Chapter Seventy-Six: Set Sail
Fang Fan and No. 36 looked carefully around the galleon, the hull was carved with exquisite European patterns, Fang Fan stepped forward and touched it with his hand, and suddenly he felt a burst of warmth in his palm, as if the ship was alive, he was not frightened, but a little in love. Fang Fan saw the gun doors on the side of the hull, each gun door was about half a meter apart, and the upper and lower rows of gun doors were crossed, when these two rows of gun doors were opened at the same time, the muzzle of the black hole hole could definitely make the enemy tremble.
No. 36 followed Fang Fan and stepped on the pedal on the boat, and the moment he stepped on the deck, Fang Fan felt that the deck under his feet seemed to be moving, and he moved to the side like an electric shock. Number 36 asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing."
"Your pockets."
Fang Fan looked at his pocket when he heard the sound, only to see that the token in his pocket was flashing with a faint light, Fang Fan held the token in his hand, the token would change the frequency of light flashing due to the change of direction, and this token was like a compass at this time.
The two of them followed the token's guidance and walked slowly towards the stern of the ship, which had three masts, two short and one long, with the longest one in the middle. There were big sails on the three masts, and Fang Fan could almost imagine the grandeur of this ship on the sea, sailing forward. When they reached the place where the third mast in the stern of the ship was, the rhythm of the token flashing was the fastest. The two of them looked at each other and nodded, and there was a door in front of them that led to the interior of the cabin.
Number 36 stepped forward and pulled the door up, and a squeaky sound came out of it with a musty smell, and the two of them turned their heads to avoid it. At this time, Fang Fan saw a kerosene lamp next to him, he took out a lighter to light the kerosene lamp, and the two walked down cautiously. Fang Fan walked in front with the lamp, and No. 36 followed behind Fang Fan with a dagger in his hand, ready to fight with something hidden in the darkness at any time, but the surroundings were quiet like still water, and nothing appeared. The token changed from flickering just now to a solid light, Fang Fan was sure that this was the place where the token would guide them, but he didn't find any place to place the token.
"36, look around and see if there's a place to put the token."
There are some wooden crates in the middle of the cabin, and there are aisles on either side. Fang Fan and No. 36 each walked on one side, Fang Fan went to the left from the middle of the cabin to the bow, and No. 36 went the other way. Fang Fan looked at the reaction of the token as he walked, he planned to narrow down the scope of his search a little more, at this time, the token changed from constant light to flickering again, Fang Fan shouted.
"Stop, go to the stern."
At this time, No. 36 began to walk towards the stern of the ship again like a robot controlled by Fang Fan. When passing through the ship, the token changed from constant light to flickering again, Fang Fan now had a spectrum in his heart, it seemed that the exact location was in the middle of the ship. The two returned to their positions in the ship, and 36 asked.
"Found it?"
"This should be it."
Fang Fan looked at the wooden box in front of him and thought about it, and at this time he found something different. There are many boxes, but each box has a different shape and size, and there is a smallest box in the middle. Fang Fan illuminated the floor with a kerosene lamp, and he found that there were some traces of friction on the floor, which happened to coincide with the edge of the box, so he asked.
"36, have you ever played Huarong Dao?"
"Of course, I'm a master."
"So, we're going to move these boxes now and find a way to open the smallest wooden box inside."
"No problem."
No. 36 rolled up his arms and sleeves and prepared to dry, Fang Fan put the kerosene lamp on the hook on the side, and just as No. 36 was about to make a move, Fang Fan hurriedly stopped him. Number 36 asked curiously.
"What's wrong?"
Fang Fan looked at the wall under the kerosene lamp and said.
"Look at that."
No. 36 looked at the wall and suddenly found that there were four rows of round holes arranged up and down neatly on the wall, and the distance between the top and bottom of each round hole was about 20 centimeters, and the four rows of round holes formed a square. Fang Fan took the kerosene lamp and shone it forward again, and found that there was an arrangement of rectangular holes next to the square hole, a diamond-shaped hole arrangement, and then a triangle hole arrangement, which seemed to be some kind of hint.
Fang Fan found that No. 36 was staring at a round hole for a long time and asked.
"Is there anything strange?"
