It was clear that Zheng Jun was still quite wary of Wu Rendi. Although their exact relationship remained unknown, there was a trace of caution in Zheng Jun's tone when he spoke. Wu Rendi, however, maintained his usual aloof attitude, indifferent to everyone. This only made Zheng Jun more uneasy.
Just then, a lazy voice sounded from behind: "Twenty years without seeing you, brother, yet you still carry that same style." As he spoke, the young white-haired man stepped forward. His sudden appearance startled Zheng Jun, who quickly moved to stand behind the young white-haired man. Wu Rendi glanced at him, the domineering fierceness in his eyes softening slightly, but his sharp tone remained, "Nonsense. If you ever see me lose my style, then that would really be your skill."
"Wu Mian!" Zheng Jun in black abruptly barked, "Who are you talking to? Aren't you being a bit too reckless?" Wu Rendi gave him a sidelong glance, snorted, shook his head, and turned his gaze away without bothering to say more. Zheng Jun's face flushed red — if not for the presence of the young white-haired man, he might have already lost his temper and come to blows. Behind them, we exchanged glances. Wu Director was just like the saying: "A man's temper matches his ability." Hao Wenming frowned, about to intervene, but was held back by Fatty Sun and Xiao Heshang simultaneously. Fatty Sun whispered softly, "Let's just see how this plays out…"
"Qianhu… you've been reckless," the young white-haired man slowly turned to Zheng Jun and said, "Brother Wu Mian is not wrong. His profound and mysterious skills are beyond what we can comprehend. You've drifted at sea with me for so many years, yet your temper remains fiery. How am I supposed to feel at ease with you like this…" His voice trailed off into a melancholy tone, the last part left unspoken.
Before Zheng Jun could reply, Wu Rendi sighed deeply. Though his tone was still slightly biting, his voice had softened considerably: "It's rare to hear you say that. Had your mindset and depth of strategy been half as strong as it is now back then, you wouldn't have lost your Fourth Uncle. I won twenty years of life over Yao Guangxiao, but you lost everything. Dao Yan was right: until the last piece falls, who dares to speak of victory or defeat?"
Zheng Jun had been silent with his head bowed, but upon hearing Wu Rendi's words, he suddenly bowed slightly toward him and said, "I was rash. I hope you don't mind." Without waiting for a response, he returned to stand behind the young white-haired man as if nothing had happened. The young white-haired man nodded in approval, then turned to Wu Rendi and said, "Another twenty years have passed. It's hard on you again."
Wu Rendi snorted and returned to his signature expression of impatience. "I don't mind. If I had time to waste, I'd have gone back to the mainland already." He glanced at us casually, then turned back to the young white-haired man. "Wait for me here. I need to take care of some personal matters. Fatty, come here." Wu Director beckoned Fatty Sun over with a finger.
"Wu Director, don't bother. You can just say it here," Fatty Sun teased with a playful smile, refusing to come closer. Wu Rendi's expression darkened. "If you don't come over, do you want me to come to you?" Both the young white-haired man and Zheng Jun were momentarily stunned. The young white-haired man asked Wu Rendi, "He's not your… relative?" "My relative? He said that himself?" Wu Rendi laughed angrily.
At that moment, Fatty Sun, grinning sheepishly, walked over and said, "I just said that casually. You all heard it, so that's that. Don't take it seriously. Just a joke between us."
"Come here, relative. Explain this to me. What's going on?" Wu Rendi spoke, pulling a jade pendant out of his pocket. This pendant had originally hung around Shao Yiyi's neck. Somehow Fatty Sun had gotten it, and then Xiao Heshang had hung it on the Soul-Calming Bell.
What you fear most has come to pass. Seeing the jade pendant made Fatty Sun feel uneasy; after hesitating, he said, "Wu Director, maybe we should talk somewhere private?" Wu Rendi shot him a sidelong glance. "There's nothing to hide. We'll talk right here!" Fatty Sun's face twisted in discomfort, almost like a steamed bun. After repeated urging from Wu Rendi, he could only lower his head and say, "This pendant was given to me by Shao Yiyi… a classmate. She asked me to deliver a message: that you two are from different worlds, and not to look for her. I couldn't find you then, so I kept it myself, kind of 'nurturing' the jade for you."
