Chapter 106 - Treasure Map Fragment (1/2)
The wooden chest brought by the ants wasn't very large. It was, at best, thirty centimeters long. Consequently, what was contained inside shouldn't be very large.
At the moment, the chest was closed by a golden metal lock. Around the lock, there were strange symbols carved on the wood. They were difficult to distinguish because of the soil attached to the chest's surface. But they didn't seem to have just been made as decoration, and the ants had found no key near the chest. The same was true for them after rummaging through the bodies of the eight pirates
'There is no trace of the key. May their captain have it with him? Or is it another method that opens the key?'
”Lian, take a look at this, please. There are some symbols, and I think it may be a formation.” Hei said as he passed the small wooden chest in Lian's delicate hands.
Lian took the chest and looked at it intently, trying to decipher the barely legible lines carved on the wood. Unfortunately, the chest must have been buried for a long time, and the wood itself had begun to show signs of wearing down.
It should be known that formations could be used not only to operate automatic mechanisms. They were also used as seals to immobilize a living being in a limited space. Or to protect something inside another object that served as a container. And the way to break these seals was to understand what types of formations had been used and how they interacted with each other. Then, by intervening on the seal, it was possible to break it eventually. It went without saying that that required a certain amount of understanding regarding formations.
Hei could, therefore, only hope that the seal used on the chest wasn't something too complicated. The best thing for them was to discover instead that those lines were merely decorative symbols since, in that way, he could directly destroy the lock that kept it closed.
”It's a formation, no doubt.” Lian communicated after she finished examining the chest.
”I see, too bad. Do you think you can break the seal on the lock? We don't have the key, and I'm afraid that if I tried to use force to open it, the content inside would be destroyed.”
”Yes, I think. It will take me some time, though. It's okay?”
”Yes, don't worry. Then, stay here to study the seal.”
After entrusting Lian with that task, Hei looked at his little sisters. At the moment, they were still cutting the pirates' corpses. The ground below had become a kind of red mud due to the amount of blood poured from the bodies.
”Wait, let's move the bodies, or it will be difficult for you to move up there,” Hei warned aloud to be heard by the horde of small animals that were currently feeding on the eight men.
They, even if a little angry at having to stop their dinner halfway, still obeyed Hei's order and moved to make room for him. Grabbing two corpses, nibbled here and there, Hei threw them at a dry spot not far from there. Then he proceeded to do the same with the other bodies.
”Well, you can continue.”
At his signal, the horde of animals resumed their banquet. At this point, Hei turned to his little sisters, who had once again become stained with blood.
”I'm going to see the artifact ship. You stay here and protect Lian, okay? I'll be back soon. Try to clean yourselves as much as possible with the leaves, or you will have to take a bath.”
'Okay, big brother. Be careful.' Said the two little divine beasts as they went to clean themselves up with the surrounding vegetation.
After warning his little sisters as well, Hei took one of the centipedes that had found the artifact ship. The centipede froze on the spot for that sudden gesture, not knowing what the human wanted from it.
”Tell me exactly where the artifact ship you found is. Don't worry. I won't do anything harmful to you. And I'll make sure to reward you properly. So, don't worry if you don't eat now.”
The centipede could only accept. Although reluctantly, it still did what Hei requested and accompanied him to the forest. To some extent, it trusted that strange human. After all, he kept his word and even cut the bodies to help them chew more comfortably.
Thus, a man and a centipede went into the desert island's forest in search of the artifact ship.
*
Meanwhile, in the camp on the beach, Captain Fu and his men were still enjoying the last remains of the great white shark, sipping some bottles of rum that the captain kept in his cabin.
Unexpectedly, the emergency landing wasn't so bad. If Captain Fu and his men ignored the damage to the ship, it could be considered as a kind of short vacation from work. After all, even if they were seafarers, they occasionally needed to be on dry land, free from the worry of having to manage their ship.
”Hey, captain. But where did the two young heroes go? I haven't seen them for a while.”
”Ehehe! But how? You don't know? If you think about it, you can get there.”
”Although young, in the end, they are still a man and a woman. Do you think they're doing it?”
”Martial artists mature quickly. Wouldn't it surprise me if they engaged in sexual activities, right, Captain?”
The various crew members were making rude jokes and comments about the relationship between Hei and Lian. Given how close they were, from the outside, it looked as if they were engaged.
Captain Fu didn't satisfy his men. But instead, he warned them.
”Stop wasting time with this nonsense and go to sleep. I want you at work tomorrow morning at dawn.”
”Come on, don't be like that. Tell us your opinion, captain.” His men insisted again, despite having just be scolded them.
Seeing the spirited behavior dictated by the alcohol, Captain Fu couldn't help but sigh briefly. Then he replied.
”I advise you not to make such jokes. As you know, martial artists can be easily irritable. And those two kids have a cultivation equal to mine. If I had to face even one of them in a one vs. one fight, I doubt I could win.”