Sail Shadows in the Sea of ​​Fog

Chapter 132 Former Warden

Starting from Dragonfish Island, the Valkyrie has been meandering northward on its way out of the Sea of ​​Despair.

Finally, when they finally left the Sea of ​​Despair and could see fleets of ships or lone ocean-going vessels in the distance, the nighttime temperature had dropped to the point where the boilers in the lower decks needed to be turned up to provide heating for the entire ship.

"Captain, another ship has taken refuge in our fog."

The Silver Queen, who was in charge of steering the ship, said with a hint of helplessness, "Just like last time, the time before that, and the time before that, it's all to avoid the ghost ship that was plundering us."

"Leave the sea fog to them."

Cheng Lang, who was learning whip techniques from the magic mirror on the deck, made the same decision again with a hint of helplessness. He also manipulated the ship's center to summon the giant jellyfish that enveloped the ship, completely concealing its presence.

Meanwhile, the Thorn accelerated away, enveloped in an even smaller cloud of sea fog, and eventually hid in the sea fog that had risen earlier in the distance.

Although the Thorn has now been fitted with seven pairs of dragonfly fins, it is still too fragile at present.

Moreover, those ghost ships offer absolutely no profit; ordinary ships simply cannot defeat them, and even if they could, they could not sink them. They could only watch helplessly as the ghost ships sank underwater and escaped.

The Valkyrie was capable of fighting them. Along the way, they had also seen some heavily armed pirate ships that had used hunting and excessive deep-sea gunpowder barrels to dismantle those ghost ships, leaving only the ship's core.

Without exception, the cores of these ghost ships all eventually exploded violently, and the captains of the ghost ships all turned into berserk, vengeful undead.

As for the profits
There were profits to be made, but it was undoubtedly much more troublesome than previous looting, requiring a large number of sailors to conduct a thorough salvage operation.

Obviously, this salvage operation could only yield a small amount of gold coins; the cargo and any possible armor were all destroyed in the explosion.

The battles didn't just happen between ghost ships and non-ghost ships; the two ships also witnessed battles between ghost ships along the way.

This was no different from before; the only difference was that the undead sailors on both sides would suddenly start hacking at each other, and one of them would fall to the ground and fall fast asleep, while the other would hurriedly cut off the other's head and throw it into the cannon deck to use as a cannonball.

Not only that, in battles between ghost ships, the ship's core doesn't explode; instead, it's dug out by the victor and then eaten.

Everyone knows that the rules of the game in Starsea have changed, and it is very likely that all the ships will become ghost ships in the near future.

Alternatively, the ghost ships will eliminate all non-ghost ships and completely dominate the Star Sea, becoming the main force in the open ocean.

By then...
Cheng Lang shook his head. The cost of turning a normal ship into a ghost ship was too bloody, which undoubtedly confirmed the prophecy of Santa Barbara: "Pirates have no intention of plundering, and the people of the continent suffer."

Just as he was lost in thought, the Silver Queen, who was essentially a mist spirit, also left behind the thick sea fog that had moved with the ship. She continued sailing the Valkyrie, its outline now concealed, on the increasingly bustling sea.

"How far are we from Windmill Island?" Cheng Lang asked, putting away his whip.

"It will be soon, at most two more days of sailing," the Magic Mirror, acting as the instructor, replied immediately.

"Gentlemen, something unexpected has happened."

At this moment, the Silver Queen said, "A fleet has appeared. They...they have also entered the mist and are hunting ghost ships!"

"Hunting ghost ships?"

"And the sails bear the insignia of the Royal Borealan Demon Hunters."

The Silver Queen said with a strange expression. As an undead who hardly needed to rest, she had listened to many lessons that the Magic Mirror had specially set up for the Shadow of Mist on the captain's orders along the way, so she could naturally recognize the emblems of various forces.

"The Royal Demon Hunters of Borland? They're hunting ghost ships? What are they hunting ghost ships for?" Cheng Lang asked this series of questions as he strode towards the conference room. "Stop the ship first."

At his command, the nearly transparent sails were rapidly rolled up by the sea vines, and the tassels that served as the anchor were thrown into the sea.

When he, the Magic Mirror, and Yun Ji entered the conference room, the Valkyrie had already stopped, and the situation inside the mist was displayed on the walls of the conference room.

At that moment, outside the fog, six or seven double-decker warships with sails bearing the insignia of the Royal Poiran Demon Hunters surrounded a ghost ship drifting outside the fog, unleashing a barrage of fire.

