Chapter 10: The Ancient Residential Area
Location: Taiwan Time: 10:54 AM
I took a step back.
The surrounding temperature wasn’t my misconception; instead, it really was going straight down. There was an uneasy feeling pressing down from all sides, as if something was going to immediately appear here.
“Turns out they were hiding here.” Disregarding the sudden change in the surrounding environment, Senior walked up to a room on his own and kicked the door open.
White smoke slowly gushed out from behind the door like dry ice on the ground.
Appearing before us was a clean guest room. Oddly enough, it wasn’t a fluorescent light that was turned on in the guest room, but rather an orange light. I remember there were no such lights in the room. And if there were, it would only be a small nightlight.
There were a couple of people lying on the bed in the room…I think they should be people, because some of them didn’t seem to have human faces and had other weird faces. For example, I saw someone with a cat face but the body of a person.
“Is it another sorcerer coming to harass us?” Staring at us who were standing at the doorway, a youth lying in the center of the bed slowly got up. The few people next to him let him through and sat on the side of the bed, using a very interested expression to size us up.
It was only after he’d propped himself up that I noticed, the lower half of this person was actually that of a snake’s body, with piles upon piles of scales occupying the bed.
“You’re the guys that have been playing tricks below this ship?” Staring at the half-snake person in front of us, Senior asked back in a not-so-polite tone.
“So what if we are? The dozens of sorcerers before you didn’t tell you guys that this place shouldn’t be messed with?” While lifting up his long dark green hair, the youth’s distant tone so provocatively said: “The last one’s hair got burned off; the one before that cried his way back. How do you guys want to go back?” As soon as he finished saying that, several people next to him also gave a low laugh.
“Sorry, but this time it won’t be me going back. It’s you guys who should be going back.” Senior coldly snorted, ignoring the other side’s provocation, then turned his wrist, [The surging goddess of ice, lend me your swords of punishment. Answer my call, seventh treasure of the Ice Fang, Flowing Song of the Cold Moon.]
I thought Senior would probably use his Illusionary Weapon, but instead, what appeared in his palms were two large half-moon scimitars that, for some reason, looked very familiar. Slightly icy and transparent, you could feel the frigid chill from the scimitars just by standing near them.
The ballfish in my arms shrank back a bit, and I realized that he might be frozen into an ice-cold sponge fish, so I took a few steps back.
The snake-bodied youth in the room saw the scimitars in Senior’s hands, and his complexion suddenly changed completely: “Who are you? Why can you move the Flowing Song scimitars?” It wasn’t just his complexion that changed. The rest of the people in the entire room showed awed expressions as well.
Do the scimitars in Senior’s hands have strong origins?
Secretly sizing up that very familiar-looking pair of scimitars, the bodies of the scimitars were engraved with beautiful lines. They felt like they were even glowing a little, giving me a very pure and cold feeling.
“If you guys plan to continue being entangled with this ship, I will become the one to hack the treasure through you.” Leaning by the door, Senior twirled the scimitars and coldly said.
The few people inside the room exchanged glances, then they all gathered together and started to talk about who-knows-what, whispering as if they weren’t speaking human words.
After a long while, a few people moved past again, and that snake-bodied youth sat up: “If you’re someone who uses the Flowing Song treasure, then you should also be aware that it was this ship that used that our residence as building material first, causing us to be up here.”
Senior nodded.
“We were originally the seventy two spirits of the White Steel Stone Residence. Since ancient times, we have been respected and worshipped by humans, and we also protected the area. But we never expected that just when we had gone out with each other, humans with no respect for *supernatural beings stole our place of residence under the cover of night. After being sold, it was melted down into building material, and by the time we found it after passing through several places, it had already become part of the hull. And many of our companions who stayed in the residence had also been burned down in the raging fire due to being unable to escape in time, their souls scattered into pieces; not even a bit was left of them. Now there are only a few dozens of our companions who escaped because they were not there.” Like an icy face wearing a mask as he stated the events of the past, the youth and his companions around him unblinkingly watched Senior: “Afterwards, another bunch of sorcerers self-righteously came to drive us out as if we were monsters or forces of evil. Think about it, how could I possibly let the matter rest?”
[T/N: 异体 it technically means nonhuman but I’ll use supernatural being for this]
Hearing it this way, it seems as if the ship company is at fault…
Senior gave me a glance, coldly snorting before turning back to look at that youth: “However, you’re not only influencing this ship. Even the guests on the ship are also being harassed. During your forcible occupation, didn’t you also cause the other residents trouble.”
“Since the humans no longer respect us, why do we have to take them into consideration?” The youth curved his lips slightly, wearing a smile that sent chills down one’s spine, “Before our place of residence was destroyed, we seventy two spirits were once even revered as guardian gods, so the spirits in the residence were all fond of humans, wanting to peacefully coexist. But it was not us who broke this rule first.”
The surroundings all fell silent.
I looked at the other people in the room. The small room had seven, eight people either sitting or standing, all of them staring at us with wide-open eyes.
For a moment, I suddenly felt as if we were the wrong side.
“Since you don’t want to have dealings with humans anymore, why don’t you just set out for the place of rest.” Probably also having the same thought as me, Senior swung his hands and withdrew the scimitars. Those two swords immediately disappeared in the air.
