Chapter 9: Brother Fox Takes The Night Ferry
Fang Shu’s tail twitched as he heard the voice behind him.
Without turning his head, he used all four of his paws to dart forward.
After running for two or three miles, he noticed there was still a rustling sound behind him, and the person calling out was still chasing him. So, he narrowed his foxy eyes and found a vantage point.
“Passing fox, why are you running!”
A voice came from the grass, rustling, and suddenly a rabbit carrying a bundle popped out.
Its three-lobed mouth mumbled, and it extended a paw, greeting him: “Hello, Brother Fox.”
Fang Shu squinted, and indeed, he recognized the demon.
This rabbit demon was the one who had asked many questions during the weasel’s lecture and seemed quite clever.
He sized up the other party and, finding that the demonic energy on it wasn’t strong, retracted his long tongue from his mouth and nodded: “Brother Rabbit, what is it?”
“Brother Rabbit?” The three-foot-tall rabbit demon’s ears twitched, and its red eyes widened at him:
“I’m female!”
Fang Shu calmly clasped his paws and bowed: “Greetings, Sister Rabbit.”
The rabbit demon returned the bow and then hopped forward of its own accord.
Familiar with him, it wagged its head and said: “The master taught the Dao, and in this whole area, only Brother Fox and I are worthy of teaching.
As Brother Fox passes through this area, where are you headed? Are you also going to Wandering Mountain?”
“Wandering Mountain?” Fang Shu exclaimed.
The rabbit demon hopped forward again, circling Fang Shu and glancing at him with satisfaction in its red eyes.
“Indeed, I’m going there too. Brother Fox, why not team up with me? It will surely be better than trying to make a living alone.”
It quickly added:
“I see Brother Fox is a person of great talent. I will recognize you as my Senior Brother, and you recognize me as your Junior Sister. We will be perfect partners for life.
Once we both enter the Dao and transform, I will bear you a litter of fox cubs. Together, we will occupy a mountain and establish our own immortal cultivation!”
The rabbit demon became happier as it spoke, continuing to hop and gesturing for Fang Shu to hurry on.
Fang Shu’s face was odd; he hadn’t expected this rabbit demon to take a liking to him and come chasing after him.
Seeing Fang Shu didn’t reply, the rabbit demon looked back and asked: “What, Brother Fox has never read mortal storybooks?”
It said righteously: “That’s what they say in the books. We are from the same school, and we are destined lovers!”
What kind of storybooks are you reading?
Fang Shu muttered inwardly.
He shook his head, too lazy to talk to this rabbit demon any further, and directly extended a paw, pointing at the majestic and vast Mount Lu in the night sky:
“No, I am not going to Wandering Mountain, but to that mountain.”
The rabbit demon glanced at Mount Lu, and its face showed surprise:
“That is not a mountain a small demon can go to. Brother Fox, you shouldn’t go there to die. If you die, where will I find another Senior Brother to team up with?”
Fang Shu flicked his tail.
He lowered his four paws and ran forward unhurriedly, not wanting to bother with this female rabbit demon anymore.
However, the female rabbit demon still followed beside him, chattering incessantly:
“Brother, Brother, are you afraid of going to Wandering Mountain because you don’t know anyone? I know some demons there.”
“Master seemed to be from there as well.”
“Will you come with me? I can support you first, and when you enter the Dao, you can support me…”
This creature was so noisy, chattering endlessly in Fang Shu’s ear.
Helplessly, he could only reply:
“I’m not going. I’m going to Mount Lu to visit relatives.”
The rabbit demon’s eyes lit up when it heard this.
“So Brother Fox has relatives on Mount Lu? Are you a spirit pet? Or a mount?
I actually want to go to Mount Lu too, but I heard that there are no powerful demons on Mount Lu at all. If a small demon from elsewhere goes there, it’s just seeking death…
Can Brother Fox take me with him? I don’t eat much. You cultivate at home, and I’ll help you with chores.”
