Chapter 1761: Demonic River Boatman

The long, gray robe looked pretty tattered. Floating in the air, it swayed every time the wind brushed against it. The sleeves of the gray robe were clutching a bamboo pole. It was steering the boat and slowly making its way toward Ye Qing.

When the boat reached the shore, the gray robe stopped its movements and faced toward Ye Qing.

There was no one inside the robe, but Ye Qing could clearly feel it looking at him.

Ye Qing thought for a moment and walked toward the gray robe.

For now, he couldn’t sense any danger from the gray robe.

When he was about three meters away from the gray robe, he heard an ephemeral voice that only the mind could perceive.

“Are you planning to cross the river, customer?”

“That’s correct.”

Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. He did not think that a mere robe could speak. In fact, it looked like it possessed a fair amount of sentience and intelligence. “Who are you, pray tell?”

“I am just a nameless boatman. You don’t need to concern yourself with my identity.”

The gray robe said, “I can ferry you if you wish to cross the river, customer.”

Ye Qing did not agree immediately. Instead, he asked, “What do you want in return?”

The gray robe’s voice grew a bit urgent and cold. “I need flesh. Your flesh.”

Ye Qing raised his eyebrows again. “How much?”

The gray robe answered, “A piece as big as your palm would do.”

Ye Qing thought for a moment before adding, “I have three other companions. They too wish to cross the river.”

The gray robe’s voice gained a tinge of urgency and excitement. “Four pieces of flesh. I want four pieces of flesh as payment.”

Ye Qing asked unhurriedly, “Do you need a piece of flesh from each person, or can they all come from the same person?”

The gray robe answered, “Either is fine! Is fine!”

Ye Qing asked, “Is it payment before service, or can it be the other way around?”

The gray robe replied quickly, “Payment before service! At the latest, you must pay the moment you board my boat!”

“Very well. Ferry me to my companions first.”

Ye Qing drew a line on his arm, and a palm-sized piece of flesh fell on his palm. Then, he handed it to the gray robe. He wanted to see what it planned to do with his flesh.

The gray robe’s seemingly empty sleeve grabbed the piece of flesh and shoved it into itself from the collar.

After that, the piece of flesh disappeared as if consumed by an invisible black hole. Ye Qing felt as if the robe was fuller than it was before, though it could just be his imagination.

“Please board the boat, customer...”

The gray robe gestured for Ye Qing to board the boat afterward.

Ye Qing did not hesitate and did as it requested.

After he boarded the boat, the gray robe pushed off the shore and into the river.

Some sort of mysterious power seemed to be separating him from the outside world. Neither the boiling hot river nor the terrifying Kui Water Yin Demonic Thunder attacked him even once.

“Do not leave the boundaries of the boat, customer. Otherwise, the thunder will annihilate your soul, and the river will boil your flesh,” the gray robe could not help but warn him when it saw Ye Qing staring at the river and the boat curiously.

Ye Qing asked, “What is this river? Why is it so unusual?”

The gray robe answered, “This is the Yin Kui Demonic River. It is infinitely long and endlessly wide. Its river is boiling hot like lava, but the space above it is enveloped in absolutely yin and cold Kui Water Yin Demonic Thunder.”

“The Yin Kui Demonic River rejects all foreign creatures. If a foreign creature entered the demonic river, it would detect them and react violently. It would command the Kui Water Yin Demonic Thunder to annihilate their soul and the river to boil their flesh. Most cannot survive them. Only Demonic River Boatmen like me may ferry someone across the river without harm.”

“Therefore, you must not leave the boundary of the boat no matter what, customer. Otherwise, the thunder or the water will kill you.”

“So, there are more than one boatman in the Yin Kui Demonic River?” Ye Qing noticed an important piece of information from the Demonic River Boatman’s explanation.

“That is correct.” The Demonic River Boatman did not try to hide this from Ye Qing. “However, only one boatman would appear at a time.”

Rubbing his nose, Ye Qing asked his next question, “Oh right, how did you notice me?”

The Demonic River Boatman answered, “The demonic river is my eyes and ears. I can sense you as long as you are within the river’s detection range.”

“Do you know how the Yin Kui Demonic River was formed?”

“I do not know. The Yin Kui Demonic River already exists from the moment I awaken.”

“Thank you for the explanation.”

Ye Qing continued to make chit-chat with the Demonic River Boatman while observing it and the Yin Kui Demonic River in secret.

The boat was moving swiftly. Although they were sailing against the flow, the boat traveled hundreds of meters every time the Demonic River Boatman pushed the bamboo pole. It was as if he was steering on a perfectly calm lake. There was no resistance or tremor whatsoever.

Besides that, the bamboo pole the Demonic River Boatman was using reached the bottom of the river easily, but Ye Qing’s eyes could not see the bottom of the river.

He would have probed the demonic river with his demonic thought, but he quickly discovered that his demonic thought could not move beyond the boundaries of the boat. An invisible layer of energy was enveloping the boat and preventing his demonic thought from leaving.

He could break the layer of invisible energy if he wanted to, but there was no need. At least, not at the moment.

The boat reached Old Man Turtle and Lingyu in just fifteen minutes. Earlier, it had taken him over an hour to cover the same distance. That was how fast the boat was.

“Boat! There’s a boat!”

He could hear Lingyu yelling long before they reached them.

“There’s people on the boat! It’s big brother Ye! Big brother Ye is on the boat!”

The Demonic River Boatman slowly steered the boat to the shore while Lingyu rushed over to meet Ye Qing. When she saw the Demonic River Boatman, she skidded to a halt and watched it warily.

“No need to be afraid. This is the Demonic River Boatman. He’s agreed to ferry us across the river.”

Standing on the boat, Ye Qing turned in the Demonic River Boatman’s direction and said, “Greet my companions, will you?”

The Demonic River Boatman: “...”

Who do you think I am, an entertainer?

That was what it thought, but the Demonic River Boatman thought of the pieces of flesh it was about to receive and ultimately caved. It obediently greeted Old Man Turtle and Lingyu, “Good day, customers.”

Lingyu pointed a finger at the Demonic River Boatman and turned to Old Man Turtle, exclaiming, “It... It can speak, elder! The shirt can speak!”

“Don’t be rude.” Old Man Turtle patted her head and saluted in the direction of the Demonic River Boatman. “Kids are prone to talking without thought. I hope you don’t take offense.”

The Demonic River Boatman replied in a low tone, “It is nothing. Please do not concern yourself with such trifles, customer.”

“Please wait a moment, boatman. My last companion should be showing up at any moment,” Ye Qing said.

“No problem,” the Demonic River Boatman replied.

A short while later, Feng Qingyou appeared in the distance.

“Big sister Feng, come quick! We have a boat!”

Lingyu waved at her the moment she saw her. When Feng Qingyou came close, Lingyu immediately divulged everything she knew about the Demonic River Boatman to her.