Chapter 268: 267. Chapter 267: Ghost Ship Incident Ends: Twist……

267. Chapter 267: Ghost Ship Incident Ends: Twist……

In the quiet room, after Anna broke up with her boyfriend, she flung herself past the butler's harsh glare onto the soft velvet-covered bed.

Her black hair spread out, Anna lay on the bed with a flushed face, her fingers playing with a paper-folded heart, staring at it blankly for a while.

Suddenly they picked up Miss Wendy at the foot of the bed: "Dear."

She said, then her gaze paused; Miss Wendy was biting a red small ball, nervously looking at her owner, Anna stared at it in surprise—she could be sure she had never given this toy.

The dog looked even more like it loved the ball.

Anna rubbed the dog's ears, her smile gentle and calm: "Wendy, I didn't see you today—did you go out with other friends?"

She tapped the dog's head, and Wendy lay in her owner's arms, letting out a soft whimper.

Anna faintly smelled something irritating, but she didn't think much of it; Wendy in her arms, however, leapt down and jumped into the doghouse because of it.

Still holding the red ball in her mouth, looking guilty, Anna shook her head and lay down on the bed, smiling.

She counted the intricate patterns one by one, but in her mind replayed the scene of herself and Jiésītè, not knowing when she fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, it was to a loud bout of barking.

Anna immediately felt the unbearable heat in the room, as if she were standing beside a furnace; she could swear she had never opened the fireplace, and fine beads of sweat poured from her cheeks, almost too much to bear.

The usually quiet Miss Wendy let out a fierce howl for the first time, jumping onto the bed to lick her owner's face while biting her pajamas, as if trying to pull her outside.

Her hand brushed the paper-folded heart, startling her upright as she saw a mass of black smoke rolling in.

She looked out the door again: a huge fire blazed, flames licking the wooden door frame, emitting an indescribable heat, the surrounding space seeming to bake and warp.

"It's on fire!" was her first reaction; she immediately prepared to leave, and with a bang, sparks flew everywhere.

Burning coals scattered across the floor, thick black smoke billowed in, and the room quickly became impossible to see; Anna, in her haste, wet a towel and covered her and Wendy's mouths and noses.

She shouted for help, her voice and the smoke carrying outward; the guard outside reacted quickly, rushed over, and upon seeing the raging flames, stumbled back in shock.

Their faces were full of terror, not wanting to take even a step forward, yet their mouths weren't idle: "Fire! Fire! Come save us!"

Cries of alarm and screams, all kinds of noise, rang out together.

Jiésītè, stationed at the first-class cabin entrance, was the first to hear the sound; a very kind young man, he immediately ran over.

Someone saw a white flash skim past the ground, couldn't help but grow curious, then looked aside and exclaimed, "What is that? My goodness! What a huge fire!"

Harley's ears were practically flying, its four legs off the ground, as if it had heard Miss Wendy's voice, and the dog let out a whiny bark.

The fire was terrifying, but fortunately it hadn't fully ignited yet; people kept throwing water, yet the basins and even cups in their hands were utterly futile against the roaring blaze.

Before professional firefighters dared to arrive, no one dared to come within half a step.

At that moment, the nervous Jiésītè felt that upon seeing the burning room, he nearly fainted, staggered a few steps, then quickly steadied himself, snatched a nearby iron basin, and poured all the cold water over himself.

The gentleman bringing water stared in shock: "God, what are you doing? You savage!"

The next moment, Savage Jiésītè plunged straight into the sea of fire.

A white flash rolled in the water and then followed him in.

Someone cried out, "Heavens, that's a dog!"

"What? A dog? Is it seeking death?"

The person who said that was shocked, yet didn't move an inch; they chattered on, their contempt nearly solidifying into a mask.

【Anyone can flap their gums—if you've got the guts, go in and save someone!】

【A bunch of people are just splashing water—no one's actually rescuing anyone!】

Outside the room no one dared approach, Jiésītè and Harley charged into the blaze one after another.

