Chapter 23: “So, None of You Brought Money?” p1
No one noticed the subtle detail, just as no one noticed the fear in her heart.
Everyone’s attention was focused on where the sea monster had submerged.
That creature was enormous, at least the size of their ship, judging by the glimpse they had caught.
If it had rammed them directly, the ship would have sunk instantly!
Not only was the sea monster gigantic, but it could also control the weather, turning a sunny day into a scene from a disaster movie.
If it weren’t for the ship’s protective formation, which automatically activated a barrier in times of danger, the sea monster would have already attacked them.
As Li Yu thought this, the sea monster leaped out of the water again.
No, it flew.
It flew out of the water, seawater cascading down its massive form like a waterfall, crashing into the churning waves.
This time, it didn’t submerge but hovered above the surface, its enormous, pale eyes staring down at the ship protected by the barrier.
Li Yu couldn’t believe her eyes. The monstrous fish, after hovering for a moment, slowly unfolded massive, wing-like fins, as if to blot out the already dim sky.
The sheer size of it made her hold her breath.
Screams erupted from the mortals hiding in the cabins.
Someone shouted, “Luoyu! It’s a Luoyu!!”
A what?!
【Luoyu: An amphibious monster, with the body of a fish and the wings of a bird, its cry resembles that of mandarin ducks—Legend says wherever it appears, it brings floods.】
Thanks for the useless information…
【You’re welcome, it’s my duty!】
Then tell me, what are its weaknesses?
Li Yu asked inwardly, but the system remained silent.
This system was truly unreliable!
Li Yu wanted to roll her eyes, but the Luoyu suddenly moved again.
It flapped its massive wings, creating a gust of wind and a large wave that rocked the ship violently.
Li Yu quickly grabbed the railing to steady herself.
The rain intensified, pounding on the deck, making her heart race.
The ship’s captain, who had initially retreated to the cabin at the envoy’s orders, suddenly rushed back onto the deck with several crew members.
“What are you doing out here?!” Zhao Xianchen shouted. “It’s dangerous! Go back inside!”
“The wind is too strong! We have to lower the sails!” The captain was even more frantic and immediately ordered his crew to lower the foresail.
Zhao Xianchen anxiously looked at Li Yu. “Immortal, this is no ordinary sea monster. If we don’t drive it away, it will capsize the ship!”
Li Yu: “Mm.”
So? Why was he looking at her? They should be attacking it!
Thinking this, Li Yu looked at Mo Yichu without hesitation. “Nephew, a mere Luoyu. I’ll leave it to you. Show me what you’ve learned all these years.”
As she spoke, everyone turned to look at Mo Yichu.
Zhao Xianchen: “Immortal Mo?”
Mo Yichu: “…”
After a brief silence, he frowned and said, “If I attack it here, the ship might sink. It would be better if we were closer to shore, but we can’t even see land…”
The ship might sink? That wouldn’t do!
Li Yu: “I can’t swim.”
Mu Tao: “…?”
Mo Yichu: “Master Li Yu is truly humorous.”
Li Yu: “…”
It just slipped out!
That monstrous fish hovering in the sky was so terrifying it made her brain short-circuit!
Li Yu glanced at her compatibility, surprised to find it hadn’t decreased.
Either the situation was too tense, and the person in charge of deductions was too preoccupied, or her image in the two juniors’ minds was already far removed from the concept of seriousness.
Anyway, that wasn’t the most pressing issue!
How were they supposed to deal with this monster launching ranged attacks from afar?!
If they didn’t fight, the ship would capsize, but if they did, they might sink it!
【The system has detected that the Luoyu’s target is the Wind Spirit Pearl!】
Wind Spirit Pearl?
Was that the pearl Mo Yichu used to accelerate the ship?
What a lazy name…
But she had no memory of this artifact.
Even if she had skimmed through the novel, such a generic name like Wind Spirit Pearl, Fire Spirit Pearl, Earth Spirit Pearl, or Thunder Spirit Pearl, would have surely stuck in her memory if it had appeared in the story.
In the original story, the male protagonist spent all his time with the female protagonist, either comforting her or teaching her spells. They were always together and never bothered with a formation to speed up the ship.
Li Yu finally understood. Without Mu Tao constantly clinging to him, Mo Yichu must have been bored and decided to accelerate the ship with this pearl, inadvertently attracting the Luoyu!
That’s why she didn’t remember this Luoyu!
It was a new addition!
Another, even larger wave hit the ship, causing it to tilt precariously.
A crew member, struggling to furl the mainsail, lost his grip and fell.
The deck was flooded with seawater. He had nothing to grab onto and slid towards the edge of the ship, crashing against the railing.
As another wave approached, just as he was about to be swept overboard, a beam of spiritual light caught him and pulled him back to safety behind the others.
The man, shaken and choking on seawater, could only cough, unable to even thank Mo Yichu, who had saved him.
“The waves are too strong! The barrier can’t hold much longer!” Zhao Xianchen shouted urgently. “Immortal Mo, if you don’t act, the ship will capsize!”
