This scholar is a bit cruel

Chapter 373 Arrival
Ten days later.

After enduring yet another terrible storm, the Red Skull ship finally emerged shakily from the dark world.

The darkness suddenly receded, and light appeared in an instant.

When the long-awaited sun reappeared overhead, and when the dark ocean regained its captivating blue, it was as if the dead world had come back to life.

The gloomy hearts of everyone suddenly brightened.

However, the danger still remains.

In the waters of the Nine Islands Kingdom, besides the dark world, there is also a forbidden world.

The entire sea area here has been sealed off.

There are illusion restrictions, navigation restrictions, extremely violent storm restrictions, and poisonous fog restrictions that spread for thousands of miles.

Fortunately, this wasn't the first time this Red Skull ship had passed through here.

As the captain of this Red Skull ship, Red Bird has fought countless battles here and accumulated a wealth of experience.

Under his personal command, the Red Skull ship turned left and right, safely passing through one obstacle after another.

Suddenly, a poisonous fog, a mixture of green and red, appeared ahead.

The entire sea surface was covered by toxic fog.

It's clearly unlikely that you can rely on directions or take a detour to get across.

Just as everyone was worried, wondering how the large ship would get across, Shui Nan suddenly shouted, "Hold on tight!"

Suddenly, the sails were lowered, and the entire ship was enveloped in a thin curtain of light.

Then, the boat rocked and quickly sank to the bottom of the water, before moving forward from the bottom.

The seawater was blocked from entering by the light curtain.

Standing on the deck, everyone could clearly see everything on the seabed.

The Red Skull ship slowed down on the seabed, moving slowly and ignoring the fish, shrimp, and even a few sea monsters it encountered.

They passed through the toxic fog area without any obstacles.

Seeing this, Wang Qiang and his companions secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, they had obtained the help of this pirate king. If it were any other ship, they would not have been able to cross this poisonous fog area, let alone the dark world they had just passed through.

Ten days later.

On this day, the Red Skull ship had safely passed through the waters of the Nine Islands Kingdom.

The sea ahead was calm and peaceful.

Those nine towering, eerie islands have been left far behind.

Looking out, the mountains on the shore can already be vaguely seen.

Everyone stood on the deck and finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

The right side of the Red Skull ship has a large hole, the stern has been almost completely sheared off, and the bottom of the ship has been urgently repaired several times.

A few days ago, we encountered some sea monsters and managed to escape only after four crew members were killed.

By this time, both the ship and the people were battered and exhausted. If they encountered any more danger, they would probably be lost at sea.

With only the last leg of the journey remaining, Wang Qiangqiang was afraid that something unexpected might happen, so his expression remained serious and he did not let his guard down. He stood by the railing, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Upon seeing this, Shui Nan laughed and said, "It's safe here now. This sea area has nothing to do with the Nine Islands Kingdom, so they can't interfere anymore."

Everyone was puzzled upon hearing this.

Yang Yan asked, "Then which country does this sea area belong to? Is it unclaimed territory?"

"Could they be from the Kingdom of Women?"

"I guessed," said the young Taoist priest.

Shui Nan smiled but did not answer.

Wang Qiangzhuang said with a serious expression, "This sea area should be the sea area of ​​the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. The Kingdom of Nine Islands and the Kingdom of Women do not border each other. There is a vast territory between the two countries. In addition to the continuous mountain ranges, there is a large sea area, which is all the territory of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."

"The land of monsters?"

Everyone looked on in astonishment.

At this moment, Shui Nan also looked at the towering mountains in the distance and said, "Miss Wang is right. This sea area does indeed belong to the territory of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."

Yang Yan quickly asked, "Captain, if we go to the Kingdom of Women, do we have to cross the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons?"

Wang Qiangzhuang nodded and said, "But don't worry, they won't pay any attention to travelers, whether human or monster."

Shui Nan also said, "Even if you enter the territory of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, you may not be able to see their country and its members. There is an array set up in the mountains, and the entire Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons is hidden inside, making it very difficult to see them normally."

Luo Zijun stood by the railing, gazing at the increasingly clear mountain range on the distant shore. Listening to the conversation of the others, she couldn't help but wonder: Where is the young lady now?
These past few days, he has been sending messages to Miss Bai using the bronze mirror.

Unfortunately, there was no response.

"It could also be due to restrictions in the sea area; perhaps the message wasn't sent out..."

He comforted himself in this way.

As evening fell, the Red Skull ship finally docked safely.

The crowd cheered with joy.

"Ah, I woke up and we've arrived."

At that moment, an elderly man with a cane came out of the cabin.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Doctor Sun from the Mirage Island.

Luo Zijun was taken aback for a moment, and was about to greet him when Doctor Sun immediately snorted coldly at him and said with a stern face, "Others call you a miracle doctor and fawn over you, but I won't even give you a second glance!"

After saying that, she glanced at him sideways, then turned and went to the other side of the railing.

Upon seeing this, Shui Wu asked in confusion, "Why is Doctor Sun here too?"

"Hua Liu, what are you still daydreaming about?"

Wang Qiangzhuang called the two away, and the group wanted to go together to thank the captain of the Red Bird, but they were stopped by the two crew members.

"The captain said you should leave quickly, and we should leave here as soon as possible too."

Wang Qiangzhuang had no choice but to have two crew members thank him on his behalf, and then he left the ship with the others without lingering any longer.

As soon as the group stepped ashore, they saw the Red Skull ship begin to turn around, preparing to leave.

