Chapter 54: Ghost Ship

Everyone was in a state of stupefaction the moment the lightning struck, as if they were witnessing the end of the world.

Zhuang Qing threw out the divine sword in his hands, attempting to block the lightning. While his blade blocked the first bolt, it couldn’t do the same for the second. In a moment of desperation, he shoved the bloody rabbit into his coat.

Lightning approached. The moment it was about to strike Zhuang Qing, it split into two. One half landed on Zhuang Qing, and the other half landed on Qing Yan, who was lying motionlessly on the ground.

The instant the lightning struck Zhuang Qing, he let out a smothered groan and bent over, shielding the rabbit that his arms nearly couldn’t contain. “Stop moving around recklessly. I’m the darling of heavenly law, but you’re not.” Zhuang Qing kept Fu Li firmly pressed down. Concentrating spiritual qi at his eyes, he looked beyond the black seawater and looked up at the blue dome of the sky. There, black clouds were seething. There were flickerings of what seemed like thunder and lightning, as if a fresh bout of heavenly lightning was brewing.

“When we return, you won’t only lose this month’s wages, but the entire year’s,” Zhuang Qing gripped the two ears, snorting coldly. “Stop randomly kicking your legs. Be good and stay still, otherwise I’ll include in your record that your performance wasn’t up to par.”

Not too far from the two people, Qing Yan was struggling in pain. Despite this, the surrounding azure dragons didn’t dare to approach him for fear of the heavenly lightning.

The third bolt of lightning struck, though it seemed considerably smaller than the previous one. Its power had also weakened. If the heavenly lightning that struck Oujiang was the size of an elephant’s leg, this would be a needle in comparison. Even then, the power contained in heavenly lightning was still something to dread.

Nine bolts of heavenly lightning landed consecutively. Every bolt was split into two – one half landed on Zhuang Qing, while the other half landed on Qing Yan. Qing Yan’s lower half was already charred; even making hisses of pain was beyond him.

Zhuang Qing fished Fu Li out of his embrace and threw him to the side. Sweat covered his pale face. His body swayed a little as he flashed a cold smile at Fu Li. “I might have owed you in my previous life.”

If not, why had he stuffed him into his embrace and protected him? He didn’t seem to be in his right mind?

The Head of the azure dragon clan watched Qing Yan twitch on the ground, on the brink of death. The gaze he directed at the sky was filled with fear. Transforming into his human form, he walked to Fu Li and extended trembling hands as he bowed. “Today’s matter was caused by my azure dragon clan. Qing Yan has been severely injured and heavenly law is enraged. If Fu daoyou is to continue battling with us, it will be detrimental to both sides. I implore Fu daoyou to be magnanimous.”

“Clan Head!” Unreconciled expressions appeared on the faces of the other azure dragons upon seeing the Head of their clan lower his head to Zhuang Qing and Fu Li.

“Shut your mouths!”

The individual who berated the azure dragons wasn’t the Head of the clan, but the azure dragon clan’s great elder, who had not left the palace in 1900 years. His entirely-white hair betrayed his elderly status. Refusing the support of the other azure dragons, he trembled as he made his way to the rabbit whose fur was still red. He raised both hands, offering a deep greeting. The fear on his face nearly couldn’t be suppressed. “This junior was rude and angered senior, may senior please forgive me.”

“Great elder?” The Head of the azure dragon clan hadn’t expected the great elder to appear and wasn’t in time to suppress the amazement that appeared on his face. “Why did you come out?”

That year, their azure dragon clan had been embroiled in a fight with Weishui’s yao cultivators. Via the Thousand Mile Sound Transmission, they had conveyed that they weren’t able to beat the other party. Therefore, their clan had dispatched a few more clansmen to provide assistance. Yet, not only were they unable to rescue any clansmen, the azure dragons who rushed over were either killed or injured. The only dragon who had lived through that experience and was still alive today was the great elder.

The great elder wasn’t willing to mention that year’s matter in front of them and had merely added an extra clan rule – for them not to rashly provoke yao cultivators who seemed ordinary yet had immense courage. The clan Head shifted his line of sight to the rabbit splayed on the ground, his expression distant.

“Who are you?” Fu Li turned into his human form. He reached out to support Zhuang Qing but was pushed aside with resentment. He reached out his hands once more. Zhuang Qing glanced at him silently, but no longer pushed Fu Li away.

