The merman boatman did not care. Seeing that they had reached an agreement and there were no objections, he immediately followed the guests’ wishes and pushed the boat to turn around.
Yin Shanhe then shouted at the merman and asked, “Boatman, are you sure the target we are tracking will arrive at least an hour later than us?”
The merman who had answered earlier turned back and replied, “Unless he does not come, otherwise there will be no mistake. If it is less than an hour, I will not take your money.”
Having confirmed that the target had not arrived yet, Yin Shanhe put the pipe mouthpiece back into his mouth and continued puffing.
Turning his head to look at the two people on the shore, then at the two boatmen, Qing Ya was actually quite speechless. To openly discuss how to kill that Proctor in front of the sea race, it was truly without any scruples or avoidance whatsoever. He did not know whether he was being petty, or whether their realm was higher.
Of course, he also knew it might be because the Nether Monk had agreed not to help the dog Proctor, but he still felt it was strange. At least this was the first time he had experienced such unbridled audacity.
Forget it, the rest was none of his business. He mocked himself inwardly, turned around and fiddled with the lantern hanging at the bow of the boat, and with a “huff” sound, blew out the light inside in one breath.
The merman boatman only popped his head up to look, but did not say anything more. It did not count as sailing right now, and extinguishing the light during the waiting period was acceptable.
Qing Ya was clearly well-versed in these rules. He greeted Cui You on the neighbouring boat again, “If you do not want the target to discover we are here, it is best to extinguish the light.”
Cui You was somewhat hesitant. He turned back to look at the people on the shore, and seeing no objection, immediately complied and also extinguished the bow lantern.
Both boats were instantly plunged into darkness, transforming into hazy shadows as they drifted toward the indistinct little island reef.
While watching them depart, Yin Shanhe could not help but glance at Long Xingyun twice.
He actually did not want to leave Long Xingyun behind. He wanted Long Xingyun to wait with Cui You on the side, and wanted to settle the matter for Long Xingyun alone. He had the strength and the confidence, but he feared something might happen to Long Xingyun if he left his side, and felt it was safer to keep him nearby for protection.
Because he always felt there was something indescribable about Qing Ya’s side, which made him secretly harbour a trace of vigilance toward Qing Ya.
As for whatever monsters were on this island, he really did not take them seriously.
However, the necessary warnings still had to be given to Long Xingyun. Puffing his pipe, he said, “After all, we are not familiar with the situation here. To prevent accidents, Young Pavilion Master, stay close to me and do not run around.”
“Uncle Yin, rest assured, I will be careful.” Long Xingyun agreed readily, turning to observe the island. “This island is neither big nor small. What do we do?”
Yin Shanhe said, “Go to the highest point on the island. No matter which direction a ship comes from, we can see it.”
Long Xingyun immediately understood his meaning. The boat had lights.
The two immediately headed toward the high ground on the island, maintaining vigilance and caution along the way. However, the purple thatch grass distributed across large areas of the island would more or less attract the attention of newcomers, and they were no exception.
Long Xingyun was curious about the countless purple-glowing root threads, and reached out his hand wanting to touch them, but was pressed down by a pipe.
Long Xingyun turned back in confusion. Yin Shanhe explained the reason, “Purple thatch grass. The hanging root threads are covered with fine thorns. They easily entangle living creatures. At the same time, the thorns secrete an anaesthetic. After piercing or cutting the skin, you will not feel pain. By the time the creature realises it is entangled, it is already too late. Most likely its limbs have already been paralysed to the point of immobility. Then these root threads will tightly wrap around the creature, corroding and digesting it until not even scraps remain.”
Hearing this, Long Xingyun withdrew his outstretched hand.
Yin Shanhe extended the pipe in his hand toward the hanging threads of the purple thatch grass. First he gently stroked them, and then he could see those glowing root threads come to life, swaying gently and quietly, slowly curling toward the pipe.
This was the slow motion. He immediately demonstrated a fast motion. The pipe suddenly whipped both sides rapidly against the hanging threads, as if a living creature was struggling to break free from the slowly coiling threads.
The swaying threads immediately showed a violent reaction. They all floated up together, as if encountering magnetic attraction, suddenly sticking and curling over, rapidly wrapping around the pipe. The glowing threads on the entire purple thatch grass plant all floated up, gathering and curling toward this side.
