Chapter 328: A Tiny Island In Reed City
Lin Jin’s delegation of responsibilities had reached an unprecedented level.
Jia Qian was stunned before nodding helplessly.
She could tell that Lin Jin wasn’t kidding. He truly meant to pass on the managerial responsibilities of the logistics department to her.
This was a profitable job that countless people have dreamed of.
Surely, Lin Jin knew it was an important position too so why was he giving it to her?
Did she need to ask more?
It didn’t take much thinking for Jia Qian to figure out the answer.
At first, when Dong He was in charge, the logistics department ended up being a mess, and anarchy reigned in the department. Next came Zhang Youdu who, although restored some degree of order, further corrupted the morals within the department.
Both managers of such an important department had acted in an equally shameful manner, so as chief of the association, Lin Jin must’ve been upset by it. It was as he had said earlier, there were no suitable candidates thus far.
That may not be true though. Perhaps Lin Jin just didn’t trust anyone else.
It was due to his faith in Jia Qian that he let her shoulder such an important responsibility. Perhaps Master Lin was hoping that Jia Qian could re-establish order in such a vital department of the association?
Oh, how much trust did he have in her?
Jia Qian suddenly felt the weight on her shoulders increase.
But she didn’t decline the offer since Master Lin had already spoken.
Ever since becoming Lin Jin’s apprentice, Jia Qian witnessed how Lin Jin’s capabilities in beast appraising exceeded her expectations, and it never ceased to amaze her how quickly he was improving.
She had also heard how Lin Jin was a student to an amazing teacher which was how he was able to grow so quickly in such a short span of time. Of course, he had to possess a natural talent for that as well.
Jia Qian was more than satisfied for being able to learn under Lin Jin’s wing and she couldn’t afford to waste such a precious opportunity. Lin Jin had practically pulled her back up from her slump so no matter what he asked of her, Jia Qian would give her all.
Since a task this grave was assigned to her, she would do it well.
Unfortunately, these thoughts Jia Qian had hadn’t crossed Lin Jin’s mind at all.
Lin Jin only took action against the logistics department because he learned of Zhang Youdu’s deeds. He didn’t consider anything else because Lin Jin wasn’t adept at administrative tasks.
His main focus was on beast appraising.
Simultaneously, at the south of Jade Dragon Kingdom where Reed City was situated.
Reed City was surrounded by nutrient-rich paddy fields with many lakes and rivers cutting through the landscape. For most of the year, reeds covered every inch of the city and that’s how the place got its name.
The city had three famous lakes and Nine Crescent Lake was one of them.
Nine Crescent Lake was like a long river with many bends and curves. Large reeds divided the lake surface into something like a maze. Even fishermen who regularly fished in the lakes would sometimes get lost so not many people frequented Nine Crescent Lake. This was also a place where people would constantly go missing, and their bodies would never be found. Even people who fished for a living would avoid coming here if they could help it.
What made this place unique was the fact that no one had actually verified how big Nine Crescent Lake was. One reason for this was due to the water’s dangerous currents and the other reason being that Reed City was constantly shrouded in fog. Nine Crescent Lake itself was misty all year round so no one would come here without good reason.
At that moment, a wooden boat was navigating through the maze-like waters. Standing bare feet at the foot of the boat was a boatman using a thirty feet long bamboo pole to push the vessel forward. The boatman plunged the thick bamboo pole into the bottom of the lake and exerted force, moving a few steps around the foot of the boat. The small wooden boat moved swiftly and steadily across the surface of the water.
As the lake was rather shallow, a single bamboo pole did a good job at moving the vessel. Had it been any deeper, a paddle would have been required instead. Fortunately, he carried both of these tools.
The boatman was slightly tanned, and both his arms and legs were thick and sturdy. Having been constantly exposed to the sun and rain, the man seemed to be quite aged. Still, his eyes from underneath his hat had a sharp glint.
There was another person lying on the boat.
This man was dressed like a traveling pharmacist in cotton robes and leather shoes. He had a long flowing beard but the supposedly elegant man now looked pale as a sheet. His lips were pursed tight with hints of blood in the corner of his mouth.
The boatman navigating the vessel said, “Liang Laosan, what’s wrong with you? I’ve been asking you throughout the journey but you wouldn’t answer me. Now that we’re close to headquarters, you should start speaking, shouldn’t you?”
The boatman’s hoarse voice carried a tone of friendly concern.
That traveling pharmacist kept his eyes closed as he answered weakly, “What’s gonna change even if I tell you about it? I was unlucky and encountered an expert. Hurry back to headquarters on the island. Only the elders can save me. If you have my best interests in heart, stop asking so many questions.”
At this, the boatman stopped asking.
Despite the thick fog ahead, the boat maintained its speed, plunging straight into the unknown. A foggy lake was extremely dangerous as no one knew what lied ahead. If they were to accidentally crash into a rock or were caught by the water reeds, that would be the end of their journey.
However, the boatman seemed to know this path well as he safely navigated his way through the lake. After passing through curves and bends, a tiny island in the middle of the lake came into view.
Perhaps even locals of Reed City didn’t know the existence of this tiny island.
However, upon closer observation, one would find this island strange. Although there were jagged rocks, they seemed to be growing on a tortoiseshell instead, hence why the boatman and his group called this place ‘Turtle Island’.
The island wasn’t huge. Rather, it was pitifully small. It was only three hundred feet wide at most but there were tons of houses built on top.
Seeing the incoming boat, someone hurried forward.
Dark silhouettes began to gather beneath the lake surface. Some of them looked like fish while others had more bizarre forms. They swarmed over, stirring up the lake as if the water was boiling over.
“Stop fooling around. Liang Laosan’s dying. Inform Elder Zhou! Quick!” the boatman shouted. The few people onshore exchanged glances before invoking spells to chase the creatures below away.
The wooden boat docked.
The boatman helped Liang Laosan ashore and when the people there took realized the gravity of the situation. Someone exclaimed, “It’s really Liang Laosan! How did he end up this way?”
“Stop f*cking asking! Hurry up and carry him in. I don’t think he can hold out much longer!”
The few people quickly worked to carry Liang Laosan inside.
The island was filled with strange things. There were bones and fur of beasts everywhere. Some water barrels even contained fresh blood, and the constructed houses looked weird. What this place had most were cages made out of bones. There were at least ten with one beast trapped inside each cage.
These creatures didn’t look like ordinary wild beasts. Clearly, they were rare species from all over the world.
Inside a large hall, Liang Laosan was laid on the ground as many people gathered around. An elderly man wearing a purple-gold crown came out from the backroom. He wore a stern expression and had heavy eyebags. Apart from that, there was a dark purple tinge to the aura that surrounded him.
The people in the hall immediately greeted, “Elder Zhou!”
“Hmph!” Elder Zhou responded to their greeting with a solemn nod, as if he had a grudge against everyone here. Lowering his head to look at Liang Laosan, his brows furrowed harder.
“Everyone else, out.”
A single command sent everyone running for the door. Soon, only Liang Laosan and this Elder Zhou were left inside the hall.