Ling Qingyu reconsidered again and again; but didn’t have the heart to ignore him. She walked over and saw him panting. His hand was holding a wooden rod. Her heart moved. “You were thinking of saving me?”
This person had never rebelled, letting them humiliate at will. But when the three people pounced on her, he grabbed a nearby rod, ready to intervene. Remembering his days at the army that Chen Erhu had mentioned, he glanced at his own body. Although the body was thin, it was lean and powerful, and had obviously been well crafted.
The man’s skin blushed with a layer of red under Ling Qingyu’s glance. He used great effort to retrieve the clothes that had been thrown to the side. Struggling to stand up, he lifted his head that was covered in messy hair, revealing a silver light from his neck.
Ling Qingyu used to help him with his wounds and had seen his body many times before. Yet, she never paid attention to other places. At this moment, she saw the silver light. As she held him steady, she leaned over to look more closely. But, he pushed away her hand and whispered, “Miss, men and women should not be too close.”
Should not be too close! Ling Qingyu laughed in ridicule, “I just saw everything. What is there to be shy about. Don’t move, let me see.”
The man listened to her words and his body stiffened. Ling Qingyu used the chance to move apart his hair. Looking closely, she saw many silver colored spots from the back of his head to his spine.
Ling Qingyu wanted to pull at the spots when a deep, angry voice sounded from behind, “If you pull them out, you will be taking his life.”
Ling Qingyu turned her head and saw Lu Yao standing at the pathway entrance with a darkened face.
Lu Yao draped his clothes over the man and helped him into Ling Qingyu’s room. No matter what, she was still a little girl. To be with a naked man at night, and in a remote corner of the boat, was questionable. She chose not to explain.
“I will leave this to you. I can go squeeze with Shiyi.” Ling Qingyu laughed, turned to leave and closed the room door.
Lu Yao brushed past the man. With a frown, he said, “Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles. Looks like your days are numbered. To think you can still endure. I can remove the needles, but if I make a mistake, you will die. Do you want to remove them?”
“Thank you,” whispered the man as he gripped the blanket tightly.
He is brave, praised Lu Yao in his heart. The Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles are inserted to block one’s vessels. No matter how skilled, the person will become useless. When the person stayed still, the needles would be hidden and not have much effect. But, the moment any strength was exerted, the person would experience unbearable pain. If inner strength is utilized, there would be pain comparable to tendons being pulled out and bones being cut. If inner strength is used to a certain extent, all the vessels would break. Considering the needles were visible, Lu Yao could see that the main had used inner strength. Good thing Yan San acted fast. Otherwise, even if he managed to kill those three, he would still lose his life.
Closing his eyes, Lu Yao circulated his qi. Then, his eyes fiercely opened. With flying hands, he forced out the needle in the back of the man’s head. Within a few short seconds, Lu Yao was covered in sweat. The man was also shivering, with sweat falling like rain.
“Fortunately, the needles were not inserted personally by Soul Chaser. Otherwise, I would not be able to help.” Lu Yao wiped his sweat.
“Thank you!” said the man after his teeth stopped clattering. Then, he fainted.
“Peng, peng peng.” Knocks sounded on the door. At the same time, Ling Qingyu whispered from the other side, “Lu Yao, I brought some hot water.”
Lu Yao covered the man and opened the door. Ling Qingyu stood outside, carrying a pan of water and smiling at him. He suddenly remembered. He had secretly follow Ling Qingyu and Yan San. Because of Yan San blocking his view, he couldn’t see the situation. But, he still heard enough to realize what Chen Erhu and the others were doing. Walking past Ling Qingyu, he said, “Since you have already seen him naked, you take care of the rest.”
—
“What a sin to inflict such a severe injury. I’m afraid he might not recover even with a few months of rest. This boy only circulated his qi slightly. If he really activated it, I’m afraid that his life would have already been lost.” Shi Fang sipped the tea Ling Qingyu handed to him and stretched his neck. He was dragged up by Ling Qingyu in the middle of the night to check on this man. Diagnosing and treating him was tiring work.
“Doctor Shi, you have been treating him for a few days now. Why didn’t I hear you talk about his severe injuries before?” asked Ling Qingyu as she glanced at the covered man on her bed.
“When you told Zheng Xi to bring them over before, I was told to feed them better so they can row on the ship. He never said anything about examining them closely. This man didn’t make any noise and wouldn’t let anyone touch his body. Who would know that he would have so many old wounds.” Shi Fang gave a stare to Ling Qingyu and thought, he wouldn’t let anyone touch him. Only a shameless girl like you would rip his clothes off. It’s not like you discovered anything!
