Following the signal, deviating from the course was expected. Those involved in the rescue operation roughly knew what they were about to face, so they were all tense, fully focused on their surroundings.
Yasu stood on the deck. Li Yan had managed to get him into their family’s rescue team. Although some people were unhappy with the sudden addition, they kept quiet out of respect for the Li family.
After straying from the route, a fog began to rise around the ship, making it barely possible to see through to the other side. The sky darkened instantly, turning everything around them a hazy gray, even the seawater turned a deep gray.
At this point, it didn’t need to be said; everyone on the ship realized they had encountered something abnormal. Turning back was no longer an option. Not only that, but they also had to head toward the darker area ahead.
The signal grew weaker, and communication with headquarters became intermittent. The chief officer walked out of the cabin with a grim face.
Dark clouds pressed down heavily, giving everyone a sense of foreboding. The sound of waves crashing came one after another, and even thunder rumbled in the distance, as if some disaster was quietly unfolding not far away.
Danger lurked ahead, but it meant they were on the right track.
As if sensing something, Lu Xi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Li Shu with a judgmental gaze, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Li Shu decisively cut off contact with 1314. Before understanding the truth, the system’s existence absolutely could not be exposed.
Maybe it was his intuition, but he felt like the dark force lurking within Lu Xi’s body did not feel threatened by him himself, but it harbored malice toward the system. If it discovered the system’s existence, it might go berserk.
Given the unclear situation, Li Shu certainly didn’t want the system to be exposed. Without the system, he would have no way to leave this world, and this world, which could collapse at any moment, was far from an ideal place to stay.
He didn’t know how many worlds he would have to travel through to return to his original one, or if he would ever be able to go back. Although his own power was indeed strong, it wasn’t enough to ignore the rules and freely travel between worlds. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been forcibly bound by 1314.
Before being bound by 1314, he had always thought he was close to reaching the peak of his cultivation. However, this incident opened his eyes, making him realize that the world was far larger than the small realm he was familiar with. Indeed, there were always stronger individuals and higher heavens.
Similarly, he discovered that with each world he traveled to, his soul became more solid and powerful. He had found a new method of cultivation. This was why he allowed the system to “manipulate” him, entering new worlds again and again to complete missions, including this time in the punishment world.
Did he not know the dangers of the punishment world? Of course he knew. Just from those two words, one could glimpse the crises he would have to face. Before entering this small world, he had already prepared himself mentally, but he hadn’t expected to gain an unexpected reward.
That unexpected reward was naturally the new power within Lu Xi. He had always been curious as to why he encountered this man in every world. He had investigated carefully and found that this man was not a task executor. In every world, he was a native, with no trace of external influence. He couldn’t understand the reason, nor did he know how he accomplished this.
Now it seemed like some clues were emerging.
Once he figured this out, a weight lifted from his heart. Regardless of the reason behind it, now that he had a lead, he could follow it step by step until the final truth inevitably surfaced.
He was not an impatient person and could wait.
A cold sensation came from his chin as Lu Xi grasped his jaw and lifted his head. “What are you thinking about?”
He didn’t speak; the voice was transmitted directly into his mind. Since that power began to emerge, Lu Xi seemed like a different person. He was no longer the Lu Xi who had lived in the human world for several months and learned human habits, but a deep-sea merman who acted purely on instinct, devoid of any emotion. Humans, or any other creatures, were all the same to him.
The little bit of empathy he had painstakingly developed—no, perhaps it had never existed in the first place and was merely a façade to better blend into the human world.
The current Lu Xi was more like his true self.
His gaze was cold and emotionless, much like that of a large predator. One could say that Lu Xi was now the top predator, and Li Shu was his chosen prey.
However, something changed along the way. The predator no longer wanted to devour the prey but rather wished to raise it in a place only he could see. Apart from him, the prey would have no contact with the outside world.
This desire roared through him like a hurricane, leaving no room for regret. Strangely, the merman did not feel any dissatisfaction with this outcome. On the contrary, when he imagined such a scene, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction flooded him, impossible to resist.
In this state, Lu Xi’s mind was straightforward. Since he desired such a scene, he would create it. The wind moved according to his will, and the ship naturally sailed toward a mysterious sea area no human had ever set foot on.
As for the other people on the ship, he would throw them away somewhere when the time came.
He wanted to provide the person in his arms the freshest food, and he couldn’t care less about these humans on board. They should be thankful his tastes were so picky; otherwise, they would have no hope of waiting for rescue.
“You can only think of me,” Lu Xi said, gripping Li Shu’s chin and forcing him to face him. “And only look at me.”
The only conscious captain also “heard” this domineering declaration of ownership. If it weren’t for the current situation, he would have been tempted to interject with a few teasing remarks.
