Ghost Ship Files

  Jin Tianxing struggled to open his eyes, but all he saw was darkness, making him wonder if he had gone blind. He fumbled for his phone, which was still dripping with water, and then pulled out a lighter. His trembling hands took several attempts to light it, and only then did he realize how important the faint flame was to him. With the weak light, he carefully observed his surroundings - darkness, endless darkness. The damp air carried a musty smell that hit him in the face, making him feel like he was in a vast ancient tomb. He seemed to hear a sighing sound, and an indescribable fear rose up in his heart. Summoning all his strength, he shouted, "Roy, where are you?" The only response was the echo of his own voice growing fainter and fainter.

  Many years ago, a blind fortune teller named Zhou Banshen told Jin Tianxing that he had an unusual fate and would have a strange encounter, ultimately dying heroically in a hail of bullets. Jin Tianxing laughed it off, never thinking he'd be involved with guns, and naturally didn't take Zhou's words to heart - what kind of strange encounters could happen in today's society? Now it seems that at least half of what Zhou said was true. Just a minute ago, he was on a yacht with his new wife and dozens of others; now only he remained, drifting through the dark towards the afterlife. He slowly closed his eyes, hoping this was all just a nightmare, and when he opened them again, he'd see Roy's smiling face.

  At this time, Jin Tianxing did not know that this bizarre event was not the end, but just the beginning. As for how Jin Tian got involved in this mysterious event, it's a long story and needs to be told from the start.

  Jin Tianxing is 28 years old this year, born into a military family, and his name was given by his father, meaning "heavenly movement", gentlemen should be self-reliant. His father is a regimental officer in a certain king's field combat unit, and his mother is a middle school teacher. Since childhood, Jin Tianxing has been influenced by his father and loves military affairs, with some military literacy. After graduating from university, he struggled in society for several years before starting a small company called Tianxing Technology Consulting, which unexpectedly grew bigger and bigger, accumulating assets of over tens of millions within a few years, making him a young and successful entrepreneur.

  Two years ago, at a business banquet, Jin Tianhang met Roy for the first time and was immediately stunned. That night, Roy wore a blue evening gown that perfectly complemented her perfect figure, with a head of black hair as beautiful as a waterfall, shining under the light, giving Jin Tianhang the feeling of being in the vast and mysterious ocean, truly like a fairy from heaven. Immediately, Jin Tianhang launched a fierce pursuit, and through several contacts, he learned that Roy was kind-hearted and gentle as water, suitable for both the hall and the kitchen, simply the best among women. Secretly congratulating himself on not misjudging her, he persisted in his pursuit, finally winning Roy over and marrying such a lovely wife, Jin Tianhang was delighted, thinking that even the life of a god could not be better than this. After their wedding, he handed over company matters to the deputy general manager and took his lovely wife on a honeymoon trip. Along the way, they talked about love like glue, who would have thought that a phone call would completely change Jin Tianhang's fate?

  On a sunny and breezy morning, Jin Tianxing held Roy's soft and boneless hand, strolling in the Zhangjiajie scenic area, known as a paradise on earth. Far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the mountain wind blew through the dense forest, countless leaves rubbing against each other, making a wave-like "whooshing" sound. Being in this picturesque forest, one feels a sense of intoxication and return to nature. Jin Tianxing praised, "The feeling of nature is truly beautiful, no wonder the ancients wanted to run deep into the mountains and forests to hide and cultivate. When I've earned enough money, I'll find a scenic spot, build a beautiful house, and have three or four babies with you. Our family will be happy and harmonious, even gods will envy me."

  Roy smiled, and the sun was drunk. She clenched her fist and lightly pounded Jin Tian Xing a few times, pouting and saying "I hate you, who agreed to have three or four babies? You think I'm a sow? Don't want to talk to you anymore."

  Jin Tian Xing grasped Roy's hand and said emotionally, "You are the treasure of my life, more important than my own life. If you don't care about me, I don't know how to go on living."

  Roy was skeptical, "I know you love me, but is it as exaggerated as you say?"

  Bell...

  Jin Tianxing's phone rang inappropriately, and when he picked it up, it was a call from the company's deputy general manager. Before leaving, he had repeatedly instructed that unless it was an important matter, no calls should be made. Judging from the situation, something had happened at the company. When he answered the phone, it was a large Hong Kong-based company requesting cooperation. If successful, Tianxing Technology Consulting Company would become one of the top two companies in the country.

  Jin Tianxing briefed the deputy general manager on the negotiation matters, but before he could finish speaking, his phone lost signal. However, he didn't mind and instead swept up his new wife in a hug, excitedly saying, "You're really my lucky charm! I just married you and you've already brought me a huge business opportunity. If we succeed, I'll be able to reduce my struggles by ten years. I'll use those ten years to accompany you, never leaving your side."

