Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 457 - 408 - Black Stone

Chapter 457: 408 Chapter Black Stone
Wu County Changmen Sea Hawk No. 39—these few words seemed to possess a magical power that instantly changed Su Xinghuo’s expression, his body suddenly tensing up.
"Sir," Su Xinghuo’s facial muscles twitched as he asked with difficulty, "where did you hear this ship’s name?"
"..."
Li Ang did not reply, simply watching Su Xinghuo silently, clearly conveying the message—do not ask what should not be asked.
"Alright." Su Xinghuo sighed heavily. "Sir, you saved my life, so I shall not keep any secrets from you. However, since this ship is related to the Su family’s hidden past, I hope you can keep it a secret."
"Okay." Li Ang nodded in agreement, then pulled out two more soundproof talismans from the drawer to completely eliminate the risk of being overheard.
"The matter starts with my father." Su Xinghuo took a deep breath, closed his eyes to recollect, and said, "My parents had a very good relationship. In my memory, they hardly ever argued—until one day they had a huge fight.
"My father, drunk as can be, revealed to me the true reason for the decline of the Su family.
"The ancestors of the Su family amassed a fortune through shipping, and in the early years of the Former Sui, they founded the Yiyuan Trading Company in Suzhou. Diligent in their work, the family elevated Yiyuan to become the first in Suzhou and among the top five in Jiangnan Road within a century.
"The family assets included land, oxen, mountains, water mills, grinding mills, residences, and street-front shops.
"However, one issue constantly troubled the clan members—disease.
"Once a family member exceeded fifty or sixty years of age, the chance and speed of cognitive decline were much higher compared to others.
"This was a disease that plagued the Su bloodline, causing older clan members to gradually lose their ability to care for themselves, even losing the ability to swallow.
"According to the publications of the Chang’an Imperial Medical Bureau, it was a hereditary family disease.
"Considering it a family disgrace, the Su family secluded all the elders deep within the family estate, where they were collectively taken care of by clan members."
Su Xinghuo paused briefly, then slowly continued, "The Emperors of the Sui Dynasty, like people in general, firmly believed in the legend that the Overseas Immortal Island had an Immortality Elixir.
"In an effort to find a cure for the disease, the ancestors of the Su family used the convenience of managing their trading company. They frequently explored the periphery of the Endless Sea and charted maritime maps.
"Finally, a ship, by a striking coincidence, was lifted onto the back of a sea beast so immense it was unimaginable, and it ventured into the depths of the Endless Sea.
"According to the accounts of the surviving Su ancestors on the ship, one scale of the sea beast was as large as a house, and while standing on its deck, they could only see a small part of the sea beast’s back, with an even larger shadow lurking beneath the water’s surface.
"Its body length, perhaps best described in ’li,’ was comparable to a Kunpeng.
"The terrified crew sailed for thirty days and thirty nights, passing through the most dangerous parts of the Endless Sea, where endless thunderstorms, hundred-meter-high waves, and a myriad of bizarre, mutually preying aliens and demons existed.
"The indescribably shaped sea beast seemed to be a dominant entity in the Endless Sea. Wherever it went, thunderstorms calmed, giant waves subsided, and ferocious sea beasts dared not approach.
"After that, the surviving sailors believed that without that particular sea beast, no ship could sail to such a terrifying place.
"On the thirtieth night, the sea beast stopped moving at the edge of an island and dove deeper. Sea Hawk No. 39 finally made contact with the water surface again.
"The ship was located in the unexplored depths of the Endless Sea, surrounded by dangers. With food and water supplies nearly exhausted, the crew immediately decided to head toward the island to resupply and search for fresh water and edible food.
"Half a day passed. Most of the crew who had gone to find supplies had returned, but several people were still missing, and their distress whistles were not heard. The captain sent a few people to search. The crew followed the footprints, using choppers to cut through the vines blocking their path and cautiously moving deeper into the dense forest. Subsequently, they witnessed a scene they would never forget—
"In the middle of the island was a pit ten zhang in diameter. In the pit stood a massive piece of pitch-black stone.
"The Black Stone varied in size. The largest piece, mostly embedded within the rock layer, had numerous root-like things extending from its base where it touched the ground, soaking the surroundings like dye.
"The surface of the vegetation was covered with spiderweb-like black patterns, parts of the bodies of birds and beasts were replaced with a black material, and those missing crew members stood dumbly in the pit, black roots inserted into their necks, wrists, and ankles.
"After careful consideration, the others decided to use ropes to pull them out from a distance.
"Everything in the Endless Sea was dangerous, so the crew didn’t bring the missing members back to the ship but instead placed them in a temporary camp far from the island’s shoreline to observe them.
"The next day, the missing crew members slowly woke up, showing no abnormalities.
"In fact, one of the Su family members, nearly fifty years old who had previously shown intermittent cognitive decline, was completely cured, no longer suddenly slurring or slow in speech.
"Only one thing—their blood had turned a dark red-black color.
"The captain noticed this change. He imposed a gag order on all crew members who knew and personally returned to the pit with a few others. They collected a large piece of the Black Stone, which they placed into a specially made stone box designed to store alien things.
"Days later, the sea wafted with a strong scent of fresh blood and large chunks of limbs—these limbs were bluish-black, covered with shells on the back, and had dense suction cups the size of a carriage wheel on the front.
"The captain speculated that the sea beast that carried them might have habits similar to pythons. It preferred to prey on sufficiently large creatures, a single hunt supporting it for several years, a decade or more, or even longer.
"After a successful hunt, it would return to its dwelling to lie dormant.
"A few more days passed, and, indeed, the sea beast reemerged. The crew seized the opportunity, docking the ship on the back of the beast and returning home with it.
"Perhaps because of the feast it had had, this time the beast spent forty days and nights before returning to the periphery of the Endless Sea and began to dive.
"More than half of the crew on Sea Hawk No. 39 were dead or injured. The remaining survivors managed the ship, barely sailing from the outskirts of the Endless Sea back to land. After resupplying in Nan Zhao, they headed towards Sui Country, returning to Suzhou.
"The Su family sealed off all news about this voyage. The family’s elder and the cultivators trained by the family studied the Black Stone they had brought back.
"The more they studied, the more amazed they became at the mystique of the Black Stone. Eventually, they started to view it as a divine object bestowed by Haotian, setting up an altar and secretly paying Tribute to it.
"Gradually, the occurrence rate of genetic diseases within the family decreased, and just when the clan members thought they had finally escaped the bloodline curse, an uninvited group arrived.
"The Supreme Mysterious Sect.
"This Hidden Sect, for reasons unknown, had learned of the Black Stone. They stormed past the family’s residence—heavily fortified and filled with Prohibitions that had cost a fortune to construct—taking the Clan Chief and elder hostage and demanding cooperation."