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40 The Angry Sea and the Hidden Sands – Chapter 11 – Deck

The deck, after years of corrosion from seawater, could no longer bear weight. As my eighty-kilogram body pressed down, it creaked ominously, as if it were about to break. However, I couldn’t think about that; I hurried to see how the woman was doing.

Half of her body was already being dragged into the dark ship’s hold. I panicked when I saw this. I had no lighting equipment on me and no sharp tools in hand. If I got dragged in, my survival would be uncertain. I rolled over, grabbed her leg, and pulled with all my might, but she remained completely still. She was wearing a tight-fitting diving suit, which had no place to grab onto and was slippery from the seawater, so I could only exert about eighty percent of my strength.

Seeing that this was going nowhere, I realized the woman was doomed. In a moment of desperation, I lunged onto her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Together, our weight added up to at least over one hundred thirty kilograms. I thought about how to pull us both up with my spindly arms.

Unexpectedly, the deck had reached its limit. As soon as I pressed down, there was a loud crack, and the whole thing collapsed. Within seconds, I fell into the ship’s hold along with a large amount of decaying, damp wood. Fortunately, the bottom of the ship was still sturdy; otherwise, we would have fallen straight into the sea.

I landed hard and sat up, feeling a bit dazed. I couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly; just a moment ago, I was desperately trying to avoid falling into the hold, and now I had fallen in so easily. At that moment, I heard the woman below me yell, “Get off, you’re crushing me!”

I realized I was sitting on her backside and quickly moved aside. I thought to myself how ironic it was: in the idol dramas I used to watch, it was always the woman sitting on the man, and now the roles had reversed. The woman struggled to prop herself up, and I noticed the hands on her shoulders were gone. I was startled and quickly asked, “Where did those ghostly hands go?”

She touched her shoulder and exclaimed, “I don’t know! Ever since I fell onto this ship, I’ve been in a daze, and I don’t know when they disappeared. Didn’t you see them?”

I shook my head. “It was too chaotic when we fell; I didn’t pay attention. But those hands were strong enough to drag a living person, so they definitely weren’t an illusion. They couldn’t just vanish into thin air; they must have been knocked off when we fell. Check to see if they’re under you.”

As soon as I said that, the woman’s face turned pale with fear, and she quickly lifted her backside to look. Unfortunately, there was nothing but wood beneath her. I said, “Maybe they got pulled off when you fell. They were still gripping the steps to the hold, and when you suddenly dropped down, they didn’t have time to let go. They might still be up there.”

She nodded, finding this reasoning plausible, and said, “I wonder what their intention was in dragging me over. I think I need to be more careful.”

We both scanned our surroundings. The deck had a large hole, allowing some light to filter in. The inner walls of the hold were covered in thick white marine rust, almost burying everything inside. As we peeled back some of the layers, we could see various items typically used for navigation, but they were mostly rotted down to mere shapes.

Based on the scale and structure of this ship’s hold, it should be a medium-sized fishing boat from the 1970s or 1980s, with an iron hull and a spacious hold. The interior is divided by wooden boards, likely separating the crew’s lounge, the captain’s cabin, and the cargo hold. We are currently in the cargo hold, but judging by the things that have been stripped away, this ship definitely did not sink while carrying cargo.

The keel of this ship should not have been completely corroded yet, so it still has some buoyancy; otherwise, in such large waves, it would have been broken apart long ago. The woman shook her head and said, “I actually know quite a bit about ships, but the condition of this one is just too unreasonable—such thick marine rust should mean it has been at the bottom of the sea for at least a decade or more.”

I asked, “Is it possible that a big storm brought it up from the seabed?” She replied, “The chances of that are very slim. A shipwreck that has been submerged for decades should be deeply buried in the seabed. Even if you used a crane to lift it, it would be very difficult, and its hull is quite fragile; if you’re not careful, it could easily fall apart.”

What she said made sense to me, but I still couldn’t figure out one thing: since the ship sank in the first place, how could it still be floating now? Even if someone had salvaged it, there would certainly still be holes from the time it encountered danger. Could those holes really have sealed themselves up?

I looked around but couldn’t make out anything useful. Those two hands had also vanished, and I felt a little more at ease. I patted the wooden planks on my body, stood up, and signaled for the woman to walk deeper into the hold. The two compartments were separated by wooden boards, which were now basically rotting and full of holes. I thought about kicking the boards down directly, but the woman stopped me, saying, “There’s a deck attached to that wooden board. If you push too hard, the whole deck might come down.”

I thought to myself, if the whole deck did fall, it would let in some light, and I wouldn’t feel so anxious. Having had the experience at the Royal Palace of Lu, I had gained a deeper understanding of many things, especially after several close calls with death, which had greatly improved my adaptability. So, even though I was still very tense on this ghost ship, I wasn’t in a state where my mind was too frightened to think.

There was a proper door installed on the wooden partition. I didn’t know whether to push or pull, so I tried pulling first, and the handle came off along with half of the door panel. I looked at the woman and said, “Isn’t this pretty much the same as tearing off a whole board?” She ignored me and glanced into the dark doorway. She seemed quite brave, but after what had just happened, I figured she wouldn’t dare to rush in. I said to her, “The light is too dim inside. If you want to go in, it’s better to cut a skylight in the deck to let in some light, to avoid being surprised by something once we’re inside.”

I knew that this suggestion would definitely be useful. Sure enough, she hesitated, and I secretly smiled. I stepped forward and pried a few times, almost pulling down the entire board. Inside the compartment, there was a large iron bed frame, which was still intact, but the mattress had completely rotted away. It seemed to be where the crew members stayed. In the corner of this compartment, I saw an iron cabinet that was still closed tightly. I walked over and gave it a tug; it felt relatively loose.

It is difficult to find written records on such ships. Nowadays, the captain has to write a navigation log every day, and back then, there were not many people who could read. So I didn’t expect to find anything useful. When I opened that iron cabinet, I was taken aback to find an old waterproof bag inside. I opened the bag, and a nearly falling-apart notebook tumbled out. Upon looking at it, I saw a few words written on the cover: “Archaeological Records of Xisha Bowl Reef.” I flipped open the title page, where there were elegantly written words: “July 1984, gifted by Wu Sanxing to Chen Wenjin.”

39 Angry Sea and Sunken Sand – Chapter Ten – Withered Hand

The two withered hands, clearly human, had shriveled to the state of dry twigs, pressed against the woman there. Just watching this scene sent chills down my spine; I couldn’t tell what the woman was feeling, but I could feel cold sweat trickling down my back.

Those two hands made no further moves, just hanging limply as if they were mere decorations on her clothing. I wanted to see where those hands were coming from, so I followed the arms up, but her hair was too messy and fluffy, obscuring my view.

The woman was evidently terrified, trembling violently all over. If she were an ordinary woman, she would have probably fainted by now. I could see her body going limp, and I guessed she had reached her limit.

The boat captain was kneeling with his back to us, bowing repeatedly while muttering something I couldn’t understand. I didn’t speak their local dialect, but I could guess he was performing some kind of ritual, likely praying for protection from Mazu, the sea goddess. After chanting a few times, he took out two strange half-moon wooden pieces and threw them onto the deck, as if casting lots. He threw them once, looked at the result, bowed a few more times, picked them up, and threw them again. I noticed he started shaking all over, likely because the outcome wasn’t favorable.

I had never believed in such things, but seeing the captain so devout made me a bit anxious. These people took this very seriously, and if the results indicated that I was an evil spirit, they would probably throw me into the sea without hesitation.

At that moment, the woman suddenly gasped and shrank back, whether she lost her balance or was pulled by that ghostly hand, I couldn’t tell, but she flipped right into the ghost ship. This was serious; the ghost ship immediately drifted away. Realizing the danger, I didn’t think about whether to turn back or not; I turned and tried to jump over to save her. The captain rushed over from behind and grabbed me, saying, “It’s too late! Once you fall into the ghost ship, you can’t be saved! Don’t go to your death!”

The captain was very strong, and I couldn’t shake him off. The others, for some reason, seemed to be under a spell, still too afraid to turn their heads. I cursed inwardly. At that moment, a bald man I didn’t recognize suddenly appeared, grabbed the anchor on the boat, and swung it with all his might, throwing it onto the ghost ship and hooking it onto the railing. The ghost ship was moving quickly, and the anchor cable was pulled taut in an instant. Our boat shook violently as we were dragged over.

