Chapter 71: South China Sea Ship City
Those specks of light scattered across the sea surface were actually countless Ship Lanterns!
By the light of the Ship Lanterns, the outlines of large and small ships could be seen.
That was shockingly a Ship City on the sea pieced together from countless ships!
Tanka Boats, Haicang Ships, Fuchuan Ships, Guangzhou Ships—all kinds of ships were chaotically intertwined and twisted together. Some hulls had already rotted, with most submerged in the water, stepped on by other ships.
All the ships were twisted crookedly together, looking just like a big clump of rats with their tails entangled.
And the voices of people on the Ship City became increasingly clear at this time.
Screams, loud laughter, and whistling sounds were also interwoven, piercing one’s eardrums painfully.
Bai Qing gazed at the scene before her, lost in a daze.
In Tanka People legends, there is a Ship City on the South China Sea, composed of a hundred thousand Tanka Boats. The city is filled with the souls of all those who died at sea.
These people who died unjustly at sea cannot be reincarnated; they can only be eternally trapped on the Ship City in endless revelry.
This story is half eerie and half thrilling for the Tanka People.
Indeed, quite a few Tanka People believed this story, went out to sea to search for the Ship City, and never returned.
Thus, rumors say they found the Ship City and were forever kept there.
These stories mix truth and falsehood; Bai Qing half believed and half doubted.
For her, the strange fish with Ship Lanterns on their heads seemed more reliable instead.
But unexpectedly, the Ship City was right before her eyes.
Bai Qing only felt dizzy and dazzled; so the elders’ stories were real!
For a moment, Bai Qing didn’t know what to do. She hid in the darkness, staring blankly toward the Ship City.
By the dim yellow Ship Lanterns, shadowy figures could vaguely be seen on the Ship City. Some shoved their heads into Wine Jars to drink heartily; others shoved their heads into women’s bosoms.
The women in the city were utterly shameless too, standing under Ship Lanterns pressed tightly against men, shouting with all their might.
Everyone was reveling without restraint.
“Thud!”
Just as Bai Qing was lost in thought, the hull was suddenly knocked. She reflexively crouched, drew her Dagger, and scanned around.
The surrounding sea surface was empty; nothing was there.
“Thud!”
At this moment, the hull was lightly knocked again. The muffled sound came from the Plank on the left.
Bai Qing’s whole body bristled; her heart pounded nonstop. She slowly leaned out.
She saw a person lying in the seawater, face swollen, complexion deathly pale, grinning eerily at her.
Then he rammed the hull with his head again.
“Thud!”
In an instant, Bai Qing felt a ghostly hand grip her heart, throbbing fiercely several times.
She made no reaction, just stared fixedly at him.
He still maintained that rigid posture and eerie expression. Pushed by the waves, he rammed the hull again.
Bai Qing steeled herself for a close look and realized it was a corpse. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, though her heart still pounded fiercely.
She sheathed the Dagger and used the Oar to nudge the corpse’s face closer to the boat.
The corpse had soaked for who knows how long; facial skin had peeled in places, with fish and shrimp bite marks exposing white flesh underneath.
Bai Qing recognized him.
He was also a Pearl Household from Guangzhou who had boarded the Santa Ana with her.
Because of his excellent fighting skills, when the Fuchuan Ship set sail for Macau, Lin Qian selected him to escort the ship. Unexpectedly, he died here.
Bai Qing used the Oar to flip the corpse and inspect wounds on his body.
He was missing a finger; hands and feet unbound. His torso had several old knife wounds that had scarred, plus over ten new ones where blood had drained, leaving curled flesh edges.
The fatal wound was a neck slash that severed the artery.
Bai Qing guessed he had been wounded, captured by enemies, and imprisoned at the Ship City.
After healing, he tried to escape, was discovered, hacked to death, and tossed into the water.
Bai Qing pushed the corpse away with the Oar, stood to gaze at the Ship City. Fear was gone from her eyes, replaced by seething rage.
Another faint thud came from the hull.
Bai Qing looked down; the corpse she had pushed away was pushed back by the waves.
Bai Qing was unafraid at the sight. She crouched and said to the floating corpse: “Chen Jia Er Ge, rest assured. I’ve memorized where the enemies are hiding. At dawn, I’ll report to the Helmsman. He’ll send men to attack, and then I’ll avenge you personally!
It’s just that Reefs surround the Ship City. I must escape tonight. If your spirit is in heaven, show me a clear path!”
Whether due to a spirit in heaven or not, after she spoke, a wave surged, pushing the corpse farther. After several waves, it vanished into the pitch-black seawater.
With night still thick, she too must hurry away.
On arrival, she had zigzagged through Reefs and circled the Ship City, long forgetting the route.
By the North Star, she barely discerned direction, knowing Shore lay northwest.
Conveniently, Chen Jia Er Ge had floated northwest.
Bai Qing stood, glanced at the Ship City one last time, then rowed away—straight in the direction the corpse had indicated.
After rowing long, thin fog rose on the sea surface. Turning in the fog, she saw the Ship City’s lights shrunken to a hazy glow, indistinct in the mist.
Bai Qing rowed ever more slowly and carefully. After some time, fog thickened around her, waves swelling gradually.
Hazy fog enveloped front, back, left, right. Looking up yielded no stars; down, only inky seawater.
Good news: heavy sea fog meant dawn neared, with no storm.
Bad news: no clear path ahead. Wrong direction or hitting a Reef meant certain death.
Now it was all up to fate.
Bai Qing rowed while inwardly praying nonstop to Third Grandmother, to Mother, to Chen Jia Er Ge for protection.
Her body now ached all over; hungry, thirsty, the Oar in hand felt heavier.
Bai Qing simply stowed the Oar and lowered the sweep.
In heavy fog, unafraid of Ship City folk spotting her, she used the sweep instead—it went faster.
After time for a meal, thick fog thinned; waves rose.
After more time, only thin mist remained; faint dawn light tinged the sea behind.
Bai Qing realized she had unwittingly cleared the Reef zone, course correct.
She exclaimed her luck, thanking Third Grandmother, Mother, and Chen Jia Er Ge in her heart.
At sunrise, she sighted Land; fishing boats vaguely leaving port along the Shore.
She approached to ask directions, then headed for Nan’ao Island.
Not far on, a Tanka Boat fleet approached.
Bai Qing drew near; leading the fleet was Bai Langzai. She called out.
Bai Langzai heard Elder Sister’s call, paused stunned, then saw Bai Qing on the Sampan. Joy lit his face; he swiftly sculled forward, took her aboard, and anxiously asked: “Elder Sister, why only back now? You’ve worried us sick!”
Bai Qing shook her head: “No time for details. Hurry to Nan’ao Island. I must see Elder Brother Lin.”