After Fatty Sun finished speaking, the place fell utterly silent. Not only Hao Wenming, Xiao Heshang, and the others, but even the young white-haired man and Zheng Jun stood wide-mouthed, staring blankly at Wu Rendi. Except for me, no one knew about the relationship between Wu Rendi and Shao Yiyi. Now, with Fatty Sun's ambiguous explanation, it stirred unintended imaginations. Xiao Heshang even nudged Hao Wenming quietly, whispering, "Which Shao Yiyi? Has Wu Rendi… developed some worldly desires?"
Fatty Sun wanted to say more, but was stopped by Wu Rendi: "I'm asking why this jade pendant is hanging on the Soul-Calming Bell. Not how you got it."
Fatty Sun shrugged and said, "Wu Director, that's no fun…"
Before he could finish, I hurriedly intervened, "Wu Director, can't the pendant hang on the Soul-Calming Bell?"
"No!" Wu Rendi shot Fatty Sun a fierce glare. "The Soul-Calming Bell already has a crack. It had vented some of the death qi and returned to normal. As long as no one is nearby, it won't affect the body. Who gave you three permission to let out this breath?" When Wu Rendi said "you three," he glared again at Fatty Sun, clearly directing the words at him.
Wu Director continued, "The jade pendant is blocking the Soul-Calming Bell's ventilation channel. The death qi inside will grow increasingly agitated. When its agitation surpasses the critical threshold, it will explode from the inside out. Once the death qi inside the bell explodes, not only this ship, but also the surrounding hundreds of miles of sea will become a sea of death."
As soon as Wu Rendi finished speaking, the young white-haired man suddenly called out, "Brother Wu..."
Wu Rendi glanced back at him and said, "What?"
"Who is Shao YiYi...?"
Seeing Wu Rendi's face turn pale and veins bulging on his forehead, the young white-haired man laughed uncontrollably: "It's rare to see you like this. Even if I drift on the sea for another six hundred years, I'd accept it."
Wu Rendi gave him a sidelong glance, half-smiling: "Even if... you drift for six hundred years, have you finally come to terms? Ready to step ashore?"
The young white-haired man hesitated, then shook his head. His eyes dimmed a little as he said, "I swore that as long as there's still a Zhu family member on the land, I will never set foot ashore. Brother Wu, you were my witness to that oath."
Wu Rendi was not surprised by the reply: "Don't take oaths too seriously. Whatever, whether you come ashore or not is up to you. I ask you this every twenty years, for over thirty years now, and you always give the same answer. I still say, when you've had enough of the ship, come ashore and find me. You know how to find me."
The young white-haired man smiled faintly, glanced at Zheng Jun beside him, then after a moment of thought said, "The world's affairs are never certain. Maybe someday I'll change my mind. If one day you suddenly see me on land, don't be too surprised."
Wu Rendi nodded: "Alright, I'll wait for you on land."
Wu Rendi then took out a small cloth pouch and handed it to Zheng Jun: "One hundred forty-six pills. When they wake, give each one pill, which will keep them going for another twenty years. The things in the chest are to keep you two entertained."
Only after Wu said this did I notice a large travel trunk resting in the corner. Our attention had been fixed on Wu Rendi, so we hadn't seen it before — but what was inside the chest was unknown.
We all stood there dumbfounded. Hao Wenming and Xiao Heshang exchanged a glance. Hao said, "Wu Director, it's this late already, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
Unexpectedly, Wu Rendi didn't even look at us and said to the empty air, "I'm not your superior. If you want to know, go ask yourself."
Hao was speechless and rolled his eyes. Xiao Heshang, due to the death of Xiao Sanda, hadn't spoken much with Wu Rendi. Given Hao's experience, Xiao Heshang felt even less inclined to approach and feel awkward.
Wu Rendi ignored us and looked at the young white-haired man again, saying, "Alright, my business here is done. See you again in twenty years."
As soon as Wu finished speaking, the young white-haired man said, "Wait, there's something else I want to discuss with you."
"Hmm?" Wu Rendi looked at him, "You haven't suddenly changed your mind, have you? Ready to go ashore?"
The young white-haired man shook his head with a smile: "Someone's going ashore — but it's not me. Qian... Zheng Jun, from today on, you don't have to accompany me on the ship. Go ashore with Brother Wu."
Zheng Jun's expression changed drastically: "Master... I have done nothing wrong, why abandon me?" His knees bent, and he knelt before the young white-haired man, voice choked with emotion.