The great elder looked at the youth in front of him and thought of the incident that had occurred more than 1900 years ago. At that time, he had been proud and arrogant. Despite not having undergone his final transformation, he was the most outstanding dragon among the younger generation. Thus, he had gone with the other dragons to ‘resist the enemy’.

But when they reached the destination, they were beaten into the ground before even getting a clear glimpse of the enemy’s appearance. After a sudden wave of lightning, the enemy vanished, leaving them injured and tired. Just as they thought that the incident was over, a rabbit yao jumped out of the underbrush. A dragon who was in a bad mood mocked the rabbit yao a few times. Who would have expected that rabbit to possess an incomparable savageness? The rabbit went all-out in the way it fought, as if it wanted to take them down with it.

The grand dragon race had never expected for there to come a day when they would suffer defeat at the hands of a rabbit. Hearing the blood-curdling screams of his clanmates, the young great elder had been so frightened that trembles wracked his entire body. Only when death approached did he realize just how much he feared death.

“You…” An icy-cold blade lay against his neck. An approximately eighteen year old youth stood before him. The white brocade gown he wore was stained with the blood of the dragon race, resembling red plums blossoming in the midst of snow. It was a sight unrivaled in its beauty.

“I don’t kill the young,” The youth withdrew his sword and shattered his dragon horns with a wave of a palm. “Scram.”

By the time he came to his senses, the Wei River was already filled with the azure dragons’ floating corpses. He flew into the sky in a state of hysteria and discovered that the lower reaches of the Wei River was covered in floating human and animal corpses. A child wailed loudly as it floated in a wooden basin. A woman floating on the water was still cradling a child.

The sounds of weeping and resentment drifted into the horizons. From his hiding spot in the clouds, he saw an old lady point to the sky with hatred, resentment rolling off her entire body.

“Heaven, you’re blind!”

The woman plunged into the river filled with floating corpses. Only when the river’s waters reached the top of her head did her hatred-filled eyes close.

“The azure dragon clan was deeply wrong that year, which was why the azure dragon clan dared not complain after losing twenty-six dragon lives at the Wei River,” The great elder smiled bitterly. “If not for senior’s magnanimity that year, this humble one’s life would also have been lost at the Wei River.”

Given that year’s circumstances, the vicissitudes of life and death could no longer be clearly resolved. After returning to the dragon palace, he remembered the floating mass of red corpses as well as the old lady’s resentful eyes, and never left the dragon palace again.

“It’s you,” Fu Li remembered the shivering, young dragon from that year. He took another glance at the doddering great elder in front of him. “Do less evil in your daily life, otherwise you’ll age rapidly.”

“You!” An azure dragon wanted to retort, but was held back by the great elder.

“Senior,” The great elder raised his clasped hands to Fu Li in a show of deep respect. “This humble one didn’t control my juniors well, that is the fault of this humble one. Two thousand years has already gone by since that incident. I beseech senior to let it go.”

Zhuang Qing’s arm hurt a little from Fu Li’s grip, but he didn’t say a single word.

“The lesson Qing Yan received today was brought on by his own actions. But the heavenly law of today favors the human race, how could it tolerate senior’s wanton slaughtering?” A pained look appeared on the great elder’s aged face. “This humble one swears on this day with heavenly law as the witness – if my clan’s dragons dare to scheme against senior once more, this humble one will personally discipline them without the need for senior to take action. Should I violate this oath, let me suffer the pain of having my ashes scattered by nine bolts of lightning.”

Fu Li laughed coldly. “Only twenty-six dragons from your dragon clan died. Who will compensate the Wei River’s tens of millions of life forms?”

“Senior…”

“Stop your hypocritical behavior,” Fu Li pointed the vermilion fan at the great elder. “Don’t let me see anyone from your azure dragon clan again.” He lowered his head and saw Zhuang Qing’s deathly pale complexion. No longer in the mood to spout rubbish with the azure dragon clan, he told Zhuang Qing. “Wait for me.”

He walked over to Qing Yan, who was on his last breath. Qing Yan watched him, his gigantic dragon body trembling.

“Tsk,” Fu Li brushed past him and picked up the sword that was scorched black by lightning. He returned to Zhuang Qing’s side. “Let’s go.”

He pulled Zhuang Qing by the arm and flew out of the dragon palace.

“Great elder, are we going to just let him leave like that?” An azure dragon was not resigned. “If this matter were to circulate, what face would our azure dragon clan still have?”