The captain was terrified, losing his wits, and drew a knife to cut the cable, but the bald man knocked him to the ground with a punch. The other crew members panicked and rushed forward, but the bald man pulled out a handgun, aimed it at the captain, and shouted, “Don’t move, or I’ll kill him!”

The crew had never seen such a scene, and with that shout, no one dared to approach. The bald man then turned to me and said, “Xiao Wu, I’ve got them under control. Hurry and save her!”

I opened my mouth in disbelief, wondering if I had heard wrong. In such turbulent waters, did he expect me to swim over? He looked at me with an air of certainty, pointed at the cable, and yelled, “Go! Young people need to be brave!”

I shook my head; this was too ridiculous. I was already weak in sports, and swimming over there would basically be like walking to my death. If I managed to climb that rope, I’d probably only have one breath left—how could I save anyone then?

At that moment, I heard the woman screaming on the ghost ship. She desperately tried to climb onto the rope, but it seemed like something was dragging her back, making it impossible for her to move forward. She could only cling tightly to the ship’s railing and shouted at me, “Mr. Wu! Save me!”

My heart jolted, and I slapped myself hard, cursing, “Wu Xie, are you still a man or not!”

I didn’t know if that slap woke me up or left me in a daze, but suddenly, adrenaline surged through me, and I gritted my teeth, shouting, “If I die, then so be it!”

I took a deep breath, put on a pair of swimming goggles, then took off my shoes and walked to the edge of the ship. Clumsily, I grabbed the taut rope, only to see the raging waves ahead, with the rope frequently dipping into the water.

The rope was about twelve meters long and definitely strong enough. If I was a bit quicker, it wouldn’t be too dangerous. The main risk was being knocked off the rope by the waves. With that thought, my heart calmed down a little.

I had never faced such a critical decision in my life. I fidgeted on the edge of the ship for a long time before finally taking my first step out. I remembered the special forces techniques I had seen on TV, hung upside down on the rope, and used all my limbs to climb while praying. But before I could even open my mouth, a wave crashed over me and plunged me into the water. When I finally surfaced, my face was turning green from holding my breath. However, this experience gave me a better understanding of the force of the waves, and I felt more confident that I could make it across.

So, I stayed still when the waves came, and when the water receded, I climbed a few steps. I didn’t know how long it took, but I was getting very close to that ghost ship. At that moment, a massive wave hit me, and I was completely submerged. I felt like I was being pushed down over a meter deep, and I was a bit dazed. Holding my breath, I opened my eyes and suddenly saw a peculiar sight: beneath the ghost ship, there was a long, rusted chain, and at the end of that chain, there was something strange that was hard to see in the deep water.

As I exhaled, preparing to take a closer look, the rope suddenly lifted, and I broke the surface. On the crest of the wave, I looked down and saw that the woman was face up, trying to crawl into the ghost ship’s hold in a strange position. I was stunned to see that what was dragging her forward were not her own hands but two dry, ghostly hands.

Seeing her motionless, as if she had lost consciousness, I had no choice but to muster my strength and crawl over. Then, I flipped and fell into the ghost ship, landing on the deck.

38 Angry Sea and Hidden Sand – Chapter 9 – Ghost Ship

I saw everyone panic and turn their heads away, not looking at the broken ship, and I had no idea what was happening. In this unclear situation, I didn’t dare to act on my own and hurriedly turned my back like them. The woman trembled and said to me, “No matter what happens, don’t turn your head. Even if something touches you, pretend you don’t know.”

Upon hearing this, cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I asked, “Don’t scare me. What could possibly touch me here?” She shot me a glance and whispered, “It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not; you’ll find out soon enough. Now, quickly turn your head away!”

Seeing the seriousness in her expression and the fear on the faces of the other crew members, I felt she wasn’t just trying to frighten me. I quietly asked, “You have to tell me, what exactly is it?”

The woman made a gesture for silence and said, “Shut up! It’s the ghost of someone who died unjustly, come to collect a debt.”

The more she said this, the more scared I became. My neck involuntarily wanted to turn around to take a look, but I quickly pinched my thigh, tensing the muscles in my neck as if they were in a cast.

The ship was rocking violently in the wind and waves, and the deck creaked as if it were about to fall apart. I grabbed two iron rings on the ship’s railing, bracing my backside against it, but my upper body kept swaying. My neck couldn’t move, and I felt like a weeble wobbling back and forth, almost getting thrown off a few times.

At that moment, I could already hear the sound coming from the so-called ghost ship, creaking as if someone were walking on the deck. I was soaked from the seawater, and combined with my cold sweat, it was very uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but softly ask the woman, “Why does it sound like someone is walking on the deck? Did you see it wrong just now?”

The woman looked very frightened and motioned with her lips. Following her gaze, I saw that the glass of the ship’s hold clearly reflected what was behind us. A fishing boat, similar in size to ours, was swaying behind us, getting closer and closer. I could see it more clearly now; soon I noticed that the ship was covered with a layer of white, cotton-like sea rust. Judging by its thickness, it must have been submerged in the sea for decades. I couldn’t understand how such a ship could still float on the surface, and there was even a light on it.

The ghost ships in novels are usually very dilapidated but still capable of sailing, but this one was definitely completely derelict, looking as if it had just risen from the seabed. My mind raced as I recalled reports I had read about ghost ships; none of them mentioned anything like this.

As the ship drew closer, I sensed something was off and quietly said, “Miss, this doesn’t seem right. That ghost ship looks like it’s planning to ram us! Shouldn’t you tell the captain to full throttle and escape?”

The woman also seemed a bit scared, her hair plastered to her face, and she didn’t even think to brush it aside. She said, “When it’s time to escape, the captain will take care of it himself. Our two ships are about the same tonnage; I’m not afraid if it rams us. Just hold on tight and don’t fall off.”

I couldn’t tell if her tone was meant to remind me or mock me, so I replied, “I’m just worried that he might jump ship and run away, and then we wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.”

“Stop trying to sow discord here. This fishing boat is the lifeline of those fishermen; they wouldn’t leave it even if it meant death.” The woman was getting a bit angry. “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll push you overboard!”

Hearing her so fierce, I decided to keep quiet and focused my attention on the ghost ship reflected in the glass. I estimated that at its speed, the collision wouldn’t cause much of a jolt (later I realized this was a foolish thought), and gradually calmed down.

The ship drew closer, and I could see clearly that there was nothing on it. I had expected to see some terrifying sights, so I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The ship was coming in fast, almost right up against ours. I closed my eyes, gritted my teeth, and braced myself for the impact.

In an instant, the sounds from behind suddenly stopped. I waited for about ten seconds, thinking that even if it wanted to collide ten times, it should have done so by now, but there was still no movement. I felt puzzled. At that moment, I heard the creaking sound of the deck coming from behind me. My heart raced a little, and I cautiously opened one eye to look at the glass of the ship’s hold. The ghost ship was now parallel to us, and there was nothing behind me.

I let out a sigh of relief and glanced to the side. I saw the woman next to me, just like me, staring at the glass of the hold, frozen in fear. I sensed that something was off. Looking closely, I noticed that two withered hands were draped over her shoulders.

37 Angry Sea and Hidden Sand – Chapter 8 – The Weather Has Changed

I entered the ship’s hold with her, which was filled with piles of items, leaving hardly any space to stand. It seemed they had prepared in a hurry, as all the supplies had not yet been moved into the cargo hold and were carelessly tossed at the entrance. As I walked through, I observed that the main items were diving equipment, large instruments, food, and ropes, with oxygen tanks making up the majority.

We made our way through the cargo to the rear hold, which connected to the machinery room. Here, several bunk beds were haphazardly arranged, covered with blankets that had become greasy and darkened with age. One of the beds had a somewhat portly, balding middle-aged man sitting on it, his face shiny with grease. When he saw me enter, he nervously stood up to shake my hand and said, “Nice to meet you, nice to meet you, my last name is Zhang.”

I didn’t have a good first impression of him, but out of politeness, I shook his hand. His grip was surprisingly strong, suggesting he had done physical labor in the past.

