Ch. 72 – A Loan

Once Hao Chen’s form rounded the corner, Feng Ye and the two sea otters snapped out of their daze and subconsciously exchanged glances.

The moment their eyes met, the sea otters were given a shock. Old Crab Nine had arrested the wrong person, and the bad guy was still here. What should they do?

The two of them stared up at the giant Feng Ye. In terms of fighting strength, the two of them combined couldn’t even match him. 

They couldn’t beat him, but…..they were unwilling to just let him go. Who else would compensate them for their spirit stones?

Although they had only wanted one thousand spirit stones, those stupid humans had raised the price to almost ten thousand. If Feng Ye hadn’t come to make trouble, they would have happily returned home with that amount.

It was all this bad guy’s fault!

The more they thought about it, the more wronged the two sea otters felt, and their fear was swept away by grievance. They rushed over at once, hugging Feng Ye’s calves on each side as they cried: “Wah wah wah, compensate us with spirit stones!”

Feng Ye: “……”

He gazed down at his two leg pendants. The two were clinging to his trousers with their hands and feet, looking more like koalas than sea otters.

“Wah wah wah!” the sea otters continued to sob.

Feng Ye covered his ears, feeling a headache coming on. Their wails were piercing, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything to these juveniles. Momentarily at a loss, Feng Ye just stood there in a bind.

“Hic.” One sea otter cried so hard that he hiccuped, then resumed howling again.

Feng Ye’s expression was blank. He could feel both of his trouser legs becoming soaked with the sea otters’ tears. But they showed no signs of stopping, as if they were made of water.

When he finally couldn’t bear it any longer, he took a step back and started to negotiate: “I can compensate you.”

The two sea otters immediately stopped crying. But they didn’t remove themselves from Feng Ye’s calves, just staring up at him.

“But I don’t have any money,” Feng Ye said immediately after.

“You’re a liar!” the sea otter on his left leg accused.

“It’s obvious that the humans who come to North Sea City are all rich!” the sea otter on his right leg chimed in.

Feng Ye presented them with facts and reason, gesturing to his ragged clothing as he said: “Do I look rich to you?”

There was dead silence.

The two sea otters were instantly disheartened. Feng Ye didn’t look like he was rich. On the contrary, he looked so poor that he needed financial help from them.

The two of them at least had thick fur, but Feng Ye only had his thin, tattered robes. He was so thin that he didn’t even have a layer of fat to keep him warm. It would only take two days for him to freeze to death in the sea.

So what could they do? There was no one to compensate them for their loss, and the token couldn’t be sold. At this thought, the sea otters looked at each other and opened their short-bearded mouths again in preparation to resume their sobbing.

“Don’t cry again!” Feng Ye quickly called out. Their crying had just about annoyed him to death.

The sea otters subconsciously shut their mouths and gave Feng Ye anxious looks.

“I have a solution.” Feng Ye shook his calves as he spoke. “Get off my legs first.”

“No! You’ll run away if we let go!” the quick-witted sea otter on the left refused.

“Tell us first!” the sea otter on the right echoed.

Feng Ye sighed helplessly: “I don’t have any money, but I can help you sell this token to someone else. Then won’t you be well-off?”

“But no one will buy it after you said all that!” the two sea otters accused together.

“But the only people who heard it were those standing in front of the stall. There are so many people in North Sea City, and it’s impossible for all of them to know. We just need to sell it somewhere else,” Feng Ye explained.

The two sea otters looked at each other and stretched their necks to mutter a few words between them. Then they raised their heads as one and agreed: “We’ll do it your way.”

The sea otter on his left leg jumped off Feng Ye’s calf and quickly cleaned up the stall.

Feng Ye lowered his head to look at the one on his right leg and asked: “You’re not getting down?”

The otter said sternly: “Humans are too cunning, so I have to keep an eye on you. You’re not allowed to leave until the token is sold.”

Feng Ye: “…..” Who exactly is the cunning one between us, ah?

The sea otters definitely didn’t think it was them. The one cleaning up the stall finished quickly, and Feng Ye led the sea otters toward the other side of the market.

After walking for half an incense stick’s time, Feng Ye estimated that they’d gone far enough and came to a stop. The sea otters found an empty spot in a corner and set up their stall again. Feng Ye sat there with the sea otters on either side of him, like guardians or mascots.

The sea otters were looking forward to recreating the lively scene from before, where a large number of people had come to inquire about the token and bid competitively for it.

