119: Undersea cave

Wang Dalong's anxious voice came through the bone conduction headset, accompanied by the hiss of static, yet it remained clearly audible.

"Brother Feng! Can you hear me? How's the signal? Holy crap, you actually went in! My sonar readings show an enormous space with an extremely complex structure right below you! Where are you right now?"

Lin Feng suspended himself in the icy seawater, adjusting his breathing. Before his eyes was a wondrous sight that defied the imagination.

After passing through the natural water gate he had named the "Tidal Lock," the oppressive tunnel suddenly opened up. A subterranean void so massive it left him speechless appeared before him. Above was a rugged rock ceiling with countless massive stalactites hanging down like chandeliers in a divine temple. Below his feet was not the seabed he had expected, but a relatively level stretch of "land" surrounded by a ring of mountains—except this land was currently completely submerged in seawater.

The most shocking sight was what was moored on that "land."

It was a fleet.

A ghost fleet of the Southern Song Dynasty navy that had been slumbering for over seven hundred years.

Dozens of Fuchuans, Haigus, and Louchuans of varying sizes rested quietly in simple docks carved out by hand. Most of the vessels were half-submerged, their massive masts pointing diagonally toward the cavern roof, draped in shellfish and seaweed like the tattered clothing of the deceased. Faint traces of the original black paint and exquisite carvings were still visible on the hulls; though weathered by time, they still exuded an air of unyielding majesty.

This was Zhang Shijie's true trump card. A secret shipyard hidden beneath the sea, utilizing the tides as a natural barrier.

"I... see a fleet." Lin Feng's voice was a bit dry as he activated the high-definition camera on his diving mask, synchronizing the live feed to Wang Dalong.

The sound of Wang Dalong sucking in a breath came through the headset, followed by incoherent exclamations of wonder.

"Holy crap! Crap, crap, crap! These... these are real ships? An underwater shipyard! The Southern Song navy! Oh my god, Brother Feng, if this gets out, the entire archeological world will have an earthquake! No, it'll be a tsunami!"

Lin Feng ignored his excitement. He quickly scanned the entire shipyard. His goal was clear—the treasure. Given Zhang Shijie's style, such an important secret base was bound to be for the protection of that nation-toppling wealth.

"Fatty, monitor the tide times. The next low tide opens in 45 minutes; I must be out before then." Lin Feng gave his instructions and then kicked his fins, swimming toward the largest Louchuan.

It was a giant ship three stories tall. Even half-submerged, its upper section still loomed like a small mountain. Lin Feng circled to the stern and easily climbed onto the mud-covered deck using a damaged gangway.

The deck was covered in a thick layer of sediment, feeling soft underfoot. Lin Feng switched on the powerful spotlight on his head; the beam pierced the darkness, illuminating the entrance to the ship's cabin. The wooden doors had long since rotted away; with just a gentle push, they crumbled into debris and sank into the water.

A gust of stale air, a mix of rotting wood and the briny scent of the sea, rushed toward him.

The interior of the cabin was emptier than imagined. Aside from the accumulated silt and some scattered wooden structures that were no longer recognizable, there was nothing.

Lin Feng's heart sank.

He didn't give up, searching downward floor by floor. The second floor contained the remains of weapons: rusted long sabers, broken crossbows, and quivers soaked out of shape by seawater. The third floor, the lowest cargo hold, was also completely empty.

Only in the silt of a corner did Lin Feng dig out a few pieces of broken silver and several copper coins that had fused together.

That was all.

"Something's not right..." Lin Feng stood still in the cabin, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong, Brother Feng? Didn't find it?" Wang Dalong's voice chimed in at the right time.

"It's too empty," Lin Feng said in a low voice. "This flagship doesn't even have much ballast in its hold; it doesn't look like it was fully loaded at all. If the treasure were here, it's impossible for there to be no trace whatsoever."

He exited the flagship and quickly checked several smaller Fuchuans nearby.

The result was exactly the same.

All the ships were empty. They were like husks with their souls extracted, displayed here in silence, waiting for an order that would never be given.

Time passed minute by minute.

"Brother Feng, twenty minutes left." Wang Dalong's reminder added another layer of anxiety to Lin Feng's heart.

The discovery itself was shocking enough. A secret Southern Song naval base hidden for over seven hundred years held immeasurable historical and archeological value. But for Lin Feng, it wasn't enough. His purpose for this trip was the treasure capable of changing a nation's fate. The mission given by the system also clearly pointed to the 'Xiangxing National Treasury'.

Where exactly was the treasure?

Could Zhang Shijie have moved the treasure after bringing it here? But that didn't make sense. This was such a perfect hiding spot, unless... Lin Feng shifted his gaze away from the fleet and toward the "land" behind the shipyard. There, by the light of his spotlight, he could see the outlines of some man-made structures. They were stone houses built against the mountainside, most of which had collapsed, looking like military barracks or warehouses.

If the treasure wasn't on the ships, could it be on the shore?

As soon as the thought arose, Lin Feng acted immediately. He slid from the ship into the water and swam quickly toward the cluster of buildings.

As he got closer, he realized these stone houses were quite large. The outermost layer was a ring of low walls acting as fortifications, now mostly crumbled. He crossed the low walls and entered the center of the complex.

It was like an abandoned village submerged by the sea, so silent it was unsettling.

"Brother Feng, only ten minutes left! The tidal change has already begun; the water flow outside is speeding up!" Wang Dalong's voice grew increasingly urgent.

Lin Feng didn't respond; his attention was drawn to one of the half-collapsed stone houses. It seemed to be a building of higher status, perhaps a command post. Some blurred carvings still remained on its stone walls.

He swam over and slipped in through a gap in the collapsed roof.

The furnishings inside were simple: a stone table and several stone stools, all covered in silt.

Suddenly, Lin Feng's movements froze.

The beam of his spotlight fixed on a corner of the room.

There, leaning against the wall, sat a person.

No, it was a corpse wearing the armor of a Southern Song general.