"Here."
No. 36 pointed to a mark next to the round hole, Fang Fan looked at it and said.
"Is this bloodstained?"
Number 36 nodded and said.
"It's the mark of years after the blood has dried up."
At this time, Fang Fan realized something, and he immediately ran to the deck. No. 36 hurriedly followed and asked.
"What's wrong?"
Fang Fan didn't speak, he walked from the far right of the deck to the far left, counting in his heart every step he took, and the last one needed a total of 20 steps to complete. Then he went back to the cabin and began to measure the width of the cabin with his steps, and he found that the width below was half that of the top. Fang Fan said.
"It's half as wide as it is above, but it's not visible from the outside, so the walls below are thickened, and judging by the blood around the holes, there must be deadly traps hidden in them."
No. 36 gasped, and Fang Fan continued.
"It seems that we only have one chance to move the wooden box, and if we fail, we will surely die."
Fang Fan looked at the shapes arranged in those round holes, first a square, then a discovery, then a diamond, and finally a triangle. Fang Fan touched the stubble on his chin and thought, could this be the order of moving the wooden box?
At this time, No. 36 took out his mobile phone and planned to check the time, which was his habit. Whenever the 36th is on a mission, he always sets a time for himself to exercise his speed and accuracy. At this time, Fang Fan glanced at the pattern of his unlocking phone, and suddenly Fang Fan thought of something, so he ran to the deck again.
Fang Fan got off the boat and looked at the patterns on the hull, groping for the textures with his hands as he looked, these patterns suddenly looked like a complete pattern, but if you carefully distinguish the difference between the thickness and width of the texture, you will find that they are actually independent patterns separated by those seemingly non-existent boundaries. Fang Fan groped for the pattern with his right hand, and gestured in the air with his left hand. At this time, No. 36 chased after him and asked.
"Why did you run out again?"
"You can help me remember it."
"Triangle, rectangle, rhombus, square, square, rhomboid, square, rectangle, triangle, rectangle, triangle, square, triangle, square."
No. 36 wrote down the order according to the figure Fang Fan said. In order to be sure, Fang Fan went to the other side of the hull to take a look, and he found that the pattern on the other side of the hull was a normal fast pattern, and the workmanship was rougher than that on the side with the figure. Fang Fan returned to the boat and said.
"Written it all down?"
"Remembered, I have a knack for memorization."
"Okay, let's take a gamble."
The two came to the cabin, and Fang Fan thought for a while and said.
"36, go up. When I went up, he told me the order out loud. ”
"Are you? No, I'm not afraid of death. ”
"You're thinking too much. I mean you go up, even if I die, you can continue to look for clues to open this ship, and then go to the Earl's Court to get the clues of Fengzhu. If we both die, there's no chance at all. ”
No. 36 looked at Fang Fan blankly, speechless for a long time. Fang Fan looked at his appearance and continued.
"I beg you for one thing."
Number 36 said with a sigh.
"What's the matter?"
"If I die, you must give Fengzhu's clues to Zhang Ze and let him find Fengzhu to resurrect Yuehan."
"This woman is so important to you?"
"She is my wife, a person who cannot be replaced in her life."
"Okay, I promise you."
Fang Fan turned around and observed the wooden box, and said with his back to No. 36.
"You go up."
Just as Fang Fan was looking at the wooden box, there was a sudden tingling sensation on the back of his neck, and Fang Fan saw No. 36 who was still standing behind him a second before he passed out.
Zhang Ze and No. 37 followed the instructions of the green snake all the way, and the green snake asked them to go whatever they wanted. didn't dare to resist a little, Zhang Ze's cigarettes were not less smoked along the way, the green snake was too addicted, and Zhang Ze was choked and coughed again and again. Green Snake said suddenly.
"Here it is."
Zhang Ze and No. 37 looked forward, and Zhang Ze suddenly said with fire in his heart.
"You're kidding, aren't you? It's a cliff, and you can't make me jump off a cliff? ”
"Prick up your ears and listen carefully to what's under the cliff."
