Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 44: A person lights a candle, a ghost blows it out, and it goes out?

It's getting late today.

Wang Cheng and Han Shushu had a brief meeting and decided to set up camp on the nearby deserted island and begin their operation after dawn the next day.

In order to wait for the response [Shui Ze Fu Jian] on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, they would have to stay here for at least ten days, so it would be more convenient to set up a camp.

Some time ago, Wang Cheng recruited more manpower and equipment from the Tanka people, bringing the total number of boatmen on the Zhang Fushun to over thirty, making it more like a warship than a fishing boat.

The two boats together carried over a hundred people, many of whom possessed the skills of a ninth-grade hut repairman. With the animal hide tents prepared in advance, they worked at a rapid pace.

Not long after dark, a camp that was both convenient and defensive was built.

The night passed in silence. As dawn broke, the Tanka people on the Zhang Fushun got up to cook and have a hearty meal. On the opposite side, Han Shushu's large ship also launched three or four small boats, and together they surrounded the sunken ship.

Han Shushu and Wang Cheng were on the same boat, which stopped at the southeast corner of the encirclement.

"Senior Brother Wang, our [Sea Salvage] promotion ritual starts with collecting historical materials and divination to verify the location of the sunken ship, and continues until we organize manpower to salvage the sunken ship and bring the valuables to the surface. The most crucial step is taking action."

The batch of salvaged porcelain that Shushu handed over to Old Shen was a task that her uncle helped Shushu select. He had personally confirmed that the shipwreck here was completely within our capabilities.

As long as you follow the steps, there won't be any problems.

Would you like to come down and take a look together?

The young girl, for reasons unknown, winked mischievously at Wang Cheng, the prospective court official, and invited him to join her in the business world.

"OK!
The ocean holds countless treasures, and among the water-farming groups, four are most skilled at finding them: the White Water Boy who catches fish, the Treasure Hunter who identifies treasures, the Pearl Diver who harvests pearls, and the Sea Scooper who salvages boats.

Today will be a good day to witness Junior Sister Han's abilities.

Wang Cheng was already planning to go to sea to catch sea urchins, and Han Shushu's invitation was exactly what he wanted.

Even though he guessed that the shipwreck he was visiting must be quite extraordinary since it was being used as a test for those who salvage ships, he immediately agreed.

"Then let Senior Brother Wang come down with me to check the situation of the sunken ship, while the rest of you stay up here."

Han Shushu gave an order and took out a whale oil candle, placing it on the bow of the boat.

Having already reached the state of pure Yang in her life force, the white light in her eyes flashed only slightly before the candle lit itself.

Then cover it with a lampshade made of white paper to prevent the sea breeze from blowing it out.

As Wang Cheng watched, the lamplight gradually changed from its normal orange-yellow color to a gloomy, eerie green, and he blurted out instinctively:
"Everyone says that the 'sea snails' are tomb raiders at sea, sharing the same food as the 'tomb raiders' and 'tomb raiders.' Is this the legendary taboo rule: 'When people light candles, ghosts blow them out'?"

Before taking any action, light a candle in the southeast corner of the tomb. If the candle suddenly goes out, it means the tomb's occupant has awakened, and you must leave immediately, otherwise... huh? It went out?!

Before Wang Cheng could finish speaking, let alone go into the water, he discovered that the candle had already gone out by itself.

Through the seawater, the people on the ship could almost see the shadows around the sunken ship twitching slightly. Just looking at them sent a chill down their spines, making them feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.

If your birth chart isn't strong enough, and your zodiac sign isn't big enough, you can vaguely see a shadow walking upright in the darkness, turning its head towards you and revealing a sinister smile.

Most of the Tanka people who followed were seeing this scene for the first time and instinctively kept their distance from the boatmen.

Han Shushu, however, abandoned her timid demeanor and waved her small hand dismissively:
"It's alright, Senior Brother Wang, don't be afraid."

We sea salvagers are different from tomb raiders. When salvaging a ship, we always salvage the entire ship together. Those who died with the ship have never agreed to this.

My uncle once said that lighting candles was just a symbolic gesture according to the ancestral rules; if the contents of the sunken ship weren't enough, then it wouldn't mean anything.

Wang Cheng was speechless:

"What Senior River Rat said makes a lot of sense."

However, if he had the ability to forcefully suppress those dead bodies rotting on the seabed, could we?

Without saying a word, Han Shushu took out a bone flute that looked like it was made from bird wing bones, put it to her lips, and blew hard.

Chirp-!
Her vehicle, the "Han Xingfa," was clearly no ordinary car either.

It was unclear which of the four protective charms—dragon eyes, tail wings, head lion, or loach—was equipped on it, but its entire body suddenly radiated a precious light.