“Hmph, before our resentment vanishes, we will not leave easily.” The snake-bodied youth made a spitting sound. It was obviously impossible for them to obediently leave like that.
Not continuing the conversation, Senior looked at the supernatural beings in the whole room, before tilting his head and thinking for a long while: “What conditions do you have that you want to negotiate with the other side before you are willing to give up?”
The snake-bodied youth tossed his head, his long tail tightly curled up on the bed: “Even without any conditions, we won’t give up.”
“Then fine, I’ll come again. I hope you can think clearly by yourselves, or else if it really reaches the point where it won’t work out, I will use strong measures to ask you guys to enter the place of rest.” Saying that, Senior took two steps back, pulling the door open.
The entire surroundings quieted.
Senior didn’t say anything.
I didn’t say anything either.
I didn’t know what I should say. To destroy them would be impossible, to peacefully talk it out would be impossible. I don’t think they’re the ones in the wrong. However, they shouldn’t be in this place either.
“Chu, before I come to an arrangement with the Guild, don’t approach this place for now, and don’t approach those things again either.” After saying just this, Senior took out a yellow gem with a faint golden glow and threw it in front of that door. The gem immediately sank through the floor on its own and vanished.
I felt as if the surrounding air had returned to normal, and that icy feeling from just now had also disappeared.
“This is a barrier stone. It will temporarily keep their powers from influencing other places. The rest I will handle later.” Saying that, Senior turned his head and walked up the stairs.
Not daring to stay any longer, I followed and immediately ran up the stairs, holding the white ballfish. That room was still in that spot quietly as if watching us leave.
Once we returned to the floor of our own room, Senior said he had something he needed to find the ship captain for and left in a hurry.
I guess it’s probably due to the matter of those supernatural beings.
After watching Senior leave, I suddenly remembered that I still had a white ballfish to deal with.
“Seriously though, please don’t come onboard again after going back.” After going into the room, I opened the balcony, and threw the ballfish back into the sea.
“Chirp~~”
That sound quickly disappeared in the waves.
For some reason, I suddenly really wanted to talk to someone right now. Miao Miao’s fine, Chifuyu or Ryan or the others are all fine too. I don’t know if rashly calling them would disturb them.
Taking out my phone, after looking at it for a long while, I dialed Chifuyu’s number.
It probably took less than a few seconds before the call was instantly connected: “Yang Yang? Are you looking for me for something?” From the other end came a very familiar voice, but it was a bit noisy in the background, as if there was quite a lot of people.
“Uh, did I disturb you?” I suspect I heard the sound of someone shouting “master.”
“No, I’m bored right now anyway.” From the other side of the phone came a noise that sounded like moving, and that loud background noise became farther and farther, until at the end it couldn’t be heard it at all, “They’re currently preparing for a festival, so it’s very noisy. Don’t worry about it.”
“I, I’m sorry.” Now I suddenly felt that I should have sent a text first asking him if he was free. Maybe I actually did disturb Chifuyu.
“Yang Yang, you suddenly called me. Did something happen?”
Even though he was on the other side of the people, I suddenly felt like I could sense Chifuyu pushing his glasses up while he asked, “Aih, it’s nothing much in fact…” For some reason, I fell silent then completely told Chifuyu all those things that happened today. Listening to me talk the whole time, on the other side, Chifuyu occasionally responded. Then just like that, he listened to me talk until I finished before opening his mouth: “I think the ones you met were probably village guardians.”
“Guardians?”
“You said that most of them had bodies that were a combination of human and animal. So I think it’s very likely to be the case, and if it’s seventy two spirits in a residence, it’s even more likely.” Pausing, Chifuyu once again spoke: “In ancient times, there were many guardians like this. Most of them were loved dearly. Animals or people etc., that were offered up would have monuments set up after their death to be worshipped. With long-term worship, those things’ linglou* are upgraded, and then they protect the village from disasters. These are village guardians.”
[T/N: linglou (灵髅) literal translation is spirit skull but I have no idea what that means]
Wait a minute, then isn’t that very similar to the memorials on our side?
I suddenly thought of some places that all had plaques with a bunch of names and the like written on them.
“Then is there a better way to solve this?”
“Most of the time, if it’s due to relocation or other problems, you would first invite a priest or some skill-user to greet the village guardians. If they didn’t move residence, they will return to the place of rest. Basically, communication was done very well in the past, so the village guardians would rarely have issues of causing trouble. However, modern people pay less attention to these things. If it can’t be disposed of at will, it’s destroyed, just like what Senior said: those whose homes are inexplicably ruined will get angry. Therefore, this also resulted in a large number of village guardians turning into evil beings that cause trouble…It should be said to be a cultural issue.”
That’s right, if that’s the case, then I have encountered things like this before too, like the Beast of Scroll or the Old Man; they’re all very similar to this type.
“But I still want to help…” Although I know they’re not in the wrong, they have already caused bad influences. Then, I remembered what Senior had once said, about how as long as they become distorted, the only outcome is to become part of the Ghost Tribe.
Those people in the room, don’t seem like bad guys in fact.
