Knight of the Sea

Chapter 58: Ultramarine smoke

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79.

Although Hai Lian asked him to rest, Fang Tinglan walked out of the cave in the afternoon when his fever was still gone.

The situation was urgent before, and when he let go of the rope and hit the mast, he had no protection at all, hurt his waist, and sprained a bruise at some point in his ankle. Seeing his limping posture, Hai Lian wanted to come over to help him, but in the end Fang Tinglan waved his hand: "Lend me your knife."

Hailian threw the knife over. He walked to a short tree beside him to test the toughness of the branches. He used a dagger to cut off the excess branches and then broke them off forcefully. He shook it twice in his hand and drew a beautiful sword Hua, slapped it on the ground, and grinned at Hai: "Look, I have another leg."

Hailian curled her lips: "There's nothing to show off."

The island is not big, surrounded by shoals and reefs, with a sparse forest in the middle, not even a rabbit. Hailian can make a circle by himself in half a day. This time, the two of them were not in a hurry, and taking care of Fang Tinglan's injury, they walked slowly and stopped, and added a meal of grilled fish without salt in the middle.

This turn around was not in vain—they found two boxes of supplies floating in the crevices of the reef.

Hailian broke open one of the boxes and found a pile of soaked fabrics. He tried to shake them off and spread them out, but the fabrics that were supposed to be as smooth as water were still crumpled, and the entangled patterns and animals were also destroyed. The seawater has eroded to a blurry appearance, and there are still a few rotten holes in the middle that I don't know if they are eaten by fish or eaten by insects.

It seems to be useless. He regretfully went to open another box. The things in this box were all wrapped in oiled paper, and they were well preserved. He took out the oiled paper bag and opened it, and couldn't help but wonder, "Why is it paint?"

"What kind of paint?" Fang Tinglan leaned over. He only glanced at it, and suddenly said in surprise, "This is ultramarine blue produced in Lanrisei. The price of such a small package is probably equivalent to three times the weight of gold."

Hailian lightly touched the powder, and the color of the deep sea was instantly added to the fingertips. Under the refraction of the sky, there was a magnificent luster of gold and red faintly shining. He looked at it curiously for a while, and couldn't help feeling a little discouraged: "Paint can't be eaten."

"There is a box, at least it means that there may be a ship passing by nearby," Fang Tinglan comforted, "Is there no customs stamp on the oil paper?"

With stamps, at least one can tell how long the two boxes have been floating on the sea, and even deduce the route of the merchant ship. However, Hailian rummaged for a while and shook his head: "No, it should be smuggled goods."

As he spoke, he rewrapped the paint, and continued to look through the other items in the box. He didn't find any other paint, but found a few packs of tobacco and tea leaves. The box was bottomed out, but there was still no food. "Looks like I have to continue eating fish." He sighed.

"It's time to make tea." Fang Tinglan opened the tea bag, "Hey, it's Shuting Spring Tea."

Hai Lian was silent, he was not as optimistic as Fang Tinglan. He patted the sawdust on his hand, grabbed the reef wall beside him, and jumped onto the reef which was as tall as a person.

Fang Tinglan looked up at him: "Is there a boat nearby?"

"Same as the previous two days, there are boats on the horizon, but they are too far away from us."

Apart from taking care of Fang Tinglan's injuries these days, he spends most of the rest of his time on this reef looking out at the sea, hoping that a merchant ship, pirate ship, or even a warship will come towards them—as long as there is A ship has life. However, he waited from the dawn of the sun to the sunset, and every day was an alternating cycle of hope and disappointment.

"A little closer, you can see an island." Hai Lian continued, "It's right in front of you."

Fang Tinglan understood: "Which island do you want to go to?"

"Well, if there is still no boat coming over today, we have to find a way to get there." Hai Lian replied, "This island is too small and there are no living things. It won't last long with the clean water stored by the previous rain. of."

"Then let's make a compromise." Fang Tinglan put his hands on the oiled paper bags, "I'll try to ask for help, if there is still no boat coming after dark, tomorrow we will build oars and row boats Go to the opposite island to see."

"How are you going to ask for help?" Hailian wondered, "Smoke? I tried it, but it's too far away for them to see."

