"Our Yutong is always cold and aloof, never one to express herself, so let me speak for her."
"Handsome Li, three days ago when we all fell onto this Bronze Ship—so vast you can't even get your bearings—you were losing blood heavily, hanging on by a thread and in desperate need of a transfusion. Only your senior brother and my dear sister here were willing to give blood for you."
"But your senior brother's blood type didn't match, so it all fell on her!" Qi Shanshan's lips were rosy and lustrous, and a smile lingered on her face throughout, brimming with charm.
A doctor of such striking elegance was a tonic in her own right.
Only now did Li Weiyi realize he had been unconscious for three days.
"Thank you, Senior. Thank you, Doctor Qi."
Li Weiyi tried to prop himself up, but his left arm had lost all sensation aside from a searing, fiery pain. His right arm, currently receiving the transfusion, had hardly any strength either.
His injuries were even worse than he had estimated.
Qi Shanshan said, "You'd better lie still! The wound on your left arm nearly tore the muscle completely apart, deep enough to see bone, and the bone itself is cracked. Although it's been cleaned and stitched up, almost all the medication in the medical bay was destroyed, and we hardly found anything suitable. Just because you pulled through for now doesn't mean complications won't arise later."
"Rest well and have some water."
Cai Yutong spoke little. She handed him an uncapped bottle of water, then walked out of the medical tent with Qi Shanshan.
The deck of the Bronze Ship was unimaginably vast, the hull alone spanning five hundred meters in width. Because of the dense fog, one could not see from one side to the other.
Outside the medical tent lay the Sea of Graves and Forest of Steles, eerie and hazy. Mound after mound was shrouded in yin energy and nether mist, carrying the chilling, terrifying atmosphere of a ghostly realm.
It was like a foggy winter morning.
The few burial mounds close at hand were still visible, standing a full seven or eight meters high like miniature hills of earth, holding who knew what manner of creatures.
Before some of the graves stood battered, ancient ghost banners, fluttering in the wind with bizarre patterns.
The steles were colossal, weighing tens of thousands of jin. Their outer stone had peeled away severely, and the ancient inscriptions carved upon them were faded. Several old professors stood beneath them, studying and debating.
On the other side...
The research ship, over a hundred meters long, lay overturned on the open deck like a fallen steel beast, snapped in two. Jagged and twisted steel structures jutted out from the breach, forming passage-like breaches into the cabins within.
A large group of burly young expedition members was inside salvaging supplies, striving to haul out everything usable.
Shouts, the clatter of supplies, footsteps... all intertwined in the mist.
Unlike before, Cai Yutong no longer wore a thick, bulky winter coat. Instead, she had thrown on a leather trench coat over a knit skirt, accentuating her graceful curves, while tight jeans showcased the long, straight lines of her legs.
Without any deliberate dressing up, she already drew frequent stolen glances from passing expedition members, while others gazed at her from afar.
Some glances turned toward Qi Shanshan as well. Beneath her white doctor's coat, her long, jade-smooth legs were eye-catching, and her beauty was only a notch below Cai Yutong's.
"Feel the change yet?" Qi Shanshan gazed out toward the nether mist and murky clouds beyond the bulwark, whispering with an effortless smile.
Cai Yutong said, "What change?"
"Oh, you! All your brilliance goes toward academics!" Qi Shanshan's expression grew much graver, and her voice dropped even lower. "Haven't you noticed? The way they look at us now is far bolder and more predatory than before."
"Is it?"
Cai Yutong looked toward the busy expedition members, deckhands, and security personnel.
Qi Shanshan sighed, a melancholy undertone in her voice. "Do you think we can ever go back?"
"To Earth... the macrocosmic Earth?"
Cai Yutong considered it. "We don't even know how we fell onto this Bronze Ship. Trying to get back would be harder than reaching the heavens—the microscopic and the macroscopic are two entirely different worlds. Tell me, where is this Bronze Ship even heading? What kind of shore will it take us to?"
The nether mist was too thick to see the sea beneath the hull, but one could sense the Bronze Ship surging forward at high speed.
Qi Shanshan had no interest in discussing things beyond her control. "If we can never go back, do you think people will still be bound by law and morality like before?"