Without approaching, without boarding, and without any attempt to salvage spoils, these warships charged straight into the fog after destroying the ghost ship.

"Silver Queen, disperse the sea fog and see what they're up to," Cheng Lang said.

Upon hearing this, the Silver Queen simply snapped her fingers, and the sea mist behind her vanished instantly.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room, everyone could clearly see that not far behind them, the four ghost ships that were originally preparing to surround their prey were now busy turning their bows around.

The ship that was about to be surrounded by the ghost ship was also busy clearing away the cannonballs that were frantically gnawing at its hull, while rushing towards the Valkyrie in an attempt to break away from the battle.

"Boom boom boom!"

Amidst the intense cannon fire, the Boran Demon Hunter fleet, which appeared out of nowhere, scattered the four ghost ships. The large-caliber cannons struck the ghost ships with exceptional accuracy, causing violent explosions.

"How did they do that?" Shenba exclaimed in surprise.

"A sufficiently large caliber, and a sufficiently dense barrage of artillery fire."

Yun Ji sighed, "As long as we tear open the ship's hull, as long as we get enough cannonballs to hit the ship's center chamber and tear it open."

"That could detonate the ship's core," Cheng Lang said, uttering the second half of his sentence.

"The sea of ​​stars will become a sea of ​​blood, and the heart of the ship will be riddled with holes." Yun Ji uttered the corresponding words from the prophecy of St. Barbaya.

"Look at that boat!"

Shenba, who had been standing by the French windows, shouted, "There seems to be a dark elf on that ship!"

Before he finished speaking, the image of the ship appeared on the wall. In the chaos, an elven couple who looked to be in their thirties were holding the captain and first mate hostage with daggers.

Behind the two of them, a black-haired boy who looked about the same size as Wuying was about to hide in an oak barrel.

"That Boran Demon Hunter fleet...could it be heading towards this little boy?" Cheng Lang asked curiously.

"So those ghost ships just now... were they just a coincidence?" Yun Ji asked incredulously.

"Let's take another look," Cheng Lang thought for a moment, then took out the Mask of Hypocrisy and reminded him, "Put the mask on."

Upon hearing this, Yun Ji and her brother, as well as Yun Lan and Ya Fu Suo, who were hiding a few nautical miles away on the Thorn, all took out the masks they carried with them and put them on their faces.

In just a short while, the ghost ships had exploded one after another, and the demon-hunting ships had surrounded the fleeing sailboat.

"Give up the resistance."

On the demon hunter ship, a first mate dressed in the uniform of the Borealan fleet shouted, "Otherwise we will sink this ship."

"captain."

"First"

Before Cheng Lang could finish speaking, a warship had already sailed between the Valkyrie and the sailboat.

Immediately afterwards, the ship raised a yellow flag indicating that it would not participate in the looting, and then sent out a light signal towards the Valkyrie!
"The signal they sent said they meant no harm," Magic Mirror said with a hint of fear. "They also said we could leave, but their leader wanted to talk to us as a dark elf."

"What did you just say?" Cheng Lang exclaimed, "Dark Elf?"

“Their light signals definitely indicated Dark Elves,” Yun Ji added. “They must have already discovered us.”

"Captain, what should we do?" the Magic Mirror asked, its voice trembling.

"sail"

Cheng Lang forced himself to calm down. "Make way, notify the Thorn to leave the battlefield immediately, raise the fog to block the view, and see what they're up to."

Upon hearing this, the Silver Queen, with the help of the Vine Demons, immediately set off in the Valkyrie, which was still in a state of concealment, and at the same time, a thick sea fog rose up.

Before they could even create some distance, the elven couple and the young dark elf on the surrounded sailboat gave up resistance, allowing the Boran soldiers who had boarded to tie them up tightly and take them back to the flagship.

At the same time, the demon hunters broke free of the encirclement as promised, letting the ship disappear in a panic.

But what happened next left Cheng Lang completely bewildered.

Just after the ship sailed away, on the flagship of the Boran Demon Hunters, the couple and the little dark elf who had been bound like a silkworm were all freed from their restraints.

That wasn't all. Immediately afterwards, all the sailors on the ship took off their masks of hypocrisy!
From the Silver Queen's perspective, at least the sailors on that flagship either had pointed ears that couldn't be hidden by their full head of silver hair, or they had jet-black hair.

They are elves and dark elves!
Cheng Lang and Yun Ji exchanged a glance, then continued to spy on the flagship from the Silver Queen's perspective.

