Chapter 21 Boarding the Ship "What will happen to us if you die?"...
In the end, they chose to return to Kunlun by boat.
After all, the mountain road is long and winding, and it's unknown when they will return to Kunlun. The Free and Unfettered Elder and his disciples of Kunlun have gone on a long journey, and there are no other Free and Unfettered disciples in Kunlun now, nor is anyone available to pick them up. They will have to plan their own way back.
"It's alright, I've already sent a message to Master and the others. They said they'll come to pick us up when they have some free time. Maybe they'll arrive as soon as we board the ship," Xu Qiubai said.
Xu Qiubai's words were always tinged with excessive optimism. If Shen Cangyu hadn't seen him contemplating suicide in Nanke Mountain, she would have truly been fooled into thinking he was an innocent and cheerful person.
*
The wooden planks of the dock were covered with a thin layer of frost, making a crisp "crackling" sound under the boots. The fishermen breathed out white puffs of air, using their frozen fingers to pull open the fishing nets, and fish with ice shards fell onto the deck, their tails thrashing and sending ice fragments flying.
"This is bizarre," the old man said, standing by the dock with his hands tucked in his pockets, watching the scene unfold.
"What?" The person next to him couldn't help but lean in and look over when he heard his words.
"In this freezing weather, the fish seem to be rushing out as if they're in a hurry to be reborn." The old man pointed to the sea, where several bluefish were leaping out from between the ice floes and then falling back into the water filled with floating ice with a "plop".
Hearing his words, a fishmonger nearby couldn't help but chime in, "Yes, but thanks to these crazy fish, we've made a fortune these past few days."
The white mist he exhaled smelled of fish: "I never thought we'd be able to enjoy a whole fish feast this winter."
Xu Qiubai sniffed: "It smells so good!"
The waiter smiled and placed the small bowls on the tray on the table, then pushed them forward, and the bowls slid precisely to each person: "Please enjoy your meal, sir." After saying that, she bowed and stepped back.
The table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes, a sight to behold. If Shen Cangyu were alone, she would never have ordered so many dishes, but with two Kunlun inner disciples by her side, she naturally rolled up her sleeves and had the waiter copy them down.
After all, Kunlun has plenty of money.
Shen Cangyu looked at the bowl of "Cloudy Snow" in front of her, and gently stirred it with a spoon. The snow-white fish meat dispersed in the clear soup like cloud-like wisps. She took a sip and said, "This Cloudy Snow is just an ordinary tofu and fish soup. It's a pity that the fish should be white-bellied mackerel, but instead, it's mackerel. The meat is far inferior to the former, and the taste is a bit worse. If it were made with chicken broth as a base, white-bellied mackerel slices to enhance the flavor, and tofu to add more taste, and sprinkled with ginger and scallions, it would be even more delicious."
Xu Qiubai's eyes widened: "You even know this?"
Shen Cangyu's eyes curved into a smile as she looked down at the soup in the stew pot: "Of course, Penglai is isolated from the outside world, unlike here where everything is readily available. We can only carefully study the ingredients we have. This Cloud Snow reminds me of a recipe my senior sister researched..."
By mixing them together, it became this senior sister's recipe.
The experience she gained in her previous life has become her bragging rights, and she uses this knowledge to constantly fill in the gaps in her public persona. She is not afraid of them finding loopholes in her words, because there is nothing wrong with what she says.
When 90% of what you say is true, over time, people will also feel that the 10% that is a lie is impeccable.
Shen Cangyu's gaze passed through the window and landed on the sea. She remembered overhearing the vendors chatting on the shore before she entered.
The recent bountiful harvest at sea and the abundance of fish, while a good thing, subtly hinted at something unusual. Fishermen who depend on the sea for their livelihood could immediately sense something amiss: "Is a storm coming?"
"A storm?" Xu Qiubai glanced at the clear blue sky above, seeing no sign of an impending storm.
“I can’t read the sky, but I can read the water. The movement of the fish in the sea is a sign of a storm,” Shen Cangyu said.
