Go all out

Chapter 46: A Junior

Yang Yun snorted coldly. “He told me to find a new concubine, and then I could take that woman’s corpse however I pleased.” “That’s quite generous of him!” I furrowed my brow. Was he asking us to kill a woman for him? Or to find a female corpse to give him? Both were illegal, and would severely damage our moral standing. If we did something like this, not to mention any other karmic retribution, we certainly couldn’t expect to be reborn in a good place in our next life. “Is there no room for negotiation?” Zhang Qiang asked, his face looking rather grim. Yang Yun shook his head; his face was practically green. I figured Yang Yun must have gotten into a heated argument with the water corpse. The three of us fell silent. There was no way we could agree to such a demand. Are we really going to come back empty-handed like this? “Is there any other way? Like luring him up here and then taking him out?” I asked after a moment’s thought. “That?” Yang Yun shook his head awkwardly. “This water corpse is incredibly powerful. Even underwater, I could clearly sense a heavy aura of corpse energy. I’m afraid the three of us combined wouldn’t stand a chance against it.” I was startled. Whether or not I counted as one of the three didn’t matter—Zhang Qiang and Yang Yun were highly capable fighters. Yet even the two of them combined weren’t a match for this water corpse? This was a real problem. Besides, if this water corpse doesn’t come out, how are we supposed to force it? However, just as Yang Yun finished speaking, a dismissive snort rang out: “Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness!” The three of us were startled. We saw a large, square object suddenly appear on the water’s surface in the distance—it was clearly a coffin. The coffin glided toward us, swimming upstream like a giant fish. In the space of a few breaths, it came to a stop not far from the boat, floating quietly as if it were just an ordinary piece of wood. The three of us exchanged glances. I didn’t know what the other two were thinking, but I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. What did it mean for this water corpse to suddenly appear? “What are you doing here?” Yang Yun asked, furrowing his brow. “Hmph! This is my domain—do I need a mere ghost officer like you telling me what to do?” A mocking voice came from inside the coffin once more. Yang Yun’s expression darkened. He really does have a terrible temper. However, I was a bit confused. Was this water corpse just coming up here to show off? I stole a glance at Zhang Qiang beside me; he remained completely unfazed, as if he knew the water corpse wouldn’t attack. I, too, felt that this water corpse hadn’t suddenly appeared to fight, but for some other reason. “You three are quite bold! You dare to trespass on this King’s territory—a lowly errand-running ghost officer, a corpse-retriever with decent skills, and a…” Just as the water corpse spoke these words, I felt an icy, invisible gaze fixed on me, sending a chill down my spine. Yet, right in the middle of his sentence, he seemed to overlook me and cut off his words? I muttered to myself, “I’m not that bad, am I?” “Well then, have the three of you come to an agreement? Getting this physical body back is simple—just find another woman for this King. Remember, she must have a ‘Primordial Yin’ constitution.” The voice rang out once more. A “Yuan Yin” body—that means a virgin. I never expected this water corpse to have a virginity complex. I was speechless inside. “No way!” Yang Yun was furious. “The three of us are no match for you, but with a single word from me, the Ten Great Ghost Constables will immediately ascend to the mortal realm—and when the time comes, we’ll turn your lair upside down!” “Threatening this King? Haha, then I’ll give you a moment. Go ahead and call them—it’s been a long time since this King’s had a good workout!” I couldn’t help but twitch the corner of my mouth. Was this water corpse really that arrogant? Did it not even take the Ten Underworld Constables seriously? I stole a glance at Yang Yun’s reaction—his fists were clenched tightly. It seemed… he was at a loss? There’s a huge difference between ghosts and corpses. This water corpse has cultivated for over two hundred years—it certainly qualifies as a local tyrant. But its dominance is limited to these waters. If it were to venture elsewhere along the Yangtze River and encounter fish bigger than ships, or even the legendary River God, it would be swallowed whole in a single gulp. But for now, the three of us are on its turf. Without sufficient strength, we’ll have no choice but to return empty-handed. “What’s the matter? Scared now? Haha!” The