Chapter Nineteenth: The Naihe Bridge

  The landing craft slowly headed towards the shore.

  Ying Tianlong knew that this waters were all over the place with sea mines, surrounding the island, in order to prevent anyone from coming to jailbreak. Moreover, there are also special naval submarines for regular and irregular patrols. Once a ship of unknown origin is found approaching, after warning those who do not obey will be sunk, nothing can explain it.

  The landing craft cautiously skirted the minefield, and ahead of them appeared a long iron bridge.

  The iron bridge is about four or five meters high above the water surface, one end connected to the sea island and the other used for berthing ships. This bridge has a very strange name called "Naihe Bridge".

  "Naihe Bridge" is a folk legend, after death, the soul must cross Nai River Bridge. The good ones are protected by gods and Buddhas to pass through smoothly, while the evil ones are beaten into the blood pool to be punished.

  "The Investigation of Fengdu Religious Customs" has a detailed description: "Naihe Bridge" is divided into three layers, the ghosts of good people can safely pass through the upper layer of the bridge, those who are half-good and half-evil pass through the middle layer, and the ghosts of evil people pass through the lower layer, often being intercepted by devils and thrown into the dirty waves below, being bitten by copper snakes and iron dogs. The Naihe Bridge in Fengdu, Chongqing has two couplets: Accumulate virtue and cultivate good deeds, it's easy to cross the Nai River Bridge. Be greedy and commit evil, it's hard to escape the Sharp Knife Mountain.

  Another one is: Three steps across Naihe Bridge, know whether you are good or evil. One breath walking through the Golden and Silver Road, grant you fortune and wealth.

  It can be seen that good and evil are still distinct, so every year during the incense meeting, incense guests compete to throw paper money or copper plates into the pool, and sprinkle fried rice into the pool, thinking that they can give alms to hungry ghosts. Many elderly incense guests like to walk from above, thinking that walking over this bridge can avoid the suffering of crossing Naihe Bridge after death.

  The "Naihe Bridge" on "Life-Taking Island" is even more formidable than the one in Hell.

  The island is now divided into two major camps, one of which is the "Black Wind Camp" led by Luo Guoyong, occupying the southern half of the island. The soil there is fertile and has been growing tropical vegetation for years, with tall coconut trees, short banana groves, and melon fields. All the freshwater resources on the island are concentrated in the southern hemisphere.

  The ruler of the northern half-island is called Li Jiao Xian, nicknamed "Black Whirlwind". In the Water Margin, there is a "Black Whirlwind" Li Kui, who wields two broad axes and is invincible in battle. If Li Jiao Xian were to play Li Kui, no makeup would be needed. Li Jiao Xian is a large and powerful man, as strong as an ox, with incredible strength, having set the record for lifting a thousand-pound millstone. He is also ruthless and violent, engaging in street fights and evil deeds, naturally gathering a group of followers on the island, known as the "Eight Great Golden Spears". The territory he occupies is called "Whirlwind Camp".

  The northern half of the island is mountainous, and most of it is barren rock. The notorious "Shark Island" refers to the northern half of the island. Sharks frequent the waters, and food that can be used for living on the island is scarce, making shark hunting a major source of food. However, hunting sharks is not easy. Most of the sharks patrolling around the island are great whites, also known as man-eating sharks, which are the largest predatory fish in the ocean that attack humans.

  The great white shark is found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It prefers to congregate in areas where the sea floor is 35-50 metres deep, and the water temperature is between 15-24°C (59-75°F). Great whites are known to breach more frequently than any other species of shark.

  However, the great white shark has a sturdy body, with a crescent-shaped tail, large teeth and serrated edges, in a triangular shape. The weight is generally over 1,000 kg, and catching one can solve a big food shortage problem.

  However, the great white shark is a master of disguise predator.

  The belly of the great white shark is gray-white, while its back is dark gray. This helps them to effectively hide themselves. From above, their dark-colored back blends in with the dark sea floor, and from below, their gray-white belly matches the bright surface of the water.

  Not only the teeth, but also the skin of the great white shark is lethal. The shark's skin is not smooth, although it has no scales, it is covered with small, sharp denticles that are even coarser than sandpaper. Prey will be left bleeding profusely even if they just brush against it.

  The great white shark's incredible sharp teeth and powerful jaws would likely result in a human death with ease.

  That is to say, while you are hunting the great white shark, the great white shark is also hunting you. The price paid by both sides is equal, and the positions of predator and prey can be reversed. There is no eternal winner, only bloody slaughter. When the shark's flesh is being chewed in a person's mouth, human remains are also being digested in the shark's belly. This is the rule of survival.

  Hunting sharks requires people. Li Jiao wouldn't personally take action, of course. That's too dangerous. Less than half of those who go can come back alive.

  So every time the prisoners came, most of them went to "Whirlwind Camp". The physically strong became hunters, and the weak also followed suit. The only difference was that the strong were the hooks, while the weak were the bait.

