novelraw Chapter 27 : Chapter 27
Chapter 27 : Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Landing
The sword’s gleam tore through the mist, igniting a fiery rift.
The blade reached the ghostly figure’s head.
With a piercing scream, the figure, camel, and ghost flag plummeted to the sea below.
I grabbed the dangling rope, realizing I was twenty to thirty meters below the hull, my heart racing with lingering fear.
“Splash!”
The figure hit the sea, the evil camel bell sinking first, spraying water.
Moments later, it burst from the water, riding the camel, galloping over the floating coffins toward where the red-robed Qi Shanshan vanished.
A hoarse voice echoed back: “The ship’s a trap, the ghostly realm’s here, life’s path lies ahead. Got the guts to follow?”
“This ghost is hard to kill.”
I knew it was luring me off the ship, still coveting the Tao Ancestor Tai Chi Fish.
But it was right.
Staying was a trap— a dead end.
Even rationing food and water, we had days left.
…
“The bone demon and camel ghost didn’t leave without reason. They were likely beings of this realm in life.”
“Since the ship’s stopped, I’ll scout. If there’s safe land, we’ll all disembark. I’ll return in five days, no matter what. We die together, live together.”
Worried for the others, I left Senior Brother in charge, taking only Gao Huan down the rope to a dense coffin island.
I brought Gao Huan because, first, his Golden Crow blood enhanced his physique.
Second, I wasn’t just seeking land but saving Cai Yutong. Knowing the bone demon’s bait, how could I not go?
If I found land but had to chase the demon, someone needed to report back to the ship.
Following the demon and ghost’s lingering traces, I raced over the coffins. Though the path was uncertain, it felt grounding.
The bronze ship blurred in the mist behind.
Soon, it vanished.
…
At the ship’s stern.
The three-meter bronze doors, carved with “Ten Thousand Household Lights” and “Yellow Springs Star River,” swung open in a gust. From the giant sword within, countless light traces condensed into two figures.
One gazed afar, piercing the mist, murmuring, “We’re here?”
…
“If the ship sails again, we’ll be stranded in this eerie blood sea, left with coffin corpses.”
Leaving safety, Gao Huan felt uneasy, then added, “Forget it, staying’s a few days of life. Buddha, Guanyin, Jade Emperor… gods, grant us a path.”
I noticed something, crouching, touching a fresh blood drop on a coffin.
Gao Huan asked, “Whose blood?”
“Senior Sister Cai’s.”
“She killed Dr. Cai?”
“No! She left it to guide me.”
Gao Huan said, “You’ve got something she desperately needs. Following her— won’t we fall into a trap?”
“Then catch up fast, don’t give her time to set one.”
I worried the bone demon and camel ghost might ally. Their desires differed, allowing mutual gain.
The ghost chased her for that reason.
…
We chased all day, the coffins endless.
Pausing to rest, starving but conserving our limited food.
I narrowed my eyes, staring at Gao Huan’s head: “Don’t move.”
He froze, trembling: “What’s wrong?”
I plucked a fallen leaf from his hair, looking into the mist.
“What’s that? A leaf!” Gao Huan said.
A cold gust rocked the coffins.
The mist thinned.
Sitting, we stood, gazing ahead, hearts soaring.
A massive black mountain loomed, stretching upward, its peak unseen.
We were at its base.
Ancient locust-like trees grew by the shore, branches dense. Trunks thick as millstones, roots plunged into the water, showing centuries of resilience.
Thigh-thick vines wove through the trees, bearing watermelon-sized fruits.
Shrubs and reeds lined the water’s edge.
“Ding ding!”
A green-rusted bronze bell shot from the water behind.
Instantly, bells rang loudly.
Black mist surged from it, enveloping the camel, ghostly figure, and flag, charging at me.
“Another ambush?”
Always vigilant, I turned as the bell emerged.
Striking the black iron seal with my sword hilt, I channeled hot and cold airflows.
“Rumble!”
Thunder shook the bay.
A bright lightning bolt hit the figure in the mist, piercing its chest.
The figure screamed, thrown from the camel.
Repeatedly injured, its strength waned.
Thinking I’d let my guard down near land, it saw a perfect ambush. But I’d anticipated it, reacting too fast.
Gao Huan fled to the shore, not wanting to burden me.
I pressed the attack, denying the ghost a chance to retreat to the bell.
After three slashes.
“Thud!”
The Yellow Dragon Sword cut the flag’s pole, slicing the figure in half.
Its soul mist dissipated, terrified: “No… no… I reached the ghostly realm… how can I die here? I’m not reconciled…”
Another slash scattered its soul.
Scanning for the bone demon, I picked up the bell from the coffin, shaking it lightly.
Winds roared.
“Whoosh—”
The three-to-four-meter half-real camel was sucked into the bell.
“Just like that?”
I shook it twice more.
Bells rang, stirring chaotic thoughts and negative emotions.
I stopped.
The evil camel bell was sinister, an ill-omened object.
But it could store physical items, remarkable. The severed flag was one.
I tore off the flag, wrapping the bell tightly to silence it.
“Gao Huan… Gao Fish Soup…”
No response.
I landed ashore, passing reeds, entering the dark forest.
Soon, I saw Gao Huan slumped on the ground.
“What are you doing? I called— why no answer?” I gripped my sword, approaching warily.
Gao Huan exhaled, relieved: “Damn! Scared me to death— all headless skeletons.”
I looked, chilled by the sight.
The ground was littered with headless human skeletons.
Gao Huan stood, feigning calm: “Why’s the land scarier than the ship? Are we in the underworld? Is this world all bone demons and camel ghosts?”
“No, look there.”
Among the skeletons, I found three recently dead human corpses.
“Humans… great, human bodies…” Gao Huan had never been so thrilled by corpses.
Finding no animal tracks, I ruled out a beast lair and examined the corpses. Their neck stumps were jagged, not cut by blades.
Crouching, I searched the first corpse, finding a palm-sized gray cloth bag, clinking. Out spilled round, jade-like… coins.
They felt like money.
The bag’s design screamed currency.
“Damn, Lord Li, you’re quick!”
Gao Huan searched too.
Money meant survival; without it, we’d starve on land.
Swiftly, he rummaged through the other two corpses, then the clothed skeletons, fearless now.
After searching a dozen, he turned to see me wearing a corpse’s clothes, tying the belt.
“Lord Li, what’s that?”
“I’m exploring this world! We’ve met no danger— you return to the ship with news.”
“It looks like a monk’s robe,” Gao Huan said.
I agreed: “Feels like it! But like our world’s monk robes. What monk has no prayer beads but pockets full of money?”
Gao Huan donned a brown robe-like garment, thinking it might fool locals.
If it was a monk’s robe?
Buddhists were respected everywhere.
“Something’s off— why so many headless skeletons? Who brought them here? We need to leave!” A growing sense of danger hit me.
It intensified, feeling close.
Glancing up, my face paled. I pulled Gao Huan, moving quietly to leave.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“Quiet…”
“Trouble!”
I looked up, pupils shrinking.
Hoisting Gao Huan onto my shoulder, my feet’s fountains surged, speeding away recklessly.
Gao Huan saw it.
The thigh-thick vine!
It spanned the forest. We thought its fruits were watermelon-sized, but they opened green eyes— human heads.
Hundreds, thousands, growing on the vine.
Mouths gaped bowl-sized, baring sharp teeth, emitting eerie cries and laughs— men, women, young, old— chasing through the branches, utterly terrifying.