Douluo Dalu: Volume 31: Ashore on Seagod Island

by Tang Jia San Shao

  “Third brother, don’t attack, he’s right, this captain isn’t bad.” This time the voice didn’t come from Ji Xiang, but rather from the ground, just strenuously sitting up, Ma Hongjun.

  “Eh?”

  Tang San looked somewhat shocked at Ma Hongjun. Right now Xiao Wu was dully sitting there, besides Ma Hongjun, the others all seemed to be unconscious.

  Seven strands of Blue Silver Emperor stretched out simultaneously, each wrapping around one of the seven, bringing them over to his side.

  “Fatty, what’s going on here?”

  Tang San looked at the pale and faintly blue Ma Hongjun, his brows creasing. Through his Blue Silver Emperor, he could clearly sense that, besides Xiao Wu, each of them was very weak. Ma Hongjun was a bit better, he could still manage to stay conscious. The six weak people all had one thing in common, their bodies were cold as ice.

  Ma Hongjun managed to look at Tang San, forcing out:

  “The captain tied us up outside in order to let the sun shine on us, we have to stand on both feet to leech the cold poison from the heart.” Finished saying this, Ma Hongjun’s head fell askew, also unconscious.

  Tang San couldn’t help feeling a burst of doubt, withdrawing the Blue Silver Overlord Spear on his arm. In a low voice he asked Purple Pearl:

  “You really did it in order to help them?”

  “Help farts, I’m torturing them. If you have the skill then kill me, go on! Attack. If you don’t dare you’re a turtle bastard. Come on!”

  Tang San’s oppression gone, Purple Pearls couldn’t keep from cursing with her bellyful of choked back anger. As a pirate fleet captain, her forceful explosion made the surrounding pirates’ expressions look a bit strange.

  As she spoke, the no longer suppressed Purple Pearl still planned on releasing her spirit abilities to make a fight of it.

  In terms of appearance, Purple Pearl was definitely second to none on this island, but her explosive temper was also equally second to none. Her subordinates always trembled with fear around her, who dared provoke her?

  Tang San was also cursed by her like this, only, having heard what Ma Hongjun had to said, his mood had already cooled down a lot. Having experienced such winds and waves, now being sure his lover and comrades were fine, that wise and farsighted calm Tang San returned again.

  The Blue Silver Overlord Spear rose again, that spear sharp aura forcefully interrupting Purple Pearl’s attempts to release her spirit abilities. Of course, Purple Pearl couldn’t say anything else. Even though she told Tang San to attack, she still didn’t have the courage to actually go up against that spear sharp Blue Silver Overlord Spear.

  His ears pure and peaceful, Tang San turned his gaze to the surrounding pirates,

  “Who can tell me how my comrades ended up here, and what happened next? I’ll count to three, and if nobody answers, I will kill your captain.”

  The ice cold Deathgod Domain spread once again. Of course, this time it wasn’t in order to attack, but rather to use the Deathgod Domain’s overwhelming murderous aura to tell the surrounding pirates that he wasn’t joking.

  Before Tang San could start counting, an aged pirate already stepped forward, eagerly saying:

  “Don’t attack, I know what’s going on here.”

  Tang San gazed coldly at him, and this elderly pirate didn’t dare be neglectful, recounting what had happened.

  Originally, after everyone had been knocked flying by the Deep Sea Demon Whale that day, they’d fallen into the ocean far away. Even though the Deep Sea Demon Whale couldn’t pursue, they were still knocked unconscious. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were also injured.

  Once they woke up, they’d already been scattered by the sea. Not one of them could swim, but some could fly. Once the relatively healthy Ma Hongjun woke up, he immediately took to the air and started searching for the others. With great difficulty he found them, and everyone gathered together, managing to stay afloat by taking out some buoyant items. Ma Hongjun’s spirit power was also largely exhausted because of the search. Everyone’s condition was severely lacking, and it was Xiao Wu, having eaten the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng and Yearning Heartbroken Red whose condition was the best.

  Time passed day by day, and even though they carried food in their spirit tools, drifting in sea water day after day, being unable to swim but having to wrestle with the waves all day, they basically had no chance to rest, and they also had to look after the injured Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. Everyone’s condition worsened by the day, and they could only hope to run into a fishing boat.