The scorching heat baked the skin, even breathing felt like fire, agony overwhelming, and Jiésītè couldn't afford the slightest delay.

Anna and the little dog were trapped inside, the smoke choking, she coughed nonstop; despite wrapping a wet towel around herself and Wendy, both person and dog still suffered greatly.

She hid in the corner, dazed, as if hearing footsteps.

Anna shook her head. "How could that be?"

Suddenly she heard a bang—a figure threw himself in without regard for his own safety and grabbed her in a hug!

A familiar scent flooded her nostrils, her body suddenly lifted, and shocked Anna tilted her head slightly to see the man's firm jawline; her shining eyes, like a pure sea, gradually rippled.

Harley seized Wendy in his teeth and burst out in one breath.

After reaching safety, it saw Miss Wendy's fur singed black, and immediately felt heartbroken, blaming itself with whimpers: "It's all my fault—I came too late, Wendy, are you okay?"

It paced anxiously in circles around Wendy.

"Cough cough cough! Cough cough!" Wendy coughed several times, her short fur singed black, she lay on the ground panting, her eyes full of gentle light.

Wendy wagged her tail: "I'm fine, I'm fine."

With a pat, the little red ball it had been holding in its mouth fell to the ground, and Wendy sighed, "I'm still okay."

Seeing its state, Harley felt excited and happy, wanting to wag its tail, but discovered it could feel nothing, a sharp pain shot through it, making it involuntarily suck in a sharp breath.

Only then did it look over.

Miss Wendy cried out, "Your tail…"

Harley was undoubtedly a beautiful dog, possessing a grace ordinary dogs could not match; its tail was soft and fluffy, and when its fur flared, it resembled a blooming white flower with black spots.

But now, that flower behind it was reduced to a short stub, the tip black as coal; evidently, during the rescue it suffered an accident—whether burned by the flames or broken by a heavy object, no one knows.

It had lost a section of its tail.

Harley stuck out its tongue: "It's fine as long as Miss Wendy is okay."

Wendy lowered her head sadly, her raised mouth instantly drooping, its ears also pulled back, until its wet tongue licked its fur……

The two dogs huddled together in the corner.

Almost everyone had gathered on the other side, seeing the man rush out of the fire; the elegant noblewoman covered her mouth in shock, and even the so‑called gentleman couldn't help but stare at them in astonishment.

"Good heavens, Miss Anna!"

"Miss Anna was actually in there? Saved by that rude savage?"

"Miss Anna, are you alright?"

These people rushed forward; Jiesite and the others were completely unable to move. Seeing how deeply they cared for their beloved, he finally relaxed, his whole body staggering as he collapsed to the ground.

"Jiesite!" Soft fingers cupped his head, stroking his cheeks, his whole body smoky and scorched, his handsome face streaked with smoke, making him look like Jiesite, and he finally put his mind at ease.

"Anna." He whispered softly, his tense body suddenly feeling a sharp pain in his back; he hadn't noticed it before, but now it was agonizing, causing him to faint outright.

Anna's face turned pale as she saw her beloved suddenly lose consciousness; she was stunned for a moment, then reacted: "Jiesite? Jiesite, what happened to you?"

Her hand touched a wet patch; she pulled it back, and the shocking red of blood burned her eyes, instantly drawing a gasp from the crowd.

"Good heavens, he's injured!"

"Doctor? Doctor? Come quickly to save him!"

The scene instantly descended into chaos, but no matter what, Jiesite was Anna's lifesaver, and she was determined to take good care of him.

Jiesite rescued Miss Anna in the fire, but he suffered a superficial wound on his back that looked horrible; he would at least need to rest for a while.

But he turned misfortune into blessing; under Anna's care, he not only moved into the room next to his beloved's, but also enjoyed a blissful, inseparable happiness.

