Chapter 2239 Dried Fish
We are already very close to Madeira, so it wouldn’t make sense for a merchant to not know about Atos Island. Under Jayad’s watchful eye, the ship’s owner cautiously revealed what he knew.
“It is said to be one of the several hidden islands of Madeira, lurking beneath the sea, occupied by a group of otherworldly beings or a cult. They occasionally conduct transactions with outsiders,” the ship’s owner said.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m a bit interested in their local products. Do you have anything of that sort?” Jayad asked with a smile.
“No, I don’t have any on this ship. I usually buy supplies on land and trade with passing vessels. These local products are rarely available, but they are very popular among sailors. Some are said to be priceless,” the ship’s owner replied.
“So, you’re not unwilling to sell, but rather you can’t get the goods, is that right? But you must know what kind of local products they are?” Jayad asked again, casually slipping a gold coin into the ship’s owner’s hand.
The ship’s owner didn’t care about a single gold coin; he usually made a good living. However, thinking of the bizarre individuals he was picking books for inside, he trembled and honestly revealed everything he knew.
“It is said to be dried fish stored in boxes. It’s a local specialty food. After eating it, one can breathe underwater and won’t die even if they fall into the sea. Sailors who encounter shipwrecks can even swim back to shore, so it’s widely circulated among sailors. But…” the ship’s owner hesitated.
“But? Elaborate,” Jayad pressed, feeling one step closer to the secret.
“I knew a friend who ate the dried fish. He said his body mutated and became more adapted to underwater environments. He also started hearing some low, intermittent noises, as if coming from the seabed. After that…” the ship’s owner became increasingly fearful.
“What happened after that?” Jayad continued to ask. So far, it aligned with what he had learned about the Deep Sea Church from the Mannan Church.
“When I saw that friend again later, he didn’t feel like the same person as before. Or rather, the person was still the same person, but he didn’t feel like his former self,” the ship’s owner said incoherently, unsure how to describe it.
“A personality change due to mutation? Perhaps he even went mad?” Jayad finished for him, believing that a ship’s owner who traded at sea wouldn’t be unaware of such things.
“Yes, that’s the feeling. Although he seemed to recognize me, his tone had completely changed, as if other spirits had been stitched together. He seemed to be trying to persuade me at times, and at other times, he would say he heard the ocean’s call. But sometimes he would tell me to leave immediately and not come any closer. I haven’t seen him since then,” the ship’s owner said.
“Do all who eat the dried fish become like him?” Jayad asked again. Mutation is something greatly feared and rejected in human society, let alone madness. For these dried fish to have such severe consequences and still be sought after is bizarre.
“Probably not? I’m not too clear either, as I haven’t met many people who’ve had it. If they all became like him, no one would dare buy those dried fish long ago. However, their bodies would mutate, and their personalities would change subtly. That much is true,” the ship’s owner said.
“I understand. Thank you for the information,” Jayad nodded. Although there wasn’t much new information, the details further corroborated what he had previously learned.
“Young man, take my advice. There are too many terrifying secrets in the ocean, and not all of them can be investigated. Perhaps not knowing and not seeking to understand is the safest approach.”
The ship’s owner saw that Jayad was clearly interested in the dried fish. He himself kept a respectful distance and would never touch them, which is why he didn’t conduct business involving the local products of Atos Island. He also advised Jayad not to delve too deeply and invite danger upon himself.
“I understand. Thank you for your concern,” Jayad said casually. The ship’s owner could see that Jayad wasn’t taking his words to heart at all, or rather, the opposite was true – he had come precisely for those mysterious people from the Deep Sea Church.
But as he thought of the bizarre people in the cabin, it was hard to say who was more terrifying. The ship’s owner suddenly had a bad premonition that something big might happen near Madeira, and he should leave as soon as possible.
Just then, the people from inside emerged. Among them was one person with a stiff expression, holding a book, who said, “I want to buy this one.”
“Ah, yes, no problem. This book is three silver coins,” the ship’s owner quickly replied. He didn’t even look at what was written on the cover of the book and gave a rock-bottom price. He just wanted these people to finish their purchases and leave his ship as soon as possible.
“Okay.” The person slowly extended his hand, placed three silver coins into the ship’s owner’s hand, and then turned to leave. Only then did the ship’s owner see the title written on the book cover: “Mysteries of the Serpent God Faith.”
As for the group looking for ruins, they naturally did not find the Carcosa ruins and therefore bought nothing. To avoid embarrassing the ship’s owner, Jayad bought a batch of high-grade steak, roast lamb, and red wine, preventing the ship’s owner from feeling too awkward.
Influenced by me, coupled with the poverty he experienced in his childhood, Older Brother Jayad also has a great fondness for delicious food. Although the Yellow King Sect did not mistreat him as a Divine Envoy, the ascetic lifestyle was also difficult for him to bear. Older Brother Jayad has always been a proponent of indulgence.
After the exploration ship silently sailed away from the merchant ship, the ship’s owner breathed a sigh of relief. He realized he was covered in a cold sweat. He ordered his subordinates, “Let’s leave quickly and return to port. We won’t go near the Madeira Islands for a month. I have a bad feeling that something unfortunate might happen.”
“Boss, you should be more careful,” the Beastmaster sighed. This boss was always like this, always taking risks. He hoped this time would teach him a lesson.
However, the Beastmaster had to admit that this boss had some surprisingly good luck. He often took risky actions but managed to unexpectedly avoid real danger.
For example, this time he had contact with this group of bizarre people, and it seemed he unexpectedly discovered that a conflict might occur, allowing him to avoid it in advance. It was precisely because of this sheer luck that he had followed the ship’s owner smoothly.
For the Yellow King believers, this sea transaction was just a minor interlude. Upon returning to the ship, Jayad looked at the book the Snake People had just bought and asked, “Is this a book about your Father of Serpents?”
“No, it’s a book about the rituals and customs of Xotigr, the Serpent God worshipped by those Lizardmen and Amaz. However, some of our kin have pledged allegiance to Him, so we wanted to buy it for research,” the Snake People said.
The Snake People then turned to Jayad and added, “Although it was somewhat impolite, we overheard your conversation with the merchant just now.”
