Chapter 2: The Ghost Ship

Zhang Wuxun lay stiffly on the cot, feeling little desire to sleep.

"System, can we strike a deal?"
[Please, Host, state your request.]
"Can you transmit the original plot to me in advance? That way, I can at least be mentally prepared."

He needed to avoid interfering with crucial plot points; he had no desire to experience another incident like the one with the Hydra-Tree, where the guy known as "Little Brother" had suddenly suffered a migraine.

The system remained silent for two seconds.
[Please wait a moment, Host.]

Soon, a series of images flickered through Zhang Wuxun's mind. Fearing he might miss a detail, he scrutinized every word and frame with intense focus.

He did not know how much time had passed when he suddenly heard Wu Xiaoxie’s exclamation from outside. Zhang Wuxun froze for a moment, then immediately realized: this must be the scene from the original plot where they encountered the massive storm and the ghost ship.

Zhang Wuxun leaped off the bed, grabbed the skull-hilted knife from the bedside, and rushed onto the deck.

The ocean was churning; thunder roared, lightning flashed, and torrential rain hammered down. Massive waves howled and smashed against the hull, the mast swaying precariously in the gale. The night was so dark it seemed capable of swallowing everything whole. The crew clung desperately to the iron rings on the gunwales to avoid being tossed overboard by the violent pitching.

Wu Xiaoxie had been swept into the sea by a giant wave. He was struggling to tread water, but the surging waves repeatedly submerged him, pushing him further and further away from the ship. In such conditions, simply surviving was difficult enough, let alone attempting a rescue.

Zhang Wuxun tied a bowline knot in a rope, secured one end to the railing, dropped his knife, and dove into the water. Ignoring the shouts behind him, he swam rapidly toward Wu Xiaoxie.

"Mu... *glug, glug*... Muyu..." Wu Xiaoxie sputtered, swallowing a mouthful of seawater as he thrashed in the waves.

Zhang Wuxun cut through the water like a dolphin, but after swimming ten meters, his waist jerked tight—the rope had reached its limit. He was still several meters away from Wu Xiaoxie. Gritting his teeth, he drew the dagger strapped to his leg and sliced the rope.

"Muyu... don't!" Wu Xiaoxie cried out in panic, trying to stop him, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening roar of the storm.

Zhang Wuxun reached Wu Xiaoxie, wrapped one arm around his underarm to keep his head above water, and began kicking and stroking with his free arm.

"Damn it, Muyu, are you an idiot? It’s so dangerous—are you trying to get yourself killed by jumping in here?" Wu Xiaoxie managed to gasp out a curse.

"Shut up!" Zhang Wuxun snapped, then clamped his mouth shut, focusing entirely on swimming back. Wu Xiaoxie obeyed, going limp to increase buoyancy and reduce the burden on Zhang Wuxun.

*This won't work,* Zhang Wuxun thought. *The resistance of the water is too damn high. No matter how high my combat prowess is, it’s useless right now. If I delay any longer, both I and 'Little Innocent' are done for.*

Zhang Wuxun stopped and, through the curtain of rain, located the fishing boat. He tightened his grip on Wu Xiaoxie, lifted his right arm from the water, and flicked his wrist. A small, exquisite silver dart pierced the rain, spinning through the air until it struck the railing with a metallic *clang*, winding itself tightly around the bar.

Using the tension of the silver wire, Zhang Wuxun pulled himself and Wu Xiaoxie toward the boat, moving much more easily than before. He reached the side of the vessel, hoisted Wu Xiaoxie up to the chain ladder, and followed him onto the deck. He retrieved his dart, and both men collapsed onto the deck, panting and utterly exhausted.

Zhang Wuxun only needed to ensure Wu Xiaoxie’s safety; as for the lives of the others, that was none of his concern.

Nearby, the man known as "Baldy Zhang"—who was actually the "Little Brother"—had rescued A-Ning from the water. Just as he turned to save the remaining crew, the dark sea was already empty.

The wind and waves gradually subsided. In the distance, a massive black shadow approached the fishing boat. Dim, eerie lights flickered through the darkness, looking strangely serene.

"What is that?" Wu Xiaoxie scrambled up and stared in disbelief.

"A ghost ship!" the boat captain suddenly shrieked in terror, as if he had seen something truly horrific. "It’s a ghost ship! Quick, start the engines! We have to leave!"

"The engine failed because of the storm, sir! The backup is still being repaired!" a crew member shouted back in panic. Anyone who frequented these waters knew the horror of the ghost ship.

The captain watched the shadow draw closer, his face etched with grief and despair. The shadow drifted like a true phantom—massive yet silent—and began to sail parallel to their boat at high speed. Suddenly, A-Ning, who had been lying on the deck, stood up with a strange, unnatural posture and leaped onto the ghost ship.

"A-Ning!" Wu Xiaoxie lunged to stop her, grabbing her pant leg, but he was nearly dragged into the sea himself, left dangling precariously by one hand from the ghost ship’s railing.

Zhang Wuxun cursed. *Damn it, there was no way to avoid this shitty plot.*

He grabbed a rope from the deck and threw it, creating a makeshift tether between the two ships. "Grab the rope and crawl over!" Zhang Wuxun picked up his skull-hilted knife and leaped onto the ghost ship.

The moment he landed, the lights on the ghost ship flickered and died. Zhang Wuxun drew his blade, eyes locked on A-Ning, who stood in the middle of the deck with her back to him. He took a cautious step forward.

*Crack.* The deck beneath him gave way. As Zhang Wuxun fell, A-Ning lunged toward him, her face twisted in a savage, feral expression. Zhang Wuxun reacted instantly, rolling as he hit the ground to disperse the impact, then backhanded A-Ning with the hilt of his knife, sending her flying.

As luck would have it, she landed right in front of the large, oval iron door.

"Oh no!" Zhang Wuxun watched as A-Ning scrambled up and reached for the steering-wheel-like lock on the door.

*Damn it!*

Zhang Wuxun sprinted over, chopped A-Ning’s neck to knock her unconscious, and threw her over his shoulder. Baldy Zhang, who had just jumped down through the hole in the deck, caught her.

Then, another person jumped down through the hole.

Zhang Wuxun: "!?"

"Damn it, Wu Xiaogou, has your brain been flooded? Didn't I tell you to crawl across the rope?" Zhang Wuxun really wanted to grab Wu Xiaoxie and give him a few smacks; there was no point in wading through this life-threatening filth.

"You've saved me so many times, how could I just leave you alone in danger!" Wu Xiaogou roared back, just as fierce.

Was Zhang Wuxun touched? He couldn't care less!