However…..it was getting close to evening, with a fiery red sunset slowly sinking in the sky, and other than the cold wind blowing through from time to time, there was no one in front of their stall.

The two sea otters couldn’t help but regard Feng Ye with suspicion where he sat between them. Feng Ye crossed his arms, his expression unchanged.

He had actually anticipated such a desolate scene. Humans weren’t stupid, and they knew the two sea otters were deceiving them. The others must have warned their fellow disciples. If word spread from one to ten, and then ten to a hundred, who wouldn’t know about it? 

Unless these sea otters wanted to wait another ten years for the next group of people to visit North Sea City, they could only hope to run into a sucker.

Feng Ye actually had no intention of helping these sea otters sell their scrap metal token. He was just really fed up with their crying, so he employed a delaying tactic.

Feng Ye had a very good plan, but he never could have imagined that a once in a century sucker would appear like this.

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang suddenly spotted him and ran over excitedly to say hello.

Feng Ye stared at Fang Yang running toward his stall, as well as Cao Zirui running closely behind him. He was slightly surprised, but then he thought, North Sea City is large, but this is a small island. Although he and Fang Yang had gone in two different directions, it was normal for them to meet again after going around in a circle.

He smiled in response. Then he looked at their two-person team and asked: “Where’s Crab Eighteen?”

Tour Guide Crab Eighteen, who was supposed to be following these two naive people, was nowhere to be seen. Feng Ye was a little uncertain.

“Crab Eighteen was suddenly called away by his people just now. He returned the tour guide money to us and then left,” Fang Yang explained. Just like Feng Ye had, he couldn’t help but complain: “The crab that called him away looked exactly like Crab Eighteen, yet they knew each other’s names. I don’t know how they can tell each other apart.”

Feng Ye nodded in agreement. He, too, would like to know how.

“By the way, where’s Hao-dage?” Fang Yang asked.

There was one less crab on their side, and one less person on Feng Ye’s, as well as…..two extra otters? Fang Yang stared left and right at Feng Ye’s Dharma Guardians.

“He, ah…..” Feng Ye’s eyes drifted for a moment, and he replied: “He was invited for tea.”

Hao Chen had been mistakenly arrested. Although Feng Ye was very much bewildered, he had no intention of rescuing Hao Chen. This fish had been watching the show at his expense for so long, and it was time for him to pay the price.

Plus….North Sea City was nominally Hao Chen’s territory, so what could really happen to him? If anything bad happened, it would happen to the crabs who arrested him.

He had no worries at all since he knew Hao Chen’s true identity. If he told Fang Yang and company that Hao Chen had been arrested by the Crab Squad, these two foolish boys might worry unnecessarily. Thus, Feng Ye gave this answer.

But who would invite Hao Chen for tea as soon as he arrived? Feng Ye’s lie wasn’t terribly heartfelt and didn’t stand up to scrutiny, but since he was telling it to Fang Yang, there was no need to be very thorough.

As expected, Fang Yang suspected nothing and gave an affirmative nod. Although Cao Zirui had some doubts, he wasn’t familiar with Hao Chen and never spoken to him, so he didn’t ask any further questions.

The two sea otters, who were still depending on Feng Ye to sell their token for them, didn’t expose his lie. But they did conclude to themselves: Humans are indeed cunning!

They actually treated being arrested as being invited for tea!

After explaining their respective reductions in traveling companions, Fang Yang turned his attention to the stall in front of him and the guards on the left and right: “Shixiong, why are you selling things? The two next to you…..?”

“They…..” Feng Ye was a little hesitant. It was a long story, and he didn’t know where to start.

Before he could continue, the two sea otters gave enthusiastic introductions.

“I’m called Otter One.” The otter on the left stretched out his paw to Fang Yang.

“I’m called Otter Three.” The otter on the right also stretched out his paw.

“Ah, my name is Fang Yang.” Fang Yang quickly gave his own name and reached over, grasping the paws of both sea otters in a friendly and cordial greeting.

Otter One and Otter Three? Then where is the second one? Feng Ye wondered, having only found out their names just now.

He had no time to ask, because after shaking hands, the two sea otters and Fang Yang began to chat animatedly and Feng Ye was unable to get a word in.

“What are you selling?” Fang Yang peered at the stall in front of Feng Ye, which contained a sole bronze token.

The two sea otters worked together as they repeated the advertising routine they had performed in front of a crowd.

