Stranger Danger

Chapter 353: Money Makes The World Go Round

When the boat came closer, Ye Qing realized with a start that it was a paper boat. A simple lantern was hung on the front end of the mast, and its orange light cast a warm glow on the boat.

The ferryman was a hunch-backed man covered in black robes. His whole face except his eyes were covered from view. This was probably the ferryman Greenlake was talking about. He was holding a setting pole made from bones and pushing the boat ever closer toward the shore.

His movements looked relaxed, and the boat seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace as well. In reality, it reached the duo in just the blink of an eye.

After the boat had reached the shore, the ferryman slowly turned his head and stared at Ye Qing, eyes glowing like dark green orbs in the darkness.

“Let’s go, husband.”

Ye Qing swallowed, but it was too late for regrets. He had no choice but to harden his resolve and step toward the ferryman.

The ferryman extended a bony arm toward Ye Qing—literally, as not a speck of flesh could be found under the man’s sleeve—and Ye Qing handed him the Yin Token of Forgettance. The ferryman rubbed its bony fingers across the token before handing it back to Ye Qing and stepping out of the way.

“Do you have any yin gold with you, husband? If you do, you should give the ferryman some yin gold,” Greenlake suddenly whispered beside Ye Qing’s ear.

“Why?” Ye Qing asked.

Greenlake replied mysteriously, “Ever heard that money makes the world go round? Don’t worry. I’m not trying to trick you or anything.”

Ye Qing mulled over her suggestion for a moment before producing a gold ingot from his Nature’s Shell. A moment of hesitation later, he produced another two gold ingots from his Nature’s Shell and handed it all to the ferryman.

It was a cultural tradition to burn paper offerings to provide one\'s ancestors with the means to enjoy the comforts of what they once had when they were alive, and fake money was of course one of them. However, yin gold wasn’t made of paper. It was actual gold or silver that had been placed inside a coffin for a full night and one of the more valuable currencies in the yin world.

Ye Qing wasn’t sure if he wasn’t imagining it, but the ferryman’s attitude seemed to grow a tad warmer after he handed him the ingot.

“Always sit at the center of the boat…”

“Do not waver when crossing the river…”

“Never look back after you left the boat…”

A low, deep voice suddenly came from behind Ye Qing, prompting him to look back at the ferryman. However, the ferryman wasn’t looking at him. In fact, it looked like he hadn’t spoken at all.

“Thank you.” Ye Qing saluted him regardless before boarding the boat. On the way, he asked Greenlake in a small voice, “What did he mean by that?”

Greenlake replied, “It’s exactly what it sounds like. You should always sit at the center of the boat, you mustn’t allow anything to affect you when crossing the river, and you must never look back after getting off the boat.”

“And why’s that? The rules must exist for a reason, right?” Ye Qing asked.

“I can’t tell you. Just remember to follow the rules. Otherwise…” Greenlake shot him a mysterious smile but didn’t continue.

Smartass. Also, why didn’t she just tell me the rules when she already knew them? Could’ve saved me a few gold ingots.

Miffed he might be, he didn’t voice his complaints of course. It wasn’t like he could ask the ferryman to give back his gold.

“Why aren’t we moving?” Ye Qing asked after sitting at the center of the boat and waiting for ten minutes or so. Greenlake was sitting next to him.

“There are probably others who wish to cross the river as well!” Greenlake answered.

As if on cue, several people emerged from the distance. They reached the boat very quickly.

“Oh hells, it stinks like shit!” A man wearing a boy mask suddenly exclaimed loudly. Despite the mask, it was clear from his attire and bald, shiny head that he was a monk.

“For the good of the people, die, you smelly thing!”

“Mighty Sky Dragon, World Revered Kṣitigarbha, Great Celestial Spell, Prajna of the Buddhas!”

The monk yelled what sounded like an incantation before shining like the sun. The golden light of the Buddha shone brightly as he attacked a black-robed man[1] next to him like an angry Vajrapani.

Boom!

Caught off guard, the black-robed man was sent flying across the air. His black robes ripped apart to reveal a middle-aged man who resembled a rotting corpse. His face was scarred, his flesh was rotting, and his whole body was giving off a putrid, rotten stench.

“Are you sick, Jing Xin?” The black-robed man glared angrily at the monk after catching himself.

“You’re the one who’s sick, monster! No, what am I talking about? You are sick. Not only did you kill your whole family, you killed countless innocents as well! If you aren’t sick, then who is?”

The monk named Jing Xin roared and charged toward the black-robed man again, “But don’t worry! I shall send you to the Buddha this instant!”

“Why won’t you stop harassing me? Do you think I avoided you because I’m scared of you, Jing Xin?!” The black-robed man tried to threaten the monk.

“If you’re not scared, then why did you run away every time? Fight me if you’re a man, bitch! If I run, then I give you permission to call me your grandson! Come on! Fight me!”

Jing Xin caught up to the black-robed man in just a few steps and brought down his massive palm on him.

“Mighty Sky Dragon, World Revered Kṣitigarbha…”

The black-robed man crossed his arms in front of him defensively and surrounded himself in thick corpse qi. At the same time, his arms turned greenish black.

Bang!

The black-robed man grunted and flew another ten meters. This time though, he accidentally slammed into a group of people.

“Enough, you crazy monk!”

A newcomer wearing a God of Longevity mask caught the black-robed man and rebuked the monk. His index and middle fingers pressed together, he fired a beam of sword qi at him.