"Anyway, idle is idle." Fang Tinglan said with a smile, "Try my method today, if it doesn't work, it won't be too late for me to help you paddle."

The two picked up a bundle of dry firewood along the way, and quickly found a leeward opening on the island with a paper bag. Fang Tinglan took off the magazine on his belt—the firecracker fell into the sea before, and left behind. The box ammo is useless. While prying open the shell case with a knife, he turned to Hai Lian and said, "Help prepare some more wet wood."

Hai Lian nodded and turned around to do it. When he came back, Fang Tinglan had already collected the gunpowder in one place, and he also dismantled the packs of tobacco, and mixed them in the pitch-black saltpeter. Said that the package of ultramarine blue paint was also poured in.

"You said just now that this is very valuable." Hailian raised his eyebrows.

"In a valuable market, it is an expensive pigment; on an uninhabited desert island, it is just a colored powder." Fang Tinglan smiled indifferently.

He arranged dry firewood around, and made a gesture of invitation to Hailian: "The fire is in your hand, just light dry firewood."

Although Hai Lian didn't understand what the Dongzhou people were up to, he still followed his advice. The slender torches were lit on the firewood in three places, and slowly spread from the center of the withered torch into dark red flower buds. The buds swayed, and they were ecstatic when they smelled the same kind of breath, but after a while The eyes are in full bloom.

Hailian took a step back and asked, "What's next?"

Fang Tinglan signaled him to stand back a bit, and he waited for the fire to stabilize before grabbing a handful of wet firewood and adding it to the fire. The bright yellow that was still dancing slowly froze in an instant, and the flame was crumbling in the humid air , Immediately afterwards, a puff of pungent white smoke flew up, almost covering Fang Tinglan's whole body.

"No, it's still too short." Hailian shook his head.

Fang Tinglan didn't answer, and continued to add wet wood to the fire. The smoke became more pungent, and he couldn't help coughing a few times. Hailian couldn't see it, and grabbed Fang Tinglan's arm, pulling him away from the range of the smoke: "You're still sick, don't be brave, I'll come."

Fang Tinglan wiped the ashes from his face, and handed the wet firewood to Hailian in a good manner: "Add a little to the center."

"Row."

The dark fire was dormant, breathing silently in the smoke, until it smelled the intoxicating fragrance of tobacco leaves and saltpeter for the first time. In an instant, the cloud of smoke suddenly seemed to be stretched by someone, and exploded from the center. A blue and gold intertwined light!

Under Hai Lian's astonished eyes, the light in the gray smoke kept flickering, making the smoke longer and longer, and dyed the gray that was originally blurred in the setting sun into a brilliant blue. The blue smoke passed over the heads of the two of them and the woods not far away, like a graceful galaxy connecting the heaven and the earth.

"No nitrate is beacon, and nitrate is flint." Fang Tinglan looked at the rising smoke and explained, "Suihuo is also called wolf smoke, and the smoke is not easy to disperse. It is very eye-catching at night. It is Dongzhou Yifu Pass and other pass signals. The main tool. And ultramarine refractory, I tried it, but I didn’t expect it to be really successful.”

Hai Lian was very surprised: "I thought you were just a rich young man who doesn't distinguish between five grains."

"It seems that you have really misunderstood me." Fang Tinglan shook his head.

Hai Lian suddenly remembered the interlaced old wounds on Fang Tinglan's upper body when he was helping Fang Tinglan treat his wounds.

Seeing the other party's sudden silence, Fang Tinglan continued jokingly: "Speaking of which, are you so gentle with everyone?"

"What's the meaning?"

"I mean the thing you just helped me make cigarettes."

"It's just a little effort," Hai Lian said, "I..."

"That is to be gentle only to the weak."

Helian closed her mouth.

"Don't be angry, what I just said has no other meaning," Fang Tinglan stepped back and sat on a crooked tree trunk, "That's your kindness."

"Don't you think so?" Helian asked back.

"Perhaps when I was young, I had a strong sense of justice and didn't care about gains and losses... Now," Fang Tinglan turned his head slightly, "Now if giving gentleness to the weak can benefit me, I will do it."

"Like you lent money to O'Brien?"

"Like I lent money to O'Brien."

"But I still remember that you helped a child when you first arrived in Hongliu Port."

