Chapter 499: The Bleak and Terrifying School: Hell Voyage

Fuyuan City, on its seaside side.

In the underground passage, people came and went; nearby was a vacation island and a university, drawing many tourists and students.

Wu Xian had long since seen this scenery.

But the people here were no longer the same people.

Wu Xian bought a white flower from a girl selling flowers, then went to a stall selling egg-wrapped sausage and bought one, placing the flower in the iron pipe on his bike frame.

“You’re…”

“Hold it for me a bit—then I’ll throw it away.”

Saying this,

Wu Xian walked out of the underground passage with the egg-wrapped sausage.

He had chosen the entrance to the Fudi nearby, so on impulse he came to the underground passage to pay his respects.

Outside the passage.

The sun blazed fiercely; tourists in sun hats came and went, vendors shouted to sell overpriced goods, and everyone’s face wore a smile.

I wonder how many of these people will vanish alongside Wu Xian.

Wu Xian followed the map’s directions.

He arrived at the dock and bought a ticket for the 9:45 a.m. ferry; the Fudi’s entrance was not on land but out at sea, and judging by the time, it must be this very ship.

Wu Xian stood on the shore, letting the sea breeze blow on him, then caught a seagull trying to snatch his egg-wrapped sausage, scared it off, and let the squawking bird fly away.

Thus,

it was time to board.

The passenger ferry to the vacation island was painted pure white, looking simple yet upscale.

But inside, it was crude: the deck was covered in patterned non-slip steel plates, the floor was damp, and the large cabin held rows of shiny plastic seats like a train station.

No food or drink was provided, only an exorbitantly priced convenience store where a packet of instant noodles cost twenty yuan.

Wu Xian found a clean seat and sat down.

He observed the people around him.

The cabin was large but sparsely filled; most were young people, likely students from nearby schools, accustomed to this ferry, merely sitting and playing on their phones.

There were also three women in bright clothing—probably staff from the vacation island.

Tourists were few.

Most tourists were outside on the deck, taking photos of the seagulls flying by with their phones.

Beyond these people,

all others were those Wu Xian needed to pay attention to.

First was the large, muscular man sitting beside Wu Xian—he was Su Mi, who had once cooperated with Wu Xian; upon seeing him, Su Mi was overjoyed and sat down beside him with easy familiarity.

Second was a woman with a ponytail, dressed in neat hiking gear.

Third was a pale young man lying on his seat, looking as if he were about to die—he suffered severe seasickness and had been lying still since vomiting his stomach contents.

In Wu Xian’s view, only these three seemed like favored people.

Su Mi, needless to say; the woman’s clothes weren’t for leisure, and the weak young man’s seasickness was too extreme—he wouldn’t endure such torment just to vacation.

As for the others, their identities were hard to judge.

There was the flower girl Wu Xian had just met, carrying a basket of flowers—perhaps selling flowers on the island was more profitable.

There was also a flashy middle-aged man in a bright red floral suit, with a small mustache and large sunglasses, his hands resting on the backs of the seats, one leg crossed over the other, his leather shoes gleaming.

Another pair of men and women sat by the window, each clutching a canvas bag, their eyes darting nervously around as if fearing something chased them…

There were too many people on the ship.

Wu Xian couldn’t observe everyone, so he could only take it one step at a time.

After several minutes of sailing,

the shore scenery gradually shrank. Suddenly,

the ferry began to shake violently; the cabin lights dimmed, and male crew members shouted loudly, uttering words Wu Xian couldn’t make out.

Tourists on the deck screamed and rushed into the cabin.

Chaos erupted.

Then everyone saw a massive wave crash against the ship, jolting it violently.

Wu Xian’s lips twitched.

Could this Fudi really begin with a shipwreck?

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The cabin grew crowded as more people surged in.

Feet stepped on feet, shoulders pressed against shoulders, luggage bumped into each other; a black plastic bag flew onto Su Mi’s face, its salted fish head slamming into his mouth, drawing blood from his gums.

Wu Xian wasn’t faring any better—fat women pressed against him both front and back.

Su Mi angrily stood up.

There were so few people on this ship, so much space—why crowd like this? But as soon as he rose, he sat back down.

“Brother Xian, it’s begun!”

Wu Xian, curled up on his seat, nodded with difficulty.

Yes.

The Fudi had begun.

These people suddenly flooding in were not the tourists who had been on the deck—they were the Fudi’s original inhabitants! Dusty, with families in tow, carrying bundles, their faces filled with worry; foul odors filled the cabin—old men coughed, women quarreled, children cried…

The noise, the stench, and the violent rocking made Wu Xian, who never suffered from seasickness, feel nauseous.

Puke! Others had already begun vomiting.

Smelling the vomit, Su Mi couldn’t hold back—he spat out a stream of white protein powder solution.

Wu Xian closed his eyes, forcing himself to endure; his stomach churned, and his body was constantly jostled by the two fat women, worsening his dizziness.

Everyone endured.

Praying they wouldn’t need anything, for the cabin was so packed, so utterly immobile; after only half an hour, Wu Xian heard an old man groaning.

“I—I can’t breathe.”

“Please, just give me a little space—I need fresh air.”

But the old man’s plea went unanswered.

Everyone around him was trapped, unable to move; the old man’s breathing grew faster, rasping like a bellows.

Eventually, the old man died.

But his corpse was pinned between several people, unable to even fall.

Some could fall.

But those who fell met a worse fate—they were crushed by the crowd, bones broken under countless feet, suffocating beneath them.

There were no malevolent spirits on this ship, yet it was a human hell.

I wonder how much longer the voyage will last.

If it exceeds two days, at least half of these people on board probably won’t survive! Yet Wu Xian noticed the original inhabitants rarely complained; though suffering from the harsh conditions, their eyes held hope—as if reaching the ship’s destination would solve all their problems.

I don’t know how long passed.

Night fell, and the cabin turned pitch black.

But the ship stopped.

They had reached their destination!

(End of Chapter)