Chapter 75: Indigo

Fortunately, the three men sent to investigate the brothels did not keep Lin Qian waiting long.

They all returned to the ship just two days later.

There was no time for pleasantries or a welcome-back feast. The moment the three stepped aboard, Lin Qian asked, "Well? Did you find anything?"

Lei Sanxiang spoke first: "Helmsman, you guessed it again. Those sea turtles really do haul girls into the ship city."

Chen Jiao continued: "And they don't just take girls from one place. In all three counties—Chaoyang, Huilai, and Chenghai—girls have gone up there... Let Brother Yiguan tell it, he gathered the most information."

Once everyone was aboard, they took their seats in the officers' mess.

After sitting down, Zheng Zhilong said, "Helmsman, I went to Chaoyang County and visited three of the top brothels. Girls from two of them had gone, and some had gone multiple times.

Li Kuiqi's men would come to pick them up at the end of the third watch. After boarding the ship, they'd be blindfolded. After sailing for about one to four hours, they'd be fed drugged wine.

The girls who drank the drugged wine would feel their bodies burning hot and their minds fogged. When they arrived, they still weren't allowed to remove their blindfolds. They couldn't see a thing and had no idea where they were."

Lei Sanxiang nodded: "Right, what I found out is the same."

Chen Jiao: "The situation in Huilai County is much the same. They don't send for girls every night—rather, once every three or four days. Sometimes they won't call for girls for half a month straight."

Lin Qian toyed with his teacup, thinking this basically matched his speculation. The ship city gathered and dispersed at will—when a typhoon came, the ship city broke apart and anchored ashore, so naturally they wouldn't call for girls for half a month straight.

Zheng Zhilong then said, "However, not all the girls obediently wore their blindfolds and drank the drug. One who had gone several times grew curious and didn't follow the rules.

She only lifted a corner of her blindfold and wasn't noticed, but after she returned she was scared out of her wits. She's been bedridden, sick ever since."

As he spoke, Zheng Zhilong took out a sheet of paper and began sketching on it with a charcoal pencil.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it. Zheng Zhilong drew a rough map—the middle showed clustered ships, and the outer layer was a ring of black lines, looking like two concentric circles.

Zheng Zhilong said, "This outer ring is the ship city's hidden reefs. After passing the reefs and sailing for a little over half an hour, this inner ring is the ship city itself."

Lin Qian stared at the drawing and asked, "When did this girl go?"

Zheng Zhilong: "Not long after Brother Zhou and the others were captured."

Zheng Zhilong pointed at the drawing again: "The girl said she was dragged back and forth all night and walked through most of the ship city. But she was too nervous at the time, and the ship city's layout is complex, so her memory isn't precise.

But there's one thing she could be certain of—Li Kuiqi is right here."

With that, Zheng Zhilong reached out and tapped the northwest corner of the ship city.

"He's on the outer edge of the ship city?" Lei Sanxiang found this puzzling.

From his military experience, the main general's tent in a camp should be right in the middle.

Zheng Zhilong said with certainty: "The girl's description of Li Kuiqi's appearance matches the helmsman's account exactly. It can't be wrong. His flagship is at the edge of the ship city."

"That's strange." Chen Jiao also found it baffling.

Lin Qian thought for a moment and smiled: "Everyone knows the story of the Battle of Red Cliffs well. Li Kuiqi naturally knows the ship city's weakness too. He seems like a gallant hero of the jianghu, but in truth he's very protective of his own life. Isn't placing his flagship here perfect for a quick escape?"

The two men suddenly understood upon hearing this.

Lin Qian continued: "Based on the position, I'd guess that the reef-free waterway Bai Qing took when leaving the ship city should also be around here."

After hearing this whole analysis, Lei Sanxiang was dumbfounded: "From a sloppy scribble, how can you spin out so much!"

Lin Qian just smiled at this and didn't respond. He turned to Zheng Zhilong and asked, "That girl was frightened in the ship city—I imagine questioning her took considerable effort?"

Zheng Zhilong smiled: "It was my duty. Don't worry, Helmsman—I've already taken care of her. She won't tell anyone else about this."

Just as they were speaking, Bailangzai led Bai Qing aboard.

Lin Qian greeted him: "Perfect timing. Bai Qing, take a look at this drawing."

Bai Qing strode forward, examined it, and exclaimed in surprise: "This is—"

"A map of the ship city."

"How did you get it?"

Lin Qian: "Never mind where the map came from for now. Just tell me—does it match your memory? And do you remember which direction you left from?"

Bai Qing studied it carefully for a long while, then said: "I can't recall exactly where each ship was, but it was roughly circular in shape, similar to this drawing. As for the direction I left from, it was approximately the northwest of the ship city."

Everyone exchanged glances.

Now everything lined up.

Finally, all eyes turned to Lin Qian, waiting for his final decision.

Lin Qian said to Bailangzai: "Li Kuiqi's spies can be eliminated now."

Bailangzai clasped his fists: "This subordinate obeys!"

"Bai Qing, go gather some good hands and follow behind the big ship."

Having said this, Lin Qian's gaze swept over the crowd—everyone was staring at him with bright, eager eyes.

"Pass the order: at the third ke of noon, weigh anchor and leave port!"

The next morning.

The Santa Ana slowly sailed into the outer edge of the coral reef lagoon.

On the stern deck, Chen Jiao pointed into the distance: "Helmsman, the lagoon is right there."

Following Chen Jiao's finger, they saw a vast patch of indigo-blue water abruptly appearing on the deep blue sea.

This abrupt color difference was caused by varying water depths. Sailors generally used it to judge shallows and avoid running aground.

But such a massive expanse of indigo was extremely rare. Many crew members crowded to the gunwales, holding their breath to watch.

Lin Qian had the Santa Ana lower its sails and reduce speed.

Bai Qing and her brother, along with a dozen or so skilled hands, rowed ahead in Tanka boats to the lagoon's edge and anchored, then all jumped into the water.

In the time it takes to smoke a pipe, they surfaced, swam back to the Tanka boats, and dispersed to search elsewhere.

An hour later, someone on a boat waved his arm, signaling that they'd found the waterway.

The other Tanka boats came forward and arranged themselves in two columns, marking the bounds of the channel.

Bai Qing wrung out her hair and waved her arm toward the ship, signaling that it was safe to pass.

"The lagoon's entrance really is here." Zheng Zhilong said with delight.

Lin Qian had the Santa Ana raise sail and pass through that waterway.

The sea conditions here were unknown, so the ship moved very slowly.

Lin Qian furled the main sails on all three masts—fore, middle, and aft—and sailed using only the three triangular sails at the bow.

The triangular sails were highly maneuverable, making it easy to turn the rudder and adjust sails at any moment to evade obstacles.

The coral reef was not extensive; after only about a quarter-hour of sailing, the color of the seawater ahead deepened once more.

This was a sign that they had already entered the interior of the lagoon.

Lin Qian raised his telescope, and through the morning mist, he could already faintly make out the ship-city floating on the distant sea.

They sailed on for a little over half an hour more.

The ship-city in the telescope was now very clear. Its edges were almost entirely unguarded—only a few pirates were pissing into the sea.

Quite a few pirates lay sprawled on the decks in deep sleep, with naked women sleeping beside them.

At the same time, Bai Qing and her younger brother had already set out by boat, rowing toward Li Kuiqi's flagship.

Yahei

Pink Round

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