Chapter 5: Deep Sea Mystery (3)
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“Swish…”
The tides unceasingly crashed against the sandy shore,
and the salty sea breeze was beginning to feel like cold knives, cutting mercilessly across their skin.
Unnamed seabirds soared and dipped at the horizon, occasionally emitting sharp, shrill cries.
The three stood in a T-shape on the beach, bracing themselves against the biting wind, temporarily falling silent.
Seeing Lin Nan fall deep into thought mid-sentence, Luo Ying restrained herself as much as she could, eventually deciding not to interrupt him.
After all, thus far, every analysis provided by the spirit had been reasonable and logical. Whether in terms of mental realm or insight and intelligence, it had greatly surpassed her and Fatty.
As a result, she found herself unable to make any autonomous decisions without his approval.
Of course, she could simply disregard all this and follow her whims completely.
But that would go against the good conduct she had cultivated over years.
She was fond of drinking, no doubt, but she never succumbed to drunken frenzies or used her status as Master Sister to oppress others. She abided by her own set of principles in life.
One of the most crucial points in her code was acknowledging one’s shortcomings. If someone couldn’t even do that, they would be nothing more than a complete fool.
Luo Ying had her considerations, too.
Lin Nan’s complete dedication without the slightest regard for the supposed three-day bet was quite unusual.
If he were petty, he could have easily refrained from offering any advice and let Luo Ying lead them on a wild goose chase across the map, waiting out the three days before stepping in to resolve the situation.
However, he didn’t. Instead, he threw himself into the task wholeheartedly and without reservation.
The principle of reciprocity kicked in for Luo Ying who, having recognized this, naturally gave Lin Nan her full support.
She had even prepared herself to admit defeat voluntarily, even if they did manage to solve all the puzzles within three days.
…
“Warm Pouch, tell me, how many years have you been on Nightmare Island?”
[“I don’t know, Warm Pouch can’t remember… Anyway, it’s been a very long time.”]
“Huh. Can you recall if there’s anything special around the vicinity of Nightmare Island?”
[“Special places?”]
[“You know, Warm Pouch remembers blowing air towards somewhere daily ever since I gained memory. It is what I’ve always done.”]
“Hmm? Who told you to do that?”
[“Have you forgotten, master? It was you, my lord!”]
Lin Nan, “….”
Was it Frost North Snow back then that instructed you to stay on this island?
Good grief, that’s quite an epic leap!
It made him feel an absurd kind of sensation.
The present me solving puzzles left behind by the past me?
No, no, back then it was Frost North Snow, and now, I’m merely occupying her body.
“Alright, let me quiz you – why did I originally ask you to do this?”
[“Yes, Master said it.”]
[“To ensure this place is completely erased from the Sea Realm so that no one could ever discover it.”]
“So in other words, our dear Warm Pouch has been creating fog around Nightmare Island for years, preventing anyone from getting close to the crucial location—is that right?”
[“Yes. Warm Pouch has always followed Master’s orders. But the male master showed up the other day, and Warm Pouch couldn’t fight him off.”]
“It’s alright, Warm Pouch, you’ve done a great job.”
“Do you recall the exact location of the mysterious place?”
[“Warm Pouch can’t recall specifics, it’s a very broad area. I have to loop around the sea daily, Master didn’t allow me to approach it too closely.”]
…
[“Um, Master, Warm Pouch is suddenly feeling a bit drowsy, I’d like to rest…”]
“Hey, how will you and I stay in touch in the future?”
But after Lin Nan said that, Warm Pouch’s responses abruptly cut off.
Though the Nightmare Beast helped him resolve some of his confusion, it left behind an even larger mystery.
However, one thing was certain: if Frost North Snow from the past considered the mysterious place taboo, it must hold great secrets.
With this discovery, the reason why the Flowerless Palace mobilized all their resources to the Nightmare Island sea area became apparent.
Clearly, they knew more than he did.
From the information Warm Pouch divulged, the mysterious sea area Frost North Snow refrained it from approaching was indeed vast.
Considering Flowerless Palace had sent so many people to the area, there must be some island where they could anchor within that area.
Otherwise, their grand voyage would be without purpose.
Should he go after them?
No, Lin Nan suddenly felt something.
If the secrets of the mysterious sea area were exposed due to the Nightmare Beast’s departure from the Flowerless Palace’s watch,
they would have already conducted preliminary investigations and formulated detailed plans. Otherwise, it would be illogical for them to suddenly gather everyone the day before to head here.
An impromptu voyage would only bring undue losses.
“So… what should we do now?”
Luo Ying could no longer contain herself and prompted Lin Nan.
In her view, every passing minute would leave the Flowerless Palace farther away from them.
Having already gleaned the inside story, Lin Nan no longer worried that the Flowerless Palace would drift too far from Nightmare Island.
He shook his head, “Perhaps, Flowerless Palace has prepared a larger scale operation than what we imagined.”
As Lin Nan finished speaking, a dramatic scene unfolded before them.
The sea facing the west of Nightmare Island began to reveal a multitude of masts of varying heights.
The three of them simultaneously startled.
At a glance, the sheer number of fishing boats visible in the sea seemed to reach a thousand. They stretched endlessly, and the sight was both grand and astonishing.
There were people moving about the ships.
One could even faintly hear the distant sounds of children laughing and bickering.
Fatty was stunned, “What the hell is this? A mass fishing trip?”
Lin Nan frowned; the situation was clearly not right.
Luo Ying, with the sharpest eyesight among the trio, suddenly gasped in disbelief and covered her mouth.
“Isn’t that White Peach?”
“What?” Lin Nan and Fatty were momentarily startled.
Fatty, surprised, asked, “You mean, White Peach is on one of those fishing boats?”
Luo Ying nodded confidently, “She’s standing right there on the first boat, very conspicuous.”
Fatty immediately relaxed and gave a relieved pat on his chest, “Phew, as long as she’s safe, we can take her back to the Heavenly Sword Sect, and the entire matter will be resolved.”
Luo Ying, “…”
Lin Nan, “…”
Fatty, spreading his hands, said, “Isn’t it? I only care about White Peach’s safety. Even if all the other members of the Flowerless Palace d*e, what’s that got to do with us?”
Lin Nan sighed, “She’s still the second palace master of Flowerless Palace. Do you really think she’d abandon everything to leave with you? Have you reached an indispensable position in her heart? It’s vital to have self-awareness.”
Fatty clutched his chest, “Don’t say it, don’t say it! It hurts, it hurts so much…!”
Suddenly, he yanked off his fake hair in one swift motion, revealing a neat buzz cut.
“Today, I’ll meet her as my true self. Whether it ends happily or not, I have to give it a try.”
Luo Ying glanced at Fatty, suppressing a laugh, “Listen, if I didn’t warn you beforehand, if White Peach gets angry, even a hundred of you wouldn’t be enough to match her.”
…
P.S.: To wake up Warm Pouch, votes simply cannot be spared! Come on, votes please!