Miss Ning introduced him, saying, “Mr. Zhang is a special consultant we invited to our company; he is an expert in the Ming Dynasty’s underground tombs, and this time he is mainly responsible for the analysis of the underwater tomb.”

I wasn’t particularly interested in mainstream archaeology and had never heard of his name. However, seeing the smug look on his face, I could only say, “I’ve heard much about you.”

The bald man waved his hand exaggeratedly and said, “I can hardly call myself an expert; we are just studying together. I just happened to be lucky and published a few papers, a minor achievement that’s not worth mentioning.”

I had never encountered someone who spoke like this and didn’t know how to respond, so I could only say, “You’re too humble.”

He seemed to enjoy this flattery, shook my hand firmly again, and asked, “May I ask what capacity Mr. Wu has been invited in? Forgive my bluntness, but it seems that Mr. Wu’s field of study is rather obscure, or perhaps I am just ignorant; I have never seen Mr. Wu’s name in any archaeology journals.”

These words clearly aimed to belittle me, whether intentionally or not. I have a bad temper, and hearing this almost made me explode. But thinking that I had just gotten on the ship and was still unfamiliar with the environment, I had to suppress my anger and replied curtly, “I specialize in excavation.”

My tone was already quite unfriendly, but he didn’t seem to pick up on it and exclaimed, “Oh! You are an architect? No wonder! You’re not from our circle, but we can consider ourselves half-colleagues. You build houses for the living, and I study houses for the dead; we still have some overlap!”

I found it both amusing and exasperating. It seemed that although this man spoke unreliable nonsense, he wasn’t the type to say one thing while meaning another. I patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’m not an architect; I’m an excavator. You need me to dig up those houses for the dead first.”

After saying that, I regretted it a bit. I hadn’t yet agreed to personally go down into the pit, and the situation there was still unclear. I thought for a moment and added, “But whether I dig or not will depend on the situation. If the circumstances don’t allow it, I won’t be able to dig even if I wanted to.”

He didn’t catch my hint and kept handing me his business card, saying that having one more friend means one more path, and that I could ask him for help with anything in the north in the future. I felt like we had only been meeting for less than two minutes, and he was already acting as if we had a friendship of more than a decade. I figured if we continued chatting like this, we might end up swearing brotherhood, so I quickly changed the subject and asked the woman about the situation in the area where the incident occurred.

The woman was quite competent. She listed several points, and I got a general idea of the situation. It turned out that my uncle couldn’t determine the exact location of the underwater tomb at that time; he had only identified four possible areas to search one by one. Eventually, they must have found it, but the last report from the missing ship was rather brief and didn’t specify which area they had confirmed, so now we also had to search through them one by one.

Their plan was to start searching from the nearest Fairy Reef, then resupply at Yongxing Island, and finally go to three other areas near the Qilian Islands, with a stopover of no more than half an hour. As for the search method, the waters around Xisha are very clear; under good light conditions, visibility can reach over thirty meters deep. Moreover, the water currents are relatively calm, without strong-moving sand, so the theft hole from a few days ago should not have been covered up.

The fishing captain of this boat was also very familiar with those sea areas. For us outsiders, the underwater views all looked the same, but to them, each area had its own characteristics. As long as there were changes in the underwater topography, he could spot them.

From the woman’s conversation, I sensed she had great confidence that the three people at the bottom were still alive. I wondered where this blind confidence came from. Of course, I hoped she was right and that my uncle was safe in the sea fight.

The bald man saw that I was having a good conversation with the woman while he was left alone, and he seemed a bit displeased, so he went to sleep by himself. I thought this guy was already middle-aged, yet his temper was like a child’s, which made me chuckle. It’s really a rare sight to see someone who doesn’t grow up even after a hundred years; I wondered if we would get along well in the future.

Just then, the boat shook as the fishing captain raised the anchor and set sail. The swaying of the boat became more intense; being an old vessel, it swayed not only from side to side but also in an irregular back-and-forth motion, as if I were in a cradle. After more than ten hours of travel, this rocking made me feel drowsy, and I started to yawn. The woman was quite considerate and told me to rest well. I didn’t hold back; I was indeed tired, so I lay down and fell asleep.

When I woke up, the boat had already reached the middle of the sea. Looking out through the window, I realized that in just a short nap, the weather had changed. The entire ocean seemed to have turned a dark green, with the sun disappearing behind large clouds. Light filtered through the gaps in the clouds, creating a massive golden silk engraving in the sky, while also casting a scattering of golden scales on the sea surface, creating a spectacular scene.

However, the good times didn’t last long. Soon, dark clouds gathered together, blocking out all the sunlight. The sea suddenly turned a terrifying black, and the waves began to roll violently. The boat swayed with the waves, and when we were in the trough, the seawater was above the gunwales, as if we were about to be swallowed by a giant wave, which was extremely frightening.

I saw the boatmen running around nervously, reinforcing the nets securing the supplies. Although they were in a hurry, the captain’s face showed no signs of fear.

Having spent so much time in the city, I felt an unusual excitement at this scene and wanted to help on the deck. But once I got up there, I realized it was nothing like I had imagined. In such conditions, standing firm on the deck wasn’t just about quick reflexes; you had to be very familiar with the waves and the boat, knowing when the next tilt would come after the current one, and preparing in advance. I clearly didn’t have that level of skill. After taking a few steps, I had to grab onto a protruding iron ring.

At that moment, several crew members seemed to have spotted something and started shouting. I couldn’t understand the Minnan dialect, but following their pointing, I vaguely saw something behind the high waves on the left side of the boat.

Because it was too far away, I couldn’t see clearly, but I felt it might be a ship. At that moment, a woman walked past me, and I asked her what those people were shouting about. Her hair was wet and blown around by the wind. After listening carefully, she said, “They seem to have seen a ship.”

The captain came over to us and said in his broken Mandarin, “It seems like there’s a ship that has had an accident over there. According to regulations, we must go check it out.”

This was certainly understandable. The woman nodded, and the captain quickly issued a series of commands to his crew in the local dialect. The boat immediately turned sharply to the left and headed in that direction.

The sea in the wind and waves resembled rolling hills, with each wave being a mountain. Our boat charged toward the wave crests, then broke through them. Each time we broke a wave, the people on the boat were drenched in seawater, soaking wet countless times. I had never felt so exhilarated; I couldn’t help but want to shout out loud.

We rolled over more than a dozen waves, and finally, we could see the general outline of that thing. At that moment, I heard the captain scream in terror, and several crew members panicked. I hurriedly asked the woman what was happening again. Upon hearing it, her face suddenly changed dramatically, and she grabbed my hand tightly, saying, “Whatever you do, don’t look back! That’s a ghost ship!”

36 Angry Sea, Hidden Sand – Chapter Seven – Woman

The other party is a large international marine resource development company. Marine resource development essentially involves analyzing existing shipping route information and historical records to infer the locations of certain shipwrecks and salvage their materials. This activity resembles that of professional marine treasure hunters, but it is legal because a significant proportion of the resources from shipwrecks discovered in international waters can be legally inherited by the discoverer. Of course, whether these resources originate from international waters is impossible to verify.

Such companies fall into two categories: one focuses on salvaging modern shipwrecks, dismantling the not-yet-fully-decayed hulls for auction or selling the resources obtained; the other focuses on salvaging ancient shipwrecks, selling the antiques found to collectors or museums. This company belongs to the latter category, primarily targeting ancient shipwrecks. It employs many archaeological consultants, and each project requires a large number of experts in archaeology and marine studies, taking two to three years to complete. Their earnings are substantial, allowing them to possess a wealth of advanced instruments and vessels.

In order to quickly locate the underwater tomb, my uncle borrowed equipment and personnel from this company in the form of a guarantee, and dispatched a temporary research team of five under the company’s name. This was supposed to be a very lucrative deal. However, just five days after the ship set sail, communication between their logistics department and the research vessel was interrupted.

They waited for forty-eight hours, ultimately having to send someone to search the area where the ship went missing, but found nothing. The last confirmed information three hours before the disappearance was that my uncle and the other two researchers had entered the underwater ancient tomb.