Fang Yang’s reaction was exactly the same as the previous group of people. His mouth dropped open in astonishment, and he stared at the tiny token in disbelief. This was such a powerful magic instrument?!

Cao Zirui’s eyes shifted slightly. If this summoning token was really so magical, it would indeed be a magic instrument of considerable power.

“Shixiong, is what they said true?” Due to suffering a loss when he bought the pearl before, Fang Yang had learned his lesson and no longer believed the one-sided statements of vendors. But since his conscientious tour guide Crab Eighteen was gone, he turned to ask Feng Ye.

“It’s…..” As Feng Ye spoke, the two sea otters simultaneously raised their heads, their bean-sized eyes filled with menace, as if they were willing to burst into tears again if Feng Ye said no.

“…..true,” Feng Ye said, going against his conscience to protect his ears.

Fang Yang’s eyes lit up like the rising sun, and he excitedly asked for the price: “How much is it?”

“One thousand spirit stones.” 

Feng Ye crossed his arms and nodded cooperatively on their behalf, as if he was earnestly helping them sell the item.

In fact, the two sea otters fully believed that business had come to their door, not realizing that although Fang Yang was slightly wealthier than them, he couldn’t afford one thousand spirit stones. So even though Feng Ye had lied to him, he wasn’t worried about Fang Yang getting cheated. His circumstances didn’t allow it.

Fang Yang wore a look of regret: “I can’t afford it.”

He had just sold all of the Yuanling grass in his storage bag and now had about three hundred spirit stones, which was still seven hundred short of a thousand.

The two sea otters’ heads drooped in dejection. Their hope had been in vain.

Feng Ye gave the two of them a pretentious shrug, indicating that he was powerless.

Just when the two sea otters were so sad that they were about to hug each other and cry, Cao Zirui said abruptly: “One thousand spirit stones. I’ll take it.”

As he spoke, he tossed a large bag of spirit stones onto the stall.

Blinded by money, the two sea otters immediately pounced on the spirit stones, picking them up to count their riches.

Fang Yang stared at Cao Zirui’s generous payment and got a bad feeling. It was fine if Cao Zirui had purchased it for himself, but he feared that…..

What he feared came true. Cao Zirui picked up the bronze token from the stall and offered it to Fang Yang, just as he had done with the pearl before.

He already had enough magic instruments. The God-Summoning Token sounded powerful, but he didn’t need it, so he generously gave it to Fang Yang.

However, Fang Yang immediately refused: “I don’t need it!”

There was an unprecedented gravity in that silly, naive face: “I may have saved you, but you saved me too. We don’t owe each other anything, and good friends don’t keep debts like this. If you keep stuffing things at me, it just means you don’t consider me a friend.”

It was Cao Zirui’s first time seeing his friend so serious. He was stunned for a moment before trying to explain: “I, I didn’t…..”

Fang Yang was his first and only friend. Cao Zirui wanted to explain himself, but his anxiety made him stutter.

But Fang Yang understood what he wanted to say. He had only refused so sternly so that Cao Zirui wouldn’t buy things for him like this again. Presently, he softened his expression and put a hand on Cao Zirui’s shoulder, saying with a smile: “I know what you mean. But I really don’t want you to keep giving me things. This isn’t how it should be between friends.”

Cao Zirui stared at him for a moment, then assured with a nod: “I understand.”

At last, Fang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the bronze token in Cao Zirui’s hand and said to the two happy sea otters who were counting their money: “We don’t want it anymore. Can we return it?”

Upon hearing this, the two sea otters instantly entered combat readiness. One covered the spirit stones with his body, and the other stood in front of him with short arms outspread, saying: “No returns or exchanges after sale.”

“We can’t return it, ah…..” Fang Yang was somewhat troubled. It was all because of him that Cao Zirui had purchased it, so it was his responsibility in the end.

Fang Yang thought of a solution: “How about this. Give me the token and I’ll consider it a loan from you that I’ll pay back later.”

Cao Zirui naturally had no objections, as he had wanted to give it to Fang Yang in the first place.

Feng Ye, however, did have objections. He had just watched the plot undergo a magical development. Fang Yang, who was poor and had no chance of being cheated, had actually taken out a loan to purchase this scrap metal.

Due to his conscience, as well as the fact that he knew Fang Yang didn’t have much money at all, he couldn’t help but try to warn him: “Actually, this token……”

The two sea otters glanced over, tears glistening in their eyes.

Feng Ye: “……”

“What is it?” Fang Yang asked when Feng Ye’s words cut off.

