Chapter 77: Sounds on the Corpse Ship

Su Li shouted loudly, and soon, a faint voice echoed back.

Su Li listened closely. The voice was calling his name.

“Haha—” Su Li recognized Ding Longyun’s voice and felt excited. He was on the 31st floor and immediately rushed toward the direction of the sound. He quickly realized the voice was coming from the water.

From the 31st floor balcony, he saw the kayak and the two people on it, Gong Xiao and Xu Xuehui. They were waving excitedly, but he didn’t see Ding Longyun.

“Su Li!” Ding Longyun’s voice followed. Su Li then noticed that Ding Longyun was submerged in the water behind the kayak.

Ding Longyun had one hand gripping the kayak. He waved at Su Li, his face anxious. “Su Li, get down here quickly! Hurry!” He didn’t know the Nightmare Beast was dead and was urgently rushing Su Li to escape.

The kayak was about 30 meters from the building, approaching slowly.

It turned out that after Su Li lured the Nightmare Beast away, the three of them found the kayak downstairs. They hadn’t immediately fled. Instead, they paddled circles around the building, intending to take Su Li with them.

When they heard the sound of Su Li and the Nightmare Beast falling into the water, they quickly paddled toward the direction where they fell, but they didn’t dare get too close. They only heard explosions and splashes coming from underwater. Unaware of the situation below, they could only guess that Su Li was fighting the Nightmare Beast.

They guessed Su Li was using the submerged building’s structure to hide from the Nightmare Beast and hoped he would quickly surface and climb into the kayak so they could flee together.

Daring not to get closer, the three waited anxiously in the distance, hoping Su Li would surface.

When the water finally went quiet, Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao were filled with despair, assuming the worst for Su Li. Only Xu Xuehui stubbornly believed Su Li was alive.

It was because of Xu Xuehui’s insistence that the three didn’t leave immediately. They continued to circle the building, slowly moving away while hoping to find something.

Seeing that the three hadn’t abandoned him, and despite the obvious danger, had stayed behind, Su Li felt a surge of warmth and emotion. He smiled and called out, “Come back! That thing is dead! You don’t have to worry anymore!”

Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao could hardly believe their ears.

“What? You said the Nightmare Beast is dead? How is that possible?” Ding Longyun shouted.

Gong Xiao looked at Xu Xuehui in surprise and said, “Xuehui also said the Nightmare Beast was dead. It seems it’s actually true.”

Xu Xuehui had mentioned the Nightmare Beast’s death earlier, but she hadn’t explained the process. Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao hadn’t entirely believed her. Although they knew her eyesight was exceptional, they couldn’t fathom how Su Li could have killed the Nightmare Beast. They were skeptical.

Hearing Su Li confirm it, they were finally convinced.

Ding Longyun swam in the water, pushing the kayak toward the building. He laughed heartily, “Su Li, hurry up and tell us how you killed the Nightmare Beast!”

Su Li smiled. “It’s a long story. I certainly didn’t kill the Nightmare Beast myself.”

As he spoke, he leaped from the window, jumping back into the water. However, he didn’t swim toward the kayak. Instead, he swam toward the Corpse Ship floating nearby.

Ding Longyun, seeing his direction, also changed course and swam toward the Corpse Ship.

Ding Longyun asked curiously, “Su Li, are you interested in this Corpse Ship?”

Su Li didn’t answer. He approached the Corpse Ship. Just moments ago, he had faintly heard a sound coming from the ship’s location. The sound was very subtle, and he couldn’t be sure if it was a human voice, the wind, or a splash. Since he was curious about the Nightmare Beast’s lair, he decided to take a closer look.

As he got closer, Su Li heard the sound again. This time, it was clearer. It sounded like a human voice.

“What’s going on?” Su Li frowned and stopped. The Corpse Ship was right in front of him.

The kayak drifted up behind him.

“Su Li, that thing is disgusting. Are you really interested in it?” Ding Longyun asked, perplexed.

Su Li replied, “I heard a sound coming from here, so I came to check.”

As he spoke, he climbed onto the Corpse Ship in front of him. Having endured many bloody and nauseating sights over the past few days, his tolerance level had drastically increased. Although the Corpse Ship was repulsive, Su Li endured it.

Stepping over the half-rotted, half-melted corpses, Su Li reached the center of the Corpse Ship.

A sound came from behind him. Su Li turned and saw that Gong Xiao had also climbed aboard.

“You’re not afraid of this Corpse Ship?” Su Li was surprised. Ding Longyun wouldn’t even step onto it, yet this young woman seemed unfazed by the disgust.

Gong Xiao narrowed her eyes. “You’re not afraid. Why should I be?”

Su Li felt that there was something strange in the way she looked at him, as if something had changed, though he couldn’t quite place it.

He smiled and shook his head, saying nothing, and walked toward the center of the Corpse Ship.

Suddenly, Gong Xiao lowered her voice. “Thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” Su Li stopped.

“If it weren’t for you tonight… we would have been in serious trouble. Thank you for saving our lives.”

Su Li smiled faintly and teased, “Since it’s a life debt, are you going to offer yourself to repay it?”

A blush immediately spread across Gong Xiao’s fair face. She gave him a look and said, “I’ll pass on offering myself. I’ll just have to repay your kindness by being your ox or horse in the next life.”

Su Li retorted, “What you said reminds me of a saying: if a handsome ancient hero saved a girl, the girl would often offer herself in marriage to repay the life debt. If the hero was ugly, the girl would say she would repay his kindness by being his ox or horse in the next life. Gong Xiao, are you implying that I’m ugly? I think I’m quite handsome, or at least not bad-looking.”

Su Li’s teasing amused her. She burst out laughing, then replied, “Shameless! You’re so self-obsessed.”

Ding Longyun slowly climbed onto the kayak. Seeing the two of them chatting and laughing on the Corpse Ship, he grew anxious. He called out, “Let’s go! This place stinks! You two have quite the nerve, flirting on a Corpse Ship of all places!”

Hearing Ding Longyun’s words, Gong Xiao’s cheeks flushed again. She retorted, “Brother Ding, what nonsense are you talking about? Who’s flirting with him? If you say that again, I’m going to call you Uncle Ding!”

Ding Longyun quickly waved his hands. “Alright, alright, I won’t say another word. Please don’t call me uncle! You’ll make me old before my time.”

Su Li reached the center of the Corpse Ship. The faint voice sounded again.

(End of Chapter)