“No one is to leak today’s affairs,” The great elder looked down at Qing Yan, who was lying on the ground. “Bring him in for treatment. In the future, without my order, Qing Yan will not be allowed to take one step out of the dragon palace.”

“Great elder,” The Head called after the great elder. “That yao cultivator called Fu Li, what exactly are his origins?”

“I can’t make out his cultivation base,” The great elder voiced this embarrassing matter. “That year, at the bank of the Wei River, my life should have ended under his sword. But he spared my life. How many has our azure dragon clan lost after that incident? How many dragons do our azure dragon clan have today? Can we still bear such a loss?”

The Head of the clan sunk into silence. He glanced at the already-fainted Qing Yan and shook his head, sighing. “We should not have allowed Qing Yan to have the thought of becoming the dragon of national fate that year. If not for those incidents that year, many of these things wouldn’t have happened.”

The great elder remained silent for a moment. His face revealed an expression of contemplation.

“Are you okay?” Fu Li pulled Zhuang Qing out of the sea. His entire body was covered in wounds. The branded top and suit he was wearing was in even shabbier condition. The flesh on his back was visible, certain parts of which had been burnt black by the lightning.

“I won’t die,” Zhuang Qing looked down at his tattered suit. “This coat was the latest piece custom-made for this year’s autumn festival. I’d planned on wearing it a few days later to an evening charity party.”

“With this degree of injuries, there are better things to care about than clothes,” Fu Li took out a palm-sized ark from his Qiankun pouch. He flung the ark onto the surface of the water and the ark turned into an exquisitely decorated ship. There were tables, chairs, and even soft couches inside.

“Lie on the soft couch,” Fu Li leaped onto the decorated ship with Zhuang Qing. Zhuang Qing looked suspiciously at Fu Li. “What do you want to do?”

“What else can I be doing?” Fu Li pressed Zhuang Qing onto the bed and tore off the clothes on his upper body, revealing his bare abdominal muscles and back.

“Fu Li!” Zhuang Qing pushed Fu Li away and sat up. “Are you crazy?!”

“Stop messing around, be good and lie down,” Fu Li patted Zhuang Qing’s head and pressed him back down. He took out a bottle of medicine from his Qiankun pouch. “Your injuries are very severe.” The ointment applied on his wounds brought with it a comfortable coolness. Zhuang Qing lay splayed out on the bed, no longer moving.

The injuries were too deep and numerous in number. One bottle of ointment wasn’t enough at all, so Fu Li took out another bottle. “Just now, thank you for that.” He, a yao who had lived for more than four thousand years, had actually been protected by an underaged dragon. He was both moved yet embarrassed by such a thing. Any words of gratitude would only pale in comparison.

“I didn’t want to save you either,” Zhuang Qing snorted coldly. “But it would be too embarrassing if other people found out that an employee of my management bureau was struck to death by heavenly lightning.”

Medicine was applied to his back, neck, and arms. It was unknown what medicinal plants this spiritual medicine was made out of, but the wounds started healing not long after application. Fu Li gently patted Zhuang Qing’s buttocks. “Come, take off your pants.”

Zhuang Qing suddenly turned around and stared at him.

“What’s wrong?” Fu Li was confused by his stare. “You don’t wear clothes in dragon form either, what’s there to be shy about?”

“Old Fu yao, did you forget that the blood in my veins is half human?” Zhuang Qing gnashed his teeth. “Us humans don’t have the habit of stripping naked in front of outsiders!”

“Then you cover your front, I’ll help you apply the medicine on your butt,” Fu Li took out the third bottle of ointment. “You can do the front yourself.”

“Scram!” Zhuang Qing reached the end of his patience. He snatched the bottle of ointment from Fu Li’s hands. “I’ll apply it myself!”

“Sure sure sure. You’re the boss and my savior, what you say goes,” Fu Li placed an extra bottle of ointment in Zhuang Qing’s hands. He stood up and let down the cotton curtains inside. Standing outside the cotton curtains, he said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Zhuang Qing looked at the figure outside the curtain and slowly peeled off his pants. Blood and flesh were indistinguishable, bringing with it the unpleasant reek of blood. He expressionlessly waved a hand, washing off the blood on his legs, before applying the medicinal ointment onto his wounds bit by bit. “Fu Li, you were right.”

The figure outside shifted. “What?”

