Ch. 77 – A Gentleman Achieves His Ambition At the Cost of His Life
Feng Ye looked away once Hao Chen and Old Crab Nine disappeared around the street corner.
Old Crab Nine had been anxious to find Hao Chen, so something had probably happened in the North Sea. Feng Ye thought, I haven’t heard of any recent disputes in the heavens, so it shouldn’t be anything major.
Since Hao Chen was gone, he would leave the store and go for a stroll outside.
However, he had just stepped half a foot out of the store when the owner called out to him. Feng Ye turned in puzzlement to find the other party walking toward him with a smile, rubbing his hands together.
“Sir…..” the shop owner asked cautiously, “Um…..what is your relationship with that person just now?”
His words were vague, but Feng Ye understood at once. He was going to answer honestly and say that they were friends who had only known each other a short time, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly paused.
Hao Chen always took advantage of him, both openly and covertly, tit-for-tat. If he just gave without taking anything in return, wouldn’t he suffer a huge loss?
Now was the time to gain some ground, so…..
“He, ah…..” Feng Ye donned a thoughtful look, and said as if conflicted, “I’m not sure how to characterize it.”
Upon seeing the situation, the shop owner said: “I’m good at this sort of thing. Tell me, and I’ll help you determine the nature of it.”
Feng Ye nodded in agreement, and the shop owner immediately asked: “Have you…..ever done things that people wouldn’t normally do with each other?”
He gave it some thought. The Lord had personally brought this person clothes shopping, and although he was mediocre in appearance and ability, he couldn’t think of another possibility other than this person being his lover.
After all, this was their Honored Lord who was sometimes too lazy to swim and would just go floating along the current. But he actually bothered to take this human along to go shopping for clothes.
And the two of them had just casually shown their affection. This human had grabbed their Lord’s wrist so naturally. Everyone knew that their Lord had a mild aversion to touch, and was picky and conceited, but he actually allowed a human to touch him so casually.
It was no exaggeration to call this bizarre. The shop owner had been so shocked that he couldn’t close his mouth, and even suspected that he was hallucinating.
However, it was not a hallucination. Not only did their Lord allow this human to hold his wrist, he even whispered something very intimately to him.
Although he didn’t know what was said specifically, all of this abnormal behavior further pointed toward the guess in the shop owner’s mind. He only needed some details to prove it further.
However, Feng Ye’s response was a shake of his head.
The shop owner persisted, suggesting: “How about kissing?”
He shook his head.
“Hugging?”
He shook his head again.
“Then…..” After kissing and hugging, one would usually pamper a partner and hold them in the palm of their hand, but the shop owner thought about their Lord’s size and felt that wasn’t practical, so he changed his last question: “Holding hands? The two of you haven’t held hands before?”
This time, Feng Ye nodded. They had really never held hands. Holding wrists didn’t count. Holding hands should at least involve interlocking five fingers.
Was their Lord’s progress too slow, or was he really overthinking things? The shop owner was a little disappointed.
“But…..” Just when the shop owner was feeling let down, Feng Ye suddenly said, “We have slept together.”
The shop owner’s head, which had been lowered in disappointment, suddenly shot up. The flames of gossip burned in his eyes.
Feng Ye pretended not to notice. He stroked his chin with a look of reminiscence, and said in a calm tone that struck a thunderbolt into the shop owner’s mind: “We slept together twice, once inside and once outdoors.”
Once in Lingxiao Sword Sect and once in the Floating Island Secret Realm. Sleeping next to each other could also be called sleeping together. I’m not lying, Feng Ye thought with peace of mind.
And the shop owner was thinking: It turns out they’re that wild?!
“Hehe.” The shop owner couldn’t help but let out a laugh that all men would understand. Then he asked eagerly: “How was it?”
Feng Ye thought for a moment, then said: “He was rather calm and quiet.” Besides cuddling up to him like an octopus, Hao Chen didn’t have any other bad sleeping habits, and didn’t grind his teeth or snore.
But when the store owner heard this, it took on a completely different meaning.
