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墨書 Inktalez
Jiao Ba swayed his body and sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as he said, "Brother Yi, we really are brothers in adversity." Just as I was about to respond, he suddenly whispered, "Have you noticed anything?"
I glanced at him; he still wore a casual smile, but he was facing forward and not looking at me. This guy was clearly trying to be discreet, which suggested there was something more to it. I almost closed my mouth and quietly replied, "I haven't noticed anything. What about you?"
"Same here, nothing at all." I shot him a glare. Damn it, after all that fuss, he was just spouting nonsense.
At that moment, Jiao Ba intentionally raised his voice and exclaimed, "What bad luck! We go out to sea and run into so many deadly things. If it weren't for our good fortune, that female corpse would have killed us by now."
Mai Lao laughed from the back of the boat and said, "Alright, at least we're safe for now. We'll be fine once we find a fishing boat."
Hearing Jiao Ba say this reminded me of something. I asked him with confusion, "Lao Ba, I've been wondering why that female corpse suddenly decayed and why she acted like a vampire. She actually sucks blood."
Jiao Ba leaned closer and whispered in my ear, "I've thought about that too. There are two possibilities for her decay: one is the effect of the black-clad man's talisman causing her harm, leading to her rapid decomposition; the other is that she consumed too much energy herself."
I felt a bit lost. "I understand the first possibility, but can you explain the second one in more detail? I'm having trouble grasping it."
Jiao Ba continued, "It's like this: you know about the Bloodsucker Worm, right? Where does that thing come from?"
Suddenly enlightened, I exclaimed, "Are you saying the Bloodsucker Worm is released by her? The more she releases, the more energy she consumes? Is that the idea?"
Jiao Ba nodded. "Exactly. Setting aside the black-clad man's talisman for now, just focusing on her own nature—it's indeed like that. I remember my old man used to say that once a Demon Worm Corpse starts to decay, someone will definitely die. She's not like the vampires from legends; she doesn't just suck blood—she primarily feeds on human essence and souls to repair herself. But this kind of situation has rarely happened before because very few people would actively provoke such a thing—just like us! Those who aren't afraid of death playing with fire; now you know how dangerous it is."
I glared at him and said, "Stop with your sarcastic remarks. Wasn't it you who tried every means to get me on this boat in the first place?"
Jiao Ba sulked and replied, "Alright, alright. Here we go again."
"What are you two whispering about?" Shunzi suddenly chimed in from beside me. He had been feeling groggy and was lucky just to be alive at this point.
I glanced at him and casually said, "Nothing much. I was discussing with Lao Ba how we would enjoy our riches once we get back."
Shunzi weakly retorted, "Riches? Just being able to return alive would be good enough for me. If we make it back this time, I swear I'll never go out to sea again."
It seemed this trip had dealt a significant blow to Shunzi's spirit; the fear still lingered in his heart. I comforted him by saying, "Don't worry, Shunzi. With me around, everything will be fine."
Shunzi nodded, closed his eyes, and continued to rest. I was also planning to take a break when Jiao Ba suddenly asked me, "By the way, Brother Yi, what happened to the Bearded Man?"
"He’s dead. Damn it, he’s dead, but that’s not the point. What matters is that he left something behind! Now the Wreck has sunk again, and whatever was in that woman's mouth is gone for good. We can't retrieve it anymore." I was very clear in my mind; I would never go back to that woman’s corpse for a chat. The only reason I was lucky enough to be alive this time was thanks to my ancestors watching over me.
Jiao Ba smirked slightly and whispered in my ear, "I have what the Bearded Man was holding."
As soon as I heard this, I perked up, nearly shouting out in excitement. This was the news I had been longing to hear. Just as I was about to ask Jiao Ba how he got it, he quickly interrupted me, saying, "Let’s talk about this when we get back. It’s not wise to discuss it now; just know that I have it."
I nodded silently. I understood Jiao Ba's intention well. With Mai Lao and Shunzi still here and without knowing who the man in black was, it was necessary to take some precautions. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more than just one person watching us from the shadows; there had to be others involved.
