Chapter 38 Chapter 38 It’s hard to persuade someone who wants to die
But no matter how unfortunate it was, the cards had been easily revealed, and the truth was already established. Especially with the sun gradually reaching a terrifying temperature, the entire sea surface felt like it had returned to a fiery purgatory, the scorching heat of the light enough to be unbearable.
Except for Chang Ruijia who could still move on the floating objects, everyone else basically hid under the cabinet boards, wishing not even a hair could be exposed.
Even if Hong Ta wanted Chang Ruijia to stay out of the spotlight, he had no way of saying it in this situation where he would sweat even if he moved.
The crowd returned to silence. For Chang Ruijia, who returned to the edge of the crowd with Hong Ta, although the temperature was a little unbearable, it was more convenient for her to move around than for others.
Wiping the sweat from his head, Chang Ruijia realized that the rising temperature outside was no longer something she needed to focus on.
As long as she was on the sea, there was no way for her to avoid the scorching heat. The best she could do was to adapt to the weather like everyone else in the market and survive.
The most important thing for her now is her ultimate goal of moving to this sea area - the monster fish.
Although she spent the entire morning exchanging these things, she also did not forget to collect important clues from other people.
Although she learned some information from Wu Jin yesterday, she was, after all, a party involved in the battle against the monster fish, so some information was inevitably forced to be limited by the fact that those involved were confused while those who were watching could see things more clearly. Asking more about the information known by onlookers would not only help her to understand the monster more accurately but also make it easier to distinguish the truth from the false.
For example, today when she was talking to one of the people who wanted to exchange steamed buns from her, she heard the most crucial information.
When Wu Jin was fighting with the monster fish, the people watching around him, although far away, could vaguely see traces of other monster fish appearing around.
This was not just the one-sided statement of a few onlookers. When Chang Ruijia suddenly learned the news, she was surprised and also heard the same answer from some people behind her.
Trouble! Chang Ruijia thought with a serious expression.
It would be best if the phenomenon Wu Jin encountered last time was just a coincidence.
But if the monster fish in this sea area really appear in groups, then for her who wants to hunt them continuously, the difficulty will increase by more than one level.
She had originally relied on her sense of danger from the monster fish underwater to lock onto her target. If the dangerous object became a group from one, not only would it be more difficult to lock onto the target, but she might also end up switching targets by mistake.
Looking at the kitchen knives that had been replaced several times so far, Chang Ruijia frowned and sighed. Previously, it took two to three rounds of shooting to kill a monster fish. If the target was wrong, the kitchen knives in her hand would likely become less and less effective.
Moreover, the current situation cannot be completely compared with the previous time when she was drifting alone. Looking up at the people crowded under the cabinets around her, Chang Ruijia thought that even if she had no heart of a saint in this ocean, she would not joke with the lives of so many people.
Therefore, even if Chang Ruijia wanted to try it first tonight, there were some issues that she had to keep in mind and consider.
——
However, in just one early morning, Chang Ruijia's floating object covered with a skylight once again became the focus of the crowd.
Their eyes kept looking in the direction of Chang Ruijia's bed, which they could vaguely see. The crowd who were lying motionless in the sun began to whisper about her sudden appearance in the market.
"Who is that little girl? Look at the size of her bed. She must have killed at least a dozen people, right?" A male voice commented curiously.
It has to be said that in addition to the things on Chang Ruijia's bed being the most eye-catching, the area of the bed is indeed particularly conspicuous in the crowd.
"I think so. Whose bed is five or six meters in size? He looks harmless, but who knows how cruel and ruthless he is in private?" Someone said in agreement, remembering that the space under him was only one or two meters in size, and a sour tone was revealed in his words.
"Oh, you're saying that so lightly now. When you saw the things on that little girl's bed, you shouldn't have pounced on them like a hungry wolf." A female voice snorted coldly and interrupted the conversation. "Now you're all over the place with your mind full of random thoughts?"
"What's wrong with jumping over!" the sarcastic male voice said with some embarrassment. "Everyone in this crowd, as the market keeps turning, who wouldn't jump over with shining eyes? Why are you blaming me? Why can't people just do normal barter?"
"Throwing yourself at them with sparkling eyes is one thing, but being sour grapes and imagining them is another," the woman said unconvincedly. "If you're afraid of someone darting a few inches off your body, then you should stay away!"
"You, tsk, crazy woman!" Seeing that he couldn't win the argument, the man muttered a few times, but in the end he didn't say anything else.
When the crowd started talking about Chang Ruijia again, there were fewer words that secretly tried to damage her image. Most people were still most interested in the pile of things in front of her.
