Chapter 518 The Pursuers!
After Gao Jianfei led his men away from the Viking Kingdom, the time bomb he planted beneath Beckenbauer's palace finally detonated! The powerful explosion shook the entire palace, like an earthquake! Beckenbauer was engaged in intimate acts at the time, and this tremor caused him irreparable damage and regret for the rest of his life. However, these things no longer mattered. When he rushed to the treasure palace, he discovered something extremely bizarre… the 20 polar bears guarding the treasure palace had vanished!
Beckenbauer, cradling his heart in one hand, opened the treasure hall's doors. It was dark, empty, and cold...
“Fire… torches…” Beckenbauer said to his subordinates beside him in a trembling voice that was on the verge of collapse.
The torches quickly and respectfully approached, and the enormous treasure vault gradually came into view in the firelight... Beckenbauer only glanced at it before he was completely stunned!
"Gah..."
His body jerked and he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, his body convulsing involuntarily as if he were having an epileptic seizure.
His men hurriedly helped Beckenbauer up, and then another group of men also glanced into the treasury... and upon seeing it, they also looked in!
The scene was absolutely breathtaking!
The treasure trove, once as large as five professional football fields and brimming with riches, is now completely empty! It seems not even a speck of dust can be found!
That's terrifying!
It's as if countless gold and silver treasures have turned into water vapor and evaporated!
"Oh! God of the Vikings! What's going on?!" the men groaned, almost in a daze.
After being revived by the royal physician, Beckenbauer spent more than an hour calming his hysterical state before summoning all the princes and high-ranking officials for a long and extremely serious meeting.
During the meeting, the high-ranking official in charge of re-inspecting the docks reported, "Your Majesty, we have conducted a second inspection of the docks. The enemy has seized a ship and left our Viking Kingdom's territory. Before leaving, the wicked enemy sabotaged our large ships! This is an utterly despicable act. We have inspected the 49 damaged ships; 12 are completely destroyed beyond repair; of the remaining 37, 17 suffered minor damage, and the other 20 are severely damaged..."
The official in charge of investigating the warehouse theft reported his findings: "Your Majesty, this theft of the treasury was clearly premeditated. We discovered traces of tunnel excavation beneath the treasury! The thieves must have entered the treasury through the tunnel to commit their despicable theft! Unfortunately, the tunnel has now been destroyed, leaving us without a lead..."
“It must have been those outsiders! It must have been them!” Beckenbauer shouted hoarsely. “And the 20 polar bears guarding the treasure have also disappeared! This means… that guy Scholes mentioned, the one who, like us Vikings, can tame animals and store them in a special space, must still be among those outsiders! We’ve been deceived! Utterly deceived!”
“But, Your Majesty the Emperor… so much treasure, how… how did they transport it out? We all know that your treasure requires more than 100 wooden ships to transport… I can’t understand how those outsiders transported the treasure away, or rather… did they still hide the treasure in our city? It’s really… I really can’t understand…” Scholes racked his brains but still couldn’t figure it out.
"In short, those outsiders possess secrets we cannot fathom!" A sudden glint of fervor flashed in Beckenbauer's otherwise gloomy eyes. "Listen, repair the large ships immediately and pursue those outsiders! They are few in number; they couldn't possibly have escaped far! Repair the warships, give chase! Deploy the army! At all costs, catch them! Capture them alive! They not only stole our treasures, but they also possess some mysterious artifacts!"
After a pause, Beckenbauer's lips twitched slightly. "It seems I must report this matter to our gods!"
"Hiss! God!" Upon hearing this, Beckenbauer's men and the princes all gasped in shock.
…… …… ……
The next day, the sunlight was warm.
Although it's not a sea voyage, the vast glacial waterway still evokes a sense of ocean grandeur.
Gao Jianfei and his fleet cruised along the glacial waterway. The sails of the wooden boats were already hoisted, and with the wind at their backs, their speed increased significantly.
