Chapter 1763: Give Me A Smile

“Hey, stop laughing. You sound like shit, you know that?”

However, his laughter was quickly interrupted by Ye Qing. “Do you still want my flesh?”

“No.”

The Demonic River Boatman was wearing the same face as Ye Qing. The smile he was wearing right now was positively eerie and spine-chilling.

Ye Qing asked, “Why not?”

“Because it’s enough.”

The Demonic River Boatman cackled. “Thank you for fulfilling my wish. Now, I am you.”

“I am me, and you are you. What do you mean by you are me?” Ye Qing looked puzzled.

“Because I’ve eaten your flesh. Now, I do not just own your body, but also your strength and memories.”

The Demonic River Boatman spread his arms wide, and the unique energies of a Sage filled the world. It was extraordinarily potent. “So, your name is Ye Qing, and your moniker is Joyless. It is a good name. It is mine now.”

Ye Qing seemed to know this would happen and so did not panic or grow afraid in the slightest. He said casually, “That’s not all, is it?”

The Demonic River Boatman smiled. “That is correct. Now that I’ve become you, I am no longer restricted by this river. I can leave the demonic river and head to the outside world.”

“On the other hand, you have become me, so you will replace me as the boatman of the demonic river. You will exist forever in this place and be shackled by the demonic river for eternity.”

“Hahaha... I truly need to thank you for this. I am free!”

Ye Qing still did not look alarmed or afraid. “You’re welcome, but I really didn’t help you.”

Watching Ye Qing’s smile, the Demonic River Boatman suddenly felt uneasy for some reason. “Why aren’t you afraid?”

“Why should I be afraid?”

Ye Qing shrugged. “Didn’t I tell you? I really didn’t help you.”

The Demonic River Boatman didn’t understand his meaning, but his uneasiness worsened. “What do you mean by that?”

“This.” Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the Demonic River Boatman’s body abruptly lost all vitality and began decaying rapidly.

“Impossible!”

The Demonic River Boatman tried to stop this. He was a Sage possessing great power right now. However, he was neither able to stop his vitality from leaking nor stop his flesh and blood from decaying.

“What did you do?”

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The Demonic River Boatman made a grab for Ye Qing, but a simple finger tap was all the young man needed to drop him to the ground, unable to move a muscle.

“How can this be?”

He was a Sage, and he could feel the immense power inside his body. And yet, it was as if all of that power was denied from him. He could not use even a sliver of it.

“What did you do?”

The Demonic River Boatman finally realized something and glared at Ye Qing.

“Didn’t I warn you earlier?”

Ye Qing smiled as he looked down on the Demonic River Boatman. “I asked you if you are really sure that you want my flesh. Now you know why.”

“This... this is impossible! This just cannot be possible!” The Demonic River Boatman was still struggling with all his might to assume control of the power inside his body and resist, but it was futile.

Logically speaking, the flesh he consumed would become his power and completely fall under his control. In reality, he could not use even a sliver of it. Not only that, he could sense that he was rapidly losing control over the flesh and blood!

“Nothing is impossible.”

Ye Qing said indifferently but confidently, “Not to mention that you know nothing about my power!”

He was the one who gave the Demonic River Boatman his flesh. Naturally, he could control them as he pleased even after they had left the boundaries of his body.

Yes, the Demonic River Boatman was an anomalous existence who could become a Sage and even steal his memories just by consuming his flesh. However, his power was his and his alone. He could retrieve it any time he wanted even after he had given it to another.

“You... you...” The Demonic River Boatman snarled but could do nothing about his situation.

“Your expression’s kinda ass. Give me a smile!” Ye Qing commanded smilingly. The next moment, the Demonic River Boatman’s furious expression loosened into a bright smile against his will.

The Demonic River Boatman was shocked, furious, and hateful to say the least. There was nothing he could do about it though. After all, forget resisting, he could not even commit suicide in his current state.

“What... What do you want?” asked the Demonic River Boatman. Although his heart was filled with rage, his voice sounded extraordinarily amiable and gentle.

“Oh, nothing. From the beginning, our goal is just to cross the river.”

Ye Qing ordered, “So, send us across the river!”

At Ye Qing’s command, the Demonic River Boatman uncontrollably rose to his feet, grabbed the bamboo pole, and pushed. The boat began moving once more.

“Good boy. Steer properly and don’t be lazy!”

Ye Qing gave him a clap on the shoulder and proceeded to ignore him entirely.

The Demonic River Boatman was enraged. He neither wanted to steer the boat nor send the group across the river. However, he could not control himself.

“You knew that it was plotting something from the beginning, Joyless?” It was at this moment Feng Qingyou asked.

“Hah. His intentions are so obvious that even a three-year-old would notice something wrong. He just isn’t aware of his own stupidity!” Ye Qing chuckled.

As he said, he picked up the Demonic River Boatman’s malice and greed from the beginning. Naturally, he had also planned to deal with him should it turn out to be necessary. That was why he allowed him to do whatever he wanted at the beginning. He knew there was nothing he could do at the end.

“Hahaha! Indeed, there is nothing more pitiful than being unaware of one’s foolishness!” Old Man Turtle was also stroking his beard and laughing loudly.

“Ugh!”

The Demonic River Boatman lost his cool completely and tried to swear, but he realized that he could not open his mouth. Scratch that, he could not even make an angry expression, much less stop his arms from steering the boat. He was so furious that he could barely think, but his hands hadn’t stopped for even an instant.

How pitiful! How lamentable! How pathetic!

With the Demonic River Boatman to guide them, they did not encounter any danger along the way. An hour later, the boat finally reached the other shore of the Yin Kui Demonic River.

“Well done. We still need your service though, so wait here until we return.”

Before leaving the boat, Ye Qing clapped the Demonic River Boatman on the shoulder and offered him words of encouragement. Like a puppet on strings, the Demonic River Boatman could only stand there motionlessly and wait for the group to return.

After departing the Yin Kui Demonic River, the group followed Ye Qing’s lead and continued their journey. He was the only one who could sense the location of the evil suppressing spiritual treasure through King Taishan after all.

The group trekked forward for about two hours or so. They even encountered the legendary Remnant Scent on the way.

The Remnant Scent was an extremely pretty divine grass. It was shaped like an orchid and boasted seven colors. It was suspended in the air and rooted in nothing. Its seven colors flowed like water and dyed the sky in fantastical and mysterious light.