Chapter 1342: Chapter 1342

"Honorable Sir! I have inspected the hull and the planks, and repaired the cracks in the lower cabin. As long as the storm is not too fierce, there won’t be any problem... The wind is currently blowing from the southeast, you can set the sails full, and we can cover two to three hundred li a day..."

The cold winds from Siberia blew from the northwest, howling as they entered the collar, cold and dry. On the ocean shielding ship, the shipwright Kim Sun-su bowed respectfully, bent his waist, tightly wrapped in leather clothing, and saluted the two gentlemen before him. He wasn’t tall, his face dark and unclear in age. Only his large hands, full of calluses, robust and nimble, hinted at his identity as a senior artisan.

"Watanabe guard, what did he say?"

"Oh! Murakami-san, Gold Shipwright said the ship is fine and can set sail!"

The monk soldier Watanabe Masumi smiled at the corners of his mouth, translating just a couple of sentences, clearly omitting a lot. The ship superintendent Murakami Kitamichi frowned dissatisfied but, unable to speak the language, was truly helpless. He pondered for a moment, glanced at the monk soldier Watanabe, then took out two fine deerskins and handed them to the shipwright Kim Sun-su.

"Buddha bless! Gold Shipwright, you’ve been a great help to us on this northward journey! These two pieces of deerskin are a gift from me on behalf of the family head!"

Seeing Murakami’s gesture, the shipwright Kim Sun-su was stunned and looked towards the monk soldier Watanabe.

"Gold Shipwright, this is a reward from Murakami-san!"

Watanabe Masumi smiled and said this succinctly. He understood the intention of Murakami, which was no more than to recruit Gold Shipwright for his excellent ship repair skills. However, Gold Shipwright’s true identity was a servant of the temple, having no personal freedom. In order to recruit him, the Kaozaki family would need Mori no Kiyoshi’s consent. Therefore, there was no need for him to interfere.

"Aigo! Thank you for the reward, Sir, I shall bow to you!"

Soon, the shipwright Kim Sun-su knelt on the deck, giving two heavy kowtows. Seeing this, Murakami’s face showed a slight awkwardness. He initially wanted to establish a relationship with the skilled Gold Shipwright, but didn’t expect such an outcome.

However, for Kim Sun-su, kowtowing in such a manner was quite common. He was born in Gyeongsang South Province, where generations of his family were craftsmen in government-run shipyards. His ancestor’s skills were excellent, and his family used to be well-off, even able to afford precious rice meals several times a month. Nevertheless, in the strictly hierarchical Korea Kingdom, as a commoner, his social status was slightly better than that of the lowest class. Every time in the shipyard or town, whether encountering the high "Two Classes" or the respected "broker", a kowtow was always needed.

This kind of life continued for twenty or thirty years until the terrifying Wa Warriors... oh no, Wa Country Samurai landed, easily breaching the towns and taking him away as a shipwright, subsequently leading to Wa Country... From the Western Country to the Capital City, then from Capital City to the Northern Land, it swiftly passed, and he had left his hometown for seven or eight years...

Thinking of this, the shipwright Kim Sun-su kneeling on the deck felt a bit dazed. He had long grown accustomed to the arrangements of fate, his face full of a sycophantic smile while he secretly sighed in his heart. Then, he respectfully stood up, glanced at the two gentlemen, hugged the two pieces of hide to his chest, and retreated to leave.

"Murakami-san, the herbs we received this year were good, but the hides were somewhat lacking, and the quantity wasn’t quite enough..."

The fleet hoisted its sails, leaving the Evenki people’s camp, heading towards the vast Eastern Great Sea. Watanabe Masumi gazed at the dark sea, standing shoulder to shoulder with Murakami Kitamichi, avoiding eye contact, and lightly remarked.

"The sailors say that to find truly excellent fox and sable furs... one must go further north to the icefields..."

"...Hmm. The truly good hides are all in the Far North land... and the sand gold the family head wants..."

