Orden des Roten Lotus

Kapitel 46

“Perhaps it’s a guide, perhaps it’s…” Ming Er’s gaze shifted from the sky back to meet Lan Qi’s emerald eyes, “…a decoy.”

Lan Qi smiled knowingly, "As expected."

Lie Chifeng, standing to the side, frowned and glanced at the two, coldly saying, "You want to play? Don't drag others into it."

"Hehe..." Lan Qi chuckled, "Brother Lie, it's more lively with more people. Besides..." His gaze turned teasingly to Ming Er, "Young Master Ming Er has the magnanimity of an immortal, how could he treat human lives so lightly, right, Young Master Ming Er?"

Ming Er smiled and said, "Seventh Young Master likes to joke, Brother Lie, please don't take it seriously."

Lie Chifeng snorted coldly, glanced at the two of them with utter disdain, turned and walked away, leaving behind the words: "The pot calling the kettle black."

"Hahaha..." Lan Qi laughed heartily, her blue eyes filled with mockery as she looked at Ming Er.

The Ming Dynasty's style remained elegant and understated.

The ship followed the seabirds for half a day. In the distance, a black dot appeared in the vast sea. As it drew closer, it became clear that it was a small island, so tiny that it looked like a tiny dot in the ocean. This excited everyone on board, as it was the first time they had seen a real island at sea since they had been at sea for many days.

"Everyone be careful." Kong's voice rang steadily in everyone's ears.

"Could this be Dongming Island?" some people were already speculating.

"Is Dongming Island really that small?" someone questioned.

"Did we really find Dongming Island so easily?" some people didn't believe it.

As the ship drew closer, the island gradually appeared larger, though it was only a few miles in circumference. Countless large rocks stood on the island, with a small mound in the center covered in greenery and some trees. As they got closer, they could see a person standing on a rock in front of the island. Suddenly, three seabirds in the air flew down and flew straight towards the person. The person raised his arm, and the three birds landed on his arm.

The people on the boat watched, and immediately became wary.

The boat continued forward, slowly approaching the island and the person. It was now clear that the person was a man, his clothes fluttering, exuding an air of profound authority. He stood there quietly, as if waiting for them.

"Looks like he really is the guide," Lan Qi said.

“It’s not as simple as just guiding people.” A hint of seriousness rose between Ming Er’s brows.

The ship continued its journey toward the island, everyone on board on high alert. As they drew closer, until they were only about twenty feet from the island, Ming Er suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, as if something was gently spinning. The once calm sea ahead began to ripple… Suddenly, he remembered a rumor he had heard, and his heart skipped a beat. “Not good!” As he spoke, he swiftly moved to the port side of the ship, turning to see Lan Qi had already leaped to the right. Their eyes met, they nodded, and simultaneously, with a powerful clapping and inhalation, a giant wave surged from the bottom of the ship, lifting it several feet high. The wave then swung the ship several feet away, and with a thud, it crashed heavily onto the sea.

It happened in an instant. Before anyone on the ship could react, the violent tremors sent them all tumbling and sprawling onto the deck.

"Not yet!"

Ming Er and Lan Qi struck out with both palms again, creating another giant wave that lifted the ship high into the air once more, then flung it several meters away before it crashed back into the sea. This time, everyone was dizzy, had ringing ears, and bruises on their faces; many had even fallen into the sea. But Ming Er and Lan Qi couldn't care less about them now, and hurriedly looked towards the other ship.

With a loud bang, another ship landed a meter away, sending towering waves splashing all over their faces and heads, but they felt relieved. They could only be thankful that the ship had Kong, the number one martial artist in the world, whose skill was no less than that of Ming Er and Lan Qi. He acted decisively, following the methods of Ming Er and Lan Qi.

However… a glint flashed in Ming Erkong’s eyes. On the left side of the opposite ship’s deck stood Ming Erkong, but on the right was not Yuwen Lindong as he had initially thought, but Feng Yi! His skill was actually that high… A faint, enigmatic smile appeared on Ming Erkong’s lips. He glanced at Lan Qi, only to see that Lan Qi had already turned away, seemingly focused on the heroes who had fallen into the sea. His expression was unreadable, while Feng Yi… on the opposite side… his gaze was fixed on him.

In the moment between life and death, did your heart flutter?

Ming's smile deepened slightly. Interesting.

Some people on the boat threw down ropes to rescue those who had fallen into the sea, while others were furious, shouting, "What the hell is going on!" After all, many people had been terrified by what they had just experienced, and they needed to vent their frustrations.

But no one paid them any attention; Ming Er, Lan Qi, Kong, and the others were all intently watching the sea ahead.

"It hurts so much!" Yuwen Luo grabbed Ning Lang's arm with his left hand and his elder brother Yuwen ?'s leg with his right hand. At least he wasn't thrown into the sea, but being swung around like that made his whole body hurt.

"Brother, you're hurting my arm." Ning Lang said with a pained expression, one hand still hanging on the railing.

"Oh." Yuwen Luo nodded, but didn't let go of his hand, because his head was still spinning.

