When Zhao Ya rode the Free-Loading Bird leader back to the small town and landed directly in front of the brothel.
The entire brothel was in an uproar.
The women of the brothel swarmed out, looking in astonishment at this giant white bird.
The more daring ones even attempted to step forward and touch it, but were ultimately held back by their companions.
After all, a glance at this white bird showed that it was not to be trifled with.
Contrary to the astonishment and curiosity of the women, the Sea Gatherers were all looking at Zhao Ya, who leapt down from the giant bird, with expressions of awe.
Zhao Ya paid no attention to these looks but reached out to pat the leader of the Free-Loading Bird on its head.
"Alright, your task is temporarily complete, but if you want to live, you must be at my beck and call during this period. You must not make any mistakes, understand?"
Despite its great reluctance, knowing its life was in Zhao Ya’s hands, the Free-Loading Bird leader had no choice but to bow its head.
Seeing the giant bird bow its head, Kong Xiangdong, who had rushed over, was also taken aback.
At this moment, the giant bird took flight, flapped its wings a few times in the air, and then vanished into the sky at an incredible speed.
"You subdued this giant bird?"
"Hmm."
Zhao Ya nodded, then turned back and spoke to the stunned Kong Xiangdong, "Let’s go back first, I have some good stuff to show you."
Jing Rou had also rushed over.
He had heard from Kong Xiangdong that Zhao Ya had ridden off on a giant bird and felt uneasy, so he waited at the brothel.
It wasn’t until he saw Zhao Ya return safely that he was at ease.
Even though he knew that with Zhao Ya’s current abilities, there were few things that could injure or trap him.
But after all, this was the Wuyang Sea, where many things defied common sense.
Upon hearing Zhao Ya mention having something good, he followed along.
Once back in the room, Zhao Ya didn’t keep them guessing and directly dumped the loot scavenged from the Free-Loading Bird’s nest onto the table.
Both Kong Xiangdong and Jing Rou were stunned.
Especially Kong Xiangdong, when he saw the twenty-two shells on the table, his expression was one of amazement.
He had made a living by the Wuyang Seaside for many years and managed a team of Sea Gatherers, but even so, his accumulated collection over the years amounted to only a dozen shells.
Knowing the powerful effects of these items, only a tiny bit would be mixed into much wine, otherwise, he would have hesitated to use them casually.
When Zhao Ya mentioned going out to sea yesterday and returned today with so many shells, Kong Xiangdong was left speechless.
Jing Rou was astonished by the three Miracle Creations on the table.
One had to admit, the Free-Loading Bird had an excellent eye.
The three Miracle Creations stored in the nest were of extremely high quality, surpassing those in Kong Xiangdong’s possession.
Among them, one object resembled a mold engraved with strange patterns.
Jing Rou almost lunged at the table, his trembling hands picking up this Miracle Creation to examine it closely.
At a glance, Jing Rou seemed entranced, his expression growing increasingly dazed, but his eyes lit up.
"What’s the matter, Senior Brother Jing, is this Miracle Creation very strange?" Zhao Ya approached and asked.
"This... this..." Jing Rou stuttered incoherently for a long time.
But his increasingly excited expression and trembling body were enough to prove the extraordinariness of this Miracle Creation.
After a long while, Jing Rou finally calmed his inner excitement and hoarsely said, "Right now, I can’t determine its exact purpose; I need to research it carefully. But if it’s as I suspect, then our journey to the Wuyang Sea is truly fruitful."
As he said this, Jing Rou looked at Zhao Ya with admiration, "I ought to thank you, Ya!"
Zhao Ya smiled at his words, "Senior Brother Jing, you’re too kind!"
Unexpectedly, Jing Rou was very serious, "I mean it. If this thing can indeed serve its purpose, not only I but the entire Thunder and Fire Department shall thank you."
After finishing this sentence, Jing Rou took the item back to the inn, seemingly intending to stay indoors for three to five days.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ya and Kong Xiangdong began to delve into the specifics of the items on the table.
This time, Zhao Ya had brought back more than one item from the Free-Loading Bird’s nest; there were also some gadgets he deemed valuable.
For example, the round object the size of a pot lid in front of them now left the two silent.
After a long while, Kong Xiangdong whispered, "What do you think this is?"
"It looks like a suction cup from an octopus tentacle," Zhao Ya replied solemnly.
Another round of silence followed.
Fear flickered in Kong Xiangdong’s eyes.
If this thing truly came from an octopus tentacle, how massive must that octopus be?
Zhao Ya, however, was not so surprised.
After all, in his past life, he had seen news reports of giant octopuses and knew how terrifying they could be.
Otherwise, legends of sea monsters would not all be based on octopuses.
What he was most curious about now was whether the octopus suction cup from the Wuyang Sea might have some mysterious effects?
Thus, the two began to scrutinize it carefully.
This tinkering lasted three days.
During these three days, the two of them hardly left the room, continuously engrossed in studying these peculiar items.