  Under the bright sky, Roy was tightly held in Jin Tian's arms, skin to skin, feeling his body temperature, breathing in his masculine scent, her heart beating faster, her cheeks flushing, she coquettishly said, "Quickly put me down, it's not good for people to see."

  Roy's cheeks flushed, and his shy demeanor became even more charming. Jin Tianxing smiled and said, "I'm hugging my own wife, not someone else's. What's wrong with that? I'm doing it for them to see."

  Roy attempted to change the subject, saying seriously, "You didn't finish your call, did you lose signal? Try using my phone." Her little trick was naturally not enough for Jin Tianxing, "My phone has no signal, so yours will? Give me a kiss and I'll let you down."

  "No!" Roy shook his head from side to side, dodging Jin Tianxing's wolf-like mouth. He took out his phone and looked at it, only to find that there was no signal. Jin Tianxing saw this and said, "Whether you like it or not, I'm a man of my word. Look, someone is coming from the small road over there."

  Ruo Yi saw that there was indeed a figure moving at the end of the path, and with a quick peck on Jin Tian Xing's lips, she said "Quickly put me down, someone is coming."

  Jin Tianxing put down his wife and children, Luo Yi was shy and ran to the depths of the scenic area, Jin Tianxing followed closely behind, shouting in his mouth, "If you are caught by me, you will have to kiss me again."

  Roy turned back with a mischievous tongue-out expression, "Who said yes to you, you rascal. Catch up with me first before talking." He exerted force under his feet and accelerated forward.

  Jin Tianxing smiled confidently, "Play this with me, I'll let you be ten meters ahead." Roy's figure gradually became smaller, and only then did he catch up.

  Not long after, Jin Tian Xing caught up with Luo Yi without any surprise. The two lightly hugged each other, and their lips were about to touch when Luo Yi's phone rang again, killing the mood. Jin Tian Xing found it strange that Luo Yi's ringtone was one he had set himself, but this was a new one he had never heard before. What made him even more curious was the fear he saw in Luo Yi's eyes, although it flashed by quickly, Jin Tian Xing still caught it. "Wait for me here, I'll go answer the phone," she said and turned to walk into the nearby dense forest. Jin Tian Xing thought to himself that this was strange, having known Luo Yi for two years, he had never seen her so flustered before, and answering the phone was also very unusual. Although he was very curious about the content of the call, he restrained his strong curiosity and stood in place waiting for Luo Yi to come out.

  Roy soon came out, his face pale and stumbling, as if he had suffered a great blow. Jin Tianxing quickly ran a few steps to support his wife and asked anxiously, "Dear, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell or has something happened?"

  Roy gently shook his head and said, "I'm just a bit tired, I don't want to play anymore, let's go back to the hotel." Jin Tianxing had a lot of doubts but didn't know how to bring it up, so he could only help his wife back first.

  Roy fell asleep as soon as he returned to the hotel, and Jin Tianxing sat on one side, patiently waiting for his wife to wake up and tell him what had happened. After sitting for a while, fatigue surged into his mind, and he yawned before falling asleep in the chair. He didn't know how long he slept, but vaguely heard his wife speaking in a language he couldn't understand on the phone. He struggled to get up from the chair, opened his eyes, and saw that Roy was still sleeping, with an eerie silence in the room, probably just a dream. His eyes scanned the bed, but Jin Tianxing noticed that Roy's mobile phone was placed beside the pillow, which should have been in Roy's bag earlier, making him even more suspicious - had he really been dreaming?

  Roy slept until the afternoon before waking up, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the exquisite pastries placed in front of him. Jin Tianxing said with an extremely gentle tone, "Dear, you've overslept through lunchtime, I thought your stomach must be very hungry, so I prepared some pastries for you. I tried one on your behalf, and they taste really good." Roy remained silent, staring at Jin Tianxing without blinking, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes as he choked out, "Tianxing, why are you so good to me?"

  Jin Tian Xing was caught off guard by the sudden change and panicked, pulling Luo Yi into his arms, gently stroking her back, and softly saying, "Dear, I'm your husband, it's only right that I treat you well. What's wrong with you? What happened?"

  Roy didn't speak, Jin Tianxing felt a chill run down his back, Roy's tears silently slid down his face and dripped onto Jin Tianxing's back. After a moment, he stopped sobbing under Jin Tianxing's persuasion and said intermittently, "It's okay, I want to leave here, I want to go mountain climbing, Tianxing, let's go climb Mount Lu."

  Jin Tianxing could only nod and say, "You're the master of our house now, wherever you want to go, we'll go. Isn't it Mount Lu? We'll climb Mount Lu tomorrow."

  Roy wiped away the tear stains on his face, "No, let's go now!"

