Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter 121: A Stranger’s Lonely Boat

The storm had passed.

The clouds dispersed, the rain ceased.

The sky remained bright and radiant;

The vast, boundless sea was still magnificent and grand.

However, the great ship drifting on the sea was now a broken wreck, like a lonely boat adrift on an unfamiliar road, surviving its last days.

The storm had raged for seven days, and the ship had been battered relentlessly throughout. Its mast was gone, the rudder broken, the bow damaged, half of the deckhouse collapsed. It could no longer brave the wind and waves, only drifting aimlessly on the endless ocean.

The three men on board were even more miserable.

Yu Ye, Gan Xing, and Qiu Yuan lay on the bare deck, their clothes tattered and their faces haggard.

During the storm’s fury, the three had endured torment but dared not use their magic to shield themselves, fearing exhaustion of their cultivation and a descent into eternal ruin. After struggling through seven days and nights, fortunately, the ship had not sunk, and they were still alive...

The sun above flickered uncertainly.

The sea breeze brushed past, carrying a slight chill.

Yu Ye lay on his back, silently gazing at the sky. In his exhausted expression there was a trace of awe, a hint of relief, and a quiet acceptance of having survived a calamity.

Whether common laborers or masters of cultivation, beneath the overwhelming majesty of Heaven, there was no distinction of good or evil, strong or weak; all were equally humble and insignificant.

There is a saying in the classics: Heaven and Earth are unkind; all creatures are like straw dogs.

Before, he did not understand; now he finally did.

Life or death, who truly cares? Does the sun not rise all the same?

And since he was alive, he would continue to live.

Yu Ye slowly sat up.

His upper garment torn, barely covering him. Both boots were filled with seawater.

He kicked off the boots and stood barefoot.

The deck was tilted.

It was not the sun that was shaking, but the ship swaying on the waves. The sea and sky merged in endless blue; not a seabird in sight, leaving one disoriented and unaware of where they were drifting or where they were headed.

They were truly abandoned!

Abandoned by this world!

Adrift on the ocean, who knew in what year or month they might be found...

“Damn it, the lower hold is flooding—”

Just as Yu Ye was sinking into despair, his heart sank even further.

Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan had also gotten up, one inspecting the ship’s damage, the other shouting loudly inside the cabin.

Yu Ye and Qiu Yuan followed the voice into the ship’s hold.

The hold had two levels; the upper one was intact for now.

But opening the lower hatch revealed a crack in the ship’s bottom, with seawater rushing in and already filling more than half the hold.

“Quick, plug the breach—”

Gan Xing led the charge, jumping into the water.

Yu Ye and Qiu Yuan hurriedly gathered clothes, wooden boards, and other items to seal the crack.

Perhaps due to the flooding, the hull was under great strain, and the three, unfamiliar with ship repairs, fumbled and accidentally broke two more planks, causing the inflow to accelerate.

In no time, the hold was fully flooded.

Forced to give up, as they climbed out, water surged into the upper hold, causing stored items to float.

“Damn, this is damn bad luck—”

Gan Xing cursed bitterly and, with Qiu Yuan, hurried away.

Yu Ye glanced back and tucked a few wooden barrels into his containment ring.

In an instant, he returned to the deck.

The three exchanged glances, their expressions inexplicable.

The deck’s tilt had worsened. The ship’s sinking was imminent, only a matter of time.

“Yu Ye, you are not a disciple of the Dao Sect, and have suffered at their hands many times, yet you insist on defending a few Dao Sect disciples. Have you ever thought about how it would end like this?”

Perhaps resigned to fate, Gan Xing no longer suppressed his resentment. Sitting on the deck, his face grave, he said, “You and I suffer this calamity thanks to Tao Feng. If he were here, I would kill him without hesitation!”

Yu Ye said nothing, producing two wine jars and tossing them over.

Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan caught them, broke the seals, and drank deeply, spilling wine in bursts.

Yu Ye also opened a jar, tasting the wine quietly.

The wine was not harsh as imagined; instead, it was mellow and fragrant, leaving a lingering sweetness and a powerful, refined aftertaste that invited reflection.

“Ah—”

Gan Xing blew out a breath of wine breath, staring at the iron ring on Yu Ye’s finger. “Drinking to the last before death—that’s a fine thing indeed!”

“Excellent wine!” Qiu Yuan praised, sighing, “The wine is good, but there are no good people, no good fates. We came to the Great Marsh hoping to earn some spirit stones, yet calamity after calamity has befallen us. Now we’re about to be buried beneath the sea…” He took a sip and said angrily, “Meeting you, Yu Ye, has truly been our bad fortune. You’d better show us the treasures you carry. Otherwise, I’ll die with regrets!”

“A reasonable request!” Gan Xing nodded in agreement and said expectantly, “Yu Ye—”

Their pleas seemed sincere and reasonable. With the ship sinking, seeing the legendary treasures once would at least give them peace in death.

But Yu Ye remained unmoved, refusing. “Since no one has seen the treasures, how could I possibly produce them?”

“How can you not produce them?”

