Chapter 261: Tangjia Port, An Encounter with the Black-Clothed Dragon Person.
Jie Jie did not immediately follow the Compiler onto the ship. He was currently researching the two ancient Strike Dragon Guns in the underwater ruins.
The platform from which the Strike Dragon Gun was fired had an extremely hard front that could withstand the impact of him being flung by a Great Sea Dragon, but one could find the loading valve at the back, where the structure was weaker and could be opened.
By crushing those broken gears, the Strike Dragon Gun could be dismantled.
Unfortunately, these two ancient Strike Dragon Guns were not sharp, lacked jagged spikes, and were too large to be used as weapons.
Jie Jie closed the loading valve again.
“Click.”
The platform trembled, and the gear mechanism that had been jammed seemed to have loosened, allowing the Strike Dragon Gun to retract back into the platform.
Can it fire again?
Though tempted to play with it, he decided to leave it for someone—or some dragon—with destiny on their side.
Once he finds a human fortress, he’ll try to get a Strike Dragon Gun of suitable size to use as a weapon.
He already had a technique in mind for a diving spear throw, just waiting to find the right Strike Dragon Gun and the appropriate monster to use it on!
Jie Jie began ascending, concealing his light and hiding himself beneath the shadow of the ship.
There were fishing baits hanging near the ship, clearly indicating that someone onboard was fishing.
A fast-moving figure darted towards the bait, catching his eye.
Tuna!
The Abyssal Wave Dragon pounced, intercepting the tuna and taking a big bite out of it.
Although there wasn’t the same seasoning from that night, the tender flesh of the tuna still satisfied Jie Jie greatly.
He started guarding the bait, squatting in wait for bigger fish.
Meanwhile, the village chief, who had been sitting by the boat since noon until evening, was puzzled. After reeling in several times, he saw no big fish. As a sea hunter, he excelled in water combat and swimming.
He shed his coat, grabbed his rod, and dived into the sea to see what was going on.
But Jie Jie had long submerged deep, disappearing without a trace.
“How’s the catch, Village Chief?”
The Compiler stretched on the deck, just in time to see the Village Chief climbing out of the water.
“Hmph, plenty of fish, and they’re all pretty big.”
The fish in the basket looked quite large to the Compiler, but compared to the secret bait the Village Chief usually used, it didn’t seem to live up to expectations.
“Uh, not bad, not bad.”
Covering up, the Village Chief thought it was just bad luck today, deciding to try again tomorrow.
…
“The lighthouse is visible! Tangjia Port is ahead!”
In the distance, atop a massive rock column, a giant bonfire illuminated the night sky, serving as a beacon guiding the ships’ direction.
It was a towering lighthouse carved from a single massive rock.
The sailors cheered for those flames, and by now, Jie Jie had transformed from the Abyssal Wave Dragon into a seagull perched on the mast, also observing those lighthouses.
He quietly descended, eavesdropping on the conversation between the Compiler and the Village Chief.
“No matter how many times you come, those lighthouses always boost the morale of the sailors.”
“Seeing them means the ship will soon dock, and a bustling port lies ahead.”
The Compiler was also in a good mood, as Tangjia Port was also a major Guild base.
“Legend has it that the ancients here repelled a mountain-sized black dragon, and those lighthouses were built to commemorate everything lost in that battle.”
“A mountain-sized black dragon? Impossible. Such legends are outdated even for Tangjia Port.”
The Village Chief shook his head slightly and continued.
“We should rest well tonight; we’ll arrive at Tangjia Port early tomorrow morning.”
The seagull sliced through the night sky, embracing the dawn’s first light.
Jie Jie flew among the ships in the port, finally stopping on the most massive warship, landing on the spear tip of the Strike Dragon Gun mounted at the front of the ship.
This was a large Strike Dragon Ship, part of Tangjia Port’s standing military force.
And the Strike Dragon Gun mounted below this ship perfectly matched Jie Jie’s impression of a modern Strike Dragon Gun.
Its tip resembled a sharp cross arrowhead, with layers of pointed barbs stacked with hooks, appearing far more threatening than the ancient Strike Dragon Gun found underwater.
Yet such a weapon was installed on the ship like a ramming prow.
Who was it meant to pierce?
Sea Dragons? Great Sea Dragons? The former was too small for a large Strike Dragon Gun, while the latter resided in the deep sea and had a gentle temperament.
He left the spear tip of the Strike Dragon Gun, his claws slightly injured by its unyielding edge.
Flying into the sky, the port below bustled with activity, voices clamoring, defensive sails spiraling around horn-like objects, weaving blue and red arches.
He ascended to the fiercely burning lighthouse, gazing at the peaceful azure sea.
“All is tranquil, isn’t it?”
Jie Jie turned his head to see a white-haired Black-Clothed Dragon Person Youth.
He was looking at him, the seagull tilted its head, just an ordinary seagull.
“Hum.”
The Black-Clothed Dragon Person Youth coldly hummed and turned away.
He took with him the vision of a fiery hell reflected in another world, leaving behind only the serene tranquility under Jie Jie’s eyes.
Tempered Black Dragons…
“Phew.”
Only now did Jie Jie exhale, the oppressive aura earlier had made it impossible for him to breathe.
Should he pursue and investigate? Not if he wanted to avoid death.
After confirming that he had disappeared from the energy perception of the Míng Dēng Lóng, Jie Jie flew away from the lighthouse and descended into the crowd below.
Sweat, perfume, spices… all sorts of scents filled the noisy crowd.
Various goods were piled high like mountains, from fish, shrimp, fruits, and vegetables to shiny jewels, from monster materials to forging crystals.
He listened to the noisy chatter for a long time; it had been ages since he’d seen anything so far removed from nature’s wilderness.
The ship from Mojia Village had arrived, leaving the sailors to watch over it while the Village Chief led the Compiler and hunters to report to the Guild at Tangjia Port.
Jie Jie caught up with them, watching as the receptionist, after verifying their identities and records, hastily contacted higher-ups within the Guild.
He observed the Task Board at the Guild, where there were no tasks concerning oceanic monsters harassing the local area. Instead, it mainly dealt with desert-related commissions and some high-difficulty tasks from all over the world that remained unresolved.
Ships from all over the world came here, and hunters could travel the world with these ships.
“Is this little bird also looking to take on a task?”
Apparently captivated by his intense focus, a hunter also checking the Task Board became curious and reached out to grab the seagull.
Jie Jie flapped his wings and dodged, flying to a high spot in the guild hall to observe the hunters below.
The hunters varied in height and build, but most bore the weathered look of years spent in the wild. Some wore standardized equipment, while others had distinctive gear, following certain patterns based on the weight of their weapons.
Hunters using bows and light crossbows mostly wore light armor, while heavy crossbow users leaned toward heavy armor alongside melee hunters. Weapon types also varied depending on individual preferences, often modified to some extent.
Some hunters sported the emblem of the Hunter Guild, others wore the insignia of their own hunting group, and some were even recruiting new members for their teams.
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