Lord Shenxiu

"Ah Bao!"

Suddenly, a gentle call was heard, and a Dan Clan woman picked up the red figure.

It turned out to be a little girl, looking as delicate as jade, with a red cloth wrapped around her head and a silver belt tied around her waist.

At this moment, she was staring with bright, shiny black eyes, curiously examining the stranger.

Zhong Shenxiu saw this and couldn't help but smile slightly.

Seeing him smile, Ah Bao also showed a sweet smile, but unfortunately, she was missing a few front teeth, making her look quite funny...

"Why haven't I seen Uncle Hai?"

After finishing a meal, Zhong Shenxiu approached Uncle Mai, seemingly curious as he inquired.

"The captain just felt unwell and is resting in the captain's cabin..."

Uncle Mai chuckled, "Is there anything else you want to ask, like why there are women and children on our ship?"

"Well, that must be a Dan Clan custom, right?"

Zhong Shenxiu scratched his head, "I do have some strength, though. I shouldn't just eat for free. If there's any sailor's work, let me do it."

Seemingly inadvertently, he looked out beyond the deck, "Why is the ship not moving?"

This was still the area where Fang Lang had previously encountered the sea waves.

"The captain said that saving a life is a deed of immense virtue, so we stopped here to see if there are any other survivors, and in passing to collect and lay any bodies to rest..."

Uncle Lao Mai said this while rubbing his fingers together, making a knowing gesture.

Compared to fishing for seafood, the floating luggage and cargo boxes here might be more valuable.

Zhong Shenxiu nodded with an 'I see' expression, not saying anything more.

Night fell.

Zhong Shenxiu squeezed in among the sailors, sleeping on a hammock.

Outside the cabin door, a pair of eyes watched him for a long time before slowly leaving.

He went onto the deck and looked under the moonlight; it turned out to be Uncle Lao Mai.

"Captain!"

Uncle Lao Mai bent down respectfully as he saw a figure emerging from the darkness.

Drip! Drip!

Droplets of seawater fell onto the deck; that figure was still draped with seaweed, seemingly just emerging from the sea. Each step left a watery footprint. Suddenly, he lay down on the deck, his hoarse voice carrying an edge of fanaticism: "Here... is... the aura of my Lord... my Lord... has been here before!"

"Praise my Lord."

Old Mai also knelt down, his forehead touching the ground devoutly.

"Go... prepare... offerings!"

The captain's voice came out intermittently, as if squeezed from his throat.

"Aye!"

Old Mai agreed without hesitation, "Today, we just saved a robust lad; he can be used to make up the numbers!"

"The main sacrifice... must be a Spirit Child... go fetch Ah Bao! Da Gun likes such offerings! The more the human sacrifices... the better!"

The captain's voice instructed intermittently.

"Ahem, ahem!"

Just then, a cough sounded, "Old Mai, although I'm very grateful you saved me, turning around and making me a sacrifice, I can't agree to that."

"You weren't asleep?"

Old Mai stood up, his throat moving, suddenly opening his mouth to spit out a crimson, tongue-like object, with a split tip revealing many serrations.

He had clearly become inhuman!

In fact, he had transformed into something like a demon!

In this world, there certainly existed numerous anomalies and demons.

In Fang Lang's memory, he often heard similar legends.

Zhong Shenxiu sidestepped gracefully, his hair becoming longer, nails starting to grow, and his face turning a livid color, making him appear incredibly menacing, like a living corpse!

Pow!

With a flick of his nails, half of a seven-gilled eel-like tongue fell to the ground, still writhing.

As for Old Mai...

He clutched the half tongue gushing blood and collapsed to the ground... just like that, he died, he died...

"It seems this disgusting worm was his life-bound symbiotic item."

Zhong Shenxiu shook his head, these side-path sorceries are really not up to par.

He then cast his gaze toward the captain, Uncle Hai.

The other had already turned around, allowing Zhong Shenxiu to see the patches of fish scales, coral, and shells on his body... akin to a monster buried under the sea for eons!

"You are a believer of that monster, Da Gun!"

Zhong Shenxiu asserted with certainty.

In Fang Lang's memory, there were messages about Da Gun, an eerie sea monster possessing all kinds of terrifying abilities.

"You dare to disrespect my Lord?"

Uncle Hai rasped, "You... cannot escape... the whole ship... is mine! I will... offer you to Da Gun!"

"Is that so?"

Zhong Shenxiu's gaze bore a hint of pity toward him, "Your ship? Hehe... you and Old Mai are such pitiable souls..."

Before the words were finished, one by one, sailors, women... had crowded onto the deck.

Their expressions were vacant, just staring blankly at Uncle Hai.

"Don't you remember? Your memory was altered? This is not your ship at all... it's a ghost ship!"

Zhong Shenxiu looked at the sailors, women, and the little girl Ah Bao under the moonlight.

Their expressions were vacant, their bodies gradually turning translucent, like a group of ghosts.

Creaaak!

The ancient Sea Mystery issued terrifying sounds, with every plank creaking as if a beast was sharpening its teeth.

"Ah!"

Uncle Hai let out a scream, hugging his head, finally remembering!

He and Old Mai were originally leaders of a band of pirates, skilled in exotic arts, traversing the East Sea.

Then, one day, they plundered the Sea Mystery...

The outcome?

All the pirates were dead, leaving only the two of them. Their memories were altered, becoming the Sea Mystery's captain and boatswain!

"Ah!"

Uncle Hai clutched his head, "I'm... I'm not mad... hahaha... this ship, this ship is the ultimate evil entity!"

"Although I was quite looking forward to seeing whether you'd sacrifice Ah Bao and then Ah Bao would end up sacrificing you in a twist, I really must prepare for any eventuality."

Zhong Shenxiu stepped forward, placing a hand atop Uncle Hai's head.

Thick pus oozed from Uncle Hai's seven orifices as he sank limply.

Creak! Creak!

A black hole appeared on the deck, resembling a monster opening its mouth, swallowing Uncle Hai and Old Mai's bodies...

'After all, Da Gun has appeared here before; if you keep performing sacrifices, you might actually summon it. Then, should I kill it? Or should I kill it?'

Once Da Gun was slain, Zhong Shenxiu would inevitably have to use his true power, and then everything would be exposed under the eyes of the Heavenly Elder, making a second concealment unlikely, placing him at a disadvantage.

As Zhong Shenxiu acted, those ghosts watched his performance without a flicker of emotion.

"Alright, you can go back and rest now."

Zhong Shenxiu rummaged through the bodies, finding a pitch-black secret book from Uncle Hai, gesturing for them to leave.

Fang Lang's self-cultivated Watered-Down Corpse Dissolving Immortal aura leaked out, astonishingly calming the restless Sea Mystery.

The ghostly crew, expressionless, returned to their cabins one by one.

Inside the captain's cabin.

Zhong Shenxiu lit an oil lamp and flipped open the secret book.