Murakami Kitamichi nodded slightly, having many thoughts in his mind, but his face remained calm. He gazed at the endless sea, feeling the steady sailing of the ship, and couldn’t help but speak out.

"This great ship is truly excellent! It’s so stable in its journey! ...Many years ago, I rowed a small sahō vessel north, and it was as if I was rowing at the edge of the Sanzu River, ready to die at any moment... Sometimes a big wave or two would hit, flipping and wobbling the small boat, and I was nearly drawn into the Kusatsu Abyss... But back then, there was always a spirit of determination in my heart, able to make decisions, fearing nothing!"

Hearing this, Watanabe Masumi’s eyes flickered, silently listening. Having anticipated the following content, he knew he needed to be patient.

"...Looking back now, compared to those days, I indeed am somewhat old! This year, with such a fine great ship, I drifted for half a year in the North, still not daring to cross Birch Island to the true North Sea... Buddha witness! In the hands of these tribes, there isn’t any sand gold at all... How can I explain to the gracious family head?"

Saying this, a hint of self-mockery appeared on Murakami Kitamichi’s face. Watanabe Masumi raised his eyebrows, smiling as he asked.

"Murakami-san, is the true North Sea of the Far North land truly so terrifying? Are you as scared as if facing a tiger..."

Upon hearing this, Murakami Kitamichi’s eyes showed an acute glint, about to say something. But after a few breaths, he pursed his lips and calmly replied.

"Watanabe guard, you’ve never been to the true North Sea, you don’t know the storms, ice, snow, fog, and tides there, you don’t understand the unpredictability and horror, it’s like a white Hell..."

"But, you don’t need to provoke me! After we return and complete this trade, preparing adequately for the family head... next year when we set sail, I’ll make a trip to the Far North land! And on this trip, I’ll sail amidst the raging waves, land on the white coast, seek out various Northern land tribes, and delve into the barren snowfields, heading to their migrating camps to trade... This time, I won’t return before the winter sea closure, undoubtedly risking my life, and it’ll take two years!"

Upon saying this, Murakami Kitamichi squinted his eyes, looking at the tall and robust monk soldier Watanabe Masumi, laughed coldly, and said.

"What do you say? Watanabe guard, are you afraid? Will you dare to accompany me next year?"

"Haha! Afraid? What’s fear?!... Murakami-san, when I disregarded life and death, wielding a blade in the charge and battled among hundreds, you probably were still an inexperienced fledgling!"

The monk soldier Watanabe Masumi laughed heartily, pointing to the scar on his face. Then he pulled open his collar, revealing a deep scar cutting across his chest. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⁂fire.net

"This slash! It was made by a cavalry warrior from the Ouchi Clan during an assault! If not for Buddha’s blessing, I would have died on the spot!... But even then, I wasn’t afraid! And now, my life is already sold to Buddha, it’s not mine anymore!... Haha! Murakami-san, wherever you go, I’ll accompany you!"

Seeing the scar on Watanabe’s chest, Murakami Kitamichi inhaled deeply, visibly moved. He paused for a moment, slowly nodding, and changed his address for the first time.

"Good! Watanabe-san! Being able to return from Hell’s door, you’re as brave as a Ghost Warrior! So next spring, we’ll set north from the Kutadai Peninsula, head all the way north, then east around the entire Far North Sea, and return from the Northeast Thousand Islands!... My mind is set, may Buddha bless us!"

"Ha! Then it’s settled! Let’s go see if the Far North land is truly like Hell!"

The monk soldier Watanabe laughed broadly, the scar on his face moving, fierce as the Fudo Myo-o, yet with a benevolent Buddha-like kindness.

"Amitabha Buddha! Namo Amitabha Buddha! Haha!"

The north wind howled, laughter echoed afar, and the sails high above, the great ship set out, journeying to distant horizons. The cold waves surged across the gray sea, awaiting the freeze of winter, anticipating the thaw of spring, ready to witness the coming and going of ships, no matter where from.