Chapter 1453: Arriving at the Destination
Zhong Siyu did not look at the burly man, because she had no interest in such matters, and even less interest in the burly man himself; she couldn't be bothered to look.
Everyone else directed their gaze towards the burly man, because they wanted to know immediately what choice the burly man would make. Especially the numerous sea demons led by the burly man; they cared far more about this matter than Ma Ling, for it concerned whether they would be able to leave this place alive. Naturally, they were far more anxious than Ma Ling about the burly man's decision.
The vast majority of sea demons hoped the burly man would agree to submit to Yang Haoran, for they wished to live and not have this place become the end of their lives. There were also a few, though very rare, sea demons who wished the burly man would show more backbone, choosing death over surrender, absolutely refusing to submit to Yang Haoran and live ignominiously under his heel, as that would demonstrate true spirit.
Regardless of whether they belonged to the former or latter group, none spoke at this moment. Their gazes were simply fixed on the burly man, eager to see what choice he would make.
"I. . . I am willing. . ."
The burly man spoke weakly. Although his voice was faint and powerless, a hint of reluctance could still be discerned from his tone.
The burly man's answer made the vast majority of sea demons let out a sigh of relief. They had all worried their leader might impulsively reject Yang Haoran's recruitment, resulting in a tragic death. Fortunately, their leader had not done so, and the stone hanging in their hearts finally dropped.
However, the sea demon who had hoped the burly man would die unyielding felt utterly disappointed upon hearing this reply, for it was not the outcome he desired.
Regardless of the reason, or even if both reasons applied, the fact remained that the burly man chose silence after expressing his attitude.
"Heh heh, your choice is a wise one. One day, you will realize that the decision you made today was utterly correct. As I say this now, not only do you disbelieve me, but your subordinates likely share your skepticism. But it doesn't matter. Once you reach your destination, inquire among others, and you might just find that my words now were not mere empty boasts."
Yang Haoran chuckled softly, his voice breaking the silence. All the sea demons present, including the burly man, their leader, were half-convinced, half-doubtful, some even suspecting Yang Haoran was merely drawing them a beautiful but unattainable picture.
Yang Haoran did not continue to explain, but instead issued a command to the burly man.
"My name is Yang Haoran. Currently, I am the. . . uh, the Island Master of Half-Moon Island. From this moment on, you are all my people, Yang Haoran's people. I will not treat you unfairly in the future. In a moment, I will leave some Dānyào for healing injuries, for you and your subordinates to treat your wounds. Once your injuries have largely recovered, you are to proceed to Half-Moon Island. I will tell you its precise location. Upon arriving at Half-Moon Island, someone will naturally receive you. If possible, along the way, you can recruit more subordinates; I am currently quite short-handed."
The burly man assented, but the shift in roles made his "yes" sound extremely awkward. Not only did it lack any hint of respect, but a barely concealed reluctance could also be heard.
It was no wonder the burly man felt awkward. In the past, others had always assented before him; now he had to assent before someone else. The role reversal was too significant, and he naturally found it difficult to adapt in such a short time.
Yang Haoran understood the burly man and therefore did not dwell on it. He left behind some healing Dānyào and provided the precise location of Half-Moon Island before departing with Zhong Siyu and Ma Ling.
The burly man was severely injured, but Yang Haoran had no concerns about his safety. This sea region was originally the burly man's territory, so even with grave injuries, it wouldn't be a major issue. Moreover, Zhong Siyu hadn't wounded all of the burly man's subordinates; only a small portion were injured, while the majority were unharmed, merely trapped or intimidated. With these subordinates protecting him, the burly man's safety should not be a problem.
As for whether the burly man would encounter danger on his way to Half-Moon Island, that was hard to say. If the burly man did not stop in other sea regions midway and constantly tore through space to rush to Half-Moon Island, the likelihood of encountering danger would be greatly reduced. However, by doing so, the burly man would absolutely be unable to recruit any more subordinates.
Conversely, if the burly man wished to recruit more subordinates along the way, then he would have to stop in certain sea regions. But this would significantly increase the risk factor, making his survival uncertain. Yet, his value in Yang Haoran's eyes, whether great or small, would be reflected by this very choice.
Yang Haoran did not forcibly demand how the burly man must act. It was simply that different actions by the burly man would naturally yield different rewards. As for how to choose, it entirely depended on the burly man himself.
Of course, the burly man could also choose not to go to Half-Moon Island after Yang Haoran's departure. This was because Yang Haoran had not left any contingency measures on the burly man or his subordinates. Once he left the isolated island, the burly man and his group immediately regained their freedom. The burly man could choose to lead his people to Half-Moon Island, or he could choose to escape with them and not go to Half-Moon Island; the decision was entirely in his hands.
Yang Haoran was not bothered by this. There were many Demon Kings of the burly man's caliber in the Flock of Demons Society. Having one more was naturally a good thing, as it would enhance the Society's strength. But one less wouldn't truly matter; he wouldn't feel regret or pity over it. If the burly man didn't go to Half-Moon Island, it would actually be the burly man's own loss.
Furthermore, if the burly man did not proceed to Half-Moon Island, Yang Haoran certainly wouldn't let him off so easily. After all, the burly man had already given his word, and he had to be responsible for what he said. Not bringing his people to Half-Moon Island would be deceiving Yang Haoran, and such a person Yang Haoran would definitely find a way to drag out. Once caught, he would certainly no longer grant the burly man the right to choose; he would directly kill the demon, take its Demon Pill, and wring out every last bit of value from the burly man's corpse.
What final choice the burly man would make – whether to honestly lead his subordinates to Half-Moon Island, or to take them and hide away at the ends of the earth – Yang Haoran truly didn't know. However, after leaving the isolated island, he still conjured a Communication Talisman to remind Bai Xue, ensuring that someone would receive the burly man upon his arrival at Half-Moon Island, lest the burly man and his group be mistaken for sea demons attacking Half-Moon Island and then mercilessly purged.
The burly man's appearance was merely an interlude during Yang Haoran's journey. He considered himself not one to indulge in indiscriminate slaughter, and moreover, he genuinely needed manpower at the moment, especially a greater abundance of followers. Thus, he spared the lives of the burly man and his group.
A month later, Yang Haoran, accompanied by Zhong Siyu and Ma Ling, arrived at Tong Continent. The reason it took a month was that the Eastern Sunrise Ocean was simply too vast, and the distance to Tong Continent was great. Additionally, Yang Haoran and the two women would rest periodically along the way, naturally extending the travel time somewhat.
Over the course of that month, Yang Haoran successively subdued several waves of sea demons, using the exact same methods as he did against the burly man. However, once they reached the outer fringes of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, Yang Haoran ceased doing so.
There were two reasons for this. One reason was that the sea demons on the periphery of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean were too weak. Such sea demons were acceptable to recruit as followers, but as combatants, they were somewhat lacking. Furthermore, with their strength, they would be utterly unable to reach Half-Moon Island, becoming food for other sea demons along the way.
The other reason was that the sea demons on the outer fringes of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean had more opportunities to come into contact with the outside world, and occasionally, outsiders would even venture to the outer fringes of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean to hunt sea demons. Recruiting these sea demons and telling them the precise location of Half-Moon Island made him worried about leaking the island's position. He wasn't particularly concerned about this issue when recruiting sea demons from the depths of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, but when it came to those on the periphery, he had no choice but to worry.
It was precisely for these two reasons that, upon reaching the outer fringes of the Eastern Sunrise Ocean, Yang Haoran no longer recruited any sea demons. His entire focus was placed on hurrying the journey, a focus that remained unbroken until they reached their destination, Tong Continent.
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