59: Chapter 59 The Lord of Youdu Points the Way to the Realm of the Dead, the Village Chief Encounters an Old Friend

"Hoo!"

After bidding farewell to the mumbling Prefect of Youdu, Ye Xiu steered his wine gourd, speeding along in the direction indicated by the old ghost.

He had originally thought he could fly straight to his destination, but upon reaching the end of the Yong River, Ye Xiu had to slam on the "brakes".

"Stop!"

Ye Xiu's expression turned grave as he hovered in mid-air.

He saw that the river water ahead had suddenly changed color; it was no longer a murky yellow, but had taken on an eerie, deep gray hue.

There wasn't a single ripple on the river's surface; even the wind seemed to go silent the moment it blew across.

Even more frighteningly, Ye Xiu tentatively tossed a bone from a Demon God he hadn't finished eating onto the river surface.

"Plop!"

That bone, which contained powerful energy, didn't even splash.

It sank straight down, as if swallowed by an invisible giant maw.

"Is this the legendary... Weak Water?"

Ye Xiu gasped.

Three thousand leagues of Weak Water, not even a goose feather can float upon it.

Even if it were his Wine God Gourd, if he were to rashly fly across.

He feared it would be forcibly dragged to the bottom by the rules of the Weak Water, and at that point, even the "immortals would be unable to save him".

"Correct, this is the boundary river leading to Youdu."

The Village Chief looked at the deathly silent river, a trace of memory flashing in his golden eyes: "No living person may approach, no bird may cross. If you want to cross, unless..."

"Splash! Splash—"

Just as the three of them were at their wits' end, a rhythmic rowing sound suddenly came from the mist in the distance.

A tattered black-awning boat, defying the rules of the Weak Water, slowly sailed toward them.

The one rowing the boat was not a human, but a white-boned skeleton wearing a coir raincoat and a bamboo hat!

The oar in its hands was polished from an unknown leg bone, and with every stroke, it sent ripples across the Weak Water.

And at the bow of the boat, a living person was sitting cross-legged.

It was a middle-aged Daoist wearing a cyan Daoist robe, carrying a long sword on his back, with a gaunt face and quite a bit of an immortal, transcendent air.

Only his face was terrifyingly pale, and his body was shrouded in an aura of twilight that seemed both alive and dead.

"Eh? That is..."

The Village Chief saw the Daoist, a flash of surprise in his eyes, and then a playful smile curled at the corners of his mouth: "So it's an old acquaintance."

"Daoist Ling Jing, long time no see, how did you end up having to ride a boat for the dead?"

The Daoist heard the voice and slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze swept over Ye Xiu and Qin Mu, finally fixing on the Village Chief's Spiritual Qi golden body, his pupils shrinking slightly: "Sword God... Su Muzhe?"

"You old undying, you actually haven't died completely? You even... reshaped your golden body?"

"Thanks to you, thanks to you, I haven't lived enough yet."

The Village Chief cupped his hands with a smile, then said very naturally: "Ling Jing, since we've run into each other, it must be fate."

"Look, we need to cross the river too, but this skeleton ferryman is stubborn and insists on collecting some 'road toll'."

"I left in a hurry and forgot to bring money. I wonder... could you lend me some copper coins to spend?"

Daoist Ling Jing heard this and sneered: "Borrow money? Sure, I have a few copper coins here!"

As he tossed the copper coins, the aura on this old man became sharp!

"Hum!"

Before the words had even faded, the two of them attacked simultaneously!

There were no fancy Moves, just a pure contest of Internal Energy and Sword Intent.

The air instantly solidified. Ye Xiu and Qin Mu stood on the gourd.

They felt the surrounding air pressure was terrifyingly low, as if two great mountains were colliding above their heads.

And upon the river surface, it stirred up tumultuous waves.

Daoist Ling Jing let out a muffled groan, his Daoist robe billowing, and the long sword on his back emitted a shrill hum.

He tried with all his might to resist the Sword Intent surging from the Village Chief like a great river.

