Chapter 96: Section 97: Pointing Out Bai Ya


    The shipwright slowly opened his eyes, first seeing the broken wooden cabin roof.


    “Dad, you’re awake! You’ve come back to life!” Big Fool shouted loudly.


    Still groggy, the old shipwright was startled by the thunderous voice next to his ear.


    He frowned and scolded loudly, “Shut up, I’m not your dad. I don’t have a foolish son like you!”


    Hearing the commotion, the sailors came into the cabin.


    Hearing the old shipwright’s scolding, someone laughed, “Come on, when we found this abandoned baby, you were the only one who didn’t want to throw him away. You raised him from his diapers. If you’re not his dad, who is?”


    ...


    Another person said, “You were unconscious then, so you didn’t see it. Your foolish son used his own body as a shield to protect you. Otherwise, those bat monkeys would have torn you apart.”


    “Big guy protects Dad! Dad, don’t be afraid.” Big Fool pounded his chest, making a thumping sound.


    The old shipwright looked at Big Fool and snorted coldly, “I am pure-blooded Human Race, at best, I’m your foster father.”


    “Foster father!” the old shipwright repeated.


    His tone was disdainful, but his eyes revealed warmth.


    Seeing Big Fool wrapped in bandages, he showed a look of concern.


    “How are your wounds? Let me see…” the old shipwright beckoned.


    “Don’t bother looking, if you can walk, you should go and pay your respects to Lord Zhenjin right away.”


    “Lord Zhenjin?”


    The sailors then recounted the events to the old shipwright.


    The old shipwright was astonished and realized that had Zong Ge not intercepted the Silver Rhinoceros, he would have been dead.


    He couldn’t help feeling frightened.


    At the same time, he became worried, “This Lord Zhenjin has actually invited Zong Ge and his group into the camp?”


    “He is a Holy Temple Knight, but isn’t he too young?”


    “Well, no matter what, let’s go pay a visit to this important person first.”


    The shipwright, supported by people, walked out of the broken cabin.


    On the campsite, several bonfires were burning simultaneously. Large chunks of lizard meat were roasting over the fire, emitting an increasingly strong aroma.


    There was plenty of clean water available.


    In Zhenjin’s hand, there was even a small bottle of rum, which came from the sailors’ supplies.


    The shipwright met Zhenjin for the first time, immediately placed his hand on his chest, and knelt down to pay his respects.


    “Get up,” Zhenjin seemed pleased, laughing heartily.


    “I will be relying on you a lot in the future, old shipwright. We don’t know how to build ocean vessels,” Zhenjin encouraged.


    The old shipwright stood up but bowed his head even lower, “I will definitely do my utmost!”


    Zhenjin raised his hand, “Go eat and take care of your health.”


    The young knight held the skewered meat in his hand and took the initiative to walk towards Zong Ge.


    Zong Ge and others were gathered on one side, clearly distinct from Lord Zhenjin and his group on the other.


    As soon as Lord Zhenjin stepped forward, he attracted everyone’s attention. Under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes, Lord Zhenjin approached Zong Ge and handed him the grilled meat. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Here, try the taste of lizard meat,” Lord Zhenjin said with a smile, his handsome face glowing dazzlingly under the firelight.


    Zong Ge candidly took the lizard meat, tore off a big bite, chewed a few times, and then swallowed it.


    “So this is the green lizard from the desert that can spray acid liquid?” Zong Ge tasted it and then slightly frowned, “Doesn’t seem very special. Maybe the meat of a silver level green lizard leader would taste better?”


    “I’ve also eaten the meat of a Silver Green Lizard, and it tastes about the same. Zong Ge, if you want to know, I can describe it in detail to you. Actually, exchanging information is beneficial for both of us,” Lord Zhenjin said.


    Sanda stared at Lord Zhenjin with an expressionless face, “Lord Zhenjin’s courageous adventures on the island, showing mercy to the weak, and rescuing the good—it has all been conveyed to us by others.”


    Lord Zhenjin gave a bitter smile, “What hero am I? I did my utmost and only managed to bring out four companions. On this island, my abilities are very limited.”