Soon, a person wearing a robe with a wide hood emerged from the stern, embraced the elven couple, and then seemed to say something.

Immediately afterwards, the person in the robe took out a mask of hypocrisy and a cup of Poseidon's blood and handed it to the little black-haired guy!

Until the incredible elven couple, with the still somewhat bewildered little one, entered the cabin led by a sailor, the person who was completely hidden in his robe looked in the direction of the Valkyrie and raised his arm to wave!
Immediately afterward, the man ordered the sailors to lower a small boat, and then rowed alone, slowly making his way towards the Valkyrie.

"Who is this person?" Cheng Lang asked, frowning.

“I can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman,” Yun Ji said, frowning.

“I just tried to sneak into the mirrors on those ships, but I failed,” the Magic Mirror said. “It’s strange, there aren’t any mirrors on those ships at all.”

“Silver Queen, let’s move closer,” Cheng Lang said.

"obey"

The Silver Queen responded and maneuvered the Valkyrie slowly through the thick fog towards the person dressed in robes who was rowing a small boat alone.

At the same time, Cheng Lang, Yun Ji and her brother, and even little Wu Ying all took out their own weapons.

In contrast, Night Demon, who was lying on the piano at the bow of the ship, didn't take the other party seriously at all and was still carefully licking his shiny fur.

Before long, the distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and the person in the robe took a step and jumped onto the deck of the Valkyrie amidst the violent rocking of the small boat.

"I am Yun Hai"

The person who came said in a pleasant, childlike voice, "Thank you for being willing to use fireworks from the wandering circus to find me before."

"You...you're Yun Hai?" Yun Ji looked at the other person in surprise. "Uncle Shenge's..."

"That's right"

Yun Hai said, "Captain Cheng, aren't you going to invite me to sit in the cabin?"

"Let's go to the meeting. Let's go to my office."

As Cheng Lang spoke, he put away his whip, turned around, and walked into the stern tower.

Concealing herself in a robe and wearing a mask and an eye patch, Yun Hai seemed completely unsuspecting as she followed them into the stern tower.

After a moment's hesitation, Yun Ji followed him inside. "Shenba, you stay outside."

"Okay!" Shenba readily agreed without asking any further questions.

The three of them entered Cheng Lang's office. Cheng Lang locked the door, and Yun Hai immediately took off her robe and threw it on the sofa. She also took off her mask and the pink seashell eye patch that covered her left eye.

Are all dark elves this beautiful?

Cheng Lang secretly commented that Yun Hai, who spoke with a baby voice, had a sweet and cute appearance, but was wearing the same sea serpent combat suit as Yun Ji, and the two even had similar body types.

The only difference is that Yunhai has a thick, long braid that almost touches the ground at the end.

This jet-black braid is also woven with various ornaments made of bone, metal and gemstones.

In addition, her eyes were also unusual. The eye that was exposed was normal, but the other eye, which had been covered by a beautiful scale eyepatch, had a blood-red pupil.

Let's get to know each other again.

The sweet-looking girl with a baby voice tore off her leather gloves and held them out to Cheng Lang. "I am Yun Hai, the former warden of Exile Island."

"Former warden? So, you're no longer the warden?"

As Cheng Lang spoke, he gently shook hands with the other person. "I am Cheng Lang, the captain of the Valkyrie."

"I was no longer the warden there shortly after you found me with fireworks."

As Yun Hai spoke, she released Cheng Lang's hand and then gave Yun Ji a warm hug. "Sister Yun Ji, thank you for helping my father find me."

"How did you know I was Yun Ji?"

With a mask of feigned kindness on her face, Yun Ji asked, while simultaneously reaching out to grab Yun Hai's wrist and lifting the sleeve of her combat suit.

Yun Hai did not resist. Instead, in order to let Yun Ji see more clearly, he took the initiative to untie the leather wristbands at his elbows and rolled up his sleeves completely, revealing the beautiful red vine pattern around his wrists.

"You gained the approval and blessing of the Verdant Sacred Tree?" Yun Ji asked, unable to hide her shock. "How...how did you do that?"

Everything has a price, and everything has a cost.

Yun Hai revealed a sweet smile and said in a pleasant baby voice, "Shortly after I was separated from my father, I received the recognition and blessing of the Verdant Sacred Tree."

In the years that followed, serving as warden was the price I had to pay.

Just like when I recently relinquished the warden's position to someone else, that was a price I had to pay.

(End of this chapter)