Inside the rowing room, more than 200 sailors were rowing with all their might, and 74 polar bears were also putting in their best effort to help row the boat.
Gao Jianfei sat on the deck, basking in the sun. He took out some beer from the Ghost Den and distributed it to his men, including Blank and Mario. Li Yun and Song Ying also leisurely drank their beer.
"Hehe, finally we're out of that awful place!" As soon as they left the Viking Kingdom, Li Yun, Song Ying, and the other beautiful women tore off their human skin masks and changed out of their smelly clothes, revealing their stunningly beautiful faces. This added a lot of charm to the ship. Zheng Cuiyun drank beer one glass after another, her cheeks flushed, her starry eyes slightly drunk, and she cheered unrestrainedly.
“Indeed, that’s not a place for one to be alone!” Nie Xiaoxia echoed her senior sister.
Gao Jianfei smiled and nodded, then turned to Blank and asked, "Where are we now?"
In his hand, Blank held a Viking treasure map he had copied earlier. According to this map, Gao Jianfei's fleet could choose the correct fork in the road and eventually reach the town of Barrow in the outside world, and return to Canada or the United States.
"My lord, we've already left the Viking Kingdom by nearly 100 kilometers," Blank said, taking a sip of beer. "However, this isn't a very safe distance. Once the Vikings repair their ships and catch up, given their speed, they'll likely catch us very quickly! My lord, look at our men, after a whole night of rowing, they're all exhausted..."
"Well, let everyone rest for a bit. Anyway, with the wind, the ship can still sail normally," Gao Jianfei ordered. He couldn't possibly ignore the sailors' lives and let them work themselves to death.
Before long, more than 200 sailors, their legs weak from exhaustion, ran up to the deck, received beer and snacks from Gao Jianfei, and then lay sprawled out on the deck, basking in the sun.
The boat continued forward, aided by the wind.
Before long, the boat arrived at a junction of dozens of channels.
Originally, according to the map, the fleet could easily make a judgment and choose the correct, and only, fork in the road. However, at this moment, Gao Jianfei ordered the wooden boats to anchor temporarily.
“Master, we should choose the fourth fork in the road,” Blank instinctively reminded him.
“No!” Gao Jianfei stroked his chin thoughtfully. “You know, the Vikings also have correct navigation charts. I gave our navigation charts to Beckenbauer. Besides, even if they don’t have navigation charts, they must have a correct route to the outside world in their minds. Therefore, if we follow the correct route, they will definitely catch up with us…”
"Huh?" Mario exclaimed in surprise. "Your Excellency, do you mean... we have to deliberately choose the wrong side of the route?"
“Yes!” Gao Jianfei said affirmatively. “We can only temporarily choose the wrong fork in the road. As you all know, there is only one correct fork in the road, but there are hundreds of wrong forks in the road. Therefore, if we sail in the wrong place, the Vikings will not be able to catch us! Of course, this is not blind. Blank, Mario, you two take careful notes and record our sailing route to ensure that we can return to the correct route later.”
“Yes, my esteemed master!” Mario and Blank nodded simultaneously. Mario interjected, “Master, your plan is correct. To avoid the Vikings, we must do this. However, there's one problem… our supplies, our food… uh… although we can catch fish and shrimp from the glaciers, and even hunt seals and whales, esteemed master, some waters have no fish, shrimp, or other aquatic life. My concern is that if food becomes scarce, we'll have a hard time… uh, this wooden boat doesn't have any supplies!”
Gao Jianfei estimated that he had stockpiled food worth hundreds of thousands of RMB in his den of thieves, including instant noodles, dumplings, wontons, glutinous rice balls, alcohol, rice, and all sorts of other foods.
Food costing hundreds of thousands of rupees, enough to feed more than 200 people, should last for a while, right?
