Chapter 40: Heaven and Earth Turned Upside Down (Below) Seeking Collection

  In the depths of darkness, Tang Jie faintly heard a voice softly calling out to him, a familiar figure seemed to be fluttering in front of him.

  The figure was a bit like Nia, and also a bit like the Maria he had seen. She wore a white dress with a necklace hanging from her chest, on which a transparent blue sapphire sparkled brightly.

  She stretched out a white and tender hand, slowly reaching towards Tang Jie's cheek.

  Just as she was about to touch Tang Jie's skin, Tang Jie suddenly sat up with a loud "ah".

  His eyes were vacant and he stood still on the spot.

  Am I in heaven or hell now?

  Tang Jie looked around dazedly, this was a dimly lit room, narrow and cluttered with furniture, he lay on a cold and narrow bed, covered with a linen sheet.

  It's great here, this is not heaven, heaven isn't so simple!

  Is it hell?

  It's not like that, is hell also preparing a single room for me?

  Am I not dead?!

  Tang Jie's heart was filled with increasing astonishment, he touched his own body, but was shocked to discover that the wound on his chest had already healed, leaving only a faint pink scar.

  Is my wound healed?

  How long was I unconscious?

  Why am I here?

  Tang Jie recalled the scene he saw before he fainted, that meteorite hurtling towards him.

  What's going on now?

  I was saved by someone?

  Who saved me?

  Doubts emerged one after another in Tang Jie's mind, like wave after wave, almost drowning him.

  Just as he was at a loss, someone suddenly pushed open the door with a creak and walked in.

  This man was not tall, wearing a long gown, holding a bottle of wine in his hand. He saw Tang Jie and was stunned for a moment: "You wake up really fast! The west city is already in chaos, the sky will soon be bright, and the dock will be sealed off soon, hurry up and leave!"

  Tang Jie saw this person come in, he was startled and was about to get up violently, but suddenly heard a familiar voice, he looked closely and saw that the man had a goatee beard, and the long gown on his body was actually a pastor's robe!

  Who else could it be if not Horn?

  Horn!

  Isn't he dead?

  "How is it you?" Tang Jie's mouth was agape, his voice drawn out in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.

  Horne leaned lazily against the wall and took a swig of wine: "Why wasn't it me?"

  "Did you save me?" Tang Jie's face was full of incredulity.

  "Hah! You think so? Who else could have saved you from such severe injuries besides me? You idiot, you wasted two of my medical scrolls and 5,000 gold coins!!"

  "What's that shooting star?!"

  "Horn slapped his thigh: "You didn't remind me and I almost forgot! That Meteor Fireball magic scroll and the speed scroll that increases action speed actually cost me a total of 50,000 gold coins! Give it back to me!!" After saying this, he stretched out his palm."

  Tang Jie's mouth had been open since Horn walked in, and after hearing Horn's explanation, he muttered: "Why didn't you drown at sea?"

  Horn smiled slightly, withdrew his palm, gulped another mouthful of wine, and then wiped the corner of his mouth with a sloppy sleeve: "Don't forget, I'm a pastor! As long as I didn't die at the time, I can recite incantations, I can heal myself! Of course, thanks to you for not stabbing my heart and cutting off my rope! As long as I don't die, I have a way to survive!"

  After finishing speaking, Horn's gaze was full of interest, staring at Tang Jie, sizing him up from head to toe: "You're not like Bal, I really didn't misjudge you!"

  As soon as he mentioned Ba Er, Tong Jie's eyes suddenly welled up with anger: "How dare you mention it? Why did you want to trap us to death?"

  Horne stared at Tangie, suddenly bursting into loud laughter. He pointed at Tangie with one hand and shook his head, as if mocking what Tangie had just said.

  Horne's laughter made Tong Jie even more furious, he suddenly stood up, grabbed Horne's collar and shouted: "What are you laughing at? Don't think that just because you saved me, you can wipe out everything that happened before!"

  "Of course, I'm saving you tonight just to repay the kindness of not killing me on the boat back then." Huan removed Tong Jie's hand from his collar and smiled faintly: "Don't be in a hurry to get angry, come, let me ask you a few questions!"