The reason they came to find me was that my uncle had told them before departure that if any accidents occurred, they could call me for help. The person on the phone said, “We still cannot confirm the situation inside the tomb and do not know the fate of these three individuals, so we are preparing to organize another team to go in and take a look. Most of our people are theoretical and paper-based, and we hope to have an experienced guide. At the very least, we must help them find the exact location of the tomb.”

I noticed that he placed significant emphasis on the word “guide,” as if hinting that he was aware of my true identity. I felt somewhat reserved, but this matter was of great importance, and I had to go personally. I could only buy time by saying, “I’m not clear about the specific situation on your side. How about we discuss it when I arrive?”

The other party replied, “Okay, please come as soon as possible.”

I hung up the phone and decided to set off immediately. I hurriedly packed my things and had the hotel book me the earliest flight to Haikou. I had been to the Xisha Islands once and knew that to reach the real area of the Xisha Islands, one would need to use a combination of three modes of transportation: plane, car, and boat.

For the next several hours, I traveled without rest, with no time for distractions, continuously praying that things would not develop in the worst direction. The next day at noon, my flight arrived in Haikou, and the company had already sent a car to pick me up.

The person who came to pick me up is surnamed Liu. He told me that the senior management of their company is taking this matter very seriously because one of the people who went missing with my uncle is the son of a high-ranking official. Moreover, this project is being implemented in the South China Sea and cannot be made public, so they need to seek help from civilians.

At first, I didn’t understand what he meant by “civilians,” but later I figured it out. I didn’t find it amusing, but this Master Liu was just an ordinary driver and didn’t know more details. After chatting with him for a while, I realized that we had somehow arrived at the dock.

I was puzzled when a middle-aged man approached and asked, “Are you Mr. Wu?” I nodded, and he opened the car door, saying, “Please follow me; the boat is about to depart.”

I was very confused and said, “Boat? What boat? Aren’t you taking me to a hotel?” He shook his head and said, “Time is too tight. We must reach that location within seven hours and complete the operation within ten hours. Otherwise, it will enter a half-month wind season, and without maritime support, the situation will become more complicated.”

Hearing that they were acting on their own made me a bit uncomfortable, but since it concerned my uncle’s life, I had no other choice. I mumbled something and picked up my luggage to follow him. When we reached the dock, he pointed to a very old seven-ton iron fishing boat and said, “This is it; this is our vessel for this trip.”

I thought he was joking, but he explained helplessly, “There’s no other way. Our large-scale search in that area has already attracted the border patrol’s attention, so we have to do some disguising. Don’t worry; the equipment on the boat is the most advanced, and navigation will be absolutely fine.”

As he spoke, someone on the boat took my luggage. He exchanged a few words in the local dialect with the fishermen on board, then shook my hand and said, “Miss Ning is in charge of some matters on the boat; she’s right behind you. Good luck!”

They were so efficient that I couldn’t keep up with the pace. Before I knew it, he had quickly left. I turned around and saw a young woman in a tight diving suit sizing me up. She smiled when she saw me looking innocent and said, “Come with me.”

35 Angry Sea and Hidden Sand – Chapter Six – Hainan

My third uncle started wandering the streets when he was in his teens. Having seen a lot of things, he usually plans everything thoroughly. Like last time, when we were going to flip a coin, he prepared a lot of stuff. Sometimes I think he’s too cautious; eighty percent of the gear he brought last time went unused. I didn’t expect him to be so reckless this time, just grabbing a box and running off. I saw that I couldn’t stop him, so I shouted, “Be careful!” He just yelled back in response and ran into the elevator.

Just then, a service staff from a foot massage center in a hotel came up to me to settle the bill. Seeing this scene, he laughed and said, “Your uncle is even more reckless than you, having flipped over already, and you still have to keep an eye on him.” I couldn’t explain, so I just smiled and took the bill. When I looked at it, my face darkened; it turned out to be over four thousand. I cursed silently, “Damn it, that old man went out yesterday to mess around with those unclear matters again.”

Looking at the bill, I felt a bit anxious. I had spent quite a bit of money these days. My third uncle usually has a good amount of cash, but after escaping, the money was flowing out like water. He even donated some to the village that had burned down the forest. Now he was almost out of cash. He’s used to not carrying a card, claiming it’s an old-fashioned habit. These days, he’s been shamelessly using my money and said he would have his company transfer him some, and he would pay me back after that. Now that he’s run off, I started to think about this and wondered if he knew I was running out of money too and decided to flee.

I was feeling quite unhappy. I took out my wallet, and my heart sank. I had gotten used to using quick cash and hadn’t paid much attention; there were only a few bills left in my wallet. Panzi was now in a deep coma, and I didn’t know when he would wake up. Although the doctor said there were no major risks, it mainly depended on his recovery. I figured I shouldn’t expect to leave in ten days or half a month. Panzi was all alone, and it was impossible to find someone to replace me. This little money was definitely not enough for expenses.

The most troublesome part was that a four-digit bill was already staring at me. This was a bit difficult to handle. I smiled awkwardly and said I didn’t have enough cash and could I go get some and bring it back. He saw that I had been paying promptly these days and smiled, “No problem, tomorrow isn’t busy, so you can take your time.”

As soon as he left, I got anxious. I thought of even more things. Damn it, Panzi’s medical expenses in the hospital were four digits every day. With that old man gone, where would I find money to cover it? I couldn’t call my old man; if I did, he would probably yell at me. After all, he had a lot of complaints about me given how poorly business had been these past few years. Now I was learning from the most irresponsible third uncle to flip coins. Forget it, forget it.

I returned to my room, feeling frustrated. Suddenly, I spotted the golden-threaded jade coffin cover still lying in my bag. My third uncle took great care of this thing, wrapping it in four or five layers of oil paper. Looking at it, a rather impulsive thought struck me. I thought that in the next few days, I should really plan things out. Eating and sleeping here every day and running up tabs wasn’t a solution. Why not find an antique market to sell this thing, then get some money to take a tour around Jinan? It wouldn’t be a waste of time.

Thinking about it, it makes a lot of sense. I originally came here with a tourist mindset, but now it feels like I’m investigating the X-Files. What’s the point? Moreover, this matter can’t be dragged out; otherwise, it’s a small issue if I get kicked out, but if Panzi’s medication is cut off, it would be troublesome. Since it’s still not dark outside, I need to get this done quickly.

I thought about going down to the lobby to ask the staff where I could find places dealing in antiques. The staff was very enthusiastic and even accompanied me downstairs, helping me call a taxi. Once I got in the car, I told the driver to take me to where there are lots of antiques. The driver agreed and took me to the Hero Mountain Market. When I arrived, I found that this place had some interesting things.

On the way, I listened to the driver chat away. He said this is a relatively large concentration of antiques and calligraphy products, with many people and quite noisy. However, there are mostly fakes. But if you have nothing to do here, you can chat with the shop owners and boast a little; they are happy to do that.

I got out of the car carrying that heavy jade coffin cover and thought about finding a larger storefront. This item isn’t something an average person can afford. Those big shops must have connections with some larger clients. I could ask them for introductions and give them a two percent commission. I’ve been in this business long enough; no one can fool me. On my way back, I discussed the value of this item with my uncle. He said it’s worth about a million or so, but it’s a case of having a price but no market. It’s hard for someone to be willing to buy something so expensive unless they’re a foreigner, but this item is too large. Big items are inherently harder to sell than small ones. He estimated that if someone really wanted to buy it, he’d be willing to let it go for around eight hundred thousand.

With his words in mind, I felt more assured. I was looking around when suddenly I spotted a shop with a bronze incense burner inside, featuring some carved figures. I felt a jolt of excitement; the figures on it all had big bellies, very similar to the Hai Dou wall paintings my uncle mentioned. I leaned down to take a closer look when the shop owner came out and said, “Oh, you really know your stuff! This is the only valuable item in my shop.”

Hearing his accent, which was a Beijing dialect, I asked him, “What are those carvings about? They look so strange. Is this thing from Hainan?”

Upon hearing that, his expression changed, and he quickly ushered me into his shop, saying, “Today I really met an expert! This item has been here for years, and you’re the first one to notice its significance. Indeed, it’s from Hainan.”

It’s certain that someone in the antique business has a sweet tongue. Looking at his expression, I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or just trying to sell me the item. I didn’t have much information on hand, and pretending to be an expert would definitely expose me. So, I said, “I’m not an expert; I’m just someone who has seen this thing in Hainan and found it strange. I don’t even know what it’s called.”