  "Now!" Jin Tianxing felt very surprised, but still followed Roy's words and set off on the journey to Lushan after collecting his luggage. He hoped that a change of environment would improve Roy's mood. Along the way, Roy forced a smile, Jin Tianxing didn't say anything, but saw everything in his eyes.

  With the help of modern transportation, the two stood at the foot of Lushan Mountain the next morning. Lushan Mountain is located in central China, adjacent to Poyang Lake, with a continuous mountain range and winding waterways. The main peak, Hanyang Peak, is even more precipitous, with steep cliffs and overhanging rocks, making it impossible for ordinary people to climb halfway up the mountain. However, at the top of the mountain, there is another world, with flying waterfalls, springs, and lush greenery surrounding thousands of houses, like a paradise on earth. Before long, the sound of flowing water gradually rose, and in the distance, a silver-white waterfall cascaded down from the mountain ridge, gathering into a crystal-clear pool on the ground hundreds of feet below. The mist rose, and jade-like droplets splashed, like a beautiful landscape painting, breathtakingly beautiful. Lushan Mountain is also known as Kuanglu, where legend has it that immortals cultivated their skills and ascended to heaven. Local villagers, out of reverence for the immortals, called this great mountain Lushan.

  At this time, the mountain mist was thick, and clouds rose between the peaks, with a million rays of light. The gentle mountain breeze blew against their faces, various rare birds sang in unison, and countless exotic flowers were in full bloom, covering the entire mountain. As they walked hand in hand, not far from where they passed through a large patch of blooming wildflowers, golden petals covered the ground everywhere, like a sea of golden flames, dazzling to the eyes. The clear wind blew by, and the golden petals danced in the air, filling the atmosphere with an intoxicating fragrance.

  Roy took a deep breath, and the fragrance in the air entered his lungs with each breath. The fragrance flowed through his five organs and six viscera, making him feel extremely comfortable. Roy said softly, "It would be great if we could live here for the rest of our lives."

  Roy's mood improved a bit, Jin Tianxing said, "You really know how to choose a place, this is like the residence of immortals in mythological stories. Your wish is not difficult to fulfill, after negotiating with the company in Hong Kong, my company will become one of the top companies in the country, and I will build a villa on Mount Lu to accompany you until we are old." After finishing speaking, he even sang, "The most romantic thing I can think of is growing old slowly with you."

  Jin Tian Xing's singing didn't make Roy feel any better, on the contrary, Roy's expression was somewhat dim. She pulled Jin Tian Xing's hand and silently continued walking forward.

  Along the mountain road, I walked for less than half a time, and as far as the eye could see, it was still lush and green forest, with beautiful scenery everywhere. After crossing a small slope, a large village appeared in front of me, called Kuling Town. From a distance, tall buildings stood, with carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent beyond compare. In the center of the village, there was a small emerald lake, called Ruchin Lake, where birds and beasts were bathing leisurely in the sunset, it's not an exaggeration to call it a paradise on earth.

  All the way, Roy pretended to be nonchalant, but Jin Tianxing discovered that Roy's eyebrows were tightly knitted, and his heart was even heavier. He vaguely felt that something big was about to happen. Roy refused to tell him, and he didn't dare ask more questions, asking too many would make it seem like he didn't trust her. Jin Tianxing was confident that he understood Roy perfectly, and at the right time, she would naturally tell him.

  As they spoke, the two of them arrived at the foot of Hanyang Peak. The sky was high and cloudless, with a gentle breeze and warm sunshine. Standing at the foot of Hanyang Peak, one could take in the entire view of Poyang Lake, where the water was a deep green, like a piece of crystal jade embedded in the earth. A gentle wind blew, causing ripples on the lake's surface, which sparkled with a dazzling layer of silver waves, a sight too beautiful to behold. Luo Yi and Jin Tian couldn't help but be mesmerized by the view.

  On the lake, there were five or six yachts, drifting on the surface of the water, creating ripples. Among them, a pure white yacht caught Jin Tianxing's attention. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but Jin Tianxing felt an inexplicable sense of fear and a strong ominous premonition. He subconsciously pressed his fingers together, making a cracking sound, a habit he had developed over the years whenever he was nervous. Just as he finished pressing his tenth finger, the yacht emitted a strange, intense flash of light that made people squint, like some sort of signal. Jin Tianxing closed his eyes and opened them again to see Luo Yi still staring intently at the lake, seemingly fixated on the yacht. As Jin Tianxing looked around, he realized that except for him and Luo Yi, no one else had noticed the strange boat on the lake, as if it didn't exist. Jin Tianxing rubbed his eyes and saw the yacht drifting on the surface of the water. A gust of mountain wind blew by, and Jin Tianxing shivered, the white yacht looking like a ghostly apparition that reminded him of mysterious and eerie ships from horror stories, filling him with an unprecedented sense of fear.