“I saw the others. They didn’t have injuries as severe as his. Why only him?” Ling Qingyu was somewhat puzzled. The reason she went to see his wounds was because he was whipped casually by Zhou Zhou, so she remembered his bloody injury. Later, when she personally distributed food, she discovered that his injuries didn’t heal and paid more attention.
“I heard that they were sent from the Blackwater Gate. There were a couple hundred. But because they were overwhelmed from harsh labor, most had died, leaving these few. This boy was inflicted with the Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles; his inner strength sealed. Using strength would cause him unbearable pain. It was fortunate that he survived for so many days as a laborer. I must say boss, those prisoners are not good. Do you really plan to keep them? What if another dangerous situation occurs?”
“Hmm, our ship still needs people in the end. Besides, we don’t know who is good and who is bad. We can’t act against all of them because of Chen Erhu alone.” Ling Qingyu frowned and clapped. “There is no need to fear. We still have Yan San!”
Shi Fang smiled. She is still a little girl filled with the benevolence of women. That Yan San had his own thoughts. On this ship, everyone, including those little merchants, have their own goals. Only this little boss girl thinks everything is peaceful. If things get worse, it may be better to get off at the next transit point and get out of this murky situation.
“Oh right, the medicine left on the ship is not much anymore. This little brother is full of illnesses and will need quite a bit of medicine. When we stop at Cochin, you should buy more.” Shi Fang put down his tea cup and stood up.
“We are not stopping at Cochin. We will stop by Sanyu for some supplies, then go directly to Borneo,” responded Ling Qingyu.
“Going directly to Borneo?” Shi Fang was shocked and stopped walking. “Are you really intending to help Master Ding find the Golden Feathered King Swallow and Blood Tong Lan?”
“Master Ding’s legs were broken because of the Aeolus. Those two things are not hard to find in Borneo.” Ling Qingyu had gone to Sabah, Malaysia in her previous life. According to Shi Fang, the Golden Feathered King Swallow should be at the Gomantong cave and the Blood Tong Lan can be found on Mount Kinabalu, in an area full of orchids. Also, the Danum Valley in Borneo is rich in Dipterocarpus wood. Since the quality of goods are not top tier, they wouldn’t be able to earn much in a regulated port. It would be better to go directly inland and trade with the locals. There, they can find medicine and Dipterocarpus herbs.
Shi Fang’s face twitched. When Ling Qingyu looked at him with a puzzled look, he said, “You are good to everyone?”
Ling Qingyu looked at him, wondering if he was praising her. If he is, then why in a questioning tone?
“I said,” Shi Fang sat down in front of Ling Qingyu and said, “You treat everyone well. Why not me?”
“How am I not treating you well?”
“I have been on the ship for so many days and have done so many hard jobs. You haven’t even spoken about my pay. Do you intend for me to work for free?”
“What work have you done? How much of the ten barrels of top white liquor is left after you drank them? I told you to cook, but all you make everyday is congee and buns with cabbage fried meat. I told you to treat illnesses, but look at you now. There was a heavily injured person who you didn’t even know about. If it wasn’t for Lu Yao, you would still be unaware of the Soul Chasing Needle! What have you done that is worth labor payments? I have not even asked you for sailing fees and food costs!”
“You, you, you!” The finger Shi Fang pointed at Ling Qingyu trembled.
“But what you said is correct. On a ship, there must be a doctor.” Ling Qingyu laughed. “I had originally planned to give you a hundred silvers of principal and a share of the profits when we get back. But since you want labor fees, then there is no need for me to give you a hundred silvers. Why don’t I pay you a hundred coppers a day?”
“Tsch, what kind of man am I? How can I ask for labor money!” With a wave of his sleeve, Shi Fang stood up. “I, as a person, would never owe anyone favors. These matters are in return for drinking your liquor.” At the door, he continued, “After selling that one hundred silvers of commodities, I get to decide what to buy with the profits. You are just a little girl. What do you know about making money.”
Pu. Watching Shi Fang’s swinging figure, Ling Qingyu couldn’t help but start laughing. Afterwards, she looked at the man on the bed with worry. She whispered, “Since you have taken this bed, where will I sleep? Well, I really shouldn’t be a good person. But, you had the heart to save me, even though you didn’t get to. Ai.”
Looking at the sky outside that gradually brightened, Ling Qingyu thought of what Shi Fang didn’t say out loud. On this ship, other than Zheng Xi who was completely loyal to her, everyone had their own intentions. Can a ship like this really reach land? It can’t continue like this. A captain must have a captain’s prestige.
