Chapter 296 - 296 One hundred fifty-three

Words : 1460 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

296: One hundred fifty-three. Return to port 296: One hundred fifty-three. Return to port “` The scattered searchlight fell on the windbreak area and did not sway any further. The people on the ship had already discovered Lu Li. The sound of a whistle, like a greeting, tore through the night sky. Lu Li did not hurry to approach the seaside. It would take some time for the people on the ship to lower a small boat and reach the shore. Sand— An oil lamp was pushed to the mouth of the cave, piling up the sand around it. Lu Li silently picked up the oil lamp, struck a match to light it, and dispelled the gloom around the sand wall. Looking back at the sea, a faint glimmer of light seemed to float above the water, revealing a vague outline as it drifted toward the beach. Before long, the small wooden boat would arrive at Seaview Cliff. Friday from Windbreak Point had decided not to board the ship with Lu Li and did not ask her again. Carrying the oil lamp, Lu Li headed towards the coastline. He made a brief stop at a stretch of beach the tide could not reach, drawing an arrow in the sand, pointing towards the windbreak. If some unlucky soul ended up drifting to Seaview Cliff like he did, they would have a reasonably safe resting spot and a not-so-tasty but hunger-satisfying meal. Whoosh— The sound of the waves poured into his ears, and the cold, gloomy seawater washed over Lu Li’s feet. Lu Li stopped walking and watched a small boat a dozen meters away approach the shore. A figure rowed with both oars, another stood on the boat, holding an oil lamp. After a short wait, the small wooden boat came to a halt in shallow water. Waterproof boots stepped into the sea water, up to the old man’s calves holding the oil lamp, his hair grizzled, yet his build was as robust as that of a middle-aged man, with a khaki shirt that had four or five pockets. “It’s a relief to see you unharmed, child,” the old man said, extending his hand to shake Lu Li’s, his eyes filled with joy and relief, “These past couple of days must have been very tough.” The old man was a member of the Alliance rescue team. The talkative Tristan had told Lu Li about them, an organization made up of Alliance personnel and members from two major groups. Exorcists frequently traverse lands of mystery and strangeness, and it’s not unusual for them to suddenly go missing or become unaccounted for. Thus, the Alliance rescue team was created to look for any survivors who might still be alive. If he were still alive. The Alliance rescue team was composed of two parts: one comprised of Alliance Personnel, the other part consisted of Exorcists who had retired because their Sanity Value was too low. They preferred not to leave the front line of the battle against strangeness and volunteered to join the rescue team. If Lu Li’s terrible Sanity Value were exposed and he was forced into retirement, he could consider joining this team to continue making contributions to the human world. “I’m okay.” Lu Li responded. If he did not encounter trouble, he could survive for a long time on Seaview Cliff. “I can tell,” the old man said, not seeing any signs of fatigue or hunger on Lu Li’s face, although his shirt looked somewhat dirty, and his hair, the same color as the night, was messily draped over his forehead. He stepped aside and said, “Let’s get on the boat.” Lu Li’s gaze fell on the small boat behind the old man, his expression became somewhat vacant as he suddenly thought of the writings that had emerged on the lounge chair last night, but he quickly snapped back to reality. “Okay.” Lu Li nodded, waded to the edge of the wooden boat, and stepped into the small craft. The rocking boat made it difficult to stand, so Lu Li sat down, took the oil lamp handed to him by the old man, and watched him push the boat away from the shore before nimbly jumping aboard. If one ignored the gray hairs and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, his physical condition was not much different from a middle-aged person’s. “` The dark sea reflected the three people in the small boat, twisting and shattering with the undulating waves. The searchlight did not settle around the small boat, it moved in a circle, surveying the surroundings. The small boat crossed several dozen meters to reach the side of the steamship, a basket dropped from the overhead deck, descending above the wooden boat. “You go up first,” said the old man with a smile. Lu Li didn’t hesitate, stepping into the basket and steadying himself. He still held the oil lamp, not letting his guard down just because he was being rescued. His other hand gripped the rope, as he was slowly lifted from the sea surface. Creak—Creak— The basket swayed slightly, and it was somewhat hard to understand for a steamship to have such an outdated method of boarding, but it was also expected. Industry had just begun to emerge, and people’s thinking had not yet shifted. Several sailors gathered at the edge, waiting for the basket to rise so they could pull Lu Li onto the deck, and then lower it to bring up the second person. The captain beside them took off his hat to greet Lu Li, and Lu Li nodded in reply. His gaze swept over the faces behind the doors—all of them were ordinary people who collaborated with the three major organizations. Standing aside, he watched as the sailors successively pulled the crewmembers and the old man onto the deck. Before coming up, the old man had attached the two hanging ropes to the wooden boat, which the sailors were pulling up in sync. Lu Li, standing at the edge with the old man, remarked, “It’s 40 nautical miles from Disc Reef here; I can’t believe how you managed to drift here in the middle of the night.” They were about to give up on the rescue operation, as no one believed anyone could survive in the vast open sea. “The investigator saved me,” Lu Li suddenly said. Completely opposite to Friday’s plan—Lu Li did not intend to fabricate results, even though this meant he would have to go through the apprentice incident assessment once more. But Lu Li had deeper thoughts. Under the firelight, the old man’s face appeared grim and fluctuating, his expression becoming somewhat strange: “The investigator? Where did the person go?” “We split up after the ship came. She said she would sneak onto the ship. She might be somewhere on the ship now.” The old man’s warm smile vanished, his eyes narrowing into slits, his voice grew lower, almost inaudible against the wind on the deck: “There’s something that might unsettle you. Due to the special nature of this incident, there are no investigators secretly following for protection.” Lu Li fell silent. The old man added, “But perhaps it’s not as we think. Maybe some passing investigator just happened to lend you a hand, after all, you are standing safely on the ship now.” Lu Li remained silent, turning his head to look at the island a few dozen meters away from the ship. In the darkness, only the black outline of the entire island remained, and it was no longer possible to distinguish the location of Windbreak Point. He had always been suspicious of Friday’s identity, but as the old man said, she hadn’t shown any malice towards Lu Li; on the contrary, she helped Lu Li escape the Soul Ferry and return alive to the steamship. This assistance made Lu Li curious about her identity, but he wouldn’t delve too deeply. So was Friday hiding in some corner of the steamship as she said she would, or did she stay behind at Seaview Cliff? “You don’t seem very surprised,” the old man’s voice echoed in his ear. Lu Li withdrew his gaze and said, “Because I had some guesses before.” For example, Friday precisely stating the time of rescue’s arrival. At this moment, a commotion arose not far away. Lu Li and the old man looked over to see the wooden boat being pulled up to the deck, tipped over and carried by the sailors to be secured. The first mate stood by the ship’s rail, his commanding voice now resonating over the deck. “Return to course! Head home!”

Chapter 296 - 296 One hundred fifty-three

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