Chapter 9: The Attack (Please Add to Favorites)

After everyone had leapt onto the wooden raft, Wang Liang naturally took his place at the bow under Wei Ban’s arrangement. The fierce wind rushing toward him made him instinctively glance behind. He saw that the others had also taken up their respective positions. The raft was clearly designed with five distinct stations; at both the fore and aft stood contraptions resembling ballistae. At the forward ballista stood Niu Xuanguang, while at the aft stood Zhao Gongming.

Yet Wang Liang noticed that as they stood behind each ballista, its form subtly shifted. The ballista before Niu Xuanguang transformed into a wooden chest, within which swordlight flickered and pulsed. Zhao Gongming’s ballista morphed into a tower, its surface alive with flames and flashes of lightning.

“This is a weakened version of the Seven Treasures Light-Determining Tower’s base, only usable on a ship. When activated, its properties change according to the strongest ability of its wielder,” Wei Ban declared proudly from the stern where he controlled the tiller, perhaps sensing Wang Liang’s curiosity.

Wang Liang now observed that the Crying Girl and the Ghosthead Lady were stationed at the fore and aft of the sail. The Crying Girl clutched the ropes tightly, while the Ghosthead Lady stood inside a scarlet circle just before the sail.

“Those are two more basic treasures on board. The sail is called the Chaos Sail, each one boosts the ship’s speed by thirty kilometers per hour. The red circle is the Steadfast Ring; any supporting magic cast there radiates to the whole vessel. With these four treasures, the hull, and myself steering, we form our sand skiff. Though hastily constructed, I guarantee this skiff can travel at a hundred and twenty kilometers per hour for a full day and night,” Wei Ban boasted.

Hearing this, Wang Liang finally understood the source of Wei Ban’s confidence. This was a clear monopoly on knowledge—a phenomenon Wang Liang had encountered before. He had joined the imperial examinations precisely to break such monopolies.

Having grasped the situation, Wang Liang straightened at the bow, gripping his Life-Cutting Blade, facing the wild wind head-on. He knew the tempest was not natural, but the result of the sand skiff’s tremendous speed. He watched the landscape retreat rapidly, silently gauging the truth of Wei Ban’s claim.

The skiff glided freely over the sand, swift and unstoppable even amidst hills and undulations. Soon, Wang Liang saw clouds of dust rising in the distance, as if a large party was traversing the desert.

“There it is. Get ready, everyone—we’re about to accelerate.” Niu Xuanguang, standing behind Wang Liang, exclaimed with delight, “That must be people, definitely people! Prepare yourselves, the mission is about to begin.”

Wang Liang turned his gaze toward the dust, but remained calm. He had learned from experience that warriors never remain tense for long; the most formidable only grow alert when the enemy draws within a hundred paces. Otherwise, they stay relaxed. Wang Liang was not the strongest, but he understood this well. He let his blade hang loosely, striving to keep himself composed, quietly watching the golden sands ahead.

Unbeknownst to him, all his actions were observed by Niu Xuanguang, whose estimation of Wang Liang shifted. At first, Niu Xuanguang had thought Wang Liang a mere rookie, but now he realized they’d underestimated him. Wang Liang’s demeanor bespoke a veteran from a grand army.

Yet, something felt off. A thought struck Niu Xuanguang, and he quietly pressed Zhao Gongming’s avatar in the upper left corner, muttering to himself, “Old Zhao, remember when we fought at Xibei Mountain and encountered that mysterious legion?”

“Of course I remember, boss. What about it… Wait, that versatility is just like someone from that legion. Could he have been specially trained by some great force?”

“It’s possible. Otherwise, how would he have such talent? He must have been chosen for it as a child, taken away and trained by the state, and now released after mastering his skills.”

“You’re right, boss. No wonder he dares call himself ‘Versatile.’ He must have been allowed to study anything he wished on the national team. No wonder he wields the unfamiliar blade; clearly trained for the unfamiliar blade formation. I bet he’s skilled in archery and horsemanship too—the national team’s standard. Ask him!”

Niu Xuanguang ended the silent exchange and called out, “Versatile, do you know archery?”

“I can use a bow, though not at a masterful level.”

Niu Xuanguang nodded inwardly; as expected.

He was about to ask more when Wei Ban, at the stern, shouted, “Enemies nearby—stay alert!”

No sooner had he spoken than more than twenty men sprang from the sand around them. Their bodies were wrapped in white cloth, exposing only their eyes. Having buried themselves in the sand, they were coated in yellow dust; they did not bother to brush it off as they charged the skiff, wielding curved blades.

The Ghosthead Lady, standing in the red circle, shouted, “Sand Bandit Soldiers, level twenty-five, no special abilities.”

“We’ll handle them,” Niu Xuanguang proclaimed, pressing his hand to the sword chest before him. White light flashed, striking the bandits as they charged. The sand bandits were sliced to pieces on the spot, while the crew paid them no mind—not even sparing a glance.

Wang Liang, however, felt his body growing feverish, as if something had stirred within him.

After the sand bandits had been dispatched, Niu Xuanguang grinned, “Good, eleven sand bandits at such a high level. We gained nearly a thousandth of an experience point. Seems your presence is truly useful, Versatile.”

“Experience?” Wang Liang heard a new term. He made no response, merely pretending to understand.

“Yeah, I didn’t even strike and still got experience. Feels great. But once Wang Liang levels up, we won’t get this kind of experience anymore,” the Ghosthead Lady laughed.

Only then did Wang Liang react, hurriedly opening his status panel to check.