"This is not abandoning you," the young white-haired man gently patted Zheng Jun's shoulder: "Go ahead and prepare the way for me. I can't drift on the sea forever. Leaves fall and must return to the root eventually. But after drifting at sea for so long, I'm already too unfamiliar with the land. Follow Brother Wu and handle some matters for me. Maybe in twenty years, I'll decide to go ashore."
"Yes, I will ensure my master's return to land is properly arranged." Zheng Jun regained composure, bowed to the young white-haired man, then stood up.
The young white-haired man said, "Since you're going ashore, you don't need to use the Zheng surname anymore. Go back to your original Yang family name." He smiled slightly: "Zheng Jun... Yang Jun... Yang Jun sounds better."
Zheng Jun was momentarily stunned but saw the young white-haired man smiling warmly and said, "Yang Jun or Zheng Jun, I will follow the master's arrangement."
The young white-haired man nodded and said, "Brother Wu is about to leave. Go pack your things and come together."
"Yes." Yang Jun bowed to the young white-haired man and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Sun Pangzi remembered something and ran after Yang Jun: "Yang Jun, wait, I'll help you." They both left the ship's cabin. Watching Yang Jun and Sun Pangzi leave, Wu Rendi looked at the young white-haired man and said, "I didn't expect you to be a deceiver too."
"He's been wronged all these years," the young white-haired man said, watching Yang Jun's retreating figure. "Yang Jun is different from me. Before the great disaster, my environment was no different from this ship — just bigger. I couldn't leave freely and was always watched. Even eating and dressing, every word and action was accompanied by recitations of the Taizu's teachings. Compared to there, this ship is much better. I'm used to it. But Yang Jun is different. He's a military official, later joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The outside world is his realm. After all these years with me on the ship, he hasn't gone mad yet. He's lucky."
（Note:The Embroidered Uniform Guard was an elite secret police and intelligence agency during the Ming Dynasty, directly under the emperor's command. Known for their distinctive embroidered uniforms, they were responsible for espionage, surveillance, interrogation, and enforcing imperial authority. Operating with extensive powers and little oversight, the Embroidered Uniform Guard played a critical role in maintaining internal security, rooting out dissent, and suppressing political opponents. Their reputation for ruthlessness and efficiency made them both feared and respected across the empire.)
He sighed deeply, then slowly said to Wu Rendi: "Yang Jun is straightforward, and after drifting at sea for so many years, he's probably forgotten how to interact with the world. Brother Wu, please treat Yang Jun as if he were me. Wherever, whenever, please protect him."
With that, the young white-haired man bowed deeply to Wu Rendi. Wu Rendi accepted the bow openly. After the young man stood up, he said: "Today's really interesting. You broke your vows — first time lying, first time asking for help. Since you broke one vow, why not add another? Go ashore with Yang Jun."
The young white-haired man smiled and shook his head: "Let's not talk about that again. Maybe in another twenty years, my heart will open. When that day comes, no matter how much you stop me, I'll return to the land and wander."
Wu Rendi squinted at him: "Before, no matter what, you had Yang Jun by your side. Now, only those rough men remain on the ship. If anything happens, can you rely on them?"
"I don't intend to rely on anyone," the young white-haired man said. Suddenly, he raised one hand, and the Soul Suppressing Bell that Wu Rendi had repaired rang out inexplicably. The young man extended his other hand, muttering a string of rare incantations. Then a fireball emerged from his palm, which he flicked at the Soul Suppressing Bell. A harsh screech came from the bell as it began to tremble lightly.
Wu Rendi nodded and said: "Not bad, looks pretty convincing."
The young white-haired man smiled: "Is that a compliment? Does Wu Mian even compliment people?"
Wu Rendi rolled his eyes: "Just fooling people, but it'll do."
At that moment, Sun Pangzi and Yang Jun returned one after another, each carrying a heavy backpack. Sun Pangzi seemed to struggle, and when I went to help, he waved me off, calling out, "LaZi, you're no good. Da Jun, come help." Da Jun went over and helped carry the pack. I heard the clinking of metal balls rolling inside the pack. Sun Pangzi kept signaling me with his eyes. I understood but said nothing.
Compared to Sun Pangzi, Yang Jun was more reluctant to leave. The young white-haired man accompanied him all the way to the deck.
Next to the ghost ship was a small boat, piloted by the only investigator from the Sixth Division — Yang Xiao.
After boarding the small boat, Wu Rendi looked at Sun Pangzi with a half-smile and said, "Isn't it time to settle our accounts..."