If Chang Ruijia is really a big devil who kills people without blinking an eye, even if they talk to him here, there is no way to change anything, so it is better for them to just increase their vigilance and focus on things that are beneficial to them.
The crowd was in a heated discussion, and even though Hongta was at the outermost edge of the crowd, he could still hear what they were talking about.
However, thinking about how Chang Ruijia had generously given him a watermelon, and how she later reminded him that floating objects could accomplish more tasks, Hong Ta no longer believed that Chang Ruijia would be the murderous villain they had speculated him to be.
Although it seems a bit blind to think so, Hongta still prefers to believe what he sees with his own eyes.
The temperature on the sea surface rose rapidly after the sun rose. At this moment, hiding under the cabinet, looking at the little thing he had exchanged for on the floral cloth, Hong Ta thought of herself who could only endure this period of time in the past two days, and became more determined in her thoughts.
The more intense the discussion about Chang Ruijia became in the crowd, the more worried Hong Ta became about the possibility that Chang Ruijia would continue to live here.
The crowd can still calmly discuss Chang Ruijia's background, but he has also seen the situation of supply and demand today. When they find that what they want cannot be satisfied, will they still be so at ease to exchange with Chang Ruijia?
Hong Ta didn't dare to think deeply.
Therefore, although he was hiding under the cabinet and trying to catch up on his sleep during the day as before, Hong Ta was always thinking about how to let Chang Ruijia leave the crowd without being noticed.
However, Hong Ta, who was determined to help Chang Ruijia escape and keep her safe, never expected that his own prediction for Chang Ruijia would be slapped in the face so quickly.
The weather was so hot that it was impossible to do anything. Although time passed slowly, for Chang Ruijia, who was always thinking about how to deal with the monsters that might appear, time passed as fast as it flew.
Feeling the breeze that was finally less stuffy, Chang Ruijia walked out of the protection of the sky, took a deep breath at the vast ocean in front of her, and was ready to work!
But unexpectedly, before Chang Ruijia was ready to tell Hong Ta that he would be away for a while, Hong Ta, with a worried look on his face, had already approached stealthily.
His eyes shifted as he looked at the constant gazes from the people around him. He tried to speak to Chang Ruijia in the quietest voice possible, "Girl! Hurry, pack your things. When it's too dark to see anyone clearly, get out of here!"
"Ah?" Looking at Hong Ta's actions with a puzzled look, Chang Ruijia asked in confusion, "Brother Hong, what are you talking about? Why should I leave here? I told those people at the market this morning to stay for a while, why did they suddenly..."
Seeing Chang Ruijia's stubbornness, Hong Ta said angrily, "If you don't leave now, it will be too late! Sooner or later, those things of yours will attract the covetousness of other people in the market. By then, two fists will be no match for four hands. Even if I am by your side, I can't really protect you from harm!"
Seeing that Hong Ta was still worried about this matter, Chang Ruijia laughed helplessly, "It's okay, Brother Hong, I am really capable of protecting myself, you don't have to worry about me."
"Hey, sister, why don't you listen to my advice..." Hong Ta looked at Chang Ruijia's expression and was about to say something else, but was suddenly interrupted by her.
"Brother Hong, I need to do something away from the crowd. Remember not to follow me. The situation is very dangerous and may endanger one's life." Chang Ruijia advised sincerely.
Since her hunting of monster fish nearby might bring disaster to the people in the market, it would be better for her to stay a little further away!
"Ah? Ah! Okay, okay, I know you'll be back soon. I'll even save you a seat at tomorrow's market!"
Looking at Chang Ruijia's serious expression, Hong Ta frowned and thought for a while, and soon seemed to understand something extraordinary. He glanced at the other people around who pricked up their ears and spoke loudly.
"I understand that you don't want to attract attention. Go away! Don't come back once you leave." Hong Ta looked at Chang Ruijiaai anxiously and threw something on her bed. "This is the clothes I saved for you. Remember to keep them. Don't forget Brother Hong in the future!"
"No, I really don't want to run away," Chang Ruijia said helplessly, looking at Hong Ta who was obviously looking for trouble, "I'm just leaving for a while."
How come no one believes this truth?!
"I know, let's go!" Seeing Chang Ruijia's hesitation, Hong Ta quickly waved his hand and asked her to leave.
If he leaves now, maybe he can avoid some trouble before others react. If he hesitates any longer, it will be too late. By then, even if he wants to stop him, he won't be able to!
Chang Ruijia sighed helplessly. Forget it. It was impossible to explain it to Hong Ta now. When she came back later, Brother Hong would probably understand that she was not joking.
