Chapter - 53 A Raft Drifting In the Vast Beiming Sea (5)

Yin SuSu quickly lit up a nearby candle, only to see Zhang CuiShan's face looking like gold paper, his breathing very subtle. She hastily grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket and began to wipe away the sweat off of Zhang CuiShan's face.

Xie Xun said with a smile, "Wow. Wu Dang disciples really are worthy of their fame."

Zhang CuiShan had been annoyed at Yin SuSu for not firing her needles, but as he saw her teary, worrisome face, Zhang CuiShan began to appreciate her genuine concern. He took a deep breath, about to say something to her, when suddenly he blacked out, only to seemingly hear Yin SuSu yelled, "Xie Xun, you've tired Fifth Brother Zhang to death. I'll kill you." But Xie Xun simply laughed her off.

Suddenly, Zhang CuiShan's body fell to the side, rolling on the ground for a moment, while hearing Xie Xun and Yin SuSu both scream at the same time. Amidst their screams, the massive wind howled, and huge waves began to bombard the boat continuously.

Zhang CuiShan's whole body shivered, his mouth drank a large amount of salt water. Originally semi-conscious, he's now fully awake. His first thought was, "Has the boat sunk?" He doesn't know how to swim, and immediately try to stand up. The deck below his feet suddenly tilted to the left, and a batch of seawater poured out the boat. Hearing the huge wind howling, Zhang CuiShan felt his whole body drenched with water.

Before he realized exactly what had happened, Xie Xun yelled, "Zhang CuiShan, hurry to the back of the boat and grab the helm!" This yell sounded like thunder. Even while in a this huge storm, his voice still carried a strange splendor. Zhang CuiShan did not think too deeply, immediately went to the back of the boat, only to see a black shadow flash before his eyes, as a sailor got washed off the boat, and into the sea.

Before Zhang CuiShan made it to the helm, another tidal wave struck, this one hit like a brick wall, severely shaking the boat. By this time Zhang CuiShan had gathered up all his ability, his two feet fixed tightly to the boat's surface, as if they were nailed to it. When the wave passed, he quickly darted towards the helm, holding the steering wheel. Only to hear ka-cha-cha, ka-cha-cha sounds in the distance, as Xie Xun waved his mace, tearing down the front and the middle masts.

But even with just one mast in the rear, the boat still danced wildly in the sea. Xie Xun wants to roll up the back mast, but couldn't in this weather, as part of it has sunk into the water. Xie Xun yelled angrily, "Damnable Heaven, stupid wind!" Seeing the boat about to tip over, Xie Xun was forced to cut off the rear mast too. Without the masts, the boat can no longer change directions, and can only travel to where the wind takes them.

Zhang CuiShan yelled loudly, "Miss Yin, where are you?" He yelled several times, without hearing any response. After a while, his yells contained crying. When suddenly, a hand held on to his knees.

By the time another wave had passed, that hand had grabbed his neck. A voice said, "Fifth Brother Zhang. Do you really care for me this much?" Indeed the voice of Yin SuSu. Zhang CuiShan, joyous at her appearance, grabbed the helm with his right hand, Yin SuSu's body tightly with his left, said, "Thank goodness!" He thought happily, "Oh, she's still here. She didn't fall into the sea." At this moment when each wave could easily wash them into the sea, Zhang CuiShan suddenly realized that his concern for Yin SuSu outweighed even his own life.

Yin SuSu said, "Fifth Brother Zhang, let us die together." Zhang CuiShan said, "Yes! SuSu, let us die together."

Under normal circumstances, there would be many apprehensions regarding them being together, like the fact that one's good and one's evil. So even if they were in love, it would not be nearly as close as they are right now. At this moment, in this dark, tumultuous environment, where each moment maybe their last, there is only unspeakable serenity in each person's heart. Despite the fatigue Zhang CuiShan suffered in his duel against Xie Xun, he has never felt more energetic now due to Yin SuSu's affection, and therefore could hold on to the helm tightly.

All the mute-deaf sailors had now been washed into the sea. Only Xie Xun and Zhang CuiShan's powerful martial arts kept them from having the same fate. Thankfully, the boat is incredibly sturdy, and kept together despite getting hit wave after wave. In this type of weather, no one knows just which direction they're headed. Even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered, for they could not control the ship anyway.

Xie Xun walked to the rear of the ship, said, "Brother Zhang, that was great, now let me take over the helm. You two should go rest inside the ship.

Zhang CuiShan stood up, and was about to go into the cabin with Yin SuSu, when another wave hit. This one came very unexpectedly, and threw Zhang CuiShan and Yin SuSu overboard.

With the sea right below them, Zhang CuiShan instinctively grabbed Yin SuSu's wrist with his left hand. His only thought was, "To die with her under the sea, never to part again." Just as he grabbed Yin SuSu, a rope tied around his right hand, only to feel his whole body being pulled backward. For Xie Xun had noticed what had happened, and saved them by throwing out a rope. With two loud thuds, the two people landed back on the boat again. This escape from death was certainly quite unexpected. Even Xie Xun thought they were quite lucky. If he hadn't had a rope by him, Zhang CuiShan and Yin SuSu would've been dead by now.

Zhang CuiShan carried Yin SuSu into the cabin, while the ship still floated among the huge waves, their fate yet very much unknown. But after going through that near-fatal situation, both people had stopped caring about life and death. Inside Zhang CuiShan's embrace, Yin SuSu said into Zhang CuiShan's ears, "Fifth Brother Zhang, should we live through this, I'll be with you forever." Zhang CuiShan's heart jumped, said, "I wanted to say the same thing. Whether in Heaven or Hell, on Earth or under the sea, we'll always be together." Two hearts as one, they actually began to appreciate this storm that brought them together.

In Xie Xun's mind, though, there's only extreme anger and complaint. No matter how strong his martial arts ability, he's still at the mercy of the wind and water. Only the Heavens can determine fate.

After about six hours of perpetual storm, the sky finally cleared, revealing bright stars above.

Zhang CuiShan walked to the rear end of the boat, said, "Elder Xie, thank you for saving our lives." Xie Xun said coldly, "Don't thank me just yet. Our lives are still at the mercy of this Damnable Heaven." Zhang CuiShan has never heard anyone put the word 'damnable' in front of 'Heaven'. He thought a person must be incredibly angry at the world to think such a thing. He then pondered, it looks as if they're going to float on this boundless sea forever, without really any chance of returning home. For this to happen just at the moment he and Yin SuSu fell in love, is like to have just tasted the finest wine in the world, only to have it snatched away. Hearing Xie Xun's use of 'Damnable Heaven', he finally could understand just what the phrase 'fate toys with humans' means.

Zhang CuiShan sighed, and then took over the helm. Xie Xun went to take a rest after working hard all night.

Yin SuSu sat by Zhang CuiShan's side, and looked at the stars in the night sky above. She found the North Star, and saw that the water is carrying them in that direction. She said, "Fifth brother, this boat is continuously moving north." Zhang CuiShan said, "Yes! Hopefully it will go west too, so we can return to the mainland."