This was merely my personal thought. Recently, all these sudden events had left my head feeling a bit muddled. Jiao Ba had already closed his eyes to rest, so I began to close mine as well.
I don’t know how much time passed, but amidst violent shaking, I slowly opened my eyes. The sky remained dark, and the sea breeze continued to howl relentlessly. I glanced over at Jiao Ba and Shunzi; they were both sound asleep, with faint snoring audible.
Mai Lao was still rowing at the stern of the boat. In this vast ocean, our little boat felt incredibly small; even a single large wave could toss us around like a toy.
Looking at the pitch-black night sky, I asked, "Mai Lao, how long have I been asleep?" I wasn’t sure how long it had been, but it couldn’t have been too short.
"Not long—just about an hour! You must be tired; do you want to rest a bit more?" Mai Lao replied softly.
Just over an hour? It felt like much longer. I shook my head and walked to the stern. "Mai Lao, you must be tired too; why don’t you let me take over?"
Mai Lao smiled as he rowed. "It's fine; this old body of mine can still handle some roughing up."
I chuckled. "Mai Lao, you’re not old at all! Your physique is much stronger than ours!"
Mai Lao paused for a moment and sighed. "I can’t keep going like this anymore; I'm getting old. When I was younger, I once drifted alone at sea for two days and nights without dying. If it were now, within two hours I'd be feeding the fish."
Hearing him say that shocked me—two days and nights adrift at sea? What kind of person could survive that? Just having that kind of courage is something ordinary people can't manage.
I cautiously asked him, "Oh? How did you end up drifting at sea back then?" As I spoke, I took the oars from his hands and began rowing slowly.
Mai Lao seemed lost in thought for a moment before he replied, "It was during an ocean survey trip when our ship hit a reef and ultimately sank. Out of more than ten people on board, only I managed to escape by luck. I drifted for two full days before rescue teams arrived. Ah well, enough about me—what about you, Loyalty and Righteousness? Do you have any special experiences?"
I didn't know whether to believe the Old Man or not, but I could tell he was steering the conversation toward me, which I found quite annoying. However, I couldn't show it.
I casually remarked, "I don't have much experience. I've only fished at sea for a few years and worked as a sailor for another two. It's pretty mundane compared to your colorful life."
After hearing my words, Mai Lao burst into laughter. "You’re quite humble, aren't you? Coming from the Marine Corps, judging by your skills and courage, you're not as simple as you claim. Since you don't want to share, I won't press you; that's your privacy."
I awkwardly chuckled as well. This old man was not easily fooled. I had a feeling his experiences were far more complex than what he let on. What he shared with me tonight might just be the tip of the iceberg or perhaps entirely fabricated.
In any case, I couldn't figure out how capable he truly was. I knew nothing about his past, and I realized a crucial issue: aside from Jiao Ba and Shunzi, whom I knew a little about, I had no information on anyone else aboard the fishing vessel. Even regarding Jenny, I started to have doubts.
Suddenly, I asked him, "Mai Lao, what do you think is the secret behind the Nautical Chart that Jenny has? Why is that Bearded Man so invested in it that he would risk his life?" I wanted to see how this old man would respond and if I could glean any clues.
Mai Lao replied seriously, "To be honest, Loyalty and Righteousness, I'm not sure what secrets this Nautical Chart holds. But from what we can see so far, it’s not just about locating a Wreck."
That was exactly what I wanted to hear. It seemed this Old Man was aware of more than he let on. I subtly probed further, "Well, I agree. Mai Lao, what secrets might be hidden with that female corpse?"
"I can't say; asking me is pointless," he dismissed my question with a single statement. It made sense; this Old Man had been avoiding the topic of the female corpse since the beginning.
I nodded at him with a smile. Seeing that I had fallen silent, Mai Lao gestured and said, "Just keep heading south. I'm going to rest for a bit; call me if you need anything." With that, he walked to the bow of the ship to take a break.
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