Chapter 128 It’s getting late (1)

Fuji Town wasn't very big, but with Qu Qitao's quick eyesight and stamina, she quickly made it back to the main street. As the sun set, her steps grew lighter and lighter. The slight embarrassment she felt for having guessed wrong was nothing compared to the joy she saw and felt from the townspeople.

Everyone was laughing and talking, as if Fuji Town was not the same world as the outside world, and those people tortured by the drought were also illusions.

How wonderful it would be if life outside could return to normal. However, Qu Qitao knew that this was impossible, because according to custom, Fei Yi would have to be active for a hundred years before falling asleep again, and then wait for a while before Fu Zhu went out.

This is the unavoidable way of nature.

So she simply sighed inwardly, humming a random tune, and forcefully thrust a few spirit coins into the pastry shop owner, who refused to take any money. She then bought five or six different pastries, intending to return them to the palace as gifts for the servants and maids she had been pestering for the past few days. But as she walked, she suddenly felt something was amiss.

At the end of the main street, a group of townspeople gathered in front of the palace. Though there wasn't much noise or shouting, the atmosphere was unusual, at odds with the festive atmosphere. Qu Qitao paused, only to spot Luo Xuanyi and Xi Xingji in the crowd, their faces solemn. Judging from their expressions, they didn't seem to have discovered a demon, but rather something strange had happened.

After Qu Qitao reached the crowd, he saw Guan Xian, a particularly tall figure, standing among them. He too had a solemn expression on his face, bent over, listening to the chatter of the people before him, and seemed to nod in Xi Xingji's direction.

"...I already said that the Immortal Master disappeared first and then came back..."

An unconvinced voice retorted, "Liu Lao San, you're talking nonsense! I clearly saw a shooting star in the sky. The Immortal Master chased it first, then came back and asked us to inform the Master! You can't pass on the wrong message and let the Immortal Master down."

"Yes, that's right. Immortal Master even put down the shelf he was holding before leaving. I remember it clearly."

"And when the master came back he said 'didn't catch up'. I was right next to him, and I'm not hard of hearing like Liu Lao San, so I heard it all clearly."

"Yes, I remembered it wrong..."

Hearing this, Qu Qitao was startled and was about to listen carefully, but Xi Xingji and Luo Xuanyi turned away from the crowd with expressions that seemed to indicate they understood, and happened to meet Qu Qitao's gaze. Xi Xingji was stunned, but his expression didn't improve. Instead, he asked, "Qitao, did Fellow Daoist Shang send you any seal words?"

Qu Qitao immediately realized what Shang Qian had encountered! In order not to miss any key information, she checked it again carefully and shook her head: "No. What happened?"

"We're worried that wasting time might put Fellow Daoist Shang in danger. Let's head to the ferry first and take a boat. We can talk as we go," Luo Xuanyi said immediately. The three of them didn't dare waste any time and flew straight towards the ferry.

Since the whole town has finished catching yellow croaker, the fishing boats that had previously docked at the ferry have returned to the port and have been put away. A dozen fishermen standing or sitting on the shore have become idle, each holding a wine jug or a handful of peanuts, looking at the water and mountains, and chatting about something.

Xi Xingji didn't care about the timing and stepped forward to ask, "Everyone, have you ever seen a man carrying a sword and a wooden box leaving on a boat?"

The fishermen looked at each other, and one of them exclaimed, "Ah!", recognizing Luo Xuanyi standing behind them. "Are you the immortal master who came today? Well, that's the one I can talk to. Yumi, tell the immortal masters about it."

Hearing this, Yumi, who was still looking up to gulp down a mouthful of wine, put down his leather wine bag, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then said, "That immortal master came to the ferry at 2:30 PM and asked for a boat. I originally refused, but he said he had something important to do: he had to chase an evil creature and had to cross the river quickly. I was worried that if I didn't give him a boat, he would force his way across, so I took the initiative and gave him a tower boat."

Hearing this, the fisherman who had spoken earlier couldn't help but frown and emphasized, "It wasn't you who made the decision on your own. You told me, and I nodded before I explained it. You must have remembered it wrong."

"Yes, sister Yumi, your brother is right, we must have been there at the time."

Yu Mi snorted twice. "Then why can't you tell the Immortal Master what he said? Well, I think the ship will be back. It's not time yet. There's no need to cover for me. I will naturally bear the consequences of my actions." She ignored the worried fishermen around her and continued to talk to Xi Xingji. "Before the Immortal Master boarded the ship, he told me that this matter must be told to his companions and not to others even if they ask. After saying that, he hurried away."

Xi Xingji pressed on, "Do you remember what his expression was like then? Was there anything strange about him?"

"Well, I've never seen that immortal master before, so I don't know if there's anything unusual about him." Yu Mishou unconsciously rubbed his wine bag, thinking for a moment, "Aside from his hurried demeanor, there didn't seem to be anything special... except that he kept his arms wrapped around a long sword and never let it go. Oh, and the opening of the wooden box behind him was a little loose, and when we got on the boat, the boat jolted, and the opening opened, and it even made a noise."

"But the gait is very steady."

Xi Xingji's brows relaxed and then furrowed as he listened. He thanked them for the fish and rice, then said, "Please prepare the boats, as we also need to cross the river."

As if anticipating this, the fisherman, known as "Brother Yumi," spoke up before Yumi could even speak. He clasped his fists and bowed his head, "Of course, if there truly is something sinister, there's not much we can do to help except prepare the boat. But please remember, Immortal Master, this boat also has the tower ship that the previous Immortal Master rode on. Please ensure it's returned. I, Yu Cheng, thank you all in advance."

Yu Cheng looked back again, especially at Yu Mi.

"If there is any loss, please tell me, Master, that it was caused by me, Yu Cheng."

"Brother!" Yu Mi couldn't help but call him, with a look of helplessness and worry on her face, but she was quite tough. "Do you still think we're just some scumbag? Don't act like that! You're touched, but you're just being stupid again!"

The two siblings were about to quarrel, so the other fishermen gathered around to mediate. A few clever fishermen untied another boat docked at the ferry. Xi Xingji and the others were preoccupied with the reason Shang Qian had chased them, so they naturally had no time to listen to the siblings' quarrel. The three of them boarded the boat one after another, and it quickly sailed out of the ferry.

Luo Xuanyi, still feeling somewhat worried for some reason, stood on the deck, watching the two siblings, surrounded and arguing on the shore. Their movements looked as if they were about to come to blows, but Yu Mi seemed impatient, taking a gulp from the wine bag before tossing it to Yu Cheng. Yu Cheng, not to be outdone, poured himself a glass of wine. For some inexplicable reason, the two of them engaged in a drinking contest.

The boat swayed, drifting further and further away from the shore. Qu Qitao's questioning voice echoed from behind. Luo Xuanyi took one last look at the shore and saw her brother collapse after just a few sips. She turned around, her face solemn, and approached Xi Xingji again.

"...So what exactly is going on?"

It's time to write a story again hh