  Because of the attack that day and losing Tang San who had the Dragon Abyss Boat, they were unable to save themselves.

  By the tenth day, even with their Spirit Master physique they couldn’t persevere, but they had the misfortune of meeting a spirit beast. A ten thousand year level spirit beast.

  If it was on land and at full health, even Oscar could rely on the clone mirror image sausage to deal with a ten thousand year spirit beast. But, this was the ocean, and every one of them was so weak. Even though they ultimately managed to cooperate and kill that spirit beast, they were still injured. Not long after, everyone discovered that the ten thousand year spirit beast was venomous, and they were all infected by a kind of special cold poison. Even Ma Hongjun’s phoenix flames couldn’t dissolve the cold poison.

  Oscar’s little sausages could only retard its progress, but not remove the poison. Among the seven, only the one they always protected, Xiao Wu, was alright.

  Just at this extremely critical moment, they met the Purple Pearl. The pirates on the Purple Pearl saved them, and brought them back to Purple Pearl island. After inspection, these pirates, familiar with the sea, discovered that everyone had a kind of special cold poison. Such a poison couldn’t be treated by medicine, but it also wouldn’t kill people. That ten thousand year spirit beast they had met was the same as Purple Pearl’s spirit, called Sea Viper, but Purple Pearl couldn’t detoxify them either, they had to endure under the sun for three days and the toxin would automatically break down. Moreover, in these three days they couldn’t eat anything, only drink a bit of water, then stand up, and the cold poison would be forced into the ground by the sun. This was also why everyone were so weak.

  Soaking in the sea for so long, and then not being able to eat anything, it would be a wonder if their bodies were well.

  As for Xiao Wu, because she wasn’t poisoned, she recovered very quickly, and Purple Pearl with a somewhat skewed sexual orientation fancied her at first glance. Even though Purple Pearl’s natural instincts weren’t bad, she still had no immunity to Xiao Wu’s beauty, and decided to marry Xiao Wu before the others recovered, and by then the rice would already be cooked.

  “Cooking rice?”

  Tang San shot Purple Pearl a disdainful glance,

  “You have that ability?”

  Purple Pearl wanted to speak up, but the tyrannical aura of the Blue Silver Overlord Spear didn’t give her the chance.

  “A tiny cold poison, and it still needs the sun to expel?”

  Tang San snorted disdainfully, stretching a hand into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse. Under Ji Xiang’s astonished gaze, he pulled out a completely reddish gold pearl.

  Urging his spirit power, infusing it, golden red brilliance immediately flourished, just like a small sun held in his palm.

  At the same time as he infused the pearl with spirit power, Tang San also withdrew his Blue Silver Overlord Spear. Purple Pearl was just about to start cursing, but suddenly her whole body trembled, limply falling to the ground with a pale face. Enveloped by that golden red light, her eyes were filled with horror.

  Within that golden red radiance was a particular aura, making Purple Pearl basically unable to even speak. What made her most horrified was that pain seemed to come from the depths of her soul.

  Tang San shot Purple Pearl a cold glance, then no longer looked at her. Blue Silver Emperor shifting, he first of all pulled Zhu Zhuqing up in front of him. Lightly
grabbing her chin, he put the glittering pearl in his hand into Zhu Zhuqing’s mouth, his voice mixed with spirit power resounding in her ear,

  “Keep it, don’t swallow it.”

  Only when Zhu Zhuqing closed her little mouth did that terrifying aura disappear, and Purple Pearl heaved an enormous sigh of relief. Just when she was about to start cursing once again, Tang San used one sentence to shut her up.

  “Keep cursing, and not even chickens or dogs will be left alive here. Do you think someone here has the ability to stop me?”

  While speaking, the ice cold Deathgod Domain spread once again, suddenly piercing into Purple Pearl’s eyes along with the Purple God Light in his eyes. This wasn’t an attack, it was soul-deep terror.

  The timing Tang San chose was undoubtedly just right. After that feeling of horror just now and her helplessness before Tang San’s attacks, Purple Pearl basically had a heartfelt fear towards him. Further adding the soul terror, this moment, this female pirate leader ultimately didn’t dare curse.

  His gaze shifted to the old pirate who spoke just now,

  “Bring out a basin of water.”

