When Yue Hengyi pushed the handcart, carrying five hundred catties of rice back to the shore, Shen Feng had already caught two wild chickens, plucked their feathers, and was roasting them. Under the scorching heat of the charcoal fire, the aroma began to waft out. Wild chickens, compared to domestic chickens, were leaner. This was because domestic chickens had less exercise and ample food, leading them to grow plump over time. Wild chickens, on the other hand, spent their days struggling for survival, their exercise levels directly honed, and with irregular meals, they naturally did not grow as large.
Seeing Yue Hengyi return smoothly, Shen Feng couldn't help but praise, "Little Yue, you were very quick today! This wild chicken is for you, eat up. If you're still not full, go cook a pot of rice. I know you can eat a lot, but luckily you brought so much rice, it's enough!"
As Yue Hengyi moved the rice into the cabin, he spoke coldly to Shen Feng, "Eat it yourself, and eat quickly. After you're done, we'll set off!"
Shen Feng, seeing Yue Hengyi's demeanor, couldn't resist teasing, "There's something wrong with what you're saying. What do you mean, 'after you're done, we'll set off'? It sounds like I'm eating a last meal before execution!"
Normally, if Shen Feng were to tease Yue Hengyi, even if Yue Hengyi was displeased, he would retort, either sarcastically or with outright mockery. But now, Yue Hengyi, uncharacteristically, was in no mood to reply.
Seeing this, Shen Feng couldn't help but ask, "Little Yue, did something unpleasant happen? Tell big brother, I'll help you solve it!"
Yue Hengyi silently continued moving the rice, completely ignoring Shen Feng. Shen Feng felt he was being bothersome and could only shrug and start gnawing on the wild chicken. The meat of wild chicken was tougher than that of domestic chicken, so it should ideally be stewed. While roasted, it was fragrant, but ultimately, its taste was inferior to domestic chicken. Shen Feng ate until his mouth was greasy but still didn't feel particularly full.
"Well, Little Yue, we can't set off immediately. There's no firewood on the boat. Let's rest for half a day. We can chop some firewood and gather some wild vegetables!" After finishing the wild chicken, Shen Feng said unhurriedly to Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi, having finished moving the rice, was staring blankly to the north, seemingly lost in thought. Upon hearing Shen Feng's explanation, he jumped up in surprise and asked, "Why didn't you say so earlier? If there's no firewood, you should tell me!"
With that, Yue Hengyi was about to push the handcart and take the axe to chop wood.
Shen Feng shrugged and said, "You didn't ask me. Besides, didn't we agree to rest for a day to collect supplies? Why are you in such a hurry now?"
Yue Hengyi turned back and said coldly to Shen Feng, "You're wasting my time. I'll tell you the truth, I just encountered people from the Qinghong Gang. They told me that Qin Kewei is completely unreachable! You're really lucky. Your family is fine, but the person I like is being deceived!"
After speaking, Yue Hengyi pushed the handcart and set off. He found a dry tree, felled it in a few swift motions, and quickly dismantled it, loading it into the cart.
Shen Feng pondered Yue Hengyi's angry words and guessed the reason for his haste, suddenly understanding that Yue Hengyi was in a bad mood because he had received bad news. He was a person who valued loyalty and righteousness, especially with an inexplicable affection for Qin Kewei. His urgency was understandable.
"Alright, it's not like I knew the truth. I'll help you chop firewood!" Shen Feng felt a bit guilty for teasing Yue Hengyi and quickly went to help him chop wood.
Shen Feng could empathize with Yue Hengyi's urgency. After all, if Chang Jianyi or Chu Chaoyan had been deceived, Shen Feng would also rush back to the capital without hesitation, exposing the imposter as quickly as possible to prevent his family from being further misled!
Yue Hengyi silently chopped wood and soon obtained three hundred catties of firewood. This amount would be sufficient for cooking and heating on the boat.
Shen Feng wasted no time, immediately lowered the sail, and weighed anchor. Yue Hengyi stood at the bow, steering, his gaze icy. Shen Feng said nothing, summoning a strong wind to blow them north.
While sailing, Yue Hengyi turned to Shen Feng and said, "Please make the wind stronger so the boat can go faster. I must return to Yanjing quickly!"
Shen Feng shrugged and said, "It's not impossible to make the wind stronger, but it will consume a lot of physical strength. If we encounter danger, you'll have to fight, remember!"
"You don't need to tell me. To return as quickly as possible, I will protect you!" Yue Hengyi said in a deep voice.
Upon hearing the news that Qin Kewei was unreachable, Yue Hengyi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He couldn't comprehend how a matter that seemed so certain had gone wrong with Qin Kewei. As the saying goes, "care breeds confusion." The more Yue Hengyi worried about Qin Kewei's safety, the more complex his emotions became.
Seeing Yue Hengyi's anxious expression, Shen Feng could only shake his head helplessly. The current speed was already quite fast, but Yue Hengyi was still unsatisfied with the wind speed. There was nothing else to be done but to use "Vast East Wind."
Shen Feng took a deep breath and summoned a strong wind. The south wind blew from behind, catching the sail and causing it to bulge into a near-hemispherical shape. Such a strong wind could instantly blow away even the mist that lingered in valleys year-round, all thanks to its immense speed. The affected range could reach five kilometers. If this move were performed on the Yun-Gui Plateau, even the clouds in the sky would change.