Calm and quiet? What kind of description was calm and quiet? Their Lord was calm and quiet in bed? Shouldn’t that be the time for him to show off his prowess?
Could it be that…..the shop owner’s expression suddenly cracked. Could it be that…..he was thinking about it the wrong way? That their Lord was the one on the bottom?
Shocked by this terrifying speculation, the shop owner gaped silently for a long stretch of time.
Feng Ye observed the shop owner’s expression, a bit puzzled. Although he was indeed misleading him, he felt that the shop owner was misleading himself even more.
He just wanted to mislead him into thinking that he and Hao Chen had a special relationship, but the shop owner was so shocked that he had practically turned to stone.
Feng Ye couldn’t help but wave five fingers in front of the shop owner’s eyes, and the petrified person finally came to his senses.
But when he came to his senses, his attitude toward Feng Ye had changed again. While he had smiled at him in the beginning, now he was practically fawning over him.
“This…..” The shop owner was somewhat hesitant over what to call him. They had already slept together, so he should call him the Lord’s wife. But it seemed that the Lord was the wife, so he didn’t know what title to use……
Feeling that he had fallen into a philosophical dilemma, he simply returned to the starting point and used the original address: “Sir, it’s rare for you to visit our shop, so I can’t let you leave empty-handed. If it pleases you, please accept this garment.”
As he spoke, the shop owner stuffed the nine hundred-year mermaid silk garment worth 50,000 spirit stones into Feng Ye’s hands. He calculated in his mind – of course their Lord hadn’t brought this person to their store to shop, but to buy him clothing as a gift.
It was just that their Lord had to leave suddenly, so as his subordinate, he should naturally take his intentions into consideration. He would help their Lord with his unfinished business and make an impression on him, as well as…..their Lord’s future wife, who he didn’t know whether or not to call a wife.
Everything developed as Feng Ye had predicted. Although the shop owner was overthinking things, the result was the same.
Feng Ye couldn’t help the way the corners of his mouth curved. But before he accepted the free goods, he pretended to refuse several times.
The shop owner was a businessman, and was well-versed in the ins and outs of such things. After going back and forth for a while, the clothes ultimately ended up in Feng Ye’s hands.
But before accepting them, Feng Ye said deliberately: “We’ve just met by chance. I can’t accept your clothes for nothing.”
The shop owner started to persuade him again, but Feng Ye said quickly: “How about this. I’ll buy it based on the price he just agreed on.”
As he spoke, he took the last half of his savings from his pocket and placed a spirit stone in the shop owner’s hand.
A moment later, Feng Ye walked out of the store in his new clothes while the shop owner held a spirit stone in his hand and saw his guest off.
Feng Ye shook out his sleeves, feeling the sensation of soft fabric once more. That spirit stone was well spent. He had made a fortune.
And the shop owner was thinking that he had made a fortune by spending 49,999 spirit stones to make a good impression on his Lord’s wife.
In short, both sides felt that they had made a sizable profit.
After leaving the store, Feng Ye felt like the street vendors were looking at him differently now that he was wearing new clothes. In his previous outfit, most vendors wouldn’t even bother to greet him. But now, in garments worth 50,000 spirit stones, they were looking at him like he was a fat sheep ready to be slaughtered, shouting at the top of their lungs in hopes that Feng Ye would come to their stalls and take a look.
It was a pity that this fat sheep was all show and no substance. Apart from this set of clothes, he was truly penniless.
So Feng Ye stared straight ahead, unmoved by the vendors’ cries, and went on his way.
“Sir, please stay.”
A call came from the right, but Feng Ye ignored it and continued to walk forward.
“Sir, please stop!”
This one was deliberately louder, but Feng Ye didn’t stop, walking away from the store.
The owner of the voice finally couldn’t help but run outside. He blocked Feng Ye’s way anxiously and repeated: “Sir, please stop!”
Feng Ye finally came to a stop and peered at the person blocking his path. It was…..a crab with a fake beard?
Feng Ye: “……” He stared at the obviously glued-on fake beard on the crab’s mouth with dark lines on his face.
