Chapter 198: Sea Chart
Li Wen placed Moria on the bunk in the cabin. The Young Priest’s face looked exceptionally pale under the dim Oil lamp, his blonde hair soaked with cold sweat and clinging to his skin. His breathing was weak and steady, as if he had merely fallen asleep.
“Sure, keep pretending.” Thinking of his previously spirited appearance, Li Wen couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, yet she still reached out to feel his Pulse.
The pulsation from her fingertip was much stronger than expected, indicating no serious issue. She felt a slight relief, then found her own actions inexplicable. This was, after all, the Eldest Son of the Holy See, not someone who would die so easily. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, Moria’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
“If you’re awake, get up yourself.” Li Wen quickly took a step back, her voice cold and stern.
Moria slowly opened his eyes, his light-colored pupils exhibiting a peculiar transparency in the dim light. He pushed himself up, his movements slow but firm. “Thank you for your care, Miss Mephistopheles.”
Li Wen crossed her arms, ignoring him. “I’m just curious how the Eldest Son of the Holy See suddenly gained the power of Glor. Has your Curse been lifted?”
Moria shook his head and took out an Exquisite silver small bottle from his embrace. The bottle contained half a vial of a light golden liquid, which shimmered under the lamplight. “The Holy See’s secret medicine, ‘Breath,’ is usually used in large-scale spiritual bestowal Rituals. However, if taken orally, it can suppress almost any Curse in a short period. He paused, “The price is three days of weakness afterward.”
Li Wen stared at the small bottle, suddenly remembering something. “So you planned to use this move against Joseph from the start?”
“Not entirely.” Moria put the small bottle away. “I originally intended to scare him off using the name of the Holy See. But when he violated the duel rules, I knew only strength could stop him.”
This was not surprising. Anyone with eyes could see that Joseph Vilburad’s mental state was extremely unstable. It was already incredible that he could still maintain Stage Five power without completely losing control.
The sound of hurried footsteps and sailors’ shouts came from outside the cabin. Captain Remington was directing the crew in repairing the damaged vessel. Through the porthole, Li Wen saw Fu Qingyan and her companions also helping to transport supplies.
“Will that ship return?” she asked.
Moria looked out at the dissipating fog. “Not in the short term. Although Joseph escaped, he’s severely injured and needs time to find a new source of power. That evil Statue was also destroyed, so he won’t have a reason to come back.”
Li Wen nodded thoughtfully. She suddenly noticed Moria’s fingers trembling slightly—the after-effects of using the secret medicine were beginning to show.
“You should rest,” Li Wen said calmly. “I’ll go see if there’s anything I can help with outside.”
Moria seemed about to say something but finally nodded slightly. “Be careful. Although Joseph has temporarily left, this Sea area is still not peaceful.”
Li Wen turned towards the cabin door but stopped at the threshold. “Oh, by the way,” she turned back, her face expressionless, “that One Sword was beautiful.”
After speaking, without waiting for Moria’s reaction, she left the Room alone.
*
The deck was filled with the Salty and fishy smell of scorched wood and seawater. Li Wen walked across the slippery deck towards the stern and saw Fu Qingyan directing several classmates in carrying Ropes. She had taken off her jacket, wearing only a simple shirt, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her sun-tanned arms.
“Do you need any help?” After thinking, Li Wen approached and asked.
Fu Qingyan turned her head, her eyes lighting up. “Ah, it’s you.” She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “We’re reinforcing the Ropes for the mainmast, but we have enough Personnel.”
Li Wen nodded, her gaze sweeping over the busy figures. The Players’ movements were noticeably clumsier than ordinary sailors, but everyone was full of spirit. She noticed a tall, thin boy repeatedly stealing glances at Fu Qingyan with undisguised admiration in his eyes.
“Do you know Old Joey?” Li Wen suddenly asked.
Fu Qingyan’s actions paused. “I suppose so.”
“Then do you know how he is now?”
Fu Qingyan’s shoulders slumped slightly, and she said in a lowered voice, “We found him in the lower part of the cabin, but because of excessive blood loss, he’s already… The Captain said they’ll animate his Corpse and sprinkle his ashes into the sea; this is the sailors’ final resting place.”
“I see.”
Li Wen shook her head regretfully. She had originally hoped to learn more about the Twin-tailed Mermaid Statue from Old Joey, preferably why Joseph was so obsessed with getting it back.
Alas, life is unpredictable.
Old Joey was persistent in seeking revenge on the Twin-tailed Mermaid, but in the end, he fell on the path of revenge. However, Moria’s final strike against Joseph also destroyed the Twin-tailed Mermaid Statue, so in a way, didn’t that help him complete his revenge?
Li Wen wasn’t entirely sure.
Speaking of Joseph, she suddenly remembered that the first time she heard that name, wasn’t it from her classmates? They seemed to be discussing Deep Sea ruins at the time, and she was reading nearby, not paying much attention. But thinking about it carefully, that period was precisely the recent past.
Thinking this way, Li Wen became more interested in Fu Qingyan and her companions’ motivations for going out to sea.
“I was recently searching for an underwater ruin, but I didn’t expect to encounter something like this,” Li Wen said casually. She chose not to directly ask Fu Qingyan about their Target, as their wariness would surely have the opposite effect.
With such a vague statement, this intelligent girl would surely understand.
“An underwater ruin?” Fu Qingyan blinked, then showed a subtle smile. “I think I’ve heard of something like that.”
“For example?” Li Wen asked curiously.
“One of my companions has an old Sea Chart. Its previous owner depicted on it: somewhere in the Sea area near Port Beren, an underwater ruin is buried deep.”
Port Beren? Is there any ruin there?
Li Wen recalled for a long time but couldn’t come up with anything. She didn’t know if this so-called underwater ruin had any connection to that Soul Lord.
This could be considered intelligence, which she would note for now.
“Miss Mephistopheles, you are a Transcendent, right?”
Just then, Fu Qingyan suddenly lowered her voice and said softly.
Li Wen nodded slightly, quietly waiting for her to continue.
“Then you must be able to tell that I am an ordinary person,” she continued. “But I actually have a complete Ritual to advance to a Transcendent. I just lack the corresponding Material. I wonder if Miss Mephistopheles could lend us a little help, we would be extremely grateful.”
Li Wen already had a similar idea. “I can handle the matter of the Material, but I need to see that Sea Chart.”
Upon hearing this, Fu Qingyan narrowed her eyes happily and smiled, “No problem at all.”