"Regarding food, as long as there aren't any major problems, I think we can manage. However, in areas with seafood, everyone should try to stockpile supplies," Gao Jianfei said to Blank and Mario. After a pause, he loudly ordered, "Alright, everyone, take notes, choose the wrong route, and set off!"
Under Gao Jianfei's command, the fleet deliberately chose the 21st of the many forks in the road and sailed directly into it.
Mario and Blank carefully took notes; this was a life-or-death decision, and no one dared to be careless.
Within this fork in the water, there was still a vast expanse of calm water, with no apparent danger. However, everyone knew that this was the wrong route, enough to cause the fleet to lose its way.
The sailors began using fishing nets and other tools to salvage this area of water.
Some sailors found small boats stored on the wooden ship, took harpoons and other tools, boarded the small boats, and went into the water to look for food.
Having entered the wrong fork in the road, everyone's mood actually relaxed; they no longer had to worry about the Vikings pursuing them.
At noon, the sailors were lucky enough to catch a large number of fish and shrimp in the water. The plump fish and palm-sized shrimp shimmered beautifully in the sunlight, making everyone even happier.
"Haha! Catch more fish and shrimp, and stock up!" Mario said in a gruff voice.
And so, the ship continued on its wrong course.
All Gao Jianfei did every day was sunbathe on the deck or chat with the beautiful women; he didn't enter the ghost den... Since there was a rare opportunity to replenish his exorcism points, Gao Jianfei simply let them recover little by little at a rate of 1 point per day.
After a seven-day voyage, the ship arrived at numerous forks in the road and had to make a choice.
"Your Excellency, please select our next route," Blank and Mario respectfully inquired of Gao Jianfei.
Looking at the dense network of forks in the road ahead, Gao Jianfei shrugged and said, "It doesn't matter which one we choose now. We've already deliberately chosen the wrong one in the first step, so every choice we make after that will prevent us from getting back on the correct course. Any random choice will only make things worse. So... let's choose the first fork in the road. Anyway, I think the first fork is quite spacious and easier to remember."
"Alright, first fork in the road!" Blank and Mario took notes simultaneously. Then they directed the sailors to sail into the first fork in the road.
Unlike the previous forks, this one had no fish or shrimp in the water. So the group had to eat the fish and shrimp they had stockpiled, and they knew all too well how important it was to stockpile food for this kind of voyage!
…… …… ……
Let's talk about the Vikings.
After several days of repairs, 25 wooden boats are now ready for use again.
Early this morning, Beckenbauer led a large group to the dock.
Hundreds of thousands of Vikings gathered at the dock.
25 wooden boats, each equipped with 2,000 rowers, 2,000 soldiers, a number of pets, and a certain amount of food.
That is to say, 25 wooden boats carried 6 strong Viking warriors!
Twenty-five wooden boats, having been untied from their mooring lines, slowly slid out.
Tens of thousands of soldiers stood on the deck, wielding bows, crossbows, battle axes, hammers and other weapons. They were fully armed and full of fighting spirit.
"My valiant warriors! Fulfill your duty to defend your homeland! Those outsiders have caused immense loss to our kingdom—a loss of honor, dignity, and property! We must capture these scum! These vermin! Rest assured, they have only a few hundred sailors; even if they sail ahead of us, they cannot escape very far! We will soon catch those bastards! Bless you in the name of the Viking gods, my dear warriors! Set sail!" Beckenbauer solemnly delivered his pre-battle pep talk. His eyes were filled with a sinister glint.
These past few nights, when Beckenbauer wanted to have sex, he found he couldn't get an erection... no matter what he tried, he couldn't succeed!
This is a complete tragedy!
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
The hundreds of thousands of Vikings who came to see them off on the shore erupted in cheers as loud as a landslide or a tsunami.
25 giant ships set sail!