Qiu Yuan was displeased, questioning repeatedly, “Your sword qi techniques, your protective arts — didn’t they come from overseas cultivators’ teachings? And your containment ring must be forged from star stones, rare even in Qizhou. If not a treasure from abroad, could it be from some rural trinket shop?”

Yu Ye raised his left hand and examined the containment ring thoughtfully. “If I don’t give you this, you won’t believe me!”

“Exactly!”

Qiu Yuan’s eyes shone brightly as he stepped forward eagerly.

Yu Ye frowned. “What if I don’t?”

“Are you trying to fool me?”

Qiu Yuan’s expression darkened. He threw down his wine jar angrily. “Hand over the containment ring, or else—”

Gan Xing seemed oblivious to their quarrel and continued drinking quietly.

Yu Ye suddenly lifted his jar and gulped down several mouthfuls, then smashed it to pieces with a slap. Raising an eyebrow and chin coldly, he said, “Or else what...”

Before his words fell, a sharp sword light slashed through the air.

Qiu Yuan, usually taciturn and steady, struck first with fierce cruelty.

Yu Ye tried to dodge, but two talismans exploded, blocking his retreat with a burst of fire and an invisible force pressing down.

Both sides, weary survivors of disaster, were caught off guard by this sudden attack. Like trapped beasts fighting to the death, their moves were deadly and merciless.

With nowhere left to retreat, Yu Ye’s form flickered with azure light, a dragon shadow coiling about him. With muffled thuds, he staggered two steps but suddenly surged forward, casting a binding spell.

Qiu Yuan’s assault was halted, and he was secretly shocked to find his limbs restrained, his movements hindered.

From the firelight emerged a blue dragon shadow, followed by an invisible killing intent rushing toward him.

Qiu Yuan cried out, “Brother Gan, help me...”

Feigning drinking, Gan Xing leapt up, swinging out a sword light.

With a clang, the sword light reversed and shattered. Yet Qiu Yuan could not evade the backlash, groaning, he was flung backward into the air.

Under the relentless assault of the Dragon-Suppressing Talisman, the Fire Talisman, and the flying sword, Yu Ye fought back fiercely. When his sword qi missed, he did not relent but prepared to strike at Qiu Yuan.

Gan Xing suddenly stepped in to block his path, bowing repeatedly and pleading, “Brother Yu, enemies should be reconciled, not made. Please, for my sake, stop this—”

Yu Ye snapped, “He struck first...”

“Oh, we are trapped and desperate, it’s natural our minds falter and actions become irrational. With death so near, why kill each other?”

“What do you mean? Wasn’t it Qiu Yuan who provoked first...”

“Qiu Yuan, apologize at once!”

Gan Xing interrupted their quarrel with a warning glance.

Qiu Yuan slumped beneath the deckhouse, looking miserable, and weakly said, “Brother Yu, forgive my foolishness!”

“What did I say?”

Gan Xing smiled wryly, seizing the moment to advise, “Brother Yu, be magnanimous. It’s a small matter, no need to mind!”

Yu Ye shook his head coldly. “I warn you both, do not underestimate me because of my youth. Let me be clear: no matter the Dao Sect in the Great Marsh or their disciples, they are outsiders to me. And do not mention overseas treasures or scheme against me. If I could kill Nanshan, I can kill any Qi-refining master!”

Gan Xing’s smile stiffened, and he paused slightly.

The deck’s tilt accelerated; one side of the ship’s rail was submerged.

Qiu Yuan, slumped below the deckhouse, slid downward and shouted, “The ship is capsizing—”

Yu Ye struggled to stand, clutching the mast, but in a moment his body was suspended midair. The murderous intent he had felt was gone.

At that moment, he felt his life was like drifting duckweed, his thoughts withering. Life and death had lost all meaning. A deep loneliness and gloom filled his heart.

When the Jiaodu poison flared, he had imagined many ways to die, but never thought he would be buried beneath the sea...

Just then, a voice shouted from above, “Look—”

Gan Xing grabbed the opposite rail and flipped himself up. From his vantage point, he had spotted something.

Yu Ye’s body was half submerged, but with a strong push of his hands, he leapt up and landed on the ship’s rail. Qiu Yuan followed. The three, once scheming, rivals fighting for survival, now stood together, eyes scanning the horizon.

Sure enough, about ten miles away, a dark shape appeared on the sea’s surface. Unless it was an illusion, it was clearly an island.

“Ha ha—”

Gan Xing laughed heartily.

Qiu Yuan and Yu Ye smiled in return.

In their excitement, the three fell into the sea with a splash, but no longer panicked. Each displayed their skills, swimming strongly toward the island.

Yu Ye grasped a wooden plank, struggling against the tossing waves...

An hour later, the three stood waist-deep in water, gasping heavily, looking up in surprise.

They were on a beach.

Beyond the shore lay an island spanning over ten miles. Trees flourished, rocky peaks rose, seabirds circled—an inviting scene.

Yet, several miles to the left along the beach, a sea vessel was anchored. Though its sails were lowered, it looked very familiar.

A Chen family ship?

Gan Xing and Qiu Yuan exchanged incredulous looks and hurried through the water toward it.

Yu Ye was equally amazed and elated...