“…..Nothing.” Feng Ye swallowed the warning on his lips.

He absolved his conscience of guilt, telling himself that this didn’t count as deceiving Fang Yang, because it was the otters who had told him everything. Feng Ye had just…..well, yeah, he had deceived him too.

Feng Ye would never be able to emulate Hao Chen’s shamelessness.

Fang Yang put away the summoning token he had bought with a loan, then asked Feng Ye: “Shixiong, are you leaving now? Do you want to keep shopping with us?”

Feng Ye, who was temporarily afraid to face Fang Yang due to his crisis of conscience, immediately declined: “No, I have something else to do.”

“Then we’ll leave first.” Fang Yang waved to Feng Ye and pulled Cao Zirui away.

Feng Ye sent their backs a melancholy look. This matter would certainly not remain secret for long. When Fang Yang found out that the God-Summoning Token was a scam and came to hold him accountable, how would he explain himself? 

Actually, there was still a chance to recover the fraudulent money. Feng Ye glanced at the sea otters, who had finished counting their money and were about to pack it up and take it away. Before they could leave, Feng Ye abruptly grabbed the money bag on one’s back, forcing them to stop.

The sea otters turned around. Having received the money, they no longer wanted to deal with this human. But this human seemed to have no intention of letting go.

And they didn’t know if it was because it was completely dark and Feng Ye was in the shadows, but although there was no drastic change in his expression, he seemed sort of inexplicably scary.

The sea otters couldn’t help but shudder, and one asked tremblingly: “W-what is it?”

Feng Ye didn’t answer, but instead asked back: “What do you need a thousand spirit stones for?”

For these two to be so obsessed with the number ‘one thousand,’ they must have a purpose for it.

“How is it any of your…..” Otter Three had only spoken a few words when he swallowed them back upon meeting Feng Ye’s deep, somewhat chilly gaze.

Due to their inexplicable fear, the two sea otters honestly confessed: “Otter Two is sick. We needed money to buy medicine.”

“One thousand spirit stones?” Feng Ye asked again.

The two sea otters nodded in unison.

“So it’s like that.” Feng Ye responded with understanding. He finally released his grip on the money bag, and the low pressure that had intimidated the sea otters vanished without a trace.

Before they could leave for good, Feng Ye reminded them: “You might have to take necessary measures in an emergency, but cheating and deceiving others isn’t the right way. Don’t do it again.”

The two sea otters nodded quickly and then fled with haste.

Standing in place, Feng Ye heaved a helpless sigh. He’d just had one thousand spirit stones slapped on him, and he needed to make up a story for when he met up with Fang Yang again.

At the moment Feng Ye was starting to think of an excuse, Hao Chen was sitting inside the most luxurious building in the center of North Sea City.

He sat up high in the first seat, and below him stood a giant crab twice the size of Crab Eighteen, who was half a man’s height.

This was none other than Proprietor Crab, nominal master of North Sea City.

Proprietor Crab fawned over Hao Chen: “My Lord, I noticed you as soon as you entered the market, but you were traveling with others. I worried that you didn’t want to reveal your identity, so I specially sent Old Crab Nine and others to invite you over.”

It turned out that there was nothing wrong with Old Crab Nine’s eyesight, and that the guards had appeared so quickly not because of North Sea City’s robust security, but simply because they had been heading toward Hao Chen.

A thought suddenly occurred to Hao Chen, and he asked: “You noticed me?”

He believed that his disguise was flawless. Even Feng Ye couldn’t see through to his true identity, and it was even more impossible for this large, Nascent Soul-stage crab.

But he also had a single flaw — he was using his original appearance. After all, compared to the risk of exposing his identity, being handsome was more important.

So the only reason Proprietor Crab could have recognized him was if he had seen him before.

But Hao Chen had no impression of this giant crab, nor did he have any impression of North Sea City. He still didn’t quite know whether it was under his ownership or not.

“I did, I did,” Proprietor Crab answered quickly. “Three hundred years ago, before I was sent down to the mortal world, I had the good fortune to glimpse you from afar. This sight often lingers in my mind. I could never forget your majestic figure…..”

Proprietor Crab paused when Hao Chen made a shushing gesture. Such a description of him sent a chill down his spine, and Hao Chen couldn’t help but shiver.

It turned out that whether words were pleasant to the ear or not depended on the person speaking them.

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T/N: I seriously wanted to call this new crab Mr. Krabs.

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Chapter 71 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 73