"Remember to come back!" Looking at Chang Ruijia's slowly moving back, Hong Ta's eyes even turned red for a moment. He didn't know when they would meet again on this sea. Maybe this was the only chance they would have to meet in their lifetime.
However, he quickly composed himself and turned to look at the people who were paddling over to watch Chang Ruijia leave.
"Where is that little girl going? Didn't she say she would stay here for a while?" Someone narrowed his eyes and asked as he watched her leave in a decisive manner.
"Well," Hong Ta said nonchalantly, "It's not like you didn't hear what Miss Nai just said. She's just been away for a while. Who knows where she's going?"
"Leave for a while?" Someone's eyes were filled with disbelief. "Then it shouldn't be far from here, right? The little girl won't run into any danger if she walks alone. How about we follow and protect her?"
"No need!" Hong Ta suddenly stepped in front of everyone to stop them. "Didn't you see the girl's bed? She might be a murderer. You little idiots should not embarrass yourself by going there."
In order to buy more time for Chang Ruijia to leave, Hong Ta even went so far as to slander Chang Ruijia's reputation and directly brought up what they had discussed before.
"Are you guys just trying to bluff us?" Seeing Hong Ta's violent reaction, someone immediately saw through his inner thoughts and said, "Once this little girl leaves, will she ever come back?"
As soon as this idea was expressed, the seeds of doubt immediately took root in everyone's hearts.
Some of them haven't exchanged the things they wanted from Chang Ruijia yet. This morning, Chang Ruijia used the excuse that there would be opportunities in the future and that they needed to maintain their normal survival today to get rid of them. If they ran away, where could they exchange for such things?
Now, no matter how hard Hongta tried to stop them, the crowd no longer believed him.
"Hongta, we want to protect that little girl now. If you stop us, it will be seen as you have ulterior motives. If you are on our path and accidentally swallowed, don't blame us for not remembering our friendship!"
As soon as these words were spoken, countless people rushed towards the direction where Chang Ruijia had left, fearing that she would disappear from their sight.
After a whole day of gathering their strength, at this moment, their rowing speed could even catch up with Chang Ruijia who had the oars, and her figure was soon seen.
"I told you that the little girl has her own things to do. Why did you have to follow her? Can't she have a little privacy?"
The moment he saw Chang Ruijia's figure docked on the sea, Hong Ta didn't know whether he should feel relieved or sad.
Fortunately, Chang Ruijia was telling the truth, which could be a reason to stop those who were about to lose their minds from going crazy next.
What was frustrating was that what Chang Ruijia said was actually the truth! How could this girl be so honest? Taking advantage of the little time she had just gained, why didn't she run further, but stopped here?
"Brother Hong?" Chang Ruijia heard the sound of water breaking behind her. She had just prepared her slingshot, but when she turned around with a frown, she saw Hong Ta, who should have stayed in the crowd, and some familiar people who had gathered earlier. "What are you doing..."
"Ah, that's right. Everyone said they were worried about your safety if you were alone, so they decided to come together to protect you." Hong Ta laughed awkwardly and explained to Chang Ruijia.
"Girl, what you did shouldn't be something secret, right? In that case, it should be okay for us to be here to protect you, just in case someone doesn't have the foresight to bump into you and hurt you."
The person who had suspected the purpose of Chang Ruijia's departure from the beginning was now following Hong Ta and said to Chang Ruijia with a sense of justice.
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Chang Ruijia snorted secretly. She didn't believe a single word of those people's high-sounding words.
They talked about protecting her safety, but in the end, weren't they just afraid she'd run away? Or maybe they wanted to keep her firmly under their control?
This is good. Looking at the huge crowd in front of her, Chang Ruijia thought with disdain in her heart. She originally wanted to give them a safer living environment, but it is difficult to persuade the damned ghosts with kind words. It seems that it would be a good idea to teach these people who are asking for trouble a lesson.
"Brother Hong," Chang Ruijia looked at Hong Ta, who was full of worry, "I have something dangerous to do soon. Remember to stay away from me and find a place where it's convenient to run out."
"Sister, there are still plenty of opportunities, don't do anything stupid!" Hearing Chang Ruijia's words, Hong Ta's heart was pounding and he quickly advised her.
"Don't worry," Chang Ruijia gave Hong Ta a reassuring look, but she didn't really leave the others who followed her alone. "One piece of advice, what I'm going to do soon is a bit dangerous. If you want to stay alive, remember to stay away from me!"
"It's okay. We've been through a lot. Just do your own thing, girl. We'll be there to protect you. If there's any danger, we're here for you!"
