Otherworldly Merchant

Zhou Tufu’s sneer and Yin Xinyue’s call for help had become buzzing noises in my head.

My consciousness turned hazy but my rage was continuously increasing. It was like a volcano that could erupt in the next minute!

I just wanted to vent my brimming anger against someone… But who could it be? Zhou Tufu was up there outside the cave; I couldn’t reach him to solve the problem. Zhou Laoshi was dead…

Zhou Laoshi, right, everything happened because of Zhou Laoshi! We wouldn’t be in such a bind if it weren’t for him! 

I didn’t care if he was just a corpse; I stormed forward and stomped his dead body. I felt how his skull broke, sending pieces of bone everywhere.

Chuyi jumped forward to stop me from attacking Zhou Laoshi’s corpse.

It would have been better if Chuyi had remained where he was; I was truly incensed the moment he grabbed me. In the end, it’s all because of him! It’s okay if he wants to meddle in someone else’s business, but he entangled us in the process! 

He was sitting there chanting his damn sacred text as if nothing happened while both Yin Xinyue and Li Meng were in danger. That only added fuel to the fire, so I directly attacked him.

Luckily, I wasn’t his match. He easily subdued me after two or three strikes.

My resentment kept surging and the flames of anger burned even higher. All of my resentful energy was currently aimed at Chuyi!

Zhou Tufu jumped into the cave after seeing that.

Although he was standing in front of me, the thought of facing and killing him didn’t cross my mind. Killing Chuyi was the only goal occupying my mind; It wouldn’t be too late to subdue Zhou Tufu after that…

It wasn’t logical to talk to a man overtaken by rage.

Looking back, I didn’t know why I had behaved so absurdly.

Zhou Tufu sneered as he looked at me. “Do you hate this man to death? I can help you deal with him. If it weren’t for him, perhaps you and your girlfriend would have been having hotpot in an air-conditioned room right now. It’s much better than living in this cave like some animal.”

My exasperation continued to rise, even before Zhou Tufu finished speaking.

Right, I would have been on a date with my girl if it weren’t for Chuyi. We could have been watching some movies, or travelling, just the two of us! We wouldn’t be here suffering. And Yin Xinyue’s life wouldn’t be in danger!

Zhou Tufu mumbled something. I immediately felt a strange wind pass through the cave. That wind brought goosebumps to my skin. However, it couldn’t rouse my consciousness.

I saw the dried corpses move after the evil wind had blown over. They stiffly walked and surrounded us like a bunch of robots.

Chuyi cursed under his breath. He avoided me and started dealing with those dried corpses.

Of course I didn’t want to let him go. I was like a magnet drawn to the iron after he tried to avoid me. I kept grabbing, pulling and biting him.

Those corpses also swarmed over and overwhelmed Chuyi. They had an endless amount of strength, even after being dead for a really long time.

Gradually, his resistance became weaker and weaker.

Although Chuyi didn’t have the strength to resist, his mouth kept moving as he chanted ‘the sacred text of Daoism’ to stamp down his rage and keep his mind sane.

I saw Chuyi being pressed to the ground and everything was about to come to an end. Right then, Zhou Laoshi’s body moved!

Although I had smashed his head and the pieces of his skull had been scattered, his corpse stood up and sprang towards Zhou Tufu.

Zhou Tufu never expected that Zhou Laoshi’s corpse would attack him. He immediately chanted some spell to counter him. The grain pouch flew back and forth and eventually landed in Zhou Tufu’s hand.

Zhou Laoshi’s corpse was suddenly ignited before Zhou Tufu could make his next move; the flames engulfed his entire body in the blink of an eye. Zhou Tufu screamed in pain, since he was also being affected.

I could feel my consciousness return while Zhou Tufu was restrained by the sea of fire. However, I still found it hard to control my anger.

Chuyi finally had a chance to resist. He drew his sword and used it to fend off the corpses, while at the same time he shouted, asking Yin Xinyue and Li Meng to hoist us up.

They threw a rope down and Chuyi tied me up. I struggled in anger and kept attacking him, but I was soon pulled up.

I didn’t know how long it took for me to finally exhale and stabilize my emotions. At some point, the hatred I felt toward Chuyi was finally gone.

The fire burned strongly; red flames were rising like snakes crawling inside the cave.

Our scalps tingled as we heard Zhou Tufu scream with a voice as loud as thunder. I imagined Zhou Tufu’s body being burned, his veins bursting, his skin charred…

The column of smoke attracted the farmers living at the foothills of the mountain. They went to see the disturbance.

No one wanted to report to the police when they found out it was Zhou Tufu who was on fire. They didn’t say a word blaming us, although they had their suspicions. They left the mountain quietly after the fire ceased.

My curiosity was on the rise. “Why didn’t the villagers act to save Zhou Tufu?”

Chuyi answered, “Zhou Tufu had often caused rain and storms in the village. He forced unfair deals and all the villagers hated him. However, Zhou Tufu was fierce and powerful. No one dared to offend him since he had the grain pouch.”

I went to the cave with Chuyi to check and investigate after the flames were extinguished.

The scene was a real mess. Zhou Tufu and the dried corpses had been incinerated; only a few small pieces of charred bones remained.

Zhou Tufu had clutched the grain pouch tightly the moment he died. Strangely enough, the grain pouch was still intact even after the horrible fire. There was nothing different except for a burned spot on the hemp knitting.

I also found two strange dried corpses that weren’t destroyed by the fire.

They preserved a straight-backed meditating pose.

Their skins were unaffected by the extreme heat. The corpses were holding hands as if they would never divert from their path.

Chuyi sighed as he looked at the two dried corpses. Then, he kneeled and kowtowed deeply.

If I guessed correctly, those two corpses were Boyi and Shuqi’s remains.

They sat upright, preserving their indomitable stance while facing the intense fire, all thanks to their virtues. They were indeed true sages.

I followed suit and worshipped them.

Chuyi was worried about others using that cave for their dark schemes in the future. He found several rocks and completely sealed the cave after we got out.

He handed me the grain pouch afterwards, saying that I could sell it for a good price.

I was a little embarrassed. Does he only see me as a shameless businessman who doesn’t wake up early unless there’s a benefit involved? 

Chuyi seemed to understand my thoughts. He smiled and said, “A gentleman loves money and he earns through fair means. As long as you’re not like Zhou Tufu who acted maliciously using evil magic, it’s a sort of practice even if you’re in this profession for the money…”

Oh right, people have had more than three-hundred-and-sixty occupations to choose from since ancient times, right?

No matter if you’re the prime minister of a country or a waste collector, you can earn the respect of the people if you work with your heart and bring no harm to anyone.

I had heard about so many businessmen who had brewed fake wine or made trashy food, harming a lot of people in the process. Eventually, their assets and families would be obliterated; even their children couldn’t escape this fate.

I had also seen how a man selling vegetables and condiments reached the age of ninety-eight, after working with his true heart and giving more than receiving.

Your time will come! This is a rule of life proven time and again since the days of our forefathers!