"Stop his Death Stride!"
The moment the words fall, a flaming arrow shoots toward him. Hei Yu deflects it with a flick of his blade. Seizing the opening, Chen Mingfu charges at Hei Yu. "I'm your opponent, Black Feather."
A group of sailors armed with Tulwars rushes from the beach, surrounding Hei Yu and plunging into a chaotic melee.
The leading man appears before Tana. "Follow me!"
"But I haven't found out about Hai Feng yet..."
"Later! Now, follow!"
Tana immediately complies, breaking free from the entanglement with Hei Yu.
The sailors who made it back to the ship alive were the lucky ones.
The air carried the briny scent of seaweed. Standing at the stern, watching the receding island, she begins to feel uneasy.
"Don't worry."
Asar hands her a cup of water. Tana drinks it in one gulp and instinctively lets out a sigh of relief.
Staring at the man before her, Tana feels an indescribable emotion.
"You..."
"Yes, I'm back." Asar maintains his smile.
That mysterious smile has always left a deep impression on Tana.
"Ten years. I've been waiting for this moment."
"Why does everyone keep mentioning ten years ago?"
"Because it all started ten years ago."
"Ten years ago...all…"
"Yes."
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ388l36pIhI
Ten years ago, on this very ship...
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MxiJItmJE
"First time on an ocean-going ship?"
Tana says nothing, merely giving a soft smile.
Asar drapes a lightweight blanket over her shoulders. "The wind is strong out here, so you should go inside and rest."
She says: "I want to walk around a bit, and it might help."
The other person's care makes her feel a little awkward. She never thought someone as strong and healthy as her couldn't handle the ship's movement.
"I like this ship, it's never let me down." A hint of sadness flickered in Asar's eyes.
Tana didn't understand why he would say that, but she managed a response anyway. “Oh.”
Asar speaks again: "When you're not used to the waves, the best thing is to go inside the cabin and lie down."
She thinks about it, then accepts the suggestion.
The hallway holds three rooms. Asar leads Tana to the middle one and finds it locked. He takes out a copper key and opens it. "This room stores valuable goods," he explains. "I recently bought a bed, so you can rest here." As he speaks, he lifts the cloth cover to reveal a carved canopy bed.
The bed is made of redwood, its posts adorned with tiny runes that glow faintly when she touches them.
Asar had saiys, "This is healing magic that helps people recover their stamina faster."
The cloth cover falls away, revealing silk sheets dyed the color of the deep sea, embroidered with silver waves that seem to move when she blinks.
"This was for my garden. You are my special guest, so you can use it." Seeing her hesitate, Asar adds, "It is rude to refuse a kind offer."
She cannot say no to such kindness. "Then I thank you for this."
Asar smiles as he removes the lock from the door, explaining, "This was to keep servants from stealing. There's no need for it now." When she steps out, he turns and adds, "If this room doesn't suit you, take the innermost one next door. I'll be waiting." He gives her a mysterious smile.
The Tumat people have good looks and fair skin with a healthy color. This is noticeable in the coastal south. Tana wears men's clothes and looks noble. If someone comes close, they can feel something attractive about her. But because of her clothes and manner, few people dare to approach her. Maybe that is why she has a special charm. It catches Asar's interest and makes him want "He".
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRGsr6GfYg
After Asar leaves, Steward Yan comes to report to Tana that everything has been arranged properly. Still, to be prudent, Tana adds a warning: "Under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to touch those crates."
"I’ll pass the word along right away." Steward Yan responds without hesitation.
"Steward Yan, you’ve had a long and tiring journey—thank you for all your efforts."
"It’s merely my duty," he replies.
Looking at the 58-year-old elder who has fought side by side with her through life and death, Tana’s heart is filled with gratitude.
After watching Steward Yan depart, Tana stays in her room, thinking about life. She thinks about the mountains of her homeland, the forests, and the young horse back home...
She doesn't realize it, but her dizziness is fading. This finding suggests that the bed may possess healing properties. But it also means she soon feels hungry. Sadly, the ship only serves two meals a day, and it isn't mealtime yet.
She thinks: "Never mind, I'll just sleep. In my dreams, there will be tasty roasted deer meat and rich horse milk wine."
The hallway remains empty before the afternoon sun lights it, and then a few crew members begin to pass by now and then.
In her sleep, she hears a knock.
She wakes up suddenly: "Who is it?"
A voice comes from outside: "It's me."
It is Asar's voice.
Tana quickly wipes drool from her mouth and gets up to open the door.
"I have dinner ready on the deck. You are my special guest, so I ask you to eat with me."
Refusing kindness is rude, and Tana can think of no reason to say no. Besides, her stomach is honest. So she follows him to the open eating area on the deck.