Fang Shu walked while listening to its chatter.
Soon, they arrived at a river.
The river sparkled under the moonlight, like a silver thread, winding towards a corner of Mount Lu.
Arriving here, Fang Shu was truly too lazy to deal with the rabbit demon anymore.
“Fellow Daoist, please stop. Goodbye!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he plunged into the river, dove into the water, and swam forward with the current.
Fang Shu had his Second Uncle to rely on; he would have to be ill to run off and live with this female rabbit.
Seeing Fang Shu leave so directly,
the rabbit demon stood by the river, anxiously hopping back and forth.
The rabbit demon tested the river water several times but dared not enter. In the end, it could only carry its bundle and stare blankly at the river surface.
Under the moonlight.
After swimming a distance, Fang Shu emerged from the water.
He casually rolled a piece of wood to his side, climbed onto it, lay down, and then used his tail to paddle, drifting towards Mount Lu alone.
………………
“Anyone else getting on the boat?
The boat is about to depart!”
On the outskirts of the Mount Lu mountain range, a masked boatman was shouting at the wild ferry crossing.
Quite a few people were lingering by the ferry crossing, some dressed as knights-errant, some as scholars, and some as noble ladies, young and old, male and female, all different, making it quite lively for a while.
However, all these people were gazing at the huge covered boat on the river surface, either anxiously or reluctantly.
Fang Shu hurried over. He had already transformed into human form, waving and shouting as he walked:
“Someone, someone!”
His shouts attracted the attention of many people at the ferry crossing. Some brightened and hurried to greet him:
“Esteemed young brother, I am Yun He of the forest. I am quite well-known in the martial world and also wish to seek immortality on Mount Lu. Do you have any spare Qing Fu money?”
“Young Daoist priest, I am a wealthy man from Luo County…”
Fang Shu stopped. He grinned coldly, his long tongue hanging down, and he directly shook his sleeve, revealing bloodstains from killing.
His journey here had not been peaceful.
Seeing this, the shouting people became wary and fell silent.
Fang Shu bypassed them and walked directly towards the covered boat.
The boatman, upon seeing Fang Shu’s exposed long tongue, was not startled but instead rejoiced, laughing heartily:
“Young brother, you’ve come at the right time. If you miss this trip, the next one won’t be until next month.”
The boatman released his bamboo pole and rubbed his hands.
Fang Shu clasped his hands and, from his sleeve, pulled out a string of shimmering talisman money, handing it to the boatman: “Thank you, boatman.”
“Generous! Young brother, you’re much easier to deal with than those paupers.”
The boatman’s attitude became even more cheerful: “Those fellows insisted on bringing silver and jewels to make up the difference, and some women wanted to sell themselves to cover the cost. What a pipe dream.”
He counted them one by one, and finally, with a snap, he shouted:
“One thousand Qing Fu Blood Money, board the boat.
Wishing Daoist Brother a broad immortal path and hope for longevity!”
At the wild ferry crossing, the surrounding people immediately cast envious glances.
Fang Shu bowed to the boatman and stepped into the covered boat.
The so-called Qing Fu Blood Money was a type of talisman money used by immortal cultivators, shaped like the Bagua, with insect-like bird script on it.
The talisman money contained essence blood and could be used to activate magic tools, refine pills, and draw talismans, among other many marvelous uses.
However, Qing Fu Blood Money was not circulated in the mortal world and only flowed from the hands of immortal cultivators.
The string Fang Shu held was sent to him by his Second Uncle from afar, enough to serve as his boat fare to enter the mountain, or to enjoy a lifetime of wealth in the mortal world.
Therefore, Fang Shu, even though he was close to being drained to death by the Tongue Sword, had never been willing to use a single one.
Stepping onto the extremely steady covered boat, Fang Shu’s heart burned with desire to immediately reach the immortal cultivator marketplace in the mountains.
But after a few breaths, his expression froze.