Yuwen loosened the whip binding the ship's railing, then shook off his brother's hand, stood up, looked at Feng Yi, gritted his teeth, and tightened his grip on the whip.

"So Brother Feng Yi's martial arts are this good!" Ning Lang stood up and looked at Feng Yi with admiration.

"Hmm." Yuwen Luo also got up. "As expected of Seventh Young Master's twin brother, amazing!"

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... I... I'm sorry... I really didn't mean to... I'm sorry..."

Suddenly, they heard Mei Hongming's urgent apologies. Everyone turned to look, and what they saw was astonishing. Some were gritting their teeth, some were jealous, and some were furious. It was a scene of all sorts of emotions. Even Yuwen Luo's eyes turned red.

Hua Fushu was seen gripping the ship's railing tightly with her hands, her entire body dangling over the outside of the ship. Meanwhile, her slender waist was being held by someone, also dangling over the sea – it was Mei Hongming.

"Why is he so lucky!" Yuwen Luo was so envious he almost vomited blood. Why did he have to hug Ning Lang and his elder brother in the chaos? Why didn't he hug a peerless beauty like Qiu Hengbo or Hua Fushu? Even hugging a beauty like Liu Mo or Rong Yue would have been better!

"...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

Hua Fushu was both embarrassed and angry, her teeth almost grinding to powder, but the man only apologized. She couldn't help but exclaim, "How long are you going to hug me? My arms are about to break!"

"Huh?" Mei Hongming seemed to only realize this now. Startled, he let go of her hand and with a thud, he finally fell into the long-awaited embrace of the sea.

With her burden lifted, Hua Fushu used her strength to flip herself back onto the boat.

"What happened?" Yuwen Lindong, Liu Mo, Rong Yue, Shang Pinghan, Jin Quelou and others, who were also dizzy from the crash, came out of the cabin.

"Miss! Miss!" Liu Mo called out urgently.

"Here she is," a calm voice replied from the mast. Then, a slender figure gracefully descended, her sleeve billowing as a flash of silver light disappeared into it. "Sister Fushu, are you alright?" Qiu Hengbo looked at Hua Fushu with concern, a hint of suppressed amusement on her exquisite face, as if she had witnessed everything that had just happened.

"It's nothing," Hua Fushu said stiffly.

Mei Hongming had been rescued by the crowd. He was soaking wet and was being teased and laughed at. Not only was his handsome face flushed red, but his neck and ears were also red. He stayed far away and didn't dare to look in their direction.

The scene on this ship made the men on the other ship extremely envious.

Ming Er and Lan Qi, unusually, didn't watch the commotion. Instead, they cautiously looked ahead, and Kong's expression was also solemn.

"Look over there," Yuwen suddenly said.

Everyone looked on, and was immediately dumbfounded.

Ten feet ahead of the ship, the once calm sea suddenly churned into a huge whirlpool, engulfing rocks, fish, seaweed, and everything else, like a bottomless black hole swallowing everything on the sea surface!

"Dark Tide!" Yuwen Luo exclaimed in terror.

"I never expected there to be undercurrents here." Even Yuwen Lindong, who had weathered many storms, changed his expression.

Although it was their first encounter, none of them were three-year-olds. They had long heard of the dangers of this undercurrent. No matter how skilled you were in martial arts, once you were caught up in it, there was no chance of survival! Everyone's expression changed drastically as they recalled what had just happened... and they couldn't help but feel a chill of fear! If they had been a moment later, they would have been swallowed by the undercurrent and sunk to the bottom of the sea!

"Get out of here quickly." While everyone was still in a daze, Kong gave the order.

The ship immediately changed direction and quickly sailed away from the dark current.

"It was just bait, after all," Lan Qi said, gazing at the receding dark currents.

"It seems there's more to it than that." Ming Er turned to look in the direction the ship was heading and suddenly sighed.

Lan Qi turned around and saw four large ships approaching from the front of the boat. Many people were standing on the ships, all dressed in dark blue clothes, and it was clear at a glance that they were experts.

"With undercurrents behind and encirclement ahead, this man is quite adept at military strategy," Lan Qi couldn't help but sigh.

At this moment, everyone saw the ship ahead.

“They’ve come with ill intentions, Brother Kong. We should go to the island; the ship is not in our best interest,” Yuwen Lindong said.

"Hmm." Kong nodded.

The boat immediately turned and circled around to the other side of the island, preparing to go ashore. However, before it got close, many people suddenly emerged from the water near the shore, dressed in short clothes and carrying large knives. From a distance, one could feel a murderous intent.

“Leaving no room for maneuver, this person…” Lan Qi’s gaze shifted to the figure standing on the island, a sharp glint flashing in his emerald eyes, “This young master will have to meet him!”

Qiu Hengbo gazed at the dark tide, remaining silent for a long time.

“Sister.” Hua Fushu took her hand from the side.

"Sister, you said my father and your elder brother... they shouldn't..." Qiu Hengbo's throat tightened, and she couldn't continue. Were those three thousand heroes her father led also lured into the undercurrents, like them, and yet they failed to notice, leading to...

