The man looked to be in his forties or fifties, and there was a peculiar sensation about his smile, as if a villain had suddenly grinned at you.
The fatty watched the approaching uncle, his small eyes darting around.
"Uncle, you look so handsome."
The fatty grinned. The uncle smiled back, looking a bit bewildered.
"We're all born of our parents, what's handsome or not."
The uncle chuckled, then looked at Lin Tian and the others beside him.
He particularly noticed the Vajra Bracelet on Zhang Tian's wrist and his entire attire.
His brow flickered subtly.
He'd been working as a pimp here for decades, but he'd rarely seen someone dressed like Zhang Tian.
This was definitely a big shot!
"What brings you gentlemen here?"
The middle-aged uncle asked. Zhang Tian smiled at him.
"Uncle, we want to cross the river and go into the mountains. What do you say?"
"Of course, we'll compensate you."
As Zhang Tian spoke, the uncle became even more serious.
Hu Bayi took out a compass from his bag.
He examined it carefully.
"Nine Dragon Zen Mountain, the Dragon's Backbone of the mountain's opening. Such a fine place with excellent feng shui must hold a grand tomb."
Hu Bayi muttered. Standing by the river, he looked at the clear water, feeling a surge of excitement.
"This mountain is very dangerous. Legend has it that no one who enters ever comes out, all perishing within."
"Many have tried to enter, and none have been seen again."
The middle-aged man said. The fatty, however, was getting excited.
"You mean we can't go in?"
The fatty's eyes widened.
"Sir, I didn't say that. Although the legend says no one who enters this gorge ever comes out, there was one exception."
"Reportedly, he crawled out of a pile of dead bodies, and his body carried a strong yin energy. Only he could enter and exit safely."
The uncle said, his gaze falling on the white-haired middle-aged man beside him.
The man appeared indifferent, looking like an eccentric.
As Zhang Tian looked at him, the broken sword in his backpack trembled slightly.
He also felt a chill in the air.
"This must be the legendary yin energy."
Zhang Tian looked at the man, feeling a touch of curiosity.
This fellow had spent so much time in tombs that he was bound to be permeated with yin energy.
It was unavoidable.
"Hey? Young Master Zhang, have you noticed? It's much cooler standing next to this guy."
"Heh, if it were summer, we wouldn't even need fans!"
The fatty chuckled beside him, his eyes curiously appraising the man before them.
He was like a walking, breathing natural air conditioner.
"So, gentlemen, five hundred yuan to enter the mountain."
The middle-aged uncle was asking for a king's ransom.
"You bastard, you're just a ferryman and you want five hundred yuan? Dreaming! Your Fatty self can swim across if I have to."
Wang Pangzi got agitated when he heard this.
How much did he even make from selling cassette tapes in a year?
And this guy was asking for five hundred yuan upfront?
"A ferryman trading his life for money. This fee is justified. I'll pay."
Zhang Tian said without much hesitation.
The middle-aged uncle gave Zhang Tian a look of admiration.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir. We take our lives in our hands. If you trust us, we will deliver you safely."
He said, almost thumping his chest.
"Tch, if it weren't for Young Master Zhang paying, Fatty wouldn't spend money needlessly."
Wang Pangzi still felt a pang of regret.
Hu Bayi also felt a sting in his heart; after all, his retirement pension wasn't even five hundred yuan.
After paying the money, the middle-aged uncle and the white-haired uncle beckoned Zhang Tian and the others into the boat.
They all got in smoothly, with Zhang Tian and the others sitting at the bow.
The two uncles rowed from the stern.
"Gentlemen, you may not know, but this is said to be the tomb of kings and generals. There are countless treasures."
"Experts have brought at least three expeditions here, but alas, few who enter ever come out."
The uncle explained from behind.
"Young Master Zhang, this is an excellent feng shui location, but if people have already been here, doesn't that mean..."
Hu Bayi's voice was quiet.
"It's alright."
"Even if others have been here, it's still a question whether they could find the treasure."
Zhang Tian said.
He felt quite confident.
The boat moved forward along the river.
Gradually, the river narrowed, and cliffs began to appear on both sides.
The small boat was like a solitary vessel sailing amidst the sheer cliffs.
The river channel grew narrower.
At the same time, a sense of darkness began to creep in from the surroundings.
"Young Master Zhang, we're entering the cave. Be careful."
Hu Bayi warned from the side.
His voice was overheard by the two men rowing behind them.
The two men exchanged glances, their lips curling into smiles.
"It's fine, it's all small matters."
Zhang Tian waved his hand, unconcerned.
He slowly took something out of his backpack.
"Holy cow, Young Master Zhang, why are you carrying this? No wonder your backpack is so big."
The fatty was stunned by what Zhang Tian pulled out of his backpack.
Even Hu Bayi was shocked.
Zhang Tian slowly took out a hen, a snake, and a dog.
Zhang Tian's mountaineering backpack was nearly a meter long, a large one, so it was normal for it to fit things.
"Young Master Zhang, what is this for?"
Hu Bayi, having just entered society and being unfamiliar with many things, asked.
"Chicken blood to probe yin and yang, dog blood to boost yang energy, snake blood for strong yin energy."
"I'll pour these bloods into a bowl later, and we'll each take a sip."
Zhang Tian said, leaving the fatty and Hu Bayi utterly bewildered.
"My heavens, Young Master Zhang, we're just saying, Fatty doesn't want to die. How about letting them drink first?"
The fatty looked at the two old men behind them.
Hu Bayi also hesitated.
After all, they didn't know Zhang Tian's background very well, nor were they close friends.
No normal person would readily drink blood.
Seeing their reactions, Zhang Tian said nothing more.
They would beg him to drink it later.
Zhang Tian took out the ancient bracelet.
He poured the blood into a bowl. Zhang Tian could feel waves of yin energy from the crimson blood.
"What kind of illness did this Left Worthy King have, that he needed to drink human blood for treatment?"
Zhang Tian was curious about the Left Worthy King.
According to the item's explanation, if Zhang Tian drank it, he would carry corpse energy for three days.
Then exploring the tomb would be much easier.
Most of the dangers in tombs were from the dead. After drinking, Zhang Tian would be like one of them.
Seeing Zhang Tian finish drinking,
the fatty pursed his lips and shook his head.
"Young Master Zhang, how does it taste?"
"Is there a scent of a young maiden?"
The fatty chuckled.
"A fishy, rotten smell!"
As soon as Zhang Tian finished speaking, a sound came from the water.
Something was moving.
Hu Bayi immediately became vigilant.
Even the fatty fell silent.
Behind them, the two middle-aged men grinned. They quietly submerged themselves in the water, intending to make a move on Zhang Tian and the others.
"Young Master Zhang, Old Hu, what's that sound?"
The fatty looked terrified.
He clutched a large saber.
"There's something in the water!"
Zhang Tian said slowly.
In the ink-black water, something seemed to be swimming.
Like small fish darting in a stream.
Instantly, everyone grew alert.