The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Four years ago, on Earth.

Shen Cheng and Luo Yan watched as the containers were loaded onto the ship at the port.

"Let's go back. We'll see each other again in a month," Captain Feng said to the two.

From the port, only three of them had Eastern faces; the rest were all Western.

The plane carried the three people from country B on the Atlantic coast to country C on the Pacific coast.

For the next month, they waited for the cargo ship to return with their containers, which contained dismantled fishing boat planks.

The Phoenix Team's second squad, along with the archaeological team, was studying the wooden ship that had appeared in the South China Sea, but they found nothing suspicious.

The Phoenix Team's third squad, together with the Navy, repeatedly reviewed the surveillance footage from that day, but they had no clue about the ghost that appeared at sea that day.

The Phoenix Team's fourth squad, together with the criminal investigation team, conducted a comprehensive investigation into everything that happened at the hospital on the day Ye Yu passed away.

As in the past month, the members of Phoenix Team One followed the research vessel Hailong from Country C's scientific expedition team to the vicinity of the underwater time tunnel.

Just like yesterday, the underwater robot used for filming was launched. The underwater robot traveled in the seawater for a period of time and reached the designated location.

They did not rashly send the robot through the tunnel again; their experience had taught them that the robot would only be torn to pieces if it tried to pass through the tunnel.

The research team successfully determined the location and size of the tunnel using the visible light spectrum of a special camera.

Looking at the images transmitted by the underwater robot, Shen Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Look, isn't the light in the tunnel flickering?"

The researchers went to the computer and operated the underwater robot to move backward, and they saw a panoramic view of the tunnel.

The shape of the tunnel was simulated in red on the screen. An irregular oval shape was slowly rising in the picture and finally disappeared from the screen.

The crew quickly retrieved the ship's cameras and pointed them in the direction of the tunnel. The tunnel appeared on the screen above the sea.

The members of Phoenix Team One ran out of the cabin and into the captain's bridge.

On the sea, a wooden fishing boat and a modern research vessel stood side by side. The distance between the two ships was getting closer and closer, and the people on board held their breath, trying to see clearly what was on the other ship.

On the wooden fishing boat, Li Ergou, the village chief of Nanyu Village in the Nanzhao Kingdom of Planet Z, stood at the front as the captain. Next to him stood Lu Zhi, the deputy general of the Royal Guard of the Nanzhao Kingdom, and behind them were guards soldiers wearing armor.

Luo Yan, Shen Cheng, and others on the research vessel had already thoroughly examined the wooden fishing boat inside and out using modern equipment, and even used binoculars to clearly see the faces of the two people at the front of the boat.

"It doesn't seem like a threat at all," Chen Ming couldn't help but say.

"Approach slowly," Huang Kun, the second leader of the Phoenix Team, said to the captain.

Just then, the phone rang again. The captain answered it, and a member of the research team said, "The instruments detected no ghosts."

"Don't approach, don't use heavy weapons. Our warships will be here soon." General Ma Ying's voice came through the video call on the other end of the phone.

Everyone held their breath, and everyone could clearly hear the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Captain Feng, let's go up to the deck and take a look. After all, we're more experienced," Huang Kun said to Feng Kang, the captain of Phoenix Team One.

"Let's go too," Shen Cheng said.

“No need.” Feng Kang glanced at Shen Yan. “Let’s avoid alerting them. We’ll wait until General Ma and the others arrive.”

The others had no choice but to fall silent.

Feng Kang and Huang Kun went onto the deck. The research vessel was slowly retreating, while the wooden fishing boat was moving forward at full speed.

As the two ships drew closer, the captain of the modern warship steered it slightly to the right to avoid a collision. Li Ergou, the captain of the wooden fishing boat opposite, keenly noticed this.

"Tell the first mate to veer slightly to the right," Captain Li Ergou whispered to the soldier beside him.

The two ships were getting closer and closer, and just as they were about to collide, the Imperial Guard Lieutenant General Lu Zhi suddenly shouted, "Prepare the ropes!"

Just as the two ships were about to collide, they both veered slightly to the right, and it looked like they were about to pass each other. Lieutenant General Lu Zhiyou immediately shouted, "Jump!"

At a command, the guardsmen on the left side of the fishing boat grabbed the ropes and swung onto the warship, then immediately drew their swords.

"Draw your gun!" Feng Kang roared. Huang Kun drew his gun immediately.

Just as Feng Kang and Huang Kun were considering whether to fire, the guardsmen who had already jumped onto the warship shouted, "Kill!"

They brandished their swords in the air, their movements appearing labored. In that instant, Feng Kang noticed the Phoenix Team members who had just run out of the cabin and onto the deck collapsing to the ground, blood oozing from their sword wounds.

"Bang." Huang Kun reacted quickly and fired. The guard who was shot fell to the ground, but he himself also fell to the ground, a large sword wound on his chest oozing blood.

Gunshots rang out, and those in the captain's cockpit reacted instantly. Shen Cheng, Luo Yan, and Chen Ming grabbed machine guns and rushed out. Yang Lan, who also tried to rush out, was stopped by the captain. Then, the captain quickly picked up the phone.

The three men rushed onto the deck and opened fire on the Imperial Guard soldiers.

Soon only the three of them remained standing on the warship's deck, and they stopped. Shen Cheng, who had been at the forefront, was covered in small sword wounds, while Chen Ming knelt on the deck, blood streaming from his legs. Luo Yan quickly helped him up.

Shen Cheng glanced back at Chen Ming, then ran to the left side of the deck, looking at the fishing boat that had already passed the warship.

On the fishing boat, Feng Kang was pointing his gun at Lu Zhi, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. Behind Lu Zhi, a dozen or so Imperial Guard soldiers held swords but dared not make a move; they already knew the power of this weapon.

Feng Kang really wanted to shoot, but he knew he was out of bullets.

"You are the ones who killed my people, aren't you?" Lu Zhi said, his eyes burning with the flames of revenge.

"What did you say?" Feng Kang asked, confused.

"Still not admitting it? Brothers, get to it, don't worry about me." Lu Zhi took a step forward, and Feng Kang's gun was already pressed against his forehead.

Feng Kang knew something was wrong, so he reached into his pocket with his left hand and grabbed the dagger he was carrying.

"What, are you disobeying military orders?" Lu Zhi roared at the soldiers of the Nanzhao Kingdom's Imperial Guard.

Just then, Feng Kang threw down his gun and held a dagger to Lu Zhi's neck. At that moment, the dozen or so soldiers simultaneously brandished their swords.

Both Lu Zhi and Feng Kang were covered in sword wounds and bleeding profusely. Just before they fell to the ground, Feng Kang plunged a dagger deep into Lu Zhi's throat.

At that moment, General Ma's warships and helicopters arrived simultaneously, and the fishing boat was taken over by soldiers armed with guns. After Lu Zhi fell to the ground, a dozen or so guards saw this scene, picked up their swords, and all committed suicide by slitting their throats.

More than twenty fishermen raised their hands and walked out of the cabin, while their village chief, Li Ergou, lay in a pool of blood.