Chapter 718: Chapter Seven Examination Chapter 718: Chapter Seven Examination “`
White waves lashed against the rocks.

Ships were thick on the water, stretching as far as the eye could see.

In the half-open dockyard, chains, and pulleys screeched dissonantly. The dock gates gaped like a giant maw as sailors emerged en masse, shouldering barrels and crates to be loaded onto the large ship like a dragon. The boxes contained supplies of pitch, tar, rosin, and even cables, anchor chains, winches, various bolts of materials, and iron nails–essentially, anything of value that could be removed and taken from the dockyard were almost completely stripped away.

There were also some scrapped cargo ships beached and abandoned, of various designs, most plundered by the Red Flag Gang, now unusable. Artisans swarmed like busy ants over the shipframes and keel blocks, stripping off any usable timber from the ships’ structures.

“Old Xu, what flag are you sailing under now?”

One sailor, about thirty years old with a bushy beard, straddling a keel and working on the ship’s nails, asked the quiet, bald man opposite him.

“Black Flag, headed for An Nan,” the bald man replied.

“Ha, I’m luckier than you; I’m sailing to Borneo. I’ve got relatives living there, and from what I hear, they’re doing quite well.”

The bald Old Xu pulled out an iron nail, feeling a tinge of sadness, “This parting–when will we see each other again?”

“Tch.”

The bearded sailor spat out the sand that the sea breeze had forced into his mouth, “You think you’re going to India? How far can Borneo be? It’s all the same sea, isn’t it? Didn’t Tianbao Dragon Head say it himself? Within three years, we’ll definitely make our return.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have fed the mosquitoes in An Nan long before those three years are up,” Old Xu scoffed, looking at his friend askance.

“Nope, I’m more afraid you’ll be so spellbound by An Nan girls that you’ll forget to come back at all.”

Both men burst into loud laughter.

The entire harbor was bustling with activity, yet it was tinged with an inexplicable sense of desolation.

Zheng Xiu stood still for a moment; as a child, she would often play in the dockyard, the beach there serving as her playground. Once, she buried her treasured collection of fish bone toys, a copper bracelet, seashells, and colored stones under an abandoned, beached Manila ship. When the tide came in at dusk, she had even forgotten where she buried them. Tianbao spent most of the night digging to no avail.

Later, Madam Shi said the child’s shallow burial must have been swept away by the tide, which made Xiu’er cry. Tianbao then searched the shallows for days, only to find a single silver bracelet for Xiu’er– the very one she now wore on her wrist.

The pirates boarded the ships in succession, their provisions of food, fresh water, and some emergency medicines, along with their belongings, had all been carried aboard. Whatever jars and pots they couldn’t take with them were either smashed or abandoned.

There was nothing left on the entire island, which now stood eerily empty.

At the harbor front, the supervisor Zhi Nong spotted Zheng Xiu and approached her with a greeting.

“Leader Xiu, you’ve arrived? Tianbao Dragon Head is waiting for you on the Divine Tower Ship.”

Only then did Zheng Xiu direct her gaze toward Zhi Nong’s face, “I know, I’m on my way.”

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On the topmost deck of the Tower Ship, Li Yan sipped his Lantau Island specialty–water steeped in bamboo tips, and listened to Suo Heier’s report on the ship statistics.

Suo Heier now stood tall and spoke assertively, fluent in Chinese with a Minnan accent, sporting a pair of shiny, neatly-combed mustaches and blue eyes that sparkled in his deep-set sockets.

Just six years ago, while he was still with the East India Company, he survived the Heavenly Mother Crossing the Sea and was captured by the Red Flag Gang. His knowledge of Magic Motion Technology spared his life. Having fallen out of favor with the influential in Europa, Suo Heier had no future to speak of there anymore; joining the pirates, surprisingly, suited him well, and with the Red Flag Gang’s influence, he made a fortune.

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“There are around three hundred intact ships currently docked at Lantau Island’s port, but in reality, nearly half of them are small boats under six meters. The remaining large vessels are also traditional pure sail-powered ships that were phased out by the East India Company at the end of the last century. Their speed and agility are somewhat inferior, but fortunately, we’ve purchased a large number of Living Seawater Turbines from the Tianbo Division over the years, greatly improving the performance of our ships. However, I must issue a warning to you, Tianbao Dragon Head.”

Suo Heier said with a serious expression, “Seawater turbines are a technology facing obsolescence in Europa, and many companies have ceased production. If even the Pasteur Laboratory stops producing seawater turbines, the gap in ship performance between us and the East India Company will widen further. Our future battles against the official allied forces will become even more challenging.”