“You might really not be a normal rabbit?” Zhuang Qing recalled the golden bestial marks on Fu Li’s face when he nearly experienced qi deviation, as well as his ruthlessness when biting into Qing Yan’s flesh. His brows furrowed. Swiftly applying the medicine, he manifested a set of clothes using his original form’s scales and then lifted the curtain, walking out.

“I forgot something very important,” He manifested toothpaste and a toothbrush out of nothing. “Brush your teeth!”

Fu Li’s face fell a little. Accepting the toothpaste and toothbrush, he started brushing his teeth. “Do you know the amount of bacteria and parasites inside raw meat?” Zhuang Qing handed a cup of water to him. “Even daring to eat any random thing, did our management bureau’s dining hall decrease your food?”

Fu Li lay sprawled on the side of the ship. He spat out the foam in his mouth, drank a mouth of water, and continued rinsing his mouth. He turned towards Zhuang Qing, his eyes brightening. “Dragon meat seems quite tasty.”

Zhuang Qing touched his arm. “Rabbit meat is also very delicious.”

“Didn’t you say that I’m not a rabbit?” Fu Li continued rinsing his mouth.

“Just because you’re not an ordinary rabbit doesn’t mean you’re not a rabbit.” Seeing that Fu Li was about to keep the toothbrush, Zhuang Qing said with furrowed brows, “Brush another time.”

Fu Li’s lips parted. Zhuang Qing pulled up his sleeves, revealing the scars on his wrist that hadn’t fully vanished.

Fu Li… Fu Li obediently squeezed out toothpaste with a guilty conscience and continued brushing his teeth.

A distance away on the sea, a pirate put down his binoculars, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Then, he picked up the binoculars again and continued to look through it. “G-Ghost ship?”

This area of the sea was the rumored supernatural zone. Many cargo ships had disappeared at this place recently, so ghost stories had circulated over time. In reality, no such supernatural incidents had occurred. It was them who had deliberately spread this rumor after robbing those cargo ships.

“What ghost ship? This is the era of science and technology; only fools would believe such things,” The captain slapped a palm on the pirate’s head. “Keep a close eye on the sea, watch out for any fat fish we can lay our hands on.”

“It’s not that, captain. There really is a ghost ship.” The pirate pointed ahead. “Quick, look!”

The captain held up the binoculars hanging at his chest. Sure enough, he discovered a strange ship on the surface of the water. Compared to their pirate ship that was disguised as a merchant ship, the seemingly wooden, two-storied ship was much smaller and weaker. How could a wooden ship float this far at sea? Wouldn’t any random wave or gale smash the ship into bits and pieces?

Also, why did it not show up on their radars?

Were they really seeing ghosts?

“En?” Fu Li turned his head abruptly and set up a barrier around the ship.

“What’s wrong?”

“Humans are peeking at us,” Fu Li looked into the distance. “They don’t seem to be good people.”

“V-Vanished?” Fright prevented the pirate from even forming complete sentences. He stammered as he placed down the binoculars. “Q-Quick, turn the ship around.”

“Captain, we’ve lost control of the ship,” The helmsman was crying in his heart. He watched the various instruments on the ship go wild, and collapsed on the ground, covering his head. “We’re done for, done for.” He hadn’t drank the most expensive wine, held the most beautiful women, and eaten the most delicious food, how could he die at the desolate sea?

However, none of their despair or fear was any use. As if alive, their ship steadily traveled along a certain route, till it met face to face with a military vessel.

Did the current sea ghosts even pay careful attention to the legality of their methods?

What other outcome could the pirate ship have after bumping into the military vessel?

“Captain,” The helmsman sat paralyzed on the deck in despair. “Let’s learn how to sing . For better or worse, we can still participate in the prison’s internal cultural performances.”

“Perform your ass. Laozi’s tone deaf, who’s going to listen to my singing? Still not escaping?!” The captain dragged the helmsman away and prepared to operate the ship himself.

But no matter which button he pressed, there was not the slightest reaction from the various buttons in the operations room, as if they were out of order.

“F*ck!” The captain fiercely kicked the control room’s main door. He had traveled the sea unhindered for ten years, yet it was the supernatural that led to his downfall. If he had known things would end up like this, he wouldn’t have said inauspicious things and got people to fervently spread that that area of the sea was haunted. This time, ghosts had really been summoned.