Wang Cheng saw the incense burners on the ship burning incense to worship the ship god, and the brilliant light kept flowing and getting brighter.

Among the four talismans, the "dragon eye" is one of the most unique symbols of the Fujian ship.

They are usually made of camphor wood, and for every ten feet the keel grows, the dragon's eyes increase by four inches. The dragon's eyes look downward, symbolizing the search for schools of fish, and are mostly used on fishing boats; the dragon's eyes look forward, signifying knowing the way, and are mostly used on merchant ships and warships.

Another decoration on the Fujian-style ship is the "tail fin," on which a bird with outstretched wings is painted on the panel at the top of the oval stern. It is a symbol of fearlessness in the face of storms and extreme speed.

Water-dwelling officials often used Jingwei birds as their mounts.

The "Loach Extreme" is a mudskipper painted on both sides near the stern of the boat.

Legend has it that when the treasure ship fleet was sailing to the Western Ocean, in a water area called the Soft Water Ocean, the buoyancy of the water suddenly decreased, and the stern of the ship sank straight down. So the crew prayed to the Heavenly Princess for help.

Sure enough, two loaches swam in from the sea and braced themselves against the two sections of the stern beam, allowing the fleet to safely cross the soft waters of the ocean.

To repay the Heavenly Princess and the dragon loach for saving their lives, later generations painted two mudskippers on the underside of the stern beam and painted them red.

Water-dwelling officials often used large loaches.

Finally, there is the "Lion Head Board" owned by the [Zhang Fushun] ship.

People regard tigers or lions as the king of beasts, and carving tiger and lion heads on the bow of ships is to "suppress the sea and ward off evil spirits".

The mythical beasts on the prows of the boats used by officials of the water patrol were mostly ancient auspicious beasts—the Suanni, one of the nine sons of the dragon.

"Wow—!"

The brilliant light finally coalesced on the tail fin, from which flew a huge golden ibis with a wingspan of over two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters).

Carrying a strong scent of incense, it circled continuously above the shipwreck.

With each circle, the golden light emanating from his body brightened a little more.

It blatantly illuminated the entire sunken ship on the seabed, where the underwater shadows were so thick they seemed impossible to dispel.

The treasures in the shipwreck reflect light, and the porcelain, still as white as jade after more than two hundred years, shines brightly in the mud and sand on the seabed.

Those who value rare commodities also saw through its true nature.

[Treasure of the County: The Screen Wall Without a Shadow]
Every day, a heron is released, and its light can penetrate any complex seabed terrain without leaving even the slightest shadow.

It can penetrate up to 30 feet underwater, which is roughly the limit of an average person's swimming ability.

And like sunlight, it suppresses the evil spirits in the water, greatly weakening them and making them unable to move an inch.

In terms of intrinsic value, the tail fin on the Han Xingfa is probably not as valuable as the head lion plate on its own Zhang Fushun.

But for those who have been caught in the sea, it is a magical artifact, equivalent to a combination of a high-powered searchlight, a shadowless lamp, and a fluorescent lamp, making it more practical than any other talisman.

Moreover, it seems that Han Shushu's ship probably has more than just this one talisman.

Wang Cheng glanced back at the lion-head plaque he had acquired by chance, and couldn't help but feel a little greedy:

"No matter how much a fishing boat is modified, its potential is still very limited."

Fujian ships are highly seaworthy and have watertight compartments, making them suitable as cargo ships and fishing boats, but they are not up to the task of being used as ocean-going warships or exploration vessels.

Only when I can acquire a capital warship with a through deck and equipped with cannons will I have the capital to roam freely on the sea.

They are not afraid of encountering officials of the middle third rank at all, and even have the opportunity to counterattack from a distance.

Even if we can't get our hands on a treasure ship like Father's flagship, the "Five Peaks Flag," a simple armed merchant ship equipped with nine-pound and twelve-pound cannons would be fine for now.

The book "Guide to Sending Ships with Favorable Winds" also states that Emperor Taizong of the current dynasty once summoned the most outstanding craftsmen to build seven "Heavenly Treasure Ships" with the full strength of the nation, each of which is a maritime legend.

It also represents the pinnacle of China's shipbuilding technology spanning thousands of years.

Unfortunately, they all mysteriously disappeared into the depths of the ocean during the seventh voyage to the Western Ocean in the eighth year of the Xuande reign (130 years ago), leaving people with a deep sense of regret.

If some seafarer were to one day salvage a "Heavenly Crafted Treasure Ship" from the sea, it would be enough to wipe out several small countries.

"Senior Brother Wang, it's time for us to get in the water!"

Han Shushu called out to Wang Cheng and ripped off her dress.

(End of this chapter)