Chapter 52: Netherworld River
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Herlyee Translations
Lin Yan thought for a moment and suddenly punched Zhang San’s head.
Zhang San screamed and danced around, retreating in panic. However, he could not dodge Lin Yan’s punch and it hit his temple.
However, Lin Yan’s punch was only a feint. It was weak and separated from Zhang San’s temple without any force.
Only then did Zhang San fall to the ground. His entire body swayed, and he looked terrified.
The temple was a vital point. No one would remain indifferent after being hit in the temple. Looking at Zhang San’s performance, he was probably not even a martial artist.
Lin Yan reached out and pulled him up. “I’m sorry, it’s necessary to test you.”
Zhang San’s voice was trembling. He was really an ordinary person. He usually worked in the Inner Circle to save money to buy a house. He was lucky to obtain the Golden Pattern Token before he went to the Ghost Market to be a guide and wanted to earn more money.
Usually, he would only solicit customers after entering the Ghost Market. Because no one was allowed to hurt people in the Ghost Market, it was considered safe.
However, recently, there were fewer and fewer newbies in the Ghost Market. The competition was getting stronger and stronger. He had not found a customer for more than a month. Today, he finally met a newbie. He gritted his teeth and took the risk to talk to him. He did not expect to walk around the edge of the Grim Reaper.
“Tell me, how much is your service?”
Zhang San was still in shock. He said with a trembling voice, “Half a tael of silver! ”
Lin Yan frowned. It was not cheap.
Zhang San hurriedly said, “You can ask around when you enter the Ghost
Market. My price is definitely fair. I guarantee that it’s worth it!’
Lin Yan indeed needed a guide. He nodded and took out a tael of silver. He circulated his blood energy and pinched it into two halves. “Deal. Choose a half yourself.”
Zhang San heaved a long sigh of relief and picked a piece that he felt was bigger. “Thank you, Sir!”
The two of them followed the team and had already walked for a long distance. Lin Yan could hear the sound of spring water becoming louder and louder.
What was strange was that even though they were in a deep underground cave, there was a thin layer of blue light on the jagged rock wall in front of them. Moreover, it was getting brighter and brighter, as if it covered everything around them with a blue gauze.
Zhang San introduced at the right time, “We’re about to reach the Netherworld River. This is an underground river. It’s extremely strange. You’ll know when you see it later. You can’t walk to the Ghost Market. You have to take a boat across the Netherworld River.”
As they spoke, the two of them turned a corner. The hazy darkness in front of Lin Yan was suddenly dispelled by a faint blue halo that was not very bright but very gentle.
When he saw the scene in front of him clearly, Lin Yan’s breathing couldn’t help but stop for a moment. He even had the illusion that he had transmigrated agam.
In front of him was a slightly open earth canyon. The dome was in the shape of an inverted horn, and it was also filled with blood stalactites. In the middle of the canyon, there was an underground river that was sparkling and emitting a rich green- blue halo. It was as if the Milky Way hanging in the sky had landed in the mortal world, flowing strangely and ordinarily.
This greenish-blue halo was extremely clean. It was even brighter than the most beautiful neon lights in his previous life, but the river was clear to the bottom. It was as clean as a huge sapphire satin flowing in the wind.
It made Lin Yan instinctively feel extremely awkward.
It was as if a UFO had suddenly appeared in the sky above an ancient city, and a robot had run out of a primitive forest. In an ordinary world, something completely incompatible had blended.
“This is the Netherworld River. Someone said that this Netherworld River is connected to hell and heaven, so no one has ever found the end and source of the Netherworld River.
“There are also people who say that there are undead living in the Netherworld River since ancient times. These green and blue halos are the light emitted by their souls.
“There are also people who say that the Netherworld River is an extension of the arm of a god. It can’t be blasphemed.
“However, I’ve seen the Netherworld River. It’s just ordinary water.”
After hearing Zhang San’s explanation, Lin Yan still felt a sense of separation. He kept feeling that this beautiful and mysterious river of flowing light was completely different from the chaotic and noisy Ding’an City above.
Speaking of which, he really didn’t seem to know much about the history and past of this world. Other than the name Dafeng, he didn’t even know the area outside Ding’an City or the people from outside.
Lin Yan couldn’t help but suspect, “I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg of the world. Perhaps it’s completely different from what I imagined?’
Under the faint blue light, Lin Yan blew out the candles. Near the underground river, there was a flat mudflat. There were three bamboo rafts parked, each guarded by an iron-masked person. It was unknown how they were moved down.
Three black-robed guests were already waiting there. They should have come down from another entrance.
When their group gathered, two boatmen guarding the bamboo rafts stood up and pushed their bamboo rafts into the water.