Cai Yutong was far from foolish; she was exceptionally sharp, merely focused on her pursuits rather than scheming like Qi Shanshan.
Since Qi Shanshan had raised the subject, Cai Yutong weighed it in her mind as well. "When human nature loses its constraints, civilization and morality will collapse. Former social statuses will lose all meaning, replaced by savagery, or rather... power. Absolute power."
"Whoever holds greater power will never submit to being led or commanded. They will choose to rebel and seize control, accompanied by blood and violence."
"Right now, this Bronze Ship has practically become an isolated, self-contained world."
Qi Shanshan added, "And a resource-starved one at that. If the Bronze Ship keeps sailing on like this, it won't take long before power struggles and the dark side of human nature are laid bare in blood. Neither of us has the strength to truss a chicken, yet we possess the very looks and figures one shouldn't have in chaotic times. If we don't plan ahead, our end will be miserable."
Cai Yutong said, "How terrified are you of being targeted?"
"It's not about being afraid of being targeted; it's knowing full well that stripped of our knowledge and status, we really are just weak women. How can you have zero sense of crisis?"
Qi Shanshan corrected her with exasperation, then said, "The strongest fighter on board is undeniably First Mate Zhao Meng."
Cai Yutong's eyes held a teasing glimmer. "Having thoughts? Don't tell me you want to..."
Qi Shanshan shook her head before she could finish. "Zhao Meng is personally powerful, righteous to the core, and possesses the presence of a leader. But he's far too slow to perceive shifting tides. Even now, he's still busy salvaging supplies from the research ship.
"On the other hand, look at Second Mate Xie Tianshu. I've watched him secretly; over these past three days, he's constantly been bonding with the security personnel and staying close to the young expedition members. Scions of elite families like him understand power and human nature much better—and he's far more ambitious."
Then, in a half-joking tone, Qi Shanshan said, "I see that cousin of his, Xie Jin, has his eyes all over you. How about this: one for each of us? We each play our cards, divide them fairly without stepping on each other's toes, and lock down the two brothers in advance?"
Cai Yutong knew Qi Shanshan wasn't just scaremongering, but she had no interest whatsoever in this 'planning ahead.' She said, "If the day ever comes when civilization and morality truly collapse, why would I drag out an existence in this living hell? Jumping off this bulwark wouldn't be very hard."
Qi Shanshan rolled her eyes. "As if I don't know you. Haven't you just set your sights on that well-built junior inside? Let me warn you seriously: stop swooning. In our situation, handsome boys won't do you any good.
"Besides... his condition is awful. Even if the wound on his left arm heals, he definitely won't be able to lift anything heavy, practically crippled.
"Furthermore, animal claws usually carry viruses. Whatever was on that bear-like creature's claws is probably far worse—a massive latent threat.
"So are you really sure you want to burden yourself with such a liability, when supplies are scarce and turmoil could erupt at any moment?"
Cai Yutong held up a slender, scallion-white finger, speaking with utter gravity and resolve. "First of all, I haven't chosen anyone. Second, back on the research ship, if he hadn't stepped forward to lure that bear-like creature away, I might have died long ago! One thing does not cancel another; what I owe, I will repay. And another thing: you'd better stop throwing the word 'liability' around. If he hears it, think of how much pressure that would put on him."
Qi Shanshan laughed. "And you say you don't care! I've never seen you fret over any man like this. What was that line popular back at university? 'Loving senior sister, handsome junior lad; first she tutors his studies, then she tutors his heart'... All right, all right, I won't say it anymore. Are you sure you won't reconsider planning ahead? Don't regret it later!"
Cai Yutong ignored her, walking straight toward the open-air kitchen shed set up beneath the overturned, snapped research ship.
...
Li Weiyi had not found the Yellow Dragon Sword, and the Daozu Taiji Fish that should have hung around his neck was nowhere to be seen. He was terribly weak; only after drinking half the bottle of water did he recover a bit of energy.
Yet an intense hunger soon followed.
Cai Yutong stepped in, holding a steaming bowl of fish soup.
The aroma instantly filled the tin medical tent.