  "What's wrong?" Tang Jie gazed at Horn with an unfriendly glare.

  Horne smiled and asked with a flicker in his eyes: "If I told you that your Captain Ball has been using you from start to finish, what would you think?"

  Lao Ba Er is a wise elder and benevolent mentor in Tang Jie's heart, who cherishes his own dignity and kindness. Tang Jie is deeply grateful for this, otherwise he would not have risked his life to save Lao Ba Er.

  As soon as Horn said that, Tong Jie was like a turtle having its shell flipped over, he furiously pounced forward and grabbed Horn out of thin air: "If you dare to slander Captain Ball in front of me again, I'll beat you into a pulp!"

  Horne seemed not to have heard Tong Jie's threat, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his face: "Oh? Are you going to tie me up with a rope too? And then stuff my mouth with cloth so I can't speak?"

  "Tang Jie gritted his teeth: 'What else do you want to say? If I hear one more word of disrespect towards Captain Barlow from your mouth, I'll smash all your teeth in!'"

  Horne gazed at Tong Jie, shaking his head slowly and sighing: "Bar, Bar, you're indeed the Fox of the Sea! You've actually deceived this young man into being so devoted to you! Truly remarkable! Admirable, admirable!"

  "You dare say that!" Tang Jie's forehead bulged with rage, his fists clenched high.

  "Horne sneered: 'Come on, I'll ask you, since old Barr is clear of conscience, why did he block my mouth on the deck and not let me say a word?'"

  "I'm asking you, if I was the one who let Jones escape, why didn't I run away with him at that time and instead stayed behind to wait for death?"

  "I ask you again, why was it that night I went to see Jones and was seen by you, and also happened to be seen by Captain Ball at the same time? Why didn't Captain Ball catch me in the act and expose me then?"

  "I'm asking you again, why did Ball keep protecting Jones after he was caught? We had already shaken off the pursuit at that time, and this so-called hostage was completely unnecessary!"

  Horne's questioning came like a string of firecrackers, one after another, pounding Tang Jie.

  Tang Jie suppressed his anger and sneered: "First question, Captain Ball plugged your mouth because he was afraid you would spread rumors like this!"

  "Secondly, if you run away, wouldn't that just confirm your reputation as a traitor? And then you won't be able to continue following Captain Barbossa and waiting for the opportunity to steal the treasure map from Atos! You're staying behind with a glimmer of hope, aren't you?"

  "Thirdly, there are many coincidences in this world! For example, why did you coincidentally bump into me tonight and save me? You've been following us from behind, haven't you?"

  "The fourth question is, who can predict what happens at sea? Like that storm, it comes suddenly, who knows when the pursuers will arrive? Leaving one person behind, what's the use?"

  Tang Jie's response was in no way slow, and he also counterattacked with a single axe and hammer, showing no weakness!

  Horne sneered: "Well said! Alright, you can deny all of this. In that case, I'll only ask you one crucial question!"

  Horn slowed down, speaking in a sarcastic tone, "Do you know or not, the captain of the Plunderer, Jones, is Bal's own brother?"

  What?!

  Tang Jie felt like he had been hit on the head with a heavy iron hammer!

  Dizzy!

  "This is impossible!" Tang Jie blurted out, loudly shouting "What evidence do you have?!"

  Horne sneered, his keen senses detecting the flicker of confusion and wavering in Tong Jie's eyes. He ruthlessly continued to tear apart the crack that had appeared in Tong Jie's heart!

  "Have you ever wondered why the Plunderer can always follow behind the Inferno? With the speed of the Inferno and Captain Bar's abilities, it would be easy for him to shake off the Plunderer!"

  "I'm telling you, it's because Old Bar has the treasure map of Atos! He first sent his adopted son Wells away, then had Bice concentrate on capturing him, while he himself took the pirates to sea and played a trick with his own brother, gradually wearing down the sailors on his ship until in the end, only he was left!"

