Chapter 129: Danger Draws Near

Chapter 129

Listening to the people who were screaming while looking at her with horror, Mei felt both confused and bewildered. After listening carefully, she barely managed to make out what they were saying.

"Devil!"
"Grim Reaper!"
"Ah, don't kill me!"

What on earth was going on? Under her cloak, Mei could not help but frown.

Most of the people from the country on this side, while unable to understand what the others were saying, could tell from their terrified expressions and gestures that they were afraid of the girl who kept herself hidden under a cloak.

Everyone looked at each other, subconsciously distancing themselves from Mei. Seeing this, Mo Chen and the others immediately stepped forward to shield Mei, keeping a wary eye on the others. However, the appearance of Cyril, who was also wearing a cloak, only triggered even greater terror.

"Splash, splash!" Many people actually jumped back into the water!

Really, what kind of situation was this?

Mei flashed to the side of the ship, raised her right hand, and several green vines rapidly extended, dragging those who had jumped into the water back and dumping them onto the deck. Finding that they could not escape, the people knelt on the deck and began to beg Mei for mercy.

"Quiet! Or I'll kill you!" Mei, whose head was aching from the noise, finally could not help but threaten them.

Although her voice sounded delicate, her powerful aura was unmistakable, causing those people to fall silent in an instant, not daring to even breathe loudly. Seeing that they had finally quieted down, Mei curled her lip and walked back to Mo Chen and the others.

"What is wrong with these people? They seem so afraid of me and Cyril! What did we do? Why do they scream 'devil' and 'Grim Reaper' the moment they see us?" Mei complained to Mo Chen and the others, her tone carrying a hint of grievance.

Ye Jingxuan patted Mei’s head through her hood, then looked at Ling Feng and asked, "Colonel Ling, what is going on here?"

Ling Feng had been watching Mei since just a moment ago. He only withdrew his gaze at this point, pushed up his glasses, and explained calmly, "These are citizens of Country Y, who, like us, were invited to Country A to participate in the research for a zombie virus antidote. Unfortunately, their luck was poor. First, they encountered an attack by a giant sea beast, which damaged their ship. Later, they ran into a 'ghost ship' and were attacked again, leaving only these few who survived by jumping into the sea."

"A ghost ship?" Mei asked in surprise. Did things like ghost ships exist in this world? How come she didn't know?

"A ghost ship is simply an unmanned vessel. Because it is unmanned and suddenly appears on shipping lanes, it is called a ghost ship. However, it is clear that these people did not encounter that kind of ship," Mo Chen whispered to explain to Mei.

"Correct. They were ambushed on their ship, and what exactly attacked them is unclear. The only thing they could clearly identify was that the attackers were all wearing black hooded cloaks," Ling Feng continued.

No wonder they reacted that way to her and Cyril!

"Where did their ship encounter that ghost ship?" Ye Jingxuan asked.

"According to them, they first entered a sea area filled with thick fog, then the compass on their ship malfunctioned, and immediately after, the ghost ship appeared." As he was speaking, a light mist gradually rose on the sea surface.

Seeing the mist, the rescued people began to scream in panic again. Their representative spoke and gestured nervously, his speech so rapid that Mei could not understand a word.

While she did not understand, Ling Feng did. He calmly issued an order to his adjutant before translating for the group: "He says we are approaching that area, and this mist is the proof. If we continue to sail inward, the compass will suffer interference and fail. He hopes we will turn back now! I have already given the order, so everyone, please stay calm."

Hearing his words, the murmurs around them gradually subsided. However, many people still looked at Mei and Cyril with eyes full of scrutiny and doubt.

Finally, someone could no longer hold back and asked them, "Can we ask why you two are wearing cloaks?"

"Does that have anything to do with you?" Before Mei could speak, Mo Chen was already squinting at the man, speaking with displeasure.

"These two must be suspicious; otherwise, why are they afraid to show their true faces? We are all on the same boat, and if you are being so secretive, you must have something to hide!" A person with a short temper began to shout after hearing Mo Chen’s words.

This shouting immediately drew support from quite a few others. Of course, the majority were still watching from the sidelines; after all, not everyone had forgotten that if Mei hadn't acted yesterday, that tentacle monster would have dragged the ship to the bottom of the sea.

"Heh, 'something to hide'? You really have the nerve to say that! If we really wanted you dead, all we had to do yesterday was not intervene. How many of you would still be standing here?" Mo Chen sneered, speaking very bluntly.

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? Don't think that just because you did a little bit of work, you can act like we all survived thanks to you! We have so many Level 4 and 5 ability users here; are we really not as good as you few?" someone in the crowd immediately retorted, unconvinced.

