Ming East India Company

After complaining enough, Bai Ling began to ask Bai Ye:

"Wild boy, this boat is too slow! I went out to sea with my fourth uncle last time, and I felt like we traveled much faster in a day."

"What route did you take last time?"

"From Yuegang to Haojing".

Shironodo:

"No wonder. We're in the Guihai Sea now, where the current flows from north to south. Going to Ryukyu is like going against the current. Last time you went to Haojing, you went south along this current, which was naturally much faster than this."

"But don't worry, once we get out to sea we'll reach the Kuroshio Current, and then the current will reverse. With the wind at our backs, we'll be much faster." Just then, Shirayuki suddenly heard Master Cheng's voice:

"Use the needle of Yi Chen at the tenth watch. When the chicken coop arrives, cross the river by boat from the north side of the mountain."

Shirono took a deep breath:

"Now, the Kuroshio Current has arrived."

Bai Ling looked up and saw that the originally murky yellow sea had begun to turn azure blue, and even appeared black when viewed from a distance.

Bai Ye stepped out from the stern and encountered Boss Cheng, who was issuing orders:

"Captain Cheng is quite adept at maneuvering the ship!"

"Of course, I, Cheng Lao Er, have been sailing for more than ten years. It took a lot of hard work to develop from a small boat to the fleet we have today."

"Second Master, I've lived in the garrison my whole life, and this is my first time going to sea. Can you tell me, are there really dragons in this sea?"

Have you ever heard of a dragon?

"I heard my second uncle say when he went to sea that there are dragons in the sea, bigger than ships, that can spout water and eat people, they are terrifying."

Cheng Keqin became interested upon hearing this and began to boast:

"This dragon really exists, you guys don't know! I saw it once a few years ago when I went to Japan, and that scene was the first I've ever seen in my life."

There's a huge black fish in the water, about a hundred zhang long... How long is a hundred zhang? Hmm... about ten boats long!

Don't open your mouths wide now, there's more to come.

When the dragon appeared, it sprayed a pipe of water. How high was it? See this mast? It was about three or four stories high! ..."

The crowd was gradually drawn to Cheng Keqin's words, and more and more people gathered around him without him even realizing it.

"When the dragon appeared, a sudden gust of wind came from the sea, making the ship toss and turn. Then I saw this big black loach rise out of the water. Its mouth was bigger than the bow of the ship, and its teeth were thicker than the mast of our ship. There was another ship that went out to sea with us at the time. I think the ship owner's surname was Lu. In the end, it took a bite and broke the whole ship in two."

Half of his body was swallowed whole by the loach, while the other half floated on the surface. The people on the boat jumped into the sea, trying to swim back. I watched with my own eyes as the captain of the boat came towards me, but before he even reached me, a long tongue suddenly leaped out of the sea. The tongue was covered in blood and had barbs, and it instantly grabbed the captain and shoved it into its mouth…”

At this moment, many of the people present were so frightened that their faces turned ashen, some even turned pale, and some even took out incense to pray for Mazu's blessing.

"Hey, Wild Child, is this guy telling the truth?"

Bai Ling, after all, had not received a modern materialist education, and was somewhat suspicious.

Bai Ye frowned. He could sense that what Captain Cheng said was only half true. The so-called dragon he mentioned was most likely a product of the little whiskered whale combining some supernatural tales. As for whether he made up the story himself or heard it from others, that remained unknown.

The details were so rich that even many crew members from the Keqin came to join in the fun, clearly for the first time as well.

"Second Master, how did you escape?" someone in the crowd asked curiously.

"This is the other side. You have no idea how dangerous it was! I could tell that the dragon was determined to go on a killing spree, so I quickly ordered the ship to turn around and try to catch the wind. But the wind was against us. I had no choice but to have the helmsman maneuver the ship left and right to catch the wind."

But that big loach didn't care which way I went; it chased me in a straight line. How could I possibly escape? It caught up and opened its mouth to bite. I directed the boat to dodge and run, but the loach just wouldn't let me go. It chased me for a full half hour.

At that moment, I remembered the wind-summoning technique my master taught me when I went to sea. If I encountered danger, I could change the wind direction by silently reciting two incantations. I returned to the stern, set up an incense table and burner ash, and recited the incantation. The wind immediately changed from headwind to sidewind and then to headwind. At that time, the small boat bounced around incredibly fast...

After Cheng Keqin finished speaking, Bai Ling was a little skeptical. She had followed Bai Wenzheng in business for so many years and had come into contact with countless strange people and events. If he really had such the ability to summon wind and rain, she would have never heard of it.

But at this moment, everyone present was completely captivated by Cheng Keqin's story, and their gazes toward Cheng Keqin became increasingly respectful. Many people who had been lying on their sides or even sitting cross-legged just moments before were now sitting upright, as if the person in front of them was some kind of deity.

Bai Ye also became wary. He wouldn't stop Cheng Keqin from bragging, but he couldn't tolerate him now that he was directly talking about a cult worship.

On this boundless sea, a ship is a small society, and whoever holds absolute leadership is the king. However, Baiye absolutely will not allow such a king to appear on the ship now.

Spreading superstition to rally the lower classes to revolt has been a common tactic in China since ancient times.

Judging from how skillfully Cheng Keqin fabricated stories, he must have done this kind of business quite a few times.

No wonder, those who can make a living as maritime merchants are all quite capable.

"Captain Cheng, this must be Little Liuqiu!"

Bai Ye's cold words shattered Cheng Keqin's immersion in the performance.

Just moments ago, Cheng Keqin was basking in the praise of everyone, but these words immediately brought him back to reality.

"Does Master Bai also recognize this waterway?" A hint of panic appeared on Cheng Keqin's face.

It's important to know that being able to skillfully use a celestial compass to locate a ship is a closely guarded secret among boat captains.

Even Cheng Keqin himself only obtained this secret because his distant uncle had no children, so he was "adopted" as a son and worked hard for many years.

This is also the key to the boat captains' livelihood. Without their guidance at sea, the boats would just spin in circles. As long as they have their skills, they can save their lives even if a mutiny occurs.

That's why, for a captain like Cheng Keqin, there can't be a second person on a ship who can read the celestial compass; if there is, then the person must be up to no good.

Even if they are forced to expand their power, they generally prefer to have their apprentices take other ships rather than stay on the same ship and turn against them.

Now that the Keqin has two people who can navigate the route, this is a major taboo when going to sea.

"Oh! A few years ago I met a master who taught me the art of stargazing. Today I heard Captain Cheng giving orders from somewhere, so I guess we're not far from Xiaoliuqiu."