The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1237 - 658: Two Women Competing for Favor (Part 2)

Chapter 1237: Chapter 658: Two Women Competing for Favor (Part 2)

Going home...

Such a distant word.

Yesterday, after Zhao Douan left the Heavenly Master Mansion, he found Ji Yue and explained the next actions to her.

He didn’t explain too specifically, only mentioned that they needed to go to the Eastern Sea to find something, requiring the company of Ji Yue, the "local."

Because of this, Ji Yue tossed and turned, lying at the mouth of the well in the Imperial Court, staring at the moon, sleepless all night.

In the past few years, she had almost given up the idea of going home.

And after Zhao Douan understood it in detail, he roughly figured out the reason Ji Yue came to Yu Country.

According to the records in the dossier, during a voyage of Yu Country’s fleet, they encountered Ji Yue, who was being chased by people from the Eastern Sea Thousand Islands, leading to an unexpected clash and chaos.

The soldiers of Yu Country repelled the pursuers and captured Ji Yue as a "prisoner," because she had killed many soldiers, she was later imprisoned in Back Lake, acting as the "guardian spirit."

At that time, Zhao Douan did not know the deeper background information.

Such as why Ji Yue was being pursued? Her origins, etc.

It wasn’t until this journey to the Eastern Sea Thousand Islands that he learned about these, it turned out to be a tragic story:

The so-called Eastern Sea Thousand Islands is a general term for a scattered archipelago outside the borders of Yu Country, occupied by rebellious exotic realm inhabitants.

Tracing back, it’s related to the inland magicians who were keen on seizing islands in the sea many years ago, crafting caves.

Crafting caves required capturing some mortals for chores and support, resulting in the first batch of native residents.

And because of the rich ocean resources and the thin population on the Thousand Islands, the magician density is very high.

And the vast majority are followers of the Water God or Sea God.

The Divine ruling the Eastern Sea Thousand Islands is the "Sea God," similar in status to the Great La Ba, also not on the registered list of True Gods in Yu Country.

Every year, the ocean has a period when tsunamis, typhoons, and other severe weather phenomena occur intensively...

To Zhao Douan, a science student, it seems like normal climate change, atmospheric circulation influence, and so on...

But in this world, the existence of the Sea God makes things interesting.

According to Ji Yue, during the turbulent periods of the ocean, the Sea God enters a state of fury, indiscriminately attacking any life on the sea surface.

Thus disturbing the local order.

For a thousand years, the residents on the Thousand Islands have continued a tradition of worshiping the Sea God because of this.

Namely:

A lottery to select beautiful virgins of a certain age to be sacrificed as concubines to the Sea God.

And in that year, Ji Yue was chosen as a sacrifice.

To her, it was a disaster, and Ji Yue, who was already a cultivator at that time, fled decisively to avoid being made a sacrifice, and during her escape, she advanced by battling the pursuers...

And then, there’s the story about encountering the Yu Country’s fleet gathering resources and being captured.

"Don’t worry, we’re just going to retrieve something that originally belongs to Yu Country. We won’t disturb your homeland."

Zhao Douan thought for a moment and gave her a promise. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Unexpectedly, Ji Yue lifted her head and said seriously:

"From the moment they forced me to be a sacrifice and killed my parents who protected me, I no longer have a homeland."

Zhao Douan was taken aback.

For no reason, he suddenly understood why Ji Yue was a little socially anxious... A girl abandoned by her hometown, orphaned, and without belonging, captured and taken to a strange dynasty as prey... imprisoned at the icy lake bottom... social anxiety was just her means of self-protection.

Come to think of it... wasn’t he the same as her?

An outsider from familiar Earth, arriving in the foreign Yu Country?

Zhao Douan suddenly raised his hand, gently ruffling Ji Yue’s wet, Zhenzi-like long hair, and smiled:

"In that case, as an adult, I’ll take this opportunity on this voyage to vent your anger for you. Haha, those who dare bully someone under my charge must be tired of living!"

Ji Yue froze, her white pupils glistening.

At this moment, the group reached the deepest chamber, where three large doors stood side by side once more.

The central golden door was heavy and mysterious, instantly attracting everyone’s attention.

A look of bewilderment appeared on Tuoba Weizhi’s slightly dark face, and a blurry figure floated at the center of her brows, her Divine Soul seemingly about to break free.

Moreover, on the golden door, one of the grooves was also surrounded by a faint glow.

"It seems she is indeed one of the keys." The Old Heavenly Master nodded, with a hint of an unusual hue in his long, narrow eyes.

