185: Chapter 185 Arguing

The surrounding captains fell silent.

The night wind swept across the deck, and the sea beast fat in the braziers crackled.

Pair after pair of eyes all fell upon the Many Children, Many Blessings, which was shrouded in mist.

That young captain's face turned pale, and his lips moved, but he didn't dare utter a single word.

He had only said what many people didn't dare to say in their hearts.

But at this moment.

These words were even more grating than insulting the Holy Father.

The One-eyed Captain set down his wine bowl.

The Scrawny Captain gripped the hilt of his blade.

Several scarred men nearby had even stood up.

The air felt as if it were being compressed.

All it needed was a single spark to explode.

"Cannon fodder?"

Shen Xiu pushed aside his brother, Shen He, and stared at the man with a grin—a grin that was eerie and devoid of any warmth.

In the next second, Shen Xiu suddenly reached out.

Smack!

He grabbed the young captain by the collar and hoisted him off the ground.

The young captain's feet left the deck, and his face turned bright red.

"Say that again."

Shen Xiu's voice wasn't loud, but it was heard on several surrounding ships.

The young captain's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze flickered away.

"I... I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?"

The veins on Shen Xiu's arm bulged.

He slammed the young man hard against the railing.

The railing let out a sharp creak as it bent.

"You think the Holy Father is using you to scout the way?"

"You think the Mistress is giving you food because she wants you to die?"

"You feel wronged?"

With every sentence Shen Xiu spoke, the strength in his hand increased.

The young man's breathing became ragged, and his face turned from red to pale.

"I'm just... just afraid of dying."

As those words fell.

The deck became even quieter.

Afraid of dying?

Who isn't afraid of dying?

Of those who have survived until today, who hasn't slept clutching a blade at night?

Who hasn't knelt for a mouthful of fresh water?

Who hasn't seen their companions dragged into the water by sea monsters with their own eyes?

Being afraid of death isn't a mistake.

But forgetting who allowed them to survive is just plain stupid.

Shen Xiu let go, and the young captain collapsed onto the deck.

With a thud.

He clutched his throat, gasping for air.

Shen Xiu looked down at him, then raised his hand and pointed toward the fleet in the distance, where the lights stretched out in a continuous line.

"Open your eyes and look closely!"

"What did those ships look like three days ago?"

"Broken planks!"

"Rotten canvas!"

"The cannons were half-blocked, and the fresh water smelled bad enough to soak a corpse!"

He yanked open his collar.

On his chest was a hideous old scar.

It ran from his collarbone all the way down to his ribs.

"I, Shen Xiu, once took this blade for half a piece of moldy bread."

"Just a little more."

He held out two fingers and gestured toward his throat.

"Just a little bit more, and I would have been thrown into the sea to feed the fish."

"Back then, did anyone care about me?"

"No!"

"Will this world take pity on you?"

"No!"

Shen Xiu spun around and grabbed a piece of golden-brown roasted sea beast meat from the table.

Meat juices dripped onto the deck.

The aroma drifted out.

Many people subconsciously swallowed their saliva.

Even though they had been eating their fill these past few days.

This aroma could still trigger their deepest memories of hunger.

Shen Xiu slammed the meat down in front of the young captain.

"See this?"

"Now you can eat meat."

"You can drink clean water."

"You can have Excellent-grade weapons."

"You can sail a third-rank ship."

"Do you think you earned this yourself?"

He leaned down, his voice low yet clear to everyone.

"Without the Holy Father, you wouldn't even be qualified to be cannon fodder right now."

The young captain trembled. He looked down at the meat, the grease seeping into the cracks of the deck.

His eyes slowly reddened.

The surrounding captains nodded one after another in agreement.

...