NOVPUBChapter 62: Chapter 61: The Blood-Stained Stone
Chapter 62 -61: The Blood-Stained Stone
The carriage moved forward for about ten minutes, and after climbing a small hill, a vast open area suddenly appeared before everyone.
Not only were there viewing platforms and small shops, there were even dining halls and inns!
Chaoyang couldn’t help but think of the rest areas beside highways—a sparrow may be small, but it has all the vital organs.
Moreover, this “rest area” had quite a few tourists; at a glance, there were at least two or three hundred people. The spots where people gathered the most were the photo-taking area on the viewing platform and the area in front of the small shops.
“I understand why everyone would rather cross the ocean to come take a look here…” Chaoyang whispered.
If the sea of clouds at Mount Huang made one feel as though they were bathing in a fairyland, walking among the mountain forests as if strolling with the clouds, then this place was another kind of sea of clouds—a towering wall of fog rose from the slope, dividing the small hill into two, with the nearest part being less than ten meters from the rest area. Standing on the slope, it felt just like standing at the end of the world, where one more step forward would plunge one into an abyss.
At this moment, the oppressive feeling on the senses reached its limit; looking forward in any direction revealed only a high wall of grey-white, making one acutely aware of their own insignificance. If such a spectacle were on Earth, it would definitely be a famous spot for social media check-ins, with the number of tourists likely multiplying by a hundred times over without surprise.
“Let’s go have a look at the shops,” Judy suggested.
Chaoyang nodded. On the way over, he also noticed a small group of people who had already descended from the hilltop, testing the edges of the fog wall back and forth.
“Dear tourists, although the fog is extremely terrifying, there are treasures in this world that can dispel the fog and light up your path—those are the Moonlight Stones in my hand!”
The merchant in front of the counter was shouting energetically, waving a stone back and forth in his hand. Honestly, the stone did not look very appealing; it appeared to be a normal rock with a bluish-black hue, neither possessing the brilliant fire color of gems nor the polished roundness of jade.
At the same time, its price was quite high, with a piece the size of a thumb being priced at ten Serriel.
Despite that, there were still quite a few willing to pay.
After all, having crossed the sea to a new continent, spending another ten silver was not a big deal for these people.
“If you want to venture deeper into the homeland… then these are necessary,” Dane whispered, coming up close. “Of course, I don’t recommend you to directly buy Moonlight Stones; it’s much more cost-effective to purchase the crafted spirit lamps in the city.”
Chaoyang certainly wouldn’t buy; he found an opportunity to squeeze to the front of the counter, pretending to play with the Moonlight Stone samples on it, and in the blink of an eye, he had recreated an original prototype in his mind.
“Everyone! Please do not purchase Moonlight Stones!” Suddenly a loud voice erupted from the crowd, “Every stone you hold is smeared with blood!”
The noise at the scene immediately died down.
Everyone exchanged surprised glances, beginning to search for the source of the voice.
“What is she talking about?”
“Smeared with blood… Is that true?”
Following the gaze of the crowd, Chaoyang also caught sight of the speaker—a young woman with striking orange hair that was curled at the tips, embodying the typical style of a wealthy family’s child. Although she was young, she had an impressively tall figure, with a height close to one meter seventy standing out among women.
“Every word I say is the truth! These guys—” she pointed at the counter merchant, “they search for wild Seaguardians in the ocean because the islands where the Seaguardians live often have a large presence of blue corals, which, after being dried and crushed, become Moonlight Stones! This should have been a simple business transaction, but guess what these people do? They commit arson, murder, and plunder, feeding dead Seaguardians to the fish, and those alive are all sold into slavery!”
“The thing is, Seaguardians know how to find coral reefs; clearly cooperation would be the better choice, so why would they resort to looting? Because only by trampling the Seaguardians underfoot, asserting the reality that they are slaves, can these people conveniently monopolize the raw material trade and also make a fortune from the slave trade! This whole process, they have been operating for almost two hundred years! What else could be on the stones if not blood?”
There was a buzz of discussion among the crowd.
