??Chapter 812: 811. Propeller
Chapter 812: 811. Propeller
In the end, curiosity overca the fear of danger, and Ah Xiang agreed to explore the island indicated by the treasure map.
Of course, not all the sailors were completely on board with exploring the unknown; most of them were just following Zhang Zheng to make money. They had obtained a good amount of pirate treasure on this voyage, enough for many to squander for a few years before setting out to sea again.
When people’s needs were satisfied, they tended to beco idle.
In other words, they had made enough money.
Zhang Zheng didn’t make it hard for them.
Those who were willing to accompany him boarded the ship, while the rest stayed on the island, waiting for their return.
At the sa ti, Zhang Zheng made it clear to those staying behind that if he didn’t return within a month, the ships and treasure would be left to those who remained.
After all, if there was no word for a month, chances were they were gone for good.
Of course, it was possible that the sailors might desert as soon as Zhang Zheng and his crew set off, taking the treasure and heading back ho. Therefore, Zhang Zheng took the sea charts with him, and the navigator responsible for guiding the ship joined him. Without these two tools, it would be quite difficult for the remaining sailors to navigate the ocean and find their way ho.
They could, at most, wait for a rchant ship that passed by once a month to seek assistance and possibly find their way back ho. Thus, one way or another, they had to stay on The Island for two or three weeks.
Not to ntion, if Zhang Zheng found the treasure and returned, only to discover that these sailors had betrayed him, once back on the mainland, these mutinous sailors would certainly be caught and hanged as pirates.
The best course of action for the sailors left behind was to honestly idle on the Island for a month before making any plans, unless a typhoon abruptly arose at sea or other pirates paid a visit.
Zhang Zheng might seem like a hot-blooded adventurer without a brain, but in reality, he calculated things quite well.
After the crew was divided, with one third less on board, the sailors beca busier with their duties.
Making headway through the waves, following the marks on the treasure map, the ship began to advance towards its destination.
“Speaking of which, how do you plan to navigate through the Windless Belt?”
During alti, Lu Ban inquired of Ah Xiang.
Dinner on the ship was fish soup, made with freshly caught fish, previous reserves of salted at, and dehydrated vegetables. The taste of the soup was just adequate.
On the open sea, fresh water and vegetables are precious resources. It’s well-known that without vitamins from vegetables, sailors are prone to scurvy, so now ocean-going ships tend to store dehydrated vegetables and large amounts of cheap wine as a vitamin supplent.
“We’ve acquired a device that can be powered by burning alcohol, rotating in the water, propelling the ship forward.”
Zhang Zheng took a sip of the fish soup, furrowed his brow, and explained.
“That’s really impressive.”
Lu Ban exclaid.
It sohow sounded familiar.
“This is made by the best craftsman in town. It was supposedly provided to the officials, and I managed to get this one through so connections,” Zhang Zheng stated proudly.
“Could we take a look at it later?”
Lu Ban asked again.
“Of course!”
Excited to show off his treasure, Zhang Zheng sped up his soup drinking.
After a satisfying al, he led Lu Ban and others to the depths of the hold, where a rather large piece of machinery was wrapped in cloth, shrouded in mystery.
“This is the device. When we assemble it on the back of the ship, we’ll be able to navigate smoothly through the Windless Belt!”
Zhang Zheng said while simultaneously uncovering the cloth.
A rather strange machine appeared before the people’s eyes.
Different from the paddle machines Lu Ban rembered, this device had most of its structure exposed, composed of a multitude of gears and bearings. Rather than resembling a durable engine, it seed more like a piece of art, with a distinct steampunk style.
Lu Ban approached the device and placed his hand on its surface when countless words erged.
“An ingenious masterpiece from the great craftsman, a small step for humanity into the steam era.”
“As long as there is enough alcohol, it will operate, ensuring the user is not a drunkard.”
“So designs that transcend the tis might bring about minor troubles, but as long as one curbs their curiosity, there’s no need to worry.”
“Suggested retail price: None.”
Unexpectedly, this thing could actually work.
Lu Ban pondered for a mont. He knew of no such devices in He Dao; could this an that the manufacturing techniques for this device might be lost in the future?
Moreover, judging by the item’s description, it wasn’t solely a product of the technological advancents of the Foreign Domain. The craftsman who designed and made it must have drawn so inspiration from other realms, subject to a certain degree of Pollution.
Perhaps this very device contained so unfathomable Pollution—one should use it without attempting to dissect it.
In fact, even if this device was a re hoax, and poor Zhang Zheng was duped once more, Lu Ban still had a way to navigate the ship through the Windless Belt. The problem wasn’t significant, but the sight of this device had deepened his curiosity about the future developnt of He Dao.
Returning to the deck, the moonlight was dim, but the stars shone brilliantly.
They ford different shapes, set as constellations by ancient people’s magnificent imaginings, guiding the direction of navigation.
This nightscape was entirely different from what Lu Ban had seen on Earth, and those constellations had their own nas.
Lu Ban noticed Ah Xiang sitting by the railing on one side of the ship, jotting down notes in a notebook.
Drawing closer, he saw that the sea on that side seed to be emitting a faint light.
“It’s jellyfish, to be precise, these Luminous Jellyfish which can only be seen in the open sea. They swarm together and use their luminescence to attract small fish, which they then prey upon,”
Ah Xiang said, looking at the sea.
Within the glow, countless jellyfish could be seen swaying and floating in the ocean, drawing in schools of fish that weaved through them. Occasionally, a fish would stop swimming, entangled by the jellyfish’s tentacles, enveloped, becoming nourishnt for their growth.
“It’s said that these jellyfish have dicinal properties, but samples are too scarce; only the wealthy can afford them.”
As icing technology wasn’t well-developed, deep-sea fishing was difficult to achieve in He Dao; even coastal residents might not encounter oceanic creatures, let alone co to these waters for ecological research.
“The appearance of these jellyfish is a good on, for they only dwell in the clearest and most pristine waters and also serve as food for another creature.”
Ah Xiang pointed into the distance, and Lu Ban saw a dark shape slowly approaching, moving parallel to their ship, towards the twinkling lights.
The next mont, illuminated by the glow, the dark shape revealed itself—a massive whale with fins flapping like wings and its huge body breaking the surface, bringing up a mouthful of Luminous Jellyfish.
The whale’s nearly transparent body allowed onlookers to see the faint glow of the jellyfish as they were swallowed, and as it plunged into the water, it raised towering waves before quickly diving back into the deep sea, disappearing from sight.
“This is a Water Whale, mostly made of water, which gives them incredible speed and makes them excellent at concealing themselves. Thankfully, they’re not aggressive; in fact, they’re quite docile animals,”
Ah Xiang explained further.
“These creatures create a complete food chain in the ocean, which allows it to sustain itself, to continue on indefinitely, to always exist.”
He remarked with a hint of wistfulness.
“To always exist.”
Lu Ban echoed the sentint.
He knew all too well that in the future of He Dao, none of these creatures would exist anymore.
Such a brilliant civilization and ecology would all be reduced to nothing by the march of Pollution.
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