on the sea.
"Ahem."
At this moment, Heider coughed lightly, drawing everyone's gaze to him.
"Quiet down, the captain has something to say."
Someone immediately understood the meaning behind his gesture and loudly told everyone to be quiet.
"Look at your lack of ambition. Are you satisfied with just fifty gold soul coins? Let me tell you, the passage fee they paid is five hundred gold soul coins, five hundred gold soul coins."
Heider exclaimed with enthusiasm, waving his hand grandly.
"Hiss, how much? Five hundred gold soul coins?"
"Wow, that's a lot. I can't believe it."
"You couldn't earn this much even after ten years at sea."
"We hit the jackpot."
The crew members were all astonished.
Five hundred gold soul coins were indeed a considerable sum.
"Stay calm, you bunch of inexperienced folks. Let me tell you, this is just the beginning. If we capture these fat lambs on the ship, we won't only get five hundred gold soul coins, it might be fifty thousand, or even five hundred thousand gold soul coins."
Heider's words sounded calming, but his excitement was evident.
In fact, he even flushed with excitement.
"All right, get ready for lunch."
"Sharpen the knives faster. After lunch, we'll prepare to slaughter pigs and sheep."
"Oh, and increase the dosage of the 'Rooster Crows at Five' potion. I have a feeling that young man among them isn't simple."
With a wave of his hand, Heider calmed everyone down.
Under his command, the crew members also busied themselves.
And the "Rooster Crows at Five" potion he mentioned was a powerful sedative.
Soon, a variety of seafood, rich in oceanic flavors, were prepared and brought to the dining hall.
Five-pound deep-sea lobsters, emperor crabs larger than washbasins, bowls of caviar...
In short, rare and precious ingredients on land became abundant feasts here.
"Respected gentlemen, ladies, please enjoy."
Heider added in his mind, 'Your last lunch.'
After saying this, he led his men out of the dining hall.
However, they didn't go far; they waited nearby.
After all, the effects of the drug wouldn't last long.
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