Chapter 748: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Contact Chapter 748: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Contact “`
Mr. Cai, despite his myriad of tricks, was at a loss for words and simply sat down heavily.

It was rumored that when the Lin Family’s ancestors first arrived in Borneo, they went so far as to excavate the graves of the indigenous people to steal the gold and other treasures buried within, as a result, they inadvertently fell victim to a curse from the royal family of the Sanfoqi Kingdom. Not only did the grave robber die violently, but his descendants also often contracted a fatal disease in their youth, rarely living past the age of thirty-five.

Lin Ajin was considered lucky; the curse of the Sanfoqi did not manifest until the day he got married at twenty-one. Both he and his wife contracted incurable tuberculosis, and had it not been for an expensive new drug that Mr. Cai had purchased from Europa, this Treasure Ship King would have been long dead.

Mr. Cai was annoyed with himself, for his deliberate probing had still led to the very scenario he least wanted to see unfold.

He knew all too well that the Western medicine, Jusheng Pill, could not cure the curse of the Sanfoqi. He had only hoped that the Treasure Ship King could help the Tianbo Division establish a firm foothold in Borneo for a year or so, before he would…

Although Xiaodao Cha didn’t know the exact reason for the interaction between Cai and Lin, he had prepared for a “grudge from a person surnamed Lin” in the Yan Fu affair. Seizing the moment, he spoke up, “I had heard that the Treasure Ship King was ill, but I never imagined it to be so serious. Before departing, the Tianbao Dragon Head entrusted me with a batch of new drugs. Perhaps the Treasure Ship King would consider giving them a try.”

Lin Ajin’s gaze lingered on Xiaodao’s face, seemingly hesitant, but he soon shook his head, “Over the years, I’ve sought countless remedies, even owing Mr. Cai a huge favor. In truth, life and death are predestined, and not within our control. Having wronged Ling, what face do I have to cling to life? I should follow her. I’m touched by the kindness of the Red Flag in offering medicine, Mr. Lin receives the gesture with gratitude.”

Xiaodao fell silent for a moment, picking up the so-called Jusheng Pill from the table and examining it closely. A ripple of light passed through his eyes, and soon he couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head, “I thought this Jusheng Pill was some kind of miraculous elixir, but it is nothing more than penicillin.”

Mr. Cai raised his eyebrows, replying almost instinctively, “This Jusheng Pill is hailed as a panacea in Europa, saving countless lives, more valuable than gold. Brother Cha, since you can identify the true name of Jusheng Pill and seem dismissive of it, I presume it’s not uncommon within the Red Flag Gang, is it?”

…

No sooner had he spoken than Xiaodao produced a silver box and shook it in front of him, then opened it to reveal six crystal clear glass bottles and unopened syringes, impressively displayed inside. A silver bell tower was also embossed on the box.

The color of the liquid inside appeared identical to the Jusheng Pills that Mr. Cai had presented.

Of course, this was not any ordinary Jusheng Pill; this was a product from the Su Ling Main Clock Research Institute, an injection that increased the ‘Awakening Degree’ of Yan Fu Heritage. Penicillin was too trivial for Cha and Li, and they were usually unprepared with it, but it was sufficient to fool Mr. Cai and Lin Ajin.

Although Mr. Cai was skeptical, he knew that syringes and glass bottles could not be easily forged. To further question it would be unbecoming, and besides, the accountant in charge of purchases for the Red Flag was a foreigner named Suo Heier, who had worked for the East India Company. The fact that Xiaodao could produce Jusheng Pill today was not entirely a fantasy.

