Chapter 208

The weather was fine, and the sails were billowing.

Seeing that the shadow of Yunyang Prefecture was getting smaller and smaller, the old boatman took off his bamboo hat and walked into the cabin.

He was tall, his skin tanned by years of exposure, his face full of wind and frost wrinkles. Although he was wearing old, coarse blue cloth clothes, his white hair was combed very neatly, possessing a unique momentum.

"Greetings, senior."

Everyone stood up one after another.

"You all are too polite." The old boatman laughed heartily, bowed, and said, "I am Zhang Shuisheng. Friends in the martial world give me face and gave me the title of 'Fast Boat Zhang'."

Li Yan and the others felt a sense of respect upon hearing this.

In the martial world, earning a name is not something to be taken lightly.

Either your blade is fast and your kung fu is high, or you have a craft and are outstanding in a certain trade, and it must stand the test of time.

After all, it takes time for a reputation to spread.

Either others have just heard of you and you die, so no matter how loud the name is, it won't stick. And it must be spoken by fellow martial artists.

Giving yourself a title is just a joke.

Being able to be called "Fast Boat Zhang" was enough to show his ability.

The old man laughed heartily, then his expression became solemn, "I am an old acquaintance of Elder Han. The river is not peaceful recently."

"If it weren't for Elder Han's face, and him saying that you all are powerful sorcerers, I would have truly planned to rest for a while."

"Oh?"

Li Yan frowned, "Senior, can you elaborate..."

"Wait a moment!"

Just as Zhang Shuisheng was about to speak, Lu San's ears suddenly moved, and he raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

He came to the riverside and listened carefully.

But the water surface was clear, and the sailboat was breaking the waves. Apart from the splashing sound of the water, he couldn't hear anything.

But Li Yan and the others were already on high alert, pressing their hands on their sword hilts.

Lu San had awakened the Ear-Opening supernatural power. Not only was it a bit special, allowing him to understand the language of birds and beasts, but his hearing was also extremely strong.

He pinched the Yang-deciding seal to listen; he must have discovered something.

But seeing Lu San listen for a while, his expression suddenly became somewhat strange. Then he patted the side of the boat and made a strange sound with his mouth.

Splash!

Not long after, waves surged on the water surface, revealing round, scaly heads, swimming over from all directions.

They were all Chinese alligators.

"E" is connected to "crocodile" and is related to the ancient E State.

Li Yan had discovered along the way that there were many Chinese alligators in the water, which were the Yangtze alligators of his previous life.

The Chinese alligator, also known as the Tuo Dragon or Earth Dragon, had no threat when young, but was somewhat dull and stupid. Because it often appeared when the river fog was thick, it was considered to have spirituality.

Splash!

The water surface by the boat shook violently, and a fat figure emerged from the river, climbing onto the cabin in a panic.

It was the wealthy fat young master Lin Yu.

At this moment, he was wearing black tight-fitting clothes, carrying a leather bag on his back, and biting something bulging in his mouth.

On his hands, he also wore leather gloves with hooks.

Just after getting on the boat, he coughed and spat out water, looking embarrassed as he took out the thing in his mouth—it was something like a fish bladder, and it also emitted a faint yin qi.

"Yo."

Hearing Sha Lifei was amused, "Young Master Lin, your equipment is quite complete. Is this a gadget from the sea-exploring lineage?"

Lin Yu looked embarrassed, "This... let you all laugh."

Li Yan's expression sank, "Young Master Lin, you are truly daring, sneaking behind us. Aren't you afraid we'll find a chance to finish you off?"

Lin Yu's face turned pale, and he hurriedly waved his hands: "Don't misunderstand, I have no ill intentions. I just waited for so long and wasn't willing to not see what it was."

"Also, that thing must be a treasure. Without me taking action, you all would likely not even be able to find it."

"I just wanted to see what it was. Once I saw it, I lost interest..."

Li Yan still frowned, "Old senior Chen took good care of you and even wanted to send you to the capital. Doing this, you are somewhat irresponsible."

Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Lin Yu would shake his head directly: "You all shouldn't be fooled by him. The Chen family is not as simple as it looks."

"Their family power is huge, and they are also planning some things involving court struggles. Even my father warned me not to associate too deeply."

"To take, one must first give."

"This is written in the Chen family's house rules. Dealing with them—how many benefits there are, there will be higher costs later."

"If I were escorted to the capital by them, within three days, this matter would definitely spread in Jiangzhe, achieving the Chen family's reputation for righteousness. If someone is coerced by them because of this, that would be my fault..."

Li Yan nodded slightly and didn't refute.

In fact, he had already discovered the strangeness.

If that Chen Yuanqing were just an ordinary merchant, how would he have the ability to place Han Kun in the position of an elder of the Boat Gang?