"A mob," Ye Jingxuan stated expressionlessly, instantly drawing most of the hostility toward Mo Chen onto himself.

Ye Jingxuan's words infuriated many. Someone immediately rolled up their sleeves and rushed forward to teach him a lesson. "What did you say? What do you think you are? Do you believe I’ll finish you off right now?"

When Ye Jingxuan heard the man, a flash of red light flickered in his eyes. A flame, red with a tint of pale blue, instantly ignited on the man’s body.

"Ah—ah—ah—"

Screams rang out across the deck, and the man engulfed in flames rolled on the ground in agony. No one had expected these people to strike without warning. They were stunned for a moment before some water-type ability users ran over to extinguish the fire with their powers.

However, no matter how they used their water abilities, the flames refused to go out. Thinking it was due to insufficient ability levels, several higher-level water-type ability users emerged from the crowd and joined forces, surrounding the man with water.

Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, the flames showed no sign of being extinguished even in the water; they continued to burn.

What kind of fire was this? How could it be so eerie?

The water-type ability users looked at each other and retreated in unison, terrified of being touched by the fire.

"Colonel, what do you think?" Seeing the man's screams gradually weakening, the adjutant asked Ling Feng for instructions.

Ling Feng, who had not spoken until now, stepped forward and said calmly, "I think everyone has witnessed their strength. Can we stop now?"

Ye Jingxuan didn't even glance at him, nor did he intend to retract the flames.

"Miss Mei!" Ling Feng shifted his gaze to Mei.

This man was truly something; he used this tactic every time! Whenever there was a dispute, he never intervened, waiting until the conflict escalated or was about to be resolved before stepping in to mediate. He was truly cunning!

Mei couldn't help but complain about Ling Feng in her heart, but she still reached out and tugged at Ye Jingxuan's sleeve, signaling that it was enough.

Only then did Ye Jingxuan withdraw the flames. The man's skin was charred black all over. Although ability users immediately stepped forward to treat his wounds, even after the injuries healed, he remained in a state of barely hanging on to life.

Seeing this, Ling Feng waved his hand, ordering people to carry the man away and hand him over to the experts for examination.

Seeing the man's condition, Mei knew he had been damaged at the soul level by the flames infused with dark energy. Physical wounds were easy to cure, but soul damage was something those experts could not resolve.

This person was effectively ruined.

Mei concluded in her heart, then withdrew her gaze and turned to Ling Feng. "Shouldn't you say something, Colonel Ling? You are the highest authority on this ship, after all. Do you intend to just watch?"

"Miss Mei, while those people were impulsive earlier, some of what they said was not entirely wrong. This cloak of yours is not an ordinary one, is it? Is there a reason why you and your friend keep wearing it?" Ling Feng asked lightly.

"Colonel Ling, by saying that, are you also suspecting us?" Mo Chen asked coldly.

"Of course not. To be honest, the words of those Country Y people are just one side of the story; there is not a shred of evidence to confirm the truth of their claims. I am simply a bit curious."

Ling Feng was very eloquent. In just two sentences, he not only cleared his own name but also pushed the responsibility onto the people from Country Y. The ability users from Country Y who were present realized only then that they had been impulsive! Suspecting their own companions based only on a few words from the others was indeed unreasonable.

Some felt ashamed, while others still clung to their beliefs, convinced that Mei and her group must have something to hide. But regardless of their stance, after seeing Ye Jingxuan's display of power, no one dared to step forward and speak again.

"Actually, it’s nothing. I just suffered a severe illness a while ago. Although I recovered, it left some sequelae that I don't want others to see, which is why I keep the cloak on. Does this explanation satisfy you, Colonel Ling?"

"Could you take it off and let us see?" Ling Feng did not give others a chance to object, immediately adding, "I have already ordered the ship to turn around, but as things stand, not only have we failed to exit the fog, we have driven deeper into it. If you keep wearing it, I fear that when we truly encounter those attackers, it will lead to you being mistaken for them. What do you think?"

Hearing Ling Feng’s words, everyone present realized that the fog all around them was growing thicker.

Mei heard Ling Feng's explanation, thought about it for a moment, and said, "Colonel Ling makes a point. In that case, it doesn't matter if I let you see."

As she spoke, Mei lifted her hand and removed her hood, revealing her delicate face. Her long hair cascaded down, just enough to cover her ears, which were different from those of ordinary people. The main reason she wore this cloak was to hide her ears to avoid unnecessary trouble. Who would have guessed that by sheer coincidence, someone else would be using cloaks to carry out attacks, and she would end up with even more trouble because of it?

That was enough!

She had better not run into those people, or she would certainly ensure they never returned!