47: Chapter 47 Foresight! The Frigid Sea!

"Extreme Cold Sea Region? An Excellent Grade sea monster that cannot be looked at directly?"

Li Taiping looked at these two prophetic messages, his brows slightly furrowed.

The Extreme Cold Sea Region, as the name implies, must be an extremely cold place.

This will be a huge test for the ship's navigation and the survival of the crew.

However, this is not a big problem for him.

After the Many Children, Many Blessings was upgraded to the third rank, the hull became incredibly sturdy and came with a built-in constant temperature system, so mere cold was not a problem at all.

With Su Mei's [treasure basin], food and warm clothing are even more inexhaustible.

What really concerned him was the second message.

Excellent Grade sea monster!

This was the first time he had encountered a creature at the "Excellent Grade" level from the system's perspective.

The previous Green-skinned Monkeys were common grade.

The Goblin Guardian was at the peak of good grade.

And now, it has jumped directly to Excellent Grade!

Although he didn't know how big the gap in strength was, he could tell with his toes that it was absolutely a world of difference.

More importantly, there were the four words "cannot be looked at directly".

What does this mean?

Will you die if you look at it? Or will you fall into madness?

The unknown is the most terrifying thing.

However, Li Taiping did not feel much fear, but rather a trace of... excitement?

A challenge!

This is the real challenge!

Staying in the novice zone to stomp noobs, while comfortable, was ultimately like a frog in boiling water.

Only by constantly challenging stronger enemies could he make himself stronger!

"Excellent Grade sea monster... Perfect, I'll use you to test the power of my third-rank warship!"

Li Taiping's eyes flashed with eagerness.

Just then, Chu Mengyao beside him let out a soft moan and slowly opened her eyes.

"Mmm..."

As soon as she woke up, she felt as if her whole body had been run over by a truck, extremely sore, especially a certain part of her body, which was burning with pain.

The crazy and shameful memories of last night flooded into her mind like a tide.

Her face was as red as a monkey's butt.

She subconsciously pulled up the quilt and covered herself completely, not daring to look at Li Taiping beside her.

However, she soon remembered something more important.

Talent!

What Talent did she awaken?

Is this Talent useful at all?

Would it be like what Sister Mei and the others said, that if she awakened a useless Talent, she would be treated as trash and thrown off the ship to feed the fish?

A strong sense of panic and unease instantly swept over her.

She trembled, carefully poked half her head out from under the quilt, and looked at Li Taiping with an almost pleading look.

"Ca... Captain..." Her voice still carried a hint of crying, "W... what Talent did I awaken? Is... is it useful?"

Li Taiping looked at her pitiful, silly appearance and found it somewhat amusing.

This young lady really seemed to have been scared out of her wits by Su Mei and the others.

He didn't beat around the bush and said directly:

"Your Talent is [Intelligence Prophet], which can predict information about the next sea area. One is the Extreme Cold Sea Region, and the other is an Excellent Grade sea monster. It's a very good ability."

"Prediction?" Chu Mengyao was stunned for a moment, then a look of surprise and joy burst into her eyes.

This ability sounds very powerful!

She quickly followed Li Taiping's example, silently recited in her heart, and activated her Talent.

Soon, those two pieces of information about the "Extreme Cold Sea Region" and the "Excellent Grade sea monster" also appeared in her mind.

However, after she finished reading these two messages, the surprise on her face instantly froze.

Replacing it was a deeper despair.

How could... how could this be?

The information she could predict, the Captain could actually predict too!

Moreover, the information they both received was exactly the same, not a single word off!

Then... then isn't her Talent completely redundant for the Captain?

A crew member with no unique value who could be easily replaced...

Chu Mengyao's face instantly turned pale.

She remembered the "teachings" Su Mei and the others had given her over the past few days.

"On this ship, useless people are no different from trash."

"Although the Captain is a good person, he is not a philanthropist. He wants crew members who can bring him benefits, not trash who only know how to eat."

"If you don't awaken any useful Talent, just jump into the sea yourself, don't wait for us to throw you down to feed the fish."

These words echoed in her mind like a curse.

"Am... am I very useless?"

Chu Mengyao's eyes instantly turned red, and bean-sized tears fell uncontrollably.

She looked at Li Taiping, her eyes full of fear and helplessness, as if she were looking at a demon king who could sentence her to death at any time.

In her eyes, this man who took her first time and held the power of life and death over her was simply a big demon king who ate people without spitting out the bones!

"Captain... I... I really didn't mean it..."

She said with a crying face, explaining incoherently,

"I... I used to have nanny sisters and butler grandpas take care of me at home, I can't do anything... I..."

"The sisters said that useless people would be thrown off the ship to feed the fish... Now my Talent is useless too... Will... will you throw me down?"

Li Taiping looked at her terrified appearance and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

How exactly did Su Mei and the others train her?

How did they train a perfectly fine young lady into this state?

This isn't training, this is mental PUA!

"Alright, alright, stop crying."

Li Taiping rubbed his temples with a headache.

He reached out and gently wiped the tears from Chu Mengyao's face, trying to make his tone sound as gentle as possible.

"Who said your Talent is useless?"

"Huh?" Chu Mengyao stopped crying and looked at him with teary eyes.

"Think about it, although the information we receive is the same, we can predict once a day. If I'm not on the ship in the future, or if there's some special situation where I can't use my ability, wouldn't you be the only 'prophet' on the ship?"

"Besides, in the future, when your Talent level is higher, maybe you will be able to predict more information than me? These are all uncertain things."

"I, Li Taiping, am not the type of person to cross the river and break the bridge."

"As long as everyone gets along, doesn't fight, and works together to survive in this world, we are a whole."

"I need every one of you, and you also need me."

"We are a family that supports and respects each other, aren't we?"

Li Taiping's words were sincere and heartfelt.

Although half of it was nonsense, the other half was his true feelings.

What he wanted was a united, harmonious "harem" that could continuously bring him benefits, not a "Empresses in the Palace" cast full of infighting and suspicion.

Chu Mengyao was stunned as she listened to his words.

Family?

Mutual respect?

This... this big demon king, it seems... it seems different from what Sister Mei and the others said?

He... he doesn't seem that scary?

Looking at Li Taiping's sincere face, the fear and despair in Chu Mengyao's heart slowly melted away like ice and snow under the sun.

A strange, unprecedented warmth and sense of security welled up in her heart.

"Ca... Captain..."

She sniffed, her voice still choked with sobs, but her eyes were no longer fearful, but filled with a hint of... reliance and conviction.

"I... I understand. I will... work hard in the future!"

Seeing that he had finally gotten through to this young lady, Li Taiping breathed a sigh of relief.

He patted her head and comforted her.

"Alright, it's settled then. Get up quickly, everyone must be waiting anxiously."

...

The next day.

When Li Taiping appeared in the dining room with Chu Mengyao, who still had an unnatural walking posture.

Everyone was surprised to find that this aloof young lady seemed to have become a different person.

She was no longer the icy, unapproachable person she used to be. Although she was still a bit shy and reserved, she would take the initiative to greet Sister Mei and the others, and even clumsily tried to serve everyone during the meal.

Watching her try so hard to integrate into the group, Su Mei and the other women looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

It seemed that their "training" was very successful!

And Chu Mengyao, after feeling the kind gazes from everyone, finally let go of the burden in her heart and showed her first genuine smile in days.

On the Many Children, Many Blessings, true "harmony" had finally arrived.