Looking at the dilapidated ship turning nimbly on the sea, and thinking about the storms and hardships they had endured along the way, they were all filled with a sense of relief and joy at finally setting foot on the other side of the ocean.

"Daddy!"

Shuiwu stood on the shore, watching the figure on the boat leaning on a cane, her eyes filled with tears.

Shui Nan stood by the railing, simply nodding slightly, without speaking or waving goodbye.

The father and daughter parted ways just like that.

Who knows when or where we'll meet again? Or perhaps, will we even be able to meet again at all?
Is it worth it to throw caution to the wind and give up everything for love?

Wang Qiangzhuang couldn't help but say.

Xu Ziyin scoffed and mocked from the side: "She was clearly deceived by a philandering scumbag, where is the love in that?"

Wang Qiangzhuang shrugged, said nothing more, and walked forward.

Are you a womanizing scumbag?

Shuiwu looked at the boy beside her and asked.

Luo Zijun thought for a moment, then nodded and admitted, "I guess so, probably."

Xu Ziyin, who was walking behind, chuckled.

Shui Wu took Luo Zijun's hand and looked at him tenderly, saying, "It's okay, as long as you don't abandon me, I'll pretend I didn't see anything."

Xu Ziyin's lips twitched, she gagged, and muttered, "Stupid woman."

"what?"

After walking a distance, Wang Qiangzhuang looked back and saw that fog had suddenly risen on the sea, and the Red Skull Ship had disappeared.

When did the fog come on?

The others also turned around and looked on, all of them surprised.

"It's probably a restriction."

Master Wensong guessed.

"Let's go."

Wang Qiangzhuang led the group forward.

"Hey, what is that?"

As Luo Zijun prepared to withdraw her gaze from the misty sea, she suddenly noticed a hazy island appearing in the mist. Then, the island twisted and changed, seemingly transforming into the shape of an animal.

"Hua Liu, what's wrong? What did you see?"

Hearing the sound, the others quickly turned around to look, but saw nothing but the fog from before.

"There……"

Luo Zijun looked closely and said, "It looks like there's a dog."

Lu Yao, who was following at the very back, twitched her lips slightly and looked towards the sea.

"No, it looks like a...fox?"

Luo Zijun corrected.

Everyone else looked puzzled, because they really hadn't seen anything.

"It might be an illusion, let's go."

Wang Qiang urged.

Luo Zijun didn't dare to linger and quickly looked away, following behind.

At this moment, Yang Yan came over and whispered, "Brother Hua, have you noticed that Miss Lu is acting a little strange?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun turned around and glanced behind her, saying, "Something is indeed wrong. Before, on the way, he was all unruly and willful, but now he's quiet and reserved."

Yang Yan said in a low voice, "I didn't see her cry when her senior brother was killed on the ship."

Luo Zijun looked at him intently for a few moments and said, "Brother Yang, why are you suddenly so concerned about her?"

Yang Yan gave an awkward smile, glanced back furtively, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I used to think she was willful and difficult to get along with, so I rarely talked to her. But now... I suddenly realize she's like a completely different person, I..."

"Has it become something that makes Brother Yang's heart flutter?"

Luo Zijun smiled.

Yang Yan scratched his head and admitted in a low voice, "She has indeed changed. Her temperament is different too. And I find it amazing that she... seems to be getting more and more beautiful."

Shui Wu, standing to the side, laughed and said, "If you fall in love with someone, she will always be the most beautiful, and she will only become more and more beautiful."

Luo Zijun encouraged, "Brother Yang, she has just lost a loved one, so this is a good time to comfort and approach her. Go."

Yang Yan glanced back again, then mustered his courage and walked over.

But before he could speak, the girl said coldly, "Get lost."

Yang Yan: "..."

Meanwhile, a month ago...

On the other side of the ocean, in an inn in a coastal town, a young girl sat at a table with a sword on her back and a worried expression, eating steamed buns without any appetite.

At this moment, the shop owner came over and whispered, "Miss Lu, I've heard some news. Someone saw the Red Skull ship at sea. Your friends have probably already left by ship."

The girl gripped the steamed bun in her hand and asked, "When did this happen?"

The shop owner said, "It will probably take three or four days."

"Three or four days..."

The girl seemed somewhat dazed, her expression constantly shifting.

The shop owner looked at her with great suspicion and said, "Didn't I see you two always together? How come... they took you on the boat?"

The girl did not answer; her memories were hazy and confused, and she herself did not understand what had happened.

All she remembered was that day when she was ordered to go out and find out about the pirate king named Red Bird, and then she suddenly fainted.

When she woke up, she had been locked in a cellar.

After an unknown number of days, she tentatively climbed out and suddenly discovered that the wooden planks at the entrance of the cellar were not locked, so she immediately fled.

Then, the captain and her fellow students were never seen again.

"Didn't they look for me after I disappeared? Doesn't my senior brother care whether I live or die?"

"They just left on their own..."

"Sure enough, when faced with self-interest, all sentiment and kinship are meaningless..."

Lu Yao gazed bitterly at the ocean outside the window, her heart filled with resentment and disappointment.

She knew she couldn't cross the sea alone anymore.

So, a day later, she left the inn and embarked on her journey home alone.

"I hope they all drown at sea! Or are killed by sea monsters!"

"Lu Jianchen, I hope you suffer the most terrible death!"

On her way back, she cursed fiercely.

(End of this chapter)