Being able to name the three lineages of treasure-seekers in one breath clearly showed he had a very deep understanding of the Mystic Sects...

The current Great Xuan Emperor, by supporting merchant guilds through opening maritime trade and suppressing local native gentry, was already an open matter.

Yunyang Prefecture was such an important place. Their standing here, watching the waves in the city—who knew if they would be one of the chess players?

For those who shouted and killed as soon as they came up, Li Yan didn't care; he would just find a way to deal with them.

It was this kind of amiable old fox that was more worthy of caution.

Thinking of this, he looked to the side calmly.

"Fast Boat Zhang" saw this and hurriedly waved his hands, "I am only responsible for sending people. I don't care about other things. Since we are friends, you all handle it yourselves."

After saying that, he bowed and left the cabin.

Li Yan looked at Lin Yu again and changed the subject, asking, "Young Master Lin, could it be that you are giving up being a wealthy young master and giving up your fame to drift in the martial world?"

"Of course not."

Lin Yu said honestly, "It's fine to be willful and play halfway, but if I miss the exam in the capital, my father will definitely peel my skin."

"To tell you the truth, I have been thinking about the treasure on Mount Qinglong day and night since I saw it in my master's notes. I've been itching to know if it's related to a dragon."

"You all, I'll just follow and take a look. After satisfying my wish, I will leave and head to the capital."

"That's fine."

Li Yan nodded, "However, Young Master Lin, you had better be honest. If you act recklessly and die on the way, we won't care."

This Lin Yu dared to wander around alone, clearly having practiced some fist and foot skills, plus various secret techniques, so he could be considered to have some ability.

It was just that he was new to the martial world and lacked experience.

Hearing Sha Lifei laughed, pouring a cup of wine attentively, "Young Master Lin, I have to say, you are lucky to have met us."

"Many thanks."

The chill of early spring had not yet dissipated, and after soaking in the water for a long while, Lin Yu was already pale with cold. He took the wine, drank a sip, and smiled, "I naturally inquired about it and knew that you all were chivalrous people of the martial world, so I had the thick skin to follow."

"If I were truly caught, at worst, I'd just lose money to avoid disaster."

"Lose money to avoid disaster?"

Hearing Sha Lifei was amused, his eyes becoming gloomy, "With you as a treasure-seeker, what need is there for money? If we catch you, we'll control you with poison and make you seek treasures to save your life. Wouldn't the money be endless?"

Lin Yu's face turned pale upon hearing this.

"Hahaha..."

The people in the boat were amused, and even Lu San looked at Lin Yu as if he were looking at a fool.

Hearing Sha Lifei patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "Don't be afraid, I'm just scaring you."

"But after this matter, you had better honestly go to the capital. If you want to live, don't tell anyone you are a treasure-seeker."

"In the martial world, there are no shortage of people who dare to kill for a few taels of silver..." …………

Mount Qinglong was not far from Yunyang Prefecture.

"Everyone, we've arrived."

In less than half an hour, with a shout from "Fast Boat Zhang," everyone walked out of the cabin to watch.

They saw that by the riverbank was a stretch of hills, the terrain high in the west and low in the east, tilting south and slanting north. Under the sunlight, the mountains were green and lush.

Wang Daoxuan took out his compass to look and shook his head, "The Feng Shui here can only be said to be average."

"Fast Boat Zhang" on the side hesitated and said, "Everyone, it's not that I'm being talkative, but after years of sailing, I have never heard of any treasure here."

"It's just that some time ago, I heard that strange beasts often appeared in the nearby mountains, causing people to panic, and the commoners didn't dare to go up the mountain anymore."

Li Yan said sternly, "To tell you the truth, we took on a bounty from the City God Temple to come here and investigate what happened."

"That's great."

!.

The old man clearly knew that Li Yan had concealed something, but he didn't point it out and nodded, "Then I will wait for you all on the shore."

Lin Yu on the side hurriedly spoke, "Boatman, we are going into the mountains and will have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest. You must not be anxious."

Li Yan's heart moved, but he didn't ask much.

He knew that Lin Yu saying this must have a reason.

It was just past noon, and the group had already eaten dry rations on the boat. After packing their luggage, they jumped onto the riverbank and disappeared into the dense forest along the hillside.

"Uncle Zhang, are they really going to find treasure?"

A boatman couldn't help but ask.

"Fast Boat Zhang"'s face changed immediately, and he scolded, "Forgot the rules? Just send people; don't ask about other things."

"I don't care about others, but if you run the boat with me, just firmly keep this rule, and you can save your little lives."

"Even if they get treasure, it has nothing to do with us!"

"Also, these few are powerful people of the Mystic Sects. If you want to pass those river channels, you can't do without asking others for advice."

"The methods they reveal are enough for you to eat and drink without worry for a lifetime!"

"Uncle Zhang is wise!"

The boatmen flattered him one after another.

