Chapter 51 Return of the Treasure-Hunting Ship

In the small hours of the morning, the torrential rain gradually lowered its banners and silenced its drums.

The watchman stood on the roof of a residential house, overlooking Stone Tower Town as it slowly settled into quietness. With his hands clasped behind his back, one of his fingers hooked a burnt-out, extinguished whale-oil lamp, its glass shade beaded with moisture.

The royal carriage of the hurricane rumbled farther and farther away in the distance, continuing its raid toward the open sea. Its fierce and heavy rhetoric still ceaselessly spoke of the saline stench of the warm waters near the equator, alongside the relentless, searing heat of the blazing sun—the very sources of a tropical cyclone's vitality.

This terrifying friend was always so restless, its revelry persisting until it exhausted every ounce of energy and perished.

Dense, dark clouds served as the steeds of its vanguard, drawing the tranquil throne of the eye of the storm toward the edge of the sky. The final drizzle and gentle breeze caressed Lin Bo's sleeves and the tips of his hair, transforming into a soft and serene farewell.

"(In the Magickal Tongue) Go safely."

The mage raised his head to gaze at the dawn firmament from which the dark clouds had departed, where the stars were falling asleep one by one in the gray-blue canopy. With a light leap, he lifted off into the air, flying toward the lighthouse.

As daylight broke, a mild and bright autumnal sun gently caressed the earth after the tyranny of the disaster.

From the silent forest came the distant, pristine chirping of birds. Raindrops dripped from the reddish-brown roof tiles of the houses onto the doorsteps, and the unevaporated puddles on the ground formed miniature lakes several feet wide, glowing brilliantly as they reflected the sunlight.

Townsfolk stepping out of their homes lowered their heads to avoid the puddles, treading on the dark, dry pavement. Those bound for the church headed to the church; those bound for work headed to work; and those bound for the docks made their way to the docks.

Around that very same time, a steamship came chugging in from the sea, sounding a resonant whistle from afar. Its roar shook the sleepy morning air of Stone Tower Town.

This was a small ferry that had set out from Golden Bay port in search of treasure, having wandered on the open sea throughout the duration of the hurricane's landfall.

The previous night, as the hurricane left the coast and entered the sea, it had charged straight at them. The crew had steered the ferry with all their might to break through the sudden rains and towering waves, navigating by the light of the lighthouse until they finally approached the shore this morning. It was also the first treasure-hunting ship to return.

The vessel, having survived the disaster, looked like a gloomy, battered stray dog. The masts on its deck were snapped, and tattered colorful flags drooped limply against the starboard side. The signalman standing in the crow's nest waved semaphore flags, requesting permission to dock.

The fishermen of Stone Tower Town on the pier gazed into the distance at this iron-hulled ferry, cheering loudly for the captain and sailors who had crossed the storm. They hurriedly returned the signals, asking the ship to wait while the pier cleared the fishing boats so that it could berth.

Two hours later, the ferry entered the harbor of Stone Tower Town.

People who had hurried over upon hearing the news welcomed the crew and passengers disembarking from the ship. Many exhausted and terrified survivors screamed incessantly the moment their feet touched solid ground, bending down to kiss the soil.

Among them were quite a few impeccably dressed distinguished guests, whose faces now appeared haggard, the lingering terror of surviving a catastrophe still unsettled within them. The moment they stepped off the ship, they began demanding clean water and food from the surrounding townsfolk.

The mayor unexpectedly spotted the Lady of Hondu and a professor from the Great Academy amidst the crowd, and he hurriedly rushed forward to inquire about the whereabouts of Viscount Perl.

"Oh, Viren Perl, he, he..." The Lady of Hondu wept softly.

The archaeology professor sighed, offering a few words of comfort to his weeping student before turning to earnestly request the mayor to prepare some food, promising to resume the conversation after they had rested a little.

Seeing this, the mayor and the officials all felt their hearts sink.