The strict butler looked at Miss Anna and, uncommonly, reminded her: "Miss Anna, don't forget that your fiancé is waiting for you on the other shore."

In an instant, her complexion wilted like a flower suddenly drying up, overcast with a gloomy hue.

Anna wished the ship would never reach the opposite shore!

The ensuing time suddenly sped up; as the male and female leads' pure love progressed, the original crew of the Princess ship, one after another, became cannon fodder.

Ling Yue sensed that everything was coming to an end.

She stood on the deck gazing into the distance as a passing noblewoman, linked arm-in-arm with a gentleman, lightly tugged at her thick fur stole: "Dear, why is it getting colder and colder?"

The old gentleman took a puff of his cigarette: "Cold? Isn't that just how it is at sea? Let's go back to our cabin; we'll warm up right away."

He put his arm around the woman's waist and slowly walked back to the cabin.

But Ling Yue clearly remembered having seen that gentleman's wife at the ball earlier, and this face was definitely not hers.

In the quiet night, the biting sea wind swept over the waves, sending chills, when a huge roar suddenly sounded!

Everyone who was sound asleep was jolted awake, followed immediately by a sharp, prolonged alarm that echoed throughout the ship.

Everyone was frightened, faces pallid as they hurriedly dressed; the timid nobles huddled in their rooms, while the brave ones turned out to be the lowly folk they utterly despised.

"What's happening? What occurred?"

"What's wrong? What was that sound just now? It scared me to death!"

A surging crowd poured onto the deck; at the same time, the crew issued a warning over the loudspeaker that rang across the heavens: "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm—the ship has struck an iceberg; we will immediately launch the lifeboats and contact nearby vessels! Please do not panic!"

!!!

Who the hell wouldn't be afraid!

The ship actually hit an iceberg! No wonder a freezing blast hit their faces; countless people trembled as they looked ahead, and in the lantern light the tip of the extremely cold iceberg quietly emerged, while its far larger, indescribable bulk remained hidden beneath the water.

Human power cannot alter it; time and space repeat once more, and in fate everyone is destined to sink.

Amidst the screams, everyone began to tremble, praying or trying to save themselves, as the ship with a huge hole started to sink; by ordinary reasoning such a large vessel should take some time, yet to the viewers in the livestream chat it seemed that in the blink of an eye the ship, bereft of support, lifted one end out of the water.

The ensuing footage resembled the grand spectacle of a disaster film, as separations and deaths began to unfold.

Daelina and several crew members were thrown straight into the sea.

It's over!

She closed her eyes, instinctively clutching the talisman before her chest; the next moment, seawater surged from all directions, she struggled, but beneath her hand she felt something soft.

"Whoosh"

The inky black sea surface split open, and Anna, soaked all over, lay upon the soft thing; she opened her eyes, the talisman in her hand reduced to ash, and fresh air filled her lungs.

"Cough cough cough!"

What's going on? Where am I?

She dazedly lowered her head; under the night sky, dolphins hovered lightly on the water, excitedly shouting to their peers: "I, I've picked up an adorable human!"

Dolphin calls came from all directions.

"I've picked one up too!"

"Me too!"

"Whee whee whee~" The dolphins glided along, blissfully, watching the great ship capsize; the handsome humans had not lied to the dolphins—surely they could pick up an adorable human here!

This pod of dolphins isn't large, but they have more than enough capacity to rescue the falling humans.

Ling Yue glanced at that sea area; the overturned ship's hull was lifted high, and almost everyone was scrambling for the lifeboats—never mind etiquette, in the face of death the ugliness of human nature was laid bare, with people even fighting each other, let alone two dogs.

Even if one could swim, in the freezing seawater there is a risk of hypothermia or loss of strength.

Harley clenched a plank in his mouth and ran toward Wendy: "Come with me! I'll stay with you; we'll definitely survive!"

Wendy stared at him fixedly, then bared her teeth in a grin: "You silly dog!"

