novelden Chapter 77 Lin Xuan's Surprise
Chapter 77 Lin Xuan's Surprise
"What? Are you scared?" Su Jin's hands didn't stop; he was still checking whether the sails were fully open and the anchor was stowed.
Seeing Su Jin so calm, Lin Xuan was getting anxious.
"Captain, I know it just rained recently, and there's been fog at sea these past two nights, but we can't guarantee there won't be any sea creatures around!"
A flicker of fear crossed her eyes, and she said in a trembling voice:
"I have seen sea monsters. I was hiding on the mountain when I saw my uncle from the next island being chased by a group of sea monsters and eventually being eaten alive."
"Each of those sea monsters is as big as a small car, and they could bite off a human's leg in one bite..."
As Lin Xuan spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and her shoulders began to tremble involuntarily.
The screams that night, the roars of the sea monsters, and the few scattered, gnawed bones on the beach the next day...
These images flashed repeatedly through her mind, making her stomach churn.
She suddenly looked up at Su Jin, her face drained of color, her eyes filled with pleading and incomprehension.
"Captain... can we wait until dawn to leave? Tonight... tonight is too dangerous! This ship... this ship simply can't hold up, can it?"
She pointed to the ship beneath her feet, her tone filled with distrust.
The ship is not small, but those sea monsters are even bigger!
What difference is there between a wooden plank and a paper one when faced with the sharp claws of a sea monster?
What if we run into them? What if we get surrounded and attacked...?
She dared not think any further.
The slight sense of security that had been built up with Su Jin before now seemed insignificant under the terrifying shadow of the sea monster.
Su Jin had already fully stowed the anchor and was adjusting the angle of the sails.
Hearing Lin Xuan's words, he turned his head and glanced at her.
As dusk fell, his face showed no particular expression; neither the solemnity Lin Xuan had anticipated nor the displeasure of being questioned.
"Wait until tomorrow?" Su Jin's tone was calm, even somewhat matter-of-fact. "Tomorrow has its own things to do. If we don't leave tonight, we'll waste a whole day. As for the sea beasts..."
He chuckled and waved his hand to indicate to Lin Xuan that she didn't need to worry.
"My boat is more powerful than you think, and since I dare to sail at night, I naturally have my own methods."
Seeing that Su Jin remained unmoved, Lin Xuan felt a surge of irritation, but she didn't know what to say.
Because this is not her boat.
As she watched the sun about to set below the horizon, her mind was in turmoil.
Finally, she couldn't resist, clenched her fist, and wanted to try to persuade him one more time:
"But, what if..."
"There's no 'what if'," Su Jin interrupted her, turning his head to face her directly.
A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly:
"Once you're on my ship, the captain's orders are absolute. Even if I told you to bend over right now, you'd do it!"
"Now!"
"Either bend over and take off your pants, or immediately go to the fore cabin and find a large seashell engraved with the number one, and bring it up to me!"
Lin Xuan's face was a mixture of shame and anger; this man's words were far too crude.
She obviously couldn't choose the first option, so that left only the second option...
She paused for a moment, then obediently walked towards the forward cabin.
Su Jin was right. She was just a crew member and all she needed to do was follow the captain's orders.
Without this man, the only difference would have been whether she died sooner or later.
If she dies tonight, it means this man is not a qualified leader, they don't have a bright future, and she made the wrong choice.
With the help of the last rays of sunset before dusk, she found the seashell that Su Jin had mentioned.
As she bent down to pick it up, she smelled a strong, nauseating aroma.
This is fish oil extracted from rock snakes. Back then, only these large spicy strips were used to make the most of it.
Su Jin and the others hardly ate any of this stuff; they mostly used it to make fish oil, so there's still quite a bit left.
By the time Lin Xuan brought the seashells onto the deck, it was already completely dark.
The wind howled, causing the female college student to sneeze.
However, she also saw the sails being billowed and the ship beginning to move at a considerable speed, which gave her a greater sense of reassurance.
Seeing that she had received the item, Su Jin pointed to the guiding starlight behind her:
"See that thing? Pour the fish oil from the shell into it, about... half is enough."
Tonight they just need to go back, and if they want to sleep, they can sleep on land.
A one-way voyage won't consume that much fish oil. It's not cheap, so it's best to use it sparingly.
Lin Xuan nodded, opened the seashell, turned her head away, and, forcing herself to endure the nauseating aroma, poured the fish oil inside.
When she stopped, she was startled to find that the guiding star torch in front of her had spontaneously combusted without a flame, and the yellowish-brown light suddenly spread out.
"what!"
She stumbled back two steps, as if she had tripped over something, and looked like she was about to fall backward.
Su Jin reacted quickly, immediately going to her side, supporting her slender waist with one hand, and closing the seashell with the other.
"Be careful, this contains fish oil from sea monsters. If you get it on you, you won't be able to wash off the smell even if you wash all night."
Lin Xuan, breathing heavily, straightened up and thanked Su Jin with a slightly flushed face:
"Thank you... Captain."
"There's no need to be so serious," Su Jin smiled, cleared his throat, and said.
"My surname is Su, and my given name is Jin. I should be a little older than you. You can call me Brother Su, just like everyone else."
Lin Xuan nodded, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, her voice tightened slightly:
"Yes, thank you, Brother Su."
Su Jin raised an eyebrow and teased him jokingly:
"Does your chemistry department teach how to use a clamp?"
Lin Xuan blushed and whispered:
"These are the courses I chose before, and I've been studying them in my spare time."
Seemingly a little embarrassed, she immediately carried the seashell into the cabin, saying she needed to put her things away properly.
Su Jin didn't pay attention. The ship was now sailing with the wind and no one was controlling the direction. They were about to leave the archipelago area, so they couldn't be careless from now on.
He immediately returned to the ship's wheel, took out the Traveler's Soul scroll, and returned along the original course.
Lin Xuan put her things away and came out. Instead of going into the cabin, she ran towards Su Jin.
After spending time with him, she actually thought the captain was pretty good, just a little lewd, but still quite respectful.
So she started to become bolder.
She approached Su Jin and, upon seeing the Traveler's Soul scroll in his hand, exclaimed in surprise:
Wow, what a detailed nautical chart!
In an instant, she looked at Su Jin with new respect.
The guiding star torch from before, the nautical chart now, the ballista, the sturdy mast, the massive sails...
So their ship is well-equipped; no wonder this man was confident enough to sail at night.
Gradually, most of the unease she had felt disappeared.
The nervous look I had before is gone; now I even boldly look at the night view of the sea around me.
Although she was initially a little scared when she saw the sea monsters churning, after a few more times and the ship wasn't attacked, she gradually became less afraid.
"Ah~ Ahh~"
Just then, a beautiful song entered her ears, making her feel dreamy.
"Brother Su, what a beautiful song! Listen, it's over there..."
Lin Xuan looked to the right side of the ship and walked blankly toward the side of the ship. In the distance was the emerald mist island that Su Jin had always been wary of!