Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Crossing the Dark Sea.
Despite his hesitation, Ace eventually sighed and waved the girl onto the boat.

The last thing he wanted was another passenger weighing down their barely-repaired excuse of a vessel, but Liu Mei had already given her approval, so he decided he had no choice but to go along with it.

The boat rocked gently beneath them as the girl stepped aboard, her delicate frame making barely a sound.

She adjusted the hood of her cloak, shielding herself from the salty breeze before settling onto a wooden plank.

“I’m Sarah,” she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Liu Mei, ever the friendly one, beamed and gestured toward Ace.

“This is my master, Ace! And I’m Liu Mei!”

Ace, focused on rowing, only gave a brief nod in acknowledgment. He was already regretting this decision.

Sarah turned to Liu Mei, her curious gaze lingering on the girl’s small frame.

“You’re… really young. Where are you two headed for?”

Liu Mei’s grin widened. “I’m off to join a fighting tournament!” she declared proudly.

Sarah’s expression shifted instantly, her brows knitting together as she turned toward Ace.

Her eyes held unspoken concern, a silent question: Are you seriously letting a child do this?

Ace caught the look and groaned internally. He already knew what she was thinking.

The boat then slowly drifted into the open sea, the waves lapping gently against the sides, making an eerie, rhythmic sound in the still night.

The only light guiding them was the flickering glow of Sarah’s lantern, casting long, dancing shadows over the water.

Ace, already questioning every life decision that led him here, glanced at the girl who had just casually climbed aboard his fragile, barely-holding-together death trap.

“So… Sarah, was it?” he asked, resting his chin on his palm. “What brings you to this fine floating disaster?”

Sarah gave a small, weary smile. “As I said, I need a doctor from the other shore.”

Ace sighed. “Right, right. You did say that. But—”

“Since we have time,” Sarah suddenly said, “shall I tell you a story?”

Ace narrowed his eyes. “…That depends. Will it make me regret getting on this boat?”

Sarah ignored him and continued.

“Did you know that people who cross the sea at night during this season… never return?”

The wind picked up slightly. The lantern’s flame flickered.

Ace’s entire body tensed.

“…Come again?”

Liu Mei, who had been happily munching on a spirit apple, paused mid-bite.

Sarah’s voice took on a haunting lilt.

“Legend has it that once the sun sets in the month of summer, the sea stops belonging to mortals. It becomes the domain of… something else.”

Ace slowly turned to Liu Mei. “Why did you let her on the boat again?”

Liu Mei blinked. “She needed help!”

Ace pointed at Sarah. “Yes, and now she’s traumatizing us for free.”

Sarah, completely unbothered, continued. “No one knows exactly what happens to those who travel by night during this period. Some say their boats vanish without a trace. Others believe they’re swallowed by the sea itself.”

Ace immediately started rowing faster.

Sarah tilted her head. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

Ace shot her a deadpan look. “Oh, I don’t know, Sarah. Maybe because YOU JUST SAID WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE?”

The voice in his head hummed with amusement.

Oh, so now you suddenly care about survival?

“Not now, you old—whatever you are!” Ace snapped internally.

Meanwhile, Liu Mei was eating her apple like this was the best entertainment of her life.

“Sarah, do people really disappear?”

Sarah nodded solemnly. “Every. Single. Time.”

At that exact moment, a deep, unnatural groan rumbled from beneath the boat.

Ace froze. Liu Mei paused. Sarah stared calmly at the water.

Ace cleared his throat. “Right. So. Just to clarify.”

“Mm?” Sarah hummed.

“You didn’t think to tell us this BEFORE we set sail?”

Sarah smiled. “Would you have set sail for Dark Valley if I did?”

Ace stared at her. Then at Liu Mei. Then at the pitch-black waters around them.

“Come on, Liu Mei! You row too!” Ace barked, gripping the oars like his life depended on it—which, at this point, he was convinced it did.

Liu Mei, chomping down the last bite of her apple, wiped her hands and grabbed an oar. “Alright, alright. No need to panic, Master!”

Ace shot her a glare. “I’m not panicking. I’m being… strategically cautious.”

Meanwhile, Sarah sat at the front of the boat, swinging her legs, holding up her lantern.

The soft glow illuminated the sea ahead, making the water look almost peaceful—if you ignored the fact that they were rowing across a death-trap of legends.

Every so often, Sarah giggled while petting white fur with one hand.

Ace didn’t like that.

“Why are you laughing?” he finally asked, rowing faster just in case she knew something he didn’t.

“Oh, no reason,” Sarah hummed, her expression unreadable. “You two are just… fun.”

Ace felt his left eye twitch. “That is not the answer I was hoping for.”

Strangely enough, despite the ominous stories, the creepy noises earlier, and the increasing paranoia clawing at his brain, they encountered no dangers.

No monsters.

No vanishing boats.

No mysterious figures rising from the sea.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the other shore.

Ace and Liu Mei practically jumped onto solid ground.

Ace took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Well. That wasn’t so bad.”

Liu Mei stretched her arms. “See? You were worried for nothing!”

Ace shot her a deadpan look. “Forgive me for not being optimistic about ‘mysterious disappearances at sea.'”

Turning around, they both looked toward the boat, ready to bid farewell to Sarah—

Except… Sarah wasn’t there.

She wasn’t on the boat.

She wasn’t on the shore.

She wasn’t anywhere.

She had vanished.

Ace felt a cold chill creep down his spine. “…Liu Mei?”

“Yeah?”

“Did she say she needed a doctor from the other side… or for the other side?”

Liu Mei’s cheerful expression faltered..

They both slowly turned back toward the dark sea.