…………

Snap!

Hearing Sha Lifei swung his firewood knife, cutting off the branches blocking the way.

This mountain was not high, and compared to the Taibai and Huashan mountains they had climbed, it was like a small dirt slope.

However, it was a true wilderness.

There were no roads on the mountain, and the grass and trees were lush, which was very troublesome.

Seeing that they were far from the riverbank, Li Yan turned and asked, "Brother Lin, judging by what you said, that thing can also hide?"

Lin Yu nodded, "That's natural."

"All heavenly spiritual treasures have heavenly fortune and are protected by heaven and earth. Any place where they hide will definitely form a situation to cover them."

"According to my master, this thing only appears for a short while at midnight on the full moon of the first and fifteenth days, and it is very secretive."

"If I didn't have supernatural powers, I wouldn't have been able to see it last time."

"That's not right."

Hearing Sha Lifei turned his head upon hearing this, "Since this treasure hides well and won't easily show its head, why would there be news of strange beasts hurting people?"

Lin Yu shook his head, "You all don't know. Some heavenly spiritual treasures, after a long time, are inevitably discovered by wild beasts in the mountains."

"These things are usually full of spirituality and have Dao practice, and they will guard next to the heavenly spiritual treasure, waiting for an opportunity to devour it."

"Perhaps the treasure is about to appear, and the guardian spirit beast is anxious and attacks people going up the mountain."

"That makes sense."

Li Yan nodded and looked at Lu San on the side, "Brother Lu, I'll trouble you to see if there's anything unusual in the mountains."

Lu San didn't talk nonsense and immediately released the falcon on his shoulder.

At the same time, he took two pills from his bosom, squeaking constantly, seemingly calling something.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up, "Beast-taming technique?"

Lu San glanced at him and didn't pay attention.

This wealthy young master was simply a curious baby, looking around all the way, always staring at the demon gourd and the little white fox in the bamboo basket.

Of course, he also stared left and right at the Dust-Severing Blade.

Once all magical artifacts were subdued, they would restrain their aura until they were used, at which point they would reveal their power.

Ordinary people couldn't tell, but in his eyes, Li Yan and the others were like moving treasure vaults, with treasure qi lingering all over them.

This was also one of the reasons Lin Yu followed.

Soon, there was a rustling sound in the grass, and several mountain rats drilled out from underground. At first, they were hesitant, but finally, they couldn't endure the temptation and came to Lu San's feet.

Lu San pinched the pills into powder, fed them to the rats, and kept squeaking in his mouth.

The rats also responded, squeaking wildly.

It is said that different trades are like different mountains. Everyone found it interesting, but they couldn't figure out how he communicated with the rats just by squeaking.

Before long, the rats scattered.

Lu San looked up at the sky again. After the falcon landed from the sky and chirped to communicate, his expression became serious.

He turned and said, "This mountain is ordinary, the falcon didn't see anything, but the rats have seen dead people moving in the middle of the night."

"Zombies?"

Li Yan frowned, not expecting this result.

Lin Yu was also full of surprise, shaking his head, "Impossible, what I saw was clearly dragon-shaped treasure qi. How could it be zombies?"

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, frowned, and said, "Could it be that there is an ancient tomb in the mountain? Impossible... if there were a tomb, it couldn't have escaped my master's eyes."

"Once we find it, it will naturally be clear."

Li Yan's expression remained unchanged. He turned to look at Wang Daoxuan, "Daoist, since there are zombies, I'll have to rely on you."

"Hmm."

Wang Daoxuan took out his compass from his bosom, and while looking at the terrain, he said, "Zombies love places with yin and evil qi. If there are any on the mountain, they must be hiding in places where yin qi gathers..."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Lu San, "The flow of earth qi in this mountain terrain is interesting. Brother Lu San, ask the falcon if the terrain on the mountain is shaped like a winnowing basket?"

After getting Lu San's confirmation, he stroked his beard and said, "The path we took up the mountain is yang, the opposite side is the yin of the mountain, shaped like a winnowing basket, and the yin does not dissipate."

"If there are zombies, they must be hiding on the other side of the mountain peak."

"Let's go, be careful."

Li Yan nodded and walked to the front to lead the way, while pinching the Yang-deciding seal, not letting go of any strange smell.

Seeing the group cooperating tacitly, Lin Yu couldn't help but secretly praise them and followed closely behind.

This Mount Qinglong was not high. Although covered by grass and trees, making walking difficult, in less than half an hour, the group climbed to the top of the mountain.

Looking down, there was indeed a mountain hollow on the other side, shaped like a winnowing basket, with tall trees and lingering mountain fog.

As for Li Yan, he frowned, came to a large tree on the top of the mountain, and picked up half a yellow talisman from the ground.

On the other side of the tree, there were also overturned pottery bowls and incense ash...

(End of chapter)