The table is set with food. It looks plentiful—fish, seaweed, bread, and many things she has never eaten. The octopus is something she wants to try.
Asar says: "The ship's sailing is handled by my first mate. For later, I will introduce you to him first. Please wait."
He asks a crew member where the first mate is, then comes back and sits. "He is busy. Let's eat first."
Right now, the first mate is stuck in the cargo hold. He rushes to break up the fight. A language barrier has turned a small argument between Tana's porters and the crew into a shouting match. The sounds of snarls and broken words bounce off the wooden crates, blending with the creaks of shifting cargo and the smell of damp grain.
One porter's face flushes as he hurls a wicker basket of potatoes. It smashes into a crewman's skull with a dull thud. Potatoes spill across the floor, rolling and bouncing like scattered marbles. Another sailor draws his tulwar. Its curved blade glints unevenly in the dim light. A porter lunges forward, biting the man's arm hard enough to make the sword clatter to the ground before slamming a fist into the sailor's jaw with a crunch.
In the middle of the scrum, a man slips on a potato. He flails wildly, loses his balance, and crashes into a heavy crate. The crate thuds to the ground with a resounding crash. The lock snaps with a sharp crack. Ship models and scrolls are scattered everywhere, while the imperial court's official seals shine brightly in the dim light.
The first mate steps onto the deck, interrupting the meal. He leans in and whispers something to Asar. At once, Asar’s expression turns grave, a flicker of something unusual darting across his eyes. Deliberately, he averts his gaze from Tana’s eyes. Once the first mate leaves, he smiles and says, “Just a moment.”
After a while, Asar comes back to the table, smiling again.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. Don't let small things ruin our meal."
They keep eating.
Soon, crew members bring six tied-up porters to the deck. These porters are Tana's men.
Tana stands up and demands, "What does this mean?"
Asar still looks calm. "I treat you as a friend, but you betray me and put me in danger."
"I don't know..."
Before she can explain, he raises his index finger and shakes his head at her, telling her to be quiet. He looks very sad.
Asar tells the crew to bring the box to Tana. They open it. Inside are ship plans and models, all with official seals. They are government secrets, clearly stolen.
"I am a merchant who works with the government. Do you know what trouble this will bring me?"
"I didn't..."
Asar raises his index finger again: "It is rude to interrupt."
Tana's party consists of eight people, including six porters. Aside from Steward Yan, the rest are hired locally, with new porters replacing the old ones at each stop—ensuring no one can trace their origins. Asar maintains close commercial ties with the authorities and enjoys exemption from inspections. Utilizing him allows the secret blueprints to be smuggled out of the port without hindrance.
"I once had a brother. He betrayed our family for money. I found him and killed him."
As he says this, Asar makes a gesture. The crew pushes the six porters into the sea. Their screams swallowed by the roar of the waves. Asar’s eyes meet hers, calm as if they’d just discussed the weather. "You would do the same, right?"
The crew then brings the tied Steward Yan to the edge of the deck. At the same time, other crew members pull out Tulwars and point them at Tana to stop her from fighting back.
Asar picks up his wine cup and drinks it all. Then he wipes his mouth with a napkin. "You must be angry, because the person you trusted most betrayed you."
In this situation, Tana has nothing to say.
"Yes, you don't know. All your servants betray you and hide things from you. You feel the whole world is laughing at you. You are angry, confused, heartbroken, lost, and then you will calm down and start thinking, finding a way to fix the problem." He frowns and makes a clicking sound. "If servants make a mistake, they must pay." Then he signals the crew to kill Steward Yan.
Tana speaks at once: "I told him to do it."
Asar hopes she will blame Steward Yan, but she doesn't. This puts him in a tough spot. "I am doing business with you, but you break the rules. Tell me, what should I do?"
"Let my steward go, and we will leave. All my goods are yours."
Asar walks back and forth, thinking for a long time. Then he suddenly pulls out his Tulwar and stabs Steward Yan in the stomach.
Facing this sudden action, Tana can't react in time to save him.
Asar pulls his tulwar from Steward Yan’s stomach, blood dripping down the blade. For a split second, his hand trembles. Then he wipes the blade on his cloak, his smile returning. "Traitors pay," he says, though it sounds like he’s trying to convince himself.
She watches as Steward Yan is pushed into the sea.
"Alright, let's make a deal. You become my servant, and I will let you live."
"Impossible."
"Why won't you beg for mercy?"
Just then, a crew member points into the distance and shouts loudly.
The government's anti-piracy naval pursuit vessel is closing in.
The crew begins to panic. Tana uses the confusion. She pulls the dagger from her waist, pushes away the iron blade in front of her, runs to the edge of the deck, and jumps into the sea.
ns216.73.216.147da2
and then Add to home screen.