Mo Yichu frowned, seemingly making up his mind.
He raised his right hand in a sword-wielding gesture, and a long sword materialized in his hand, accompanied by a flash of spiritual light.
He pointed the sword towards the monster, the blade gleaming as it gathered the falling rain.
The rainwater instantly transformed into countless ice shards, hovering in the air, ready to strike.
Li Yu gasped.
So, Mo Yichu wasn’t exaggerating when he said attacking here might sink the ship.
If the mere preparation was this intense, a full-blown fight would definitely sink them, leaving everyone who couldn’t fly as fish food!
Not wanting to be a soaked immortal, Li Yu quickly grabbed Mo Yichu’s arm, stopping him from attacking.
She hadn’t realized until now, but this sword looked familiar.
It was the same sword the little protagonist used to stab her in her dreams—the broken version, of course.
So, the murder weapon was a gift from him!
Mo Yichu, his attack interrupted, looked at her in confusion.
But Li Yu ignored his confusion and shouted, “Monsters aren’t sentient; they are driven by instinct! If it’s attacking us, there must be something on this ship it wants!”
Her voice was almost drowned out by the rain.
Fortunately, cultivators had good hearing. Mo Yichu’s expression changed; he had heard her.
Before he could react, Mu Tao pointed towards the formation at the stern, still faintly glowing green.
“Master!” Mu Tao shouted. “This monster can control wind and rain. A wind-type artifact must be beneficial to it! Could it be after Senior Brother’s Wind Spirit Pearl?”
So smart, the little protagonist understood instantly!
Zhao Xianchen looked at the stern, hesitation in his eyes. “But I heard that this Luoyu frequently causes storms at sea, troubling many fishermen. If we let it obtain such a powerful artifact, then…”
“Don’t worry!” Li Yu quickly said. “Giving it the artifact today is just to ensure everyone’s safety! Lord Zhao, if you can give us some time, we will definitely deal with this monster!”
She patted Mo Yichu’s shoulder firmly.
—Go get ‘em, kid! I’m counting on you!
“Rest assured, Lord Zhao, my nephew can handle this alone.” Li Yu said this without a shred of guilt. “A mere Luoyu is nothing to him.”
Mu Tao chimed in loudly, “Master is right!”
Mo Yichu: “…Master Li Yu speaks the truth.”
Li Yu: “Then hurry up and do it!”
Urged by Li Yu, Mo Yichu withdrew his sword intent and flew to the top of the mast.
With a wave of his hand, the spiritual pearl from the formation flew into his palm.
The Luoyu in the distance reacted, its massive wings ceasing to create waves. It hovered above the water, its large body slowly rotating.
A terrifying waterspout formed around it, twisting the clouds and rain.
Mo Yichu channeled his spiritual energy into the pearl and then, with a powerful throw, hurled it towards the horizon.
The Luoyu, losing its focus, gradually stopped rotating.
Its pale eyes followed the pearl’s trajectory.
After a moment of silence, it flapped its massive wings, its heavy body and long tail swaying as it glided across the water, chasing after the pearl.
It looked…
…like a dog chasing a frisbee.
The dark clouds, the heavy rain, and the waterspout all gradually dissipated as the Luoyu flew away.
As Mo Yichu descended from the mast, sunlight broke through the dispersing clouds.
Mu Tao couldn’t help but exclaim, “How far did you throw that?!”
“I don’t know,” Mo Yichu said, his sword disappearing.
“Will it come back after it gets the pearl?” Zhao Xianchen was worried about this.
“I don’t know.”
“What do we do now?” Mu Tao tilted her head.
“I don’t know.”
He really didn’t know anything.
Zhao Xianchen raised his hand. “I know what to do!”
What to do now?
It was obvious.
“Quickly, everyone, come out and help!” he shouted towards the cabins. “Bail out the water, repair the damage, set the course, and raise the sails! We can’t let that Luoyu catch up!”
Seeing the mortals emerging from the cabins, cleaning up the mess under the captain’s direction, Li Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Many people on board didn’t have spiritual power and had been thrown around during the storm, sustaining minor injuries.
Fortunately, they weren’t complaining, their faces showing relief at having survived.
“Master, let me help you back to your room to rest!”
Li Yu turned to look at Mu Tao.
Seeing the concern in the girl’s eyes, she couldn’t refuse and nodded.
After the sudden monster attack, Li Yu’s cabin was a mess of spilled food.
She had intended to clean it herself, but Mu Tao, after a moment of silence upon opening the door, led her to her own room.
“Master, please rest here. I’ll let you know when your room is cleaned!”
Mu Tao closed the door behind her.
Li Yu felt a twinge of guilt, but then she thought—being waited on like this was more in line with the original owner’s aloof persona!
So, she sat down on Mu Tao’s bed without a second thought.
The Luoyu didn’t return, and the damage to the ship was quickly repaired.
That night, Zhao Xianchen knocked on their doors with two jars of good wine, wanting to thank the three immortals for saving them.
However, none of the three in the cabins drank alcohol.
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