“Yang Yang, you just need to remember that those village guardians are actually only angry. After all, they originally protected humans, so they aren’t able to harden their hearts and really want to take human lives either.” From the other end of the phone, Chifuyu’s voice came over like this.
For a short while, I still didn’t really understand what he meant, but after thinking a little, I might have an idea of what he’s trying to convey.
“The village guardians are actually still very fond of humans, otherwise they wouldn’t only do something as simple as causing trouble and scaring people away.”
“Nn, I think I understand.”
For some reason, after hearing Chifuyu explain, my mood seems to be a lot better.
“Ah, that’s right, I received the lunch box. Thank you for that, the desserts were delicious.” Abruptly changing to another topic, Chifuyu quite cheerfully said: “Ryan was also very happy. I heard you gave him rice balls.”
“Oh, yeah.” In fact, I really wanted to chat some more, but I seemed to have faintly heard someone calling Chifuyu’s name from the other end of the phone. Sure enough, it looks like he’s currently busy: “Then I guess that’s it for now. I’ll tell you guys the rest when school starts.”
“Okay, then I’ll hang up first, sorry.”
With a click, the other side’s phone hung up.
After putting away my phone, I suddenly felt like it was right to find someone to talk to when I had something going on. At least I’m already feeling a little better.
Once my mood relaxed, I noticed that I was starting to feel hungry. Glancing at my watch, it was almost twelve o’clock. At this time, I should be able to go to the public restaurant on my own to eat.
But I didn’t really want to go up, and the five-colored rooster head had run off to who-knows-where early in the morning. Till now, there’s not even a sign of him, and I’m too lazy to go look for him.
Because he will definitely be living better than me, I believe!
Just when I was considering whether or not to go up to eat, I suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.
Could it the five-colored rooster head ran back again?
While thinking about it, I walked over and opened the electronic door. And, standing outside wasn’t the five-colored rooster head, but a kid whom I’ve never seen before, probably elementary school age; small and short, he was wearing a little cloth hat and looked adorable.
“Little brother, you’re at the wrong room.” I intuitively felt that it was probably some neighbor’s kid.
That kid suddenly rushed into the room, so quickly that I didn’t have time to stop him. When I turned my head to grab him, the kid was standing inside the room and taking off his hat. Then, I saw a pair of dog ears on his head.
In less than half a second, I immediately slammed the door.
“You…You you you…” Wait a minute! I should have ran out first before slamming the door!
Why did I shut myself in with him!?
No matter what angle I look at him from, this kid is in league with that half-snake person from just now. He definitely didn’t come to find me for anything good.
“Yuli is looking for you.” The kid clutched his hat as he said.
“Who?” I seemed to have heard a name I’ve never heard of.
“Yuli, our big brother.” Repeating that name once, the kid tried to stand on tiptoe to be at eye level with me, but there was too big of a difference.
Big brother, if he’s saying big brother…
“The one below is the snake-bodied person?” I only remember that it was the half-snake youth talking from start to finish.
The kid nodded hard: “Yuli said if you can, he will be waiting for you in the room after twelve o’clock on New Year’s Eve, and you can decide if you want to go.” He raised a fist high toward me.
Doubtfully stretching my hand over, the kid loosened his hand, and a dark green thing fell into my hand.
It was something very similar to a scale.
Why is the half-snake youth looking for me? I don’t remember ever provoking him?
It can’t be that it’s time for his hibernation/winter supplements…
[T/N: During the winter, tonics/supplements are taken to strengthen the body and stay warm]
For a moment, I felt as if my whole body was numb, even my scalp, and then I decided that I absolutely can’t go and walk right into a trap.
“Yuli said he won’t eat you. Don’t worry, we all hate eating humans.” Who knows whether he was trying to comfort me, the kid revealed a very naive-and-cute-but-was-actually-evil-and-scary-behind smile.
“What will happen if I don’t go?” The scale in my hand was ice-cold, making me very afraid.
“Nn…Yuli didn’t say, this I don’t know.”
If you’re coming to pass on a message, you should have asked more in detail!
“But Yuli said that the choice is in your hands. You can’t tell anyone else. If you don’t come before dawn, Yuli won’t meet you again.” The kid turned the hat in his hands, then still smiled in a way that ruins human hearts: “I finished passing on the message. Goodbye.”
“Wait!” Too late to stop him, that kid, who came and went quickly, abruptly disappeared in front of me.
What the hell is this group of supernatural beings doing!?
So incomprehensible!
“Yang~it’s time to eat!”
Just when I was bewildered by that kid just now, from behind came the huge thud of what is said to be the sound of an electronically locked door being suddenly kicked open: “Come on! Let’s head toward the dining room!” Very straightforwardly charging in, the five-colored rooster head clapped down on my shoulder.
I was almost scared to death by him, subconsciously throwing the scale into my pocket: “You’ve been outside the whole morning and didn’t go eat first?” I thought that his only wish coming onboard was to eat till he collapsed in the ship’s dining room, followed by this ship being instantly upgraded to a refugee ship. Then the captain will immediately issue a call for help to a nearby beach to apply for subsidized food and cause the biggest bizarre headlines of the year.