  Jin Tian Xing shifted his gaze elsewhere and pulled Roy's hand, saying "Let's go take a look at Wu Lao Feng, I've heard the scenery there is enchanting."

  Roy didn't move, her expression seemed to have made a major decision, and she said faintly, "Tian Xing, I don't want to climb the mountain anymore, I want to swim in the lake."

  "Alright, no problem, we'll go tomorrow morning."

  Ruo Yi tightly hugged Jin Tian Xing and coquettishly said, "Don't be like that, I want to go now. Let's go!"

  Previously, the white yacht gave Jin Tianxing a strange feeling, and he tactfully declined, saying, "If you like yachts, I'll buy one for you by the sea after we return. It's more interesting to drive a yacht on the sea than on a lake."

  Roy let go of Jin Tianxing, somewhat annoyed, "Don't, I'm going now."

  Perhaps it was just being overly cautious, Jin Tianxing didn't want to ruin Luo Yi's mood, so he reluctantly agreed, "Alright, let's go for a boat ride on the lake now."

  "My husband is so great!" Roy excitedly kissed Jin Tianxing's face. The two sat on the cable car, going down the mountain to the ferry terminal.

  As they arrived at the ferry terminal, they saw from afar that there was only one yacht docked at the terminal, which was exactly the same white yacht that had appeared mysteriously in front of them earlier at Hanyang Peak. Jin Tianxing was hesitating whether to board the ship or not. An old man suddenly emerged from nowhere and rushed towards them with a speed that ordinary people could hardly achieve, grabbing Jin Tianxing's arm and shouting loudly, "Don't get on the boat! This boat is heading for Lao Ye Temple, which leads to Yan Luo Palace, you absolutely can't go there! Even gods can't go there, if you go, you'll be dragged into the 18th level of hell forever!"

  Jin Tianxing was startled by the old man, who looked neat and didn't seem like a madman. He supported the seemingly weak old man with curiosity and asked, "Is there something special about the temple's water area? Why can't we go?"

  The old man's expression was as if recalling a very terrifying thing, and he said in a trembling voice, "For more than 60 years, at least 40 ships and hundreds of people have sailed into the waters of Lao Ye Miao and never come out again. That place is a human-eating hell, and living people cannot go there. If you go, you will not come back."

  Jin Tianxing wanted to hear the old man continue, but the yacht owner shouted at the two of them, "Don't listen to this old madman's nonsense. I've been to that area around Lao Ye Temple countless times, and now I'm still standing in front of you, aren't I? All that stuff about gods and hell is just a scam. We're about to set sail, are you two getting on or not? This is the last yacht trip for today, if you don't get on now, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

  "Right away," Roy replied hastily, dragging Jin Tian towards the yacht as he said, "The old man must have watched too many ghost stories. How can there be a Yanluo Temple in this world? Don't mind him." The old man, seeing that he could not stop them, knelt on the ground and shouted to the sky, "Heaven's will! Heaven's will! You two are being bewitched by ghosts, your souls will definitely be taken away by evil spirits, and you will live in suffering forever!"

  Until the yacht sailed away from the dock, the old man's mournful cry still echoed in Jin Tianxing's ears, making his heart very uneasy. "What are you thinking about?" Luo Yi asked.

  Nothing, just got a bit tired from running over.

  "Let's go to the bow of the boat and blow some lake wind, it'll make us feel better," Roy suggested.

  Two people came to the bow, the yacht cut through the waves on the emerald green lake surface, a slightly damp breeze blew across their faces, making Jin Tianhang feel unspeakably comfortable, and soon forgot what the old man had said.

  "Look at you, all sweaty. You should exercise more often. Sitting in the office all day without exercising will turn you into a big fat pig after a few years." Roy gently handed Jin Tian Xing a tissue to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. A gentle gesture that swept away the gloom that had been shrouding Jin Tian Xing's heart. He lightly wrapped his arms around Roy's slender waist, and together they admired the beautiful view of the water meeting the sky. It was only then that he noticed the yacht had a rather amusing name - Chang Jiang 7 Hao.

  Half an hour later, the yacht sailed into a strange body of water. There were no ships on the lake's surface, and the color of the water was no longer emerald green, but murky instead. A sense of oppression hung in the air. Jin Tianxing thought to himself, "This is bad, something is going to happen." Before he could even open his mouth, a sudden change occurred. A black cloud surged up from the horizon and instantly filled the sky. There was no wind on the lake's surface, but the waves grew bigger and bigger. The yacht began to rock violently in the huge waves. Luo Yi tightly hugged Jin Tianxing, but didn't show any signs of fear.

  The lake surface suddenly shook violently, and a deafening roar like thunder rolled in from the side. A strong suction force sucked Jin Tianhang tightly, making him unable to move. Suddenly, a dazzling white light flashed not far away, and he lost consciousness. When he opened his eyes again, there was the previous scene.