Chapter 180: Troublemaker
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Gel had originally fantasized that the people of Sky Island and Shandia would happily give him gold, but he did not expect to witness the unfriendly attitude of the Shandia people as soon as he arrived. This made him realize that he had thought too simply before and had to adjust his plan in time.
Judging from the tempers of these people, if I follow the original plan and go directly to Shandia's village to pay a visit, I will definitely be greeted with guns and cannons.
Now that we have to deal with Thors, who is probably the number one troublemaker in Shandia, and then they will lead him to the Hidden Cloud Village, we should be able to sit down and have a good chat. Although the process took some effort, the result is still good.
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Don’t think that Gel is wishful thinking when he plans to exchange mud for gold. You should know that whether it is the natives of Sky Island or the Shandia people, they value mud far more than gold!
Soil is something that does not exist in the sky. The people of Sky Island call soil "Spa" because the island clouds in the sky can cultivate plants but cannot give birth to plants. It is because of "Spa" that there is "green" on the Sky Island. Therefore, for all people living in the sky, soil is their eternal yearning and an extremely precious thing.
The people of Sky Island regard every bit of mud that washes up on the White Sea as a gift from God.
400 years ago, the ocean current pushed part of Gaya Island directly into the sky, which made them ecstatic. The people of Sky Island regard this land as a holy place.
But for the Shandians, that was their homeland where they had lived for hundreds or even thousands of years. A war broke out between the two sides. The Shandians were defeated and driven out of their homes. The two sides continued to fight for Arpaiado, and the fight lasted for hundreds of years.
Although the Shandians have always been at a disadvantage and have not been able to successfully retake their homes from the Sky Islanders, they have passed down this belief. From generation to generation, the Shandians have made it their mission to retake Arpaiado and vowed to light the Lamp of Shandora again!
The more Gel thought about it, the more headache he got. No matter what, this was a war of aggression. Although it took place nearly 400 years ago, the hatred accumulated over hundreds of years had already made it a situation of life and death. Even if he had a bigger fist and forced them to sit down for peaceful negotiations and sign a peace treaty, they would still fight after he left. It was meaningless. Gel would not do such a naive thing.
Perhaps, like what Enelu did, they could create a common enemy for both of them, who would rule and exploit them for a dozen or twenty years. When the old generation passed away and the new generation grew up, most of the hatred would naturally shift to the common enemy of both sides.
Both sides are victims, sharing the same miserable fate, and can truly empathize with each other. The hatred between them will naturally fade a lot. Another revolution will deepen the relationship between the comrades who work together to overthrow the old rule, and perhaps it will be possible to resolve the past grudges.
But Gel didn't have the time to stay in heaven for so many years just to help them resolve their hatred.
Forget it, just make sure you get your own interests. As for the others, I'll do my best as compensation for taking the gold. If it doesn't work, let them fight however they want. Why should I, an outsider, worry about it?
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"Your name is Aya, right?"
Gel collected his thoughts and looked at the Shandia female warrior beside him and asked.
"Ah, yes, Captain."
Ling, who was still in a daze, responded hurriedly. She didn't expect that Geer would suddenly talk to her. Ling was obviously very nervous. She didn't know where to put her hands that were rubbing her belly.
Thors, who was standing on the bow log giving directions, was also eavesdropping vigilantly, wanting to know what Captain Gill would say to his wife.
"Ma, don't be so nervous, sit down and talk. To be honest, I originally wanted to visit the Hidden Cloud Village with gifts, but I didn't expect to be suddenly attacked by you guys."
Gel showed a kind smile, completely different from his previous coldness. Ling may not have noticed any malice in Gel's sincere smile, so she mustered up the courage to ask:
"Captain, how come you are so familiar with us Shandia that you even know the name of our secluded village?"
If it weren't for the fact that Gel was younger than her, Ling would definitely suspect that Gel had been to Sky Island and their village before.
Gel thought, "So the name of the Hidden Cloud Village is a secret that outsiders shouldn't know? If I were to guess the name of your baby, wouldn't you be so scared that you would think it was a god descending to earth?"
Geer smiled and did not answer her question. In order to ease the atmosphere, he continued to ask:
"Have you named the baby in your belly?"
When talking about children, the female warrior instantly exuded maternal radiance, a kind smile appeared on her face, and she also let down her guard against Gel a lot.
"Yeah, I've decided. The boy will be named Weber and the girl will be named Nilu."
“It’s a nice name.”
Gel nodded and thought to himself, as expected, an old troublemaker gives birth to a younger troublemaker, your whole family is a troublemaker!
"Crack!"
Gel lit a cigarette, let out a smoke ring and asked:
"Weber's mother, I mean, if, if one day in the future there is a chance to end the war between you and the Sky Islanders that has lasted for hundreds of years, would you be willing to let go of hatred and choose peace?"
Ling was stunned when she heard this. It was not because she was bothered by Gel's strange name for her, but she felt the word peace was strange and distant. She thought about it seriously and hadn't spoken yet, but Thors, who was eavesdropping nearby, had a look of disdain and sneer on his face, as if he had heard a funny joke.
We are the ones who were driven out of our homes by the invasion of our land! Let go of your hatred? How can you let go? Why don't you persuade the people of Sky Island to hand over the holy land and return Arpaiado to us?
This was Thors's true thought, but due to Captain Gill's tyranny, he did not dare to say it out loud.
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