“No, I went fishing with your dad, and in the end, I somehow fell asleep.” Without any patience at all, the five-colored rooster head told me: “When I woke up, the fishing rod was already gone. Your dad caught a bunch of fish and let go half of them. The remaining ones, he said he’ll ask the kitchen to help us make dinner.”
I can completely understand.
“You can fish onboard?” It was only now that i realized this.
“It seems like you can. Another tourist took us. There was a floor below closer to the ocean, and you can even borrow a fishing rod from the information desk. The restaurant nearby specializes in seafood.” The five-colored rooster head grabbed my shoulder, walking outside while saying this: “Tsk, causing me to even pay for the fishing rod.”
No one told you to sleep until your fishing rod fell into the water…
“Where do you want to go eat?” I remember that there seemed to be several places on the ship where we could eat, including the public restaurant. However, half of them have additional expenses instead of being regularly open for all-you-can-eat buffets like the public restaurant.
“It’s fine as long as the place has food.”
After climbing a few floors with the five-colored rooster head, I suddenly saw a very familiar shadow in a saloon on a certain floor.
Senior? What’s he doing in a saloon?
Secretly taking a closer look again, there was another person sitting across from Senior.
Ashis?
I was puzzled. Turns out those two know each other.
Ah, it is true if you put it that way. After all, both of them are from that world, and Senior knows so much people that it’s absurd. For them to know each other is very natural. It’s just that Senior’s expression didn’t look that friendly. Could it be that they’re actually enemies?
“Yang~What are you looking at?” Discovering that I didn’t follow behind him after running to the entrance of the stairs, the five-colored rooster head turned back.
“Uh, nothing, let’s go to the restaurant.” I better slip away first while Senior still hasn’t discovered me peeking yet.
“Huh?”
“Let’s go, let’s go.” Pushing the five-colored rooster head toward the stairs, I suddenly noticed that the range of Senior’s eavesdropping seems pretty short. Be separated by a distance and you won’t be discovered.
“Yang~is there something interesting?” He asked as he walked. But what made me grateful was that the five-colored rooster head didn’t turn his head and run to see the saloon, otherwise, I think Senior definitely would’ve killed both of us with his icy eyes.
“Nothing particularly interesting. Which restaurant do you want to eat at?”
“The public restaurant is good. The chef inside said he’ll treat this uncle to good food if this uncle comes.” With a grin, the five-colored rooster head very proactively dragged me along as he continued to run on the stairs.
It didn’t take long for the public restaurant’s doors to appear before our eyes.
Because it wasn’t the self-serving snack event anymore, the tables and chairs inside that were lined up on the sides had long since been neatly restored. Several tables were already fully seated. Most of them were small families chatting and eating, with waiters nearby coming and going to help serve the dishes. The whole restaurant was very lively.
After randomly looking for a place to sit, the five-colored rooster head pulled out a bunch of menus at the waiter.
Maybe it was because he’d already witnessed him eat, the waiter actually took the menus without any surprise at all and walked toward the kitchen. Not long later, lunch plates began to be put on the table.
Being unable to eat as much as the five-colored rooster head, I only ordered a set meal at most, then started to slowly eat.
“Yang~do you want to go fishing in the afternoon?” Currently swallowing a big piece of meat into his mouth, the five-colored rooster head let out a fairly comprehensible question.
“Why would I go fishing!?” The point is, you want to see me being dragged into the sea by the fishing rod, huh!? Don’t tell a weak person to do such a dangerous thing!
“To eat! This uncle has got to catch a fish several times bigger than your dad to eat!” The five-colored rooster head pounded the table with a boom, his entire back aflame with hot-bloodedness, before attracting the attention of many of the other guests.
Then I heard a mother telling her child not to look over here, to beware of getting hit.
I suddenly regretted coming to eat with him in a public restaurant.
“So Yang~you have to come with me to catch a big fish!”
Basically, if the type you’re talking about isn’t a shark, it’s probably a whale. And the point is, what the hell does that have to do with me!? Why would I have nothing better to do than to go fishing with you!? I might get pulled into the water by the fishing rod, do you understand that!?
“No thank you, I want to go to the wireless internet lounge on the ship.” I would rather send and receive letters than experience winter swimming.
“Aih, your brain’s going to break down if you play the computer everyday.”
“I don’t play everyday.” So it’s not going to break down. Thank you for your *crow mouth worry.
[T/N: jinx/doomsayer
“Let’s go, let’s go. People have to get closer to nature to live a happy life. Let us challenge the fishing rod of God together!” A certain person once again issued a hot-blooded line that he learned from who-knows-what cartoon or movie on TV, even putting one foot on the table. With a boom, the dishes and soup on the table also shook and spilled a little, “While we’re currently young and hot-blooded! Let us face the sun and sea as we bravely do the greatest challenge of the century!”
I saw the people sitting near us starting to change tables.
The waiter carrying a plate by the side had a face full of black lines as if he wanted to tell us to get out.
“Yang~we’ll use our lives to rewrite the history of fishing!”
The hot-blooded blazing flame engulfed the entire public restaurant, and then I only had one sentence I wanted to tell him
“I don’t want to use my life to change history!”
Please, anyone is fine, someone come drag this maniac away!
I’m not playing anymore!