Zhang Ze glared at the green snake in mid-air, and then pushed his hearing to the extreme, he heard the sound of birds chirping around, the rustle of insects gnawing on leaves, and the heavy breathing of beasts hidden in the dark. Zhang Ze excluded these voices and listened carefully. Then the sound of running water came to his ears, and he said.
"There's water down there?"
The green snake said with a puff of cigarette.
"That's right. To reach the Earl's Court at the top of the hill, you have to cross the river. ”
"How can there be a river here?"
"Do you know what the spring in East Springs Island means?"
"Spring, huh?"
"That's right, the water in this river is the spring that pours down from the top of the mountain, and the most peculiar thing is that the spring does not flow downward, but meanders up the mountain to form a spiral-shaped channel. The spring water returns to the top of the mountain, then pours down from the top of the mountain, and then back to the top of the mountain, and so on. ”
Zhang Ze nodded suddenly and said.
"It seems that this Dongquan Island is really a bit famous. It's the first time I've heard that water can flow from the bottom up. What do you mean by bringing us to the edge of the cliff? ”
The green snake didn't say anything, but dragged Zhang Ze directly into the air. Zhang Ze saw the Earl's Court on the top of the mountain, and then saw that the top of the mountain had been separated from the spring after many years of washing, like a lonely city, and the river was like a meandering moat. The green snake took Zhang Ze back to the flat ground, and then Zhang Ze said.
"In that case, how are we going to get there?"
At this time, No. 37, who had been silent on the sidelines, pointed to the green snake and said.
"Can you let it fly me once?"
Zhang Ze looked at the green snake that was swallowing clouds and fog on the side, and said.
"You don't have the power of the green snake, and if you touch it, it will hurt you."
Number 37 nodded sheepishly and muttered quietly.
"Stingy."
Suddenly, the green snake leaned over and approached No. 37, and the red Nobuko was less than 2 meters away from No. 37's face, and No. 37 suddenly felt weak and dizzy. The green snake abruptly withdrew from her side and said.
"He didn't lie to you, the spirituality of ordinary people is too weak, and if you contact me, you will only be able to absorb my own energy and die."
Zhang Ze hurriedly stepped forward to support No. 37, who almost fell, and shouted at the green snake.
"You just have to give it a try, why have you been around her for so long."
"The strength of pity and cherishing jade is coming?"
"Don't talk nonsense, tell me how to get over."
"Wait"
When Fang Fan woke up, he found that he was lying on the deck, and there was no trace of No. 36, he felt for the token in his pocket, and found that the token was still in his pocket, so he hurriedly ran into the cabin. found No. 36 sitting on the wooden box smoking, No. 36 saw Fang Fan coming down and said.
"Awake? Let's put the token. ”
"You"
"Don't talk nonsense, hurry up and get all this done, I'm still in a hurry to see my sister."
"Why are you helping me?"
"Help? I'm helping myself, you see you're so thin, if you are asked to pound these wooden boxes back and forth, I don't know how long it will take to get them ready. ”
"Thank you."
Fang Fan walked to the innermost small wooden box, and when he opened it, he found that there was a groove inside, he put the glowing token into it, but there was no response. Just as the two of them were disappointed, the hull of the ship suddenly trembled, and the lights on the surrounding walls turned on one after another, when the small wooden box disappeared, and a handle appeared instead. The two glanced at each other, Fang Fan grabbed the handle and turned it hard, only to hear a click from the stern, the two hurriedly ran to the stern to check, only to see another wooden door open on the ground.
No. 36 pulled up the wooden door, and the two walked down. This was originally the place where ship cannons and shells were fired. Fang Fan took a closer look and found that there were two corpses next to each cannon, he looked over and saw that these corpses had a cloth around their waists, and their spines were seriously deformed, which could be seen to be caused by bending over all the year round, and the cloth on their waists just explained their identities. Number 36 asked.
"Who are these?"
"They're all slaves."
"How do you know?"
"You can see that their spines are badly deformed, which means that they can only live in the bottom of the boat in a small space all year round, and they have no other clothes, only a fig leaf around their waists."
Fang Fan pondered for a long time and continued.
"They are the slaves that the Earl bought, and it turns out that they have not disappeared, but have been trapped in this ship."
Number 36 asked curiously.
"How do you know that the owner of this ship is the Count?"
