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墨書 Inktalez
I smiled wryly and said, "As for whether we can find any clues, we can only try this for now; otherwise, it will all be in vain."
Jiao Ba nodded and said, "I feel it's feasible. There might really be a huge secret hidden in that gap."
"Whether there's a secret or not, we'll find out later. By the way, Lao Ba, I need to talk to you about something regarding our actions that night." I said seriously.
"Just wait a moment while I check the Super Energy Powerhouse." Jiao Ba stood up to open the Hatch. After confirming there was no one outside, he returned, turned on the radio, and played a terrible song at a moderate volume before sitting back down in front of me. "Go ahead, Brother Yi, but keep it down; be careful of eavesdroppers."
"Lao Ba, let me ask you, what happened to the things I had?" I suddenly remembered the half of the jade pendant and the golden sphere I had taken from the female corpse. I had no idea where they were now.
Jiao Ba whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, Brother Yi, everything is with me. After you fell into the sea, I was the first to pull you out. You don't need to worry about that."
"So? When the jade pieces are put together, is there any new discovery?" I was eager to know what secrets this jade pendant held.
Jiao Ba grinned mischievously and said, "Of course there are discoveries, but we can't look at them now. Once night falls, let's find a secluded place, and I'll show you. You'll understand everything then."
I nodded. "Alright. By the way, who bandaged my wounds?"
"It was Mai Lao. This old man is quite professional; I didn't expect him to know medicine," Jiao Ba said with some admiration.
"Mai Lao is quite remarkable; you might not know this, but he used to be a soldier and has survived a shipwreck. He drifted alone at sea for days and nights. I'm not surprised he knows medicine," I recalled everything that had happened over the past few days. Mai Lao was truly unfathomable.
Jiao Ba looked surprised and said, "Wow, this old man is impressive; his experiences are no less than yours."
I scoffed lightly and said, "Me? Compared to him, I'm just a small fry. What am I? If it weren't for Mai Lao, I'd have been dead long ago during those times in the deep sea."
Jiao Ba rolled his eyes and said, "True enough. Mai Lao is indeed extraordinary; every time we reach a critical moment, he always manages to deliver unexpected results."
I glanced at him and said, "Perhaps this is just the beginning; there may be even more exciting things ahead. Let me ask you, why didn't Li Xin bandage me?" Normally, this should have been Li Xin's responsibility; there was no reason for Mai Lao to handle it.
"I don't know. Li Xin hasn't shown up these past couple of days. I heard from Jenny that she seems to be sick," Jiao Ba shook his head.
It was just another excuse for being sick. That night, I had scratched the Short Black-Clad Man, yet Li Xin had not shown her face since then. Was there something wrong here? I remembered that I had injured his arm that evening.
Since then, Li Xin had been absent. I needed to find an opportunity to see her arm, the place where the Paratrooper Knife had cut her. If there was a noticeable scar on her arm, it would prove that the Short Black-Clad Man from that night was indeed her.
“Brother Yi, Brother Yi, what are you thinking about?” Jiao Ba nudged me.
I snapped back to reality and said, “I was just thinking about what happened that night.”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing. What exactly happened that night? And what was that dream you mentioned?” Jiao Ba whispered in my ear.
“I'll tell you right now…” I began to recall everything that had happened that night and started to explain it to him seriously, from our original plan to the moment I caught a whiff of that fragrance, followed by everything in the dream.
Then came the contrast between reality and the dream, culminating in our encounter with two men in black on the Bearded Man's boat. I detailed everything thoroughly, leaving out no small detail.
“When I found you, you were already unconscious. After I woke you up, you knew what happened next,” I said to Jiao Ba with a grim expression.
Jiao Ba furrowed his brow and after a moment said, “First of all, we can be sure of one thing: our plan this time has completely failed. We fell right into someone else's trap.”
I remained silent, intending to let him continue. Jiao Ba continued with a serious face, “The fragrance you smelled at that time must have been a type of narcotic. There are several kinds of narcotics, but this one was most commonly made in ancient times using Datura Flower mixed with some herbs. When lit, it releases a scent that causes people to faint. It doesn’t require an antidote; people naturally wake up after three to five hours. This is the most basic form of narcotic.”
“So you're saying I was taken down by this ancient narcotic?” I had suspected something was off about that fragrance; I initially thought it might be some modern chemical. I never imagined it would be a narcotic used by ancient people—how could anyone still be using it today?
Jiao Ba shook his head gently. “It’s not that simple. Didn’t you say you had a terrifying nightmare after you fainted? If it weren’t for that dream, you might have just been affected by a regular narcotic. But with your so-called dream added into the mix, it definitely wasn’t just that.”
“And you mentioned how the events in your dream were almost identical to reality—that’s crucial. Brother Yi, I need to clarify something: what you experienced wasn’t a dream at all. After you fainted, someone controlled your consciousness; to put it bluntly, someone was manipulating your brain's thoughts.”
At this point in Jiao Ba's explanation, I felt somewhat stunned. “Wait… Lao Ba, what do you mean? Someone is controlling my thoughts? Controlling my dreams? That’s absurd! Is that even possible?”
In truth, I was starting to believe him, though I was reluctant to admit it. After everything we had gone through since going out to sea, it was hard not to believe; many facts were laid out before me—I couldn’t deny them.
Jiao Ba smirked slightly and said, “It’s not about whether it's possible; it’s necessary. This kind of narcotic is the most terrifying thing.”
"I remember my father telling me about a type of incense called 'Corpse Incense.' It is made from the oil of dead bodies, combined with the venom of poisonous creatures like scorpions, spiders, and centipedes. This 'Corpse Incense' is extremely sinister. During the feudal era ruled by emperors, it was specifically used to manipulate people's minds."
"I suspect that you have been affected by this 'Corpse Incense.' I can't believe someone on our ship would use such a wicked substance. This 'Corpse Incense' not only causes confusion but also allows the user to control the mind of the victim in a short amount of time."
"The user can infiltrate the thoughts of the confused individual to manipulate their consciousness, achieving their own goals while the victim remains unaware, believing they are living in reality."
"Even if the victim wakes up, some may remember nothing at all, while others might recall dreams they had. Generally, there are two possibilities: one is that the user intentionally allows them to remember."
"The other possibility is that the victim has a very strong will, capable of breaking through the toxins of 'Corpse Incense.' However, such individuals are extremely rare. I believe that the user deliberately wanted you to remember what happened in your dream. By the way, I should add that the most potent 'Corpse Incense' can cause a person to completely lose their will and become a living corpse."
I understood roughly what Jiao Ba was saying. Just hearing the name 'Corpse Incense' sounded ominous. Anything made from corpse oil and those poisonous creatures could not be used for good. If such a thing truly existed, it was terrifying to think about.
Especially what Jiao Ba said about living corpses; it could almost be considered a form of witchcraft. But one thing still puzzled me: how did this user control my brain? If I had already been confused, how could I possibly have any awareness? I should have known nothing at all.
Jiao Ba noticed my confusion. "Not quite understanding, huh? Let me simplify it for you. You know about hypnotists, right?"
I nodded, and he continued, "It's similar to being hypnotized. A hypnotist can put you into a deep sleep and help you recover lost memories. However, the user of 'Corpse Incense' is far more powerful than a hypnotist. While you are in this state, the user is actually right beside you. Whatever they say will appear in your dreams; all your thoughts will follow their intentions."
Once he explained it this way, I understood. "So you're saying someone deliberately arranged all of this just to show me the face of that man in black? But in my dream, that man in black... he was Shunzi." My last words were barely above a whisper.
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