Chapter 519 The Aftermath of the Seven Injury Fist
Chapter 519 The Aftermath of the Seven Injury Fist
Beckenbauer watched his magnificent fleet depart from the dock to pursue the enemy. The fleet consisted of 25 wooden ships, carrying a full 60,000 strong warriors equipped with bows, crossbows, catapults, and other weapons, as well as more than 10 pets! It was commanded by Beckenbauer's five valiant sons.
It can be said that such military power is enough to destroy a city in an outside country. Using it to deal with Gao Jianfei's ship and its hundreds of people is really making a mountain out of a molehill.
However, Beckenbauer was well aware of the necessity of sending so many men to deal with Gao Jianfei, because, as someone who had suffered greatly at Gao Jianfei's hands, he was still deeply afraid of him. Therefore, in addition to ordering the main force to pursue him, Beckenbauer was already making contingency plans.
After seeing off the pursuing army, Beckenbauer and his five princes, along with some high-ranking officials, sailed towards the glaciers deep within the Viking Empire.
In fact, this area is a forbidden zone of the Viking Empire! There are more than ten kilometers of water here, and across this water is an island. This island is covered with hard ice all year round, and there is also a third of green area, with some shrubs and algae growing on the island.
On the island, there are some stone and wooden houses, but what is more captivating are the stone sculptures. These sculptures depict strong Vikings, accompanied by their pets, with resolute faces and deep gazes; the sculptures are remarkably lifelike.
When Beckenbauer and his men arrived on the island, they were all extremely solemn.
This is the hidden power of the Viking Kingdom!
This place is known as... "The Island of the Gods"!
This is the greatest secret of the Viking kingdom! And a sacred place!
Historically, only the reigning Viking king knew this secret. Most Viking ministers, and even princes, only knew a little bit about it. They only knew that when the Viking kingdom faced great danger and was in danger of being overthrown, the reigning Viking king would personally come to this island to pray for the help of the "gods".
Of course, there are no such things as "gods" in this world. However, there are some mysterious beings on this island. To put it bluntly, it is a mysterious race. They are not Vikings, but they can be called "mentors" of the Vikings.
Long, long ago, it was this race that taught the Vikings animal taming and physical training skills, thus giving them strong physiques, seemingly innate individual combat abilities, and various pets.
As the Vikings multiplied over generations, this mysterious race also thrived, and its members still exist today. However, they seem to prefer seclusion, only teaching and instructing the Vikings in physical training and animal taming skills; otherwise, they never show themselves. Living in seclusion on this island, they are referred to as "gods" by the Vikings.
This time, encountering freaks like Gao Jianfei causing trouble in the Viking Empire and too many supernatural events, Beckenbauer couldn't take it anymore and longed for divine guidance and help.
Upon setting foot on the "Island of the Gods," Beckenbauer immediately instructed his men, "Alright, this is a forbidden area of our Viking Kingdom. You wait here for me; I will go alone to report everything to the gods. Remember, do not wander off; stay put, or you will be in big trouble if you displease the gods!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the subordinates replied. To be honest, upon setting foot on this island, the desolate yet profound, mysterious yet solemn atmosphere immediately captivated them. Even without Beckenbauer's reminder, they dared not make a move, deeply awestruck.
However, they all had one question in their minds... Gods? Could there really be gods protecting us Vikings? And what exactly are these so-called gods?
Beckenbauer wandered alone on the island for half an hour, and finally found a crude stone palace.
This palace is about 10 meters high and is extremely magnificent. However, the palace is built of relatively rough granite. After thousands of years of snow, rain and wind, the surface is pitted and uneven, making it look somewhat crude.
Of course, it is precisely this crudeness that brings out the weight of history.
Outside the palace, no soldiers stood guard. However, Beckenbauer remained kneeling, like a slave or servant, and began to kowtow before the palace, speaking in a devout tone, "Honorable gods, I, Beckenbauer, the current King of the Viking Empire, have come to pay homage! In truth, I do not wish to disturb you, but some strange phenomena have occurred within the empire that defy explanation..."
"Beckenbauer, please come in!"