Chapter 10: The Ancient Residential Area
Location: Taiwan Time: 10:54 AM
I took a step back.
The surrounding temperature wasn’t my misconception; instead, it really was going straight down. There was an uneasy feeling pressing down from all sides, as if something was going to immediately appear here.
“Turns out they were hiding here.” Disregarding the sudden change in the surrounding environment, Senior walked up to a room on his own and kicked the door open.
White smoke slowly gushed out from behind the door like dry ice on the ground.
Appearing before us was a clean guest room. Oddly enough, it wasn’t a fluorescent light that was turned on in the guest room, but rather an orange light. I remember there were no such lights in the room. And if there were, it would only be a small nightlight.
There were a couple of people lying on the bed in the room…I think they should be people, because some of them didn’t seem to have human faces and had other weird faces. For example, I saw someone with a cat face but the body of a person.
“Is it another sorcerer coming to harass us?” Staring at us who were standing at the doorway, a youth lying in the center of the bed slowly got up. The few people next to him let him through and sat on the side of the bed, using a very interested expression to size us up.
It was only after he’d propped himself up that I noticed, the lower half of this person was actually that of a snake’s body, with piles upon piles of scales occupying the bed.
“You’re the guys that have been playing tricks below this ship?” Staring at the half-snake person in front of us, Senior asked back in a not-so-polite tone.
“So what if we are? The dozens of sorcerers before you didn’t tell you guys that this place shouldn’t be messed with?” While lifting up his long dark green hair, the youth’s distant tone so provocatively said: “The last one’s hair got burned off; the one before that cried his way back. How do you guys want to go back?” As soon as he finished saying that, several people next to him also gave a low laugh.
“Sorry, but this time it won’t be me going back. It’s you guys who should be going back.” Senior coldly snorted, ignoring the other side’s provocation, then turned his wrist, [The surging goddess of ice, lend me your swords of punishment. Answer my call, seventh treasure of the Ice Fang, Flowing Song of the Cold Moon.]
I thought Senior would probably use his Illusionary Weapon, but instead, what appeared in his palms were two large half-moon scimitars that, for some reason, looked very familiar. Slightly icy and transparent, you could feel the frigid chill from the scimitars just by standing near them.
The ballfish in my arms shrank back a bit, and I realized that he might be frozen into an ice-cold sponge fish, so I took a few steps back.
The snake-bodied youth in the room saw the scimitars in Senior’s hands, and his complexion suddenly changed completely: “Who are you? Why can you move the Flowing Song scimitars?” It wasn’t just his complexion that changed. The rest of the people in the entire room showed awed expressions as well.
Do the scimitars in Senior’s hands have strong origins?
Secretly sizing up that very familiar-looking pair of scimitars, the bodies of the scimitars were engraved with beautiful lines. They felt like they were even glowing a little, giving me a very pure and cold feeling.
“If you guys plan to continue being entangled with this ship, I will become the one to hack the treasure through you.” Leaning by the door, Senior twirled the scimitars and coldly said.
The few people inside the room exchanged glances, then they all gathered together and started to talk about who-knows-what, whispering as if they weren’t speaking human words.
After a long while, a few people moved past again, and that snake-bodied youth sat up: “If you’re someone who uses the Flowing Song treasure, then you should also be aware that it was this ship that used that our residence as building material first, causing us to be up here.”
Senior nodded.
“We were originally the seventy two spirits of the White Steel Stone Residence. Since ancient times, we have been respected and worshipped by humans, and we also protected the area. But we never expected that just when we had gone out with each other, humans with no respect for *supernatural beings stole our place of residence under the cover of night. After being sold, it was melted down into building material, and by the time we found it after passing through several places, it had already become part of the hull. And many of our companions who stayed in the residence had also been burned down in the raging fire due to being unable to escape in time, their souls scattered into pieces; not even a bit was left of them. Now there are only a few dozens of our companions who escaped because they were not there.” Like an icy face wearing a mask as he stated the events of the past, the youth and his companions around him unblinkingly watched Senior: “Afterwards, another bunch of sorcerers self-righteously came to drive us out as if we were monsters or forces of evil. Think about it, how could I possibly let the matter rest?”
[T/N: 异体 it technically means nonhuman but I’ll use supernatural being for this]
Hearing it this way, it seems as if the ship company is at fault…
Senior gave me a glance, coldly snorting before turning back to look at that youth: “However, you’re not only influencing this ship. Even the guests on the ship are also being harassed. During your forcible occupation, didn’t you also cause the other residents trouble.”
“Since the humans no longer respect us, why do we have to take them into consideration?” The youth curved his lips slightly, wearing a smile that sent chills down one’s spine, “Before our place of residence was destroyed, we seventy two spirits were once even revered as guardian gods, so the spirits in the residence were all fond of humans, wanting to peacefully coexist. But it was not us who broke this rule first.”
The surroundings all fell silent.
I looked at the other people in the room. The small room had seven, eight people either sitting or standing, all of them staring at us with wide-open eyes.
For a moment, I suddenly felt as if we were the wrong side.
“Since you don’t want to have dealings with humans anymore, why don’t you just set out for the place of rest.” Probably also having the same thought as me, Senior swung his hands and withdrew the scimitars. Those two swords immediately disappeared in the air.
