Fifteen years later, on a desolate beach, a small boat with two paddles lay on the sand.
The boat, though old and worn, wasn't covered in too much dirt, suggesting it was about to be used.
It was hard to believe someone would be foolish enough to use this broken-down boat to sail out into the sea.
At that moment, a figure leaped from the cliff. He landed lightly on the sand, unaffected by the great height.
As the figure became clearer, it was revealed to be a handsome young man with blue hair. He wore a white shirt and black pants, and around his neck hung a pendant resembling a crystal tear.
This young man was Lan Hao Tian. After fifteen years, he had matured significantly and was no longer the trembling boy who had once been afraid.
He raised his clenched fist to the sky, grinning broadly, revealing his white teeth, and shouted:
"Let's set sail!"
No sooner had his voice faded than another figure appeared on the cliff. An elderly man, leaning on a cane, emerged, panting from the effort of chasing after the young man.
"That brat! Who gave you permission to head out to sea?" the elder yelled.
The shout startled the young man, and he muttered to himself:
"No way... have I really been spotted?"
He had intended to sneak away from the village and set off alone, but he never imagined he would be caught by the village chief so soon.
Turning around, he saw the village chief standing on the cliff, and since the cliff was so high, he knew the chief couldn't reach him. This gave him even more confidence, and he shouted back:
"I'm not coming back! I'm going to become the greatest pirate of all time! Goodbye, everyone!"
With that, he quickly pushed the boat into the water and jumped in. Grabbing the paddles, he began to row.
Seeing that he couldn't stop him any longer, the village chief yelled:
"Lan Hao Tian, remember to take care of yourself!"
Hearing this, the young man smiled and waved in response, letting go of the paddles as he waved his hand.
"Goodbye, village chief! Goodbye, everyone! I'm off."
He turned his back and continued paddling, heading straight out to the open sea. His dream was waiting for him to make it a reality.
On the cliff, several other figures appeared. They were the villagers of the island.
Among them were a few people who had cared for him since he was a child, and they couldn't help but shed tears as they watched his figure grow smaller in the distance.
The village chief, seeing the others sad, sighed and said:
"Well, everyone has to grow up eventually. We can't keep him here forever. He needs to mature in his own way."
...
After rowing for several hours, Lan Hao Tian felt as though he were lost in the vast ocean. Actually, saying "felt" wasn't exactly right—he was truly lost.
He let go of the paddles and scratched the back of his head before looking around. No matter which direction he looked, all he could see was the endless sea.
"Ah, looks like I'm lost. What was it I was taught to do when lost at sea?"
After thinking for a moment, his hands slapped together, and he exclaimed:
"I remember now, it's to look at the stars to find my way."
As he spoke, he tilted his head back to look at the sky, but the only thing he could see was a clear blue sky.
His face froze for a moment, and then he smacked his own head.
"Damn, I'm such an idiot. It's daytime, there are no stars in the sky to look at."
At this point, he was feeling desperate. He laid back on the boat and sighed:
"Damn it, why don't I know any navigators? If I did, I wouldn't have to think so much about this."
But just a few seconds later, he sat up again and continued paddling. He may lose his spirit quickly, but he regained it just as fast.
After paddling for several more hours, although he had no idea where he had gone, he felt as though he had reached deeper waters.
Suddenly, something caught his attention in the distance.
He focused his gaze and saw a person. Moreover, from the looks of it, the situation didn't seem too good.
"A person? Must have been shipwrecked. But since they're still holding onto a plank, they're probably alive. They're lucky to have encountered me in this vast ocean."
A person who was lost in the middle of the ocean thinking someone adrift at sea would be lucky to encounter him—it really felt a bit strange.
Lan Hao Tian quickly changed course, heading toward the drifting figure. As he got closer, the shape of the person became clearer in his eyes.
Before him was a handsome young man, so strikingly beautiful that it was almost excessive, with long black hair reaching down to his back.
The young man wasn't wearing a shirt, only black pants, which surprised Lan Hao Tian. He shouted loudly:
"Hey! Are you alive?"
Hearing his voice, the young man slowly opened his eyes. What was strange was that after opening his eyes, he yawned as though he had just woken up.
He rubbed his eyes, then stared at the stranger on the boat for a few seconds before asking:
"What are you doing?"
"Rescuing you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm lost."
"Huh?!"
The young man, hearing Lan Hao Tian's brief answers, thought his ears might be malfunctioning, so he asked again:
"You said you're lost, and that's why you're rescuing me?"
"Yes."
Lan Hao Tian nodded honestly, much to the young man's astonishment.
"You're lost, so how can you save me? Wouldn't rescuing me just mean we're both lost?"
Seeing that the other person made a valid point, Lan Hao Tian nodded. But then, he felt something was off, so he shook his head and said:
"No, that's not right. Who says someone lost can't save you? Anyway, being lost is better than dying."
The young man didn't want to argue further with Lan Hao Tian. He said: "Alright, since you saved me, hurry up and get me onto the boat. Why are you just standing there?"
The young man's arrogant tone made Lan Hao Tian fume, and he huffed in annoyance.
"What kind of attitude is that? I'm saving you, you should at least show some gratitude."
"Cut the nonsense. I'm still in the sea. When exactly are you going to save me?"
Hearing this, Lan Hao Tian grabbed the paddle, and the young man reached out to hold it.
But then, Lan Hao Tian's next move left him stunned.
With a powerful swing, Lan Hao Tian threw the young man into the boat as if he were a large fish being hauled out of the water.
"You're that strong?" the young man asked, astonished.
Lan Hao Tian, hearing this, looked up at the sky with pride and said:
"Ha ha, it's nothing. No need to thank me."