"Your script is over; mine isn't finished yet!"

It dove headfirst into the water.

Anna was at the brink of life and death, gripping the railing; the bolts, loosened, creaked loudly, while on the other side was Jiesite—clearly, their combined weight was enough to topple it.

If no decision is made soon, the balance will quickly give way, and they could both plunge to their deaths at any moment.

"Anna."

Jiesite gazed lovingly at his beloved: "I love you."

He leapt, like a kite whose string had snapped, plunging into the icy, bone‑chilling sea; the tremendous impact made his scalp tingle, he miraculously didn't die, but he was submerged in the freezing water, and when he saw his girlfriend again, she was sitting in a lifeboat.

The dazed Jiesite seemed to sense something amiss, but it was brushed aside, while the nearby tourists glared at them angrily.

"Miss Anna, the ship can only take one more person; if you want your lover aboard, then you must go down yourself!"

Jiesite clung desperately to her hand; the icy seawater soaked his body, the piercing chill made him shiver violently, his limbs stiffening.

"Anna, Anna…"

Facing her beloved's gaze, the girl's eyes reddened, on the verge of tears.

Jiesite exhaled a puff of white smoke, his deathly pale face turned toward his beloved; his eyes held only reluctance and love as he kissed her forehead: "I love you."

The parting forehead kiss made him willing to sacrifice his life; he was about to let go and sink underwater when Anna suddenly shoved him away, laughing ferociously like a madwoman.

He had never seen Anna like this; he stared at her in disbelief, exhaling a breath: "Anna? What's wrong with you?"

"Fake, it's all fake!"

The girl's smile was radiant, her brows and eyes long since lost their former innocence; her heavy smoky makeup and deep‑red nails made her look like a bewitching sea siren.

She cupped Jiesite's face and sighed: "Why wasn't it you back then? Why didn't you appear sooner?"

In an instant, the hourglass of time flipped, and everything returned to the starting point.

When Dailinna on the dolphin's back looked again at the sea surface, there was no struggling person to be seen—only a deathly silence; no wonder those dolphins, even if they hadn't seen anyone, wouldn't bother to salvage.

A chill ran up his back—those weren't people at all!

That magnificent ship suddenly underwent a drastic change, becoming rotten and dilapidated exactly like the vessel he had glimpsed earlier.

The Statue of Liberty, severed at the waist, reappeared ahead; large patches of paint had peeled away to reveal a rusted hull, covered in spiderwebs and stark white bones.

【Holy crap! I just turned around to grab a snack, and it turned out like this!】

【Hey, buddy, who are you?】

【Where's the ship? Where's my big beautiful ship? Who are you?】

【Is this a domestic special effect? OMG! So awesome!】

【……】

Now everyone could see that Anna was the **boss; she stood up, and on her wobbly little boat, the others vanished instantly.

She looked at Jiesite with a smiling gaze: "You are the only man I have chosen correctly in the past near‑century."

Her scarlet nails lightly brushed the man's face: "Congratulations——"

The dolphin carrying Dailinna watched the whole scene; upon seeing the woman—ah, no, the female ghost—say that, she instantly rejoiced, for since it was the correct choice, her brother surely wouldn't die!

"Pfft——"

A dagger pierced the man's heart, and Anna finally spoke her unfinished words: "You will still die."

"Everyone who boards this ship is destined to be a sacrifice to the ghost ship!"

Her aura flared, she resembled a great demon lord; Dailinna was so frightened she nearly fainted, the rippling water sounds reached her, and seeing the person beside her, a fierce light burst in her eyes: "Master, save me!"

Anna looked at Ling Yue, a flicker of gravity in her eyes; she had never noticed Ling Yue before, and she felt both doubtful and cautious about this sudden appearance.

Ling Yue looked at the girl, certain she was a girl; even the heavy smoky makeup couldn't hide her true age, and she said only: "You are also a sacrifice."

