049 Go to sea

"If it is indeed so, who would commit such madness? Before my eyes floated the visage of a person, White Ruoxue."

"Guangting, if what you say is true, then it will soon be the second day of the second lunar month. They may be preparing to load the ship tonight."

"Very likely indeed. What should we do?"

"With the cold wind whistling in our ears and the distant darkness looming, I firmly declare: 'We absolutely cannot allow those things onto the ship. Once at sea, they will be beyond our control. We must stop them.'"

"Jiang Erwa opened the trunk, handing a cross wrench to Shijingxia."

"Considering your slender arms and legs, this will do well. Take it, just in case."

"He himself took a sheep horn hammer."

"Old Jiang, why does your trunk resemble a general store?"

"Ah, just shaving the public sheep wool."

After weighing our options, I took a 12-inch adjustable wrench.

Braving the chilly wind with our tools in hand, we proceeded, feeling somewhat like a demolition team.

Along the way, family-style burial plots occasionally appeared, each adorned with a colorful flag, exuding an eerie aura.

After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at the coffin storage.

As far as the eye could see, there were open-air coffins everywhere, estimated to number around a hundred. Some were painted black, some covered in cement, while others retained their natural wood color. It was an intimidating sight, extending beyond our sight.

"Xiao Jing, are you afraid?"

"No, not afraid, just... just a little cold."

We found a pit to hide in. To transport the items, a large vehicle would be necessary. However, as we waited until two in the morning, there was no sign of activity.

However, Old Jia's Jetta was still there, so we decided to wait a little longer.

Jiang Erwa had a strong craving for cigarettes. When I advised against it, citing the risk of exposure, he shielded himself with his padded jacket and lit up.

As time ticked away, we waited until four thirty in the morning, but there was still no activity.

Jiang Erwa crushed the empty cigarette pack and, wrapping himself tighter in his jacket, remarked that dawn was just an hour and a half away, so they probably wouldn't come.

I wondered aloud, "But isn't sunrise at seven? How is it only an hour and a half away?"

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Duan Huairen nudged me with his elbow.

"Guangting, you and Xiaojing slept too soundly yesterday. You might not know that dawn comes earlier here."

His words snapped me out of my reverie. Slapping my thigh, I cursed myself for forgetting that Tianjin is nearly an hour ahead of Shaanxi.

"This is bad. Let's go check it out."

I was the first to leap out of the pit, followed closely by Jiang Erwa and Duan Huairen, charging towards the coffin storage.

Shijingxia's feet were numb with cold. As soon as she stood up, she fell to the ground. Waving me away, she insisted she was fine and told me not to worry about her.

The chilling wind whistled through the gaps between the coffins, emitting an eerie wail.

Suddenly, a series of 'scuffling' footsteps echoed.

I whispered cautiously, "Careful, there's someone."

We quickly crouched down behind the coffins for cover, straining our ears to listen. Besides the sound of the wind, there was nothing.

Just when I thought I might have misheard, a dark figure suddenly darted nearby.

"Old Jia, halt!"

Without a response, he hesitated for a moment before turning and running.

"Old Duan, Old Jiang, hurry, chase after him."

We immediately gave chase.

In the pitch-black night, within the vast coffin storage, four shadowy figures raced after each other, presenting an eerie sight. After pursuing for over a hundred meters, Old Jia once again disappeared from sight.

"We can't let him get far. Let's split up and find him."

We divided into three groups, launching a thorough search.

"Oh no, there's something!"

Suddenly, Shijingxia exclaimed in alarm. I muttered to myself, fearing that Old Jia might be leading us into a trap.

Hurriedly running over to her, I saw Shijingxia tightly gripping the cross wrench, trembling.

"Where's the danger?"

"Over... over there."

Glancing in the direction she pointed, indeed, two figures squatted beside a coffin.

I sternly demanded, "Who goes there?"

No response, they remained motionless.

At this moment, Duan Huairen and Jiang Erwa returned, one wielding a crowbar, the other a sheep horn hammer, and strode towards the two figures, delivering a sharp blow to each of their heads, resulting in a resounding 'thud,' and flattening their skulls.

The attack was brutal. Quickly, I covered Shijingxia's eyes; it was too gruesome.

"Damn it, they're two corpses long dead, already covered in a layer of frost."

Duan Huairen cursed, delivering a kick to the corpses.

The two coffins were already opened, but they were empty inside.

Upon inspection, there were clear indentations on the inner walls, and Jiang Erwa also discovered two sets of tire tracks on the ground, presumably left by cargo trucks.

At that moment, the headlights of the Jetta suddenly came on, followed by a bumpy departure.

I exclaimed in frustration, "In the end, we let him escape."

The situation became clear: the body of Princess Pingyuan, Yuan Mingyue, and the Terracotta Warrior figurine of Yuwentai were hidden inside these two coffins, but they were taken away ahead of schedule.

Old Jia had played us for fools with his diversionary tactic.

With such a meticulous plan, if I'm not mistaken, it must have been orchestrated by White Ruoxue herself. Could she also be here?

Jiang Erwa cursed, "What should we do with these non-human things?"

Shijingxia suggested, "Let's find Jin Shiqing; he hasn't been truthful."

As dawn broke, we arrived at the fishermen's wharf. Jin Shiqing was still not awake, so Jiang Erwa banged on the door vigorously.

"Open up, quick."

A minute later, Jin Shiqing opened the door and threw a bottle of yellow liquid into the trash.

"Apologies for the inconvenience. It was too cold last night, so I took care of it indoors."

Shijingxia smirked, and I stifled a laugh, thinking the bottle was too slender; it should have been a bottle of Pocari Sweat.

Duan Huairen grabbed Jin Shiqing by the collar and pushed him into the camp room, slamming the door shut.

"Speak up, has the cargo already been loaded onto the ship?"

"I honestly don't know."

"You're like a watchdog here every day. How could you not know?"

"On my honor, I went home for the New Year. I just arrived a couple of days ago."

Duan Huairen picked up a broken piece of porcelain outside and pressed it against Jin Shiqing's neck, gritting his teeth, "I'll give you one last chance. If you lie, I'll cut your head off like a dull knife slicing meat."

Jin Shiqing turned pale but still insisted he didn't know.

Jiang Erwa sighed, "Forget it, he might really not know."

I asked, "By the way, what did you mean by just falling asleep?"

Jin Shiqing yawned, "Jiyu 0825 is setting sail early tonight. The ship's captain came to discuss some matters with me. He left just before you arrived."

It seemed the cargo had already been loaded onto the ship. This required prompt action; they wanted to catch us off guard.

I glanced out the window; the Jiyu 0825 fishing boat was docked at the wharf.

"Let's go, take a look."

Shijingxia cautioned, "There's a lot of activity on the dock; let's not act impulsively."

I called Lin Canghai, explaining the situation.

After a long silence on the other end, Lin Canghai asked, "Guangting, I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"Mr. Lin, for a swift resolution, it's unlikely now. We'll have to board the ship and act accordingly."

After a moment of silence, Lin Canghai said, "Very well, but remember, what the boss can't obtain, no one else can either."

"Mr. Lin, I understand what needs to be done."

Due to the early departure of Jiyu 0825, several crew members hadn't arrived yet. We needed to obtain the necessary qualifications, including the Four Small Certificates and the Seafarer's Certificate, all of which had been prepared in advance. At that time, the inspections weren't very strict, and Jin Shiqing had filed the paperwork with the relevant authorities. We assumed the identities of others.

That night, under the cover of darkness, we successfully boarded the Jiyu 0825.

The ship's whistle sounded, and the fishing boat slowly set sail, heading towards the vast expanse of the sea.