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Chapter 242: Planning
Chapter 242: Planning
Chapter 242: Planning
At this moment, Yin En's call came as expected.
"Hey, Liu Xing, aren't you a bit ruthless? This is practically fighting poison with poison. You dared to open a can of sardines in the restaurant. Luckily, I reacted in time and took Takayanagi Aoyin and the others out of the restaurant. Otherwise, I'd be leaning over the railing right now, vomiting," Yin En complained as soon as he answered the call.
Liu Xing chuckled and replied, "Isn't it for the best? Most of these regular tourists are used to vomiting after drinking their cocktails. They've basically emptied their stomachs now. So, tomorrow, most of them will be sober instead of sleeping like logs, unaware of being fed to the fish."
Yin En sighed and said, "You have a point, but next time, be more careful. Don't casually use such terrifying things. I feel a bit off right now. By the way, Liu Xing, I just heard from Honda Tetsuya that the headmaster has arranged for Morimoto Academy students to wake up at seven in the morning to watch the sunrise and then visit the captain's cabin on the Yueshihao cruise ship. Honda Tetsuya can't stop the headmaster now because the headmaster has much more authority, and Honda Tetsuya doesn't intend to reveal the truth either. After all, apart from us, no one would believe his words..."
Liu Xing nodded and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Well, for now, all we can do is wait and see. But I plan to try to persuade a few Morimoto Academy students to join our side. We'll contact each other later."
"OK, I'll go back to my room now, and we'll talk later," Yin En said before ending the call.
Due to the indescribable smell lingering in the restaurant, the dance party couldn't proceed as planned, so the cruise ship's passengers had to return to their respective rooms.
However, Juri Sonoda boldly entered Liu Xing's room without hesitation, claiming her territory by occupying Liu Xing's bed.
"Hey, Miss Juri Sonoda, this is a bit troublesome. This is my room," Liu Xing said with some annoyance.
Juri Sonoda chuckled, pointing at Liu Xing, and said, "Do you know what 'ladies first' means? Do you want a beautiful lady like me to sleep on the floor?"
Liu Xing raised an eyebrow and could only shrug. From the chair nearby, he added, "Alright, alright. You can sleep on the bed. It seems that Bai Hecheng and his group already know that you're with me. It would be risky for you to stay in your original room. If everything goes as expected, Bai Hecheng has probably arranged for the fanatics on the ship to deal with you."
"Children can be taught. My original room is right next to Bai Hecheng's room, and if I were still there, he might have brought his people to deal with me directly. So, it's safer for me to stay here. Besides, Liu Xing, I assume you have a weapon," Juri Sonoda said with a smile.
Liu Xing nodded confidently and said, "Rest assured, I've prepared weapons. Those fanatics won't stand a chance, but the real problem is if they block our way. That could be troublesome."
Juri Sonoda agreed with a nod. This room was essentially a private room, and if a group of fanatics cornered them, it would be a major problem. Although Liu Xing and Juri Sonoda could choose to jump into the sea, it would be suicidal in the cold winter weather, especially given their average physical condition.
At this moment, Juri Sonoda's phone rang. "It's Shizuka calling."
After letting Liu Xing know, Juri Sonoda answered the call. After a brief conversation, she hung up and said to Liu Xing, "Shizuka wants us to go to Suneo's room right now. They have some things they want to ask us. It's also the best opportunity to tell them the truth."
Liu Xing nodded and followed Juri Sonoda to Suneo's room.
As a second-generation rich kid, Suneo naturally had a single room similar to Liu Xing's. Inside Suneo's room, Shizuka Nobita and the others were all sitting.
Liu Xing couldn't help but feel that Shizuka Nobita and the others looked like characters from an anime he had watched when he was a child, all grown up.
Shizuka warmly pulled Juri Sonoda over and said with a smile, "Juri, is this your boyfriend? He's quite handsome."
Juri Sonoda blushed and couldn't deny it. She said, "Why are you so concerned about this, Shizuka? Let me introduce you. This is Liu Xing, and he's a legitimate heir of the Daoist tradition."
"A Daoist heir?" Nobita and the others were curious.
Liu Xing nodded and, adopting an air of authority, said, "Indeed, the reason I'm here on this Yueshihao cruise ship today is that I sensed the presence of supernatural beings. They plan to use all the passengers on this ship as sacrifices to offer to some mythical creature in the depths of the sea. That's why I've come to stop it."
Liu Xing had prepared this story with Juri Sonoda before they arrived here, intending to take the initiative and baffle Shizuka and the others, making it easier for their next actions.
"That... doesn't sound very scientific," Suneo said skeptically, looking at Liu Xing.
Liu Xing chuckled and knew he couldn't expect them to believe him right away. So, he took out the sacrificial dagger from his pocket.
This sacrificial dagger had been mentioned in its descriptionit had acquired unique powers after countless ritual ceremonies, and it came with some kind of visual effect...
When Liu Xing drew the sacrificial dagger from its sheath, everyone present, including Juri Sonoda, gasped in astonishment. The dagger had several almost tangible black wisps swirling around its blade. Liu Xing could also feel a noticeable drop in room temperature, and faint wailing sounds echoed in his ears.
