Aside from forcibly seizing the ship, Ji Chen had also considered other methods of obtaining a vessel to leave the island.
For example, he could try to purchase a ship from Raymond and the Hanseatic League or convince the League to open a new sea route that connects with the outside world.
However, he eventually rejected all of these methods because they all carried a certain level of risk.
The former option had the possibility of Raymond not fulfilling the mission and failing to return due to fear of the storm, which would bring them back to square one. As for the latter option, it was better to rely on oneself than to rely on others, as the saying goes. Only by owning their own ship could they not be controlled by others.
After careful consideration, he decided that seizing the ship was the most direct, straightforward, and safest option.
Ji Chen felt that he had left the lawful society and had become a corrupted feudal lord, with all kinds of powerful, murderous, and unethical ideas arising in his mind.
He couldn't help but reflect on his transformation from an innocent youth to the person he had become.
When he first arrived and saw his 40-odd subjects treating him with respect, he felt as if he had the power to kill them all in his hands.
From that moment on, something inside him had been quietly released, causing him to sigh. He was no longer the same person he used to be, but every youth undergoes a transformation and growth at some point in their life, whether it be due to a major change or something that occurs unknowingly or overnight.
In the tent, Raymond looked at his dwindling pile of money with a pained expression, feeling his heart bleed.
He never expected to be defeated after escaping the pursuit of the pirates.
No one could have predicted that this archipelago in the Stormy Sea Region was actually under the rule of a powerful lord.
Raymond, who had been in the business for ten years, had a keen eye for strength. He could tell that the snake and dragon hybrid warriors were much stronger than the guards and sailors of their merchant group. In other words, they could easily infiltrate and kill them without much difficulty.
Therefore, under such circumstances, he offered a sincere apology for forgiveness.
Fortunately, the outcome was not too bad. At least they gained the initial goodwill of the lord and could replenish their food and water supplies here.
As long as they could repair the merchant ship, they could load it up with goods and make a lot of money!
Aside from the injured wallet, everything seemed to be going well.
As he pondered, Raymond's confidence returned. "Those pirates probably didn't expect the Stormy Sea Region to be so calm and peaceful, let alone that there was an archipelago here. They must still be afraid of the storm and dare not approach, hahahaha!"
...
At the territory.
"Sir, you're back. How's the situation over there?"
Wilus greeted Ji Chen at the door and asked respectfully.
"It was a merchant ship that ended up here by accident. They're all on the beach near the Bass Fishery."
"Tell the people not to go to the bass fishery for the next few days and stop the fishing work for the bass temporarily."
"Also, go prepare some food and water. I need them tomorrow."
Originally, he had no intention of sending food and water over since he knew that they would fall out with them in a few days. Moreover, it wouldn't take long before they returned to his hands after receiving the supplies.
However, upon reflection, it was better to pretend to send over the supplies in order to avoid alerting the enemy and letting them sense the danger in advance.
"Understood. I will follow your orders."
Ji Chen nodded gently.
Just as he was about to take a break, he noticed a yellow dot appearing on the Omniscient map in front of him.
The dot was slowly moving towards the territory.
He knew that monsters and beasts appeared as red dots, and allies as green dots, but he was unsure about the yellow dots.
Could they represent neutral entities?
He immediately thought of the group of human aborigines and wondered if it could be them.
Observing the yellow trajectory, it seemed like they were searching for something, but they didn't seem to know the exact location of the territory.
He pondered over why they would suddenly send people to the forest.
Rubbing his chin, he speculated that it could be because he had been relentlessly sweeping through the jungle that all the monsters and wild beasts had fled, thus making it easier for the humans to explore the area.
Perhaps this group of human aborigines had noticed the abnormal phenomenon here, so they sent people over to check on the situation.
Well, this guess was reasonable.
Before he could locate them, they had unexpectedly appeared at his doorstep!
This had spared him the effort of searching for them. All he had to do was capture the person who had come to investigate and make them lead the way.
The yellow color on the map was approaching the territory.
Ji Chen brought Alice and the Naga Warrior and rushed straight towards him.
After receiving the order from the leader, 'Panther' immediately set off for the forest to see what had happened here that made so many wild beasts and monsters flee in panic.
This forest was located at the bottom of the valley and was one of the hunting grounds of the tribe. Every once in a while, when the wild beasts and animals here grew up, they would come here regularly to hunt.
'Panther' looked at the forest where the birds were chirping non-stop, but there were not many wild beasts and animals. He could not help but frown.
It had been 200 sun cycles since their last hunt, but the wild beasts and animals here were sparse. Their numbers had greatly decreased as if they had been ruthlessly swept away.
Seeing this scene, 'Panther' thought of the Kobolds living in the cave and gritted his teeth in frustration.
It must be those disgusting Kobolds who did this!
They did not value the resources in the jungle and hunted indiscriminately. It was only a matter of time before they wiped out all the creatures on the island.
What would they eat then?
Were they going to survive only on fish from the sea?
If it weren't for the fast reproduction rate of the Kobolds, the tribe would have wiped them out already.
Shaking his head to get rid of the distracting thoughts in his mind, 'Panther' continued to move forward quietly, vigilantly observing his surroundings.
However, the deeper they went, the quieter the surroundings became. Even the chirping of the birds had disappeared.
All that was left was a sharp insect cry.
He felt that something was wrong. He could smell danger.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up.
Danger!
Without hesitation, 'Panther' turned around and ran.
But it was too late.
As he was about to run away, he was suddenly struck by a beautiful voice that left him stunned and caused him to collapse on the ground, completely entranced.
After a moment, Ji Chen and the Naga warriors arrived at the scene and found a native human lying on the ground with a dazed look on his face, wearing a smug smile.
Did this brat think he could run away?
It was impossible to evade his tracking, no matter how cautious and vigilant one was. His sharp eyes could detect any movement or direction.
On the map, the human aborigine resembled a lost little animal, unwittingly stepping into their encirclement with each passing moment. By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late to make an escape.