Just as I was thinking, suddenly there was another moaning sound, and then a commotion among the passengers around us, because this moaning sound quickly became very close to us, almost right outside the cabin.

When we heard the moaning earlier, these passengers must have heard it too. I saw a few people start whispering to each other, some glanced at me, and some pressed their ears to the deck.

I immediately imitated them, and when I listened, it was still those strange sounds from before, probably made by the same thing. But this time, it seemed to be under our deck, as if it had moved from where we were earlier to beneath the cabin.

Someone whispered at the hatch, “Is there something unclean on this boat? Why do I hear a female ghost wailing?”

Immediately, the person next to him covered his mouth: “Do you have a death wish? How can you say such unlucky things here? If those sea scavengers hear you, you definitely won’t survive.”

That person turned pale with fright, but his words had already been heard by many people. “It’s the sound of the waves hitting the boat. Some of these planks must be old. I’ve worked as a boatman, I know,” someone said.

I smiled bitterly in my heart. How could this sound be from the planks? It must be made by some living creature. And that creature must be right under our cabin.

I looked outside. The sea scavengers didn’t seem to care, so they must have known long ago that there was something in the hold and were used to it. My suspicion grew even stronger.

Just as I was thinking, suddenly Annie yanked me hard. I turned around and saw Henry Clark and Uncle Grant walking toward me through the crowd, watching us as they came.

Chapter 10: Ghostly Atmosphere

I thought, this is bad—are they coming for me now? I immediately grabbed the mortar I used for grinding medicine from my bundle, shielding Annie as I retreated, feeling very surprised, because subconsciously, I didn’t think they would make a move on us in this situation. Everyone was resting in the cabin; no matter what, it’s unlikely they’d just watch us fight. Besides, with so many people crowded together, even if I didn’t dodge, a fight would surely involve a lot of bystanders.

As they approached me, I stood up, ready to fight for my life. Henry Clark immediately waved his hand: “Little brother, don’t be nervous. We’re not here for revenge this time. My uncle and I have something to say.”

“I have nothing to say to people like you,” I replied.

Henry Clark looked around. Everyone else was focused on the strange noise, only a few noticed something was off here. He chuckled, pulled Uncle Grant to sit down, and said to me, “Sit down, sit down, don’t be nervous, little brother.” As he spoke, he took a few silver dollars from his pocket and tossed them to me. “Take this money as our apology for what happened before.”

I caught them reflexively and saw there were actually two silver dollars—a considerable sum, not something just anyone could give. I was even more surprised, and Henry Clark impatiently urged me to sit down.

I looked at the people around us, then at Annie. Annie immediately took the money and stuffed it into my pocket, saying, “Who’s afraid of whom? Let’s see what he wants.”

I had no choice but to sit down, but I was still very much on guard. As soon as Henry Clark leaned in, I shrank back.

Henry Clark glanced around, gave me a look, as if he didn’t want the people nearby to hear, and said quietly, “There’s honor among thieves. We’re in this together now, and we’ll never bother you again, don’t worry. We’re not here to apologize this time—we want to ask you about something.”

“What is it?”

He leaned in again and handed over another silver dollar. “You two were lucky just now. We saw it clearly—you and this girl went down to the hold. Bearded Grant tried to cover for you, but he couldn’t fool us. But don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to know, when you were down there, what did you see?”

I looked at the silver dollar, unsure if I should answer, but then I heard Annie ask, “Why are you asking about this? Aren’t you afraid that big-bearded guy will come after you? We don’t want to get dragged into this.”

Henry Clark looked at Uncle Grant, pointed at the deck below and the people around us, and said, “You heard that sound, right? Let me tell you, I’ve been on more boats than you’ve seen donkeys.” He barely made a sound, but I could still read from his lips: “It’s not very peaceful.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t it just someone wailing like a ghost?” Annie said.

“Do you know what that sound is?” Henry Clark said. “These people don’t know, but I do. If I told you, it’d scare you to death.”

I was intrigued, and Annie seemed interested too. I asked, “What kind of sound is it?”

Henry Clark looked at us and said, “First, you tell me what you saw under the cabin. This silver dollar is yours, and then I’ll tell you what’s down there.”

I glanced at Annie, and Annie said, “Tell him. It’s not like it’ll cost us anything, and we didn’t see anything we can’t talk about anyway.”

I nodded, thinking it made sense, and told them everything I’d seen earlier—the talismans and all. After I finished, Henry Clark and Uncle Grant exchanged a glance, and Henry Clark said, “Just as I thought. That’s exactly it!”

I looked at Henry Clark and asked urgently, “What exactly is it?”