Yin Shanhe pulled hard with force, but was actually unable to pull the pipe free from the coiling grip. And as soon as the threads wrapped around an object, the purple glow on them immediately extinguished.
Until those threads were about to coil onto Yin Shanhe’s hand, he then cast a spell and circulated his power with a shake, breaking free from the restraint with his powerful cultivation, pulling back his pipe. Only then did he warn Long Xingyun, “These threads are very tough. Once a cultivator of the Initial Martial or Upper Martial realm gets entangled, it is basically difficult to struggle free and escape. They can only wait to die helplessly.”
While he was speaking, the threads that had just coiled up slowly unfurled again. The disappeared purple glow gradually reappeared on the threads, once again radiating with magnificent colours, which was quite miraculous.
Long Xingyun nodded, looking around. “The purple thatch grass on this island grows so vigorously, I am afraid it has devoured quite a few living creatures.”
Yin Shanhe said no more. He relit the pipe bowl, puffing on the mouthpiece, not even afraid that someone on the island might see the glow of his smoking.
Having learned about the purple thatch grass, the two who had lost interest headed straight for the high ground on the island.
After finding a spot where they could survey the sea in all directions, the two sat down on the spot, keeping watch over the surrounding waters.
Silence. Time passed bit by bit. As if verifying the merman boatman’s words, after about an hour, Yin Shanhe, who was sitting there smoking slowly, suddenly turned his pipe bowl upside down, knocked out the embers onto the ground, and directly stomped them out with one foot.
Long Xingyun realised something. He turned and looked in the direction Yin Shanhe was looking. Indeed, he saw a point of light on the sea surface. It should be a boat lantern.
On the nearby island reef, Qing Ya, who had been sitting with one leg straight, suddenly stood up on one leg, staring at the point of light on the sea surface, and muttered, “He is here.”
Pang Chengqiu also stood up.
Cui You, who was still sitting on the boat, also stood up to look into the distance.
The two ferry boats were stopped at the edge of the island reef. The two merman boatmen who had climbed onto the stern and were sitting there slowly flicking their tail fins in the water also looked over.
“Boatman, is that the lantern from your boat?” Qing Ya asked one more time for confirmation.
One merman boatman chuckled and said, “Yes, there is no mistake.”
Qing Ya turned back to look at the dazzling Purple Wave Island. “I suppose those two have also seen it.”
Pang Chengqiu said, “As long as the boat is coming this way, even if they have not seen it now, they will definitely discover it when the boat gets closer.”
Qing Ya chuckled, “The timing is so perfect, it probably is not anyone else. The dog Proctor also has today. I am afraid he is going to suffer.”
There was a tone of schadenfreude. At the same time, he looked at his leg, which had been harmed by someone. He had long been gnashing his teeth with hatred.
On the boat approaching with a solitary light, it was indeed none other than the three martial brothers Yu Qing, Nan Zhu, and Mu Aotie.
Seeing that their destination was almost reached, the three people and one merman started making a racket, haggling over the price.
In the midst of their dispute, Yu Qing simply squatted at the stern like he was defecating, nagging at the merman pushing the boat in the water, “Boatman, do not ask for an exorbitant price…”
The merman was already so annoyed by the quarrelling that he was somewhat reluctant to push the boat. Hearing this, he let out a strange cry and interrupted, “Where is the exorbitant price? The fare coming here was five thousand taels per person, three people totalling fifteen thousand. On the way, you wanted to avoid people, so the detour added ten thousand, totalling twenty-five thousand. Twenty-five thousand coming, twenty-five thousand going back. Reasonable and fair. Where did I overcharge you? How is that an exorbitant price?”
Nan Zhu shouted from behind with a red face and thick neck, “You yourself said it was a detour. That ten thousand was added because of the detour. Going back does not require you to take a detour.”
The merman said, “It does not require me to take a detour, but you want me to wait for you here. Does waiting for people not take time?”
Nan Zhu said, “Waiting means sitting and resting. It does not require you to expend physical strength pushing the boat forward.”
The merman said, “What kind of talk is that? Time is also money. I tell you, there is no need for you to argue with me. What I am saying is the price for waiting two hours for you. Each additional hour is five thousand taels. Take it or leave it. Let us not force a sale.”
Yu Qing saw the other party’s angry appearance, and thought that there were no other boats here, so he immediately softened his expression, squatted there and coaxed in a good voice, “Calculating the price by time is right. When doing business, you cannot stick to a fixed price. If everything is fixed, how can we negotiate? However, boatman, your pricing method has a problem. Let me ask you, if we do not make you wait for us, and do not make you take a detour, is the return trip the original price, still fifteen thousand taels for the fare?”