  "Hum, you think the storm that night was my doing? You're wrong! If I can buy magic scrolls, so can old Barl! That storm that night, it was Barl who conjured it up with a magic scroll! And the dead knot on the mainmast's hoisting rope, he tied it himself! Why did I climb up to take a look? Because when I came onto the deck, I just happened to see Barl coming down from the mainmast, and that's what made me suspicious!"

  "Old Bartholomew's plan was to conspire with Jones to secretly get rid of their respective crews, creating the illusion that both ships had sunk, cutting off all trails. At that time, everyone would think they were dead, but no one could have imagined that these two people had sneaked away to find the treasure map!"

  "Unfortunately, the old fox's plans were not as good as heaven's. He didn't expect to meet you, and you completely disrupted all his plans! However, he made the most of the situation and discovered that you were indeed a promising material, so he began to cultivate and support you diligently. But do you think he really wanted to groom you into his successor and son-in-law?"

  "Stop dreaming!!" Horn's voice sounded cruel, he shouted loudly "Look at Wells! He followed Old Ball for eighteen years, what did he get? Because he also knew the news and whereabouts of the treasure map, he was ruthlessly framed and abandoned by Old Ball! You? You are just a pawn left in Old Ball's hand to defend against possible risks, as well as Wells' anger and hatred!"

  "Old Fox indeed hit the mark! When he fell into trouble, you rushed into the Jail of Jerault without hesitation and rescued him! The chips he had placed on you were all paid back at once! Baral, Baral, you are truly a master!" Horn laughed loudly.

  "This, this can't be......" Tong Jie's body swayed, his mind was in a mess, his eyes were bloodshot, staring at Horn like a wild beast, with an extremely frightening gaze. "Captain Ball, could it be that you would even harm your own biological daughter?"

  "Isn't this impossible?" Horn sneered. "Why is it impossible? Hmph, in front of Pirate King Atos' treasure, anything can happen! Don't you think that Old Barl doesn't even trust his own biological daughter, what makes him believe you, a young whippersnapper who's only been on the ship for over ten days?"

  "But he even bought a boat with his own hands and gave it to me, he entrusted his biological daughter Nia to me, and also entrusted William and Bill to me together. Is there anyone in this world who is better to me than him?" Tang Jie loudly roared back, desperately refuting.

  "Hah, do you think this is good for you? You fool! Don't you ever think that since you rescued Captain Barbossa from the Jerkut prison, which of you two does the sailors on the Black Pearl listen to more? If you had wanted to seize power back then, perhaps old Barbossa would have only been able to obediently hand over the captain's position on the Black Pearl!"

  "He bought you a ship, but it was just to prevent you from controlling all his sailors. You were banished from the Hell's number, fool! Barlow used only a small trick and you were played around by him, yet you still feel grateful to him! As for William and Bill, these two guys are already your loyal iron rods, they are more intimate with you than with Captain Barlow, so they were also banished from the Hell's number by Barlow! Do you think you got a bargain?"

  Tang Jie's face turned iron-green, he clenched his fists and his whole body trembled: "Where is Niya?"

  "Nia? Hey, this poor little girl, if she knew she was sold out by her own biological father, what do you think she would think?" Horn jeered, "Wake up, don't be sold by Ball, you're still in the dark!"

  Tang Jie only felt his mind buzzing, as if someone had struck a large bell next to his ear.

  That kind-hearted bearded man is actually such a despicable person?

  The man who taught me navigation and led me into the world of the sea was actually using me?

  This majestic captain of the barge, like a mighty lion, was actually plotting to harm all his companions?

  Is everything from head to toe just acting, all fake?

  Can one be so cunning and deceitful?

  This is impossible, absolutely impossible!!

  Tang Jie was panting heavily, he really couldn't accept Horn's words, but his rationality told him that Horn's words sounded vaguely reasonable and logical!

  But whether it was Old Bal or Horn in front of him, one of them must be lying!

  Who is that person?

  Who should I believe?

  Tang Jie suddenly felt that the ocean was not just majestic and powerful, but also had treacherous whirlpools and hidden undercurrents!

  It's already the second day of junior high school, I'll just update once today and twice tomorrow.