Seeing that Feng Ye had finally stopped, the fake-bearded crab resumed the low, unfathomable tone he had used at the beginning. He stroked his beard with one claw and pinched the other together, saying: “I see that you and I were destined to meet. Would you care to come to my shop for a fortune-telling?”
Feng Ye was very blunt: “I have no money.”
This fellow with a glued-on beard was obviously a swindler. Feng Ye decided to jump over this crab and leave.
However, the crab’s next words made Feng Ye pause in his steps.
“It’s free! You’ll even get a free gift when you enter the store!” The crab said as he stopped Feng Ye.
Thus, Feng Ye followed the crab into a small shop.
The shop itself wasn’t very roomy. It was a small, box-like space with decor that was pretty much the same as all the other shops. The only thing worth noting was…..
Feng Ye stared at the fist-sized pearl near the door, specially displayed on a shelf. There were so many other places to put it, but it was placed right near the door where it would have a panoramic view of the entire establishment.
“Sir, please have a seat here.” The crab pulled out a chair for Feng Ye.
Feng Ye looked away from the pearl, thanked the crab, and sat down in the middle of the shop.
The chair faced the door, with a small round table in front of it. Across the table stood the crab, who was unable to fit on a chair. Feng Ye found a comfortable position for himself, then placed his hands on the table and said directly: “What are you going to give me?”
He hadn’t actually followed the crab into the store for a free gift. Since the crab hadn’t asked for money, and even offered something for free, it was clear that Feng Ye was being targeted.
The other party had already set the stage. As a member of the audience, if he didn’t enter, wouldn’t the other’s performance be very lonely?
So Feng Ye had followed him inside in order to see what this fake-bearded crab was up to.
There was a hint of joking in Feng Ye’s voice when he asked this question. It was clear that he didn’t believe in such fortune-telling.
Seeing this, the fake-bearded crab began to warn him in a roundabout way: “Sir, you are from far away, right?”
Feng Ye smiled when he heard this. Such a sentence applied to everyone who came to North Sea City. Who hadn’t made a long journey via a flying magic instrument to get here from the mainland?
This sort of ambiguous phrasing that could make sense from multiple standpoints had always made up the opening remarks of such charlatans. First they bluff you, then they set traps for you step by step until you believe them, and then they defraud you of money.
But before the crab finished speaking, he saw the smile on Feng Ye’s face and slowly raised a claw to point upward: “I’m talking about that place.”
Although the ceiling was right there, Feng Ye wasn’t as foolish as Fang Yang. He certainly understood what the crab was pointing at.
The heavenly realm.
The crab didn’t say it out loud, and Feng Ye didn’t acknowledge it, but he put away his smile and leaned forward slightly, serious at last.
“What else have you divined?” Feng Ye asked.
“Did Sir come on this journey in search of something?” The crab began to stroke his fake beard again. “Something that should have been destroyed long ago.”
Feng Ye nodded and said affirmatively: “Something like that.”
“Would Sir like his luck to be divined for this quest?” the Crab said to Feng Ye.
Feng Ye stared at the crab for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Alright, divine it,” he agreed. As he spoke, he once again relaxed his posture and leaned back in his chair.
With a clatter, the crab dropped three copper coins from his claw and explained to Feng Ye: “These three coins belong to the Five Emperor coins, perfect for divination. I’ll flip the coins six times for you and give you six hexagrams. Only when all six hexagrams come together can we determine the final outcome, whether good or bad.”
“This is the first hexagram.” The crab pointed to a copper coin on the table and determined which side had landed up. “The first line is Shaoyin.”
As the crab said this, he scratched the first hexagram into the table with his claw.
Feng Ye continued to recline in his chair. Although he was watching the crab flip the divination coins, there was a sense of indifference in his eyes.
There was another clatter, and the crab recorded the second hexagram: “Second line, Shaoyang.”
“Third line, Bianyao.”
“Fourth line, Shaoyin.”