【What does that mean?】

【It's simple enough—Anna was also someone who once died on the ship, also a sacrifice, but she fortunately became the **boss; I still can't understand why she turned into a BOSS.】

Anna's expression shifted abruptly; she tried to command her minions, and the ghosts rushed at Ling Yue—the dense crowd of specters looked intensely oppressive.

Little did she know Ling Yue's true ability; the girl's soft, fair fingertip lightly touched a Moon Lotus Soul Lotus Seed, which innately suppresses all yin evil: "A point of spiritual light—extinguish!"

Amidst the wails and howls, these bizarre monsters turned into weathered sand and grit, vanishing in an instant.

Anna instantly realized she was no match; as she prepared to leave, a silent stream coiled like chains around her, and Ling Yue appeared at her side: "You can't escape."

Apparently knowing she was doomed, Anna burst into manic laughter, her black hair flying, her brows and eyes gloomy—she looked like a vicious ghost clawed up from hell.

Ling Yue sighed, gazing pityingly at the girl, who felt her stare like a hedgehog raising its spines: "What are you sighing for? Are you pitying me? On what grounds do you pity me?"

Ling Yue hadn't come away empty‑handed either; in a corner they hadn't noticed, she learned the ship's identity and story.

It had nothing to do with the Titanic, nor was it from the same era—it was a vessel even older than the Titanic that lost contact during a voyage out to sea.

As for Anna, she was a passenger on that ship; unexpectedly, she was not a noble lady but a simple, bright, and cheerful ordinary girl who left her hometown for a distant land.

The girl's beauty attracted many admirers; while fending off an assault, she accidentally bumped into a wealthy young master, and the frightened maiden, like a startled deer, had wet, blue eyes that tugged at the heart.

The man's innate flaw made him instantly take a liking to the lovely maiden; after securing her, he abandoned her. Poor Anna still didn't know what had happened; later, the ship met a disaster, and the impoverished pregnant girl was cast overboard—alas, no one escaped, and the intense resentment turned her into the ghost ship's controller.

The ghost ship needs fresh blood to sustain it, drifting forever on the sea, incessantly devouring passing vessels, and thus growing ever stronger.

In Anna's script, she is forever the abandoned party; for centuries, no one had chosen her—Jiesite was the first.

He willingly gave up his life for his lover.

The story in novels and films remains just a story; reality could hardly reenact it even once.

Upon hearing Ling Yue lay out the whole story, Anna's expression went mad: "Shut up! I told you to shut up!"

The audience that heard the truth was both shocked and sympathetic.

【Ah… she's so pitiful…】

【But this isn't why she killed people; isn't it even worse that Jiesite never came to his senses till death, and he'd rather die than give up his girlfriend?】

【If you say the earlier victims deserved it, what did Jiesite do wrong? What did the other unlucky souls do wrong?】

【A bloodbath caused by a scumbag!】

【Holy shit, what movie was this filmed for? It's damn real!】

【(*oωo)? Where'd this newcomer come from?】

【Quick look, killing people—ah, no, killing ghosts!】

Ling Yue extended her hand, her soft fingertips swallowing and emitting light; her gaze was like a sharp blade, unbearable to meet directly.

As for what was about to happen, some couldn't bear to watch and instinctively closed their eyes.

Yet the girl's expected scream did not come; many furtively opened their eyes, and Ling Yue flicked her fingertip—Sun‑Moon Mystic Light Slash lashed to one side, and a piercing wail suddenly rang out—

The sea surface surged with towering waves; in the drenched water, a neither‑male‑nor‑female voice made scalps tingle and bodies tremble, and its source finally appeared before everyone's eyes.

【!!! He isn't the butler, is he?】

Ling Yue looked at the gravely injured old man: "Will you tell the truth, or shall I?"

【What's going on? This is a twist?!】

The old butler let out a creepy chuckle twice; the human skin on his body peeled away, revealing a pale, withered face like the gnarled roots of an old tree—just one look sends people's sanity plummeting.

