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After Jiao Ba finished speaking, I was stunned for a moment, and it took me several seconds to react. "Wait, what... what coffin?" I still didn't quite understand.
"Four. Hanging. Cursed. Coffins." Jiao Bayi said, looking at me word by word.
Once he finished speaking, I immediately pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a few deep puffs to calm my nerves. Then I said, "Four Hanging Cursed Coffins? Damn, I could have figured that out with my heel. Just hearing that name makes it clear it's not something good. There won't be another Demon Worm Corpse in there, will there?"
Jiao Ba smirked and nodded. "That's right. The coffin contains a Demon Worm Corpse. Brother Yi, your reaction is pretty quick."
"Go to hell! Stop talking nonsense with me. Damn it, this is bad. One Demon Worm Corpse is already so hard to deal with, and now there are three all at once? Huh, I think we should just turn back. Even if we go, it's just a death sentence."
This time I was genuinely feeling cowardly. The last Coffin Corpse had such immense power that it nearly killed the three of us. If it weren't for the Bearded Man's people covering for us, we might not have escaped.
Now, three Demon Worm Corpses appeared at once; entering would be like walking into a slaughterhouse. I didn't want to die young; this was practically a suicidal act.
Jiao Ba chuckled and said, "Oh come on, Brother Yi, it's not as sinister as you think. The Four Hanging Cursed Coffins don't all contain Demon Worm Corpses. In fact, only two of them do; the other two are different. Adding in the previous Coffin Corpse we found in the Qing Dynasty Shipwreck, there should only be one Demon Worm Corpse among these three coffins."
Hearing this made me feel a little more relaxed. While smoking, I asked, "If what you say is true, then what about the other two coffins? Are they filled with ordinary corpses?"
Jiao Ba laughed mockingly. "Nonsense! There aren't any corpses at all in those two coffins; instead, they should contain a toxin called Corpse Grass."
"Corpse Grass? What the hell is that?" I realized that talking to Jiao Ba was really educational; every conversation brought up some bizarre knowledge.
Jiao Ba calmly explained, "Don't rush; let me explain slowly. Corpse Grass is a toxin that induces intense hallucinations. It's named because it only grows near corpses and is buried underground; you can't see it on the surface. When you open the coffin, you'll find some twisted little plants next to the corpse—those are called Corpse Grass."
"The toxin from this grass is extremely potent. I've encountered it before, but one single piece of Corpse Grass doesn't release much toxin and isn't harmful to people. However, if there are many of them, that's a different story. A handful of Corpse Grass, within just a few meters, can cause several strong men to experience intense hallucinations without any warning. Some unscrupulous individuals even cultivate this grass for their own gain to harm others."
"Just think about it, Brother Yi. Now there are two coffins filled with Corpse Grass. Imagine how much energy that has! The toxins released could cover the entire cabin—it's truly terrifying."
After listening to him, I reflected for a moment and said, "Lao Ba, if that's the case, then the ghostly shadows we saw earlier and the flickering of that Underwater Light were all caused by this thing called Corpse Grass, right?"
"Yes, that's right. I told you back then that it must have been an illusion caused by some kind of toxin. I just didn't know what was causing the illusion until I saw those three coffins," Jiao Bayi said seriously, without a hint of jest.
"Lao Ba, I still can't quite understand how you can be so sure it's Corpse Grass. Could it not be something else?" I glanced at him and said leisurely.
Jiao Bayi placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "Brother, rest assured, it definitely won't be anything else. Only Corpse Grass has such a potent toxin. Remember the gold and silver treasures we saw in the forbidden area? That was all thanks to it."
"So you're saying that the Golden Agate we saw was also an illusion?" This surprised me; those things seemed so real, they hardly felt like mere phantoms. Could it really be as Jiao Ba said, that we had unknowingly fallen into an illusion?
"Yes, all of it was an illusion."
I was about to ask him again when he immediately interrupted me, saying, "I know what you're going to ask. If it was an illusion, then why did the gold suddenly turn into a cloud of black gas and kill the sailor instantly, right?"
I smiled helplessly; this guy actually knew what I was about to ask. "Exactly, how do you explain that?"
Jiao Ba ruffled his hair and said, "In the forbidden area, the gold and jewels we saw actually didn't exist at all. They were all deadly things. It was Corpse Grass that made everyone hallucinate, mistakenly believing they had found legendary treasures when in fact it was a huge trap.
