The stench of burning flesh hung heavy in the air, thick smoke from the conflagration mingling with the wreckage—a truly nightmarish scene.
Teng Qingshan was studying the text in the book.
“It seems the script of this North Sea Continent is different from the writing in our Nine Provinces. However, I have another concern now... I wonder if the spoken language of our Nine Provinces is the same as that of this North Sea Continent!” Teng Qingshan worried slightly.
Upon hearing this, Li Jun quickly agreed, “Right. I heard that even in our Nine Provinces, the language spoken in some Western Regions' kingdoms is different from ours. This North Sea Continent... it's much farther away than the Western Regions.”
Teng Qingshan nodded.
Even within the Nine Provinces, although they shared a common language, there were regional variations in speech.
“Brother Teng,” Li Jun offered comfortingly, “don’t worry too much. Moon Bright Island is extremely far from our Nine Provinces. But the language spoken on Moon Bright Island is the same as ours. Perhaps the North Sea Continent is like that too!”
Teng Qingshan held the tattered book, smiling. “What am I worrying about! If need be, I’ll just spend some time learning it again!”
In his previous life, as a top assassin in the dark world, Teng Qingshan was fluent in several foreign languages. Having undergone rigorous, mandatory training by the assassin organization, he had mastered certain tricks for language acquisition.
“Learn?” Li Jun nodded, giggling, “It shouldn't be as hard as learning the Beast Language! I managed to pick up the Beast Language in just a few months, so I’m sure I can learn the language of the North Sea Continent quickly too.”
“Mm, let’s go! We can’t read these characters anyway, so having the books is useless for now.” Teng Qingshan tucked the damaged book away.
Immediately, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun headed in the direction of the Tungwood boat.
When they arrived, Teng Qingshan and Li Jun had followed the trail of human habitation. For their departure, Teng Qingshan chose a direct, straight-line path, hacking through the undergrowth straight toward the Tungwood boat.
Moments later.
“Hmm? There’s another settlement here?” Teng Qingshan looked out at a vast, empty clearing littered with the charred remains of wooden huts and corpses strewn everywhere.
“Those people were too cruel; they didn't even spare the elderly, women, or children,” Li Jun clenched her fists, her face contorted with rage.
“Someone is still alive!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes suddenly lit up; he could sense a faint breath.
“Someone survived?” Li Jun was equally surprised.
“Yes.” Teng Qingshan’s gaze fell upon a few bodies near a dilapidated wooden shack ahead. He immediately moved over and gently pushed aside two corpses, revealing a thin little girl with a scar across her face, her complexion deathly pale.
Her tattered padded jacket was stained with blood.
With the keenness of Teng Qingshan’s Six Senses, he could clearly detect that faint breathing. Teng Qingshan extended his palm and pressed it against the little girl's back. A gentle, water-blue radiance flowed into her body.
Internal Gang Qi was superior to Innate True Essence when it came to nurturing life and providing therapeutic support.
“Mmm.” The girl’s color shifted slightly from the ashen pallor of death, though she remained very pale. A faint sound escaped her nostrils. Her dry, pale lips parted slightly.
“Xiao Jun, bring water,” Teng Qingshan instructed.
Li Jun remained standing to the side. Teng Qingshan glanced back and saw Li Jun biting her lip, her eyes red.
“Xiao Jun?” Teng Qingshan called out again.
Li Jun startled back to attention.
“Go get water,” Teng Qingshan ordered, sensing it was better to keep Li Jun from overthinking things at that moment. “Okay, okay.” Li Jun quickly scanned the surroundings and soon spotted a wooden bucket not far away containing water.
A woman lay collapsed beside the bucket.
Li Jun immediately used a ladle to scoop up a portion and hurried over, moving carefully as if afraid to spill a single drop.
“Brother Teng, is she going to be alright?” Li Jun asked with concern.
“The injury isn’t severe. She was stabbed in the back. Fortunately, her constitution is quite good, so the wound closed quickly, and she didn't lose too much blood. It saved her life.” As he spoke, Teng Qingshan carefully poured water into the girl’s mouth.
The girl unconsciously opened her mouth and managed to swallow some.
“Judging by the scene, the blood hasn’t completely dried. They probably died only an hour or two ago,” Teng Qingshan observed the little girl. “Even though the wound wasn't bleeding fast, if we had arrived half an hour later, she would have certainly died.”
If not for Teng Qingshan’s acute senses, they likely would have walked right past her. That little girl would have passed away silently.
“Hiss~~” A trace of water-blue light flickered over the girl's skin before receding back inside.
“Yes. That should suffice.” Teng Qingshan withdrew his right hand, which had been resting on her back. “She’s stable now. If she eats something to replenish her vital energy and blood, she will recover quickly.”
Teng Qingshan stood up.
Li Jun knelt down, supporting the little girl.
“The people who died on this island likely had some background. Otherwise, the enemy wouldn't have brought warships to massacre them,” Teng Qingshan remarked, his gaze sweeping over the girl. “This little girl’s clothes are ragged, she looks thin and pale, and she has a scar on her face—her daily life was clearly not easy. She was probably at the bottom rung on this island.”
Just then.