"If that legend is true, then the owner of this ship could only be the Earl."
Number 36 was a little confused, because he didn't know any legends at all. Then he said.
"These people died so miserably, why did the Count keep them here?"
Fang Fan said lightly.
"Wouldn't it be a pity to have such a good workforce in place, so there must be a reason why they have to be locked up here."
"What reason?"
"I guess they arrived here with some incurable infectious disease, which is why the Count kept them all here. But the Count himself had no ability to survive here, so he died a tragic death. ”
"He deserves it, he can't let the count's life go, he has nothing to do to die on such a desert island."
Fang Fan smiled, then looked around again, and after finding that there were no valuable clues, he returned to the deck on the first floor. A round rudder suddenly appeared in the originally empty stern, Fang Fan guessed that this should have appeared after placing the token, the moment he stepped forward to grab the rudder, suddenly some pictures flashed quickly in his mind like a slide, and for a while Fang Fan felt a splitting headache, and he knelt on the ground with the rudder. No. 36, who didn't know why, hurriedly asked.
"What's wrong with you?"
Fang Fan was speechless in pain, so he could only wave his hand at No. 36 again and again. At this time, the pain gradually disappeared, and figures appeared on the deck one after another, Fang Fan stood up and looked at the deck, a richly dressed man walked over to them, and said faintly.
"Who are you?"
"We want to borrow this ship to get out of here."
The man suddenly said in a playful tone.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a living outsider."
At this time, the picture that had just appeared in Fang Fan's mind flashed again, but this time there was no headache, he found this man in one of the pictures and said.
"You're the Earl?"
The man laughed.
"I am Count Seth I."
"Then please lend me the boat."
"Well said, but I have one condition."
"On what terms?"
"As long as you agree to my terms, the ship will belong to you."
When Fang Fan heard Count Seth I say this, he knew that his conditions were definitely not simple, so he said cautiously.
"Tell me about it."
"You have to stay with me, my patience has been exhausted by years of solitude, and I need a fresh soul to accompany me."
"Then wouldn't it be better for me to help you overdo it, so that you can be reincarnated as soon as possible?"
"If I could leave this place, I would have left a long time ago, but the power here does not allow any soul to leave."
"What power?"
"You can suck the power of the soul."
At this time, Fang Fan suddenly remembered that when there was a rift in the earth, he used the power of the Nightmare but felt that the power of the Nightmare was being absorbed little by little, so Fang Fan said.
"Could it be the power of that rift?"
"Oh? Looks like you've already met with it. ”
"What is it?"
"I call it an undercurrent. It periodically absorbs the souls of dead animals from the island and turns them into its own energy. ”
"And what if there is no ready-made soul body?"
"There will always be."
"Then why haven't you been absorbed?"
"All these years I have been hiding in the ship with my slaves, and this ship is the only place he cannot reach. Over time we have become one with the ship, and if you hadn't woken us up today, we wouldn't know how many more centuries we would have slumbered. ”
"Isn't there any way to leave?"
"Of course there is, but that's almost impossible."
Fang Fan thought about it for a moment and said.
"Tell me about it."
Count Seth I said with a serious expression.
"The undercurrent sucks the soul every once in a while, and it takes about half an hour or so before the second time it sucks the soul. Only midnight is the longest rest time of the day, and it can be silent for 3 hours. ”
"So we have to get out in three hours?"
"That's right."
Fang Fan touched his stubble and thought about it for a while and said.
"In that case, then you might as well take me to your Earl's Palace, and we'll leave Dongquan Island together after I've dealt with the matter there."
Count Seth I suddenly asked cautiously after hearing Fang Fan's words.
"What are you doing at the Earl's Court?"
Fang Fan explained to Count Seth why he went there, so he begged Count Seth I to go there as a guide, so that he could avoid many detours. After hearing this, Count Seth I agreed to Fang Fan's request. Fang Fan asked.
"Can we go now?"
Count Seth I waved his hand suddenly, and saw the men behind him running into the cabin, and in a short time the ship moved, and it seemed that those were slaves who were responsible for driving the ship in their lives. The boat meandered up the river, and at this time, Fang Fan suddenly heard someone on the cliff next to him shouting his name loudly.