Song of Adolescence

Chapter 241 Legends of the Open Sea

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"We’re entering the open sea."

The Manager of Words, Tian Mozhi, spoke in a low voice as he stood on the deck.

The sea was still calm with no sign of anything out of the ordinary, nor did it look any different from the coastal waters they were in before. But, Tian Mozhi's rueful announcement seemed as if they’d crossed some boundary.

Lei Wujie, who was tired from training his sword, sat nearby taking a break and he asked curiously, "Manager Tian, is there any obvious difference between the coastal seas and the open sea?"

"There are government soldiers in the open sea," Tian Mozhi said his words pointedly.

"Government soldiers?" Lei Wujie was puzzled. It’s been many days since they last saw other people. Occasionally, they would notice a few large fishing boats but most of the time, theirs was the only ship as far as the eye could see. Would there be government soldiers in a place like this?

Tian Mozhi raised a hand to point at an isolated island in the distance. "See that. That island is called the Isle of Death. The island is occupied by the most heinous and evil of criminals. They couldn’t be put to death for whatever special reasons so they are locked up on that island. It’s impossible to leave that island by boat, but every month, a government ship will bring fresh water to the island. The soldiers who guard the criminals on the island cannot leave as they like either. So, it’s called the Isle of Death. Every time I see that island, I know we’ve entered the open sea."

"Since they’re afraid of these criminals escaping the island, these criminals must have committed some terrible crime yet they can’t be executed. That makes no sense." Lei Wujie was puzzled.

"Because they are still useful for some reason." Tian Mozhi took out his pipe and began to smoke. The sea was very humid, so smoking could make the whole body feel comfortable for a while. "Some have important knowledge in their heads, some have key information that can be used against another, and some were thrown in there for revenge."

Lei Wujie nodded. "Senior, you’re really knowledgeable. Hey, Senior, there’s a ship in the distance coming closer."

"The open sea hides many amazing secrets, so ordinary fishermen are not allowed to enter. But, government ships and some large merchant ships can still enter. What’s the fuss about seeing another ship," Tian Mozhi said faintly.

Lei Wujie loved listening to stories of the martial world since he was a child. From the top-ranked martial experts on the killers ranking list, to the consummate sword immortals who guard the four corners of the world, and the hidden martial experts of Heavenly Revelations City who could change the dynasty every generation. But, these stories rarely involved the sea. Therefore, the stories Tian Mozhi talked about aroused his curiosity, especially the tone with which he spoke that was full of the vicissitudes of a life that had been tested profoundly, making the stories even more irresistible. Lei Wujie asked again, "So, how many novel and interesting places are there in the open sea? Manager Tian, please tell me all about it."

"Not training your sword anymore?" Tang Lian, who was standing on the highest platform on the ship, leaned over and grinned.

Lei Wujie waved his hand. "I’m tired of training my sword every day. Today, I want to listen to stories."

Tian Mozhi didn't mind. Although the expression on his face remained dismissive, he still started to tell his story. "Three hundred nautical miles to the east, there is a Treasure Island. The island is full of naturally occurring gemstones, all of them natural and of the highest quality. They are rare treasures even if they were put on the market in the Nine Cities of Qingzhou. However, there are many underwater reefs surrounding the island and the government officials guarding it. Even if government officials enter the island, not many are able to come out again. Even if they come out, not many can return to the continent. The human heart is a terrible thing, so now, the government officials only guard the island, but rarely send people to the island."

"This island is suitable for Xiao Se," Lei Wujie murmured.

"Further north, there is Dragon Fire Island, which is a volcanic island. When the volcano erupts, the magma jets are hundreds of zhang high. The lava falls into the sea and mixes with the seawater. The seawater is instantly vaporized, and turns into fog and mist. The entire island becomes surrounded by mists of water so from a distance, it looks awe-inspiring, almost as if it was a place at the boundary of Heaven." A gleam of light flashed in Tian Mozhi's eyes.

Lei Wujie nodded. "If we get the chance, I’d love to see it."

"That won’t be an easy wait. Some volcanoes will not erupt even once in a hundred years. Some volcanoes will erupt two or three times a year, and we can’t predict it. But, we can go east and we can go north, but it’s best not to go south," Tian Mozhi said.

"Why?" Lei Wujie's curiosity rose again.

"It is said that there is a sea monster in the south. The sea monster is called a nine-headed hydra. It is said to have only one body, but nine snake heads. The body is as large as a cedar longboat and with one sweep of its body, it can snap the ship’s mast into two. Although I’ve never seen one, it’s true that few merchant ships which go to the south ever returned." Tian Mozhi inhaled another puff of smoke. "I have a friend who once travelled to the south, but he returned only after one night. He said he didn’t encounter the sea monster, but when night came, he heard the low roar of the sea monster in the distance. The roar was majestic and terrifying, and it scared him so much that he returned immediately. Government ships do not travel to the south either, so merchant ships who don’t have a travel pass will try sneaking into the open sea through the south. Some make it back but they’re like pulling chestnuts out of a fire[1], nine out of ten do not survive. Most of them who make it back sneak back inland and never talk about the southern sea again. So, the southern sea is very mysterious."

"What about the west? What’s the story in the west?" Lei Wujie asked hurriedly.

Tian Mozhi was stunned for a moment, and he glanced at Lei Wujie. The look in his eyes was no different from how he would look at an idiot. He put down his pipe, pointed to the west and said, "Little brother, look to the west."

Lei Wujie turned his head, his expression blank.

"The west is where we came from. There is no sea, only a large continent called Beili! Your hometown!" Tian Mozhi rolled his eyes.

Lei Wujie blushed immediately.

Tian Mozhi sighed and changed back to that serious face again. "But neither the volcanic island nor the sea monster are that terrifying. In the vast and open sea, the most terrifying thing is the human heart."

"Human heart?" Lei Wujie recalled the story Xiao Se told him before about Tian Mozhi, and he couldn't help frowning slightly.

"In the vast and open sea, if the heart of one person on a ship changes, then the entire ship will go down with him," Tian Mozhi murmured.

The ship that Lei Wujie saw earlier was coming closer and closer. Lei Wujie turned his head to look and saw a large flag hoisted on the ship. On the flag was a goshawk with spread wings. Except, the goshawk had no head.

"What a strange flag," Lei Wujie muttered.

However, Tian Mozhi's expression fell immediately. "Bad news."

There was a sharp whistling sound and a feathered arrow burst out of the air, aiming straight for Lei Wujie. That feathered arrow was so powerful that the person who drew the bow must have been incredibly strong. This reminded Lei Wujie of the bandits he encountered once at the border, the "Bow of Wings, Procession of a Hundred Ghosts". But, he was no longer the same as he was in the past. An arrow like that was worth nothing in Lei Wujie's eyes.

Lei Wujie swung his arm and cut down the arrow with one sword. "What is this?"

Tian Mozhi inhaled a cold breath. "Earlier, I forgot to tell you that besides the government soldiers and merchants, there are also pirates on the sea."

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