The man invited me to sit down and served me a cup of tea, saying, “You’re being modest. But if you really don’t know, it’s fine. Let me tell you, the carvings on this incense burner depict a type of ghost. They all call this thing ‘Jin Po.’ The origin of this item is quite a story; if you’re really interested, I can tell you more.”

As soon as I saw there was a chance, I hurriedly pretended to be very interested in buying, nodding my head. He made a gesture for me to wait and took the incense burner out of the display window, placing it on the tea table. I immediately caught a whiff of a peculiar fragrance and couldn’t help but be surprised. He chuckled and said, “This scent is quite special, isn’t it?”

I asked, “What kind of spice is in it?”

He opened the lid of the incense burner, and I saw a small black stone inside. I was taken aback, and he smiled proudly, saying, “This is the bone of the ‘Jin Po’ (a mythical figure), and this fragrance is called ‘bone scent.’ It’s a good thing. If you place it beside you while you sleep, I guarantee you’ll sleep comfortably.”

I suddenly felt a bit nauseous and asked, “What exactly is this ‘Jin Po’? Sleeping with her bone is really unethical, isn’t it?”

He chuckled and said, “The ‘Jin Po’ is a broad concept, essentially a general term for something bad. People from that place say they got sick or injured because of the ‘Jin Po.’ It’s hard to describe what she is, but if I had to, I would say she is an evil spirit.”

“Oh, so this is her bone?” I frowned and asked, “Where did this come from? It looks like there’s some sea waste on the lid; it seems like a seafood item.”

He laughed and said, “You still say you’re not an expert! That’s right, this item was fished up by a fisherman who cast his net. However, rarity makes it valuable. Even though there’s a bit of sea waste on it, the price is still not cheap.”

I realized I didn’t have enough money, so I sighed and said, “It’s a pity. I’m someone who appreciates all kinds of things, but I don’t want this seafood. If you really want to sell, why not sell me just the bone scent inside?”

His expression changed, and he smiled apologetically, saying, “That won’t do. If you buy the bone scent, who will I sell the incense burner to?”

I glanced at the item, which had a bit of dust on it, knowing it had probably been sitting there unsold for a long time. Such items are too niche; buying it wouldn’t be a good investment, as those who usually buy for investment don’t like it. In chaotic times, gold is valuable, while in prosperous times, antiques are. Things that can’t be sold are naturally neglected by the shopkeeper. I shook my head; anyway, this item wouldn’t be useful to me. I thought that if I took out the jade coffin cover and showed it to him, if he could find a buyer, I wouldn’t mind him giving it to me. I smiled and said, “Alright, let’s not talk about this for now. I’ll show you something.”

Saying that, I took out the jade coffin cover and revealed a corner for him to see. Whether he was an expert could be gauged by his reaction. As soon as he saw it, his expression changed. Without saying a word, he stuffed the jade coffin cover back and stood up to pull down the shop’s roller shutter. He poured out my cup of tea and brought me another one. Upon smelling it, I realized it was high-quality Tieguanyin tea; it seemed I had moved up a notch.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, “May I know how to address this craftsman?”

I noticed that he was indeed not just an ordinary antique dealer. His quick reaction showed he recognized that the item was special. I felt the need to be polite and smiled, “My surname is Wu. How should I address you, boss?”

He replied, “You can call me Lao Hai. So, Master Wu, do you intend to sell this item or shall I take a look at it?”

I said, “Of course, I intend to sell it. This item is a bit too hot to handle.”

He walked around the room a few times and asked, “Is it complete?”

I nodded, “You won’t lose a single piece from me; it’s just out of the pot and still hot.” He sat down and said softly, “Master Wu, I’m a straightforward person. I dare say that among all of Hero Mountain, I’m the only one who would dare to take this thing. However, there’s no need for me to argue with you about it in a serious manner; treasures don’t come with a price tag. Just tell me honestly how much you’re willing to let it go for, and I’ll give my friend a call to ask.”

I thought for a moment and thought to myself that I had to aim for at least one million. Big Kui’s family should give at least three hundred thousand, and Panzi’s hospital bills would cost at least two hundred thousand. That fat guy had already made it clear that once the item was sold, the money should be sent to him. So, splitting it among us would only leave us with a bit over a hundred thousand each. Remembering that I had risked my life to bring it back, I couldn’t help but feel it was too little. But my third uncle said that this was how things worked in the treasure trade; otherwise, why would so many people keep digging? No matter how precious the item you bring out, if no one buys it, it’s still trash. Therefore, he doesn’t take the really good stuff because even if he did, it wouldn’t sell.

I estimated that one million was about right and made a gesture of one to that old guy. He couldn’t help but feel delighted, but I felt a bit gloomy—had I offered too low? He picked up the phone and quietly stepped into a corner to make a call. After finishing, he was so happy that his face turned red and said, “It’s done! It’s done! Master Wu, you’re lucky; there’s really someone waiting for this thing. One million is not high, and two million is not low. I quoted them one hundred and twenty thousand; what do you think?”

Upon hearing this, I thought to myself that who knows what he actually quoted; he might have doubled it for all I know. However, it was still twenty thousand more than I had expected, which made me feel quite comfortable. I smiled and said, “Then your cut, is it still the old rule?” He chuckled and replied, “To be honest, they’ve prepared a bit more for me over there. You just keep that one hundred and twenty thousand. Given your injury, it’s not easy to bring this out. You need to remember my kindness; next time you have something like this, don’t ask others, just bring it straight to me. Whatever price you want, I’ll raise it by twenty percent for you. You know, my backer is quite wealthy. He takes things that others wouldn’t dare to.”

Seeing that I looked a bit anxious, he quickly said, “Please sit for a moment; I’ll prepare the money for you. This one hundred and twenty thousand—don’t underestimate my little shop; I still have enough in the account. I’ll advance it to you.”

Upon hearing this, I thought he really had a big mouth. As the saying goes, “Of the thirty-six professions, antiques reign supreme,” and it really seemed true. It looked like this guy had some connections, so I hurriedly said, “Wait a minute, what about that forbidden stove? If you’re not taking it, could you give me a discount? I’ll take it all together.”

He chuckled and waved his hand, “If you like this, just take it; consider it a gift from me. To be honest, I got this for just five bucks. All that talk earlier was just to test you.”

Three hours later, with a huge sum of money in hand, I was in such a good mood that I felt like I was floating. On my way back to the hotel, I didn’t even want to look at the doorman. I overheard some people discussing whether I had just won five million, noticing that my eyes were smiling so wide I could barely keep them open. After organizing the money, I settled all my accounts first, then went to the hospital to pay for Panzi’s nursing fees for a month, sent money to the fat guy, and then solemnly transferred my share, along with what my third uncle owed me, all into my own account. Finally, I felt at ease.

In the next few days, I found a beautiful local tour guide and went around various places in Jinan. However, having come from Hangzhou, where I had seen plenty of cultural sites, my interest started to wane the more I looked. Eventually, I decided to go fishing at a fishing factory instead. These past few days have been the most leisurely of my life, but humans are a bit ungrateful; now that I’m comfortable, I actually started to miss the excitement of treasure hunting.

Without further ado, I lived this decadent life for about a week. When I returned from the fishing factory, as soon as I walked in the door, I heard the phone ringing. The only person who knows the number to this hotel is my uncle, so I thought perhaps there was some news about him. I hurriedly picked up the phone, only to hear a stranger’s voice on the other end. The first thing he said was, “Do you know someone named Wu Sanxing?”

Hearing the urgency in his tone, I quickly replied, “Yes, what’s going on?”

The man said, “He’s missing.”

I was taken aback and immediately asked, “What do you mean by confirmed missing?”

He replied, “The ship he was on has lost contact with land for ten days. What is your relationship with him?”

I said, “I’m his nephew.”

He then asked, “Can you get to Hainan as soon as possible?”

34 Angry Sea and Hidden Sand – Chapter 5 – Old Photo

As my thoughts returned to the present, I found myself completely captivated by his story, feeling as if I were in an ancient tomb, cradling Wenjin’s warm and fragrant presence in my arms. My third uncle coughed, and I was startled, suddenly realizing that I was holding a pillow. I felt embarrassed, thinking to myself how could I have such fantasies about my uncle’s woman? I quickly turned red and asked, “Why did you stop? What happened in the end?”