The survivors who disembarked from the docked ferry bought provisions and liquor in Stone Tower Town, booking out the White Conch Tavern and eating and drinking to their hearts' content.

Everyone had a bellyful of stories concerning their treasure-hunting voyage and the storm at sea. As the tavern owner inquired, the sailors by the counter vied with one another to tell their tales.

Not a single one of them had reached the islands recorded on the navigational charts; the hurricane had arrived too fast, and many of the exploratory vessels had capsized in the giant waves, leaving numerous people missing and untraced to this day.

In the process of dodging the hurricane, this particular ferry had rescued many individuals who had survived shipwreck accidents.

The captain drank several cups of illicitly brewed spirits, turning his entire face pink and glowing like a wrinkled, fuzzy peach.

He stopped a passing waitress and loudly inquired who the lighthouse keeper of this town was, declaring that thanks to that "damn" light, they would have lost their way last night. Being able to navigate through such a storm and return to coastal waters was certainly a blessing from the Five Gods, but they also owed a debt of gratitude to the watchman here.

"You won't find him; he's definitely gone out right now. If you want to show your gratitude, go to the lighthouse this evening," Jiling said at a rapid-fire pace.

"I'm afraid there won't be time for that," the captain smacked his lips, pulled out money from his pocket to buy a bottle of hard liquor, and entrusted it to the tavern owner to be delivered to the watchman. "Once we've replenished our whale oil and supplies and overhauled the engine array, we'll have to set sail for Golden Bay by this afternoon."

Having experienced such a trial, both crew members and passengers were eager to return home as quickly as possible, rest for a few days, and cast this terrible experience behind them.

As for the rumors of lost treasure, some still yearned for it, while others decided to put it out of their minds, perhaps letting it serve one day as conversational fodder to reminisce about their youth.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, a long queue once again formed outside the lighthouse doors. Following the prolonged rainfall and drastic drop in temperature, cases of fevers and colds had become frequent, most commonly among the elderly and children.

Lin Bo himself had a slightly stuffed nose and restricted breathing, a result of having been caught in the rain too much over the past two days. Therefore, earlier that afternoon in the mushroom garden, he had prompted the fungal strains to produce a larger batch of medicinal mushrooms tailored to treat these exact symptoms.

Upon returning to the lighthouse just then, he dispensed medicines according to his formulas, preparing a pile of standard-portioned medicinal packets.

For townsfolk exhibiting typical symptoms such as headaches, fevers, and swollen, sore throats, he first administered acupuncture to provide relief before handing out the medicine packets, instructing them to take them home and decoct them for consumption, while carefully detailing the proper dosages for patients of different ages.

Visitors to the lighthouse always chatted about various town gossip, which served as Lin Bo's primary avenue for gathering news about the town each day.

When Jiling, the tavern waitress, ran over to help, she brought along a bottle of hard liquor, claiming it was a gift from the captain. She eagerly chattered away, recounting all the shipwreck stories she had heard to everyone present, eliciting a chorus of sympathetic gasps and clicks of the tongue.

"Thank goodness miracles protect our Stone Tower Town, otherwise we'd be just as pitiful as those fools who went out to sea," an old fisherman muttered to those around him, the misfortune of others rendering everyone even more devout.

As Jiling helped distribute the medicine packets, she asked, "Watchman, did you happen to run into the Miracle Walker?"

"I did," Lin Bo nodded.

"Were you frightened by him?" Jiling asked, full of zest.

"I didn't look closely. Is he very frightening?"

"Simply terrifying! But the old priest says he was sent by the Five Gods to save Stone Tower Town, so he must be an ugly-looking yet kind-hearted angel."

"That makes sense," Lin Bo agreed. He instructed a patient who had just received acupuncture to go sit by the wall, and then he rang the bell.

Ting-a-ling—

Following the crisp chime, a group of people streamed through the door. The mayor and the guests from Hondu were visiting once again, though they lacked their initial buoyancy; the lady's eye rims were red, the men's brows were clouded with gloom, and the leading Viscount Perl was nowhere to be seen.