Upon lifting the curtain of the cabin, a dark and crowded cabin appeared before his eyes.
People were packed in, men and women not separated, with twenty to thirty people squeezed inside. In the middle of the awning, a plank was placed as a second level.
Because Fang Shu lifted the curtain, light shone into the cabin, and many people squinted at him.
Among them, a long-faced old Daoist patted a spot by the side and called out: “Yo! Newcomer, come quickly, there’s still an empty seat here.”
Fang Shu looked around, smiled at the old Daoist, clasped his hands, and walked closer. He leaned against the side of the boat and sat down on the plank.
He and the old Daoist exchanged names. The latter was surnamed Lü, about forty to fifty years old.
Beside them were a few other people.
One was an animated youth, another a woman with a cold expression, and the third was a middle-aged man with a creased, smiling face.
The five of them squeezed together, occasionally chatting, but it was always the Old Daoist Lü who conversed with the young man surnamed Yin:
“Don’t look at my old age, but I am also exceptionally gifted and know magic!
On this trip to the marketplace, I will surely achieve an immortal path.”
These words attracted the attention of several people, even the woman with the cold expression looked at Old Daoist Lü with curiosity.
“What kind of magic is it?”
The old Daoist showed off a bit. He stood up, wanting to shake himself, but bumped into the wooden plank of the second level above with a clang, causing someone upstairs to curse.
So, he could only bend his waist, shake his body, and mumble:
“Have you ever seen donkey-sized wares?
I can even use this treasure to drink wine…”
It turned out that the old Daoist’s magic was to use his lower body to drink liquor. According to him, it was this magic that allowed him to swindle many wealthy families in the mortal world, thus accumulating enough for boat fare.
This made Fang Shu and the others chuckle, and the cold-faced woman even spat in disgust, her face both cold and ashamed.
She snorted coldly and ignored them.
However, with this fellow’s interruption and jesting, Fang Shu and the others became more familiar with each other and exchanged names.
The youth’s full name was Yin Xiao Jian, who also seemed to be going to Mount Lu to visit relatives. He mentioned that the cold-faced woman was named Su, full name Su Qin Gao.
The middle-aged man with the creased smile was called “Tian Tian Quan,” who claimed that he was almost thrown into the pigsty when he was born, hence his name.
This person looked unremarkable, and it was unknown how he had saved up his boat fare.
Old Daoist Lü continued to chatter endlessly: “A hundred years of karma to share a boat ride! We all have fate. When we reach the marketplace, we’ll help each other out.”
So Fang Shu joined them, occasionally participating in the casual conversation.
After chatting for a long time, he suddenly frowned and spoke:
“Didn’t the boatman just say that the boat would depart soon?”
Upon hearing this question, the people around them all laughed.
Old Daoist Lü replied: “Haha! Young brother, you’re overthinking it. That’s what the snake-head boatman always says before everyone boards.”
The old Daoist even pointed to himself: “I got on yesterday, and Brother Tian even earlier, the day before yesterday.”
This answer left Fang Shu speechless.
However, the old Daoist looked at the cabin and added: “But it will be soon. I estimate that if no one else comes tonight, the boat should depart around midnight.”
This made the woman surnamed Su finally willing to engage with them. She asked doubtfully: “If there are no more people at night, why must it depart at midnight?”
Old Daoist Lü then played coy, whispering: “You’ll know when night comes.”
Everyone kept asking him, but he remained silent, merely stretching out his legs and claiming a spot to lie down.
The cabin was dim, and by nightfall, indeed, no one else came to board.
They endured it until around midnight.
The boatman lifted the curtain, glanced into the cabin, then hissed like a snake, turned outside, and tapped the bottom of the boat with his bamboo pole:
“Second brother, the piglets are all here, we can set sail!”
This casual “piglets” caused Fang Shu, who was pretending to doze, to jump, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
He felt a sense of suspicion.
