Chapter 174: Song of the Ship
Ji Ma never considered herself very clever, nor did she think that possessing knowledge of Earth’s technology was a significant advantage.
She once wanted to invent a steam engine, but the cylinder was difficult to make, and she couldn’t remember the specific structure of the steam engine. Later, after spending a lot of money, she created a leaky, low-efficiency steam engine, but was too lazy to continue improving it, realizing that it was better to focus on enhancing her own strength rather than spending money and energy on the steam engine.
She once wanted to research gunpowder; at that time, she was the Demon King and had ample energy and time. As a result, she produced a lump of paste which her subordinates praised as an excellent fireproof material for wall coverings.
She once thought of invading another world with culture. Ji Ma was quite familiar with “Journey to the West” and “Water Margin.” After obtaining a transcendent object that could extract past memories, Ji Ma excitedly copied the original text and published it anonymously. However, no one wanted to read a story about a monkey causing havoc in the divine realm, and they were also confused by some invented terms like “Bodhisattva” and “Heaven.”
In the end, her dreams of being a literary plagiarist were thoroughly shattered. Looking back, she realized that due to the different cultural backgrounds of other worlds, literary works from Earth were almost certain to be unwelcome. It was similar to how, on the original Earth, literature from other countries rarely became popular domestically, even when all humans were of the same species.
Ji Ma clearly understood that her only advantage was her mysterious system, but it couldn’t provide any material assistance. Much of the time, she still had to rely on her ordinary intellect.
Not intelligent enough? Just work hard to make up for it.
Thus, for the first lie, Ji Ma planned for nearly three days using the note-taking function of her personal system.
She planned to trick George and spread a rumor, using her ability to make lies true to deceive the Holy See’s good-and-evil discernment system, ultimately leveraging the power of the Holy See for her own profit.
On the fourth day after leaving Shalin City.
The ship had returned to the port of Deep Water City, where George and Ji Ma boarded a special vessel prepared for them by the captain of Deep Water City, sailing directly along the coast to the northern port of the Knight Kingdom of Barto, then traveling overland to White City.
This ship was called the Siren—an unluckily sounding name. To quickly deliver these two esteemed guests to their destination, the cargo hold of the Siren was only half full. One half was filled with spices, silk, and saffron, while the other half contained various food items like chicken, duck, lamb, and light beer.
Typically, to maximize profits, captains would minimize food supplies, as there was no shortage of sailors, and a few days of hunger wouldn’t matter much.
However, the captain of Deep Water City had offered a considerable sum, and considering that one of the distinguished guests was a paladin, he avoided a humanitarian disaster by providing delicious food for the two. He even let them stay in the newly decorated captain’s cabin.
The Siren was quite fast. The captain estimated it would take another seven days to reach a port in the Knight Kingdom of Barto.
On the morning of the fourth day, with seven days still until they reached port.
Ji Ma repeatedly reviewed her plan before she began to execute her scheme.
Dressing in thick white stockings, she put on a black maid’s outfit with a skirt that reached her ankles, draped a shawl over herself to cover her slightly oversized wings and prevent them from getting cold, slipped her small feet into black boots, and walked towards the door.
As soon as she opened the door, a cold wind rushed in, tousling her hair and chilling her ears. Her tail also felt cold, quickly retreating under her skirt to wrap around her calves.
Despite the cold, the sailors were still working hard. A sailor on the lookout tower huddled up, gazing into the distance. With no windbreak at such height, the lookout was much colder than the captain’s cabin, which had a carbon stove for warmth.
Another group of sailors was crouched on the ground, their red frozen hands pressing against a gray wet cloth, scrubbing the deck vigorously. Even watching them made one feel cold.
Ji Ma felt a sense of satisfaction.
Seeing her happiness built upon the suffering of others made Ji Ma unreasonably pleased.
It would have been perfect if the captain’s cabin had a one-way glass wall where she could watch the sailors laboring hard in the biting wind.
What could be better than lounging in a warm bed, cuddling a soft and beautiful maid on either side, while admiring sailors working diligently in the cold through the one-way glass?
As Ji Ma daydreamed, she walked forward. The sailors scrubbing the deck quietly raised their heads to look at her.
As she passed by a sailor who was mopping the floor, he couldn’t help but take a glance at Ji Ma’s profile and accidentally knocked over the bucket next to him. He panicked, his frozen hands unable to catch it in time.
Ji Ma reacted like lightning; she squatted down and steadied the heavy bucket, greeting the grimy-faced sailor with a polite smile:
“Don’t be frightened by me.”
“Ah, oh.. you.. thank you.” The sailor, momentarily at a loss for words, finally produced a complete sentence after a few seconds: “Sorry… sorry.”
“It’s nothing, just be careful next time, and don’t get wet.”
Saying this, Ji Ma stood up and walked away.
Behind her, a low murmur of discussion immediately arose. With sharper hearing than ordinary people, she caught a few words in the cold wind.
“Gentle… kind… miss.”
“She’s as beautiful inside as she is outside.”
“Doesn’t disdain…”
Ha, too simple.
It was merely because she enjoyed the best treatment on the ship as a distinguished guest, vastly elevated above the sailors.
These lower-class people could be easily astonished and at a loss just by receiving a little respect and warmth, leading them to privately lavish praise on her as a kind miss.
As Ji Ma walked, she pondered. She strolled around the ship’s deck, and within these short three minutes, there had been two accidental falls from the mast by sailors, as well as three instances of buckets being knocked over.