After Shen Feng executed this move, the boat's speed surged, shooting north like an arrow released from a bow.
Shen Feng consulted the map and compass to estimate their position. If they proceeded at full speed, disregarding the consumption of physical strength, they would reach Treasure Island in about a day and a half. By then, Shen Feng would inevitably be exhausted and would need to rest for a period.
However, as dusk approached, and Shen Feng had already expended more than half of his physical strength, Yue Hengyi, standing at the bow, suddenly spotted a ship on the distant sea. It appeared to be a cargo ship, quite large, with many containers on board. Human figures could vaguely be seen moving about.
"Brother Feng, there's a ship. Slow down a bit!" Yue Hengyi quickly said to Shen Feng.
Shen Feng accordingly stopped using his ability and chose to rest, starting to prepare dinner. He had exerted himself greatly using his ability all afternoon, and it was indeed very draining. Now that there was an opportunity to rest, it was natural to cook and eat first. As for Yue Hengyi, he was not eating or drinking at the moment, but when he truly got hungry, he would eat as well.
Yue Hengyi stood at the bow, watching the cargo ship draw nearer. He suddenly noticed a group of people on the ship, about a dozen of them, all wearing masks. They gave off a strange impression. Sailors at sea wouldn't typically wear masks.
"Brother Feng, come out and see! These people are acting strangely!" Yue Hengyi couldn't help but turn back to remind Shen Feng.
Shen Feng walked onto the deck and took a look, his brow furrowing. "Damn, could it be we've run into Wang Lufei?"
"What Wang Lufei? Do you know these people?" Yue Hengyi asked.
Shen Feng shook his head and explained, "I mean, these people might be pirates, commonly known as sea bandits! Otherwise, who would wear masks at sea? Moreover, maritime trade doesn't operate on such a large scale these days. This ship has at least seventy containers. Think about how much supplies are in there!"
Upon hearing this, Yue Hengyi quickly said, "If that's the case, then be prepared. I can activate the five-times gravity field at any moment. If they try to attack us, I'll unleash the gravity field without hesitation. They definitely won't be able to withstand it."
At this moment, a voice came from the distant cargo ship: "Shen Feng! Yue Hengyi! We've been waiting for you here for a long time. We didn't expect you to be so slow!"
Yue Hengyi spoke, his voice loud and resonant, "Gentlemen, we don't seem to know each other, do we? You're blocking our path, what do you want?"
A burly man stood atop one of the containers on the cargo ship, about forty meters above the sea. Looking down at the small boat on the water, he revealed a look of disdain. He then said, "You may not know us insignificant figures, but our brothers and sisters have long heard of your great deeds. 'Strong Grass in the Wind' and 'Universal Gravitation,' your names are thunderous! However, your fame ends here, because we will put an end to your legend!"
Hearing this response, Yue Hengyi became quite angry and asked, "Do you think you can easily defeat us? Don't be too confident; be careful not to capsize in a ditch!"
"I wouldn't dare to treat you as a ditch. To me, you are like the Yangtze River, flowing mightily. Anyone who stands in your way will be killed. However, we are entrusted with a task and must fulfill it! Having received benefits from others, we must also do our part. Today, we can only barely defeat the two of you!" the man said.
Although the man's words conveyed a humble tone, at their core, they still showed a degree of contempt for Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi, as if he didn't think much of their combination.
Shen Feng had already expended most of his physical strength and felt weak for combat. If he still had his strength, Shen Feng could have charged forward directly. But now, Shen Feng suspected he had fallen into an enemy trap and quickly warned Yue Hengyi, "These people are most likely after my bounty. They must know our strength. I suspect the other side also has ability users! Be extremely careful. You test them first. If we can't win, we retreat immediately!"
Yue Hengyi nodded in agreement. Although he was anxious to return to Yanjing, in the current situation, he could only deal with the immediate threat.
"We've talked enough. I also want to test your skills. So, take this!" The man stood at a high vantage point and shouted, "Myriad Phenomena!"
Yue Hengyi dared not underestimate his opponent, especially after seeing the sheer number of them. Over a dozen people, all wearing masks, clearly here with ill intentions. He also unleashed his ability: "Five Times Gravity Field!"
"Boom!" The surrounding seawater instantly sank as if an invisible hand were pressing down forcefully. Everyone on the cargo ship was instantly pinned to the deck, unable to move and finding it difficult to breathe.
"Hold on! They are still within my range. As long as you persevere, they will be the ones who can't bear it!" the man said from atop the container where he was pinned.
The other masked figures responded, "Boss, rest assured, we will hold on!"
Meanwhile, on Shen Feng's side, the surrounding seawater suddenly turned black. In such a situation, there was only one possibility: a giant sea beast was lurking at the bottom of the sea and was surfacing, otherwise, this would not be the case.
"Little Yue, quickly withdraw the gravity field, let's go! There are sea beasts in the water!" Shen Feng, seeing the seawater turn black, instantly realized that something was seriously wrong. They were currently fighting people, and who would have expected giant sea beasts to be present in the water? They had to retreat now; there was no other option.
However, no matter how Shen Feng called out to Yue Hengyi, Yue Hengyi, standing at the bow, remained unmoved, continuing to maintain the gravity field, with no intention of withdrawing it.