He held a crystal ball in his hand, his regretful gaze fixed on Anna, his dry, hoarse voice sounding like sandpaper scraping: "You are indeed the sacrifice I specially chose."

Anna likewise stared in shock at him; for some reason, her heart sank straight down, she could hardly make a sound, dazed by everything before her: "What are you saying?"

"What sacrifice? What are you talking about?" In a dim intuition, she sensed a possibility, and her spirit-form body actually began to tremble.

In the terrifying old man's narration, the netizens, including everyone present, also heard another completely different story.

"I am a genius of the wizard world; if you give me another five years, I will surely escape the death tribulation! But I have no time……"

The aging wizard, whose end was near, recalled a certain ** he had once collected; it contained a dark art that could summon a devil through sacrifice, strike a deal with it, and transform the summoner into another form to achieve immortality.

Anna, with such a pure and flawless soul, was the devil's sacrifice he had taken a liking to at first sight.

The wizard's narration continued; beforehand, he still had to train the sacrifice into a form the devil likes.

Thus, the innocent poor girl Anna from the lower classes became a plaything of a wealthy young master; the rich heir who toyed with her deceived and then abandoned her, letting her die in resentment.

The maritime disaster was also his doing; a whole ship's crew perished in unquenchable heavenly fire, and the girl was even licked by a fire snake, becoming a sacrifice.

She resented all faithless men, but in fact she was merely a pawn in someone else's hands.

Only afterward did he discover that the sacrifice technique left him able to drift only on the sea; furthermore, to keep the life-bound ghost ship afloat, he must continually offer lives and souls as sacrifices to sustain his existence.

Thus, tales of the ghost ship keep spreading, but anyone who actually sees it ends up dead.

【Holy shit, this old bastard!】

【My god, utterly insane! Perverse! No wonder he's so ugly—ugly outside, uglier inside!】

After he finished speaking, he burst out laughing; this laugh made people's sanity plummet even more, their scalps going numb.

"I've finished; that you can hear this story is simply extremely fortunate."

He boasted unhurriedly, as if everything were under his control.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows, utterly unable to comprehend him: "What makes you so confident?"

The wizard stared, his wounds instantly igniting his rage; as his hands just slapped the water surface, they turned into countless tentacles, but Ling Yue had already taken off the lotus seeds from her wrist.

The cords formed from spiritual power instantly scattered; the emerald-green lotus seeds arranged into a formation, and in an instant, the spiritual energy within a hundred-mile radius was swept clean.

Heavy black clouds covered the sky, thunder and lightning began to flash.

Heavenly portents, karmic fire thunder tribulation!

The wizard trapped in the formation turned to flee, but in the next moment countless crimson lotus karmic fires rained down within it; flames licked him, he had become a vessel, the souls he couldn't devour in time turned into human faces that clung to his body, feeling the burn of the karmic fire, wails rose all around.

A faint greenish firefly rose silently.

Ling Yue pointed to the sky; within the ink‑like cloud mass, thunder and fire suddenly struck down, the weak "firefly" fluttered for two seconds, then turned into drifting ashes.

The wizard's anguished cry cut off abruptly at the same moment.

Over the dark, deep and still sea, myriad points of fireflies filled the sky, flashing with multicolored light.

Ling Yue withdrew her bracelet: "These are the souls he couldn't absorb in time; now they can be reincarnated."

Suddenly a female voice rang out; Darlina pointed at Anna with one hand, her eyes brimming with hatred and pain: "Master, there's also her! This demon killed my brother—hurry and kill her!"

As her words fell, the sea surface suddenly sounded with a "splash".

On the calm sea a string of bubbles rose; a sodden head suddenly broke the surface, the man wiped his face, shook off the droplets, and his gaze toward the crowd grew a bit bewildered.

"What... what is wrong with me?" ，，.