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Jiao Ba squinted and said, "There are two possibilities regarding this matter. The first is that someone wants to frame Shunzi, making us suspect him and pin everything on him. The second possibility is that it is indeed true; that black-clad person is Shunzi, but someone is secretly trying to let us know the truth."
I thought for a moment and replied, "Lao Ba, think carefully. This matter is serious; we can't jump to conclusions." I felt like we had overlooked some important clues and there should still be something to investigate.
Jiao Ba closed his eyes and pondered for a while before saying, "Not long after I boarded the ship, I was knocked unconscious. You didn't see anyone leave at that time, which suggests that this person must have come after you were drugged. By then, you had already entered what you call a dream state."
"After he came aboard Bearded Man's ship and knocked me out, he moved the coffin on the deck to the last cabin, then opened the coffin and placed talismans on it. This person must be the same black-clad individual from before; I can't think of anyone else."
I continued from where he left off, "When I woke up, it should have been that black-clad person signaling from across with a flashlight. When I went down to the cabin, Shunzi was gone. Then I discovered another black-clad person and chased after him to Bearded Man's fishing boat. After that, I witnessed the confrontation between the two black-clad individuals."
"If we go by what you dreamed, did you check the other Rest Cabins?" Jiao Ba asked me.
"Well... I didn't check them. However, I did want to look into it. Since Shunzi was missing at that time, I wanted to hurry and check the other Rest Cabins. But just then, I suddenly spotted another black-clad person. In my panic, I chased after him and completely forgot about checking the other cabins," I said with frustration. This was important, yet in such an urgent situation, I had overlooked it.
Jiao Ba slowly shook his head. "No, that's not right; this doesn't make sense at all. If those two black-clad individuals could fight to the death, it proves they are not on the same side. According to your description, the other Short Black-Clad Man is also quite skilled; a master like him wouldn't let himself be discovered at such a critical moment."
"What do you mean?" I felt like the clues were becoming clearer.
"It's simple. The other black-clad person you suddenly noticed after waking up is actually the Cat-Eyed Man in Black who opened the coffin earlier. Think about it, Brother Yi: after he signaled you, he wouldn't need to wait for you to go down to the cabin; he would have enough time to return to Jenny's Fishing Boat because you wouldn't be paying attention to what was happening in the sea at that moment—things were too urgent for you to think twice."
"But when you realized Shunzi was missing and thought about checking other Rest Cabins, he deliberately let you discover him and then lured you out so that you wouldn't have time to check the other Rest Cabins. Thus, you couldn't find out who had left the fishing boat; all you could confirm was that Shunzi wasn't in any of the Rest Cabins."
Jiao Ba's reasoning made sense. "Yes, what you're saying has some merit. But even so, how do we explain the other black-clad individual?"
"The other black-clad person clearly aimed for the coffin as well. I believe he already knew about the Cat-Eyed Man in Black's existence. When that Cat-Eyed Man returned to Jenny's boat, he took advantage of that opportunity to sneak onto Bearded Man's fishing boat."
"Perhaps he never expected that the Cat-Eyed Man in Black would return to the Bearded Man's fishing boat so quickly. Then they encountered each other and ended up fighting. When you arrived, you just happened to see them. I feel that this line of reasoning aligns quite well with the situation at the time," Jiao Ba said, gesturing as if he were narrating a story.
As I pondered his words, I replied, "It's not impossible. Thinking it through, your analysis is quite accurate. That Short Black-Clad Man is so agile; he couldn't have been easily spotted by me. The Cat-Eyed Man in Black signaling was meant to lure me over. Yes, it must be that way. Lao Ba, think again—did we miss any information?"
Jiao Ba furrowed his brow in thought and said, "I'm just wondering, who exactly is that Short Black-Clad Man? He must be involved in all of this; he should know what lies behind it. One of those two notes must have been left by him."
"If that's the case, then it proves that on the first night we encountered the Cat-Eyed Man in Black at the Qing Dynasty Shipwreck, this Short Black-Clad Man was likely present as well. I suspect he is the one lurking around us behind the scenes," Jiao Ba calmly analyzed everything.