Fortunately, the captain had noticed something unusual among the sailors in time when Ji Ma squatted down to steady the third bucket that had been knocked over.
This captain was stout and muscular, with hairy arms and a grim face constantly filled with an anger that seemed to provoke. Striding over with a whip in hand, he shouted at the sailors:
“You bunch of old-timers! Receiving so much money from the nobleman but not working hard, and instead you’re trying to tease Miss Ji Ma! Do you believe I’ll throw you into the sea?”
The sailor who was admiring Ji Ma’s profile immediately shivered and lowered his head, scrubbing the deck more vigorously. The whip of the captain of the Siren was notorious for its sting, and given his temper, it seemed they were about to receive a beating.
The captain of the Siren approached with the whip in hand: “Get up, give me a few lashes!”
At that moment, Ji Ma stood up and turned around, her deer-like golden eyes gazing at the captain of the Siren.
The captain’s furrowed brows instantly relaxed. For a moment, he was afraid of scaring the beautiful girl in front of him and said:
“Miss Ji Ma, the ship has very strict rules; it wouldn’t look good for you to watch. It’s cold outside, so please return to the captain’s cabin.”
Ji Ma glanced at the thick whip in the captain’s hand and said, “In this winter, striking someone could harm their health and lead to illness. The mistake isn’t that serious; it’s better to let it go.”
The captain tucked the whip behind him and said, “Miss Ji Ma, you don’t need to worry. They’re tough; a few hits will hurt, but it won’t be a problem.”
“But I don’t want to see someone severely punished for a small mistake because of me. I know I’m very pretty; they all say succubi are born disasters,” Ji Ma said, “but I don’t want to harm others.”
As she spoke, her transparent eyes sparkled with light, evoking sympathy.
The captain couldn’t help but say, “Unlike the legendary succubi, you are truly a kind person.”
“If this is what kindness is, then I barely qualify as having a bit of it,” Ji Ma said, “Please don’t whip them; this is my selfish wish, as I feel very guilty when I hear the sound of the whip.”
“Alright, we’ll do as you say, kind miss.”
“By the way, please don’t tell Lord George about this; keep it a secret for me.”
“Lord George would be very pleased to hear it.”
“That could cause misunderstandings,” Ji Ma said, “because I am a succubus.”
This voice mixed into the cold winter wind reached everyone’s ears, touching their hearts.
In that sentence, the captain sensed nonexistent grievances and was moved. He perceived Ji Ma as a kind girl persecuted by the world’s prejudices; his gaze softened, and the more he looked at Ji Ma, the more she resembled his underage daughter.
The captain of the Siren nodded and said, “I will definitely do that.”
After speaking, he turned to the sailors and said, “Did you all hear that?”
“Heard it.”
“What did you hear?”
“Definitely won’t tell Lord George!”
Ji Ma secretly mocked this group of mortals and continued to ask, “Where’s George?”
“He’s in the lower hold, preaching with the sailors.”
“Ah? Wasn’t he learning navigation knowledge with the first mate a few days ago?”
“He learns very quickly; he operates while he learns, and now he spends even more time with the sailors.”
Ji Ma wasn’t sure if the captain was flattering her. From what she knew, navigation was a technical skill.
“Then where is he? I’d like to chat with him.”
The captain of the Siren looked a bit troubled and said, “It’s dirty and messy down there; it’s not suitable for you.”
“I think I’d be fine.”
“But it really isn’t suitable for you.”
“I want to go.”
The captain of the Siren extended his sleeves to cover the hair on his arms and said, “Alright then.”
He led Ji Ma down the steps toward the cargo hold.
Below, the light was dim, lit only by a few oil lamps, and a mix of urine, pig dung, and moldy smells assaulted her nostrils.
Ji Ma resisted the impulse to pinch her nose, inhaling several times to adapt to the odors in the hold.
The captain of the Siren cast her an admiring glance.
As they walked inward, they passed a large bunk area where dark and filthy bedding lay on the deck, with several sailors huddled together for warmth.
The corridor echoed with the shouts of sailors.
The captain of the Siren said, “These guys must be gambling again.”
Ahead, a glow attracted their attention, and as they approached, they found a spacious area in the cargo hold where sailors were gathered around, shouting and cheering loudly.
The captain of the Siren pushed through the crowd, and Ji Ma finally saw George.
He was sitting on a bed, the bedding beneath him so dirty that it made Ji Ma uncomfortable all over. George had one arm resting on the table in front of him. Three strong arms, tattooed with anchors, mermaids, and tiger sharks, were clasped tightly around George’s wrist.
George was arm wrestling with the three strongest sailors.
Amidst the sailors’ cheers, the three sailors’ faces turned red, veins popping in their foreheads, their teeth clenched as their muscles bulged.
But George’s arm remained motionless, seemingly stuck in a stalemate.
“George.”
Ji Ma called out.
George exerted force, and all three sailors’ arms fell towards the table. The surrounding sailors let out a chorus of disappointed boos as a pile of copper and silver coins was pushed in front of George.
“Ji Ma? Why did you come down?”
“Is this preaching?” Ji Ma looked towards the captain of the Siren.
The captain said, “I have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Ji Ma looked at George and said, “Wow, the paladin is actually gambling; no wonder I haven’t seen you all day.”
“It’s just entertainment,” George replied, tidying the scattered coins into a neat pile. “Are you hungry?”
“Not at all!”
Hey why are the chapters from between 174 to 185 missing and again from chapters 185 to 195