Ling Qingyu reconsidered again and again; but didn’t have the heart to ignore him. She walked over and saw him panting. His hand was holding a wooden rod. Her heart moved. “You were thinking of saving me?”
This person had never rebelled, letting them humiliate at will. But when the three people pounced on her, he grabbed a nearby rod, ready to intervene. Remembering his days at the army that Chen Erhu had mentioned, he glanced at his own body. Although the body was thin, it was lean and powerful, and had obviously been well crafted.
The man’s skin blushed with a layer of red under Ling Qingyu’s glance. He used great effort to retrieve the clothes that had been thrown to the side. Struggling to stand up, he lifted his head that was covered in messy hair, revealing a silver light from his neck.
Ling Qingyu used to help him with his wounds and had seen his body many times before. Yet, she never paid attention to other places. At this moment, she saw the silver light. As she held him steady, she leaned over to look more closely. But, he pushed away her hand and whispered, “Miss, men and women should not be too close.”
Should not be too close! Ling Qingyu laughed in ridicule, “I just saw everything. What is there to be shy about. Don’t move, let me see.”
The man listened to her words and his body stiffened. Ling Qingyu used the chance to move apart his hair. Looking closely, she saw many silver colored spots from the back of his head to his spine.
Ling Qingyu wanted to pull at the spots when a deep, angry voice sounded from behind, “If you pull them out, you will be taking his life.”
Ling Qingyu turned her head and saw Lu Yao standing at the pathway entrance with a darkened face.
Lu Yao draped his clothes over the man and helped him into Ling Qingyu’s room. No matter what, she was still a little girl. To be with a naked man at night, and in a remote corner of the boat, was questionable. She chose not to explain.
“I will leave this to you. I can go squeeze with Shiyi.” Ling Qingyu laughed, turned to leave and closed the room door.
Lu Yao brushed past the man. With a frown, he said, “Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles. Looks like your days are numbered. To think you can still endure. I can remove the needles, but if I make a mistake, you will die. Do you want to remove them?”
“Thank you,” whispered the man as he gripped the blanket tightly.
He is brave, praised Lu Yao in his heart. The Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles are inserted to block one’s vessels. No matter how skilled, the person will become useless. When the person stayed still, the needles would be hidden and not have much effect. But, the moment any strength was exerted, the person would experience unbearable pain. If inner strength is utilized, there would be pain comparable to tendons being pulled out and bones being cut. If inner strength is used to a certain extent, all the vessels would break. Considering the needles were visible, Lu Yao could see that the main had used inner strength. Good thing Yan San acted fast. Otherwise, even if he managed to kill those three, he would still lose his life.
Closing his eyes, Lu Yao circulated his qi. Then, his eyes fiercely opened. With flying hands, he forced out the needle in the back of the man’s head. Within a few short seconds, Lu Yao was covered in sweat. The man was also shivering, with sweat falling like rain.
“Fortunately, the needles were not inserted personally by Soul Chaser. Otherwise, I would not be able to help.” Lu Yao wiped his sweat.
“Thank you!” said the man after his teeth stopped clattering. Then, he fainted.
“Peng, peng peng.” Knocks sounded on the door. At the same time, Ling Qingyu whispered from the other side, “Lu Yao, I brought some hot water.”
Lu Yao covered the man and opened the door. Ling Qingyu stood outside, carrying a pan of water and smiling at him. He suddenly remembered. He had secretly follow Ling Qingyu and Yan San. Because of Yan San blocking his view, he couldn’t see the situation. But, he still heard enough to realize what Chen Erhu and the others were doing. Walking past Ling Qingyu, he said, “Since you have already seen him naked, you take care of the rest.”
—
“What a sin to inflict such a severe injury. I’m afraid he might not recover even with a few months of rest. This boy only circulated his qi slightly. If he really activated it, I’m afraid that his life would have already been lost.” Shi Fang sipped the tea Ling Qingyu handed to him and stretched his neck. He was dragged up by Ling Qingyu in the middle of the night to check on this man. Diagnosing and treating him was tiring work.
“Doctor Shi, you have been treating him for a few days now. Why didn’t I hear you talk about his severe injuries before?” asked Ling Qingyu as she glanced at the covered man on her bed.
“When you told Zheng Xi to bring them over before, I was told to feed them better so they can row on the ship. He never said anything about examining them closely. This man didn’t make any noise and wouldn’t let anyone touch his body. Who would know that he would have so many old wounds.” Shi Fang gave a stare to Ling Qingyu and thought, he wouldn’t let anyone touch him. Only a shameless girl like you would rip his clothes off. It’s not like you discovered anything!