I continued to think aloud, "That's right; you suspected the handwriting on those two notes before and even deduced there might be another mastermind involved. It seems that's indeed the case. Who would have thought that a small Nautical Chart could lead to so much trouble?"
Jiao Ba snorted disdainfully and said, "Hmph, this Nautical Chart is definitely not that simple. From what we've found at the Wreck, whether it's the Qing Dynasty Shipwreck or the Ming Dynasty Shipwreck, there are numerous Bones and traces left by modern divers. This indicates that not only is this matter extremely dangerous, but also astonishing—something you and I can't even begin to fathom, Foolish King's Golden Consort."
I nodded lightly and said, "It seems Jenny's Nautical Chart is indeed significant. But as long as you and I can follow through to the end and uncover its secrets, we won't need to worry too much about it now. If this secret had already been solved, we wouldn't be out at sea."
Jiao Ba patted my shoulder and said, "That's true. However, I really hope we can unravel all of this soon."
I shifted the topic and asked, "Lao Ba, why do you think the Cat-Eyed Man in Black didn't take anything from the female corpse after opening the coffin? He only placed talismans on her. Analyzing from a logical standpoint, he had no reason to leave anything behind intentionally. If he wanted something from her, why didn't he take it himself?"
"Moreover," I continued, "after he knocked you out, he had plenty of time. Could it be... that he intentionally lured me over to take something from the female corpse?" This point always puzzled me.
Jiao Ba glanced at me and said, "It's not impossible. If those items were on us, they might help him solve some problems too. We can't escape either way; that would make him feel secure. Beyond that, I can't think of any other reasons."
I remained silent, still deep in thought when Jiao Ba suddenly asked, "Brother Yi, who do you think that other Ninja Black-Clad Person could be?"
"I was just about to mention that! I suspect this other black-clad person is Li Xin. Let me explain why..."
I detailed my previous speculations to him thoroughly. After listening, Jiao Ba replied, "Your analysis makes sense; however, isn't it a bit too obvious? I feel Li Xin isn't that foolish. If it were her, she could easily show herself without raising our suspicions."
"Not her? Then who could it be? Could it be another sailor?" I fell into confusion again. Without a solid lead, it seemed I was at a dead end.
"Anyone is a possibility, and that includes Jenny," Jiao Ba's words shut down all other options. It appeared that no one could be ruled out.
I pointed at him and said, "You, forget it. Anyway, at least we've clarified most of the current situation. The only thing left is Shunzi's sudden disappearance. That night he insisted I was calling for him in the middle of the night, but I never called out. After I woke up, I even asked him about it, and he still insisted it was me."
Jiao Bayi calmly replied, "There are still two points. One is that Shunzi is lying; the other is that he, like you, has fallen under the influence of the 'Misty Fragrance' and has been manipulated by the poisoner. However, I tend to believe that Shunzi has been framed. All signs indicate he has no reason to lie, especially when that night the man in black led you out. Why did he wait for you to see that Shunzi was not in the Rest Cabin before letting you discover it? Isn't that a question?"
I smiled at him and said, "You're right; I think so too. He deliberately let me see that Shunzi was gone before luring me out. But I'm curious why you're siding with Shunzi this time. Haven't you always been suspicious of him?"
Jiao Ba also smiled and said, "Brother Yi, I'm only concerned with facts, not people. But then again, it's also possible that Shunzi orchestrated everything himself; maybe he's just putting on a show because what we've encountered can't be judged by common sense."
I shot him a glare and laughed, "Damn, your words sound like those of a charlatan—talking out of both sides of your mouth."
"I'm not! I'm just analyzing things based on facts. Initially, I suspected Shunzi might be the mastermind behind it all, but I never claimed he was the Cat-Eyed Man in Black. Don't wrongfully accuse me," Jiao Ba said as he took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a couple of puffs.
"Regardless, I'm still relieved because I really don't want to see what you mentioned; after all, Shunzi is my brother." I looked at him seriously and spoke in a low tone.
Jiao Ba exhaled a smoke ring as if talking to himself, "Could the Cat-Eyed Man in Black possibly be Mai Lao? Even you said he's not an ordinary person; I find him highly suspicious. Moreover, my impression of him can be summed up in four words: unfathomable..."
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