  At the same time as he spoke, a Blue Silver Emperor swung out, taking advantage of the moment Purple Pearl was suppressed by the Purple God Light to poke her a few times, sealing both her spirit power and also her muting acupoint.

  Purple Pearl now reacted, opening her mouth to curse, but discovered that she was unable to make a sound. This phenomenon overwhelmingly awed the surrounding pirates, and some originally restless Spirit Masters immediately quieted down.

  Tang San didn’t look at them again, raising his hand to Zhu Zhuqing’s back, gentle Mysterious Heaven Skill infusing into her body.

  By now, Zhu Zhuqing’s skin already radiated a faint golden red brilliance, trace after trace of blue black aura constantly spreading from her body into the surroundings, her pale face also gradually growing rosy.

  The pearl Tang San took out was precisely the neidan he took from the Ten Headed Ardent Yang Serpent he met on the Hell Road. He didn’t know the characteristics of the poison within his friends, or why not even Fatty’s Phoenix Flame couldn’t resist it, but no matter what, this cold poison came from a snake type spirit beast. With the Ten Headed Ardent Yang Serpent’s position as overlord of snakes, plus its innate pure yang characteristic, it could still be controlled.

  Facts also proved Tang San correct. In a while, the cold poison within Zhu Zhuqing was already expelled, and she weakly opened her eyes.

  Tang San held his hand by her mouth, and Zhu Zhuqing spit out the burning pearl, weakly calling out,

  “Third brother……”

  Tang San put a Dragon Zoysia Leaf into Zhu Zhuqing’s mouth,

  “Chew it slowly and swallow. Don’t say anything, it’s important to rest properly first.”

  Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly. With Tang San here, she naturally wouldn’t worry about anything. Sitting crosslegged with Tang San’s assistance, she slowly chewed the Dragon Zoysia Leaf in her mouth and entered a cultivation state.

  Tang San naturally had reason to detoxify Zhu Zhuqing’s poison first. Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai were seriously injured that day, and after so long, their physical conditions were definitely the worst. And Zhu Zhuqing was also a girl, her physical qualities naturally couldn’t compare to Dai Mubai. Therefore, she was the first to be rescued.

  Next was Dai Mubai, Bai Chenxiang, Ning Rongrong, Oscar and Ma Hongjun. After each time using the Ten Headed Ardent Yang Serpent neidan, Tang San washed it and again infused it with spirit power to expedite its effect, then placed it in his comrades mouths one by one, helping them expel the cold poison.

  When all this was finished, Tang San heaved a sigh of relief, and at the same time a layer of cold sweat rose on his back. His comrades’ condition was even worse than he expected, the torment they had suffered in these more than ten days wasn’t a bit less than his. If they were really allowed to detoxify the poison under the sun, another three days of bitterness, perhaps their vitality would have been permanently injured. Even if they were saved, the progress of their strength in the future might have been substantially hindered.

  Having dealt with his friends, Tang San drew Xiao Wu in front of Purple Pearl.

  After Purple Pearls muting acupoint was sealed by Tang San, she couldn’t curse no matter how she wished to, and her hate for Tang San could be said to have reached an extreme. Seeing him walking over, her eyes immediately shot flames, exerting herself to stand up in the Blue Silver Prison, forcefully grabbing the Blue Silver Emperor bars, glowering at Tang San.

  That elderly pirate said in the distance:

  “Lord Spirit Emperor, your comrades have already been cured, can’t you release our captain? We never held any bad intentions towards your comrades, this is just a misunderstanding!”

  Tang San calmly said:

  “Release her? Can you guarantee we won’t be torn to shreds by the pirates here? I’ve just insulted your captain.”

  The elderly pirate was just about to promise, but seeing Tang San’s crystal clear and dignified gaze, his half-hearted words immediately came to a stop. For a moment he stood there in a daze.

  Tang San said:

  “Seeing as you really don’t have much hostility, I won’t kill your captain. However, the reason we ended up in this state was also because of your Purple Pearl pirate group. You should know Haider, it was because we rode his Seadevil that we were harmed, and ended up like this. I’m not worried about telling you that it was Haider who brought us to the Demon Whale territory, rousing the Demon Whale to attack us. We could still survive in front of that hundred thousand year level Deep Sea Demon Whale, let alone your place here. Even though I won’t kill your captain, I still won’t easily release her. As guarantee for me and my companions’ safety, I will prevail upon your captain for these few days. Have your people make a large pot of gruel, and deliver some other food. Don’t think of using poison, I have Ji Xiang here. As long as you do as I say, once my friends have recovered, we will leave, and I will naturally release your captain.”

