The night wind poured in through the door, making the papers on the desk tremble faintly. Chen Wuya had just taken a step when the heat in his chest continued to spread, as though something beneath his clothes were quietly splitting open.
He stopped, but did not look back.
"Have him open the sea chart." After saying that, he turned and walked back into the room.
The door closed behind him as footsteps drew nearer. Mo Feng entered carrying a dripping wet bundle, his boots leaving several watery tracks across the floor. He set the bundle on the table, untied the outer wrapping, and revealed the short garments within, soaked through with seawater.
"It took me two hours of swimming to reach shore." He caught his breath. "The mechanism bird exploded halfway there, so I had to come myself."
Chen Wuya stared at the parchment by his hand. It was bluish-gray, its edges badly worn, as if it had been soaked and dried again and again.
"This is the sea chart you brought back?"
"Yes." Mo Feng nodded. "The currents around Penglai have changed, so the old charts are no longer accurate. I remeasured them along the wreck markers, but... there's something wrong with this map."
He reached out and spread the chart open.
At first, it was only a faint seepage of color, like ink bleeding when touched by dampness. But after several breaths, the lines began to darken, turning a dusky red as they spread along the coastline. At last, they slowly writhed like living things.
A drop of liquid bulged from the chart's surface and slid down onto the corner of the table.
Blood.
Chen Wuya immediately stepped back half a pace, his right hand pressing against the pack at his waist. A system panel flashed into