"So Fellow Daoist Yang's sect is called the Fate Crane Sect. I wonder upon which immortal mountain this Fate Crane Sect resides. Once I return to Three Pine Mountain, I must ask Master. Master should know."
Pan Shi pondered this in secret. He had never heard of this sect's name. Perhaps it was not an immortal mountain north of the Xi Yue River. As for the name Old Man Fate Crane, he had never heard of it either, which only made him more curious.
It was common knowledge that cultivators of the Viscera Stone Realm were publicly addressed as True Persons. Pan Shi's master, for instance, was True Man Rou Shu, and there was also Mother Diviner True Person of the Xi Yue River.
Yet this Old Man Fate Crane did not use True Person as his title.
Either he disliked the title of True Person and chose another for himself, or perhaps he was a mighty expert of the Flesh Decay Realm above the Viscera Stone Realm. If so, his origins would be truly terrifying.
After Yang An announced the immortal mountain he belonged to, he too waited somewhat nervously for a response. He had no idea whether the people of the Xi Yue River knew of the Fate Crane Sect. It would be awkward if they had never heard of it.
"Since you are fellow Daoists from Three Pine Mountain and the Fate Crane Sect, please board the boat."
Fortunately, the people from the Xi Yue River who had come to receive them acknowledged their identities. Without much verification, they allowed them aboard.
Yang An could not help but let out a sigh of relief.
Come to think of it, those who knew about the Communal Feast Convention were generally cultivators from various factions. Few would likely impersonate the identities of major sects.
The three immediately boarded the boat, waiting for it to carry them to the site of the Communal Feast Convention.
Yet after waiting a while, the wooden boat beneath their feet remained motionless.
Yang An curiously swept his gaze over the furnishings inside the boat. There was not even a single oar, and apart from the three of them, it was completely empty.
Damn it! Don't tell me we're supposed to row it ourselves?
For some reason, a classic scene from film and television he had watched as a child suddenly flashed through Yang An's mind: the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each displaying their divine powers...
Just as his thoughts wandered, a figure suddenly came racing over from afar. At the same time, an unfamiliar voice followed close behind.
"Do not hurry, do not hurry! Wait for this old Daoist!"
Very soon, a figure appeared at Serpent Dragon Ferry. Clad in a coarse cloth Daoist robe and wearing a hood that concealed his face, he finally stopped before the ferry crossing.
"This old Daoist is Black Brow, from Autumn Wind Mountain, here specifically to attend the Communal Feast Convention."
The moment he arrived, he announced his origins. Clearly, he was quite familiar with the rules here and was likely not attending for the first time.
"Fellow Daoist, please board the boat."
A voice answered once more from the lantern on the boat, and the Daoist calling himself Black Brow immediately stepped onto the wooden vessel.
The instant he boarded, the wooden boat that had been waiting at the ferry began to move without wind, slowly sailing toward the river's center.
So we were not meant to row it ourselves. It had been waiting for someone.
Yang An suddenly understood, then turned to look at the newly boarded Daoist.
"This old Daoist is Black Brow. Greetings, fellow Daoists. How should I address you?"
As soon as he boarded, Black Brow gave Yang An and the others a slight nod. Yet under the lantern's firelight, when Yang An and the others saw Black Brow's face, they were so startled that they jumped.
Beneath that enormous hood was not a human face at all, but the huge head of a snake, flicking a black-red tongue.
Under the firelight, countless dense gray scales gleamed brightly. Two conspicuous black streaks ran down from beneath its eyes.
Because they stood so close, Yang An even felt as if he could hear the snake tongue flicking with a "hiss-slap" sound. A scorching breath seemed to wash over his face, and goosebumps rose all over his body at that very moment.
Pan Yu immediately hid behind Pan Shi, her face drained of color as she clutched tightly at his sleeve.
Even Pan Shi, such a burly man, was visibly startled and instinctively retreated two steps.
Was this Daoist's appearance really not that of a demon?!