“Hmph, before our resentment vanishes, we will not leave easily.” The snake-bodied youth made a spitting sound. It was obviously impossible for them to obediently leave like that.
Not continuing the conversation, Senior looked at the supernatural beings in the whole room, before tilting his head and thinking for a long while: “What conditions do you have that you want to negotiate with the other side before you are willing to give up?”
The snake-bodied youth tossed his head, his long tail tightly curled up on the bed: “Even without any conditions, we won’t give up.”
“Then fine, I’ll come again. I hope you can think clearly by yourselves, or else if it really reaches the point where it won’t work out, I will use strong measures to ask you guys to enter the place of rest.” Saying that, Senior took two steps back, pulling the door open.
The entire surroundings quieted.
Senior didn’t say anything.
I didn’t say anything either.
I didn’t know what I should say. To destroy them would be impossible, to peacefully talk it out would be impossible. I don’t think they’re the ones in the wrong. However, they shouldn’t be in this place either.
“Chu, before I come to an arrangement with the Guild, don’t approach this place for now, and don’t approach those things again either.” After saying just this, Senior took out a yellow gem with a faint golden glow and threw it in front of that door. The gem immediately sank through the floor on its own and vanished.
I felt as if the surrounding air had returned to normal, and that icy feeling from just now had also disappeared.
“This is a barrier stone. It will temporarily keep their powers from influencing other places. The rest I will handle later.” Saying that, Senior turned his head and walked up the stairs.
Not daring to stay any longer, I followed and immediately ran up the stairs, holding the white ballfish. That room was still in that spot quietly as if watching us leave.
Once we returned to the floor of our own room, Senior said he had something he needed to find the ship captain for and left in a hurry.
I guess it’s probably due to the matter of those supernatural beings.
After watching Senior leave, I suddenly remembered that I still had a white ballfish to deal with.
“Seriously though, please don’t come onboard again after going back.” After going into the room, I opened the balcony, and threw the ballfish back into the sea.
“Chirp~~”
That sound quickly disappeared in the waves.
For some reason, I suddenly really wanted to talk to someone right now. Miao Miao’s fine, Chifuyu or Ryan or the others are all fine too. I don’t know if rashly calling them would disturb them.
Taking out my phone, after looking at it for a long while, I dialed Chifuyu’s number.
It probably took less than a few seconds before the call was instantly connected: “Yang Yang? Are you looking for me for something?” From the other end came a very familiar voice, but it was a bit noisy in the background, as if there was quite a lot of people.
“Uh, did I disturb you?” I suspect I heard the sound of someone shouting “master.”
“No, I’m bored right now anyway.” From the other side of the phone came a noise that sounded like moving, and that loud background noise became farther and farther, until at the end it couldn’t be heard it at all, “They’re currently preparing for a festival, so it’s very noisy. Don’t worry about it.”
“I, I’m sorry.” Now I suddenly felt that I should have sent a text first asking him if he was free. Maybe I actually did disturb Chifuyu.
“Yang Yang, you suddenly called me. Did something happen?”
Even though he was on the other side of the people, I suddenly felt like I could sense Chifuyu pushing his glasses up while he asked, “Aih, it’s nothing much in fact…” For some reason, I fell silent then completely told Chifuyu all those things that happened today. Listening to me talk the whole time, on the other side, Chifuyu occasionally responded. Then just like that, he listened to me talk until I finished before opening his mouth: “I think the ones you met were probably village guardians.”
“Guardians?”
“You said that most of them had bodies that were a combination of human and animal. So I think it’s very likely to be the case, and if it’s seventy two spirits in a residence, it’s even more likely.” Pausing, Chifuyu once again spoke: “In ancient times, there were many guardians like this. Most of them were loved dearly. Animals or people etc., that were offered up would have monuments set up after their death to be worshipped. With long-term worship, those things’ linglou* are upgraded, and then they protect the village from disasters. These are village guardians.”
[T/N: linglou (灵髅) literal translation is spirit skull but I have no idea what that means]
Wait a minute, then isn’t that very similar to the memorials on our side?
I suddenly thought of some places that all had plaques with a bunch of names and the like written on them.
“Then is there a better way to solve this?”
“Most of the time, if it’s due to relocation or other problems, you would first invite a priest or some skill-user to greet the village guardians. If they didn’t move residence, they will return to the place of rest. Basically, communication was done very well in the past, so the village guardians would rarely have issues of causing trouble. However, modern people pay less attention to these things. If it can’t be disposed of at will, it’s destroyed, just like what Senior said: those whose homes are inexplicably ruined will get angry. Therefore, this also resulted in a large number of village guardians turning into evil beings that cause trouble…It should be said to be a cultural issue.”
That’s right, if that’s the case, then I have encountered things like this before too, like the Beast of Scroll or the Old Man; they’re all very similar to this type.
“But I still want to help…” Although I know they’re not in the wrong, they have already caused bad influences. Then, I remembered what Senior had once said, about how as long as they become distorted, the only outcome is to become part of the Ghost Tribe.
Those people in the room, don’t seem like bad guys in fact.