The man waved his hand nonchalantly, not only not taking Chang Ruijia's words to heart at all, but also paddling the floating object forward as if to show off, bringing the distance between him and Chang Ruijia even closer.
Looking at those people who really didn't know how to live or die, Chang Ruijia lowered her eyes and sneered, and she really didn't care whether they were constantly courting death or not.
She has said all the good and bad things about them, and whether they believe it or not is their own business.
The slingshot and "fishing rope" that had been set out earlier were taken out. Chang Ruijia took a deep breath as she looked at the unfamiliar sea in front of her. Whether there would be any problems or not depended on what happened next.
Finally, he took out the kitchen knife, which was the final weapon, and placed it next to the slingshot one by one, so that it would be easier to take for the combo that was about to be carried out. Chang Ruijia had put all his thoughts behind him at this time, staring at the sea in front of him with bright eyes, waiting for the most appropriate time to hunt.
When Chang Ruijia placed the kitchen knives one by one in front of her, the crowd who were originally getting closer and closer to see what she was going to do were constantly frozen by the appearance of each kitchen knife. The atmosphere in the crowd became even lower when each kitchen knife appeared.
The person who looked indifferent at the beginning now had a stunned expression.
Seven kitchen knives! What on earth was that girl planning to do? She actually needed seven kitchen knives.
A sudden ominous premonition arose in the man's heart. When he turned to look at the people around him, he noticed the same frozen expressions on their faces, and the premonition became even stronger.
He wanted to turn around and ask Hong Ta, but found that the expression on his face was also disbelief. However, he was now standing at the farthest position from the crowd, and it was too late even if he wanted to find out the news.
Something's wrong! Go! Go now!
Thinking of the previous conversation between Chang Ruijia and Hong Ta, the man's heart suddenly shuddered, and he had only one thought in his mind.
But it was too late. In order to better control Chang Ruijia, he chose to stand at the front of the crowd. At this moment, the crowd behind him kept pressing forward, and there was no space for him to escape safely.
When this thought came to his mind, he realized it was too late.
His desperate eyes fell on Chang Ruijia, who was holding seven kitchen knives in front of him. He could only pray that Chang Ruijia put these things out just to intimidate the crowd, and not to really do anything crazy.
But luck was not always on his side.
Chang Ruijia didn't care whether anyone in the group of people behind her regretted it. At this moment, she was concentrating on sensing the monster in the sea below her, and finally felt the most suitable opportunity to take action.
In the suffocating atmosphere of the crowd behind him, Chang Ruijia instantly picked up seven kitchen knives beside him and put them on the slingshot. Without any hesitation, he shot them directly at the sea in front of him.
One round of volleys was not enough. In the eyes of the group of people who were completely shocked, Chang Ruijia fired two and three more rounds of volleys until she finally fired a kitchen knife with a rope.
"What on earth is she going to do!"
"She's crazy!"
The crowd suddenly became chaotic.
When Chang Ruijia first turned the guessed target towards the sea, they were completely shocked by what was happening before their eyes, not to mention the endless supply of kitchen knives coming from behind.
In an instant, eyes filled with surprise, shock, fear, and terror kept looking at Chang Ruijia who was calm and composed in front of him.
No one dared to believe that the dangerous activity the little girl was talking about was actually provoking the monsters in the sea!
They knew the danger of those monsters, and some of them had witnessed it with their own eyes. Therefore, the moment the kitchen knife sank into the sea, they had already guessed what would happen next.
That's not a dangerous thing, that's not enough to take one life, you want many lives!
No one was willing to stay where they were anymore. They just didn't want to lose the items they wanted to exchange, nor did they want to risk their lives for it, so they wanted to retreat.
But, can I withdraw now if I want to?
The people in the front row, witnessing such a dangerous scene, did not want to move forward any further and only wanted to retreat according to their inner dictates. However, the people in the back did not see what was happening in front, so when the chaos occurred, they kept squeezing forward.
At this moment, the stampede caused by the crowd was even more serious than the first time Chang Ruijia was away from the crowd.
Chaos and screams were heard everywhere.
Except for Hong Ta, who was standing at the edge after being persuaded by Chang Ruijia early on, and those who witnessed with their own eyes that Chang Ruijia had no intention of escaping and slowly paddling back, everyone else was deeply caught up in the chaos.
The group of people in the front row were even worse. Although their tyranny and brutality did initially win them a way out, they were trapped in the crowd and had no room for maneuver the moment the riot broke out.
The situation they will face is either to devour a path out of it or to be devoured by others. The latter seems to be their original destination.
I wonder if they regretted their actions in their hearts at the moment before they were swallowed?
Sometimes there is a price to pay for watching the fun.
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