Seeing their reaction, Daoist Black Brow burst into hearty laughter. Clearly, he had long been accustomed to such responses.
But to Yang An and the others, that smile looked utterly eerie.
A giant snake head flicked its black-red tongue, its upturned mouth revealing sharp fangs. Anyone who saw it would feel a chill in their heart.
"Do not take offense, fellow Daoists. This old Daoist was a mountain wildling spirit who attained the Dao. I have yet to take human form. I am indeed somewhat ugly, but surely I am still tolerable to look at."
Black Brow immediately explained with a smile.
It would have been better if he had not explained. Once he did, Yang An and the others were even more horrified.
It really was a snake!
Although they were rather frightened by Daoist Black Brow's appearance, he did not seem to harbor any ill intent. It was merely that his visage was truly difficult to put into words.
In the end, they still gathered their courage and responded one by one, announcing their own origins again. Yet they always kept the distance of bow to stern from Black Brow, not daring to get too close to him.
Black Brow did not take offense. Instead, like someone who had known them for ages, he told them amusing stories about the many people who had reacted upon first seeing him.
A lone boat sailed through Xi Yue's waters at night, its blue-green lamplight facing the guest vessel.
Before long, the wooden boat carried Yang An's group of three and Black Brow to the middle of the Xi Yue River, already far from the ferry crossing.
At last, the wooden boat slowly came to a stop. Without their realizing it, it had entered a stretch of river covered in lotus flowers.
It was hard to imagine that such vast fields of lotus flowers grew upon the river's surface.
Lotuses upon lotuses, flowers upon flowers, their leaves packed thick and dense.
The river's nighttime scenery was beautiful beyond measure.
Everyone aboard stared at this scene in amazement. Only Daoist Black Brow remained utterly calm.
Just then, a voice once more came from the lantern on the wooden boat.
"These are the White Jade Lotuses of our Xi Yue River. The lotus seeds within grant water-repelling power when consumed, allowing one to enter the river! Fellow Daoists, please!"
Lotus seeds capable of repelling water were hidden among these patch upon patch of lotus flowers. Yang An clicked his tongue in wonder.
Black Brow was clearly a regular attendee of the Communal Feast Convention and already knew the rules here well, so he explained to them:
"The Communal Feast Convention is held within the Xi Yue River, beneath the water's surface. Without consuming Water-Repelling Lotus Seeds, there is no way to enter.
Let this old Daoist demonstrate for you, fellow Daoists."
With that, Black Brow turned slightly. His vivid red tongue immediately extended from his mouth.
The snake tongue quickly touched a lotus bud on the river. With a gentle curl, it drew a green lotus seed out from the bud, then swallowed it with a gulp.
Hiss!
Watching that vivid red snake tongue dart out and withdraw again, Yang An's scalp could not help but tingle. Then he looked at the two empty sleeves hanging from Black Brow's Daoist robe. Clearly, the other party had neither hands nor feet.
Though Black Brow had said that he was a snake that had yet to take human form, seeing a giant snake dressed in human clothing was still a deeply unsettling sight.
Yang An did not dare look any longer. At this time, Pan Shi followed suit, reaching down from the side of the boat. He soon retrieved two lotus seeds, and he and Pan Yu both swallowed theirs.
Only after seeing that none of them displayed any abnormalities after consuming the lotus seeds did Yang An finally feel at ease. He bent down and likewise plucked a lotus seed from a nearby bud, holding it in his hand.
But just as he was about to toss the lotus seed into his mouth, an information panel unexpectedly popped up before his eyes in the very next instant.
Illusionary Insect Corpse: Formed from the corpse of an Illusionary Insect after its death. Round and emerald-green in appearance, resembling a lotus seed, and extremely difficult to distinguish. Cost of Use: Eat it and see illusions; what is seen becomes difficult to discern as real or false. Status: Can be purified!
Seeing the information that had suddenly appeared before him, Yang An's hand holding the lotus seed trembled slightly. He nearly threw the thing from his grasp.
Before you continue