Unfortunately, his sword qi was easily shredded by the Buddha light surrounding Jing Xin.

“You think you can stop me? I knew at first glance that you are a villain just like that bastard! It’s fine though. Today is the day I send you both to the Buddha!”

“At least choose a better time and place to go crazy, Crazy Monk! If we miss the boat, it’ll be all your fault!” The guy wearing the God of Longevity mask hid his hand under his sleeve. It was because his fingers were shaking.

A young man—the only person in the group who wasn’t wearing a mask—declared arrogantly, “Fight to the death if you want. Just don’t get in my way.”

He then looked at the fair, shapely woman standing next to him and said in a much gentler voice, “Let’s get on the boat, Ruyan.”

“Will do, Scion Fu,” the woman replied in a sweet voice.

A wide smile immediately spread on his face.

Jing Xin glared at them angrily. “Hmph! Every single one of you is a cold, selfish, heartless person who doesn’t know right from wrong! I swear I’ll enlighten you all one day[2]!”

Everyone in the group immediately scoffed in disdain. A well-dressed man hugging two beauties and wearing a silver mask immediately taunted, “I thought you want to eliminate us villains, monk? Are you backing down just because we outnumber you? Your Buddha will be so disappointed if he sees you like this.”

“Amitabha, are you stupid! The Buddha himself said that enlightenment cannot be achieved in a single day. Slow and steady is the path to success!” Jing Xin retorted with even greater disdain. “Judging from your behavior, you’re probably a bad person as well! I’ve remembered your face. One day, I will enlighten you!”

I’m crazy, not stupid. Do you really think I’ll charge into a battle I’m sure to lose?

“The show’s over, it seems. What a shame. Let’s go, girls!” The well-dressed man shrugged and walked toward the boat.

The well-dressed man tossed his Yin Token of Forgettance in the ferryman’s direction and leisurely stepped onto the boat. However, the ferryman raised a hand and blocked his way before he could take another step.

“What is the meaning of this?” The well-dressed man asked in a lazy voice.

Instead of replying, the ferryman pointed at the two women he was hugging.

“Oh, I see!” The well-dressed man caressed the women’s faces lovingly and sighed. “Well, it’s not that I don’t want to bring you with me, beauties. It’s the ferryman who won’t allow you passage. If you must blame someone, blame him!”

Pop! Pop!

The next moment, he popped their heads like watermelons and spilled blood and brain fluid everywhere.

The guy wasn’t disgusted, however. He even licked the blood with an intoxicated expression and said, “What a shame I couldn’t keep my queens of flowers[3]! What a shame, hehehe…”

They’re real?

On the boat, Ye Qing watched the sudden tragedy with a small frown. He had thought that those two were just paper dolls. He didn’t think that they were actually real.

Ruthless bastard! Almost everyone else was wearing frowns on their faces as well. They didn’t rebuke him for his behavior, however. In fact, they subconsciously took a few steps away from him.

Even Jing Xin was looking down on the floor and chanting, “Amitabha, the Buddha says to keep calm always, for no one can replace you if you blow your own top. It’s okay if the villain is too strong for now, you will kick his ass eventually…”

“That man is called Song Qingyu. He’s a disciple of the demonic sect called ‘Between Flowers’, and he practices a cultivation art called the ‘Flower Ripping Scripture’. It is a cultivation art that transforms the practitioner into a heartless, merciless warrior through constant exposure and desensitization. He might look like a romantic on the outside, but he doesn’t have a heart on the inside. It’s why they call him the ‘Flower Ripper’. You might want to be careful around him.”

Greenlake had moved closer to him and whispered, “The crazy monk’s Dharma name is Jing Xin. He is the disciple of master Yuhai, a venerated monk in Gold Mountain Temple. It is said that he has a screw loose in his head because he once caught a grave illness when he was a boy. He is hot-tempered, violently righteous, and quite insane. Hence, people call him ‘Crazy Monk’.”

Jing Xin (Stay Calm)? Whoever named him certainly had… foresight, Ye Qing mentally rolled his eyes before asking, “Who was the guy Jing Xin attacked earlier?”

“The corpse man? His moniker is ‘Corpse Vulture’. It is said that he cultivated the ancient Corpse King Sect’s ‘Supreme Nether Corpse Yin Solution’, but he’s so untalented that he turned into this. He looks scary, but he’s average at best.”

“I don’t recognize the other three people, but the one wearing the God of Longevity mask seems to be using a martial art called the ‘Sword of One’. In Tian Yong, the only one who practiced it is ‘Sword of One’ Lu Hui. He’s strong, but he’s more known for his treachery and deceit.”

“As for the last two people, I have no idea. But I would suggest that you keep an eye on the woman.”

“Why’s that? She looks like an ordinary person,” Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

“She’s an ordinary person who has a Yin Token of Forgettance and the courage to enter the inner market. If she doesn’t deserve our caution, who does?” Greenlake countered.

Ye Qing had to agree with that logic.

While they were conversing, the group had already boarded the boat. However, they didn’t pay the ferryman his due, so the ferryman didn’t say anything either. He reminded Ye Qing of a lucky cat who only knew how to wave its forelimb.

“Careful, husband. Here comes trouble.”

Ye Qing was thinking about nothing in particular when Greenlake’s voice entered his ears. At the same time, he felt a shadow towering over him. Someone was standing right in front of him.