Chapter 227

Chapter 227

In the days that followed, Evan became increasingly cautious.

He no longer confined himself to one area of the sea for pearl diving. Every morning before dawn, he would rise, using the faint light to first send the butterfly puppet into the sky for reconnaissance, confirming the patrol routes, then choosing a remote and hidden sea area to set out.

Thanks to the power brought by the red fruit, his diving abilities far surpassed his previous limits—not only could he hold his breath twice as long, but his swimming speed was as swift as a fish. Even in the deep, dark seabed, his perception was exceptionally sharp, allowing him to easily avoid reefs and hidden dangerous marine creatures.

The mouse puppet became his most capable underwater assistant. The fluorescence on its tiny paws could pierce the gloom of the deep sea, helping him precisely locate the position of shells. Evan's pearl diving efficiency greatly increased, and every day he found many pearls of excellent quality.

He would open the shells one by one on the shallow shore, carefully placing white pearls into a small separate cloth bag. When he had accumulated a certain amount, he would take advantage of the patrol shift change in the evening to quickly sell them at the royal exchange.

Now the pearl prices on the island had dropped somewhat, but they were still much higher than usual. In just a few days, Evan had accumulated a small pouch full of gold salas, enough to pay for his mother's medicine for the next half year, with extra left over to buy a decent gift for Sara.

As for the black pearls tainted with death curses, Evan kept them all. Every night when he returned to his room, he would spread these black pearls on the table, and by the dim light of the oil lamp, use a fine needle and silk thread to fix them one by one onto the puppets.

On the shoulder armor of the assassin puppet, he inlaid three tiny black pearls that formed a strange totem pattern, making the puppet's killing intent more restrained; on the hem of Miss Doll's skirt, he sewed a circle of fine black pearls that would sway gently with movement, like starlight flickering in the night; on the edge of the mouse puppet's propeller, he embedded two small pearls that refracted a faint ink-colored halo when spinning; on the wing veins of the butterfly puppet, he used silver thread to string the black pearls together into a chain, which didn't affect flight but added a touch of mysterious beauty.

Every time he touched the black pearls, Evan could feel the power in his heart automatically flow, forming an invisible barrier that blocked the cold, cursed aura.

He even discovered that as the black pearls were fixed onto the puppets, the spiritual fluctuations of the puppets seemed to become more stable. In particular, the assassin puppet's originally somewhat violent energy was neutralized in part by the cursed aura of the black pearls, making it more controllable.

"Perhaps these black pearls were meant to merge with the puppets," Evan thought to himself. His initial worry about the curse was gradually replaced by the joy of discovering a new use.

While focusing on pearl diving, Evan also clearly noticed the changes on Pearl Island. Every day when he returned from the sea, he would see the reconstruction work on the island in full swing.

The patrol team sent a large number of workers and supplies, and soldiers also joined the reconstruction efforts, helping clear rubble and carry timber. The beach that had once been littered with debris had been cleaned thoroughly. The wooden houses that had been destroyed were soon replaced by new wooden structures. Craftsmen swung axes and hammers, and the clanging of hammers rang out from morning till night, the smell of gunpowder in the air gradually replaced by the fragrance of wood and the scent of lime.

Damaged boats in the dockyard were towed away, and new skiffs and fishing boats were quickly built. A few days later, pearl divers set out to sea in new boats, and the seaside bustled with its former activity.

The queue in front of the royal exchange, though not as long as before, still steadily flowed. The staff worked efficiently, and the transaction process was quick and orderly.

The small shops on the island also gradually resumed business. Although prices remained high, the supply of goods had basically returned to normal. The frequency of patrols slowly decreased, and the soldiers' stern expressions softened. Occasionally, they could be seen chatting and laughing with residents, and the tense atmosphere on the island dissipated little by little.

Time slipped away quietly amid the busy and cautious pearl-diving life. Before he knew it, it was the tenth day since Evan had planned to leave Pearl Island. In these ten days, not only had he saved enough money, but he had also collected over twenty black pearls, making the three puppets even more unique and exquisite.

Early in the morning, Evan got up and packed everything properly.

He carefully divided the gold salas into two parts, placing one part in his inner pocket and the other part into a small cloth bag. Together with the love poem written for Sara and Hill Bird's old diary, he put them all into the handbag he had left with the innkeeper.

He gently held the three puppets in his arms, and the storage bag was folded and tucked into the inner compartment of the handbag.

After packing, Evan took one last look at the small room where he had stayed for ten days.

The room was still simple, but it had witnessed his tension and relief, adventure and gains during this time. He walked to the door, knocked lightly, and called for the innkeeper, and checked out. The innkeeper saw he was ready and said with a smile, "Young man, here's the handbag you checked in. Check if anything is missing. Have a safe journey!"

Evan took the handbag, unzipped it and made sure everything was intact. He thanked the innkeeper, turned around, and walked out of the inn.

