Chapter 1357 The Returnee's Notes 431

I almost fell for their trick.

Xie Ning withdrew her foot and took a few steps further away.

The boatman stared at Xie Ning for a while, then smiled, his hoarse voice extremely grating, "Three butterflies from the other shore, or three peach blossoms from Peach Blossom Mountain, or perhaps... merit."

When the boatman said his last sentence, Xie Ning felt a chill run down her spine. She felt that the other person's gaze was eerie, but this was the first sentient being she had encountered. Moreover, she needed to get more information out of the boatman, so Xie Ning had no choice but to pretend that nothing was wrong and continue the conversation.

She didn't understand any of the fare the boatman had mentioned, so she tried asking him. She chatted with the boatman for a while and found that he could answer all her questions.

Even though she could tell from the boatman's body language that he was getting impatient, he still answered her questions.

Xie Ning narrowed her eyes and continued to ask, "Are there any other shore butterflies around here?"

The boatman paused for a moment, then answered, "Yes."

There was a hint of being sparing with words, and then Xie Ning asked with a smile, "Is it this kind?"

Xie Ning took out a glass jar, which did indeed contain butterflies, but they were dead.

Seemingly knowing he couldn't fool Xie Ning, the boatman nodded in resignation, then added, "But the fare has to be paid upfront."

It was indeed the red butterfly she had encountered at the beginning. However, this butterfly was called the Lycoris radiata butterfly, but the flower it picked was not the Lycoris radiata flower as commonly known. Instead, it was a blood-red flower that grew on black thorns and resembled a rose. Just like the Lycoris radiata flower, it had no green leaves.

I don't know why it's called the Other Shore Butterfly.

She didn't capture any alive just now because only dead ones could be put into her space. She would like to study them further if she had the chance.

The boatman stared at Xie Ning's retreating figure, thinking that Xie Ning would not return for quite a while. Unexpectedly, Xie Ning returned in just a quarter of an hour, with three other shore butterflies in the jar.

In fact, Xie Ning caught more than three; she put the rest in her bag. Since the living ones were useful, she naturally wanted to catch more.

It was actually just a small awning boat. Xie Ning originally wanted to be at the bow, but he was forced to go inside. Fortunately, there was a small wooden window on each side, through which he could look out.

I knew nothing about this place and could only explore it little by little.

Knowing that the boatman would answer any questions, and now that he had paid the fare and boarded the boat, Xie Ning asked the question that had been lingering in his mind, "Boatman, what would happen if I boarded the boat without paying the fare in advance?"

"Naturally, it's for repairing the boat."

"How to make up for it?" Sometimes the boatman would only answer one question at a time, without giving any further information.

"Make amends with good deeds."

The boatman turned to look at Xie Ning's profile. She not only possessed merit, but also something even more delicious. What a pity.

It is a law-abiding Xuan clan.

Xie Ning watched as the black water churned on the river surface, occasionally revealing pieces of bone. The black water was also tinged with red, as if it had been soaked in too much blood and then turned black.

She hadn't felt anything when she first approached the river, but now a strong smell of decay mixed with the stench of blood rushed into her nostrils.

Xie Ning's expression hardened, and she immediately sensed something was wrong. The smell was coming from the black water. If the black water had been this foul from the beginning, she wouldn't have only smelled it now.

It seemed that she had some thoughts when she first saw the floating bones, and then she smelled the nauseating stench.

Therefore, her perception of the outside world seems to be controllable.