Chapter 398: Wang Liang Weeping in Joy! (1/2)
Chapter 398: Wang Liang Weeping in Joy!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Crack!
Another bolt of lightning stabbed down from the dark clouds, waking Wang Liang from his stupor. Having just avoided disaster, Wang Liang had no time to rejoice, and he quickly issued a string of orders.
”Change course!
”Furl all the sails except one!
”Helmsman, keep watch on the situation ahead!
”All sailors, man your posts! Whether you can survive will depend on your luck!”
……
Loop after loop of rope kept Wang Liang firmly tied to the main mast. It was precisely because of these loops of soaked rope that Wang Liang was able to protect himself in the storm and issue order after order.
The once young and tender young man was now a tanned captain. Only Wang Liang himself knew just what he had experienced over the last four to five months.
Of their original number, less than one-third were left. Even quite a few of the Wang Clan's guards and the guards that his father had dispatched had died.
The storms, strife, schemes, assassinations, doubts, ruptures, hunger, and attempts to make him step down… Wang Liang had already lost count of how many times they had happened.
Wang Liang had narrowly escaped with his life time after time in this journey of unprecedented danger.
By now, all that confidence and complacency he had when first leaving the port had been washed away by the waves into calm and indifference.
When they left, he had basically been clueless about sailing, but now, he was most experienced captain in the entire fleet!
To a normal person, becoming so accomplished in just four or five months was something worthy of bragging about for the rest of their lives.
But Wang Liang did not think so.
Life had honed this person, had created this person. His only advantage was studying—continuous, all-out studying that put aside even sleep and food.
From the helmsman to the sailor, all the crew members had been his opponents in studying.
”Watch out! The second wave is coming!
”Careful!”
……
Although he had avoided one disaster, the calamity was far from over. Before the might of Mother Nature, the abilities of humans were insignificant. Whether one was an expert of the True Martial realm, the Profound Martial realm, or an ordinary sailor, all were equal before the boundless might of the world; all were the same.
Before the might of Mother Nature, all people were tiny ants.
Once one fell from the ship and dropped into the bottomless ocean, even a Profound Martial realm expert could only die.
In order to survive, everyone had to be of one mind and work toward the same purpose, crossing the ocean on the same boat. But…
Wang Liang was not worried about the infinite might of nature before him, but the unfathomable and elusive minds of men.
In these four or five months, they had roved across the ocean, stepping onto island after island and each time returning in disappointment. In these islands, Wang Liang had not found any of those meteorites that Wang Chong had spoken of.
From the initial trust and anticipation for treasure to the disappointment, suspicion, and calls to step down… To a few of the higher-ups in the fleet, the secret of the meteorites was no longer a secret.
But everyone had their doubts.
Even the hearts of the Wang Clan guards began to sway and be lured over to the side of his opponents.
How could someone who had never voyaged across to the sea, never been abroad, know that these places thousands of li away had meteorites?
If these meteorites existed, why had other fishermen on the sea never discovered them?
In sum, this was just a load of nonsense.
The doubt toward Wang Chong, the doubt toward Wang Liang, the doubt toward the goal of this fleet, had never stopped. Moreover, as more and more sailors died, the doubts increased.
Wang Liang's position as captain was incredibly precarious.
Wang Liang already knew that another failure or lack of results would give him a fate the same as all the others: being cast into the depths of the ocean to become food for the fishes.
Boom!
The wave crashed down, snapping Wang Liang's train of thought, snapping the calm of the fleet. Several more screams rang out, and then several more figures were swept off the deck and into the sea.
Boom! Wang Liang's mouth was open as he readied himself to issue a new order and adjust the fleet. But then there was an incredible boom, like the hand of some invisible giant had slapped the bottom of the ship.
Wang Liang felt a pain in his chest, like the ropes were tightening around his flesh. He felt like all his organs had been jolted out by that massive strength.
”No good! The ship's struck a reef!”
A panicked voice could be heard amongst the lightning and thunder. This was the last thing that Wang Liang heard as his vision went dark.
……
Splash!
The crashing of waves slowly penetrated his consciousness. After what seemed like both the twinkling of an eye and ten thousand years, Wang Liang finally began to stir.
The ocean water was slowly washing over his body, surging up and then pulling away. A tiny creature seemed to be crawling over his body.
Wang Liang gave a few painful coughs and then spat a mouthful of water and wet sand. Upon opening his eyes, he was greeted by the blue ocean and a beach.
Several tiny crabs about the size of a fingernail were climbing over his hand and body.
”…How did I end up here?”
His chest fiercely ached while his head felt swollen. Wang Liang couldn't understand how he had ended up here.
His last memory was that the ship had apparently struck a reef, sending him flying.
”Was I sent flying off the ship?”
Wang Liang suddenly felt nervous, a hint of fear creeping into his heart. In this vast ocean, no ship meant that one could only wait for death.
He struggled up from the ground, only to be immediately struck dumb.
Several hundred zhang away, a massive ship had crashed into an upright cliff. Leaning up against the cliff, the ship was half underwater and not moving a bit.