"They definitely won't!" Hua Fushu gripped Qiu Hengbo's hand tightly. But deep down, she was also filled with apprehension.

Suddenly, they felt a warmth on their shoulders. Turning around, they saw Kong looking at them kindly. "Now is not the time to be distracted. Only by preserving your lives can you search for them." He pointed ahead, "Today may be a life-or-death struggle."

“We understand, senior.” Qiu Hengbo and Hua Fushu composed themselves.

"Hmm." Kong nodded, took a step forward, and stood at the very front of the ship, facing the wind with composure and dignity. Behind him were many martial arts heroes. At that moment, he truly had the demeanor of a martial arts leader.

Qiu Hengbo led Hua Fushu over, but a glance out of the corner of her eye revealed Yuwen Luo looking around as if searching for something. She couldn't help but ask, "Who are you looking for? Your father and elder brother are ahead." She assumed he was looking for his father and brothers to fight alongside him.

"No." Yuwen Luo turned his head left and right, looking around. "I'm looking for the safest place."

"Huh?" Qiu Hengbo was taken aback, and Hua Fushu was also startled, thinking they had misheard.

Yuwen Luo turned around and smiled at them, revealing his sharp canine teeth, which made him look particularly childish, but he smiled generously, "With my martial arts..." He raised his hand and pointed to the four large ships that were coming, "Those people are obviously very powerful just by looking at their demeanor. If I were to run into any one of them, they would kill me in less than two moves. Of course, I have to hide."

“Brother Yuwen, you actually…” Hua Fushu didn’t know what to say.

“You’re timid and cowardly,” Yuwen Luo said for her, without the slightest embarrassment on his face. “I only have one life. Once I die, it’s gone. Of course, I have to protect it well. Besides, if I die, my parents, my elder brother, Ning Lang, and all my uncles, aunts, cousins, and other relatives will definitely be heartbroken. Even you might shed a few tears. That would be so unfair to you. So, I’m protecting my life for your sake.”

"You..." Qiu Hengbo and Hua Fushu were both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, and their tense minds immediately relaxed.

"To knowingly do something dangerous is not courage, but foolishness." Yuwen Luo was very happy to be talking to the two beauties. He shook his head and said, "I, Yuwen Luo, am a smart and wise future martial arts historian. How could I do such a foolish thing? I must live to be a hundred years old."

“Then you shouldn’t have come,” Qiu Hengbo said.

"How could I not come? Brother Ming and Seventh Young Master are both here, so of course I have to come," Yuwen Luo replied matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Qiu Hengbo blinked her watery eyes. Could it be that this person came along because he admired Ming Er and Lan Qi? "Then go find a place to hide in the cabin."

“No way, if I go into the cabin I won’t be able to see the upcoming martial arts battle! This is something some people never get to see in their entire lives, how can I miss it!” Yuwen Luo shook his head.

“Is that so…” Qiu Hengbo smiled and pointed to the mast. “You can hide up there.”

"That's right!" Yuwen Luo looked up at the mast, clapped his hands, and laughed. "This is really a great place. Why didn't I think of that?" He then walked over there, took a couple of steps, and turned back. "If I can't get down later, remember to tell my older brother and have him come get me. He's good at light footwork." With that, he started climbing straight up the mast. Of course, his third-rate light footwork wasn't enough to fly up, but with some jumping and climbing, he finally made it up. Hiding in the white sail, he could see everything below. It truly was a great place.

The people on the ship were all focused on the ship ahead and did not notice anything amiss.

“What a strange person,” Hua Fushu said.

Qiu Hengbo looked at the small figure on the mast, smiled, and said, "This is a person with an open mind and intelligence."

"Oh?" Hua Fushu was unimpressed. In her mind, a man should be courageous, heroic, and chivalrous; how could he be so cowardly?

"If we survive today, we'll see if this person is truly like that." Qiu Hengbo looked ahead at the bow of the ship. "Now, we should let the people of the Eastern Sea know that the martial arts world of the Imperial Dynasty cannot be bullied."

“Yes.” Hua Fushu smiled.

On the other side of the ship, Ming Er and Lan Qi kept their eyes on the people in the sea near the island.

“They want to trap us in the sea,” Lan Qi said, frowning.

Even Ming Er's usually calm expression turned serious. "We must go to the island."

Both men understood that their enemies were born and raised in the sea and knew everything about it, while many of them were not good swimmers. Fighting them in the sea would be disadvantageous. Furthermore, if the enemies used any means to sabotage their ships, they would perish either at the hands of their enemies or in the vast ocean.

"Brother Lie, let these people witness the divine power of your 'Blazing Sun Divine Blade'!" Lan Qiyu said, pointing at the people in the sea with her jade fan.

Lie Chifeng glanced at the people in the sea, then turned to look at Ming Er and Lan Qi, "Let's compete to see who..."

"No comparison." Lan Qi refused decisively before he could finish speaking. "I mainly want to witness Brother Lie's heroic and domineering spirit of sweeping away millions of people with a single strike. Brother Lie, please don't disappoint me."