    “Here,” Zong Ge took a skewer from the campfire and handed it to Lord Zhenjin, “Silver bear meat might taste a bit better. Well… let’s just call it a bear. Even though it’s got a monkey’s tail and a gorilla’s hands.”


    “Monkey-tailed Brown Bear?” Lord Zhenjin thought to himself, his pupils slightly contracting undetectably while his smile remained unchanged as he naturally accepted the bear meat.


    “Oh, right. Here, this is for you. It can heal the wounds on your body. Use it quickly; Miss Zi Di instructed when making it that the potion will expire after one day,” Lord Zhenjin tossed a bottle of potions to Zong Ge.


    Zong Ge subconsciously caught it, and just as he was about to reply, Lord Zhenjin had already turned and left.


    After this exchange, Lord Zhenjin and Zong Ge didn’t speak any further.


    After dinner, Zong Ge and the others left the camp and returned to their temporarily erected tents.


    “Lord, I have brought you another bat monkey,” Bai Ya said as he entered Cang Xu’s tent, holding a dead bat monkey.


    With supplies brought by Xi Suo and others, Cang Xu finally didn’t have to sleep in a hammock. He had his own tent arranged specifically by Lord Zhenjin.


    Inside the tent, besides the ground cover, there was a long wooden table.


    Several lit candles were placed on the table, covered with fresh blood; parts of the bat monkey, such as wings, skull, and eyeballs, were scattered around.


    Cang Xu, still wearing his broken glasses, was prying open the bat monkey’s throat with an iron rod, carefully examining the inside by candlelight.


    “What a tough vocal cord, paired with an extraordinary lung capacity; no wonder it can emit such intense sound waves,” Cang Xu murmured, not taking a glance at Bai Ya but instead instructing, “Put the bat monkey down.”


    Bai Ya did as told and was about to leave when he heard Cang Xu ask, “Was this bat monkey killed by the goblin Sanda?”


    “Yes,” Bai Ya replied, “As per your request, I picked it from the bat monkey’s corpse and also had it confirmed by others.”


    Cang Xu stroked the cut on the bat monkey’s neck, “Clean and sharp, he is skilled with a blade.”


    Bai Ya stood still, his face showing hesitation. He opened his mouth and finally voiced his concerns, “These people are very dangerous. Why is Lord Zhenjin bringing them back to the camp? Shouldn’t we be on guard against them?”


    Cang Xu continued to cut along the bat monkey’s neck, “What do you think, is it easier to keep an eye on them by throwing them into the dense forest, or by keeping them under our watch?”


    Bai Ya was slightly stunned.


    He then asked, “If Lord Zhenjin is on guard against them and even suspects Zong Ge, why doesn’t he just interrogate him directly? Lord, you are a noble Holy Temple Knight; no one would oppose you interrogating a Half-Beast. Lord, you are really too kind.”


    Cang Xu looked up at Bai Ya and then shifted his gaze back to the bat monkey on the table.


    Lowering his head, Cang Xu said, “You must have also heard from others retellings. This Half-Beast Zong Ge… is very strong.”


    Bai Ya immediately retorted, “But he’s injured.”


    Cang Xu nodded slightly and pressed down hard with his hand, finally using the knife to sever the bat monkey’s neck, “He’s injured. But how severe is the injury? Don’t be fooled just because he spit out two big mouthfuls of fresh blood; some of it may have been play-acting.”


    Bai Ya widened his eyes slightly, “Is that really possible?”


    “How could it not be possible? You lack combat experience, young man.” Cang Xu laughed, “And the most crucial point is, Zong Ge saved the old shipwright. Without him, the old shipwright would have died. Because of that, Zong Ge was injured, and our Lord Zhenjin, he would never take advantage of someone’s misfortune or kick someone when they are down.”


    “Lord, sigh…” Bai Ya sighed deeply.