My third uncle gave a bitter smile: “There’s nothing more to say; the story ends here. Even now, I can’t figure out what happened in the ancient tomb while I was asleep.” His lips trembled as he continued, “I don’t know how long I slept, but when I woke up, I found that I was the only one left in the ear chamber; everyone else had disappeared. I thought they must have gone to the main tomb while I was out, and I felt angry because Wenjin usually listens to me, but this time she was messing around with them. I wanted to chase after them.”

He pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, looking somewhat pale: “At that moment, I saw that the door in the wall had disappeared! When I turned around, I immediately realized that this was not the ear chamber where I had been sleeping, but a completely unfamiliar place. Behind me, there was actually a golden nanmu coffin.”

I laughed and said, “With your courage, Uncle, you must have wasted no time in flipping the coffin lid and dumping out all the good stuff inside.”

My uncle cursed, “Nonsense! Let me tell you, I was scared out of my wits. I’ve seen plenty of coffins, but that one was different; water kept bubbling out of it, wave after wave. Damn it, it was as if something inside was taking a bath! I remembered what Li Si said about the sea ghost tomb. You know I’m not afraid of zongzi, but sea ghosts? That was a first for me. I was so scared I almost wet myself. I was also worried about Wenjin, so I shouted a few times, but no one answered me. At that moment, the coffin lid suddenly shifted.”

My uncle’s expression grew strange as he continued, “Without thinking, I saw that the helmet was still in my hand, and I jumped straight into the spring. Then I managed to escape.”

I quickly interjected, “Wait, didn’t that room change? How could the spring still be there?”

My uncle’s face turned pale, and he stammered, “It’s there, of course, the spring is there. Don’t interrupt! I haven’t finished yet.” He collected himself and continued, “I didn’t care about any tsunami or anything; I found that hole and swam out. When I looked up, the sun was high in the sky, but I didn’t know what time it was. I broke the surface of the water and saw several large ships not far away, apparently there to rescue us. I swam back to the ship, and when I asked the time, damn it, it was already noon the next day! Can you believe I just took a nap in that tomb, and a whole day passed?”

I stared at my uncle, feeling that it was all too unbelievable. He must have encountered something decisive, but I didn’t understand why he was unwilling to tell me. What on earth did this old guy do in that tomb? Damn it, I couldn’t force him to talk, but seeing him hesitate made me anxious.

Noticing he had fallen silent, I grew worried about Wenjin and asked, “What about the others? Didn’t they come out?”

I hope this translation meets your expectations! If you need further assistance, feel free to ask.

Uncle San slapped his thigh in frustration. “I got on the boat, and for some reason, I passed out after only a few words. Later, I was taken to a hospital in Hainan, where I remained in a coma for a whole week. By the time I wanted to go back and find them, I couldn’t locate the captain who had taken us to that place. At sea, if you don’t know the exact coordinates, you can’t find it at all; the surface of the water looks the same everywhere.” He paused, “I later went to ask the maritime administration and their research institute, and found out that those young people had all gone missing. Wen Jin was with them too. It’s been almost twenty years, and there’s still no news. I really can’t understand what happened with that grave. How could people just disappear without a trace?” He pounded the table hard, his eyes reddening. “Damn it, I regret it. Why did I have to show off back then? If I hadn’t gone to that sea battle, maybe that whole group would have grandchildren by now! And Wen Jin, I really owe her an apology.”

I watched Uncle San, tears and snot streaming down his face. I had never seen him like this, and I didn’t know what to do. He picked up the snake-eyed copper fish and said, “I thought for a long time about why I was the only one who could come out, while the others couldn’t. The only difference between me and them is that I have this thing.”

I looked at the fish and thought, “If King Lu Shang had also been in that sea battle and had one of these snake-eyed copper fish, could it be said that the Lu Wang Palace and the sunken grave in the sea are related?” But then I thought, no, that’s not right. The two graves are from such different times—one from the Warring States period and the other from the early Ming dynasty. They couldn’t possibly be connected. I couldn’t make sense of the mystery no matter how I thought about it.

After Uncle San finished speaking, he seemed a bit disoriented. He lay back for a moment, and I thought he had just gone through another painful memory and needed some time to calm down. Unexpectedly, he suddenly sat up and turned to me, saying, “Nephew, I just remembered something.”

Seeing his pale face, I thought he had recalled something terrifying again. He scratched his head and said, “Among the few guys who went into the sea battle with me, there was one who looked a lot like that quiet little guy!”

I felt a chill run down my spine and said, “You can’t be mistaken, can you? He must have only been a little kid back then!”

Uncle San recalled carefully, his frown deepening. Finally, he said, “It’s been so long; I can’t be a hundred percent sure, but I still have a group photo from that time. It was taken before we went out to sea. I can have my family scan it and send it to me.”

It’s easier said than done. Uncle San made a phone call, and five minutes later, an email arrived. As soon as he opened it, I felt a chill all over. The photo was in black and white; there were ten of them. The front row was squatting, and the second row was standing. I saw that the young Uncle San was squatting in the middle of the front row, and right behind him stood that quiet little guy!

I was covered in a cold sweat, thinking I must have been seeing things, so I looked again, and sure enough, it was him. That gaze, that expression were exactly the same. My hands started to tremble a bit. My third uncle glanced at me, looking very confused. He had a question stuck in his throat for a long time before finally asking, “Why… hasn’t he aged a bit in twenty years?” As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if he suddenly realized something, and he shouted, “I understand! I understand!”

I watched him as if he had gone mad, unsure of what to do. He picked up his luggage and headed outside. I tried to grab him, but he shook me off and turned back to say, “You stay here and watch over Panzi. I need to go back to Xisha right away!” With that, he ran out without looking back.

33 Raging Sea and Hidden Sands – Chapter Four – Sea Ghosts.

Uncle San was taken aback. He could understand if one or two people were missing, or even if everyone had disappeared. But having one extra person was utterly incomprehensible. He thought Wen Jin had miscounted, so he turned around to count again himself. He was the first, Wen Jin was second, followed by three, four, five, six, seven, and the eighth was Li Si Di, and then…

He suddenly gasped as he spotted the extra ninth person. That person was hiding at the back of the long line, fuzzy and indistinct, their shape unclear, which definitely raised suspicions.

Uncle San couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. He wasn’t afraid of any monsters or ghosts; he just had no experience with what lay beneath the water and didn’t know what it could be. This zongzi (a traditional rice dumpling) shouldn’t be able to swim, but then again, what should he even call the zongzi in this sea? Should he call it “sea zongzi”? Or maybe “sea dumpling”?

He shook his head, thinking that Li Si Di was really slow on the uptake, not noticing such a thing following behind him. In this situation, he couldn’t rely on anyone else; he had to swim back and take a look himself. He secretly pulled out a dagger and hid it behind him as he swam back.

The ninth person stood completely still. When Li Si Di saw Uncle San swimming straight toward him, he realized something was off behind him. He quickly turned around, and as he moved, the person behind him suddenly moved too, as if mimicking him. Li Si Di was startled and took several steps back. The person also stepped back several times, seemingly copying Li Si Di’s movements. Uncle San noticed that this person’s actions were not only strange but also somewhat comical. He shone his headlamp on the figure, and the light startled it, causing it to hurriedly retreat. In that instant, Uncle San caught a glimpse of a huge, scaly face flash by, making him almost drop the dagger in his hand from fright.

Li Si Di was so scared that he turned pale and wanted to swim forward, no longer daring to stay there. Uncle San quickly grabbed him, and he shouted at Uncle San, his mouth forming what looked like “Good boy, good boy.”

He already had an accent, and speaking was a struggle for him; it was even harder to read his lips. Seeing that Li Si Di was nearly hysterical, Uncle San hurriedly pressed him against the wall. As soon as he did, the four seams of that wall simultaneously loosened and shrank inward, suddenly causing water from all around to rush into the wall. Uncle San thought to himself that this was bad; it was already too late. They were sucked into that wall hole like cockroaches in a toilet.

