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墨書 Inktalez
"What? Possessed? The moment I heard those words, my head felt like it was going to explode. 'No way, Lao Ba, you can't be serious! How could anyone get possessed out of the blue?' I couldn't quite believe Jiao Ba's words. I'd only heard about possession before; I'd never seen it myself.
Jiao Ba looked at me earnestly and said, 'Brother Yi, when you went out to sea today, did you encounter anything strange?'
Before I could respond, Li Xin chimed in, 'Yes, yes! Just as we were about to leave the cabin, the Underwater Light started flickering rapidly. Then I vaguely saw some strange images...'
'What kind of images?' Jiao Ba asked quickly.
'It seemed like... shadows of people, some figures moving back and forth in the cabin.' I looked at Jiao Ba with a serious expression. I recalled the face of that female corpse, but in front of so many people, I kept my mouth shut.
Jiao Ba nodded and said, 'That's right. What you saw wasn't just shadows.'
'If it's not shadows, then what is it? Could it be...' Li Xin's eyes widened in surprise.
'Exactly. Those are ghostly figures, which is why I said they are possessed.' Jiao Ba spoke casually, but his words sent a chill down my spine.
'Then... what should we do? Mai Lao, what should we do now?' Jenny sounded anxious. This wasn't just a cold or fever; this was serious possession.
Mai Lao frowned and said, 'Possessed? Is that really possible? I've never experienced anything like that. Xiao Ba, since you know they are possessed, you must have a way to help them.' There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone that suggested he didn't fully believe Jiao Ba.
'Yes, Jiao Ba, think of something to save them. We can't afford any more trouble,' Jenny urged, nearly bouncing with anxiety.
Jiao Ba chuckled lightly and said, 'Don't worry; it's not a big deal. There is a way to help them. They are only mildly affected; it's nothing serious. Here’s what you need to do: Jenny, prepare some red strings and tie them around their left wrists and left ankles. Then get some vinegar for them to drink. By tomorrow morning, they should wake up.'
"Is it really that simple?" Jenny asked, her face filled with confusion.
"It is that simple. What did you expect? Hurry up and get going, don't waste any more time," Jiao Ba urged.
Jenny nodded and hurried off to prepare the items. Li Xin squinted her eyes and said, "I don't quite understand. Even if they were possessed, why am I fine? I was there too, and so was he." Her last words were directed at me.
"Yeah, Lao Ba, I was there too. If they were really possessed, why are Li Xin and I okay?" I had thought about this as well. All seven of us were in the cabin together, and now only Li Xin and I remained unharmed.
Jiao Ba scratched his head and said, "Well... how should I put this? It's hard to explain. To put it simply, everyone has a different constitution. Scientifically speaking, possession is like brainwaves being disrupted. The supernatural illusions have no subject; everyone's magnetic field is different. Some people get infected just by coming into contact with these things, while others can encounter them multiple times without any effect."
I listened, feeling a bit lost. What brainwaves? What magnetic fields? It all sounded like nonsense. To put it plainly, weren't we just scared by some so-called ghosts? "Forget it, forget it. If you say so, then that's what it is."
At that moment, Mai Lao suddenly asked me, "Loyalty and Righteousness, besides what Li Xin mentioned, did you encounter anything else in the cabin?"
Mai Lao seemed to have something else in mind, but it didn't seem directed at me; it felt more aimed at Li Xin. "No, it's just as Li Xin said." I still had no intention of mentioning the female corpse; I would find a time to ask Jiao Ba about it later.
Just then, Jenny returned with the prepared items. We all began to help Jiao Bayi with the setup. Once the red string was tied and the vinegar was offered, Shunzi and the other sailors stopped trembling aside from their pale faces. It seemed to be quite effective; Jiao Ba truly was something else.
"It seems to be working; they're not shaking anymore," Jenny said happily as she glanced at Jiao Bayi.
Jiao Ba smiled and replied, "Didn't I tell you? They're fine; they'll wake up tomorrow and just need a couple of days' rest before everything's back to normal."
Mai Lao then said, "Alright then, since they're okay now, Jenny, let's head back. It's late; let them rest properly. Loyalty and Righteousness, keep an eye on them with Xiao Ba. If anything happens, notify me immediately. After they wake up tomorrow, we'll discuss our next steps."