Raising an eyebrow, Liu Xing inserted the sacrificial dagger directly into a book, and the book suddenly turned into ashes.
"This dagger is one of the artifacts I use. You should be able to see its effects now. I must inform you that you are about to become sacrifices to a mythical creature by these cultists," Liu Xing said solemnly.
Shizuka and the others immediately nodded, though they still looked at Liu Xing with puzzled expressions.
Seeing their reactions, Liu Xing continued, "In simple terms, the cultists I mentioned are all the crew members on this Yueshihao cruise ship, along with the headmaster who brought you here!"
"What?!" Shizuka and the others exclaimed in unison.
Liu Xing raised his hands and continued, "Let me explain further. The cult organization behind this grand scheme is the Deep Sea Gospel Society, which includes all the top leaders of Morimoto Academy, including your headmaster, the school board members, and so on. The historical 'accidents' and suicides that have occurred in Morimoto Academy's history were mostly caused by this Deep Sea Gospel Society or their ritual ceremonies. Now, you've coincidentally become part of their sacrificial ritual."
"What?!" Shizuka and the others couldn't help but be shocked again.
"Yes, the reason Morimoto Academy sent you on this graduation trip to Cosmic Country was to use you as sacrifices in a sacrificial ritual at sea. The mythical creature they worship, lurking beneath the sea, will surface and devour the entire Yueshihao cruise ship. Suneo, you mentioned earlier that you know Captain Choi Seok-sil, who is also the owner of a company in Cosmic Country. He is involved in this because he's a member of the Deep Sea Gospel Society, and he wants to participate in the ritual as well!"
"By the way, Shizuka, you've seen that person with the Innsmouth Face before, right? He is the highest-ranking member responsible for this ritual. He is a half-blood of humans and the mythical creature, essentially a demigod in the eyes of the Deep Sea Gospel Society. That's why your headmaster treats him with such respect. As for your headmaster asking you to visit the Yueshihao cruise ship's captain's cabin tomorrow morning, it's a trap. The open space in the captain's cabin is meant for you."
"Damn, I always felt something was off before. Because of our headmaster's terrible attitude towards our class teacher, Mr. Honda, our class was the most unlucky one in the entire grade. We never got any good opportunities. So when our class was the only one allowed to go on a graduation trip to Cosmic Country, I thought something was strange. I thought our headmaster had taken the wrong medication or suddenly developed a conscience. But now you're telling us they plan to use us as sacrifices?!" Nobita exclaimed in frustration.
Suneo, as the rich kid, took out his phone and said, "I'll call my family now and ask them to pressure the Yueshihao cruise ship's operator to send nearby ships to rescue us."
Juri Sonoda shook her head and said, "Suneo, you should know better than us who the leaders of Morimoto Academy are. Their social status is quite high, and pressuring them won't work. Besides, the company operating Yueshihao cruise ship is clearly willing to sink the ship. They won't be afraid of pressure. As for nearby ships, it's unlikely they can come to our rescue. The ultimate goal of this sacrificial ritual is to sink the Yueshihao cruise ship, so that mythical creature from the depths of the sea can devour us. Even if your father manages to bring other ships here, these damned cultists will probably crash the Yueshihao into other ships to provide more sacrifices."
After listening to Juri Sonoda's explanation, Suneo sighed and put down his phone.
Shizuka, now pale with fear, asked, "So, are we really going to become sacrifices?"
Liu Xing shook his head and reassured her with a smile, "Shizuka, don't worry too much. Since I'm standing here talking to you now, it means I have a way to help you deal with this situation. I've gathered information on these cultists and their ritual plans. I also have two police friends who are ready. As soon as these cultists make a move, we'll catch them in the act. That's the only way to resolve this."
"But the problem is, you all visited the Yueshihao cruise ship's captain's cabin today, right? To enter the cabin, you need to pass through two iron doors, and these doors are the biggest challenge for us. Once they're closed, they can only be opened with a key or professional breaking tools. It's time-consuming and risky. If the cultists notice us, they will most likely resort to violence. We'll be at a significant disadvantage because they're numerous, probably armed, and completely fanatical. They might do anything," Liu Xing explained.
Juri Sonoda quickly continued, "That's why we need your help. Only you can infiltrate behind enemy lines and find a way to open those two iron doors. Then we can enter the cabin and stop the ritual."
Liu Xing and Juri Sonoda were aligned in their request, finally making Shizuka and the others understand what they needed to do.
At this moment, Gian, who had been silent, spoke up, "No problem. We have no choice but to give it our all. We'll help you open those two iron doors. I have confidence in my fists, and as soon as you give the signal, I'll take care of the cultists near the doors."
Suneo also nodded and opened a suitcase from a nearby cabinet, revealing several batons and knuckle dusters.
"These are things my father gave me, fearing language barriers or conflicts with locals in Cosmic Country. He never thought they'd come in handy here," Suneo said with a wry smile.
Liu Xing nodded and said, "That's excellent. If possible, Suneo, you should contact some trustworthy classmates to join us in this operation. Too many people could expose us to the cultists, and they might notice the weaknesses. So, we need quality over quantity. Do you understand what I mean?"
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