“I saw the others. They didn’t have injuries as severe as his. Why only him?” Ling Qingyu was somewhat puzzled. The reason she went to see his wounds was because he was whipped casually by Zhou Zhou, so she remembered his bloody injury. Later, when she personally distributed food, she discovered that his injuries didn’t heal and paid more attention.
“I heard that they were sent from the Blackwater Gate. There were a couple hundred. But because they were overwhelmed from harsh labor, most had died, leaving these few. This boy was inflicted with the Soul Chasing Eighteen Needles; his inner strength sealed. Using strength would cause him unbearable pain. It was fortunate that he survived for so many days as a laborer. I must say boss, those prisoners are not good. Do you really plan to keep them? What if another dangerous situation occurs?”
“Hmm, our ship still needs people in the end. Besides, we don’t know who is good and who is bad. We can’t act against all of them because of Chen Erhu alone.” Ling Qingyu frowned and clapped. “There is no need to fear. We still have Yan San!”
Shi Fang smiled. She is still a little girl filled with the benevolence of women. That Yan San had his own thoughts. On this ship, everyone, including those little merchants, have their own goals. Only this little boss girl thinks everything is peaceful. If things get worse, it may be better to get off at the next transit point and get out of this murky situation.
“Oh right, the medicine left on the ship is not much anymore. This little brother is full of illnesses and will need quite a bit of medicine. When we stop at Cochin, you should buy more.” Shi Fang put down his tea cup and stood up.
“We are not stopping at Cochin. We will stop by Sanyu for some supplies, then go directly to Borneo,” responded Ling Qingyu.
“Going directly to Borneo?” Shi Fang was shocked and stopped walking. “Are you really intending to help Master Ding find the Golden Feathered King Swallow and Blood Tong Lan?”
“Master Ding’s legs were broken because of the Aeolus. Those two things are not hard to find in Borneo.” Ling Qingyu had gone to Sabah, Malaysia in her previous life. According to Shi Fang, the Golden Feathered King Swallow should be at the Gomantong cave and the Blood Tong Lan can be found on Mount Kinabalu, in an area full of orchids. Also, the Danum Valley in Borneo is rich in Dipterocarpus wood. Since the quality of goods are not top tier, they wouldn’t be able to earn much in a regulated port. It would be better to go directly inland and trade with the locals. There, they can find medicine and Dipterocarpus herbs.
Shi Fang’s face twitched. When Ling Qingyu looked at him with a puzzled look, he said, “You are good to everyone?”
Ling Qingyu looked at him, wondering if he was praising her. If he is, then why in a questioning tone?
“I said,” Shi Fang sat down in front of Ling Qingyu and said, “You treat everyone well. Why not me?”
“How am I not treating you well?”
“I have been on the ship for so many days and have done so many hard jobs. You haven’t even spoken about my pay. Do you intend for me to work for free?”
“What work have you done? How much of the ten barrels of top white liquor is left after you drank them? I told you to cook, but all you make everyday is congee and buns with cabbage fried meat. I told you to treat illnesses, but look at you now. There was a heavily injured person who you didn’t even know about. If it wasn’t for Lu Yao, you would still be unaware of the Soul Chasing Needle! What have you done that is worth labor payments? I have not even asked you for sailing fees and food costs!”
“You, you, you!” The finger Shi Fang pointed at Ling Qingyu trembled.
“But what you said is correct. On a ship, there must be a doctor.” Ling Qingyu laughed. “I had originally planned to give you a hundred silvers of principal and a share of the profits when we get back. But since you want labor fees, then there is no need for me to give you a hundred silvers. Why don’t I pay you a hundred coppers a day?”
“Tsch, what kind of man am I? How can I ask for labor money!” With a wave of his sleeve, Shi Fang stood up. “I, as a person, would never owe anyone favors. These matters are in return for drinking your liquor.” At the door, he continued, “After selling that one hundred silvers of commodities, I get to decide what to buy with the profits. You are just a little girl. What do you know about making money.”
Pu. Watching Shi Fang’s swinging figure, Ling Qingyu couldn’t help but start laughing. Afterwards, she looked at the man on the bed with worry. She whispered, “Since you have taken this bed, where will I sleep? Well, I really shouldn’t be a good person. But, you had the heart to save me, even though you didn’t get to. Ai.”
Looking at the sky outside that gradually brightened, Ling Qingyu thought of what Shi Fang didn’t say out loud. On this ship, other than Zheng Xi who was completely loyal to her, everyone had their own intentions. Can a ship like this really reach land? It can’t continue like this. A captain must have a captain’s prestige.