Kunlun is a mountain, and they have lived on the mountain for many years, so naturally they don't know anything about the sea. Xu Qiubai hesitated and looked at Pei Wenjing: "If there really is a storm, should we still get on the ship?"
Pei Wenjing didn't say anything, but simply drank the hot tea in his cup.
Ever since his battle with the demonic cultivator and his trip to the underworld to find someone, he's been suffering from what seems to be a lung disease, coughing frequently and occasionally spitting out blood. His symptoms worsen whenever he uses mental techniques or Taoist magic.
Xu Qiubai had complained about this several times: "Your condition is so bad, I should have let you go back to Kunlun with them."
But Pei Wenjing only said that he was fine, and it was unclear whether he was really fine or just pretending.
A few days ago, Shen Cangyu secretly kept an eye on Pei Wenjing, and sure enough, he caught him making a move.
Black and white energy swirled around him as he activated Tai Chi techniques, clearly indicating his intention to go to the underworld to find someone.
Shen Cangyu stood in front of him, staring intently at him, and said, "Are you going to the underworld to find someone again? Your health is so poor right now. If you go, you won't be able to save anyone, and you won't even be able to come back yourself."
Pei Wenjing remained silent.
Shen Cangyu pressed on, saying, "What will we do if you die?" She hadn't seen Pei Wenjing reach the end in this life. In her eyes, someone like her senior brother should have comprehended his own path, attained immortality, instead of competing with those transmigrators for the position of senior brother of Kunlun, for people's attention, for honors and awards, for rare treasures, and certainly not for dying here.
"If we don't leave now, it will be too late," Pei Wenjing said. If they were any later, those disciples might already be reincarnated.
“If it’s too late, don’t chase after them. Why do you have to take responsibility for other people’s fate?” Shen Cangyu said.
She couldn't stand Pei Wenjing taking all the blame upon himself. She felt that those people hadn't protected her, and now that they were suffering the consequences, they should bear it themselves, instead of making others take the fall.
If they really want to live, they have to rely on their own efforts to survive, just like Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan was willing to abandon his physical body and have his soul reside in a small lizard, just to find a way to survive. Since the others were all disciples of the Kunlun inner sect who had cultivated for many years, they must have learned survival techniques and possessed life-saving artifacts. If they still couldn't survive despite having so many trump cards, then they shouldn't live at all.
She didn't care about anyone else, only about Pei Wenjing; she wanted to see Pei Wenjing continue on his path.
Pei Wenjing remained silent, but the black and white aura surrounding him gradually dissipated.
Shen Cangyu knew she had convinced him. She breathed a sigh of relief.
In the following days, she kept a close eye on Pei Wenjing, and fortunately, he never used Tai Chi techniques again.
Pei Wenjing drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, and Shen Cangyu waited for him to say the words she wanted to hear.
"If there really is a storm, then it's better not to get on the ship and just wait here for the elders." Xu Qiubai was the first to say this.
Shen Cangyu nodded hurriedly from the side.
"The ship won't reach the shore for a few more days. Let's see then," Pei Wenjing finally relented.
But a few days later, as the ships were about to dock, the sky remained clear and cloudless, with no sign of rain or even a single dark cloud, and the snow had stopped.
Shen Cangyu calculated the days; it had just been past the Lesser Cold, yet the chill hadn't reached this place. Perhaps because this place was near the sea, she didn't feel cold, only the salty, damp sea breeze. Looking out the window, she saw a thin layer of ice floating on the sea, which crumbled with the slightest movement of a ship. The snow here was very thin and fine, almost nonexistent, disappearing as soon as the sun shone through.
It doesn't feel like winter, she thought.
Lu Yuan jumped onto the table and drank water while leaning over a teacup.
Shen Cangyu asked curiously, "Isn't Lu Yuan a lizard now? Why does Lu Yuan eat the same things as a human? Shouldn't lizards eat insects?" As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Yuan jumped up and bit her sleeve, looking fierce.