The merman thought for a moment and said, “That is right, fifteen thousand.”
Yu Qing looked again at the faintly bright sky overhead and asked, “Did this trip of ours not take about five hours?”
The merman pondered slightly and nodded, “About right.”
Yu Qing said, “Then the price for waiting should be fifteen thousand divided by five hours. Each hour of waiting is three thousand taels. Each half hour is one thousand five hundred taels. Each additional quarter hour is three hundred seventy-five taels. Calculate it, is that not right?”
He tried to subdivide the equivalent price of time as much as possible. The finer the division, the more money saved.
Nan Zhu said, “That is right.”
Mu Aotie also interjected at this time, “Boatman, you do not have any other passengers to carry here. If you do not carry us, going back with an empty boat is not worth it.”
The merman immediately said in annoyance, “Fine, fine. You lot have too many mouths. I cannot outtalk you. Do not give me that nonsense about three hundred seventy-five taels per quarter hour. It is three thousand taels per hour, period. I do not care if you return within one hour or half an hour. Once the timer starts, it is charged by the hour. If you accept, we have a deal. If not, we go our separate ways. I would rather go back with an empty boat than carry you.”
With things having reached this point, what else could be said? Yu Qing had no choice but to sigh with a regretful look, “Fine. Seeing that you, boatman, also have it hard, the three of us are not stingy people either. Three thousand it is, three thousand per hour of waiting.”
After speaking, he even put on a very generous appearance, first pulling out twenty-five thousand taels in banknotes.
After settling the one-way fare first, Yu Qing, who had been squatting, stood up and turned around.
The three martial brothers looked at each other under the illumination of a solitary lantern, all feeling quite satisfied. Although they had not managed to negotiate pricing by the quarter hour, they had at least talked down the price from five thousand taels per hour to three thousand.
Saving two thousand taels per hour, for them, this was not a small sum. It was absolutely a huge saving.
Those who made money were happy, and those who lost money naturally were not. The merman boatman pushing the boat forward again muttered there, “I have seen many cultivators, but rarely have I seen such stingy cultivators.”
Yu Qing flashed to the front of the bow, stood with hands behind his back, pretending he had not heard anything.
Nan Zhu was not happy, though. “Boatman, what you said. How can you do business without negotiating prices? Is settling the price properly called being stingy? Even cultivators travelling between the Sea Market and Star-scattered Island have to ask the ferry price, right? It cannot be whatever you say it is.”
The merman boatman said, “Let us not talk about those travelling between the Sea Market and Star-scattered Island. Do not disbelieve me, but most cultivators who wander around the deep Nether Sea are generally quite generous. To haggle over small accounts down to three hundred seventy-five taels, this is the first time I have encountered it. Speaking bluntly, if you do not have money, why are you running around everywhere?”
The corner of Nan Zhu’s mouth twitched. He suddenly stood with hands behind his back arrogantly and said, “This is not called being stingy, it is called being reasonable. Even if I told you, you would not believe it. The three of us have also earned over a hundred million in a single day when doing business. I dare not boast of being rich, but at least, boatman, you have misjudged.”
The merman boatman snorted with disdain. “Rich people? I have ferried countless cultivators. I have seen all kinds of rich people. Speaking bluntly, I have just never seen your type. You may look fat, but the three of you really do not show any sign of wealth. At least rich people do not have as much nonsense as you along the way. Nagging non-stop. Whether I am cold from soaking in the water for so long is none of your business? Misjudged, misjudged. Just consider me as having misjudged.”
The tone of speaking in anger was very strong.
Hearing these words, Yu Qing and Mu Aotie were expressionless, calm and unruffled, at most just pursing the corners of their mouths slightly.
“You boatman, you do not even understand that harmony brings wealth in business. Forget it, I will not bother with you anymore.”
Nan Zhu threw down the words and also turned around, no longer arguing. He clasped his hands over his abdomen, looking calm and self-assured, finally having been talked into silence by someone.
However, Yu Qing, who was standing at the bow with hands behind his back, as his gaze surveyed the faint wisps of mist drifting around, suddenly frowned. His eyes rapidly swept toward Purple Wave Island, and he abruptly called out, “Stop the boat!”