dhibooks Chapter 197 This Sea is Very Eerie
Chapter 197 This Sea is Very Eerie
"Mr. Shen, this is too strange. Starting from half a month ago, someone has been disappearing every three days, always between midnight and 2 a.m. The missing people all work at the dock; some have just finished unloading cargo and are about to go home, while others are about to go out to sea to fish."
He paused, lowering his voice slightly:
"The strangest thing was that on the 15th, four fishermen went out to sea together, but only one of them came back."
The fisherman said that when their boat was about 500 meters from the dock, a dozen black hands suddenly emerged from the water and dragged three other people into the sea.
He was so terrified that he drove back as fast as he could, barely escaping with his life. We sent a salvage team down to retrieve it, and they searched for three days and three nights, only managing to recover a severed hand.
But as soon as the hand was pulled out, it turned into a pool of black water under the sunlight, leaving not even bones behind.
Jiang Xinlan turned pale upon hearing this and instinctively tightened her grip on Shen Yu's hand.
Zhao Rui also frowned and gripped the peach wood sword at his waist.
"We consulted all the famous feng shui masters and experts in the area, but it was no use," Chen Feng continued.
"A master said that this was a water ghost looking for a substitute, and asked us to perform a ritual to deliver it. But halfway through the ritual, a strong wind suddenly blew up and overturned the altar."
The master was also hit on the head by incense sticks blown over by the wind and is still in the hospital. Since then, no one has dared to take on that job again.
After about an hour's drive, we finally arrived at the Nansha Seafood Market.
The seafood market, which should have been bustling with people and vehicles, is now deserted.
Most shops were closed, their roller shutters sealed off. Only a few shops were open, and the owners sat listlessly at their doorways, smoking with gloomy expressions.
There were few customers in the market, only a few uniformed staff patrolling.
The air was filled with a strong fishy smell and a faint, barely perceptible chill, making one feel uncomfortable all over.
"At this time of year, the market used to be so crowded you couldn't move at all," Chen Feng sighed.
"Now that this has happened, nobody dares to come. Fishermen are afraid to go out to sea, and stevedores are afraid to come to work. If this continues, the entire market will collapse, and thousands of workers will lose their jobs."
He led Shen Yu and the others to the old fisherman's house at the very back of the market.
Old fisherman Grandpa Lin is over seventy years old. His hair is gray, his face is covered with wrinkles, and his hands are calloused.
He spent his entire life at sea and had the deepest affection for it.
Seeing Shen Yu and the others enter, Grandpa Lin took a puff of his pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and slowly said, "You're here to investigate the missing persons case, right?"
"Yes, Grandpa." Chen Feng nodded. "Tell us, has anything similar happened here before?"
"Why isn't it there?" Grandpa Lin sighed.
"This sea is very eerie. Decades ago, people often disappeared near the dock. The old folks say that there are water ghosts in the water that specifically seek out young and strong men to take their place."
Back then, no one dared to go to the dock at night. It wasn't until this seafood market was built decades ago that things gradually improved with the increase in people.
He paused, his expression turning serious:
"But a month ago, a Japanese man wearing a black trench coat came. He wore a mask and hat, so you couldn't see his face. He wandered around the dock all day."
One night, I saw him burning something on the rocks at the dock. He burned it all night, muttering to himself. After that, more and more people went missing.
"Japanese?" Shen Yu and Zhao Rui exchanged a glance, their eyes turning cold.
They really are from the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect.
After leaving Grandpa Lin's house, Chen Feng led them to the dock where the accident had occurred.
The pier is built on the seaside and is made of concrete; some of the edges are already damaged.
A few empty fishing boats lay forlornly on the shore, gently rocking with the waves. The seawater was murky and black, with a layer of greasy foam floating on the surface, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.
Zhao Rui took out his compass, and as soon as he reached the dock, the compass needle began to spin wildly, like a spinning top, and wouldn't stop.
"Mr. Shen! The compass is malfunctioning!" Zhao Rui exclaimed in surprise. "The yin energy is too strong!"
Shen Yu walked to the dock, squatted down, and put his fingers into the seawater.
A bone-chilling cold instantly spread from my fingertips, along my arm, throughout my entire body. The seawater was thick with yin energy and resentment, like countless fine needles pricking my skin until it went numb.
"Not an ordinary sea ghost." Shen Yu withdrew his hand and wiped the seawater off his fingers.
"It's the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect's Water Ghost Soul-Sucking Formation. They captured the souls of ten people who fell into the water and refined them into living water ghosts."
These water ghosts absorb the energy of the Pearl River estuary day and night. There are already ten of them. If one more dies, the formation will be fully formed.
At that time, they will drain the entire Pearl River basin, affecting tens of millions of people along its banks.
Chen Feng's face turned deathly pale: "Then... what do we do? Mr. Shen, you have to save us!"
"Don't worry," Shen Yu said calmly, "I'll break this formation tonight."
Back at the 749 Bureau's base in Guangzhou, Shen Yu immediately began arranging the night's operations.
"Zhao Rui, go and prepare ten Yang Qi talismans and a peach wood nail. Also, check your lightning-struck peach wood sword to ensure that spiritual power can be smoothly injected."
"Yes!" Zhao Rui immediately turned around to prepare, his movements swift and decisive.
"Xinlan, come with me." Shen Yu walked to the window, looking at the sky gradually darkening outside.
"When you encounter water ghosts later, try using the calming mantra I taught you to soothe their souls. Remember, when you make the hand seal, you must steady your breath, guide your spiritual energy from your dantian to your fingertips, and chant the mantra one word at a time, without rushing."
Jiang Xinlan nodded, her fingertips unconsciously forming the mudra for the Heart-Cleansing Mantra: "I've memorized it. I've practiced it many times at home before, but I haven't used it in actual combat yet."
"It's alright, I'm here." Shen Yu looked at her, his eyes gentle.
"Even if something goes wrong, it's okay, I'll cover for you. Just remember, the core of the Purification Mantra is 'stillness,' use your spiritual power to soothe their resentment, not to fight against it."
Chen Feng stood to the side, rubbed his hands together, and said somewhat embarrassedly:
"Mr. Shen, I'll take twenty team members with me! They'll all be equipped with riot shields and stun guns. Even if they can't be of much help, they can at least help guard the perimeter and prevent unauthorized personnel from breaking in."
"You don't need to bring so much." Shen Yu shook his head.
"Just bring five skilled individuals to set up a cordon at the dock entrance. The yin energy inside is too heavy; ordinary people who stay there for too long will be invaded by it, which can cause illness or even shorten their lifespan."
You stay outside and keep watch. If you see anyone approaching, ask them to leave. If anything seems unusual, immediately call us on the walkie-talkie.