Now, he silently closed his mouth, pressing tightly against the wall behind him, trying not to make a sound. Just because the merman was unwilling to harm Li Shu didn’t mean he would spare anyone else; if it were him, he’d likely be dead by now.
“Lu Xi, let go of me.” The blood on his neck seemed to have stopped, but the wound still throbbed with pain. The merman’s teeth were sharp, and he had no doubt there were a few deep puncture wounds on his neck.
He didn’t have much hope that Lu Xi would let go. Sure enough, upon hearing his words, Lu Xi not only didn’t release him but also tightened his grip, making Li Shu gasp in pain.
His waist felt like it was about to snap.
There was no exaggeration in that.
Li Shu slowly took a breath, prying at the arm around his waist. “Loosen up a bit, or you’re going to strangle me to death.”
The arm encircling his waist was not something Li Shu’s strength could budge. That arm was covered with a thin layer of muscle, just a shallow layer, yet it carried an undeniable strength, firmly restraining the person in his embrace.
Lu Xi obviously didn’t believe him. He lowered his head and stared at his own arm for a moment. Li Shu’s long, pale fingers were placed on it. Compared to the cold, white color of his own arm, Li Shu’s fingers had a more lustrous, jade-like hue, like a fine mutton-fat white jade.
Suddenly, he reached out, took that hand, and brought it to his lips. A light kiss landed on the back of the hand. Before Li Shu could react, something wet swept across it.
It was Lu Xi’s tongue.
Li Shu lowered his eyes, and the pressure around his waist eased, the suffocating feeling gone.
He wanted to enter the cabin to check on the situation, but Lu Xi refused to let go, so he was forced to remain at the bow of the ship. Fortunately, the wind and rain were blocked, so he wasn’t too miserable.
At the moment, it seemed only the captain was still fine; the others were completely silent, their fate unknown. Asking Lu Xi was clearly not an option. The man was currently nibbling on the back of his hand, as if it were some sort of delicacy. If he hadn’t deliberately held back his strength, Li Shu’s hand would definitely be a mess by now.
As for the consequences of holding back, Li Shu cast a light glance at his hand, which was now marked with numerous deep and shallow teeth marks.
There was no pain, but Li Shu recalled how he felt when this person had bitten his neck some time ago. He hadn’t felt pain then either; instead, he was in a strange state where everything around him was a blur. It must be a technique merfolk use to confuse their prey during the hunt.
“Bang—”
With a violent impact, something fell to the ground. Li Shu was stunned for a moment, and so was the captain. They both raised their heads and looked toward the cabin. The sound had come from there.
Restricted by Lu Xi, Li Shu couldn’t check immediately, but the captain had no such reservations. He glanced over at Li Shu, who gave him a slight nod, then slowly stood up, supporting himself against the wall.
It had been quiet inside for so long, and now there was suddenly such a loud noise. Was it caused by someone inside? If the people inside were fine, why hadn’t they come out to check after all this time? If it wasn’t someone inside, then what was it? They had been outside the cabin the entire time and hadn’t seen anything go in…
Including the three people on the deck, there were thirteen people on this ship, which meant there should still be ten people in the cabin. With such a commotion outside, there was no reason the people inside wouldn’t have noticed unless they had all lost consciousness. But if that were the case, then who had caused the noise just now?
Some things don’t hold up to careful thought—the deeper you go, the more terrifying the answers you find.
The captain’s face turned pale, but he forced himself to move closer to the cabin.
Though Li Shu stood steadily with Lu Xi’s protection, the ship was still rocking violently in the storm. The captain struggled to maintain his balance, falling at least five times in the short distance. Each time, he immediately got back up, trembling as he continued forward.
He was afraid, but there was also a strength within him that kept him from collapsing. This was his ship, and it was his duty to bring everyone on board back safely. Now, the lives of ten people were unknown, and one was being held hostage. He couldn’t afford to be scared, couldn’t afford to retreat.
With a creak, the door opened.
At this moment, the captain was standing five steps away from the cabin door. He stopped suddenly, as if he had seen something terrifying, and his already pale face turned even paler.
His eyes widened, his body stiffened, and he felt a cold chill spreading from his heart.
Due to limited vision, Li Shu couldn’t see what was inside the cabin, but the captain’s reaction was fully exposed to him. He was very curious about what had caused the captain to react this way.
What did the captain see?
He didn’t have the chance to ask, nor did he need to. First, he saw a corner of a garment, and slowly, the entire person came into his view.
His pupils contracted sharply, and his expression became blank. He looked at the person who walked out, then turned his head to look at Lu Xi, a huge shock surging in his heart.
The person who walked out looked as if they were carved from the same mold as Lu Xi.