Uncle San didn’t know how many times he spun around; he only felt that all his insides were being tossed to one side. Suddenly, he bumped into something hard. Thankfully, his helmet was sturdy. He kicked a few times, suddenly lifted his head, and found that he was out of the water.

The others emerged around the same time. A few girls were vomiting inside their helmets; the nausea was indescribable (the worst part about it wasn’t seeing a corpse, but drowning in one’s own vomit…). A few physically stronger individuals hurried to support them, making sure they didn’t sink.

Uncle San hugged Wenjin tightly. He shone the searchlight around and found that they seemed to have reached the Underworld Palace. He took out a windproof lighter and lit it; the flame ignited, indicating there was oxygen. He made an “OK” gesture to signal that the air was fine. The group lifted their heavy helmets, and as they took their first breath, they all exclaimed in unison, “It smells so good!”

A pleasant fragrance filled the tomb chamber, faint yet invigorating. They couldn’t tell what was producing the scent, and Uncle San had encountered countless tombs with unbearable odors before, but this was the first time he had come across one with a fragrance. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled. He swept the searchlight around and realized that this chamber was not the main tomb but possibly a side chamber because there were no coffins inside, only rows of porcelain burial goods. These items must have been used by the tomb owner during their lifetime, and now they were standing in the middle of a circular fountain in that side chamber. Uncle San looked around at the decorations and grew increasingly confused. The walls were covered in murals, but due to moisture, they had been heavily corroded. He could only vaguely see that the murals depicted what seemed to be shadows of people.

The shadow-like figures came in various postures: tall, short, fat, walking, dancing—each one was incredibly lifelike, as if real people had been imprinted onto the walls. However, all the shadows looked strange; their bellies were very large, resembling pregnant women. Wenjin, who was highly knowledgeable in mural studies, couldn’t make sense of it either.

It was Li Sidi who, upon seeing these murals, turned pale with fright and shouted, “Sea Ghost! There are Sea Ghosts here! This is a Sea Ghost tomb!”

Uncle San recalled the strange creature he had seen earlier and wondered if that thing was indeed a Sea Ghost. He wasn’t sure and thought that bringing it up might cause panic, so he decided to keep it to himself for now.

Li Sidi continued to shout, but his heavy accent made everyone mishear it as “sea turtle,” which led to a burst of laughter from the group. Li Sidi was left in a dilemma, not knowing whether to cry or to laugh along. Uncle San checked his watch and told them to stay out of the water. A few of the braver ones had already started walking toward the door of the side chamber. The door was low and likely led to a passageway. Uncle San quickly pulled them back, saying, “Right now, we have no archaeological equipment and no rescue preparations. You all stay put here and don’t go anywhere. We don’t know if there are any traps in the tomb passage. We’re here to take refuge for an hour. Everyone should feel grateful, understand?”

Though the group was reluctant, they had no choice but to huddle in the side chamber and study the porcelain items. Uncle San took a look and recognized them as artifacts from the early Ming Dynasty. He was surprised; could this really be the tomb of Shen Wansan’s clan?

However, having seen so many antiques, he wasn’t particularly interested. His main concern was whether there was enough air in this space. He double-checked the number of people; it was correct this time, and he let out a sigh of relief. He had been exhausted these past few days and hadn’t had a good rest, so it was just right for him to take a nap.

He sat down against the wall, and Wenjin leaned her shoulder against him and gave him a kiss as a reward for his outstanding performance this time. Uncle San felt as if his soul had flown away. He had initially been filled with frustration from the antics of the group, but seeing Wenjin’s sweet smile made it all worthwhile—truly worth it. He would gladly go through it all over again.

They took a short break. Anyone who has gone diving knows that if you don’t have extensive underwater experience, a single dive can be very exhausting. Although Third Uncle was in decent shape, his body hadn’t yet adapted compared to those experienced divers. Now that he was relaxed, he unexpectedly started yawning. Coupled with the aroma that seemed to have a calming effect, he suddenly felt extremely sleepy. Drowsily, he said to Wen Jin, “I’m going to take a nap. If it’s time, just wake me up.”

That kind of fatigue seemed unusual, but Third Uncle didn’t have time to contemplate it. He vaguely noticed Wen Jin nodding obediently. His nose was filled with a faint fragrance, unsure if it was the scent from Wen Jin’s hair or the unique smell of the ancient tomb. In any case, he almost instantly fell into a deep sleep.

32 Angry Sea and Hidden Sand – Chapter Three – The Great Storm

Li Si Di had a very good understanding of the water conditions. He was responsible for all the work related to the water, and he said, “Within an hour, there will definitely be a massive storm here. The fact that the seawater has receded this much is evidence enough. In a moment, all this seawater that has been drawn away by the low pressure will rush back in, and it will be like a small tsunami. We only have three small kayaks, so I’m afraid the outlook isn’t very optimistic.”

His words were already quite tactful, but when San Shu looked at his expression, it was clear he felt they were doomed. These people had never seen much of the world, and they all turned pale with fear; some of the girls even started crying.

San Shu held Wen Jin’s hand and felt her palm was sweaty, realizing she was also very scared. At that moment, San Shu had never dealt with such situations before, but as someone used to risky professions, he had a strong mental fortitude. He reminded himself to stay calm; if he panicked, it would really be over!

He counted the number of people. There were originally ten of them, but now one person was dead, and another had to report the incident and the underwater findings to the higher-ups, so he returned on the big ship. Now there were only eight people left. San Shu asked Li Si Di, “How long will this storm last?”

Li Si Di replied, “Summer storms are usually short, lasting about tens of minutes, but during that time, the sea level will rise at least five to six meters, and all those reefs will be submerged.” He shook his head. “These tens of minutes are not to be taken lightly. If the waves hit, you either crash into the reefs and die or get swept out to the deep sea. I’m not trying to scare you; this is really a big problem.”

San Shu’s mind was racing. Several plans flashed through his head, but he quickly dismissed them. Rowing back to shore in the kayak was a death wish; no matter how fast they rowed, they wouldn’t outrun the storm. Hiding underwater with a breathing apparatus wouldn’t work either, as the deepest part of the sea near the reef was only about seven meters—completely useless.

As he looked at the seabed, which was almost visible to the naked eye, like a flash of lightning in the night, a very risky plan suddenly emerged in his mind. He didn’t have time to discuss its feasibility anymore. He said to the others, “Let’s not think too much; everyone gather the oxygen tanks and see how much air we have left. We need to go down to the ancient tomb to take shelter!”

San Shu was very familiar with going down to the tomb, so he didn’t think it was a big deal, but the others were all bookworms, and this suggestion was too bold. As soon as he said it, everyone was in an uproar. Seeing the disagreement, San Shu quickly analyzed the pros and cons for them.

He pointed to the horizon and said, “Look at this storm. We don’t feel it yet, but everyone has seen movies about tsunamis, right? This is not a joke. If we wait here for the storm to come, there will be no survivors, and they probably won’t even find our bodies. But below the sea, there’s a ready-made shelter. We already know there’s air in that ancient tomb; the air in the water is actually alive because it’s connected to fresh water, so the air quality inside should be acceptable. There aren’t many of us, and staying in there for an hour before coming out is our only chance for survival!”

Uncle San had a bit of a talent for persuasion; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to grow his business so large. As he spoke eloquently, the crowd couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. They gathered all their diving equipment and deflated and neatly stacked the three inflatable boats. Once everything was ready, Uncle San first established some hand signals for underwater activities, then led them into the water, using a waterproof flashlight to be the first to crawl into the tomb passage.

At that time, the diving equipment consisted of a large helmet that looked quite heavy, but it was very sturdy. If there were any large marine creatures ahead, this helmet would prevent them from being swallowed whole. Uncle San tried to relax as he swam and observed the passage, which was becoming increasingly narrow. Given this trend, it was uncertain whether they would all be able to pass through at the end. Fortunately, he had all his tools with him; if necessary, he could always carve out a path.

The walls of the passage were adorned with many human face reliefs, but they were covered with a thick layer of deposits, making it impossible to identify which dynasty they belonged to. The people, having never seen much of the world, had forgotten their current situation and were gathered around studying these faces. Uncle San felt a headache coming on and had to frequently stop to urge them to move on.

