Beneath the Black Water

Translator: Cinder Translations

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Under everyone's watchful eyes, a ship emerged from the mist, significantly larger than the one they were on. 

The moment they saw it clearly, all four of them experienced varying degrees of shock. 

The ship resembled an old-fashioned black-roofed boat with a square cabin on top, but what truly filled them with dread was that the entire vessel, from top to bottom, was painted a glaring blood-red color. 

Drifting within the fog, it looked less like a ship and more like a scarlet coffin. 

This must be their second ship. 

The one assigned to An Xuan and Xia Meng. 

Though there were no explicit rules, everyone present had the same thought—this blood-red ship was undoubtedly meant to carry corpses, specifically the "bride" they were supposed to retrieve. 

Without hesitation, An Xuan exerted some force to bring their boat closer. When the two vessels were about a meter apart, he took a deep breath and jumped onto the blood-red ship. 

There was nothing unusual on the deck, so Xia Meng followed suit. As they inspected the ship, they realized that, contrary to expectations, it was not new but rather extremely old. 

The blood-red color was not blood but paint. From a distance, it looked intact, but up close, the paint was peeling in spots, revealing the aged wood beneath. 

The entire boat seemed to have been submerged in water for an extended period—the moisture was heavy, some parts were already decaying, and a slight pull on the cabin's handle was enough to tear off a piece of rotted wood. 

Water dripped continuously from the cabin roof. 

"This ship doesn't seem like one that normally sails on the lake." Squatting at the cabin door, An Xuan stared inside and said, "It looks more like a sunken wreck that was pulled up." 

Xia Meng remained silent for a moment before responding, "That doesn't matter right now. Let's get them into the water first." 

Time was limited. According to the rules, they had to retrieve the ghost bride's corpse before the second drumbeat. 

They threw the ropes over. Fatty and Chen Qiang tied them securely around their waists, double-checking each other's knots. Staring at the pitch-black lake, Fatty trembled inwardly. 

There was no choice. Going down might mean death, but refusing to go down guaranteed it. 

Chen Qiang also seemed afraid, but he encouraged Fatty, "Brother Fatty, if you run into trouble down there, signal me, and I'll come help you." 

"Thanks," Fatty nodded at him. "Same goes for you—if you're in danger, signal me." 

Fatty had a decent impression of Chen Qiang. He didn't seem like the scheming type, and earlier, when choosing costumes, he had let Fatty pick first. 

If he could, Fatty figured he'd help him out. 

"Are you ready?" Xia Meng urged from the bow. "If so, don't waste time." 

Fatty glanced at the black water and swallowed hard. "Right here? The corpse bride is underwater around this area?" 

He hesitated. "But I remember Master Liao Zhi saying it should be closer to the shore." 

"Turn around and look," An Xuan interjected. 

Fatty turned his head and saw that the mist had thinned. Not far away, the stone-built embankment was faintly visible—right where Master Liao Zhi had pointed earlier that day. 

"Once you're down, use the rope to signal us." An Xuan tugged on the rope tied to them, ensuring they felt the pull. "One tug means you need to surface for air, two quick tugs mean danger, and we'll pull you up immediately. Three tugs mean you've found the body." 

"It's dark underwater. Stay within each other's reach," he added, his concern evident. "Whatever you do, don't separate." 

Splash! 

Thud!! 

The two men entered the water. 

Chen Qiang seemed experienced in diving, moving smoothly. Fatty, on the other hand, clumsily held his breath and followed suit. 

To their relief, the water wasn't as deep as they had feared, and there was even a faint bit of light. Normally, untrained individuals couldn't keep their eyes open underwater, but somehow, they both managed. 

Fatty puffed his cheeks and carefully groped around with his chubby hands. 

It was a terrifying, eerie feeling—he both wanted to touch something and didn't. 

Chen Qiang remained right behind him. 

They had agreed beforehand to stay back-to-back for safety. 

Surprisingly, the lakebed was clean, free from debris. Fatty even scooped up a handful of fine sand. 

Chen Qiang was just as puzzled. They both had an indescribable feeling—this place didn't seem like it had a corpse. 

Holding one's breath underwater was different from holding it on land. Fatty quickly ran out of air. He nudged Chen Qiang, and after exchanging a glance, they began pulling on the rope to signal their ascent. 

To their relief, those above immediately started pulling them up. Chen Qiang, being a better swimmer, helped himself up faster. 

Fatty, on the other hand, struggled. Kicking his legs clumsily, he tried to rise. The blurry outline of the boat was already visible above him. 

Thud! 

He misjudged and slammed his head against the bottom of the boat. 

Dizzy, he clung to the rope with one hand while groping for something to grab with the other—anything to pull himself out of the water. 

Finally, in his panic, he grabbed a hand. 

For a moment, relief washed over him—until he saw what he had grabbed. 

His body shivered uncontrollably. 

A split second later, an icy chill—ten times colder than the lake water—rushed through his entire being. 

He saw it. 

A bloated corpse was stuck beneath the boat. 

Dressed in a red wedding robe, it almost blended into the blood-red underside of the ship. 

Its rotting limbs, softened by the water, floated eerily with the current, resembling shredded seaweed. 

And the worst part? 

Fatty's right hand was gripping the corpse's—cold, boneless, and unnervingly slimy. 

A faint ripple passed through the water. 

The corpse's decayed, greenish face slowly turned toward him. 

The next second, Fatty's nearly-shut eyes snapped wide open in terror. 

—Something had gone wrong! 

In the room, Zuo Jing could no longer hold back. She abruptly sat up. 

Just moments ago, they had all heard the third drumbeat. 

According to the rules, the four who had left earlier should have returned with the "bride" before the third drumbeat sounded. 

Something was definitely wrong. 

Swallowing hard, You Qi stared at the door, fear evident in his eyes. 

"Why… why hasn't anyone come back?" 

"What the hell did they encounter out there?" 

(End of the Chapter)

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