"I once heard from a colleague that there is a stone called Black Stone. When someone touches it, a chemical reaction occurs, causing the stone to dissolve into the body instantly. Within seconds, it can turn a person into a charred corpse. I think what the sailor encountered must have been this."
Jiao Ba's explanation made everything suddenly clear to me. "Lao Ba, if that's the case, then the forbidden area is extremely dangerous. Individually, these two things might not be that perilous, but if they combine... it's practically invisible murder! It seems these strange things were deliberately left by the shipowner; I suspect their purpose is to protect those coffins."
Jiao Ba nodded lightly and said, "You're right; it's to protect the coffins. However, it's only meant to protect one coffin. Whether it's Corpse Grass or Black Stone, their goal is to kill anyone who intrudes into the forbidden area and protect the coffin containing the Demon Worm Corpse. I haven't seen such a powerful setup in a long time—guarded by Sting Horse Colts outside and poisonous plants inside; it's truly eye-opening."
I pondered for a moment and sighed, "It seems those who died before us probably experienced the same illusions we did. But I still can't figure out who is behind all this. I have a feeling one of us knows all the secrets, including those hidden in the Nautical Chart."
Jiao Ba smiled nonchalantly and said, "Brother Yi, we'll just have to take our time with this. Haven't we already found some clues? I've thought about it too; there must be someone pulling strings behind the scenes. If you think about everything that's happened since we set sail, everything is interconnected—every event has its intricate ties—including Bearded Man and his subordinates. Have you considered that Bearded Man knowing about this Nautical Chart suggests someone among us is colluding with him? Also, his subordinates suddenly disappearing... last time we analyzed it as an internal betrayal meant to silence them, but I don't think that's the case."
"If it's not about silencing them, then what could it be?" I found myself agreeing with Jiao Ba's reasoning; his mind really worked quickly.
Jiao Ba frowned and said, "I'm just speculating here. I feel there must be someone among us who knows Bearded Man's secret. The disappearance of his subordinates is closely related to this puppet master behind the scenes. If there are indeed two people involved here, then eliminating Bearded Man's subordinates could very well be another person's doing—aimed at preventing Bearded Man from succeeding along with that internal traitor."
The words of Jiao Ba reflected two extremes: one was to silence, the other was to stop. However, the person who killed Bearded Man's subordinates surely did not do it for us; it must have been for his own reasons. If that were the case, then this person was truly terrifying, reminding me of the last encounter with the man in black.
"Do you think it could be that man in black who killed them?" I asked Jiao Ba.
"That's hard to say, but I believe there's a significant possibility. One thing is certain: that man in black is definitely not part of Bearded Man's crew. It's quite obvious. If that's the case, then Bearded Man is likely allied with whoever is behind this. Do you think... that person could be Shunzi?" Jiao Ba glanced at me sideways, his expression somewhat cunning.
"Come on, stop it. Every time we talk about this, you drag Shunzi into it. Although Shunzi is indeed suspicious, that doesn't mean he is guilty. Until we clarify things, be a bit nicer to him and stop making things difficult," I lightly punched him and said with a grin.
"Alright, alright, let's put this aside for now and not mention him again." Jiao Ba immediately fell silent.
I thought for a moment and said, "Mai Lao suggested we try to salvage the wreck in two days, but can we really get through that Dark Sea Area?"
Jiao Ba chuckled and shook his head. "No way we can get through. That dark sea area is supported by a barrier of dark power. It’s nearly impossible to break through. According to my grandfather's notes, once those four suspended coffins are placed correctly, they generate a powerful energy that prevents anyone from approaching."
"I can't know how strong this dark power really is, but I understand that breaking this barrier won't be easy. However, since one coffin is missing now, the dark power must have diminished significantly, allowing us to cut in from below. But I've always wondered how those Qing Dynasty people managed to break this dark barrier and even transport the coffins away? I truly admire them."
I looked at him and said, "No matter what kind of barrier it is, there will always be weaknesses. Once we find them, it will be easier to deal with. I think those Qing Dynasty people must have had someone very knowledgeable in this field. By the way, Lao Ba, we still can't tell which of the three coffins contains a corpse."
Jiao Ba confidently replied, "That's simple. The coffins correspond to each other: Demon Worm Corpse corresponds to Demon Worm Corpse; Corpse Grass corresponds to Corpse Grass. Since one coffin is missing from the entrance of the forbidden area, it means that the coffin at the upper end opposite the entrance contains the Demon Worm Corpse."
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