The mayor hurried up to the watchman's side, beads of sweat on his forehead, and said in the softest possible tone, "Your Excellency, Viscount Perl has lost contact at sea. These distinguished guests wish to grant themselves an audience with you because you previously warned us that a hurricane was approaching. They likely wish to know how you were able to predict a natural disaster."

Lin Bo locked eyes with the slightly plump official. The mayor lowered his head deeply, avoiding the watchman's gaze.

"I understand."

The mayor nodded, bowed, and retreated backward to the side of the nobility.

To the distinguished guests from Hondu, such blatant reverence on his part felt rather bizarre.

It was as though the mayor were not dealing with a mere lighthouse keeper. Even in the presence of Viscount Perl himself, this man had never appeared quite so humble.

In the warm, orange glow of the incandescent lights, the impeccably dressed visitors from Hondu gazed on, silent as flags. By the wall, the sturdy and rugged townsfolk of Stone Tower Town gazed on, silent as reefs. The watchman raised a hand in greeting and smiled, saying, "Find a place to sit down."

The distinguished guests exchanged glances. The Lady of Hondu lifted her skirt in a curtsey, and the men bowed slightly. Behind the desk, Lin Bo nodded in return.

"Mr. Lighthouse Keeper, you once reminded the people of this town to look out for the hurricane, so how did you judge the weather?" The Lady of Hondu sat before the desk, her gaze lingering on Lin Bo's face, her tone exceptionally soft.

"It was a judgment relying on experience; there are always certain signs before a storm arrives. I am deeply sorry for your misfortune."

K

"If only we had... Ah, saying all this is useless now." At this mention, the Lady of Hondu lowered her head and wept once more, choking on her words and unable to continue.

The archaeology professor stepped forward to take over, "We came here this time to thank you, watchman. The lighthouse you tend saved our lives."

"It is merely my duty."

The people of Hondu expressed their gratitude in full accordance with etiquette, casually producing a full ten thousand copper rounds as a small reward for the lighthouse keeper's loyal dedication to his duty.

Their attitude was firm, and as Lin Bo could not decline their offer, he accepted it into his pockets.

The lady before the desk wiped away her tears, rose to bid her farewell, and promptly led her companions away.

Not long after they stepped outside, the mayor returned to the lighthouse by himself and said, "The people from Hondu have left in a carriage."

Once the big shots departed, the townsfolk relaxed as well, chattering away to inquire about the inside story.

Lin Bo rang the bell, allowing the next patient to enter. As he examined the patients, he listened to the mayor narrate the sequence of events.

A few days prior, the yacht carrying Viscount Perl and his party had capsized in the storm. At the time, they had been drifting in the sea clinging to life rings, tied together with ropes so they wouldn't get separated. Unfortunately for Viscount Perl, his life ring had not been bound with a rope, and amid the wind and waves, he had drifted farther and farther away from the others.

His companions on the ship could only watch helplessly as he became separated from them. Everyone else had been spotted and fished out by the ferry, leaving only the Viscount's whereabouts completely unknown.

The patients inside the lighthouse whispered among themselves, feeling a certain degree of sympathy for the lord's mishap, but given that this had happened by ignoring warnings, their sympathy went little further than lip service.

"May the Old One bless our Viscount; may he return home safely." Well-wishes that cost nothing were never in short supply.

"Indeed, indeed. After all, this is a place protected by miracles." This proud assertion drew a wave of concurring voices.

"If Lord Viscount is dead, who will inherit this place in the future?" The townsfolk began to murmur amongst themselves.

Lin Bo rang the bell once more.

The mayor remained in the lighthouse until nightfall, only leaving alongside the crowd when darkness descended. It was solely as he was bidding the watchman farewell that he spoke up: "See you tomorrow, Your Excellency."

"Very well."

With a smile on his face, the mayor walked away with a light and breezy step.