    Cang Xu began to saw at the bat monkey’s skull, “Moreover, at the time, there were members of the Sanda Mercenary Group; those guys are much stronger than sailors. Once a conflict arises, triggering a melee, even if the Lord could defeat Zong Ge, protecting Zi Di, the old shipwright, and others would be difficult. If it drove the opponent to desperation and someone killed the shipwright, then we would lose the ability to build ships, trapping us on this island. Besides, Lord Zi Di was there at the time. Lord Zi Di couldn’t use magic and only had potions for protection. How could the Lord put his fiancée in jeopardy?”


    Bai Ya nodded, “It seems the Lord had thoroughly thought it through.”


    Cang Xu sawed for a long time, but the bat monkey’s skull still held firm against the saw blade.


    He stood up and gestured to Bai Ya, “Come, help me saw this open.”


    Without any delay or hesitation, Bai Ya immediately went to the table and took the saw.


    Using his hand that had fractured and was still healing, he steadied the bat monkey’s head and pulled the saw with all his might with his other arm.


    Cang Xu stood beside, panting, and watching Bai Ya’s efforts, decided to give the young man a few more pointers.


    After all, Bai Ya had saved his life.


    Although Cang Xu had publicly suggested using Bai Ya as food, that was a choice made when food was too scarce, and it was a last resort. In such a situation, Cang Xu was even willing to offer himself as food for Lord Zhenjin.


    Now, Cang Xu’s attitude toward Bai Ya was naturally different.


    Cang Xu said, “What the Lord did, actually has many benefits.”


    “First of all, the Lord retained and is even expanding the possibility of recruiting these people.”


    “They rejected it, didn’t they?” Bai Ya puzzled.


    “Do they really not want to?” Cang Xu laughed, “If you were one of them, would you choose to follow Zong Ge or Lord Zhenjin?”


    “Obviously, Lord Zhenjin,” Bai Ya didn’t hesitate.


    “Yes,” Cang Xu sighed deeply, feeling very emotional, “Mercenaries live in a brutally competitive world, and although the few mercenary groups that stand at the top of the tower do indeed look glorious, Sanda Mercenary Group is not one of them.”


    “Goblin Sanda is only of Black Iron cultivation. His mercenary group is just middle-tier at best.”


    “How many mercenaries really end up with a good fate?”


    “Young people may be naive, but these mercenaries have been mixed in this life for half a lifetime, they have already seen through reality and recognized themselves. What kind of people are they? What bloodline do they have?”


    Cang Xu scoffed, “Following Lord Zhenjin is very tempting for them. Because this could be the chance to change their entire lives! Being favored by such a distinguished figure as Lord Zhenjin, allowing them to follow, is an incredibly rare and precious opportunity! They aren’t ignorant of this.”


    “Then why did they refuse?” Bai Ya asked.


    Cang Xu laughed, “Humans are creatures of conformity; these mercenaries conform to Sanda, and inertia is too strong to change in a short time. Moreover, they met Lord Zhenjin for the first time and didn’t understand his nobility. However, Lord Zi Di has already planted the recruitment seed in their hearts. In the future, when these seeds take root and sprout, and Lord Zhenjin personally makes the offer to recruit them, there is almost no possibility of failure!”


    “Recruiting them is necessary.”


    “This island is very dangerous, as you have also experienced.”


    “Therefore, we must unite anyone who can be united. We must cherish every valuable manpower.”


    “Think about it, perhaps in the future, when the ship is successfully built, we operate the ship but find ourselves caught in a storm. Just because a sailor failed to lower the sails in time, the ship capsizes and we all perish at the bottom of the sea.”


    “Although this assumption is somewhat extreme, who can truly predict the future?”


    “Can you imagine a shipwreck happening?”


    Bai Ya shook his head.


    Cang Xu said, “Recruiting these people, Lord Zhenjin is at a great advantage. Zong Ge is just a Half-Beast, and his identity and bloodline are his biggest flaws. The longer they interact with him, the more naturally attracted to Lord Zhenjin these people will become.”


    “But Zong Ge might be the murderer!” Bai Ya whispered sharply, stopping his saw.


