The old man was incredibly talkative, keeping the two of them there for over ten minutes. Every word he spoke was filled with pride for living in White Jade City, and even as they parted, he looked like he hadn't said nearly enough.
Hong Ling hurriedly interrupted him, asking again, "Do you know where the city's docks are?"
The old man pointed toward the east. "Follow this street all the way to the end, and you'll see them. Plenty of people are heading to the docks lately, all trying to find boats to move cargo before Immortal Celebration Day."
"Let me tell you, those docks have quite a history..."
"Thank you, sir!" Shitou thanked him quickly, grabbing Hong Ling and running in the direction the old man had pointed.
After a few turns along the street, they reached the end. A damp breeze, thick with the smell of fish, washed over them.
Wooden piers were built precariously over the water, with over a dozen boats of various sizes moored alongside. Boatmen shouldered heavy crates, weaving through the crowd on the piers in a dizzying bustle of activity.
As Hong Ling and Shitou stepped onto the pier, they heard several shirtless boatmen sitting by a vessel, chatting. The topic happened to be the villages they knew well.
"You hear? Qudao County lost several more villages!" a bearded boatman said, taking a swig of wine, his voice full of sighs. "Daliang Village, Shideng Village, and those small settlements to the north—all gone!"
"Bah, in these chaotic times, if they're gone, they're gone," another tall, thin boatman said dismissively. "We're in White Jade City, protected by the immortal. What's there to fear?"
"Exactly!" someone nearby chimed in. "Last time I went to Qudao County to deliver goods, the refugees looked like they'd seen ghosts. It's much more stable here."
Hong Ling paused, making a point to listen closer.
At that moment, a boatman dressed in short-sleeved work clothes frowned and asked, "Wait, aren't those villages under the protection of the White Jade Immortal? How could they be wiped out by demons? Have the monsters become that brazen?"
The boatmen sitting around fell silent at those words.
The bearded man who had been drinking looked around, looking smug. He suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "That's where you're out of the loop. I've got some inside info!
"A distant relative of mine works at the City Lord's Manor. He told me privately that when the Sword Sect masters went to those villages to collect offerings a few days ago, they found they had long since become dead villages. They say it was all the work of evil spirits!
"The scene was covered in blood, but not a single corpse could be found! I heard one immortal was even severely wounded while trying to slay the spirits and protect the people!"
"Oh my!"
"For real? That's terrifying!"
The crowd sighed in succession. "No wonder Immortal Celebration Day was moved up this year. It turns out the immortal took pity on us and wanted to grant his blessings early to keep us safe!"
"Exactly! The City Lord didn't even have time to prepare, which is why we're all so busy!"
"The immortal masters really have it hard, risking their lives against demons and evil spirits for us mortals!"
Listening to this, Shitou felt a bitter pang in his heart.
Another village had been wiped out. In this world, demons truly were everywhere, and evil spirits ran rampant.
Hong Ling pulled him forward and approached the boatmen, cupping her hands. "Excuse me, brothers. Is there anyone here with a boat for hire? We'd like to set sail."
The boatmen who had been chatting immediately gathered around, acting very hospitable. "Do you two young guests have a reservation? What cargo are you moving? Grain or cloth?"
"We aren't moving cargo. We just need passage," Hong Ling shook her head.
Upon hearing this, most of the boatmen dispersed.
On the eve of Immortal Celebration Day, the merchant ships' schedules were already full. There was no profit in taking private travelers, and no one wanted to waste the effort.
Only three owners of smaller boats remained. One asked, "Where are you heading? If it's on the way, we could give you a lift."
"Fengdao County," Hong Ling stated their destination.
As soon as she said it, the last three boatmen shook their heads and walked away without even an explanation.
Shitou was stunned. He quickly grabbed an older boatman who was walking slowly and asked politely, "Brother, why did everyone leave as soon as they heard Fengdao County?"
The boatman glanced at them and only spoke after a long, reluctant pause. "Fengdao County is right next to Qudao County. It’s been a dead county for a long time.
"There's a place there called Lakeglow Ridge, occupied by a great demon. The villages and towns in that county have all been swallowed up. There are no living souls left...
"Even if there were survivors to trade with, no one would dare go. Going there is just seeking death!"
The two of them finally understood.
Indeed, Lakeglow Ridge was in Fengdao County. It was their destination, but they hadn't expected no one would be willing to sail there.
Hong Ling pulled Shitou along as they spent another half-day asking around the docks. Relying on her clean looks and impressive silver tongue, she finally learned something from an old fisherman:
"There's a small-time boatman named Wang Er. His boat is small and he doesn't get many orders. But some strange things happened on his boat a few days ago, and he hasn't gone out for several days. If you're in a hurry, you might try your luck with him."
Following the direction the fisherman pointed, they found Wang Er at the most isolated corner of the pier.
His boat wasn't large and looked quite old, with moss clinging to the hull.
Wang Er sat on a green stone at the edge of the dock, clutching a wine gourd. He was drunk, staring blankly at his boat with dull eyes.
"Brother Wang Er, could you take us to Fengdao County?" Hong Ling asked softly.
"I'm not going!" Wang Er didn't even look up, his tone impatient. "Stop asking and just go away."
Hong Ling took out two low-grade spirit stones from her robe and held them out to him. "We are willing to pay extra. We have urgent business in Fengdao County. Please, help us out."
Wang Er glanced at the spirit stones but still shook his head, taking a sullen gulp of wine.
"It's not about the money. This boat is haunted. A few boatmen vanished from it a few days ago. For your own good, stop asking and leave.
"I have to wait until after Immortal Celebration Day, after the White Jade Immortal grants his blessing, before I can sail again!"
Immortal Celebration Day? Wasn't that several days away?
They couldn't afford to wait. Shitou stepped forward and said quickly, "Brother, we are cultivators. If there are really ghosts or monsters on the boat, we can just get rid of them for you!"
"You?" Wang Er looked up and sized them up, his face full of disbelief.
The people of White Jade City had only ever seen the cultivators of the Sword Sect. White robes, giant bamboo hats, and a massive sword on their backs—that had become their stereotypical image of an immortal master.
Wang Er saw that while the two of them were dressed strangely, they didn't look anything like what he thought an immortal master should look like.
Shitou didn't bother explaining. He reached out and drew the bone blade from his waist, slashing violently at the water's surface.
A second-stage blade qi roared out, carving a deep, zhang-deep scar into the water that didn't dissipate for a long time. Waves splashed everywhere, and even the boats in the distance rocked.
The surrounding boatmen and passersby were drawn by the commotion and gathered to watch, clicking their tongues in amazement. "Parting the water with a blade? Which high-ranking immortal master is this?"
"You're just being ignorant. It's almost Immortal Celebration Day; naturally, a master from the Sword Sect has come down the mountain!"
The wine gourd in Wang Er's hand fell to the ground with a thud, the cloudy wine spilling everywhere.
He scrambled to his feet, his expression one of wild joy. He stumbled and knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Shitou and Hong Ling. "So it's the immortal masters! If you can help me get rid of the ghosts on my boat, I, Wang Er, will take you to Fengdao County for free! Not a single cent!"
Rate on N.U.
