The Eastern Continent Swordsman
CH. 29 – Something in Luzon Sea

Shen Shen rolled up the map that Feng Yaoshan had created and then placed it onto a golden-colored storage tube. A special tube used to protect important files from damage by water or fire. Few people have such a type of storage tube. Shen Shen deliberately asked him from Feng Yaoshan to keep watch.

“Next, here, please open and you can take everything,” Feng Yaoshan grabbed a crate that a while ago also brought by his servant. The coffin measures about 40 x 30 cm with dragon carvings on its outer surface.

The contents of the chest, of course, are coins. It was Zhou Fu's second request after drawing a map of the region. Zhou Fu grabbed the dragon-patterned coffin and pushed it towards Shen Shen, he gestured for Shen Shen to open the coffin and ascertain whether the amount was enough or still lacking.

Shen Shen stood up for a moment to open the dragon-patterned chest that was on the table. There was a padlock that locked the crate but a small key was still attached there. Shen Shen opened the lock and then removed the padlock so that he could unscrew the dragon-tinted coffin.

“Senior, thank you in advance. Unexpectedly senior had this much treasure despite being far away from Caihong,” Shen Shen's eyes twinkled as he opened the chest and found a pile of silver and gold coins inside. Shen Shen could not guess how much money was in the chest because of the sheer amount.

Feng Yaoshan scratched his own head, he smiled faintly. Feng Yaoshan actually also felt shocked because his servant actually took out the chest that had the most contents. There were actually quite a few chests in the storage room, not all of them were filled with many coins but the coffin that Shen Shen now had in his hands was the one that had the most contents among the others.

“Alright, close the crate again because now I will charge my third request!” Zhou Fu stood up and gestured for Shen Shen to follow him. Shen Shen closed his coin chest again, he then walked in the footsteps of Zhou Fu who approached the banquet hall door.

Feng Yaoshan who was left behind, seemed to be hurriedly chasing after Zhou Fu to remind something.

“Brother Zhou, um.. As we said earlier, I have the right to bring items from this ship that you do not ask for, you do not forget?” Feng Yaoshan tried to remind Zhou Fu.

Zhou Fu's third request was to take over the ownership of the Shamo state-flagged ship they were currently aboard. In other words, Feng Yaoshan would be expelled from his own ship.  

Zhou Fu stopped his steps when Feng Yaoshan called out to him from behind. Hearing that question from Feng Yaoshan, Zhou Fu replied without turning his head. He said that he had not forgotten his promise, the promise to let Feng Yaohsan bring some things from inside the ship.

***

As soon as he walked out of the banquet hall, Shen was startled as there were several maids and bodyguards already standing in front. Although there were many bodyguards in front of the banquet hall, Zhou Fu and Shen Shen were very confident that they had heard nothing from inside the room. This is because the banquet hall is specifically designed with tight and thick bulkheads. Making human voices will be difficult to hear from the outside. Only the sound of bells could pierce the dense bulkhead of the banquet hall.

Zhou Fu was standing right in front of the door with Shen Shen, the two of them were waiting for Feng Yaoshan who was still left behind. Previously, Zhou Fu and Feng Yaoshan had already made an agreement on what matters they used as the reason for their separation in that place. Regarding that reason, Feng Yaoshan had an obligation to explain to his bodyguards.

Feng Yaoshan was already on the door lips, he seemed to be pretending to throw a smile at his two guests then walking straight a few steps forward. All of his guards and servants, numbering about twenty, were now bowing to pay their respects.

“Listen to my instructions carefully!” Feng Yaoshan started his announcement being greeted with a ready position by the bodyguards and servants.

“There was something urgent that made me have to get off this ship. One of you, please take a small boat and give a message to the escort ship that is behind this ship. Tell me if I am forced to come to their ship,” Feng Yaoshan stopped his announcement for a moment to pause. All the bodyguards and servants were seen looking at each other with Feng Yaoshan's decision.

“Hal urgently happened. I only found out about it a moment ago. Miss Shen contracted a disease that became a deadly plague on an island far from here,” Feng Yaoshan lectured as he pointed his hand towards Shen Shen very politely, he said, then he turned to face his guards again.

“For the common good, brother Zhou Fu will escort Miss Shen to an acquaintance healer on an island not far from here. Brother Zhou may also have contracted the disease,” continued Feng Yaoshan.

When Feng Yaoshan said so, Shen Shen threw a wistful smile at all the bodyguards. He hoped that his face would make people believe that he was infected with an illness.

***

An hour had passed from Zhou Fu's farewell to Feng Yaoshan. Before actually parting ways, Shen Shen told Feng Yaoshan that he had no special relationship with Zhou Fu. It was said by Shen Shen to bind Feng Yaoshan, making the man seem to still have hope of gaining Shen Shen's heart.

If Shen Shen gave Feng Yaoshan a hint of hope, he was sure that the man could not possibly intend to harm him, and still be able to keep all the secrets perfectly.

Now the Shamo state-flagged ship has moved towards the Luzon sea. The vast sea that separates the land of Caihong and Shamo in fact does have a unique historical record.

“Indeed, what makes you really want to go there?” Zhou Fu who was lying on the deck of the ship asked Shen Shen who was standing enjoying the breeze on the edge of the ship.

Shen Shen smiled a slight smile, he recalled the contents of the history book he had read in the library of the Caihong noble school.

“There is a mysterious location in the Luzon Sea. A famous traveler once left a diary of his before he died. The diary notes that there is a civilization that sank on the bottom of the ocean. But, that was not the most important thing,” Shen Shen replied while fixing her messy hairdo due to the wind.

“Then?” Zhou Fu replied with a short question.

“There is a treasure guarded in there. Other history books mention if the treasure is an ancient heirloom whose existence is quite rare. Unfortunately, the heirloom is guarded by a fierce creature, at least according to the history book so.”

“Then?”

“Yes, I don't think it would hurt if we checked.”

“Kita?” Zhou Fu frowned, he felt Shen Shen mispronounce. In fact, all this time, he was the only one who jumped into trouble. Including if they later arrived at the Luzon sea, Zhou Fu was sure that only he would hunt the ancient heirloom that Shen Shen meant.

“Hehe... Ehm.. I mean, can I ask for help that you would be willing to find me the heirloom?” Shen Shen played around with his fingers while showing a spoiled face.

Zhou Fu looked at Shen Shen Shen's strange behavior then immediately replied in a loud voice.

“No!”

“Please... Whatever you want from me, I will fulfill it...”.

“Nothing I want from you, huahhh..” Zhou Fu replied by yawning, he tilted his body and closed his eyes slowly due to drowsiness. This made Shen Shen upset that again her beauty was useless in front of Zhou Fu.

However, Shen Shen was convinced that Zhou Fu would enter the Luzon Sea and find an heirloom for him. Zhou Fu loved challenges, and entering a civilization submerged under the Luzon sea was something of a challenge.