    “Keep going, don’t stop,” Cang Xu immediately reminded.


    “Oh.” Bai Ya quickly went back to sawing the monkey head.


    Watching the young man delve into his work, Cang Xu silently smiled and said, “Do you think Zong Ge is the murderer?”


    “How would I know?” Bai Ya shook his head.


    “Do you think he seems like it?” Cang Xu changed his approach.


    “He’s the most suspicious, isn’t he? Xi Suo said a lot during dinner…” Bai Ya began, but Cang Xu quickly interrupted him.


    “You must think for yourself, Bai Ya. Think carefully about Zong Ge’s behavior before and after. Do you think he is the murderer?” Cang Xu continued to guide Bai Ya.


    This time, Bai Ya thought carefully and said uncertainly, “Zong Ge seems very proud, as if he could not commit an assassination.”


    Cang Xu neither agreed nor disagreed with Bai Ya’s speculation but analyzed Zong Ge’s actions further, “We could say that Zong Ge’s act of rescuing the shipwright was for himself. But Sanda and others did not attack people like Lord Zhenjin and Xi Suo, did they? Given the situation at the time, it was very possible for Zong Ge’s group to kill the Big Fool and forcefully capture the unconscious shipwright. But they certainly did not do so.”


    “Despite his disrespectful attitude towards Lord Zhenjin, which could be said to be offensive, he never made a move but kept communicating with Lord Zhenjin.”


    Bai Ya thought of something and became very angry, “Is that what you call communication? He even dared to ask the Lord to prove his identity with Divine Arts!”


    “Hahaha, I believe that was more of a test rather than Zong Ge being reckless. He wasn’t sure how much power Lord Zhenjin really had. After all, Divine Arts is a power bestowed by the gods, essentially different from Fighting Energy and Magic. Zong Ge was uncertain whether the island could prohibit Divine Arts.”


    Bai Ya’s eyes lit up, “So, Lord Zhenjin actually figured it out. He scolded Zong Ge, causing Zong Ge to be wary of the Lord and more hesitant to act recklessly!”


    “Correct. It’s good you thought of that. Next, let’s talk about Xi Suo,” said Cang Xu.


    “What about Xi Suo? He’s a good man, he’s just the First Officer, but he doesn’t put on airs and is very amiable,” Bai Ya said.


    “Xi Suo is not that simple,” Cang Xu pushed up his glasses, “Think carefully, the Captain is his father. That is to say, Xi Suo is the heir to the Pig Kiss, the private property of the Captain, and will definitely belong to Xi Suo in the future. How do the sailors usually regard Xi Suo? Even if he’s not the young master, he is seen as the future boss. Xi Suo also got supported to be the First Officer, you can know his status aboard the ship.”


    “Following the shipwreck, and the survivors coming ashore, the First Officer had hoarded a lot of food. Did Xi Suo, being the First Officer, know about this?”


    “If I were the First Officer, acting as the leader, the first thing I’d seek would be the support of the sailors. The First Officer holds a special place in the sailors’ hearts; if I, as First Officer, wanted to stabilize people’s hearts for my own image, I would also secretly take care of the First Officer. Therefore, Xi Suo most likely also benefited from the First Officer hoarding food.”


    “However, the First Officer was overthrown by Zong Ge. Zong Ge became the leader, and even if another ship is built, it won’t have anything to do with Xi Suo. What’s more dangerous is that Zong Ge is a powerful man. The longer he holds the leadership position, the greater his influence will grow. At first, the sailors might follow Xi Suo, but over time, they will follow Zong Ge.”


    “Without the ship, and without the sailors’ support, what else could Xi Suo have left?”


    Bai Ya was dumbfounded.


    Cang Xu, stroking his white beard, said, “Let’s look again at the Captain’s wounds.”


    “The Captain’s body, discovered after Zong Ge came into power, coincidentally had a penetrating wound, much like one made by a gun spear. And more coincidentally, Zong Ge carried a pair of Short Spears all day long, which was very eye-catching.”


    Bai Ya involuntarily gaped, his saw once again pausing.