I am a coroner, and I have some knowledge of martial arts!

Should we not sail after dark?

He had lived in Jiangcheng for so long and had never heard of this claim.

"What's the story behind this?"

Su Wuchen was somewhat curious.

The boatman said with a smile, "There's no particular reason for it, it's just a rule passed down from our ancestors."

"I have a few fish here, would you like to try some, boss?"

"That's great!"

Su Wuchen accepted all comers and got up to go to the hearth.

The boatman smiled and picked up the pots and pans, throwing the cleaned, plump fish one by one into the iron pot. Then he scooped up a few bowls of water from the Li River and poured them into the pot.

In just a short while, the aroma of fish wafted from the pot.

Then, the boatman began adding seasonings to the pot. Whether it was some kind of secret recipe or not, the stewed fish, which originally had a slightly fishy smell, now had a spicy aroma.

"The old man has excellent skills."

Su Wuchen couldn't help but give a thumbs up, "These ingredients are clearly made with a secret recipe."

"Haha, little boss, you're joking. It's just a job for people on the river."

The boatman chuckled, picked up a bowl and chopsticks, and handed them to Su Wuchen. "Young master, are you going to Tongzhou for a trip?"

"Visiting relatives."

Su Wuchen casually replied, "My younger brother is studying and cultivating over there. Since I'm on vacation, I thought I'd go visit him."

The boatman nodded.

Su Wuchen: "Is the old man alone?"

The boatman laughed and said, "There aren't many successors in my line of work."

"Besides, all I have is this dilapidated fishing boat. Who would want to work for me?"

"I've gotten used to being alone over the years."

Su Wuchen nodded. "It's more comfortable being alone."

"Of course."

The boatman smiled and brought out some wine. "It's homemade, young master, would you like a glass?"

Thank you!

Su Wuchen smiled and took the wine bottle, first filling the boatman's glass, then pouring one for himself, "Then I'll take this opportunity to offer a toast to the old man."

The boatman cheerfully raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"It's getting late, and the wind is strong on the river. The young boss should go to sleep early."

The boatman pointed to the neatly folded bedding next to him, "If you don't mind, you can use this set."

"How could I possibly accept this?"

Su Wuchen shook his head, "I'm also a cultivator, so staying up all night isn't a big problem for me."

The boatman looked at Su Wuchen with a smile, "So the young boss is a cultivator, that's quite a surprise."

As they were talking, the boatman poured Su Wuchen another cup of wine.

Why do you say that?

"Those who possess cultivation, aren't they all arrogant and domineering? It's rare to see someone like you."

"Hey, I'm just an ordinary person. I just got lucky and entered the path of cultivation."

The boatman nodded repeatedly, "It's rare to find someone who doesn't forget their original aspirations."

Su Wuchen waved his hands repeatedly, "What do you mean by 'never forget your original aspiration'? I... sigh?"

Su Wuchen rubbed his head, feeling a little dizzy.

"Old man, what kind of drink is this?"

"It's homemade, so it doesn't have much alcohol."

"That's not all..."

Su Wuchen was speaking when he felt dizzy and hurriedly took out several talismans and stuck them on his body.

Boatman: "???"

Su Wuchen: "You're not trying to harm me, are you?"

The boatman almost laughed out of anger, "Why would I harm you?"

Su Wuchen rubbed his head, trying to stay conscious, and then took out another array.

Under the boatman's somewhat bewildered gaze, Su Wuchen uttered a single sentence and fell into a deep sleep.

"Don't touch it..."

Ha ha.

The boatman shook his head and chuckled. It was quite remarkable that an eighth-rank martial artist could withstand his wine for so long.

After clearing away the dishes and chopsticks, the boatman finished washing up and lit the night lamp.

"Is there a boat...?"

Not long after.

A long, drawn-out call echoed from the shore.

The boatman looked up and said, "We have a boat."

As the words "There's a boat" faded, a figure gradually drifted over from afar. The person was a man, his figure somewhat ethereal, and he seemed dazed and confused, like a silly goose.

After the man landed on the boat, he seemed to sense something and looked at where Su Wuchen was.

"Sit still."

The boatman spoke casually, and the man turned his gaze away and took a seat.

"Is there a boat...?"

We're fully booked today, please come again tomorrow.

The boatman responded faintly, and then there was silence on the shore.

"I want to take a boat!"

Just then, a clear, cold voice came from the shore.

The boatman froze, turning to look at the shore, where a person dressed in a bright red wedding gown, wearing a red veil, and holding a lantern stood quietly.

The boatman said slowly, "We're fully booked for today. Please come again tomorrow, young lady."

When do boatmen ferry living people across at night?

"They paid for the boat, so I should take them to their destination."

The boatman said calmly, "Since you know there are living and dead souls on my boat, why do you still insist on boarding?"

"Crossing the river."

"But……"

Just as the boatman was about to speak, the woman in the red wedding dress appeared before him.

She reached up and grabbed the boat pole, then raised the lantern. The boatman's voice was cold: "Young lady, you've overstepped your bounds."

The woman in the red wedding dress remained silent, but walked to the man sitting to the side. The man seemed to suddenly realize something and tried to escape the boat, but a powerful attraction emanated from the lantern in the red wedding dress and pulled him in.

"In that case, it doesn't count as breaking the rules."

"..."

The boatman chuckled speechlessly, "In my 387 years of sailing, this is the first time I've ever seen someone act like this, young lady."

"So, young lady, you're trying to put aside your sorrows and leave this place that brings you grief?"

"No."

Looking sideways at the woman in the red wedding dress, though she wore a red veil, the boatman still felt a chill in the air. "I'm going to settle this sorrow!"

Boatman: "..."

Turtle.

Which bastard dared to mess with this thing?

The boatman shook his head. "Now that you've boarded my Forget-Me-Not Boat, young lady, you should follow the rules."

Splash!

Sheets of white paper money were scattered all over the boat.

While still in a deep sleep, Su Wuchen unconsciously curled up, feeling a bit cold.

A nightlight shone in front of him, and Su Wuchen comfortably turned over again.

"Hit him, Little Black, hit him, damn it..."

"..."

Su Wuchen's ramblings caused the boatman and the woman in the red wedding dress to frown repeatedly.

The woman in the red wedding dress glanced down at him. "Are you going to protect him?"

Boatman: "I'm just doing this for money."

Red Wedding Dress: "I paid too."

Boatman: "So, you're on the boat."

"sail."

The boatman shrugged, untied the rope, and started poling the boat.

Splash!

The boat broke through the calm river water and headed towards the opposite bank.

On the calm water, layers of mist gradually rose, until it became so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

The sound of waves rising and falling was constant in my ears.

A small, covered boat carrying three people glided slowly across the river in the dim light of the night lamps.

"Girl, listen to my advice: on this shore lies a century of entanglement, on the other side lies eternal desolation. Only the boat beneath your feet can ferry you across this stretch of river where you can finally let go."

"I can't let go."

The woman in the red wedding dress shook her head, her voice cold and mournful, "If you haven't experienced the suffering of others, don't advise them to be kind. On this journey, I will not enter the River of Oblivion, nor reach the other shore, but only seek to untie the knot in my heart."

The boatman couldn't help but sigh, raising the boat pole high and then gently lowering it.

Why bother?

Why bother?

"You dare mess with me? Do you even know why the character 'Su' in 'Su' has the grass radical?!"

"..."