However, he reasoned that the route into the mountain was written by his Second Uncle, the boatman was masked, and now it was revealed he was a snake demon, which indeed matched his Second Uncle’s letter.
Seeing that Old Daoist Lü and the others paid no mind to the boatman’s address, Fang Shu suppressed his thoughts, continued to feign sleep, and remained vigilant.
Immediately, a rough hissing sound came from outside the cabin, the covered boat shook, causing many to curse.
Through the swaying curtain, a larger snake head emerged from the water. It gurgled as it accepted the talisman money the snake-head boatman repeatedly threw, swallowing it.
It turned out that this covered boat was not floating on the water’s surface but was being carried on the back of a thick and long snake demon, estimated to be over thirty feet long.
After the two snake heads had divided the boat fare, the larger snake head sank abruptly, and the entire boat, like a water rat, immediately submerged beneath the river’s surface.
The boat traveled underwater, with no river water entering the cabin. Only the voice of the smaller snake head could be heard:
“Esteemed passengers, please rest assured. My brother and I have been running this route for decades. There might be a few hiccups along the way.
But please be assured, you get what you pay for. We will never endanger your lives.”
Many people in the cabin murmured about this: “Are we taking the waterway?”
“The waterway is good. Entering the mountain by water is safer.”
For instance, Old Daoist Lü, who seemed to have been woken up, noticed the vigilance of Fang Shu and the others and mumbled:
“Don’t worry, Snakes Big and Small have this route well-managed. In nearly ten years, no one has died. Rest assured… so you don’t arrive at the marketplace exhausted and waste your opportunity.”
These words somewhat reassured those in the cabin like Fang Shu.
That night, the people on the boat endured in darkness.
When it was daytime the next day, the snake boat was still traveling underwater. Only occasional sparkling water light would filter in from outside the curtain, and the cabin remained dim.
The boat continued its journey into the evening of the second day, still without stopping.
As night fell, even the most patient people on the boat began to tire. They started to rest, relieve themselves, men and women mingling and pushing each other.
As they couldn’t leave the cabin to relieve themselves, a smell of urine began to permeate the boat.
Fang Shu was no exception.
Among the five traveling companions, only the woman surnamed Su was so red in the face from holding it in that she remained curled up, not having moved.
Yet, even in this foul environment, some of the men and women in the cabin had managed to hook up with each other.
Fang Shu intermittently heard sounds of seductive laughter, heavy breathing, and splashing water.
The young man surnamed Yin traveling with them suddenly nudged Fang Shu: “Look.”
Fang Shu looked up and saw eyes looking down from the boards above.
The person looked at the two of them and let out a low, feminine laugh.
The young man’s Qi and Blood was in excess, and the young man surnamed Yin watched with excited, reddened eyes.
Fang Shu, however, paid no mind and continued to close his eyes.
Soon, the young man surnamed Yin noticed a hand reaching down from the boards, touching his midsection.
The hand was soft and slippery, and the young man no longer called out to Fang Shu.
Instead, he excitedly pondered that those who could board the ship would become Immortal Cultivators.
It took a hundred years to share a boat ride! He had now hooked up with a lover, and once they reached the marketplace, besides his own relatives, he would have another connection.
Thus, with an excited expression, the young man surnamed Yin tremblingly followed the hand towards a corner of the cabin.
In an instant, the boat was filled with late-night debauchery and the stench of gore and filth.
As the second half of the night arrived, the snake boat continued to sway incessantly, causing the people on board to roll around together.
Fortunately, everyone was used to it; those who could sleep did, and those who couldn’t just lay there.
Fang Shu leaned against the side of the boat, staying as alert as possible.
Just as he was about to succumb and drift into sleep, a scream erupted, right by his ear, instantly jolting him awake:
“Hey! You impudent brat!”
It was Old Daoist Lu shouting.
His face contorted in a grimace, he abruptly sat up, then sprang up as if pricked in the backside, crashing his head against the second-level boards with a thud, causing a commotion throughout the boat.
