Chapter 149: Section 150: Father and Son
“Nonsense!” Just as Lord Zhenjin was dazed, a scolding voice suddenly came from behind.
The young knight and the big guy both turned their heads to see the old shipwright carrying a small barrel of wine in one hand and a large chunk of roasted meat in the other.
Clearly, the old shipwright was concerned about the big guy and had left the banquet, only to overhear what the big guy had just said.
“Lord Zhenjin, please forgive him. The Big Fool didn’t mean to offend you!” The old shipwright knelt on the ground, his expression anxious.
The big guy looked puzzled. Sёarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lord Zhenjin laughed heartily, “Stand up, I know your son, don’t I? I’ve knocked him out many times. In a sense, what he said isn’t wrong. We are all in the same boat, fallen to this state.”
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The old shipwright felt immensely grateful, “My Lord, your nobility isn’t just in your rank or your bloodline, but in your spirit, your character. You saved us, and the time we have spent with you will surely be a cherished memory for life. Your bravery, tolerance, and wisdom – all these virtues will surely be widely praised in the future.”
Lord Zhenjin nodded; he felt differently about these words now.
He said to the old shipwright, “Don’t overestimate me, shipwright. And don’t underestimate yourself either. Indeed, you are crucial. Without you, how could we possibly make a new ship? Your son has also contributed greatly; without his efforts, we would still be far from completion.”
Hearing this, the big guy immediately showed a happy smile.
His efforts had been recognized.
With the arrival of the shipwright, Lord Zhenjin felt it was time to leave.
The young knight jumped down from the boulder.
“My lord, please allow me to see you off,” the shipwright insisted, placing the items in his hands inside the hut.
Lord Zhenjin, seeing that the old shipwright was still worried, reassured him, “Don’t worry, I won’t hold a grudge against the big guy.”
The old shipwright felt relieved only after Lord Zhenjin’s reassurances.
Nobles and knights take their honor very seriously; most would consider the big guy’s words as an insult to themselves.
“My Lord, you really are different from other dignitaries!” the old shipwright said, full of emotion, sincerely expressing, “Forgive my boldness, but I have never seen the big guy be close to anyone but me.”
“You may not fully grasp how shocked I was to see the big guy sitting shoulder to shoulder with you.”
“Before meeting you, no one had ever treated him as an equal, ever looked at us properly.”
Lord Zhenjin gave a wry smile, “I really am a bit different.”
He patted the old shipwright’s shoulder, “Though you’ve never mentioned it, I can imagine the big guy’s life experiences.”
“He was an abandoned infant on the ship, taken in by you. Born with the Giant Bloodline, he was always subjected to strange looks.”
“His strength grew, his stature enlarged, he even suffered from fits, almost everyone discriminated against him, detested him, guarded against him, insulted him, cursed him.”
“He has very sensitive hearing; he can hear people’s whispers, their curses, their mockery, their hatred towards him.”
“Only you were good to him, giving him a father’s love.”
“That’s why he has always been close to you. From what I’ve seen, he fights for you, even without any martial arts skills, willing to lay down his life to protect you!”
“And you must have sacrificed a lot for him.”
“Seeing him curl up in the hut, seeing him voluntarily avoid others, his fearful demeanor, I know you must have painstakingly taught him how to survive as a ‘monster’ in the human world.”
“You must be very worried, afraid that one day, many people will call him a monster and kill him in the name of justice. You must be heartbroken seeing him bullied by others, yet unable to fight back. Because you’ve taught him never to retaliate, otherwise, the consequences would be severe!”
“So, he doesn’t know martial arts, he’s accustomed to enduring.”
“Is he ugly? No, he just looks different from most people. His heart is much kinder than most.”
“Is he strong? No, who says having great strength and a sturdy physique is strong? Which mighty figure can only defend themselves by crying out in pain and calling for dad? He is actually very vulnerable.”
“Kind, vulnerable… Isn’t it the spirit of a knight to protect and assist such people?”
“My Lord…” the old shipwright’s eyes filled with tears, he was choked up, unable to speak. The praise and affirmations he had heard at the banquet, even if multiplied a hundred, a thousand times, could not compare to Lord Zhenjin’s words.
Because Lord Zhenjin truly understood him!
Understanding this word seems simple, but in reality, it is quite difficult and significant.
“You are a good father,” Zhenjin had dropped these words and walked away directly.
Leaving the old shipwright to stand in place, gazing at Zhenjin’s retreating figure.
The setting sun sunk into the sea, leaving no afterglow.
In the old shipwright’s tear-blurred vision, Zhenjin’s silhouette looked somewhat strange but seemed to radiate… light.
The construction of the new ship was essentially successful, endowing the survivors with the ability to sail. This greatly boosted their morale.
In the days that followed, Zhenjin and the others began preparations for taking the new ship to sea.