Feng Ye’s gaze followed the crab’s raised claw and the descent of the copper coins. He folded his long legs and found a more comfortable sitting position.
“Fifth line, Shaoyin.” The crab had already drawn five hexagrams, but didn’t rush to drop the last coin. Instead, he commented on the five hexagrams he had already divined: “This is a bit like the Marsh Water Trap, a very ominous hexagram. The prospects for this quest, Sir, are not very good.”
“Oh?” Feng Ye raised an eyebrow and asked cooperatively: “Then according to you, if it really is this Marsh Water Trap, then what should I do?”
“Well…..” the crab pretended to make a prediction: “A marsh without water, a trap. A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life. The hexagram clearly indicates that if you insist on continuing your pursuit, you will pay a heavy price – perhaps even your life.”
“As for how to interpret this hexagram, it is actually fairly simple. The Marsh Water Trap only appears in relation to the matter you are pursuing. If you are willing to take a step back and give up your pursuit, the ominous hexagram will naturally be resolved.” The crab asked carefully: “What will you decide, Sir?”
Feng Ye couldn’t help but smile when he saw the crab’s expectant expression. His desire for Feng Ye to agree with him was so obvious that it was practically written across his face.
Feng Ye gave a deliberately unclear answer, adopting a solemn expression as he thought for a while before saying: “The six lines aren’t complete yet, so the hexagram hasn’t been determined. It’s still a little early to decide now.”
“Indeed, then I will make the final divination.” These were the crab’s words, but inwardly he was thinking: He won’t cry until he sees the coffin.[1]
The only hexagram available for Feng Ye was the Marsh Water Trap, which could only be a bad omen. After all…..this was the situation that had been set up for him.
As the crab thought, he threw down the copper coins just as he had done before.
The coins fell, flipping through the air. The crab’s eyes were fixed on their trajectory, waiting for the final divination to be completed before he questioned Feng Ye again.
However, before the copper coins could actually fall onto the table, a pair of hands suddenly caught them.
Feng Ye had leaned forward in his chair at some point. With his chin resting on one hand, he held the three copper coins in the other and said with a smile: “Since it’s my fortune being told, how about I cast the final divination myself?”
Although he phrased it as a negotiation, his tone brooked no argument.
The crab had no chance to disagree. When Feng Ye was done speaking, he turned his raised fist over and simply spread out his hand, slapping the copper coins onto the table.
When Feng Ye moved his hand away, the crab quickly looked at the table. He was speechless for a long time.
Because the tree copper coins were now scattered in pieces across the table, fragmented and mixed together, which made it impossible to divine the hexagram.
Feng Ye allowed the crab some time to be stupefied, then gave him an unhurried apology: “Sorry, I guess I used a little too much force.”
The crab: “……” It was obviously intentional.
The crab gave Feng Ye an accusing look, but the other party was unmoved. The roguish look on his face said: what are you gonna do?
Damnit! I’m so angry my fake beard is about to fly off! The crab thought in a temper.
Seeing that the blue crab was transforming into a red crab due to anger, Feng Ye stood up unhurriedly, tidied his 50,000 spirit stone robes, and then left the store without looking back.
The crab’s anger fled at this sight, and he hastily shouted after Feng Ye: “Wait!”
Feng Ye did not wait. He simply waved a hand and said: “I won’t accept the free gift. Just keep it as compensation for your copper coins.”
The crab: “…..”
The crab was so furious that he finally lost his composure and yanked off the fake beard, shouting at Feng Ye: “You don’t know what you’ll encounter at the end of your pursuit!”
This sentence was what finally made Feng Ye stop. He had already walked to the door, and his expression was obscured as he said without looking back: “Do you know?”
Of course I know, the crab thought proudly. But…..he couldn’t say it overtly…..or else he would ruin his Lord’s plan.
But he could give a general description: “In short, the hexagram is very clear. The enemy ahead of you is more powerful than most people can imagine, and is certainly not someone you can fight against at your current level. If you don’t want to die, you must stop as soon as possible.”
“A marsh without water, a trap. A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life.” Having listened to the crab’s words, Feng Ye simply quoted the hexagram he had ruined for no apparent reason.
