Exploration: I Wandered into a Forbidden Zone, and My Name Was Carved on a Bronze Relic

Across the vast earth lies a boundless ocean, covering three quarters of the world. Life began in the sea, yet from ancient times to the present, humanity has learned barely a fraction of what the oceans hold. Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the waves? Is it treasure that could make someone rich overnight, or danger in the form of towering, raging seas? Does it conceal the secrets of our origins and eternal life, or endless curses? Old Ba and I returned after completing our studies abroad, only to find that our iron rice bowl had been smashed. With no other choice, we scraped by appraising antiques for people and trading in curios. It was an easy life, sure, but also mind-numbingly dull. As Master Ba put it, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but what’s the point of a life where you can see the end from the beginning?” The adventurous spirit in our bones kept acting up. We were restless every day, itching all over and unable to sit still. We were desperate for excitement, and just then, news spread through the papers that fishermen in a place in Jiaodong had hauled a gold-inlaid bronze casket out of the sea. We immediately agreed to head east from the capital and make straight for Jiaodong to claim the treasure. Who could have guessed that our “international friend” Luo Ling would show up in disguise, armed and ready, and join our treasure-hunting team? Her words on the train instantly shrouded our Jiaodong expedition in an eerie veil of mystery... Following the casket’s clues, the three of us traveled east to the Yellow and Bohai Seas and west across the Kunlun Mountains... We left our footprints across the seas in every direction, seeking wealth, saving others, and saving ourselves. After crossing mountains and rivers and surviving countless brushes with death, we finally uncovered the ultimate secret hidden beneath the water... Like a dream, like a flash of lightning, in the end, everything in this world is an illusion. Right and wrong, good and evil, life and death, all depend on a single thought...