116: The Old Captain and the Dragon Vein Water

At five in the morning, before dawn, most of Nan'ao Island was still deep in slumber; only the pier had awakened.

The roar of fishing boat engines rose and fell, lights piercing the darkness, while the air was thick with the heavy smell of diesel and the briny tang of seawater. Fishermen were busy organizing nets and hauling ice, preparing to head out to sea.

Lin Feng and Wang Dalong, two young men who looked completely out of place here, stood on the pier, appearing particularly conspicuous.

"Boss, heading out? How about a trip to the southeast corner? We can negotiate the price." Wang Dalong stopped a dark-skinned boat captain with a cigarette in his mouth, handing him a cigarette with a face full of smiles.

The captain took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, glanced at them, then followed Wang Dalong's finger. His expression changed instantly.

"Not going!" He waved his hand as if shooing away something cursed. "That cursed place—I wouldn't go no matter how much you pay! You two youngsters, don't go there looking for death!"

Having said that, he jumped onto his boat without looking back.

Rebuffed, Wang Dalong returned dejectedly to Lin Feng's side. "Brother Feng, that's the fifth one. As soon as that place is mentioned, they act like they've seen a ghost. Is that 'dragon vein waters' really that eerie?"

Lin Feng gazed at the distant stretch of sea that still looked gloomy in the morning light and said nothing.

The records in the county annals and the fishermen's reactions both confirmed his suspicion. That place was definitely strange.

Just as they were about to give up, a thin old man carrying a wine bottle wobbled over. His face was covered in wrinkles as deep as knife carvings, but his eyes shone brightly in the dim light.

"You... want to go to Deep Bay?" The old man's voice was raspy, carrying a heavy scent of alcohol.

Wang Dalong's eyes lit up, and he nodded hurriedly. "Yes, old man! Do you have a way?"

The old man looked them up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on their bulging backpacks. "Going there means risking your life. Can you afford the price of a life?"

"Money is no object!" Wang Dalong immediately patted his chest. "As long as you dare to go!"

The old man grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth yellowed by smoke and alcohol. "In all of Nan'ao, I'm the only one left who dares to go to those 'dragon vein waters.' Follow me."

He turned and led the two toward the most remote corner of the pier. There sat a pathetically small old fishing boat; its hull was mottled and the paint was peeling badly, looking even older than the man himself.

"Just... this?" Wang Dalong looked at the boat, which seemed like it could fall apart at any moment, his heart pounding with apprehension.

"Think it's a wreck?" The old man took a swig of wine and chuckled. "Once you reach the 'dragon vein waters,' you'll realize that big boats are useless; only a small boat can keep you alive."

The old man called himself Uncle De. He was a fisherman born and raised in Nan'ao. He was bold in his youth and dared to venture anywhere. This small boat was his livelihood.

After agreeing on a price that made Uncle De beam with joy, the small boat started up. Under the strange looks of the larger vessels, it left the pier like a solitary leaf, heading southeast.

After leaving the harbor, the sea was relatively calm. But as the boat continued southeast, the surroundings began to change.

The seawater grew darker, changing from the emerald green of the nearshore to a bottomless ink-blue. Moreover, irregular undercurrents began to appear on the previously steady surface. The small boat tossed violently among the waves, wobbling like a drunkard.

Wang Dalong turned pale, clutching the gunwale tightly, feeling as if his internal organs were about to be shaken out.

"Sit tight!" Standing at the helm, Uncle De wasn't nervous at all; instead, he seemed somewhat excited. He skillfully manipulated the rudder like a master rider handling a wild horse. Every time, just before the small boat was about to be capsized by a massive wave, he would cut in at a tricky angle to avert the danger.

"See that?" Uncle De shouted. "This is the 'dragon vein waters'! The currents here change every hour of every day! There's no fixed pattern! If a big ship comes in, it won't even have time to turn before being swept onto the reefs and smashed to pieces!"

Lin Feng stood beside him, his body swaying with the boat's movements, but his gaze remained fixed forward.

On the system map in his mind, that red dot grew brighter and brighter, like a burning star.

He could feel that the core of these eerie currents was where the red dot was located. This didn't seem like a natural phenomenon; it was more like a precisely designed "defense system."

"Uncle De," Lin Feng asked, "has anyone ever gone in before?"

"Yes!" Uncle De spat out his cigarette butt. "When I was young, I went in once with a few reckless fools. Out of nine people, I was the only one who made it out alive. Since then, I've never gone back. If it weren't for the money you gave being enough to put my grandson through college, I wouldn't have come!"

As they spoke, the boat entered a maze of giant reefs. Uncle De's skills were pushed to the limit as the small boat darted left and right through narrow channels, narrowly passing sharp rock walls several times.

Wang Dalong was so terrified he closed his eyes, muttering under his breath, praying to whatever deity he could think of.

After another half hour, the boat made a sharp turn, rounding a black reef shaped like the head of a giant beast.

Instantly, all the tossing and clamor vanished.

The small boat entered an incredibly calm stretch of water.

Here was a massive bay surrounded by cliffs on three sides. Strange rocks stood at the mouth, perfectly insulating it from the waves outside. The water inside the bay was as still as a giant black mirror, without a single ripple.

There was a heart-stopping silence in the air.

Uncle De cut the engine, and the boat drifted slowly toward the center of the bay under its own momentum. For the first time, a solemn expression appeared on his face—a complex look mixed with fear and awe.

"We're here..." His voice was dry. "This is Deep Bay. The locals call it 'Lord Sea's Coffin Pond'."

Lin Feng's gaze fell upon that calm, rippleless black surface.