Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 499 Darkroom
"."

In a dark corner of the warehouse, a faint blue flame lit up first, and then Pei Ye's figure walked into the light.

The black cat was squatting in this corner, looking down at the ground.

"There is indeed no downward passage on this floor." The black cat raised its head, and a faint blue line of fire returned from the ground to its little paw. "Every place is tightly closed."

Pei Ye stomped on the floor, and a dull sound came back.

"You said that after they unloaded those things, they cleaned up all traces and left nothing behind?" Pei Ye tilted his head, "But at least we should be able to find one thing that's wrong."

"what?"

"In Zhang Ercai's confession, he said that he opened the door from the side that night and took down hundreds of large vats, so there should at least be a side door."

"did not find."

"The more detailed description is near the water surface, perhaps on the third floor."

"There are no gangways on the first, second, and third floors."

Pei Ye frowned slightly.

"I just checked the water level." The black cat raised its paw and knocked on the wall of the boat. Its emerald eyes looked at him. "It's right outside. It's level with the floor of the third floor."

"There's no gangway in the entire space above water?"

"No."

What Zhang Ercai saw that rainy night seemed like a dream.

Pei Ye looked at the kitten: "Then you didn't find anything, why did you call me over?"

The black cat knocked on the bulkhead again: "But someone found out."

"Ok?"

Pei Ye squinted and saw a thumb-sized round sequin embedded on the bulkhead next to the black cat.

Pei Ye clamped it with his two fingernails and slowly pulled it out. It turned out to be an iron cone more than one foot long, with a hollow end and a few drops of water dripping from it.

"."

"It has been less than three days since it was nailed in. Besides us, there are people on the ship testing its waterline."

This is indeed a dark, remote corner where no one has ever been. If anyone is doing something here, they must be careful to avoid all eyes and ears.

The black cat took a few more steps forward, stretched out its claws and pushed open a heavy wooden box, revealing its more obvious purpose.

A square was dug out, and the solid wood floor was cut open bit by bit, as if trying to dig through downwards, but only a foot thick before it was blocked by a cold gray iron color.

It is taboo for a ship to be top-heavy when sailing, so it is not suitable to have an empty compartment under the water surface, but it is also not necessary to add weight to the ship by pressing down on it with iron. Pei Ye stared at the piece of iron for a moment and suddenly realized - there was indeed no staircase leading to the fourth floor from the third floor, because the fourth floor could only be opened from the side; of course, the porthole could not be seen from the side, because the porthole on the fourth floor had sunk into the water.

"Nan Jin Feng" is very clear about its carrying capacity. When its first three floors are loaded with sufficient cargo, the fourth secret compartment will be pressed into the water; when it wants to use the fourth secret compartment, it must first unload the cargo on the first three floors and dismiss the boatmen.

Now it is fully loaded and heading south, and the fourth floor will not surface during the entire voyage.

"So the iron cylinders will be put on board after all the cargo is unloaded?"

Pei Ye frowned and thought, and couldn't help but ask, "Where is the end point of this ship?"

However, before the kitten could answer, a nervous voice came from behind him: "No, don't move! Who are you talking to?!" Pei Ye turned his head and saw a young man in the dark corner, holding his wrists tightly and raising his arms to face him, with his lips tightly pursed. He was dressed like a runner on the boat, wearing a headscarf and barefoot, with only his arms covered by long sleeves, and there was a faint cold and sharp light underneath.

However, when his eyes fixed on this face, Pei Ye was really stunned.

The boy didn't react in the dim light. He leaned forward again and shouted, "What are you doing here? Put your hands up!"

".Zhang Piaoxu?"

".ah?"

Pei Ye picked up a flame and held it to his face: "Pingkangfang, remember?"

The young man stared at him blankly, his pupils dilated, and slowly lowered his arms. But the next moment he seemed to remember something and subconsciously hid his arms behind his back.

Pei Ye didn't care and looked him up and down: "Why are you here?"

"." Zhang Piaoxu moved her body, turned around and looked back vigilantly, then took two steps forward, "You, why are you here?"

"I'll check this boat." Pei Ye did not hide anything. He looked back at the traces left by the boy's hard work over the past few days and nights, and asked curiously, "How did you move this big cargo box?"

The box pushed open by the black cat was taller than a person, and its length and width were exaggerated. Pei Ye asked himself if he would be able to move such a heavy object in his lifetime.

Zhang Piaoxu felt a little uncomfortable as she watched her carefully concealed self being completely exposed in front of this person. She pursed her lips and looked away: ".I have my own way."

Pei Ye followed his gaze and saw a few small parts such as wooden triangles and cylinders tucked in the corner. They seemed to be sharpened and polished bit by bit. It seemed that he did have some way to make them.

"Do you know what's underneath?" Pei Ye raised his foot and stepped on the ground.

Zhang Piaoxu shook his head: "Everywhere is sealed, the hatch is only on the side."

He hesitated and said, "I have been following this ship for more than ten days. I overheard something. Someone who followed the ship back from the south said that on the way, they heard something banging and roaring under the ship. It lasted for about half a quarter of an hour, and then it became quiet. The captain said it was a big crocodile."

"It's definitely not some big crocodile." Pei Ye narrowed his eyes, "What do you think it is?"

"How do I know what it is?" Zhang Piaoxu's body became a little stiff again.

"Okay." Pei Ye retracted his gaze. "I want to go down here and take a look. Since you've been hanging around here for a few days, do you have any experience?"

Zhang Piaoxu was stunned for a moment, and her purple lips moved: "The water is very cold."

"."

Zhang Piaoxu took out three dried chilies from his waist and handed them to him.

".Can you even sell some wine?"

"The wine is expensive." Zhang Piaoxu was a little annoyed, "Forget it."

Pei Ye sighed and stepped on the exposed iron. The vermilion jade flowed out from under his feet, covering the gray and cold surface. The iron casting, which was a foot thick, slowly sank in a dozen breaths, melting out a cold hole.

Zhang Piaoxu widened her eyes and looked at him in disbelief.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I won't swim." Pei Ye said, and looked at him seriously before going down, "Don't follow me now, find a safe place and leave quickly."

After saying that, he turned around and jumped down, raising his hand to light a fire to illuminate the surrounding scene. Then, without even a pause, the wind behind him tightened, and with a "thump", Pei Ye turned his head and saw Zhang Piaoxu frantically putting out the burning corner of his clothes.

Pei Ye didn't stay on him for a second glance, but slowly looked around. It seemed like another world. There was a faint white mist in the air, and cold dewdrops condensed on the iron wall. The fishy smell of water and blood enveloped him at the same time.

(End of this chapter)