He had no choice but to press on, “The Red Flag truly is extraordinary, making me, Cai, realize how narrow my own perspective has been. The creator of Jusheng Pill, Saint Fleming, received the Queen’s Prize for this very discovery. Now, I’m genuinely curious to see what kind of miracle drug Leader Cha can produce, something even more sophisticated than that of Europa’s Saint Fleming,”
No sooner had he said this than Mr. Cai regretted it, for Xiaodao’s performance had far surpassed his expectations. What if…

A glimmer of hope shone in Lin Ajin’s eyes. He spoke of dying with his wife, but who wouldn’t grab at a lifeline when it’s within reach? Lin Ajin was just over forty years old. How could he be willing to journey to the afterlife with his beloved so soon? If the medicine truly worked, and Mr. Cai or Xiaodao offered a way for him to save face by saying, “Ling would be consoled in the afterlife,” or “Of all the forms of filial piety, having descendants is the most important,” he would certainly find it harder to refuse.

Xiaodao smiled, revealing his teeth, and produced a small porcelain bottle, the Soul-forgiving Golden Soup that Li Yan had given him to be taken internally.

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“Li! Li!”

“`
Saint Watson lay on a makeshift wooden bed constructed haphazardly from discarded planks of a ship, the bonfire making his face glow red. His complexion was pale, and his lips cracked as if he had just recovered from a serious illness,
After leaving Heavenly Mother Palace, the two set out to sea and arrived at a beach. Still unaware of their bearings, Saint Watson suddenly vomited violently and even bled from all seven of his orifices. Li Yan had no choice but to settle him down before starting a conversation with Cha Xiaodao.

Perhaps it was the overwhelming power of Yan Gong’s Seven-Star Precious Pagoda, or perhaps it was because they were too close to Heavenly Mother Palace, but the signals from Earth Endurance were extremely slow. Li Yan had initiated conversation several times to no avail and decided to try again later.

“I need water.”

Li Yan fetched him a leaf of clean water, but Saint Watson shook his head repeatedly, “Not this kind. I mean your magical remedy, the yellow one, I think that would make me feel better.”

Li Yan just drank the water himself and ignored him.

“Hey, you shouldn’t treat a sick person like this.”

“I don’t know, maybe I should have thrown you into the sea when your incontinence started to soil the hem of my trousers.”

Li Yan tossed the leaf away and looked up at the bright moonlight in the sky, “Tell me, what’s really going on? You were lively as a dragon in the Monster’s nest, so why did you suddenly fall ill after coming out?”

“It’s Ruchika who had the accident, my assistant. The submarine drone, Jenny, which he rode, was cloned and bred from a mixture of my own brain tissue and whale cells, sharing a consciousness link with me. I think he didn’t take good care of Jenny, the little scoundrel.”

Li Yan could observe that at this moment, Saint Watson’s status indeed showed: “Refreshing Spirit soul damaged.”

His eyes glittering, he said, “You’re also versed in the Three Souls and Seven Spirits.”

Saint Watson shrugged his shoulders and tapped his head, “I don’t know, if you’re referring to this here.”

Li Yan sincerely admired, “You really are a treasure trove.”

“The feeling’s mutual.”

Li Yan stood up, and not far out at sea, several returning boats had lights shining on their sails. The dark-skinned boatmen’s daughters curiously gazed towards the shore bonfire. These fishermen, who depended on the sea for their livelihood and spent most of their lives on the water, rarely came ashore for anything but essentials and almost never saw outsiders, making them particularly curious about Li Yan on the shore.

Suddenly, the sound of gongs boomed, and a patrolling government boat cut through the waves toward them. The boatmen hurriedly pulled their daughters into the cabin and took up their oars, heading out to sea. The officials, wearing warm hats with dark brims, shouted from the bow, “The Governor has long ordered no boats to leave the shore; those up ahead must be the remnants of the Red Flag, shoot arrows! Shoot arrows!”

Li Yan let out a soft breath, the surface of the sea wrinkled, causing the government boat to lurch, sending a few scattered arrows haphazardly into the water, while the boat, aided by a strange wave, disappeared from view in no time.

Just then, Earth Endurance suddenly transmitted a message: Your communication has been restored!