Fortunately, the military vessel had spotted the merchant ship from afar. When they received no response after sending a signal to the other party, they increased their speed. Upon approach, the ship was motionless. The few sailors trapped on the deck watched the ship slowly approach them. Not only did they not exhibit any joy at being rescued, their faces were even filled with fright. Those on the military vessel instantly understood that there was something off about the people on the merchant ship.

These people were captured and then investigated. In the end, it was found that they were an infamous, vicious pirate gang. A few countries had recently joined hands to capture them on international waters.

Now that they were so easily captured, there was a feeling that these people had been picked up for free.

A navy officer brimming with righteousness listened to the pirates jabbering about ghosts and whatnot. “You guys must have done too many bad deeds, so ghosts live in your hearts.” Those who were upright would not fear slanted reflections; what was scariest in the world was not ghosts, but a human heart with no baseline.

Zhuang Qing looked on coldly as Fu Li used magic to maneuver the pirate ship right into the trap. Turning, he leaned against the railing and looked at the clouds in the distance. The night was about to descend. He had once thought that the differences between Fu Li’s original form and rabbits were a result of normal variations. But at this point, he had already changed his previous way of thinking.

Rabbits should possess an innate fear towards the dragon race. No matter how profound their cultivation and how little they feared Dragon Might, it was impossible for them to eat dragon meat upon losing rationality

So… what was he?

He had read so many ancient texts and materials in the human imperial palace, and there had never been a description of a creature that matched Fu Li.

“What are you looking at me for?” Fu Li watched the sea pirates being taken away with a heart full of satisfaction. When he turned, he saw that Zhuang Qing was staring at him. Thinking that he had suffered internal injuries, he placed a hand against his wrist. His face very quickly sank. “Why didn’t you say that you have internal injuries? Didn’t I tell you early on that this is a crucial period for you since you’ll be undergoing your final transformation?!”

As he spoke, he found a vitality-replenishing pill in his Qiankun pouch and stuffed it into Zhuang Qing’s mouth. “Didn’t I give you a bottle of vitality-replenishing medicine? Why didn’t you eat it?”

The corners of Zhuang Qing’s lips moved. He remained silent.

If he ate a pill worth several millions for this small injury, he would not only suffer internal injuries, but also injuries to his heart.

He was made to swallow three pills. I ate six to seven million worth of pills in one mouth, thought Zhuang Qing. If that amount was exchanged for spiritual rice, it would be enough for him to eat for a very long time.

“The sky’s dark,” After swallowing the medicinal pills, Zhuang Qing’s expressionless face became even colder. “Are we going to sit the entire night on this decorative boat?” He was not considerate by nature, but seeing Fu Li act as if nothing had happened and knowing of the past grievances between him and the azure dragon clan, he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question out loud.

As the leader of the management bureau, he ought to get to the bottom of the matter if he became aware of a fight between an employee and other yao cultivators. That would only be in accordance with staff rules.

It was now already past work hours. Even as the leader, he shouldn’t take up an employee’s rest time.

This matter… he would leave it for the time being. And maybe longer.

“Want to fish?” Fu Li passed Zhuang Qing a fishing rod. He took out a box of fish bait from a drawer below. “My fishing skills are quite good.”

Zhuang Qing watched Fu Li smoothly take out the fishing rod and fish bait. Twisting his head, he glanced at the decorative boat. It seemed that Fu Li had also done this in the past. He pulled open the drawer. There were quite a few fish baits inside. Perhaps the yao who had fished with Fu Li at that time were not few in number.

As a dragon, eating fish was a matter of just opening his mouth. What need was there for such an inefficient and boring way of fishing?

Half an hour later, Zhuang Qing glanced at Fu Li’s bucketful of fish before looking down at his own empty bucket. His face was as frosty as December snow.

“Don’t be anxious, it’s always like this when starting out,” Fu Li picked up his bucket and poured half of it into Zhuang Qing’s bucket. “With the fish I gave you as padding, you’ll hook one soon.”

Zhuang Qing glanced down at the fishes whose tails were flailing about in the bucket. The water flicked by the fish tails splashed onto his face.

He wiped the water on his face. “What are you so anxious for? Whether or not I hook any isn’t important.”

Another half hour passed. Zhuang Qing pulled up the fishing rod. A fat and large fish dangled from it.

He glanced from the corner of his eyes at the two buckets of fish. The tips of his brows hooked up.

The fish he had just hooked was currently the largest.

Ilyz: someone had their tofu eaten~