Fishing Village, Ancient Tree, Man in the Tree

The ferry traveled through the night, its lights blacked out.

A thin sea fog gradually enveloped the surroundings, making even the moon vanish from the sky.

The ferry glided silently onward like a ghost ship, enough to make anyone utterly lose their bearings on the sea where east and west were impossible to tell apart.

Of course, Shi Tiexin, who had stayed in the captain's cabin the entire time, was an exception.

No one knew when he had replaced one of the sailors and openly begun operating the instruments in the captain's cabin. These sailors neither spoke nor chatted, scratched themselves nor burped; they made no personal gestures and engaged in no casual interactions, making his infiltration especially easy.

After an unknown length of time, dark shapes gradually appeared ahead of the ferry. They were the shadows cast by seaside cliffs in the night. After traveling a little farther, the ferry docked in a well-sheltered, hidden spot.

"Everyone, disembark." The priest called for the people to leave the ship. The attendants stepped ashore from the old wooden pier and found a small fishing village ahead. It seemed like an ancient village from one or two hundred years ago—remote, dilapidated, filled with tiny wooden houses that creaked in the sea wind. Even from afar, one could sense an eerie, demonic air.

"Th-this isn't what we were promised! This isn't a peaceful land!" Some of the attendants began to panic.

"Silence. This is sacred soil, land blessed by the Divine Mother. You will worship here, receive baptism, shed your filthy old selves, become sacred new selves, and then enter a new land with entirely new faces." The priest's voice was somewhat gloomy, carrying a hint of terror. "Now, move forward. Forward!"

Many sailors stood nearby with blank expressions. Though they held no