Xu Qiubai laughed from the side, "I thought she wouldn't bite you. This thing bites people every day, I guess in a while she'll turn into a real lizard..." Before he could finish speaking, he let out a scream.
Lu Yuan took a bite out of his arm, leaving a row of fine cuts, from which beads of blood instantly seeped out.
Back in Kunlun, Xu Qiubai had little interaction with Lu Yuan or any of the disciples of Wen Cang Sheng; they barely spoke a few words and weren't familiar with each other. He habitually begged for a scolding, but he hadn't expected Lu Yuan to bite everyone he met, acting swiftly and without any mercy, giving him no chance to react.
No matter how many times he was bitten, he never learned his lesson and would always come closer to provoke her. Xu Qiubai even threatened Lu Yuan, saying he would throw her down and leave her alone there. Because of this, whenever Xu Qiubai approached, Lu Yuan would assume a fighting stance.
Although Shen Cangyu looks like a child, his mind is already that of an adult. Looking at them, he only finds them noisy.
Not long after, the ship bound for Kunlun docked. Because it was a merchant ship, it was very large and could carry a lot of people in addition to cargo.
Shen Cangyu stood on the shore and looked up. He could see that the boat was crowded with people. When it docked, the gangplank was lowered and people poured off the boat.
As they bought their tickets and boarded the boat, the boatman sighed to them, "It's lucky you came at the right time. Just as three people disembarked, we managed to save up three cabins. If you had come any earlier or later, we wouldn't have been able to get these cabins."
Even without the cabins, they could still board the ship, but they would have nowhere to rest at night and would have to sleep on the deck. Shen Cangyu had experienced sleeping on the deck before, so this was nothing new to her.
Just as they were boarding the ship, Xu Qiubai quietly leaned close to Shen Cangyu's ear. She thought he had something to say to her, so she listened carefully, only to hear Xu Qiubai point at the deer-shaped ornament on her shoulder and whisper, "You skipped the ticket."
Shen Cangyu: "..."
Lu Yuan launched himself forward, but Xu Qiubai dodged him, revealing a smug expression. Sure enough, the more bites one gets, the faster one's dodging speed gradually becomes.
No wonder so many people dislike Xu Qiubai. Shen Cangyu has truly witnessed what it means to be "hated by everyone and even dogs."
Shen Cangyu carefully examined the large ship.
The ship had two decks; the lower deck was the cargo hold, piled high with all sorts of goods, while the upper deck was the passenger cabins. The deck was bustling with people, and merchants were everywhere, engaging in lively conversation and flattering each other.
The ship was simple and unadorned, with few decorations. Even the wooden planks on the deck bore the marks of heavy impacts, clearly indicating it was a vessel specifically used for cargo trade. Accommodation on such ships was rather basic. Xu Qiubai entered the cabin, and his furrowed brows never relaxed.
Shen Cangyu put her things away, left the room and went up to the deck, her gaze falling on the bow of the ship.
She had traveled by boat many times before, so she knew that boatmen would always make offerings to the sea god before setting sail, hoping for a smooth journey, calm seas, and a safe return. People who make their living by the sea must always have reverence for it.
The sea gods worshipped by boatmen in different regions are slightly different, but they also have many similarities. However, she had never seen the statue of the god on this boat before.
Upon seeing this unfamiliar statue, some unpleasant memories resurfaced in her mind, and she thought of Nanke Mountain again.
Now she knows that not all the gods connected to the statues are true gods; there are also demonic cultivators who impersonate gods.
"What are you looking at?" Xu Qiubai followed Shen Cangyu's gaze and looked at the statue. He had the ability to see into the heavens, but he couldn't see anything wrong with it.
"It's nothing," Shen Cangyu replied.
On this journey, she saw all sorts of gods and immortals, and also witnessed many kinds of Taoist magic. But in her previous life, when she went out to buy goods, there weren't so many statues of gods in the mortal world. Apart from people, there were only people, and no one worshipped or had any faith.
That's strange.
All things considered, only five years have passed since she left the world in her previous life compared to now.
Can the world change so much in five years?
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