The little girl’s eyelids twitched, and then her eyes slowly opened. Her normally bright eyes widened in terror as she looked at the man and woman before her. When she noticed the corpses nearby, she seemed to recall the events that had transpired, and her eyes bulged round.
Her gaze was filled with panic, and her body trembled violently.
“Aah, aah.” It sounded like a mute screaming. The little girl shoved Li Jun’s hand away and scrambled backward, her seated movement causing the wound on her back to reopen, releasing a fresh flow of blood.
The girl seemed oblivious to the pain, staring at Teng Qingshan and Li Jun with sheer terror.
“Don't move.” In her eyes, the tall man suddenly shot to her side and pressed several spots on her back in rapid succession.
“This little girl has suffered too great a shock,” Teng Qingshan said, shaking his head as he watched her state.
“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid.” Li Jun walked over, took the little girl’s hand, and gently wiped the dirt from her face with the other. The girl seemed terrified, but she dared not resist, allowing Li Jun to clean her face.
Li Jun looked at the girl with an incredibly tender expression.
Seemingly sensing goodwill, the girl gradually relaxed.
“Brother Teng, should we take her with us?” Li Jun looked up.
Teng Qingshan looked back at Li Jun.
“Everyone nearby is dead. It’s likely her parents and relatives are gone too,” Li Jun whispered. Hearing this, tears immediately streamed down the little girl’s face, droplet after droplet rolling down her cheeks.
Seeing this, Li Jun felt even more heartache. “She’s all alone now, destitute and helpless. If we don’t help her, how can she survive on an island by herself?”
“Fine, bring her along. We’ll settle her somewhere safe once we reach the shore of the North Sea Continent,” Teng Qingshan agreed without hesitation.
Li Jun hugged the little girl, and together with Teng Qingshan, they walked toward the Tungwood boat.
...
On the Tungwood boat, the little girl huddled fearfully in a corner.
“Set sail!”
Teng Qingshan retrieved the anchor and gripped the two long oars, beginning to row. Those massive oars, just looking at them suggested that without tens of thousands of pounds of strength, one couldn't even move them once.
Yet, Teng Qingshan handled them with surprising ease, causing the little girl huddled in the corner to stare wide-eyed.
“Yoo~~ yoo~~” Qingluan gently fanned its wings on the deck, spreading its tail feathers as if displaying its magnificence. This sight also drew the little girl’s gaze.
“Have something to eat,” Li Jun emerged from the cabin, holding freshly warmed steamed buns.
The pastries they brought from Moon Bright Island were still there. Thankfully, the dried ones could last a long time, though most of the meat buns, even when carefully stored, had spoiled. The steamed buns, however, were still edible.
The moment the little girl saw the buns, she snatched one and devoured it in huge bites.
“Don’t choke. Have some water,” Li Jun offered a cup.
In front of this little girl, Li Jun displayed an unprecedented tenderness, like an older sister caring for her younger sibling. After eating three buns in quick succession, the girl’s complexion visibly improved. She watched Teng Qingshan and Li Jun with a look of curiosity.
“Don’t be scared. If you’re tired, go have a nap,” Li Jun said softly.
“Haha…” Teng Qingshan, who was vigorously rowing the oars, laughed. “Xiao Jun, this little girl might not understand our words. What good does it do to say so much to her if she can’t comprehend it?”
Li Jun smiled and didn't say more. She placed the plate aside and sat on the deck, taking the little girl’s hand.
It seemed that through this clasp, she was conveying a message of friendliness.
“Th-thank you, big sister, uncle!” A very low, soft voice sounded across the deck.
Silence.
Even the languid Qingluan turned its head to look at the little girl. The expressions of Teng Qingshan, who was rowing, and Li Jun, who was holding the girl’s hand, instantly froze.
“She understood!” Teng Qingshan was overjoyed.
“She understood us!” Teng Qingshan was both shocked and thrilled. The North Sea Continent was extremely distant from the Nine Provinces.
But the language was the same!
The little girl’s utterance of ‘big sister’ and ‘uncle’ was articulated with perfect clarity, using the very language of the Nine Provinces. Although there were minor regional inflections, it was perfectly understandable upon first hearing!
While being called 'uncle' instead of 'big brother' made Teng Qingshan want to laugh and cry—he was only nineteen!—he was nevertheless immensely excited inside. If they could understand each other, many difficulties traveling the North Sea Continent would be eliminated.
“This is good news,” Teng Qingshan smiled.
“Mm, since we understand her, things will be much more convenient,” Li Jun was equally happy.
“You can talk?” Li Jun looked at the little girl with surprise. She hadn't spoken a word from the beginning until now.
The little girl looked at Teng Qingshan and Li Jun somewhat flustered. Wasn't she just expressing thanks? Why were they so shocked that she could speak? Did they... not expect her to understand? The girl was filled with confusion.
“Yes,” the little girl replied softly, though still tinged with fear.
“Why didn’t you speak before?” Li Jun asked, surprised.
The little girl lowered her voice, “I—I was afraid you were people sent by the Chunshen family. Only after getting on the boat did I realize there were only two of you. You weren't that large group from the Chunshen family.”