“Yang Yang, you just need to remember that those village guardians are actually only angry. After all, they originally protected humans, so they aren’t able to harden their hearts and really want to take human lives either.” From the other end of the phone, Chifuyu’s voice came over like this.
For a short while, I still didn’t really understand what he meant, but after thinking a little, I might have an idea of what he’s trying to convey.
“The village guardians are actually still very fond of humans, otherwise they wouldn’t only do something as simple as causing trouble and scaring people away.”
“Nn, I think I understand.”
For some reason, after hearing Chifuyu explain, my mood seems to be a lot better.
“Ah, that’s right, I received the lunch box. Thank you for that, the desserts were delicious.” Abruptly changing to another topic, Chifuyu quite cheerfully said: “Ryan was also very happy. I heard you gave him rice balls.”
“Oh, yeah.” In fact, I really wanted to chat some more, but I seemed to have faintly heard someone calling Chifuyu’s name from the other end of the phone. Sure enough, it looks like he’s currently busy: “Then I guess that’s it for now. I’ll tell you guys the rest when school starts.”
“Okay, then I’ll hang up first, sorry.”
With a click, the other side’s phone hung up.
After putting away my phone, I suddenly felt like it was right to find someone to talk to when I had something going on. At least I’m already feeling a little better.
Once my mood relaxed, I noticed that I was starting to feel hungry. Glancing at my watch, it was almost twelve o’clock. At this time, I should be able to go to the public restaurant on my own to eat.
But I didn’t really want to go up, and the five-colored rooster head had run off to who-knows-where early in the morning. Till now, there’s not even a sign of him, and I’m too lazy to go look for him.
Because he will definitely be living better than me, I believe!
Just when I was considering whether or not to go up to eat, I suddenly heard someone knocking on the door.
Could it the five-colored rooster head ran back again?
While thinking about it, I walked over and opened the electronic door. And, standing outside wasn’t the five-colored rooster head, but a kid whom I’ve never seen before, probably elementary school age; small and short, he was wearing a little cloth hat and looked adorable.
“Little brother, you’re at the wrong room.” I intuitively felt that it was probably some neighbor’s kid.
That kid suddenly rushed into the room, so quickly that I didn’t have time to stop him. When I turned my head to grab him, the kid was standing inside the room and taking off his hat. Then, I saw a pair of dog ears on his head.
In less than half a second, I immediately slammed the door.
“You…You you you…” Wait a minute! I should have ran out first before slamming the door!
Why did I shut myself in with him!?
No matter what angle I look at him from, this kid is in league with that half-snake person from just now. He definitely didn’t come to find me for anything good.
“Yuli is looking for you.” The kid clutched his hat as he said.
“Who?” I seemed to have heard a name I’ve never heard of.
“Yuli, our big brother.” Repeating that name once, the kid tried to stand on tiptoe to be at eye level with me, but there was too big of a difference.
Big brother, if he’s saying big brother…
“The one below is the snake-bodied person?” I only remember that it was the half-snake youth talking from start to finish.
The kid nodded hard: “Yuli said if you can, he will be waiting for you in the room after twelve o’clock on New Year’s Eve, and you can decide if you want to go.” He raised a fist high toward me.
Doubtfully stretching my hand over, the kid loosened his hand, and a dark green thing fell into my hand.
It was something very similar to a scale.
Why is the half-snake youth looking for me? I don’t remember ever provoking him?
It can’t be that it’s time for his hibernation/winter supplements…
[T/N: During the winter, tonics/supplements are taken to strengthen the body and stay warm]
For a moment, I felt as if my whole body was numb, even my scalp, and then I decided that I absolutely can’t go and walk right into a trap.
“Yuli said he won’t eat you. Don’t worry, we all hate eating humans.” Who knows whether he was trying to comfort me, the kid revealed a very naive-and-cute-but-was-actually-evil-and-scary-behind smile.
“What will happen if I don’t go?” The scale in my hand was ice-cold, making me very afraid.
“Nn…Yuli didn’t say, this I don’t know.”
If you’re coming to pass on a message, you should have asked more in detail!
“But Yuli said that the choice is in your hands. You can’t tell anyone else. If you don’t come before dawn, Yuli won’t meet you again.” The kid turned the hat in his hands, then still smiled in a way that ruins human hearts: “I finished passing on the message. Goodbye.”
“Wait!” Too late to stop him, that kid, who came and went quickly, abruptly disappeared in front of me.
What the hell is this group of supernatural beings doing!?
So incomprehensible!
“Yang~it’s time to eat!”
Just when I was bewildered by that kid just now, from behind came the huge thud of what is said to be the sound of an electronically locked door being suddenly kicked open: “Come on! Let’s head toward the dining room!” Very straightforwardly charging in, the five-colored rooster head clapped down on my shoulder.
I was almost scared to death by him, subconsciously throwing the scale into my pocket: “You’ve been outside the whole morning and didn’t go eat first?” I thought that his only wish coming onboard was to eat till he collapsed in the ship’s dining room, followed by this ship being instantly upgraded to a refugee ship. Then the captain will immediately issue a call for help to a nearby beach to apply for subsidized food and cause the biggest bizarre headlines of the year.