If it hadn’t been for the Blue Dog Fox Wolves, setting sail would have been an easy task. But now, with the Demon Beast Army heavily surrounding the small valley, the difficulty of this task exploded by more than a hundredfold.
Someone expressed gratitude that they had followed Zong Ge’s advice to build a spare track.
However, whether this track could be used was still a question.
After all, the island had undergone countless earthquakes, and the spare slideway was buried in the shallow layer of the land to avoid wind and rain.
Even if the slideway were undamaged, the wood planks and other coverings on top of it still needed to be cleared away to activate it.
According to Mu Ban’s estimates, there was a high probability of intermittent minor damage to the slideway, meaning it needed to be repaired in advance to be usable.
The intelligence of the Blue Dog Fox Wolves made repairing the slideway complicated.
If the Blue Dog Fox Wolves became aware of their intentions, the plan to sail the new ship could face stronger obstacles or even ultimately fail.
After a discussion, Zhenjin and his team decided to distract the attention of the Blue Dog Fox Wolves, dig tunnels, and secretly dispatch a repair team to inspect the slideway, seizing every opportunity to make prompt repairs.
To maximize the chance of escape, Zhenjin no longer trained at night. On one hand, he continued harassing the Demon Beast Army to weaken their combat capability as much as possible. On the other hand, he personally surveyed the state of the underground surface slideway.
The survey’s result was not optimistic—the slideway was damaged in many places, with some sections almost reduced to rubble.
The repair work was vast, yet not difficult—the structure of the slideway was quite simple.
During these busy times, Zhenjin received good news.
He visited the cave where the wounded were gathered and saw Bai Ya.
Bai Ya, who had been unconscious for many days, was now awake.
“Lord Zhenjin…” His breath was still very weak, his complexion pale, his cheekbones protruding, and he had lost a lot of weight over those days.
“You’ve made it through again. Heal well. Let me tell you the good news: the new ship is completed and has reached the standards for setting sail,” Zhenjin said with a smile.
He had lost all his memories, but his impressions of Bai Ya were deep and favorable. Since returning from the Volcanic Cave, only Cang Xu, Zi Di, and Bai Ya had been at his side.
Bai Ya nodded, his face showing a hint of guilt, “I have been unconscious for so many days; I have been a burden to everyone.”
Zhenjin shook his head, “This is not a burden. We are companions on the same ship, helping each other, and leaving this place together is our common goal.”
“This is your letter.” Zi Di, standing beside them, returned the previous letter to Bai Ya, “It seems we do not need to deliver it now.”
“Oh, and also, there’s new ink. The bottle of ink you used before has gone bad, but this new bottle I’ve mixed won’t fade.”
Zi Di had also brought Bai Ya a little gift.
Touched and a bit choked up, Bai Ya responded, “It’s so wonderful to have met you all. While I was unconscious, I felt like a lonely soul adrift in an endless darkness. I did not know where to go or where I came from. In a daze, I heard Miss Xi Qiu calling out to me; it must have been love guiding me…”
Bai Ya began to recount his experiences while unconscious.
Since emerging from the Oasis, he had developed a tendency to talk excessively. This near-death experience seemed to have increased his verbosity.
Zhenjin smiled.
He knew how Bai Ya felt, profoundly understanding. For he too had been close to death multiple times.
Being able to speak so much was truly wonderful! That was the feeling of being alive!
Bai Ya’s awakening was like a ray of sunshine warming Zhenjin’s heart.
In the following days, Lord Zhenjin was clear-headed.
Each night after praying to the Holy Emperor, Lord Zhenjin told himself, “Things will get better, everything will improve. I can take Bai Ya, Zi Di, Cang Xu, and the others, and together we will survive and leave this island.”
“Once we reach White Sand City, I’ll forget about the Heart Core and all the Mutations. Maybe I’ll ask a Priest or a doctor to purge the lurking dangers from my body.”
Finally, the repair of the slide rail was completed.
While the higher-ups rejoiced, they were grateful that the difficulty of the repair was much lower than they had anticipated.
What they didn’t know was that the main reason was that whenever the repair team mobilized, Lord Zhenjin would personally take action, harassing the Demon Beast Army alone. To draw as much attention from the Blue Dog Fox Wolves as possible, Lord Zhenjin risked his life numerous times, charging into enemy lines and eventually retreating with serious injuries.
During these days, the shipwrights, Mu Ban, and others were also busy.
Previously, the new ship was only basically completed, and there were many follow-up tasks.
Now, the new ship had wooden strips strengthening the structure on both sides of its hull. The gaps on the hull planks and decks were filled with hemp ropes, then bonded with Zi Di’s potion glue.
The shipwright also taught some people a small craft on how to process wood into qualified pulleys.
A lot of pulleys were needed for the rigging of the sails.
High-grade pulleys were made of metal and were truly wheels.
However, the new ship used wooden modules, carved into the shape of wheels, then lubricated with oil to make their surfaces smooth.