  Li Jiao Xian's eight powerful men had long been guarding both sides of the "Nai He Bridge", waiting to receive another batch of unlucky eggs. This was also Li Jiao Xian and Luo Guo Yong's prior, unwritten agreement. The "Black Wind Camp" didn't lack people, with relatively sufficient food and occupied water sources, which could bring many benefits to Luo Guo Yong, such as the "Whirlwind Camp" needing water, they could exchange it for food.

  This is also what Feng Aijun worries about the most. In response to Tian Long and his party, they must first go to "Xuanfengying" to become hunters. Although Luo Guoyong and Wang Qing were once friends, neither of them knows where the other is now, and they won't recognize each other if they don't meet face-to-face. The time it takes for them to recognize each other may be a long time or just an instant, depending on how things develop. The worst-case scenario is that Luo Guoyong doesn't even show his face, missing each other by a hair's breadth. Today, the worst situation seems to have occurred.

  Tian Long didn't think so, he believed that the two of them meeting now wasn't a good thing, because the weight in his hand was too light. The two sides of the scale could only maintain balance when the weights were equal. On the island where lives were at stake, people's hearts had long turned to stone. What use were relationships or friendships? Whoever had the harder fist and whoever could quickly win over others and expand their power would form a standoff, and then there would be conditions for negotiation. Adding in past relationships made it all the more logical.

  Standing on the boat, Ying Tian Long looked at the receiver who was staring at him from the other end of the "Naihe Bridge" with a cold smile spreading from the corner of his mouth.

  "Naihe Bridge" is only about two meters wide, the landing boat docks, all gun barrels are aimed at the shore, although no one has ever dared to charge the landing boat, necessary precautions are justified, and there is no reason to deal with people who are dying.

  The prisoners who had removed their handcuffs and shackles did not want to go ashore, lingering on the boat, exercising their limbs in response to Tianlong's activity. He said to them: "Since you've come, then make yourselves at home. Think about what to do next. I still say this one sentence: unity is strength." After finishing speaking, he turned his head and glanced at Feng Aijun with a look that contained deep emotions and friendship. Feng Aijun felt the weight of it, nodded lightly, but his eyes became moist.

  "Go!" Tian Long roared loudly and rushed onto the bridge.

  Wang Qing followed closely behind, then came Cui Da Hong, Wang Xiao Feng, Yin Tao, and finally all the prisoners stepped onto the "Naihe Bridge" together.

  The landing craft quickly retracted the ramp, the engine started, and the hull slowly left the ramp, sailing away.

  "Bastards, even after I'm dead and become a vengeful spirit, I'll still come back to settle the score with you."

  A group of brothers gathered around, and Tianlong said: "Don't be afraid, as the saying goes, 'when soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it.' Follow me, remember, we are men, don't let your legs tremble, hold your head high, and don't let them look down on us."

  Yin Tao also said: "Whether dead or alive, I will go up to the imperial court, what is there to fear?"

  Yin Tao's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth chattering as he spoke. He only now realized that his overly optimistic estimates had been nonsense. "Deadly Island" was real, and his feet were already firmly planted on it. From today on, he was a dead man walking, just a lingering spirit, an empty shell. Even as a spirit or shell, things wouldn't get any better. On the other side of the bridge stood a group of fierce-looking men, armed with clubs, stones, and sinister intentions.

  Yin Tao clenched his fists, looking at Ying Tianlong, for the first time feeling that this person was really terrifying, but also so calm and composed, without any fear, a trustworthy and follow-worthy person.

  The iron plate on the bridge creaked loudly as people stepped on it, but at the other end of the bridge, there was complete silence. All newcomers who come here will experience this process: shock, fear, panic and helplessness, making it difficult to take the next step. Today's visitor is considered good, not lingering on the boat and refusing to get off. In the past, there have been cases where people were carried onto the bridge by soldiers, and some even resisted and were shot dead on the spot. All sorts of things can happen.

  They're not in a hurry, time is too abundant for the people here, they'll wait, wait for the prisoners to come over by themselves, walk to the other end of the bridge, and freedom will be gone, leaving only obedience. Wanting to resist means looking for death. Death, referred to as "hanging" here, a few more hung today, old age, illness, suffocation, starvation, fed to sharks, beaten to death, drowned in water dungeons... it happens every day, anyway new people keep coming in, and when the new ones hang, there are newer ones.

  Those who come to "Life and Death Island" are not given a free pass, there are very formidable figures, they themselves are criminals who have committed all sorts of evil deeds, life and death are already nothing to them, they refuse to give in, always thinking of making a comeback, Li Jiao has ways to subdue them, the eight great henchmen under his command are not people to be trifled with.

  It was already past three o'clock in the afternoon, and the sea surface began to pick up wind. The waves crashed against the iron bridge, causing it to shake violently. Ying Tianlong said, "Brothers, let's go."

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