On the deck, the soldiers who had been squatting on the ground devouring their boxed meals all stood up. They still held their chopsticks, but none of them spared a thought for eating.
Everyone stared at the sea ahead of the bow, transfixed by the incomprehensible sight in the water.
Countless strange fish surged from all directions. They were much larger than the fish they usually saw, their silvery-gray backs drifting in and out of sight in the deep blue sea.
The shoal of fish rushed toward the bow of the tower boat one after another, slamming their bodies against the sturdy hull.
Again and again.
The force was so great that even standing on the ship, they could hear the muffled thuds echoing from beneath the water.
The strange fish at the very front had already smashed themselves bloody, dark red blood gushing from the wounds on their heads.
Yet, they did not retreat.
The strange fish behind squeezed past their injured companions, continuing to charge forward to slam their heads against the bow.
Blood slowly dyed the sea red.
Shen Jue stood by the railing, staring at the shoal of fish in the water below for a long time before finally noticing something amiss.
With a deep frown, he said in a low voice, “These strange fish don't seem to be trying to attack us. It's as if they want to stop the ship.”
“It looks like they're blocking the ship to me, too.” A flash of pity crossed Feng Chunya's eyes, her hands curling slightly, but she quickly suppressed the emotion.
This celestial ship was the Divine Lady's vessel. No matter what these strange fish intended, blocking the ship was disrespectful to the deity.
Pei Du looked at the shoal of fish and said thoughtfully, “I have heard that there are many sorcerers in Wuling Prefecture. Most of them know some miraculous cheap tricks, and there are even extraordinary talents who can control snakes through special means.”
“Mr. Pei, do you mean someone is controlling these strange fish from behind the scenes?” Feng Chunya turned her head. “Then should we quickly disperse them?”
Pei Du narrowed his eyes slightly, the sea breeze lifting the hem of his robe.
“Let's observe a bit longer.”
He paused slightly. “If this is an illusion, we must first find a flaw if we want to disperse them.”
Shen Jue lowered his eyes in thought, then agreed, “General Feng, Zirang is right. When I was suppressing rebellions in Wuling Prefecture, I witnessed the illusions of the local sorcerers. They can indeed mistake the false for the real. If we are not careful, we can easily fall into their traps.”
This was also why, when he first met the Divine Lady, he had thought Shen Yu was being deceived and wanted to take him away from Creek Valley.
It wasn't until the Divine Lady bestowed porridge and he witnessed a bowl of steaming white porridge appear in his own hands that he believed there truly was a god in this world—and a benevolent deity who saved people from suffering, at that!
Feng Chunya said, “Mr. Pei, General Shen, since both of you say so, I will defer to your judgment.”
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea passed.
“Why are they still ramming?!” someone cried out in surprise.
“Heavens, so many of these strange fish have smashed their heads bloody, yet they still won't leave. What are they trying to do?”
“How bizarre...”
The murmuring grew louder, expressions of astonishment and bewilderment interweaving on every face.
Suddenly, the ship shuddered slightly.
Immediately after, there was a heavy impact.
On the sea surface directly beneath the bow, an exceptionally large strange fish was bounced back, spinning on the water's surface with its belly upturned.
Yet after only two breaths of time, it struggled to right itself in the water. Blood gushed from the wound on its flank, but it ignored it entirely, accelerating once more toward the bow.
The sea breeze blew in, carrying a strong scent of blood.
It was so salty and metallic that it made everyone's throats tighten.
The crowd still couldn't find the slightest trace of illusion.
Shen Jue's brow furrowed deeper. He glanced back at the pavilion at the highest point of the ship, his voice sinking. “We cannot let these fish continue to ram the ship, or they will surely disturb the Divine Lady!”
He immediately ordered men to bring some ropes, intending to go down himself to disperse the strange shoal of fish.
Just then, a cool, clear voice echoed from behind them, causing the noisy deck to fall so silent that a pin drop could be heard.
“There is no need to disperse them.”
Everyone on the deck turned their heads in unison.
They saw the Divine Lady slowly walking down the companionway.
Her snow-white, light gauze skirt rose and fell with the sea breeze, and the pearl ornaments in her hair swayed gently with her steps, letting out soft, crisp sounds.
“We respectfully welcome the Divine Lady—”
The soldiers across the entire ship knelt down in unison. The clatter of clashing armor rose and fell before returning to silence.
“Rise.”
Yun Shu walked to the edge of the deck, leaning over slightly to gaze directly at the frantic figures slamming into the ship beneath the water.
It was normal for Shen Jue and the others not to recognize dolphins, but as a transmigrator from modern times, she naturally recognized them instantly.
The dolphins, which had been desperately ramming the hull, suddenly froze the moment Yun Shu appeared.
They surfaced one after another, their rounded heads breaking through the waves. Their dark, warm, bright eyes looked up at Yun Shu on the edge of the deck, reflecting the sky and her silhouette.
The largest dolphin at the very front struggled to raise its head, emitting a series of short, shrill cries from its mouth, sounding like a plea or a weeping lament.
Yun Shu gazed at it, her brow furrowing slightly.
Then, she reached out her hand.
An emerald-green orchid appeared out of thin air in her palm.
In the next second, she gently waved the orchid.
Golden specks of light drifted from the orchid, fluttering down like snow onto the injured dolphins in the sea.
The moment the light touched the dolphins, their wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if they had never existed.
The dolphins' cries softened, but remained urgent, as if they had something to tell her.
Yun Shu put away the Orchid of the Blue Void and equipped the Ocean Moon, which granted the skill to understand the language of marine life.
A blue pearl head ornament appeared on her forehead.
“Don't be afraid.” She looked at the dolphins in the sea, as if coaxing a frightened child. “Tell me, what happened?”
The largest dolphin swam a few steps closer to her, raising its head and emitting intermittent whimpers.
Like a young child learning to speak, its words were slurred and unclear. Yun Shu could only barely make out a few vague syllables.
Hot.
Fire.
Below.
It repeated these words over and over, spinning in the water in its anxiety. Its tail fin slapped messy splashes of water, its dark, bright eyes reflecting an anxious light.
Fire in the sea immediately made Yun Shu think of submarine volcanoes. Perhaps these dolphins were asking her for help?
And the little fox also confirmed that her guess was correct.
“Host, I just detected an active volcanic crater in the sea ahead. The crustal activity is currently intense, and a large-scale eruption is expected within six hours.”
The little fox didn't stop, continuing, “Xiao Lan sent these dolphins to find you. That silly fish is actually using its own body to block the volcanic crater, trying to slow down the lava overflow and buy time for the fish shoals within a hundred miles to escape.”
Though it called it a silly fish, its eyes were filled with worry. Clearly, the blue whale's current situation was not good at all.
Rate on N.U.
