“By the way… This young lady… Why don’t you come up as well?”
Under the bright moon, the Purple-Blue Sword Ship was like a gleaming blade, dazzling to the eye and chilling in its sharpness.
“Ah? Me… me?”
Being addressed by Jian Qingxue like that, Mo Yurou felt both startled and flattered. She had never imagined that she would be allowed to step onto the deck of an S-grade Ship Maiden.
Liu Ruyan, an A-grade Ship Maiden, would not even allow a mosquito to land on her deck.
Compared to that…
Even the Purple-Blue Sword Ship family, rumored to have bad tempers, suddenly did not seem so frightening.
“Yes… Come up. You’re a Ship Maiden Xiao Hao has taken interest in. I’ll treat you as half a daughter-in-law for now…”
“This…”
The bow of the Demon Ship pressed slightly against the water, rocking gently.
“Are you feeling shy now?”
“…”
“Mom~ How can you say things like that! Mo Yurou only agreed to send me to and from school for now. As for whether she’ll become my Ship Maiden, the choice is hers… Right?”
Gently stroking the railing of the Demon Ship, Zheng Hao smiled toward it. The hull gradually grew hazy as Mo Yurou’s figure materialized on the deck.
Whether summoning their hull or returning to human form, Ship Maidens could briefly manifest the hull.
Standing on the deck, Mo Yurou still felt restrained.
“Well… Zheng Hao… I’ve already brought you home. Can I leave now?”
“Hey~ If you’re invited as a guest, then be a guest! What? Do you think the mighty Zheng Family would eat you?”
Grabbing Mo Yurou’s hand, Zheng Hao pulled her and leapt toward the Purple-Blue Sword Ship.
“Ah! You…”
Caught off guard by the sudden tug, Mo Yurou’s face flushed red as she hurriedly pulled her hand back.
“Heh~ Qingxue, look at these two little ones. Don’t they resemble you and Yunlong back then?”
Watching the two of them, Yunzhi muttered casually.
Under the moonlight, Mo Yurou’s face grew even redder at those words.
“Buzz buzz buzz~”
The sword ship slowly turned and began moving toward the massive merchant ship.
“Buzz~”
“Buzz~”
“Buzz~”
The surrounding wind stirred instantly.
“Huh?!”
Mo Yurou had only glanced at the deck in curiosity when the Purple-Blue Sword Ship had already traveled over 100 meters and was approaching the rope ladder of the merchant ship.
“So… so fast…”
She stared in shock at the scenery rushing past.
At this moment, the entirely purple Purple-Blue Sword Ship looked like an exquisite purple jade blade skimming across the water. Ripples spread outward, yet not a single splash was thrown up.
It was hard to imagine that at such speed, a ship could keep the surrounding sea so calm.
“Isn’t it amazing?”
At her side, Zheng Hao watched the ripples with a calm expression. He had seen this countless times growing up.
“So this is the starting point of an S-grade Ship Maiden?”
“It must already rival the full-speed sailing of an A-grade Ship Maiden, right?”
Murmuring to herself, Mo Yurou made an innocent guess.
Zheng Hao shook his head. “No, no! The Purple-Blue Sword Ship is S-grade for a reason. You should have noticed something. Normally, it appears in a dual purple-blue form. That form is the balanced performance mode.”
“When the hull turns purple, that’s speed mode. When it turns blue, that’s attack mode.”
“The Purple-Blue Sword Ship is 4.2 meters long, 1.4 meters wide, with a 6.6-meter mast. It’s a standard high-speed vessel. Not just anyone can handle a ship like this…”
Looking at the luxurious purple deck with undisguised envy, did Zheng Hao not want the Purple-Blue Sword Ship?
Of course he did. He dreamed about it.
But the Ship Maidens of the Purple-Blue Sword Ship family were all extremely proud.
Either you impressed them with skill, or you impressed them with talent.
Zheng Hao had neither.
“Modes? Aunt… Aunt can switch modes?”
Mo Yurou had never heard of a Ship Maiden possessing three performance modes. Today truly broadened her horizons.
“That’s right~ Purple-Blue Sword Body. That is the exclusive skill of our Purple-Blue Sword Ship family. It grants us the ability to switch between three performance modes. It’s the pride of our family.”
Jian Qingxue’s voice came from the cockpit. Mo Yurou listened with curiosity in her eyes, though not envy.
“A skill?”
“Aunt…”
“Not quite. As far as I know, only S-grade Ship Maidens awaken with innate skills. That’s one reason S-grade Ship Maidens stand above the rest.”
“I see…”
Lowering her head silently, Mo Yurou seemed lost in thought.
“Thud~”
The Purple-Blue Sword Ship docked beside the rope ladder of the cargo ship. One by one, they climbed up, and the view grew broader.
Zheng Hao and Zheng Yunlong walked in front. Zheng Hao asked suspiciously, “Dad, no business today? What made you come see me?”
“Hmph… If Uncle Zheng hadn’t told me you came back on your own, and if your mother hadn’t been curious what kind of Ship Maiden you brought home, I wouldn’t have bothered! But, brat, you finally did something that pleased me today!”
“That damned Smoke Ship strung you along for so long. The Liu Family took plenty of advantages from me because of it! Now that it’s completely over, good…”
As Zheng Yunlong spoke, his eyes gradually darkened.
Father and son exchanged a glance, each seeing a decision reflected in the other’s eyes.
“Dad… Tomorrow… I’ll personally cut off all business ties with the Liu Family.”
“Mm… I’ll have Uncle Zheng accompany you.”
“By the way… Dad, do you know Zhou Hang?”
“Zhou Hang?”
Zheng Yunlong paused at the name.
“That one… If my information is correct, he’s from the Zhou Family of the Canglan Region. His mother was a C-grade Ship Maiden. He was born after the Zhou Family Patriarch got drunk and made a mistake.”
“His status in the Zhou Family isn’t high. His mother recently encountered a sea disaster, so he has even less influence now. To avoid internal family strife, he brought some loyal followers and assets and came to settle here.”
“That kid… He knows how to endure.”
Zheng Yunlong stroked his chin, his tone surprisingly tinged with approval.
Of course he endured.
A protagonist with a halo of destiny, how could he not?
Illegitimate child of a powerful patriarch, flees to a small region, slowly rises, step by step returns to reclaim what belongs to him?
Classic. Absolutely classic. The standard protagonist template.
Zheng Hao could not help the twitch at the corner of his mouth. He would not allow Zhou Hang to follow that script.
His gaze turned cold as he looked at Zheng Yunlong.
“Dad… Shouldn’t we suppress them now? Make it impossible for them to do any business in the Shanhai Region?”
“Hm? That’s unnecessary, isn’t it? They’re just an offshoot from a big family with no connections here. They just arrived in the Shanhai Region. What waves could they possibly make?”
“No, no! Some people… should be crushed right in the beginner village!”