  The old pirate was just about to speak up, but Tang San added:

  “Don’t try to haggle with me, you aren’t qualified. Unless you don’t care about her life.”

  A strand of Blue Silver Emperor swing out, winding around Purple Pearl. Tearing away the Blue Silver Prison, Tang San relied on the Blue Silver Emperor to pull Purple Pearl up next to him.

  The pirates looked at each other, for the moment there really was no way. They could only do as Tang San said. The old pirate said:

  “We’ll do as you say, but please follow your promise, don’t harm our captain.”

  Tang San said calmly:

  “At least at present I don’t have a reason to kill her, I hope you don’t give me one.”

  The Blue Silver Emperor shifted, and strand after strand snaked underneath everyone sitting. Under Tang San’s careful control, he brought everyone back to Purple Pearl’s house.

  Even though one wall of this rather large house was broken, there was enough space for everyone to rest inside.

  Tang San poked another few of Purple Pearl’s acupoints, then put her in a corner. Holding Xiao Wu, he softly caressed her long soft hair, comforting her panicked mood. He secretly heaved a sigh of relief, at least half the crisis had passed.

  Ji Xian quietly watched from Tang San’s side from start to finish. Seeing Tang San use his own strength to awe the entire Purple Pearl pirate fleet singlehandedly, in his heart, this master’s abilities rose to unprecedented heights.

  “Ji Xiang.”

  Hearing Tang San calling for him, Ji Xiang hastily walked up to Tang San, deferentially saying: “Master.”

  There was a gentleness in Tang San’s eyes. His gracefulness had reappeared, nothing like the one who had just terrified the group of pirates,

  “I hope you understand my methods. This is the Purple Pearl pirate fleet’s place, and I didn’t have any choice just now. I know you�
��re very attached to this place. I promise you not to hurt anyone as long as I can help it.”

  Hearing Tang San say so, Ji Xiang clearly felt as if relieved of a burden, forcefully nodding,

  “Master, thank you. Actually, even though captain Purple Pearl is ill mannered, she’s excellent to people. She frequently brings everyone on the Purple Pearl to help poor fishing villages. I know the Haider you mentioned, he relied on bringing a lot of Spirit Masters to join the pirate gang back then, and his position in the group wasn’t low, so he was always very arrogant. Offending you this time was his bad luck.”

  Tang San smiled slightly, saying:

  “It’s good as long as you understand. As for this captain Purple Pearl, I’ll let her keep quiet for a few days. I’ll see if I want to hear her curse then.”

  Ji Xiang glanced at the indignant but unable to vent Purple Pearl in the corner, and couldn’t help showing a smile,

  “Captain Purple Pearl might not have ever suffered a loss like this. Everyone among the pirates have had a taste of her temper, I didn’t expect she’d be taught a lesson by master. The method you used to keep her from speaking, isn’t it one of those acupoint sealing methods you mentioned?”

  Tang San nodded, saying:

  “That’s right. The human body has a lot of acupoints, there are large ones, small ones, numbing ones, killing ones. Striking different acupoints with different strength will cause special effects. Later I’ll draw you a diagram, but keep these in mind first. Even though you can’t increase your internal strength due to lacking a spirit ring, you still have to persist in cultivation. Familiarise yourself with the circulation path of the Mysterious Heaven Skill.”

  “Yes.”

  Before long, the food Tang San asked for had arrived. Even though he knew they wouldn’t dare play any tricks, Tang San still used silver needles to test each of the dishes for poison, then gave it to everyone to eat.

  * * *

  [1] “So”, you ask, “shouldn’t Tang San have realized from previous conversations?” The author’s intent was possibly to make the reader assume she was a man (though that’s doubtful, since he used “she” often enough in the text), but at least it should have been plausible for it to escape Tang San’s notice. It’s really difficult to get that to work out in translation. “She” and “he” are pronounced the same in Chinese, meaning Tang San wouldn’t have any way of knowing just from conversation. Tried reflecting that here, though it required some contortionist translations.