Fang Tinglan raised his hands in surrender, "I wanted to create a good opportunity to change your impression, but I messed it up."

"Fang Tinglan," Hai Lian crossed his arms, "I'm a little annoyed that you are being so honest with me now—annoyed that there is such a shameless person like you."

"I have done a lot of shameless things behind your back. If you want to hear, I can tell you all." Fang Tinglan was not ashamed, but confidently said, "But you can rest assured about one thing, I really like it. you."

"Forget it, you don't need to make any promises to me, I don't believe it." Hailian snorted coldly, "I will treat anyone who treats me well; Kill him instantly."

Fang Tinglan stared at Hailian for a while, then suddenly raised the corners of his mouth: "You can't kill me, Hailian. I knew from the first time I saw you that although you have a hard mouth, you have a soft heart .”

"Ha, you still have the nerve to mention the first meeting?" Hailian sneered, it was not a pleasant first meeting in any way.

"You also gave me a knife." Fang Tinglan was still wronged.

"Forget it, let the previous things be evened out." Hai Lian felt that if he continued to worry about it, he might fall into the trap of Fang Tinglan's words again, so he might as well change the topic quickly. He glanced at the blue smoke again: "Anyway, that box is almost used up, so I might as well use it up... Do you want some tea?"

"certainly."

"I'm going to burn a can, just in time..." Hai Lian walked up to Fang Tinglan, raised his hand, and wiped the soot off Fang Tinglan's face, "You can explain all your 'shameless' things .”

80.

Because they wanted to keep the smoke burning, the two decided to take turns keeping vigil. When Hai Lian fell asleep in the middle of the night, he was suddenly woken up by Fang Tinglan. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the other party's lap. Master Fang still plausibly said: "I think you have not been sleeping well, so why don't you let me sleep?" Lie down and get comfortable."

Hailian touched his face suspiciously, and the man in front of him became more and more innocent: "I'm a gentleman, I didn't do anything. Or do you want me to do something? It's okay to make up now."

As he said that, he was about to come over, Hailian hurriedly backed away: "Forget it. Why are you waking me up?"

Fang Tinglan pointed behind Hailian: "There is a boat coming towards us."

When the two rushed to the shoal, the boat was already less than one nautical mile away from the island.

"It's still a pirate ship..." Fang Tinglan held up his crutches to signal the scarlet flag, "Your companions are here to pick you up."

"It's Kunji," Hailian saw the eye-catching triangle sail at the bow, the top rope was not tied properly, and it seemed to be Ake's masterpiece. Seeing that Fang Tinglan was looking at him, he explained, "It's my friend, and it was her ship that sent me to the Poseidon."

"So, he is also my friend." Fang Tinglan smiled.

When the boat got closer, the two could see a boy sitting on the statue on the bow of the boat, waving desperately at them. Before the anchor stabilized, he couldn't wait to jump out of the boat and fell into the water with a thud. When Hailian rushed over, he saw a dripping Ake emerging from the beach. While picking the seaweed off his head, he wanted to jump in front of Hailian, but the current didn't give him this chance at all. He was about to fall down again, but Fang Tinglan stretched out his cane to support the boy: "Are you all right? Isn't it cold?"

"It's okay! I'm not afraid of the cold—Ah Choo!"

Hailian looked helpless and funny, he took Accra to the beach, and said hello to Kunji at the bow: "I didn't expect you to come."

"There are so many things you can't think of!" Kunji helped Hongyu, who was on her temples, "Stop rambling, hurry up and take that drowned chicken on board!"

On the boat were still the teenagers Hailian rescued that day. They welcomed Hailian like a hero. Everyone made up for the hug that they hadn't been able to give him before. When it was Kunji's turn, the woman smiled charmingly before going forward. Hailian immediately realized what the other party was going to do, and covered his lips with the back of his hand: "You should know that I'm not interested in women."

"Tsk tsk, this is the first time I've seen such an incomprehensible man." Kunji muttered, and still leaned over and gave Hailian a hug. She turned her gaze to Fang Tinglan and whistled, "This Is that the friend you desperately tried to save?"

Hailian nodded: "Yes."

"Good vision." Kunji lowered her voice, leaning into Hailian's ear and said, "Based on my experience in reading people, this guy must be doing a good job, you are lucky." his shoulders.

Hailian: "..."