Seeing the mood turning sour, the merchant quickly spoke up, “Miss… Perhaps you’ve misunderstood something, I’m just selling souvenirs, I don’t go out to sea to rob ships…”
“Right, it’s the Schenck Will Shipping Company that does the robbing, and you are a parasite living off their company. There’s a difference between you two, but it’s not big!”
The merchant, seeing that his justification didn’t hold water, quickly changed tack and said, “Could it be that the lady feels sympathy for the wild races? They’re the kind to crossbreed with mermen and strange creatures, allowing them to roam the seas is like indirectly breeding a group of pirates. Do you really want to associate with them?”
“I’m not sympathizing with them!” the woman frowned, “But this group also has its own language and culture, at the very least safer than members of the Heretical Cult. What’s more, they can accelerate the exploration of the New World. Their status deserves reconsideration! What I oppose is the shipping company’s cleansing of Seaguardian islands to ensure monopoly profits, limiting the overall production of Moonlight Stones. Everything just so that the stones in your hands can fetch a high price!”
“So, Miss,” the merchant laughed, “which part of the Kingdom’s new slave laws specifically forbids viewing wild Seaguardians as slaves? I remember that this law was enacted to restrict the use of slaves, right? Since it didn’t mention Seaguardians, isn’t your accusation of slave trading a bit frivolous? Besides, there are naturalized Seaguardians all over the Continent, even they haven’t protested, so why should you take it upon yourself to worry?”
These words immediately sparked a number of agreements.
“Right, nothing wrong with treating the wild kinds as slaves, is there? We’re short of people overseas.”
“I certainly don’t want to sympathize with pirates!”
“Have you seen a Seaguardian? What do they look like?”
“Seems they look a bit like sea monsters…”
Especially when it came to appearances, many ladies let out exaggerated gasps.
“Are Seaguardians really that strange?” Chaoyang recalled that aside from their sun-tanned skin and patterned bodies, the Seaguardian he met didn’t look much different from the humans of Magnificent Castle. If not for the numerous scars, they could even be considered attractive.
“This is because the laws are lagging behind…” the woman’s voice significantly lowered, “But the fact that shipping companies drag their feet on exploring the New World for their own interests, and putting the Kingdom’s safety in jeopardy, is indisputable!”
“Miss, you’re exaggerating,” the merchant seized the opportunity to press, “These Seaguardians fill an important gap in the mines. If not for them, who would mine the crystals? You may not know how harsh the conditions are there; ordinary people definitely wouldn’t want to go, only slaves and criminals are forced into such places. And these ores are crucial materials for magical constructs. Mining cannot stop for even a day. Today, we all enjoy the conveniences brought by magical constructs, do you really want to deny all of that?”
“I think he’s right!” a noble son immediately agreed.
“Exactly, the Kingdom’s rapid development cannot be separated from magical constructs. The lady may not understand which is more important.”
“Whose daughter is she?” Some began to discuss the woman’s identity.
“Don’t know, but she’s dressed nicely. Probably new money, shame about the debate skills though.”
And the woman’s gaze upon the merchant was obviously turning colder.
“Young mistress, let’s just leave it…” A middle-aged man dressed as a butler hurriedly reached out to stop her.
“Is this what they call a street debate? It’s my first time witnessing one,” Judy said, still not quite satisfied.
“What?” Chaoyang raised an eyebrow.
“A street debate, it’s when someone publicly states their views to attract onlookers and hence spread their beliefs, all while looking for like-minded individuals,” she explained, “Scholars from the Old Continent believe that the truth emerges clearer through debate, which is why these activities often happen in parks, on street corners, and at stations. Eventually, it spread even amongst the nobility.”
“That caught on?” Chaoyang was astonished; it was virtually an activity exclusive to social butterflies. It seemed being part of the upper crust wasn’t easy at all.
“Yeah, and I’d bet that this will end up in the local newspaper. It’s rare to see a street debate in Magnificent Castle.”
“If that’s the case, I might as well give her a hand.”
“Huh?”
Judy hadn’t quite caught on when Chaoyang had already raised his hand, “I have a different opinion!”