“A gentleman achieves his ambition at the cost of his life……” he murmured the second half again, momentarily distracted.
Just when the crab thought Feng Ye had been persuaded, Feng Ye suddenly chuckled where he stood at the door. Turning his head, he looked not at the crab behind him, but at the pearl that was deliberately placed at a vantage point near the door.
He said toward the pearl, as well as the person behind the scenes who had designed this performance: “This divination is actually very accurate. If I had any money, I would give it all to you.”
“As for this enemy being beyond my imagination, entirely too strong for me to fight against…..” Feng Ye regarded the pearl with a half-smile.
The translucent pearl reflected his appearance. Although the corners of his lips were raised in a gentle smile, this smile was like the design on the hilt of a sword. Even if the carving was of a compassionate Bodhisattva, it couldn’t conceal the terrifying sharpness of the sword itself.
“That’s not necessarily the case.”
After giving this response, Feng Ye stepped out of the shop without further delay.
Half a sleeve trailing behind him was the last thing Hao Chen saw before losing sight of him through the door. He actually hadn’t been very surprised after finally hearing Feng Ye’s answer.
He clutched his pounding chest as he recalled the way Feng Ye had spoken to him through the pearl.
It was that look again…..that arrogant look that sent his heart beating out of control.
Hao Chen could only smile. If Feng Ye hadn’t given the answer he did, Hao Chen probably wouldn’t like him.
However…..he was going to have to deal with that choice.
While Hao Chen was holding his fan, deep in thought, the defeated crab walked through a secret door in shame. The shop only looked small, but in fact, it held a secret world inside.
The shop was divided into two halves by a wall, connected by a secret door that ordinary people wouldn’t notice.
Feng Ye and the crab had been engaged in fortune-telling up front, while Hao Chen sat in the back watching the image-transmitting pearl.
Hao Chen had come up with such a roundabout method due to his reluctance to show up in person, but in the end, it seemed that Feng Ye had discovered something.
“Cousin, didn’t you swear before that you would succeed?” Crab Eighteen, who was also watching in the back, brought up this sensitive subject.
“Right, Cousin, you even glued a beard onto yourself, saying that all human fortune-tellers look like that. But it didn’t seem to do any good, ah,” Old Crab Nine echoed.
“Shut up!” Proprietor Crab was so angry that he gave each of the two cousins a smack with his claws.
Old Crab Nine and Crab Eighteen covered their shells and shut their mouths.
Feng Ye had met both of them, so the person sent to take action ended up being Proprietor Crab.
Proprietor Crab had gone there with confidence, saying that it would definitely work. He had witnessed numerous fortune-telling methods, and they boiled down to three points: an unfathomable tone of voice, a long beard, and only using mysterious phrases half of the time.
He believed he had achieved these three points, but regretfully, that human didn’t play by the rules.
“Honored Lord…..” After smacking his two cousins, Proprietor Crab started to apologize to Hao Chen.
Hao Chen raised a hand to stop him. This game had been bound to fail. After all, Feng Ye was just that kind of person. He looked polite and amiable most of the time, but deep down, he was crazier than anyone else.
If he truly hit a wall and cracked his head bloody, only then would he know to turn back.
Hao Chen let out a sigh, still undecided.
But there was no need to make a decision this far ahead of time. After all…..they hadn’t actually faced Yinglong yet.
One step at a time, Hao Chen thought. He suddenly sensed that Prime Minister Turtle was calling him, and used his fan to tap the pearl he had used to spy on Feng Ye.
The image displayed in the pearl warped, and the image of the shop disappeared to be replaced by the prosperous North Sea palace.
The three crabs regarded Hao Chen with admiration. He was indeed their Honored Lord. With one casual move, he turned the surveillance pearl into a communicator capable of reaching the North Sea.
“What is it?” Hao Chen asked Prime Minister Turtle.
“Honored Lord, there have been results. The octopus spirit has confirmed that the man in black robes is the one who stole the water,” Prime Minister Turtle replied.