They swam forward for fifteen minutes, turning several corners, and had already lost their sense of direction. Uncle San thought these people were too chaotic and needed to be organized. He made a gesture for those behind to stop and asked Wen Jin to count the number of people to see if anyone had fallen behind. Swimming in such a narrow passage was exhausting, and the group was already worn out. When they saw his signal, they felt as if they had been granted a reprieve and all slumped down in various directions.

Uncle San looked at them helplessly, thinking that being the leader was indeed not an easy task. He shone his flashlight ahead, wanting to see what lay in front. At that moment, Wen Jin tapped his foot. Uncle San turned around and saw her looking very anxious, which made his heart tighten. Could it be that someone really had fallen behind?

Wen Jin was flustered and didn’t know how to express her thoughts. She extended one finger and kept waving it in front of Uncle San. He was puzzled and asked her, “Is someone missing?” Wen Jin looked at his lips, shook her head, then opened one hand completely and extended four fingers with the other hand, bringing both hands together. Uncle San was very confused. He scrutinized Wen Jin’s lip movements and suddenly realized she was actually trying to say, “There is one extra person!”

31 The Angry Sea and the Hidden Sand – Chapter Two – Double Layered Tomb Wall

Wen Jin and her Third Uncle come from completely different backgrounds. Third Uncle is a local rustic; if he hadn’t been born into a family of grave robbers, he would surely have become a bandit. He always considers profit first in everything, even when judging people. Wen Jin, on the other hand, has returned from studying abroad and has a more open-minded perspective. Her interest in grave robbing primarily stems from her curiosity, and she is both digging and researching at the same time. So when she heard Third Uncle say this, her first thought was about the archaeological value of the ancient tomb, and she immediately wanted to share this idea with her classmates.

Sunken ship graves are extremely rare; according to legend, only Shen Wansan’s son was buried this way. Therefore, Wen Jin’s idea should be seen as very conscientious. However, Third Uncle felt a bit troubled because the thought of confiscating whatever treasures they might find made him uncomfortable. But Wen Jin had a way of handling things; with a smile and a kiss, she transformed Third Uncle from a forest hero into a volunteer archaeological researcher for the republic.

That night, Third Uncle pondered for a whole night. He had never dug a sea grave and had boasted in front of others, so he had to perform well the next day. He thought about it and realized that he couldn’t use a shovel in the sea. First, he wouldn’t have the strength to drive it in; second, even if he managed to dig something up, the marine mud was completely different from that on land, and his limited experience would be of no use. He recalled the records in my grandfather’s notebook; indeed, my grandfather had dug a few sea graves, but there weren’t any special methods involved—mainly, it depended on the terrain.

A sunken ship grave is essentially a tomb built on a ship, which is then submerged in a valley or trench in the sea. The ship is pierced to allow the tomb to sink, and then soil is sealed over it, much like on land, just relocated to the sea. Third Uncle estimated that the area they were in must have originally been a small marine valley that had later been filled in. When the ship sank, it would have required many anchors to secure it. Therefore, the center or slightly off-center of the anchor points must be the burial site.

The more Third Uncle thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and he became full of confidence. The next day, the weather was favorable. He took the team into the water, connected all the anchor stones with ropes, and marked a point in the middle. He dug in several spots in that area, and sure enough, they discovered wood in a place slightly east of the center.

Next, using traditional positioning methods, they surprisingly defined a massive underground palace in the shape of a “土” character, consisting of two side chambers, two auxiliary rooms, a passage, and a rear hall, covering an area of over a thousand square meters. The rear hall was the largest, measuring over thirty meters long and more than ten meters wide, seemingly intended for placing coffins.

Third Uncle was stunned and thought to himself, “Wow, who is buried in this grave? It looks quite extraordinary.” The scale of this site could rival that of an imperial tomb.

That night, everyone was so excited they couldn’t sleep. They gathered together, eating fish head hot pot and discussing how to get inside. Uncle San analyzed the structure of the sunken tomb for them. He explained that tombs are most vulnerable to water, and they didn’t know if the underworld chamber below had taken in any water. If it had, they could just drill a hole to get in; they all had diving suits, so it shouldn’t be a problem. However, if the chamber was still a sealed tomb, it would be much more difficult, as breaking through could lead to catastrophic consequences with water rushing in. From the wooden pieces brought up by their digging tools, it seemed there was still air down there. The entire tomb was large, and it could easily create capillary structures, so there might be several rooms still containing a significant amount of air.

Uncle San’s theory was based on his years of tomb raiding experience, leaving the bookworms speechless. In the end, he focused all the challenges on how to create a theft hole. The seabed was all sand, which wouldn’t hold its shape and could easily collapse—this was no joke; being trapped underwater would basically mean death. After much discussion, they decided to use a more rudimentary method. There were explosives on the fishing boat for catching fish, so they planned to first blow a hole in the sand to remove the easily collapsible top layer, and then dig a slanted hole into the more solid seabed below. This was a massive undertaking, but everyone was full of enthusiasm. Uncle San estimated it would take about a week, but the corpse was still on the boat, and if they didn’t send it back soon, it would start to smell.

They came up with a compromise: let the large boat take the corpse back first while they worked from a smaller boat. The weather was excellent those days, so everyone was unconcerned. They tied three kayaks together and moved all the necessary equipment onto a nearby reef.

The next day, the large boat set off. Uncle San felt a bit uneasy; once the big boat left, there was no guarantee on the sea. However, they were so caught up in the excitement of the grand tomb that they quickly returned to work. The theft hole was progressing smoothly, much faster than Uncle San had estimated. But four days later, when they reached the tomb wall, the boat still hadn’t returned, and people started to worry. Uncle San knew that the only way to maintain order was to keep working; otherwise, panic might ensue. He continually reassured them and occasionally said encouraging words to distract them.

As they cleared a section of the tomb wall, Uncle San knocked on it. The bricks were hollow, probably to reduce the overall weight of the tomb; otherwise, no matter how large the boat was, the bottom wouldn’t be able to support it. He noticed small holes the size of a pen drilled into the wall every five meters. It seemed that the tomb was designed to be sealed with water, and it should be filled with water inside. They settled down and began to remove the bricks.

Before entering the tomb, Uncle San had already considered that in this water, any traps or hidden weapons would be useless, because the resistance of seawater is too great. If there were a hidden crossbow, even if it wasn’t damaged, the arrows would move in slow motion. It’s impossible to set traps; not to mention that one wouldn’t even fall down, even if they did, they could easily swim back up. Other falling stone traps, which rely on mercury to trigger, would be completely ineffective underwater, as mercury flows very slowly in water and spreads easily. In fact, the water itself is a deadly trap. In ancient times, without oxygen equipment, it would be impossible to engage in underwater combat, so the likelihood of traps in this fight is very low.

They removed the tomb wall, revealing a hollow black space inside. Uncle San knew that these people were unreliable, so he told them not to move. He activated his exploration lamp and drilled in, discovering that after advancing only one meter, there was another wall. The bricks used for this wall were much larger than those of the outer layer, and the seams of the wall were sealed with white clay. Sandwiched between the two walls, Uncle San looked around and found a square tomb passageway, half a meter long and wide, in the inner wall above him. At a glance, Uncle San understood the general situation; it seemed that digging was not going to work to enter this tomb.

After returning to the surface, they climbed onto a reef to hold a meeting. Uncle San said, “This tomb has two layers of walls; the space between the outer and inner walls is filled with seawater, and there is a passage on the inner wall that spirals downwards. With this design, there must be a space inside that is free of water, utilizing air pressure to retain some air in the tomb chamber. We don’t know how long that passage is yet. Tomorrow, the three of us will go down, each bringing four oxygen tanks, and see if we can make it to the end.”

They debated this back and forth, and Uncle San was determined to go down. The other two spots needed to be selected because if there was no water inside, the situation could become quite complicated and potentially dangerous. At that moment, Wen Jin suddenly screamed, startling them. It turned out that at some point, the reef they were sitting on had risen. Uncle San looked down; what was originally less than half a meter above the sea surface was now over five meters high.

He sensed something was wrong and looked up at the sky, only to see a dark line approaching on the distant horizon. One of the male students, named Li Si, whose parents were fishermen, turned pale at the sight and said, “A big storm is coming!”

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