Zhao Douan also relaxed, holding back Tuoba Weizhi, who was being drawn toward the golden door:

"It’s not the time yet."

The figure at the center of Tuoba Weizhi’s brows sank back into her body, her dark eyes regained clarity, and she nodded, stepping back:

"I will obey my master completely."

Ji Yue glanced at her, thinking how competitive it was, this new subordinate her adult master accepted was so obsequious?

A faint sense of crisis arose in the small socially anxious heart... Hmph, vixen.

"Alright, Heavenly Master Zhang, let’s begin."

Zhao Douan coughed, looking seriously at Zhang Yan Yi.

The latter nodded and walked towards the blue door on the right.

...

...

In the early morning, a thin mist enveloped the Eastern Sea.

The dazzling dawn pierced through the mist, casting the Tianhai far apart.

Above the azure sky, seabirds leisurely glided by, soaring freely over the deep blue, boundless sea surface.

Suddenly, several yards above the sea, the air abruptly rippled into circles.

A blue door appeared out of nowhere, as if formed by the ocean, and the next moment, several figures emerged from the water one by one!

"Crap!"

The moment Zhao Douan stepped out, he lost footing, stumbling downward.

As a Martial Artist, he could hover briefly during combat but needed something to leverage, and the vast ocean was completely unsuitable for his skills.

"Master!"

"Sir, be careful!"

Tuoba Weizhi and Ji Yue grabbed Zhao Douan’s arms from left and right.

Ji Yue pressed down with an empty hand, and the sea surface rumbled and rose, freezing into a layer of ice, supporting the falling master and servant.

Just as Zhao Douan steadied himself, a small figure fell from above with an "ah!", almost landing on his neck, which he skillfully dodged.

Jin Jian thudded onto the ice, nearly losing her glasses from the bridge of her nose.

The young priestess hurriedly got up, holding her glasses with one hand and drawing her magic wand to support herself, in a flurry of motion.

The Old Heavenly Master was the last to step out from the door.

Zhang Yan Yi stood with his hands behind his back, the black priest robe fluttering slightly in the wind, as he leisurely and cheerfully descended, a stark contrast to the others’ awkwardness.

"Heh heh, well, we’re really on the sea." Zhang Yan Yi clicked his tongue in wonder.

Old Zhang, showing off again, is it worth it... Zhao Douan inwardly complained.

Looking around, all he saw was the endless sea, and compared to the land, his view expanded greatly.

He could only vaguely see a few black spots in the distance, unsure whether they were islands or reefs, and no ships in sight.

"No... which part have we fallen onto?"

Feeling a headache, Zhao Douan took out a nautical chart from his chest and unfolded it.

On the map, the islands were roughly arranged in an irregular "ring" shape, like a period drawn on the sea.

In the center of the ring, the core waters surrounded by islands was named "Silent Sea," with a more common nickname:

"East Sea Eye."

Reportedly, it was the dwelling place of the Sea God, a forbidden zone on the sea.

At this moment, Zhao Douan deeply missed Yu Xiu’s compass.

"We’re on the north side of the islands,"

Ji Yue spoke softly, the female sorcerer gazing towards the southern sea, as the salty wind blew open her black hair, revealing her pale face, and she murmured:

"I can sense it, the Sea God is in that direction."

Pausing, she faced everyone’s gaze and explained:

"Only outsiders need sea maps and compasses on the sea. We who live on the sea have always relied on the Sea God to judge directions."

Something akin to judging north and south by the position of the sun?

Zhao Douan praised:

"Great! Then you shall act as my compass."

Ji Yue’s eyes smiled into crescents, casting a proud glance at Tuoba Weizhi.

The witch’s face showed slight confusion, wanting to ask: What are you looking at...

"But how do we travel?" Zhao Douan looked at the Old Heavenly Master.

Zhang Yan Yi retorted:

"Don’t think about having this old man take you flying, the closer to the Sea God, the more my mana is suppressed, can’t waste it on traveling."

After speaking, the old man gently stroked his beard and shifted his tone:

"However, this old man has naturally anticipated this."

With a flick of his wide sleeve, Zhao Douan saw a delicate wooden sailboat model fly out from it, expanding and enlarging in a breath, transforming into a single-masted sailboat enough to accommodate ten people in the blink of an eye.

The boat landed on the sea with a thud.

After rocking briefly, it stabilized itself.

The sails on the boat adjusted as if alive, seemingly operated by a ghost.