Chapter 551: Chapter 551 : (Extras) Strolling Down Memory Lane (2)
A light drizzle fell over the small town, sending pedestrians running toward the nearest shelter.
Soon, the streets were enveloped in an ethereal silence, punctuated only by the rhythmic percussion of raindrops. The river, however, was alive with activity, as tireless and energetic vendors huddled beneath their makeshift canopies, their voices a stark contrast to the serene silence of the streets.
A boat drifted peacefully across the river, seemingly not in a hurry to reach its destination.
A young dragon was sitting alone inside. Leaning gently against the bamboo cover, he was lost in thoughts as he stared at the tiny droplets of water that created a mesmerizing pattern across the river’s surface.
The poetic ambiance was ruined when the old boatman decided to break the silence.
"Um, Young Master, do you mind if I ask you to pay the fare in advance?"
Xie Junjie gave the boatman a perplexed look.
"No, of course not."
He quickly reached after his purse and took out several coins from inside.
"Thank you, thank you," the boatman took the coins in gratitude. "Young Master, please do not take it to heart. To tell the truth, I used to charge boat riding fares only after delivering my passengers to their destination. But around twenty years ago, something unbelievable happened to me."
Xie Junjie was not a nosy person, so he did not ask further. And yet, the boatman continued talking. He seemed to be determined to share a tale of the past. Maybe he did so with all his passengers.
"So I was riding this same boat, taking a certain young master around just like now. The young master was initially lying down inside, apparently falling asleep. When he woke up, he kindly bought me some loquats. He was such a good passenger."
The old boatman sighed, remembering the sweet loquats and the idyllic day by the river. Alas, the beautiful moment was fleeting.
"But then, suddenly, that young master had a terrible nightmare. He grabbed me and began asking all sorts of weird questions. I was so scared. I thought he went completely insane. So when he asked me to take him back to the land, I was more than happy to do so. But before we even arrived, can you guess what happened, Young Master?"
"What happened?" Xie Junjie asked, his curiosity now piqued.
"He. Disappeared. Completely," the boatman announced dramatically.
"..."
Disappeared?
Could that young man be a specter, then? But how could specters carry money pouches...?
"But that’s not the worst of it all."
The boatman’s face turned grim when he continued.
"The young master’s money pouch also disappeared from the boat. I sustained heavy financial loss that day."
"... Oh."
The boatman sighed in exasperation.
"Young Master, you might not believe me, but it truly happened. From then on, I never saw that young master again. I wonder where he is."
The young dragon’s lips curved into a soft smile.
"No worries, old man. I do not blame you for collecting the boat ride fare ahead. In fact, I think that that young master from the past was too ruthless. If he wanted to take a relaxing boat ride along the river, he should pay the fare he owed."
"Exactly!" the old boatman exclaimed. "I agree, Young Master. By the way, now that I think about it, Young Master, he was as young and as handsome as you are. Maybe you are related to him, hahaha~"
Xie Junjie laughed politely. He didn’t think so. He didn’t know anyone in his family, who was as shameless as that young master from the old boatman’s story*.
"Old man, please take me to the end of the river. I would like to enter the forest nearby."
"Oyoyoyo..."
The boatman ripped his eyes open in fright.
"Young Master, why do you want to go into the forest? Don’t you know that it is infested with man-eating demonesses???"
"I do," Xie Junjie replied. "I am here to exterminate them for good."
To be more precise, he planned to send them back to the Demonic Realm with their tails tucked between their legs. These past few months, those Flower Demons had been going rampant, expanding their operation to several villages at once. Too many innocent men had already fallen victim to their irresistible seduction.
The boatman gaped at Xie Junjie in a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"No way, Young Master, are you a cultivator by chance?"
"Uh. Yes, I guess you can say that."
"No way! I haven’t met any cultivator before! No wonder you look so different, you are literally surrounded a bright, majestic aura!"
Xie Junjie smiled.
"Old man, you flatter me too much."
After wishing Xie Junjie the best of luck for his noble endeavor, the boatman happily rowed his boat back to the other side of the river, ready to take a new customer.
Just as he docked his boat by the riverside, a young man in a white and blue robe approached him. He was holding a small lamp in his hand. It was burning with a unique, electric blue color.
"Old man," he said with a little frown. "Who did you take on your boat today?"
The old boatman gaped at the young man in disbelief.
"Y-you! Didn’t I just take you to the other end of the river???"
Zhang Mingrui cocked his head to the side and shot the old boatman a skewed smile.
"Where exactly?"
"Right over there!" The boatman exclaimed. "How did you even get back here? I told you that the forest was dangerous! Good that you manage to escape the demons in time!"
"Great. Can you take me there again?"
Zhang Mingrui stepped onto the boat before the old boatman had the chance to refuse him.
Groaning inwardly, the old man had no choice but to comply.
The young master remained quiet throughout the ride. Maybe he was still affected by the demonesses, so the sensible boatman mused.
Sometime before they reached their destination, the old man coughed into his fist.
No answer.
And then he cleared his throat.
Still no answer.
The old boatman swallowed hard.
"Um, Young Master, if you don’t mind, can you please pay the fares..."
He turned around and saw that his boat was empty.
"... ahead..."
The old boatman needed several seconds to regain his composure before he howled in dejection, "YOUNG MASTER, YOU HAVE NOT PAID FOR THE BOAT RIDE!!!"
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Author’s note :
*Dear readers, do you? xD
This author is bullying the poor boatman a lot.
Meanwhile Mingrui : *sneezes* I wonder who is talking behind my back.