Hao Chen was a little doubtful: “Are you certain?”
He had simply asked if the black-robed man looked similar to the thief. He wore a mask, with no way to discern his features, so how was the octopus spirit able to recognize him?
“Honored Lord, please pay attention to the image.” Prime Minister Turtle replayed the image of the meeting between Xue Ren and the black-robed man.
At the end, when Yinglong began to appear, Prime Minister Turtle paused it. He gestured to the man’s sleeves as they billowed with black mist, saying: “Honored Lord, do you see the scar on his wrist?”
Hao Chen and the three crabs moved closer to the pearl. At Prime Minister Turtle’s prompting, they discovered that there was indeed a scar on the black-robed man’s left arm.
It had been hidden under his robes before, but it was partially revealed now due to the black mist billowing out of his sleeve.
“The octopus spirit said that the thief had scars on his face as well as on his left arm, and their body shapes are the exact same. There aren’t that many coincidences in this world; they must be the same person,” Prime Minister Turtle concluded.
Hao Chen nodded, thinking the same.
But this brought about even greater confusion. The black-robed man was in league with Yinglong, whether as a subordinate or something else. They must have the same goals.
Yinglong…..why would he send this person to steal the water? This completely contradicted his aim of destroying Jianmu.
Could such yin water, besides nourishing the growth of Jianmu, have any other purpose?
Hao Chen couldn’t figure it out at present, so he decided to set the matter aside for the time being.
He gave Prime Minister Turtle a few more instructions, emphasizing the need to strengthen recent guard patrols in the North Sea, and then ended the call.
“Oh, right.” After finishing up his business, Hao Chen suddenly remembered one more thing. He asked the three crabs: “What’s with that outfit of his?”
The moment Feng Ye entered the door, Hao Chen had discovered that the tattered daoist robes were gone, and in their place was a familiar set of blue silk robes.
It looked very much like the ones he had taken Feng Ye to look at before.
But he clearly hadn’t bought them for Feng Ye, so how had they ended up in his hands?
“Well…..” Crab Eighteen took the initiative to explain. As a tour guide crab, he was very familiar with all of the vendors in North Sea City, both large and small. Not long ago, before Feng Ye entered the fortune telling shop, the owner of the clothing store had specially sent him a message, asking Crab Eighteen to say a few good words for him in front of their Lord.
As it happened, their Lord had asked about it, so Crab Eighteen honestly repeated the shopkeeper’s words: “The shop owner said that a friend of yours is a friend of the North Sea, so that set of robes was given to him in the name of friendship. Your Lordship doesn’t need to praise him, as he only did what he should have done.”
The shop owner felt that since their Lord had not spokenly openly about the matter of marriage, then he shouldn’t either, and he chose his words very tactfully.
In any case, the meaning was conveyed – that was, that the gift was from him to his Lord’s wife. He said he didn’t want any praise, but when his Lord saw how thoughtful he had been, he was certain to be very pleased, and he might even receive a lot of praise.
Therefore, the shop owner happily awaited Hao Chen’s commendation.
But Hao Chen’s reaction was the complete opposite of the shop owner’s expectations. Instead of being pleased, he had the urge to go and raze the store to the ground.
When it came to gifting clothing to Feng Ye, the least important aspect was the result. What was important was the process, which included Hao Chen being the one to give them to him.
He had originally intended to take liberties with Feng Ye through the gift of clothing, but now that someone else had already used that method, what advantage did Hao Chen have left?!
And this wasn’t even the gift he wanted to give him. He had taken Feng Ye to the clothing store today purely to lay the groundwork and highlight the preciousness of his own gift, but his plan was unexpectedly ruined by this shopkeeper who’d overestimated his own intelligence.
“Hmph!” Hao Chen scoffed at the thought.
Under the bewildered gazes of the three crabs, he angrily flung his sleeves and left.
[1] “He won’t cry until he sees the coffin” means that he won’t give up until he absolutely has to. ⮐
Consider donating via Kofi here.
Neon Dragonfly Translations 