By now, Pearl Island showed no trace of its previous destruction. The streets had been cleaned thoroughly, the newly built wooden houses were neatly arranged, with bright cloth curtains hanging at the doorways; on the seaside beach, children were chasing and playing, pearl divers were sailing out one after another, seagulls circled low in the sky, crying clearly; sunlight spilled onto the island, warm and bright, and the air was filled with the salty tang of the sea breeze and the fragrance of wood—a scene of peace and prosperity.

If one hadn't witnessed the mess before, no one would guess that this island had just experienced an invasion by a ghost ship ten days ago.

Evan, carrying the puppets and the handbag, walked along the clean streets toward the pier. Along the way, he met many residents and workers, all with peaceful smiles on their faces, occasionally greeting people warmly.

Patrol soldiers stood at the intersections, looking at the passing crowd with gentle eyes, no longer wearing the previous seriousness and vigilance. Evan's mood gradually relaxed, and he walked briskly toward the pier.

The pier was already bustling. Several sailboats were docked at the shore, ready to take passengers away from Pearl Island. The shore was crowded with people seeing off others and boarding, the sound of luggage being moved, conversations, and boatmen's shouts intermingling, full of the atmosphere of life.

Evan approached the boarding checkpoint, where two royal soldiers and a female staff member in a gray uniform were responsible for checking passengers' luggage to prevent pearl divers from smuggling pearls out of the island.

Seeing the checkpoint, Evan's heart began to race involuntarily, and he held the puppets in his arms even tighter.

He knew that his biggest risk was these puppets decorated with black pearls. Although the cursed aura of the black pearls was suppressed by the power in his heart and the supernatural structure of the puppets, it was uncertain whether the inspectors would detect anything unusual.

He took a deep breath, trying to make his expression appear calm and natural, and moved slowly forward in the queue.

The line shrank bit by bit, and soon it was Evan's turn.

The inspector was the female staff member. She was about thirty years old, wearing a crisp gray uniform, with her hair combed immaculately, her gaze sharp and calm. She was bent over, inspecting the luggage of the previous passenger.

"Please place your luggage on the table for inspection," the female staff member said without looking up, her voice flat and businesslike.

Evan placed his handbag on the table as instructed, still holding the puppets tightly in his hands. The female staff member raised her head, first scanning Evan, then her gaze settled on the puppets in his arms. When she saw the black pearls studded on the puppets, her gaze clearly paused, then turned somewhat strange. She frowned slightly, staring at the puppets for a full three seconds, confusion and doubt in her eyes—obviously, she had never seen a man carrying such doll puppets, but considering that this man was a supernatural being, these puppets were exquisitely made, their spiritual fluctuations, though faint, were uniquely distinct, possibly his supernatural items.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Evan's palms, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his throat.

He could clearly feel the female staff member's gaze, like a physical weight, resting on the puppets, and even his breathing became careful. He silently prayed that she wouldn't detect the abnormality of the black pearls.

The two soldiers standing nearby also noticed the female staff member's unusual behavior, following her gaze to the puppets in Evan's arms, curiosity flashing in their eyes, but they said nothing.

The female staff member withdrew her gaze, looked back at Evan, and her tone remained flat: "Are these puppets yours?"

"Yes... yes, I made them myself." Evan's voice was a bit dry, trying to appear calm.

The female staff member didn't press further. Instead, she lowered her head and began to inspect Evan's handbag. She deftly unzipped it and took out the items one by one to check: gold salas, small cloth bag, love poem, old diary... She examined each one carefully.

When she picked up Hill Bird's old diary, her fingers paused, she flipped through two pages, and after finding it was just an ordinary sailor's diary, she casually put it back.

She also checked the inner compartment of the handbag, finding only the folded storage bag, with no other suspicious items. After the inspection, she put everything back into the handbag, zipped it up, pushed it in front of Evan, and said, "Inspection complete, no issues. You may board."

Hearing these words, Evan's racing heart instantly calmed, and he breathed a long sigh of relief, his back soaked with cold sweat. He quickly picked up the handbag, hugged the puppets, thanked the female staff member, and walked briskly toward the sailboat.

As he passed the two soldiers, he could feel their gazes still lingering on the puppets in his arms, but they didn't stop him.

After boarding the sailboat, Evan found a seat by the window, placed his handbag beside him, and still held the puppets in his arms. He leaned against the rail and turned to look out at Pearl Island.

The sailboat was already slowly leaving the dock. The crowd on the shore grew smaller and smaller, and the outline of Pearl Island gradually blurred. Sunlight spilled over the sea, sparkling. The sea breeze blew in through the window, carrying a salty tang, brushing across Evan's face, making him feel extremely relaxed and content.

It wasn't until Pearl Island completely disappeared from sight that Evan withdrew his gaze and looked down at the puppets in his arms.

Through the window, sunlight fell on Evan and the puppets in his arms, creating a warm halo. The sea breeze filled the sails, carrying the sailboat gently toward home.

A comforting smile gradually curled at the corners of Evan's mouth.