“Ceasing production?”

Li Yan put down his teacup.

Suo Heier shrugged, “In fact, it’s not just the seawater turbines; the operational conditions of all companies in the field of bio-applications in Europa are not very good. Lantau Island has been the largest buyer in the seawater turbine market for three consecutive years.”

When he mentioned this, he also sighed, “Once, the entire eighteenth century was the golden age of bio-application. Four of the seven greatest ships of Helun Company, their highest masterpieces, had core technologies that belonged to the bio-application field.”

“However, after entering the new era, due to the lack of novel marine species and water samples for research, the entire field of bio-application in Europa has stagnated and gradually become marginalized. The technological level in mineral energy studies has made leaps and bounds. Now, practical screw-propelled all-ironclad warships have completely occupied the market. They are more powerful, cheaper to produce, and can be mass-produced. There’s a surplus of old devices like the seawater turbines that nobody cares about, and the future of the seas belongs to armored ships and coal. Most of the bio-application laboratories and companies have already turned to body modification and medicine. I believe it’s only a matter of time before production stops.”

Li Yan’s ears twitched, the footsteps of Zheng Xiu getting closer. He said to Suo Heier, “I understand, you go and rest.”

Suo Heier bowed deeply to Li Yan, and when he reached the staircase, he happened to see Zheng Xiu, his eyes lighting up, “Ah, my regards to the Great Alliance Leader.”

“Uncle Suo, hello.”

Zheng Xiu greeted him gracefully.

Suo Heier, with a joking smile, looked like he wanted to say something more but was glared at by Li Yan and reluctantly left.

“Sit.”

Zheng Xiu sat down next to Li Yan. In front of them, the port neatly displayed hundreds of large sail ships, bracketed by two Lin’s Treasure Ships led by the Divine Tower Ship, forming a massive triangular formation, with the bright flags fluttering in the sea breeze, red as blood.

Li Yan moved his stiff neck, “I want to talk to you alone, have your people leave first.”

Zheng Xiu was startled, but her face remained impassive, “I don’t understand what you mean by that, Tianbao…”

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Yan snapped his fingers and shot out a twisting drop of Disaster Water, which landed right on Zheng Xiu’s shadow.

“Ah!”

A dark-skinned man wearing a round straw hat darted out from Zheng Xiu’s shadow, holding his right face and leaping over two meters high. A silver spear flew out from somewhere, striking his waist and knocking the man into the water.

Zheng Xiu hurried to the railing, looking down for the man’s trace.

“He won’t die, come back and sit.”

Zheng Xiu had no choice but to sit back down next to Li Yan.

Li Yan lifted his cup, only to find it empty. He set it down with a thud and asked, “Yin Skill shortens life, Yang Skill brings blessings. I asked you to practice Yang Pill; how much have you mastered over the years?”

“…”

Zheng Xiu picked up the kettle, filled the cup with water, and answered with her head down, “There are a total of seventy-two Yang Skills, and I have now mastered the thirty-sixth. I’m better at the Jinjiao Warrior and the Purple Gold Cup, but the rest, well, they’re only passable.”

The Jinjiao Warrior allows one to use talismans and flames to conjure spirits that can be commanded, and the Purple Gold Cup is a sacred healing skill superior to flesh and bone.

Li Yan’s interest was piqued, “Oh? Let me have a look.”

Zheng Xiu pulled out a match from her sleeve and blew a breath onto the head of the match. With a gesture, flames blossomed between her two forefingers, forming several dozen fist-sized halos, within which one could faintly see the figures of babies hugging their knees.

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Taiping Document * Jinjiao Warrior.

Li Yan looked on for a while, then suddenly exhaled, a light black misty Disaster Water engulfed the orb in an instant, Zheng Xiu exclaimed in shock, and the match in her hand went out at the sound.

Li Yan shook his head, “Have me check the Purple Gold Bell’s heat treatment again.”

With that, he picked up a flame-colored dagger with an extraordinary appearance from the table, rolled up his sleeve to expose his arm, and slashed straight down with the blade. The flesh split open, spraying blood that stained Zheng Xiu’s hair.

“Come.”

Zheng Xiu bit her lower lip, stood up, her hands buried in her sleeves, whispering for a while. Purple bellflowers suddenly sprouted from the long wound on Li Yan’s arm, completely covering the blurry gash.

Zheng Xiu took out a copper bell, gave it a shake, and the bellflowers withered and fell. The torn flesh on Li Yan’s arm also healed completely, leaving only a faint scar.

Taiping Document * Purple Gold Cup.

Crack~
The once shallow scar, for some unknown reason, tore open again, bleeding incessantly, looking even more horrific than before.