Most notable was the ship’s bow.
At the very front of the bow, a ram was installed, which was formed by several logs bound together, resembling a knight’s long spear.
The curved surface of the bowsprits was reinforced with many planks, resembling a shield.
A long spear coupled with a shield, and with the momentum of descending the mountain, even a Crocodile Head Hammer Tail Boa in the way could be instantly knocked aside.
The day for the new ship to launch was truly just around the corner.
However, on the evening of that day.
Boom, boom, boom…
The sound of the volcanic eruption seemed to carry all the way here.
People were startled awake and standing on the hillside, they saw the volcano erupting, forming an unprecedented pillar of magma shooting straight into the sky!
Then, the ground shook violently, and rocks rolled down, hitting the protective barriers erected around the new ship.
A historically unprecedented earthquake!
Amidst the terrified gazes of the people, the small valley they had considered home finally could not hold up, and massive cracks appeared on the surface of the mountain.
The cracks cut across the valley, and then the valley devastatingly collapsed!
“Quick, run!”
The crowd was in utter chaos, scrambling wildly. Zong Ge tried to stabilize the situation, but to no avail.
“Protect the ship!” It seemed to be the desperate shout of the shipwright, but no one listened.
When the earthquake occurred, Lord Zhenjin was battling the Demon Beast Army.
When he rushed back to the camp, the small valley looked nothing like he remembered; it was full of debris, broken wood, and human bodies.
“No!” Lord Zhenjin’s face went pale as he dashed deeper into the ruins.
There were aftershocks, maybe even a bigger earthquake imminent, but people in the ruins had already begun self-rescue.
“The ship! We must dig out the ship!”
“Someone come help me move these rocks.”
“It’s over, we’re done for, the ship must be destroyed, we have no hope.”
Voices were clamorous, some people were ashen-faced, desperately digging and moving rocks, while others wailed uncontrollably, emotionally broken.
The new ship, which carried their hope, had a very small chance of survival.
“I always said the small valley was dangerous, a major collapse would be disastrous. You just wouldn’t listen to me!” someone shouted, continuously complaining and blaming others.
Many more were silent.
Others cursed, emotionally charged, “Bullshit! Without the valley, could you have stopped the Demon Beast Army?!”
Lord Zhenjin didn’t stop people from venting; they needed to vent, for only after venting could their emotions calm down.
In fact, Lord Zhenjin needed to vent too.
Looking at the ruins, he felt anger, shock, panic, disappointment, but as a leader, he had to suppress these negative emotions.
He had just taken over command when suddenly a large hand appeared from under the shaking rocks.
“Help, help me…” Then, the voice of Big Guy came from below.
“Son, my son!” The shipwright, who had been frantically searching for Big Guy, immediately rushed over, feverishly moving rocks. “Hold on, hold on!”
The old shipwright kept calling out.
Lord Zhenjin, Zong Ge, and others all helped, uniting everyone’s strength to quickly move the many rocks.
Big Guy appeared, his legs crushed under a huge rock, severely wounded, certainly with crushed bones.
But Big Guy was still using his hands, using his chest to withstand the rock.
Upon seeing the shipwright again, Big Guy was overjoyed, proudly saying, “Dad, look, I protected the ship!”
The old shipwright’s eyes reddened, staring blankly at Big Guy.
Seeing that Big Guy was alive brought him tremendous joy.
But seeing Big Guy’s injuries, he immediately sank into intense regret and self-blame.
“Dad was wrong, Dad was wrong!” the old shipwright wailed.
When the landslide occurred, in his urgency, he had shouted to protect the ship. Aside from Big Guy, who had done so, no one else had heeded the shipwright’s words, not even himself.
“Dad, don’t cry, the ship is here, the ship is still here.” Big Guy quickly comforted the shipwright, knowing what the ship meant to him.
“Unbelievable, the ship only suffered minor damage!” Mu Ban announced loudly after inspecting.
“Thanks to Big Guy, if this rock had truly struck the ship, the ship would definitely have been destroyed!”
“Big Guy, well done.”
“Thanks to you…”
After understanding the situation, people began to express their gratitude.
Big Guy was somewhat confused; he had never faced such a scene before.
Only the old shipwright got close to Big Guy, looked at the giant rock, looked at Big Guy’s severely deformed legs. “Does it hurt?”
Big Guy nodded, then shook his head, “Dad, don’t cry, Big Guy doesn’t hurt.”
“Get this rock off me!” Zong Ge shouted.
“We can’t move it, it will cause secondary damage to Big Guy’s legs. We need to either smash this rock or corrode it away,” Lord Zhenjin shook his head.
He was about to give an order when he suddenly heard a wolf’s howl.
Awooo —
The howl of the wolf reverberated.
Everyone heard it clearly, their faces instantly changing.
The Demon Beast Army was attacking!