HCB Chapter 380: Raging Ocean
Chapter 380: Raging Ocean
As night fell, the waves hit the side of the ship, making a series of low sounds. On this dark sea, an old triangular sailboat slowly sailed. The lights on the ship were bright, illuminating every corner of the deck. A Kusha sailor was patrolling on the deck, and his figure looked particularly tall against the light.
Suddenly, the sailor yawned and complained:
"It's really tiring, patrolling so late at night."
After saying that, he began to look around again to make sure he didn't miss anything suspicious.
At this moment, a cane appeared silently behind the sailor and hit him hard on the head. The crew turned around in horror and saw the captain coming out of the darkness.
"Stop whining!"
said the Captain sternly.
"This sea area has been a bit too busy recently, and we must remain vigilant at all times."
The sailor lowered his head and dared not speak again. He knew that the captain was right. This sea area was the sphere of influence of the pagans, and their warships came and went frequently. Once they targeted this small triangular sailboat, it would have no choice but to flee.
After teaching the sailors a lesson, the captain looked around and continued:
"Most of the pagan warships are now in the harbor, and the rest are patrolling the coast. I have been sailing on this route for so many years, and I have only encountered two or three warships in my trips. As long as you don't get distracted, you can escape if you encounter a large ship."
The captain's words eased the sailor's worries a little. He then patted the bag beside him, which was full of wheat.
"I made inquiries a month before I went out to sea. At that time, the price of wheat in Slaver Bay was about 10 silver coins per pound."
The captain said:
"And now, with the heathen army approaching, prices there are sure to rise. By the time we reach Slaver's Bay, the price of crops may double or more."
When the crew heard this, a gleam of greed flashed in their eyes. They all knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they could seize this opportunity, they would not only be able to make enough money, but also improve their status and living standards.
The captain looked at the crew's expectant eyes, smiled, and continued:
"So, after we sell the goods, the first thing we need to do is to buy a bigger ship. This way, we can transport more goods and find you a place to sleep in the rain. Then we will head north to the northern route. The situation there is relatively stable, and the market demand is strong. We can find more business opportunities there..."
At this moment, a lookout with a telescope ran over and said to the captain breathlessly:
"Boss, there is a three-masted sailing ship on the left side of our ship. It seems to be following us."
Upon hearing this, the captain immediately snatched the telescope from the lookout, then quickly walked to the stern, raised the telescope and looked behind. Through the lens, he clearly saw a huge three-masted sailing ship following his ship.
The three-masted sailing ship looked very magnificent, with a slender and elegant hull, towering masts, swaying in the wind, and several fluttering flags embroidered with various patterns and symbols hung on the ship.
"Damn, it's what I said, it's a pagan ship."
The captain cursed inwardly, feeling helpless. He knew that he could not fight the enemy and could only choose to escape. So he loudly ordered the sailors to raise the secondary sail and sail away from the mainland.
As the secondary sail of the ship was raised, the ship, which already had a speed advantage, became even faster. Not long after, the three-masted sailboat behind disappeared from sight. The captain breathed a sigh of relief, as it seemed that the other side had no intention of chasing their small boat.
However, just as he was about to order the ship to sail back towards the land, someone suddenly shouted:
"There's a big ship ahead!"
The captain was startled and immediately rushed to the bow of the ship, raised his telescope and looked forward.
In front of the ship, a huge ship was heading towards them. The captain's heartbeat quickened and he shouted:
"Hurry, turn right and get away from him!"
The captain shouted loudly and ordered his deputy to turn. But at this moment, the opposite ship suddenly changed direction and revealed the side of the ship. Cannons were seen protruding from the gun ports, and more than a dozen black muzzles were pointed in the direction of the ship.
At this moment, the cannons of the opposite ship opened fire in unison, like a thunderous sound that shook the entire sea. At the same time, more than a dozen shells were fired at the captain's ship. The captain's heart beat suddenly, and he immediately lay on the deck, holding his head tightly, not daring to move.
At this moment, the captain was in a very heavy mood, he knew he had to stay calm, otherwise he would face greater danger. He watched his sail being torn open by the cannonball, the sound seemed to tear his heart apart.
The moment the sail was pierced by the cannonball, the captain felt an unprecedented fear. He knew that this meant that their ship would lose power and could no longer move forward. However, the large ship on the other side was still firing cannonballs in an attempt to destroy their ship.
As the sail was broken, the speed of the ship slowed down. Suddenly, the ship trembled, and the captain's heart tightened. He immediately realized that a shell had hit the ship. Sure enough, not long after, a sailor ran to report in a panic:
"Captain, this is bad! A cannonball has made a big hole in the hull. If we don't take action, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out for long."
Upon hearing this news, the captain's face turned pale and he was filled with helplessness. He knew that it was now impossible to escape by driving this severely damaged ship. So he decisively ordered:
"Prepare the escape boat immediately!"
The crew members acted upon the order and quickly took out several small lifeboats from the cabin. Although these small boats were simple, they were the only hope for survival in a critical moment. The captain personally directed the release of the small boats onto the sea.
Following the order, everyone jumped onto the boat. The captain was the last one to board, and as he looked at the mothership going away, his eyes gleamed with determination. He knew that this farewell might be forever, but he had no time to grieve, and could only grit his teeth and persevere.
The boat was swaying in the waves, and everyone paddled together, rowing towards the land. Despite the rough wind and waves, everyone had only one thought in mind: survive!
As time went by, the captain felt that the boat had been tossed in the waves for a long time. Every impact of the waves made his heart beat violently, as if it would jump out of his chest at any time. However, he still held the oars tightly and rowed towards the beach.
Finally, after a wave passed, the captain saw the outline of land through the hazy sky. A strong sense of joy surged in his heart, and he knew that they were one step closer to the hope of survival.
The group paddled desperately, their arms ached and sweat soaked the backs of their clothes, but they still gritted their teeth and dared not relax at all.
As the boat gently ran aground on the beach, everyone jumped off and lay down exhausted on the beach. Their bodies were as weak as dead leaves blown by the wind, but the joy in their hearts could not be expressed in words.
The captain stood up and looked back, only to see that his ship, which had accompanied them through countless storms, was now quietly sinking in the sea.
Just as he was feeling sad, suddenly, a group of soldiers rushed down from the sand dunes on the opposite coast, holding weapons and looking grimly at the exhausted survivors.