Chapter 480: The Ferryman

When we left here initially, there was clearly nothing beneath the gold ingot.

Now the ferryboat is gone, but there is an additional commission notice.

Is it that Yu Nian came back?

Or was it that the newlywed ghost couple was let in?

However, the most crucial point now is that the commission notice's date is over a hundred years ago, and the seal bears Yu Nian's name.

Having the same name and surname is not unusual, but there is only one Yu Nian in this funeral shop.

My senior sister is only about twenty years old now, yet this commission notice was signed over a hundred years ago; having experienced so much, I will not naively deny this possibility by blaming time confusion.

After all, Feng Wu Jiu back then signed a pawn ticket with the Yin Dang Hang, and isn't it still up to me to repay it?

What I am more curious about is, over a hundred years ago, what was my senior sister's identity?

And how was she reincarnated?

The commission notice comes from the Nether Realm, and crafting a ferryboat to ferry souls across the Wangchuan River is not something an ordinary underworld official can do.

My senior sister's original identity is somewhat... thought-provoking.

I put away the commission notice, locked the funeral shop's door, originally intending to go find my aunt, to have her help me inquire about the commission notice.

But upon second thought, the mental state of the Seven Halls Yama now is even less stable than mine, so rather than ask him, I'd better go ask Fang Chuanzong about the Golden Scale and Liu Junyan, and I still want to chat with him.

Hu Yulin drove back, while I dialed Fang Chuanzong's phone.

Tonight, such a major incident occurred on Yin Mountain; he should have received the news immediately, and as soon as I called, he answered instantly, as if he had been waiting for my call.

Before I could speak, he already said: "I already have a general understanding of the Yin Mountain fox tribe matter; I am heading to the pawn shop now, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, how are you over there?"

"I... am fine." I said, "Old Fang, when the other party disappeared, they not only took the fox immortal but also Liu Junyan; he once told me he had a connection with the Copper Coin Person; I am calling to ask if you can get in touch with the Copper Coin Person, this is extremely urgent."

"The Copper Coin Person side I will try to contact." Fang Chuanzong said, "This matter may involve a lot; I have already contacted the Special Affairs Handling Office, they will also do their utmost to track it down, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, give me some time, believe me, I am just as anxious as you."

I responded with an affirmative.

Then I asked again: "Old Fang, have you heard of the commission notice?"

"Commission notice?" Fang Chuanzong said, "This thing comes from the Nether Realm, has wide uses, but it is not something just any underworld official has the right to use; Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Fang Chuanzong is one of our own.

We have come this far on this road, it's nearly the end; there's no need to hide things from our own people anymore.

I directly told Fang Chuanzong about the new ghost commissioning Yu Nian to craft the ferryboat, as well as the commission notice matter.

Fang Chuanzong exclaimed in shock: "You mean, the ferryboat that crossed the Wangchuan River on the fifteenth night of this month was actually crafted by your senior sister?"

His emotions became very agitated: "How could that be? Ferryboats aren't something just anyone can craft; even if an ordinary person can make a semblance, it's only superficial, and once it goes into the Wangchuan River its true form is revealed."

As far as I know, the only ones truly recognized by the Nether Realm capable of crafting ferryboats are ferrymen and first-rank yang-world yin officials; your senior sister has neither, yet that ferryboat on the fifteenth night was steady and sound, suffered little damage, and the pair of lovers who died together aboard it successfully crossed the Wangchuan River and have been reincarnated.

This indeed makes one feel astonished.

Fang Chuanzong said he would wait for me at the pawn shop, and we would discuss and discern specifics after returning.

I was also really tired; after hanging up, I leaned back in the chair wanting to sleep a bit.

Just as I fell asleep, I felt my whole body suddenly sink; when I opened my eyes, it was again a bloody scene in the Yin Dang Hang.

And this time, the scene became clearer and more detailed than any I had seen before.

I actually saw myself holding a Língchí knife, slowly slicing open the bloody flesh, continually rummaging through that flesh for cinnabar spirit bones...

Vomit!

A wave of nausea churned in my stomach, and I actually woke up from the dry heaving discomfort, one hand pressing against my abdomen, I vomited several times.

Hu Yulin was startled, concerned: "Xiao Jiu, are you carsick?"

I waved my hand at him: "I'm fine, don't worry about me, head back to the pawn shop early."

For the rest of the way, I dared not sleep at all; although I didn't vomit, my body felt very uncomfortable.

When the sky showed a fish-belly white, we finally returned to the pawn shop.

Fang Chuanzong had already been waiting; without even exchanging pleasantries, he directly took the commission notice to study it.

Everyone's mood was terrible, the atmosphere in the pawn shop was oppressive.

Li Qingying not only cooked porridge, but also specially prepared medicinal broth; unfortunately I couldn't eat anything.

After a long while, Fang Chuanzong slammed the table and said: "Confirmed, this commission notice comes from the previous ferryman."

Fang Chuanzong pointed to some hidden markings on the commission notice and patiently explained them to us.

The hidden markings on commission notices held by underworld officials of different fields are all different, and their uses differ as well.

On the ferryman's commission notice, there is the mark of the Wangchuan River.

"But the previous ferryman was a male, surname unknown; everyone called him 'Du Ge'; he ferried on the Wangchuan River for many years, appearing and disappearing mysteriously, basically having little contact with the outside world; later, for unknown reasons, he suddenly vanished together with his boat, and to this day no ferryman has appeared on the Wangchuan River."

I exclaimed in astonishment: "In other words, Du Ge was the last ferryman?"

Fang Chuanzong nodded: "Exactly, just that in life no one saw him, in death no corpse was found."

The ferryman disappeared for many years, yet Yu Nian obtained the ferryman's commission notice and inherited the skill of crafting ferryboats... what extraordinary encounter did Yu Nian have?

Or does she have some unknown relationship with the ferryman?

Fang Chuanzong said he would continue investigating, but the most direct method is to have me ask her directly when I next see Yu Nian.

She has now been reborn, stationed in the Yin Dang Hang; perhaps she could recall some past-life matters, who knows?

After seeing Fang Chuanzong off, Hu Yulin comforted me a few more words, then hurriedly rushed to the Jiǔyàn qū.

Actually his mood now is worse than anyone's, but he must guard the remaining members of the fox tribe, waiting for a chance to make a comeback.

Anyone can fall, but he cannot!

My spirit is poor; clearly I am tired, yet I dare not sleep.

I can clearly feel that the degree to which my memory has been altered is deeper.

I have changed here; what about the Seven Halls Yama over there?

I held out the whole day, and at night I and Li Qingying guarded the pawnshop.

At midnight, I told Li Qingying to go to sleep, and I waited a bit longer.

Li Qingying knew I was waiting for Yin Dang Hang's pawn ticket, so she closed the pawnshop door and returned to her own room.

Midnight…… one…… two……

Strangely, just after two, a wave of sleepiness hit me, and I uncontrollably slumped onto the counter and fell asleep……