Helping Li Weiyi sit up, she said, "I knew you'd be hungry, so I snatched a bowl for you in advance. Savor this while you can. The cold storage is ruined, and the refrigeration has failed. We'll probably only have meat and fish for a few more days, and the fruits and vegetables won't last long either."
The fact that she added those last remarks showed she was clearly influenced by Qi Shanshan's words earlier, harboring deep anxiety about their future.
Li Weiyi's right arm was still receiving the transfusion, leaving him unable to feed himself.
Cai Yutong had no choice but to feed him spoonful by spoonful.
It had to be said that without bulky cold-weather clothing concealing her figure and looks, Cai Yutong was an absolute beauty of the highest caliber. Her eyes were cool yet bright, her skin delicate and fair, her lips understated and elegant. Seen through the faint rising steam of the fish soup, she gained an added touch of ethereal allure.
No matter how dire the circumstances, being cared for so tenderly by such a senior sister was undoubtedly a blessing.
Knowing how cold and reserved Cai Yutong usually was, Li Weiyi was naturally touched.
He thanked her once more.
Just then, Qi Shanshan and two students came in carrying bowls of fish soup to visit Professor Xu, who had broken both legs.
"Your senior brother asked me to make sure you were taken care of. Right now people are injured or dead, hands are short, and I can hardly just sit around idle, can I?" Cai Yutong said. She felt an urge to put the soup down and let Li Weiyi drink it himself, feeling as though the three who had just walked past were eyeing her strangely.
Her interaction with Li Weiyi at this moment did carry a hint of intimacy, easily inviting misunderstanding.
Professor Xu lay on the sickbed beside Li Weiyi. The light had faded from his eyes, and his emotions were frayed. "We definitely can't go back... Since the freezer is broken, food can only last half a month at most. No, in ten days, chaos will break out! Once all the frozen and refrigerated food spoils, complete chaos is inevitable... Survival of the fittest, natural selection... I can already see that day coming... Beasts will revert to their instincts..."
Hearing the anxieties voiced by Cai Yutong and Professor Xu, Li Weiyi found the delicious soup losing its flavor. He desperately wanted to step outside immediately and see what the world out there looked like.
Ten days.
There was no way the wound on his arm would heal in that time.
With a heart filled with doubt and confusion, Li Weiyi finished the soup. Warmth gradually seeped through his body, restoring his strength.
Only after Cai Yutong, Qi Shanshan, and the two graduate students departed did he ask Professor Xu about the Buddha relic and the microscopic world.
Having learned the facts, he pondered in secret: "The Buddha relic must be the missing eye recovered by the Daozu Taiji Fish! Could it be that the Daozu Taiji Fish activated the Bronze Ship, plunging the entire expedition into the microscopic realm and sending us on this unknown voyage?"
"Microscopic? Is it truly the microscopic realm described in textbooks?"
Li Weiyi felt it was all too bizarre, completely beyond comprehension. Compounded by his severe injuries and a profound lack of security, his state of mind became unstable just like Professor Xu's, growing increasingly restless and anxious.
"No, I can't let myself be like this."
"Even women like Senior and Doctor Qi can remain composed and calm after such a cataclysmic upheaval. Is my mental fortitude really inferior to theirs? If so, I would truly be failing my master's years of teaching."
"When the heart is unsettled, the spirit wanders; when the mind is turbulent, the soul is lost."
The words his master had constantly repeated echoed in Li Weiyi's mind. Taking a deep breath, he began to practice the Yuxu Breathing Method, drawing in and expelling the qi of heaven and earth.
Back on Earth, he had practiced the Yuxu Breathing Method for at least three hours every day, uninterrupted for over a decade.
Though he had never cultivated any internal strength or true qi, regulating his breath always allowed his mind to settle rapidly, banishing all stray thoughts.
This was why he could remain calm in the face of danger, refusing to be ruled by fear. When facing the bear-like creature, he had actively engaged the Yuxu Breathing Method to seek that serene, unclouded state.
Lying on the sickbed, he regulated his breath for about half an hour. Li Weiyi calmed down completely, entering an ethereal, profound state of pristine emptiness.
Suddenly, the sole of his right foot grew scalding hot, as though catching fire.
Nothing like this had ever happened before.
...
Chapter 7