“No, I went fishing with your dad, and in the end, I somehow fell asleep.” Without any patience at all, the five-colored rooster head told me: “When I woke up, the fishing rod was already gone. Your dad caught a bunch of fish and let go half of them. The remaining ones, he said he’ll ask the kitchen to help us make dinner.”
I can completely understand.
“You can fish onboard?” It was only now that i realized this.
“It seems like you can. Another tourist took us. There was a floor below closer to the ocean, and you can even borrow a fishing rod from the information desk. The restaurant nearby specializes in seafood.” The five-colored rooster head grabbed my shoulder, walking outside while saying this: “Tsk, causing me to even pay for the fishing rod.”
No one told you to sleep until your fishing rod fell into the water…
“Where do you want to go eat?” I remember that there seemed to be several places on the ship where we could eat, including the public restaurant. However, half of them have additional expenses instead of being regularly open for all-you-can-eat buffets like the public restaurant.
“It’s fine as long as the place has food.”
After climbing a few floors with the five-colored rooster head, I suddenly saw a very familiar shadow in a saloon on a certain floor.
Senior? What’s he doing in a saloon?
Secretly taking a closer look again, there was another person sitting across from Senior.
Ashis?
I was puzzled. Turns out those two know each other.
Ah, it is true if you put it that way. After all, both of them are from that world, and Senior knows so much people that it’s absurd. For them to know each other is very natural. It’s just that Senior’s expression didn’t look that friendly. Could it be that they’re actually enemies?
“Yang~What are you looking at?” Discovering that I didn’t follow behind him after running to the entrance of the stairs, the five-colored rooster head turned back.
“Uh, nothing, let’s go to the restaurant.” I better slip away first while Senior still hasn’t discovered me peeking yet.
“Huh?”
“Let’s go, let’s go.” Pushing the five-colored rooster head toward the stairs, I suddenly noticed that the range of Senior’s eavesdropping seems pretty short. Be separated by a distance and you won’t be discovered.
“Yang~is there something interesting?” He asked as he walked. But what made me grateful was that the five-colored rooster head didn’t turn his head and run to see the saloon, otherwise, I think Senior definitely would’ve killed both of us with his icy eyes.
“Nothing particularly interesting. Which restaurant do you want to eat at?”
“The public restaurant is good. The chef inside said he’ll treat this uncle to good food if this uncle comes.” With a grin, the five-colored rooster head very proactively dragged me along as he continued to run on the stairs.
It didn’t take long for the public restaurant’s doors to appear before our eyes.
Because it wasn’t the self-serving snack event anymore, the tables and chairs inside that were lined up on the sides had long since been neatly restored. Several tables were already fully seated. Most of them were small families chatting and eating, with waiters nearby coming and going to help serve the dishes. The whole restaurant was very lively.
After randomly looking for a place to sit, the five-colored rooster head pulled out a bunch of menus at the waiter.
Maybe it was because he’d already witnessed him eat, the waiter actually took the menus without any surprise at all and walked toward the kitchen. Not long later, lunch plates began to be put on the table.
Being unable to eat as much as the five-colored rooster head, I only ordered a set meal at most, then started to slowly eat.
“Yang~do you want to go fishing in the afternoon?” Currently swallowing a big piece of meat into his mouth, the five-colored rooster head let out a fairly comprehensible question.
“Why would I go fishing!?” The point is, you want to see me being dragged into the sea by the fishing rod, huh!? Don’t tell a weak person to do such a dangerous thing!
“To eat! This uncle has got to catch a fish several times bigger than your dad to eat!” The five-colored rooster head pounded the table with a boom, his entire back aflame with hot-bloodedness, before attracting the attention of many of the other guests.
Then I heard a mother telling her child not to look over here, to beware of getting hit.
I suddenly regretted coming to eat with him in a public restaurant.
“So Yang~you have to come with me to catch a big fish!”
Basically, if the type you’re talking about isn’t a shark, it’s probably a whale. And the point is, what the hell does that have to do with me!? Why would I have nothing better to do than to go fishing with you!? I might get pulled into the water by the fishing rod, do you understand that!?
“No thank you, I want to go to the wireless internet lounge on the ship.” I would rather send and receive letters than experience winter swimming.
“Aih, your brain’s going to break down if you play the computer everyday.”
“I don’t play everyday.” So it’s not going to break down. Thank you for your *crow mouth worry.
[T/N: jinx/doomsayer
“Let’s go, let’s go. People have to get closer to nature to live a happy life. Let us challenge the fishing rod of God together!” A certain person once again issued a hot-blooded line that he learned from who-knows-what cartoon or movie on TV, even putting one foot on the table. With a boom, the dishes and soup on the table also shook and spilled a little, “While we’re currently young and hot-blooded! Let us face the sun and sea as we bravely do the greatest challenge of the century!”
I saw the people sitting near us starting to change tables.
The waiter carrying a plate by the side had a face full of black lines as if he wanted to tell us to get out.
“Yang~we’ll use our lives to rewrite the history of fishing!”
The hot-blooded blazing flame engulfed the entire public restaurant, and then I only had one sentence I wanted to tell him
“I don’t want to use my life to change history!”
Please, anyone is fine, someone come drag this maniac away!
I’m not playing anymore!
