On the distant sea, a large teak ship was plowing through the waves in the sea wind.
The bow of the ship rose and fell from time to time, suppressing a wave of water that slapped on the side of the ship, causing a splash and a sound.
In the quiet cabin, Lan Lier was lying on the sofa at the moment, her legs shaking a little out of boredom.
"It's so boring, Ling Xin, why haven't you reached your destination yet?" After the initial novelty, the genius alchemist became bored with the journey.
"You have said it several times today. If you are really bored, you can read the books on the ship. Those classics bought in the Chuberry Kingdom are relatively rare on the mainland, and many of them were passed down from the East.
"
Unlike Lan Li'er, Ling Xin was holding an Oriental pipa and trying to play it. The sound sounded from time to time, but it was obvious that she was still a beginner and quite unskilled.
Naturally, such musical instruments were bought in the Chuberry Kingdom. There was a lot of trade there with the East, and you could always see some strange things that were not found on the mainland.
"Reading is boring. I've been studying for so many years and I really don't want to read anymore." Lan Lier buried her head in the sofa and kept swinging, causing the hair behind her to sway.
"Then why don't you practice with that doll lady? This one is a rare Sequence 8. Aren't you stuck in your practice recently?"
"I am practicing the magic sequence, and the doll lady is in the necromantic sequence. I heard that she was an ice elf before, so it is difficult to exchange experiences."
"Speaking of which, Lacey is really powerful. Where did she find her helpers? There are probably not many such powerful people in the entire continent."
Afterwards, Lan Lier complained for a while, finally remembered something, picked up a black iron shelf in the corner and went out.
After a while, wisps of green smoke rose from the deck, and the smell of grilled fish filled the air.
"Haha, barbecue is still fun."
Listening to the sound coming from outside, Ling Xin in the room shook her head helplessly, and then flipped through the book in front of her. This skill from the East, the music score is very different from the Western continent, and she had to start from scratch for many things.
Start learning.
A week later, the ship finally docked at a port on a small island.
Stepping off the deck, all you can see is bright green and light yellow. There are patches of corn planted on this island. The thick corn cobs and plump kernels all tell the story of this year's harvest.
"I'm coming~" Cheering, Lan Lier jumped off the bow of the boat, then slid down in the wind, and landed steadily on the white beach.
The sailors on the big ship are talking with the locals at the moment, negotiating about supplies, stay, and trade.
"They said that our ship cannot stop for too long, because in five days, a grand celebration will be held on the island, and outsiders cannot stay."
"Oh, are you so exclusive?" Lan Lier was slightly unhappy and pouted.
"Okay, okay, let's get some information and leave. I don't know if there are any specialties on such an island. I can make a fortune by buying some back and transporting them to Hopeland."
With that said, Lan Lier put her head on her hands and walked onto the streets of this small island.
The island is not big, and it is estimated that a circle around the island only lasts a dozen miles. The residents here also live a relatively simple life.
The clothes they wear are mostly khaki linen, and their houses are also made of adobe bricks. The bricks are made of sintered mud and straw. They seem to be of good quality and are more than enough to build a 1-2-story house.
Stones are rare on the island, and most utensils are made of wood. Therefore, Lan Lier can see a lot of exquisitely carved furniture in some shops.
Those craftsmen seemed to be very patient, sitting on the open space in front of the shop, concentrating on using tools to make square holes and patterns, among which the patterns of waves and shells were lifelike.
People's pace of life is very slow, most of them are not in a hurry, and sometimes they chat with acquaintances on the road for a long time before continuing.
"I feel like this place is very suitable for retirement." In the evening, Lan Lier and Ling Xin sat by a small outdoor campfire, cooking today's dinner and chatting wordlessly.
"The land on the island is very fertile. It seems to be volcanic soil left by the past, so the residents can harvest a lot of food without much effort." Ling Xin stood aside, unfolding a small notebook and recording in the firelight.
.
"In other words, this island used to be a volcano?" Lan Lier asked inarticulately, biting into the grilled squid tentacles in her hand.
"Yes, but this volcano is very quiet. It seems that it has not erupted for more than a hundred years." Ling Xin lifted up the hair that fell from her ear, and then wrote down another story in her notebook.
"The local elders said that there was actually no one here a long time ago, and the first residents who came here were refugees on a ship."
"In order to escape a vicious force, they had to venture into this dangerous sea and later lost their way in the storm."
"The captain and first mate died of serious injuries due to fighting monsters in the waves. There is no one on the ship who can recognize the stars and the route. Everyone can only drift with the tide in prayer."
"And at night a week later, the people on the ship were hungry and thirsty, many people were on the verge of death, and many people began to despair and give up."
"What happened now? Did they find this island?" Lan Lier asked curiously.
"Yes or no, there was a huge sea turtle rising from the water and lifting the ship, and then a voice sounded in everyone's mind."
"The voice told everyone that it can save you, but it requires them to answer a question."
"That's youth or health, which one is more important?"
"Some people chose youth, and some chose health. Soon after, they were safely transported to the island by sea turtles. After being rescued, these people settled down on the island. But they soon discovered that something was wrong.
"
"People who choose health gradually recover from their diseases, but their bodies age step by step, becoming weak and weak. People who choose youth gradually return to their youthful appearance, but their bodies often get sick, almost half of the year.
I have to spend it in a hospital bed."
"It doesn't sound very good." Lan Lier complained about such legendary stories.
"Actually, this choice may not be that bad." Ling Xin added.
"Most of the people who choose youth are old people, and those who choose health are mostly people with illnesses."
"So the healthy old people began to take care of the frail and sick young people. When the young people recovered from the disease for a short time, they went out to work. In this way, they cooperated with each other and slowly lived."
"Since then, the descendants of these people have gradually multiplied again and slowly expanded. Although they no longer have the same magical encounters as the first generation, such legends have been passed down among people."
“Young bodies are full of scars because they often face challenges and crises.
The old bodies are healthy and idle, but they are unable to travel far even if they want to.”
"Such a story has the flavor of a fable." Lan Lier said thoughtfully.
"There seem to be several explanations."
"For example, go for it while you are still young to avoid regrets when you are older. Or, older people should be sympathetic to the difficulties and dangers of young people. Life is not as stable as theirs."
"It can also be said that there are no perfect people in the world. Everyone needs to cooperate with each other to achieve their goals."
"Lan Li can think of so much, I'm really surprised." Ling Xin closed the book and looked at her friends beside her with a smile.
"Are you kidding me with what you said just now? You can do anything and you're still surprised? That means I'm usually very stupid. How is this possible? The first requirement for being a mage is to be smart, huh. I'm just too lazy to think about things I don't feel.
It’s just a matter of interest.”
Next to the bonfire, the two of them played and talked and laughed for a while, and late at night they got into the conical thatched hut built not far from the bonfire to rest.
The night sky over the sea is exceptionally clear, and the Milky Way stars in the sky are also exceptionally clear and majestic. The misty nebulae and twinkling points of light dot the night where the waves are lapping.