The Black Sails of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 70 Surging Waves and Hidden Reefs
Lin Qian's original intention was to find out where this informant had gone ashore.

That's why we specifically sailed to Malta and returned home as it was getting dark.

As instructed by Lin Qian, Bai Qing was to return to the island to report after observing the movements of the informant.

The man's unusual behavior made her want to follow him and find out what was going on.

After some hesitation, Bai Qing made up her mind, gently rowed the oar, and followed.

Both sides were in small sampans, and Bai Qing dared not get too close to the boat, so he could only stay five or six miles away.

To avoid being spotted by the ship in front, Bai Qing simply squatted down while rowing.

This posture was extremely strenuous. After only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Bai Qing's hands and legs were sore and numb, but in order not to be discovered, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

Half an hour later, she felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in her arms, her legs were stabbing with needles, and she was drenched in sweat.

By this time, the sky was getting darker, and the sun had already mostly sunk below the horizon.

The ship ahead gradually became indistinct in the darkness.

Bai Qing rowed faster, getting closer to the boat in front.

The sky grew increasingly dark, and the last rays of the sun were about to be swallowed by the sea.

If we don't turn back now, once the sea turns pitch black, we may never be able to return.

They had no idea how far they were from the shore. All they could see was the vast, dark sea. Their boats were small sampans, unable to withstand the wind and waves. If the wind picked up at night, they would surely be swallowed by the sea.

Bai Qing couldn't help but feel scared, but considering that she had followed him this far, she was unwilling to give up now.

Besides, the man on the boat ahead wasn't a fool; he was determined to keep sailing east, which meant there must be a way out ahead.

Lin Qian had risked her life to help her and her brother avenge their death, and she had always kept that kindness in her heart. Now that she finally had a chance to repay the favor, she was unwilling to let it go. So she suppressed her unease and continued to follow closely behind.

Just as it was getting almost completely dark, the ship in front suddenly slowed down and then inexplicably turned left and right on the sea, as if it were being led astray by a ghost.

Bai Qing initially found it inexplicable, but after careful observation, he realized that the person's movements were quite regular, as if he was avoiding something.

She immediately realized that there were hidden reefs underwater.

The reef was perfectly positioned, preventing sampans from passing while keeping them submerged.

If it weren't for the guidance of those who came before, Bai Qing, who had been rowing a boat for most of his life, would have also crashed into it.

At this moment, she could only concentrate and memorize the person's route.

After making more than a dozen turns on the sea, the man finally sailed out of the reef, straightened the boat, and continued eastward at an even faster speed, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.

Bai Qing was anxious when she realized she had lost track of the person, but she also knew that she had to be careful when crossing the reefs and couldn't rush things.

These reefs are sharper than knives. Once a ship hits one, it will create a hole, and seawater will rush in, leaving her with no chance of survival.

She retrieved the oars, bent down to take the paddles from the boat, and carefully rowed toward the reef area.

At this time, the sea breeze began to pick up, and the waves were much larger than during the day, causing Bai Qing's sampan to bob unsteadily.

Bai Qing bent his legs, squatted down, and stood firmly on the sampan, his upper body almost completely unaffected.

She kept her eyes fixed on the reef area. She only remembered most of the route the man had taken to hide among the reefs, so she had to be extremely careful.

Fortunately, because of the large waves at sea, the rocks are occasionally exposed, so it's not entirely a matter of feeling your way across the river.

Bai Qing's eyes lit up. Taking advantage of the momentary revelation of the reefs, he rowed over them, and in a few twists and turns, he passed several reefs.

At that moment, another wave surged in, instantly submerging the reef beneath its surface. The sampan was lifted high by the surge and crashed directly into an underwater reef.

Bai Qing remembered the location of the reef. Just as the sampan hit the reef, he used the oar to push against it, and the hull returned to its original position.

It only made a soft collision with the reef.

"Boom!"

Bai Qing's heart jumped into her throat. She checked the bottom of the boat and thankfully there was no leak, which relieved her.

Just as they reached the trough between two waves, the moonlight revealed the jagged rocks. Bai Qing seized the opportunity and paddled repeatedly, the small boat weaving through the rocks like a sea snake, finally passing the reef area.

After coming out, Bai Qing realized that he was drenched in sweat, his heart was pounding, and his limbs were weak.

She crossed the reef in just a few breaths, but it was extremely dangerous. Had she been even slightly less lucky, she would have been swallowed by the fish. Now that she had escaped danger, she couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

The man she had been following earlier sailed past the reef as if he were returning home, seemingly very familiar with the area.

This must be the enemy's lair.

Thinking of this, Bai Qing felt invigorated again. Since she had already lost track of the person, she decided to rest for a while before continuing.

Strangely enough, the sea, which had been turbulent just moments before, has now calmed down.

Bai Qingchao looked behind him and was surprised to find that the sea behind him was still churning with waves, while the waves behind the reefs were much smaller.

She observed for a moment and gradually figured it out. She realized that the terrain under the reef was generally high, like an underwater plateau, which blocked the waves and formed a natural breakwater.

Therefore, this place is more likely to be Li Kuiqi's old lair.

Bai Qing roused himself, took out his oar, and slowly rowed into the darkness.

After rowing at sea for an unknown amount of time, Bai Qing's sweat had dried, and his soaked clothes clung to his body, feeling extremely cold, making even his rowing movements somewhat stiff.

Unsure of whether there were any hidden reefs, she dared not use the oars, nor dared to row too fast; she could only slowly incline forward little by little.

It was pitch black all around, and you could only see a few steps ahead. There were occasional slight bumps coming from the bottom of the boat, and you couldn't tell if they were from rocks or sea fish. The sounds of the wind and waves came from afar, like the howling of a giant sea monster.

For an ordinary person to be alone in this place, let alone keep paddling, it would be considered brave just not to wet their pants.

Bai Qing had been diving for pearls at sea for many years and was used to this scene, but his muscles were still tense and his hands and feet were cold.

At that moment, a faint light appeared on her right.

Bai Qing looked to the right and saw that the light was extremely faint, almost invisible, but it flickered, as if beckoning people to go over.

She had heard from an elderly Tanka person that there was a large fish in the deep sea with a boat lamp on its head. Every dark night, it would swim to the surface and use the light to lure boats over. By the time the boats saw the monster's hideous face, it was too late. The fish would swallow the boats and the people up and take them to the deep sea, never to surface again.

When Bai Qing was a child, her mother often used this story to scare her and her younger brother, warning them not to sail at night.

Now, the ship's lantern from the story was right in front of her. Bai Qing's breath caught in her throat. After hesitating for a long time, she steeled her heart and sailed towards the light.

The closer you are to that point of light, the brighter the light becomes.

And gradually they scattered and spread across the sea.

If you get closer, you can hear the woman's piercing screams and the man's taunts.

The sound came out intermittently in the wind, making it hard to hear clearly and sending chills down one's spine.

Under the cover of darkness, Bai Qing slid more than ten feet closer and finally saw the whole picture from afar.

(End of this chapter)