But... that was the Sword God who had once struck down gods!

Even if it were just a golden body reshaped from a wisp of remnant soul, it was not something a common Daoist expert could contend with.

It only lasted for three breaths.

"Puff!"

Daoist Ling Jing's face turned pale, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The black-awning boat beneath him shook violently, and the rowing skeleton was shaken so hard it almost fell apart.

"Old Sword God! Your treasured blade has not grown dull!"

"Catch!"

Daoist Ling Jing pulled three ancient copper coins engraved with ghost faces from his bosom and tossed them toward the shore, looking extremely pained.

"Many thanks, Daoist Brother Ling Jing, for your generous contribution!"

The Village Chief caught the copper coins, smiling like an old fox who had stolen a chicken.

He turned and gave one to Ye Xiu and Qin Mu each: "Let's go! Get on the boat!"

Ye Xiu put away his wine gourd and jumped onto the tattered black-awning boat with the other two.

The skeleton boatman collected the copper coins, and a faint ghostly light seemed to flash in its hollow eye sockets.

It did not speak, but silently turned the bow of the boat and rowed toward the depths of the Weak Water.

As the small boat went deeper, the surrounding scenery began to undergo eerie changes.

The originally deathly silent river surface actually began to reflect countless bizarre and grotesque scenes.

There were bustling markets, noisy crowds, and city towers decorated with lanterns and festoons.

"This is..."

Qin Mu widened his eyes and pointed at the reflection under the water: "That inside... it seems to be the world of the living?"

"No, that is the world of the dead."

The boatman turned his head, and his skeleton face had actually turned into the appearance of a human man.

"This is the Realm of the Living Dead."

"The boundary between life and death is blurred here."

"Here, the dead live like the living, and the living... if they become lost, they will become the dead."

The boat docked.

Ye Xiu, the old Village Chief, and Qin Mu instead became filled with Death Qi.

Their cultivation was also suppressed quite a bit.

"There is a village ahead, let's go in and take a look!"

Soon, Qin Mu cheered up again.

It seemed to be a very ordinary small human village.

There were two children even herding a big fat pig at the village entrance.

But for some reason?

Just when the Village Chief and Qin Mu showed relaxed smiles on their faces.

The demon slaying sword in Ye Xiu's hand began to tremble.

"Hum, hum, hum!"

Even though his current strength had already reached the Peak of the Four Extremes, he couldn't quite hold it back.

"Something is wrong, there are no living people in this village!"

Feeling the movement of the precious sword in Ye Xiu's hand.

The old Village Chief also realized it.

Since this is a world where the dead and the living are reversed, then these two children and that big fat pig...

"Outsiders, where are you from? Where do you want to go?"

Just when the Village Chief was warning the Cowherd Boy.

An old man holding a dry tobacco pipe walked out of the village opposite.

While exhaling a smoke ring, he walked toward them with a grin.

"Old sir, we are looking for Wuyou Township, I wonder..."

In Ye Xiu's impression, this should have originally been an unsolvable question.

But he didn't expect this old smoker opposite to only hesitate for a second.

Then a smile like a blooming flower appeared on his face.

"Wuyou Township! Walk this way, cross two mountains, and you will see a stele; it is right behind it!"

What the hell?

Hearing this answer.

Ye Xiu really wanted to give this old guy a like.

Spouting lies so easily, he really didn't even need to draft them.

According to the topography of the original work.

Behind that should be Fengdu and the moon boat, right?

This old thing before him was clearly giving wrong directions.

He had bad intentions!

Wait!

I remember now, this old guy should be a Devil Head.

"Little brother, do we know each other?"

Seeing Ye Xiu's gaze was unkind.

The old guy seemed to want to retreat.

The two sides were only a step away, and they were likely about to tear off the mask of civility.

But just at this moment.

The innocent Cowherd Boy shouted from the side.

"Grandpa Village Chief, Big Brother Ye Xiu! What are we still waiting for? Let's go quickly!"