"What a good girl! You’re amazing!" Sang Luo kissed her on the cheek and took out a small gift as a reward.
Little Carp was delighted and went back to Drawing Talismans, planning to give them to her daddy, uncles, brothers, and sisters.
"This child’s talent is extraordinary," Fei Yuan remarked, glancing at the Talisman in Sang Luo’s hand.
Sang Luo replied, "You rarely offered praise when Little Carp was just born."
"Mm. If this talent is cultivated to its peak, she could beco an invincible, unstoppable force at critical monts, capable of changing the very fate of the world." Fei Yuan looked thoughtfully at Lou Xianyue, wondering if a child with such talent was a blessing or a curse.
Lou Xianyue was happy, of course, but a trace of worry also appeared in his eyes.
Such a gifted child would attract covetous eyes, and he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to protect his daughter.
Sang Luo looked between the two of them and understood. ’Little Carp’s talent is too unique. No one outside our family can ever know about it.’
"Let’s change the subject. Where did Ah Ye go? Is he still at the Marquis Mansion? I haven’t seen him since I returned."
"He left over a month ago, leading a team to escort a cargo ship. They’re traveling along the Great Tang River toward the coastal waters to bring aid to the disaster-stricken regions. He should be nearing the border of the East Continent by now."
"This shipnt of supplies must be very important for Ah Ye to be delivering it himself. I’ll go find him."
"Alright, go on. Be careful."
...
The sky was clear, the air crisp, over a vast sea.
The massive, several-hundred-ter-long cargo ship was like an invincible behemoth, cutting through the churning white wake as it sailed steadily across the sea.
The deck was a hive of activity. Tall, strong Beastn moved back and forth, hauling cargo amidst a constant din.
On the highest level of the deck, in a quiet, deserted corner.
Si Ye was lounging against the ship’s bow, one hand cradling the back of his head. His eyes were closed, his right knee was bent, and a dry blade of grass dangled from his lips.
As the clouds drifted by, the young man seed utterly carefree.
Hearing footsteps, Si Ye didn’t stir. Sang Luo plucked the foxtail grass from his lips, tickled the tip of his nose with it, and then settled down cross-legged on the deck, leaning against him.
She watched the seagulls glide over the cloudless sea, feeling the fresh ocean breeze in her hair. "You really know how to pick a spot," she teased. "The view is great, and there’s no one here to bother us."
Si Ye opened one eye. "What are you looking at?"
Sang Luo turned, kissed his cheek, and then licked his earlobe. "What do you think I’m looking at?"
The tips of Si Ye’s ears flushed red. "Don’t you tempt ..." He glanced at a few Beastn hauling cargo up the stairs from the deck below. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he teleported them both to his cabin.
He captured Sang Luo’s lips in a kiss, giving them a light, punishing bite. "Behave," he murmured. "There are too many people around. I’m afraid I’ll lose control."
"Oh? And yet you’re the one who brought to your room. If that isn’t feigning reluctance, I don’t know what is."
Si Ye glanced at the bright sky outside the window, his face growing even redder. He stamred, "It’s... it’s dayti! We can’t!"
Sang Luo let out a soft laugh. She lay down on the bed, pulled the covers up, and gave him a lazy, coquettish glance from under a raised eyebrow. "I didn’t say a thing. I wonder whose mind is in the gutter all day!"
Si Ye’s eyes darkened. He dove under the covers. Before Sang Luo could get a word out, her protest was smothered by a muffled sound as Si Ye pressed her down, capturing her lips. Just as their passion was about to ignite, a knock ca from the door. "Young Master, this shipnt of rations is bound for Port and City. The ship is about to dock, and the City Lord is already on shore with a reception party."
Si Ye took a deep breath and sat up, giving her cheek a firm squeeze. "I’ll be back to take care of you later!"
With that, he straightened his clothes and left.
Sang Luo yawned, her consciousness slowly fading as she drifted off.
When she woke up, the sky outside had darkened considerably. Si Ye was back.
He sat on the edge of the bed and brought her a plate of sweet and sour pork. As she ate, Sang Luo asked, "This disaster relief shipnt is larger than I expected. How many places does it have to go?"
"A few months ago, there was a major outbreak of Disaster Beasts in the East Continent. The afflicted area spread rapidly. Even with the precautions we took, millions of people were still affected. In many places, the crops were a total loss, trampled by Disaster Beasts and Beast Tides. I’ve never seen a disaster on this scale in my entire life. These supplies must reach the victims as soon as possible, or many people will die." Si Ye handed her a bottle of Water. "Sorry, conditions on the ship are a bit limited."
"That doesn’t matter. I’m more worried about the victims. It sounds like the situation on the North Continent isn’t as severe as it is on the East Continent."
"The North Continent is vast and sparsely populated. Even if a disaster of the sa magnitude were to happen there, the number of victims would be far lower than on the other continents."
"Don’t the major cities have Teleportation Arrays? Couldn’t you send the supplies to the main cities first, then have them distribute everything to the smaller towns and tribes? Wouldn’t that be faster?"
"Most of the supplies were already sent via the Teleportation Arrays. But in many of the disaster-stricken areas, the arrays are damaged. The regional Beast Kings and Beast Emperors have sent specialized Magicians to repair them, but it’s going to take a long ti. I’m transporting this shipnt by water to fill the supply gap in the anti."
Sang Luo nodded in understanding. "I see. The scope of this disaster really is severe. Fei Yuan never told ."
"He didn’t want you to worry."
"How many regions are these supplies for?"
Si Ye took out a scroll. On it, many regions were circled, with a dozen already checked off. "There are over eighty large regions, which cover countless smaller territories and villages. The hold uses a Space Array and Weight Reduction Runes, so there’s far more cargo than it looks like. I’m only responsible for getting the supplies to the main cities. From there, it’s up to the local City Lords and Clan Leaders to manage distribution. We also have to guard against middlen who might embezzle or skim from the shipnts. And after the deliveries, we have to leave people behind to monitor the situation... All in all, transporting everything will probably take the better part of half a year."
He finished, then looked at Sang Luo and smiled. "Life on the ship was getting pretty boring."
"Is it still boring when you have a beautiful woman to keep you company?" Sang Luo pillowed her head on his lap. She reached up to gently caress his earlobe, then playfully tugged a strand of his soft, fiery-red hair.
Si Ye’s gaze darkened, and his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Sang Luo shifted, trying to nestle against his stomach. As her body twisted, the friction of their clothes sent a tightening coil through his lower abdon. He was reaching his limit.
"Luoluo..." His voice was deep and hoarse.
He rolled over, pinning her to the bed with a hand on her slender waist.
Sang Luo’s eyes were soft and alluring. She took the initiative, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.
The cabin wasn’t soundproof. Even at night, they could hear the footsteps and conversations of Beastn in the outside corridor, just a single wall away.
They both gritted their teeth, trying to be quiet. Their movents were slow and deliberate, neither daring to make too much noise.
Just as she was about to reach her peak, Sang Luo couldn’t hold back any longer. She clung to him tightly, a cry about to escape her throat. In an instant, Si Ye threw up a soundproofing barrier. The veins on his arms bulged as he let go of all restraint...
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