Zheng Xiu was also panicked for a moment, muttering the Purple Gold Cup incantation several times, sweat appearing on her forehead.

“Alright now.”

Li Yan clenched his muscles to suppress the bleeding and flung down his sleeve.

He handed the flame dagger on the table to Zheng Xiu. “This Changjin is your Uncle Cha’s weapon. When your Purple Gold Cup can properly heal a wound left by this weapon, then you can be considered somewhat skilled. Six years, and that fisherman Zhang He has also become famous. With your talent, you shouldn’t be just at this level. Something else must be distracting you.”

These words were heavy, and Zheng Xiu’s spirits fell as she hung her head, her eyes reddening.

Li Yan took another sip of tea, lowering his voice, “Have you been secretly practicing the Defying Skill these past few years?”

Zheng Xiu remained silent.

“So, you have?”

Li Yan’s tone became even lower, “The Defying Skill harms others and yourself. I can’t let you follow in Mrs. Shi’s footsteps.”

“But my mother never said I couldn’t practice Defying.”

Zheng Xiu whispered back in defense.

“Your mother may have not, but I have.”

The atmosphere gradually grew tense.

Zheng Xiu took a deep breath, “I have practiced it, but isn’t it the same as you practicing geomancy? I don’t see any difference.”

“Defying is more malicious than Taiping Yin Skill. Originally, Mrs. Shi asked for her spine to be soaked in blood. If I hadn’t been there, would you have done it?”

“If Lantau Island was at stake, I would have done it.”

Zheng Xiu stared into Li Yan’s eyes.

Li Yan was taken aback, not getting angry, and his momentum instead weakened.

The two of them said nothing for a moment.

“You sit down first.”

Zheng Xiu turned her face away from Li Yan, but still sat down.

“I have mentioned before, I have made mistakes.”

Seeing that Xiu’er showed no reaction, Li Yan continued, “You order someone to send Ruan Zhengwu back to An Nan. I saw him just now.”

Xiu’er looked up, her face as pale as death.

“I asked Zhi Nong, the one who fell into the water just now is called Ruan Zhengyuan, a famous eccentric from around An Nan. He mastered a skill called Shadow Vine Art, claiming to hurt the shadow and the person. Ruan Zhengwu, can create human skin masks, knows bone art and Phantom Sound Curse; he can impersonate even women and children. These two are quite notorious in An Nan, known as what… Ghost Shadow Fox Pelt?”

“You dare to assemble the Red Flag leaders in the Martial Arts Hall for a meeting behind my back. At the time, I was thinking, if I didn’t show up, how did you plan to wrap things up? Seeing that Fox Pelt, I knew, you were planning to have him impersonate me, weren’t you?”

“I, I…”

Zheng Xiu wanted to say something but choked up and couldn’t utter a complete sentence. Suddenly, a finger lightly touched her forehead:
“Just this once, never again,”
Li Yan sighed, fiddling with his teacup, “You were such a good child when you were young, happy with a string of candied haws or a pellet drum, but now you’re not so easy to please.”

After speaking, he poured a cup of tea and handed it to Zheng Xiu, “We are even.”

Zheng Xiu took the teacup, pleaded softly, “Can you not kill the Ruan brothers?”

“I didn’t say I was going to kill them, but that Fox Pelt’s right hand is gone, and it’s not my fault. Zhi Nong brought him to see me, who knew as soon as he saw me he started trembling non-stop, and without me saying a word, he chopped off his right hand, saying he would never change his appearance again.”

After a pause, Li Yan changed the subject, “Before the hour of Si, you’ll take this boat south to the Lanfang Republic to see Lin Ajin, Cha Daozi will accompany you. If all goes well, I’ll come to find you.”

“But, the officials…”

“Of course, I have a way.”

Wuuuuuuu~
The pirate with a red bandana blew on a half-meter-long horn, interrupting their conversation.

Over two hundred ships illuminated their flags at the same time, the flags of Lantau Island in red, but there were also black, white, yellow, and blue colors.

“Time’s up. I’m too busy for you now.” Li Yan pulled out a milky white lump of flesh and stuffed it into Xiu’er’s bosom, “Keep it for self-defense, and when you reach Borneo, keep it as a keepsake.”

Zheng Xiu frowned, subconsciously squeezed the lump in her hand, which felt like a bird, or was it a chicken?

“What is this?”

Zheng Xiu asked.

“Ah, geomancy.”

Li Yan stood up and walked to the railing, with the roar of the mountain and the sea echoing to the skies, streaks of dark clouds and the rolling east wind began to rise.

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