water zombie roared with laughter, then suddenly changed the subject. I suddenly felt that chilling gaze fixed on me once more. “Who is ‘Fortune-Teller Li’ to you?” “My master,” I replied. The Water Corpse continued, “If your master were here, I might be willing to strike a different deal with him, but as for you, you greenhorn, forget it.” Being ignored once again, my anger flared up inside me. “Fine, if the three of you won’t agree to this King’s demands, then get lost!” the Water Corpse continued. The three of us exchanged glances. After a few minutes of silence, Yang Yun sighed and said, “Let’s go.” I was taken aback. “Aren’t we going to negotiate some more?” Zhang Qiang also hesitated for a moment before saying, “We still have one chance left out of the three.” I knew what Zhang Qiang meant. He’d promised to give it three tries before giving up, but we’d only used two so far—the third was still available. Yang Yun wanted to leave, but Zhang Qiang wasn’t entirely on board with that. “Let’s go. This thing is beyond the three of us,” Yang Yun said, shaking his head helplessly. Just as the three of us were getting ready to head back, a hoarse voice slowly rang out, “Old Lady Liu, I’m coming over to grab a bite and a drink. The Corpse King doesn’t mind, does he?” My heart leapt with joy. How did Old Lady Liu, my mom’s friend, end up here? I quickly scanned the area and saw an old woman leaning on a cane slowly walking over from the back of the boat. She was hunched over, her face drooping as if from the aftereffects of plastic surgery—a truly terrifying sight. I hurried over, intending to offer my support as a younger person, but Old Lady Liu waved her withered hand. “Old Lady Liu can still walk on her own—I don’t need your help, kid!” Embarrassed, I withdrew my hand and could only ask, “Old Lady Liu, how did you get over here?” Old Lady Liu looked up at me. “Didn’t you hear me just now? I came over to get some water and a bite to eat.” “Uh… okay.” Speechless inside, I stepped aside a bit. Old Lady Liu had such an eccentric temperament—I really had no idea how she’d suddenly appeared here. Could her true form be a water snake? Yang Yun and Zhang Qiang exchanged glances, both looking utterly bewildered. Then a sharp gleam flashed in their eyes as they fixed their gaze on Old Lady Liu, and Zhang Qiang clenched the corpse-retrieval hook in his hand tightly. Old Lady Liu glanced at Yang Yun and Zhang Qiang without batting an eye and gave a soft snort. “Oh? Isn’t this the legendary Grand Immortal Liu? What special occasion is it today that even the Grand Immortal Liu has come to join the fun?” The Water Corpse’s voice suddenly turned icy. “What’s the matter? Am I not welcome?” Old Lady Liu walked to the bow of the boat, leaning on her cane, while I followed behind her. Old Lady Liu has lived longer than even my own mother; I suspect even that rat demon couldn’t hold a candle to her. It’s no surprise she speaks with such authority. “Hmph! Old Lady Liu, we’ve always kept to our own business. You suddenly show up on my turf today without so much as a word of warning—what do you take me for?” The voice from inside the coffin erupted in fury. Old Lady Liu smiled, revealing two sharp, yellowed teeth, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Your territory? You actually have the nerve to say that! Haha, I wonder how that noble lady would react if she heard a water corpse daring to speak such words?” Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. Could “that noble lady” be the River Goddess? “Are you trying to use this King to your advantage?” The coffin floating in the water suddenly shook violently. The lid slowly swung open, and a pale hand reached out from within. The hand lacked even a trace of color, and its nails were as black as ink—utterly eerie. The moment I saw that hand, a chill ran down my spine. “Blackmail? Do you even have the guts?” Old Woman Liu sneered. “You!” The hand by the coffin suddenly tensed, its sharp nails digging into the wood. I was speechless. What was going on today? Why was everyone acting more domineering than the last? Old Lady Liu waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve lived several hundred years longer than you, Old Lady Liu. I won’t stoop to your level…” Then her withered hand grabbed mine, and my whole body stiffened. “This lad is a junior of Old Lady Liu’s, so release those remains!” “This kid is your junior? Could he be a snake too? Haha!” The water corpse seemed taken aback for a moment, then immediately burst into a mocking laugh. Old Lady Liu’s expression darkened, and a red glow flashed from her cloudy eyes. “What? Are you saying you won’t give Old Lady Liu any face?”