Zhang San explained in a low voice, “In and out of the Ghost Market, we have to take a bamboo raft. There are six people on a boat. When we reach the destination, we have to pay the boat fee. One hundred copper coins per person. Two hundred copper coins a round trip. What a scam.”
Sure enough, as the bamboo raft boatman waved his hand, the three people who had been waiting before boarded a boat. Two others also boarded the bamboo raft, and another person wanted to board. However, the drunk young master was one step ahead and boarded the bamboo raft.
Lin Yan clearly saw the five people on the bamboo raft shrink their necks. Even Zhang San swallowed his saliva.
“You know him?”
Zhang San waited until the first bamboo raft set off and disappeared into the cave before wiping his forehead. Then, he realized that he was wearing a mask and he said awkwardly, “l recognize him. His name is Gan Yang. He’s very famous in the Ghost Market. He has a nickname, Poison Master.”
“Poison Master? Is he very powerful?”
“It’s said that his strength is only at the Strength Realm, but his ability to use poison has reached perfection. His entire body is filled with poison, and he’s called a Poison Master. Even Strength Realm martial artists are very afraid of him.
“In addition, he’s a guest of the City Lord Manor. Therefore, even if he’s domineering and never hides his face, he’s always living well.”
Lin Yan’s expression was rather strange. Poison Master? Poison expert? It can’t be such a coincidence, right?
After bringing Zhang San to the second bamboo raft, Lin Yan asked, “Does this
Poison Master often kill people to take their internal organs?”
Zhang San shook his head and said, “He hasn’t done it before, but since last month, he has specially picked newbies to do it. Every time, he only digs out livers. It’s said that he wants to complete the Heaven Bounty for Cave At this point, Zhang San shuddered. “Sir, this Poison Master is extremely dangerous. You must… be careful.”
He was worried that Lin Yan would hate Gan Yang and overestimate himself to find trouble with the Poison Master.
Lin Yan didn’t comment.
Sitting on the bamboo chair of the bamboo raft, he tied the safety rope and the boatman began to support the wormwood. The bamboo raft scuttled out along the river.
The Netherworld River was not wide, and the rock walls on both sides were craggy. From time to time, a sharp blood stalactite would protrude, so when the bamboo raft floated, he always had the illusion that although it was going to hit the sharp rock, the boat would capsize and people would die.
Fortunately, the boatman’s skills were very good and stable. Every time, he would narrowly avoid the danger and advance.
Trusting the boatman for the time being, Lin Yan lowered his head to look at the Netherworld River under the bamboo raft.
It was very strange. Lin Yan originally thought that this blue halo was emitted by some underground algae, plankton, or even fish.
However, the river was as clear as a mirror. At a glance, he could see the strange dark purple rocks at the bottom of the river. They were so clear that it was as if they did not exist. There were no other creatures or substances at all.
Then, he scooped up a handful of water from the gaps of the bamboo raft. It was transparent, exactly the same as normal water.
“It’s as if water and light are two separate individuals. Water is water, and light is light.”
The light at the bottom of the Netherworld River changed, making him feel that this light did not come from the water, but from the bottom of the water, deep underground. As he watched, he gradually became engrossed.
Suddenly, a white-robed, long-haired figure swam past the bottom of the river and flashed past!
Lin Yan’s pupils constricted. A woman with her head raised?
However, when he looked around, he couldn’t find her. He thought that he was hallucinating.
However, in the next moment, a terrifying woman’s face, as pale as wax and with wide eyes, suddenly floated up from under the bamboo raft and collided with it. Her two empty eyes stared straight at Lin Yan through the gap at the bottom of the bamboo raft!
Lin Yan stood up in shock. The people on the boat were also shocked and stood up one after another.
“F*ck! Who the f*ck threw the corpse into the river again?! You scared my soul out!!”
Someone cursed.
The bamboo raft passed, and the terrifying woman stayed behind, bobbing up and down in a blue halo.
Lin Yan took a closer look and realized that it was a dead person. She raised her head and her entire body was stiff, but she didn’t look swollen at all.
Zhang San was also in a state of shock. He explained, “The Netherworld River is extremely strange. If you throw all the corpses in the river, they won’t rot or swell for a few days. They look like they just died.”
“Then wouldn’t the Netherworld River be filled with corpses?”
“That’s not it. I just heard that when the time is up, the corpse will disappear on its own. Some people say that the Netherworld River is alive and eats people… Anyway, it’s very strange. ‘
Lin Yan’s heart was still pounding. This time, he didn’t dare to focus his gaze and attention on the Netherworld River. This river, this light, this water…
It was all too strange..