I nodded and said, "Got it. Don't worry, Mai Lao; I'll keep an eye on them."
After Mai Lao and the others left, my sleepiness vanished completely. I sat up on the bed, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. I couldn't help but recall the image of that female corpse from earlier in the Wreck. What was going on?
Jiao Ba glanced at me and said, “Brother Yi, do you have something to tell me?”
“How did you know?” I looked at him, puzzled by how he could tell.
Jiao Ba sat beside me, smiling as he replied, “I could see it in your eyes. When Mai Lao was asking you questions earlier, I guessed you had something to say but held back.”
I took a puff of my cigarette and squinted at him. “When did you learn to read people so well?” I suddenly felt that I had underestimated Jiao Ba. I thought he was just a tomb raider who knew about antiques, but today I realized he was more complex than I had imagined. From our days at sea, it was clear he was quite extraordinary.
Jiao Ba put his arm around my shoulder and said, “Isn't this all thanks to Brother Yi? Didn't you always tell me to observe more and speak less?”
I swatted his arm away. “Stop trying to flatter me.”
Jiao Ba straightened up and asked seriously, “Brother Yi, what is it that you want to say?”
I looked at him and recounted everything that had happened in the Wreck's cabin in detail. Jiao Ba listened intently, his brow furrowed but he remained silent. “Lao Ba, say something! Why did I see the image of that female corpse? I really can't understand it; she should have sunk with the Qing Dynasty Shipwreck.”
With a serious expression, Jiao Ba looked at me and said, “Things are indeed strange. From what you've described, this Wreck shouldn't just be a grain ship; there must be more to discover.”
I grew anxious and said, “Lao Ba, I'm asking about the female corpse! Tell me, am I seeing ghosts? Is that woman's spirit following me?”
Suddenly, Jiao Ba chuckled and said, “It's just a kind of supernatural phenomenon; there's no need to talk about ghosts.”
"Come on, you just said it was a ghostly shadow, and now you're saying Shunzi and the others are possessed." How could this guy's words be so contradictory, claiming one moment that it exists and the next that it doesn't?
Jiao Ba said seriously, "Brother Yi, let me be honest with you. It was just Mai Lao and the others who were here earlier, which is why I said Shunzi and the others were possessed. In reality, that's not the case at all. What people call possession is just a misunderstanding by ordinary folks; there isn't that much evil to be possessed by. You must have been affected by some kind of toxin from Wreck, which interfered with your brain and caused hallucinations."
"Are you saying that everything we're experiencing is just an illusion? But why did Shunzi and the others end up like this?" Jiao Ba's explanation helped me understand a bit more.
"That's because individuals are different. Also, you might have something on you that prevents you from being affected by this toxin, or at least lessens its effects," Jiao Ba whispered.
Something on me? What could it be? I don't have anything on me. "I don't have anything on me either. Even if I'm in better shape, what about Li Xin? She's a woman and hasn't had any issues either."
Jiao Ba sneered slightly and said, "That's something you'll have to ask her. Why she’s fine might only be known to her, but I can say for sure that Li Xin's request to go into the water this time is definitely purposeful."
What Jiao Ba said made sense. I also suspected that Li Xin had a motive for going into the water this time. We had been at sea for so many days, and she had never once asked to go down; yet this time she insisted strongly. Since she already knew how to dive, why didn't she mention it earlier? Furthermore, as a bodyguard, why would she need to know how to dive? And she even brought along a Diving Suit and shark-proof gear—clearly premeditated. Could it be that Li Xin was the mastermind behind all of this?
So what connection did the man in black have with her? And then there was the collective disappearance of Bearded Man's subordinates; Li Xin was also present at that time. Plus, when Jiao Ba checked everyone's handwriting, only she and Jenny didn't have diaries. According to Jiao Ba, the handwriting on those two notes left behind showed serious signs of imitation. I had never seen Li Xin write anything; was she deliberately hiding?
Since we set sail until now, Li Xin had always maintained a cold demeanor, keeping her distance from everyone. It seemed she was intentionally distancing herself from us. Yet today, when I went to ask for her help, she didn't utter a single unnecessary word. That was indeed a bit out of character. Still, I had a feeling that things weren't as simple as they seemed. If she had been able to hide for so long, why would she suddenly expose herself now?
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