Chapter 227 - Chapter 227: Chapter 220 River God?_1 (1/2)

Chapter 227: Chapter 220 River God?_1

Translator: 549690339

The commoners at the bottom live the hardest lives, with the weakest ability to withstand risks.

At the slightest disturbance, many ordinary people lack even the ability to escape.

Men like these two, who looked like merchants, were a cut above the rest among the commoners; at least they could play both sides. Not only did they have legal identities with the Black Tiger Gang, but they also secretly held valid identities with the Nine Insect Gang.

In modern terms, that would be akin to having dual citizenship.

Some who couldn’t secure legal identities from other factions and had a small amount of money foresaw the changes early. They sold their assets and moved to the areas most likely to be taken over by the Shennong Sect.

After a stable transition, they’d still be able to purchase land and live a good life.

The most tormented must be the impoverished, ordinary folks without money or connections.

Faced with the onset of war or disaster, they could only gamble with their lives. Compared to these people, Qin Niu was one of the few who had managed to break free.

With his strength and cultivation level, he believed that he could fare well in any faction’s territory.

Time passed bit by bit, and it was soon the fourth watch of the night.

About thirty-seven or thirty-eight people had gathered inside the inn, some with families in tow, going to the Nine Insect Gang to seek refuge with relatives; others were alone.

Then, another seven or eight people came down from the guest rooms on the second floor.

“Is everyone ready?”

The landlady had changed into a set of black tight-fitting clothes and was holding a precious sword in a sharkskin sheath, with a large bundle strapped to her back.

This outfit left everyone stunned.

Was she playing multiple roles all by herself?

“We’ve been ready for a while! Just waiting for the guide to come!”

Let’s go! Keep close to me! And remember, you must keep quiet; otherwise, we all get into trouble if hassle crops up,” the landlady warned everyone, then leaped out as she opened the inn’s main door.

She revealed an unexpectedly impressive physical agility.

Qin Niu felt his horizons broadening.

Appearances can be deceiving; who would have thought that an innkeeper, who looked like an aging woman on the surface, would possess noteworthy strength behind the scenes.

Turns out she was quite the moneymaker.

The fee for guiding one person was 200 wen; for ten people, that was 2000 wen, the equivalent of Two Silver Money.

With a total of forty-six or forty-seven people here, guiding them once would mean more than nine silver ingots in income.

And that didn’t include the money spent by guests in her inn.

Indeed, every surviving store had its own ways to earn wealth.

The crowd followed closely behind her, moving forward in the dark.

No one dared to make a sound.

They were like a ghost army.

Before long, they arrived at the great river’s edge.

Qin Niu had been here once before but hadn’t found where the bridge was.

He definitely wouldn’t dare venture into the river.

If something could scare the Diamond Ink Turtle that much, it meant the creatures in the water were extremely fearsome.

Under her lead, everyone stopped at a point where the river was relatively narrow.

Because the river narrower here, the current seemed much more rapid.

“Line up, I’ll escort each one of you across the river. Remember, don’t fall into the river, or it means certain death,” she announced before unwrapping the large bundle on her back, pulling out a long rope.

This rope seemed to be specially made. Its exact material was unclear, but it felt exceptionally sturdy.

It was also relatively lightweight.

The color was brown with a slight hint of gold.

Upon extracting this large bundle of rope, she nimbly climbed up a large tree and secured one end of the rope around the trunk.

Then, from the shadows, she carried over a small boat.

This boat was custom-made, its bottom covered in a thin layer of copper while wooden on the side. The bow was pointed, and the stern was flat.

It looked as though a boat had been cut into two, and this was just the front half.

The width of the small boat was barely over one meter, with a length of less than two meters—compact and agile. Judging by its size, carrying an adult of moderate weight might risk sinking it.

She moved the boat to the riverbank, then fitted it with two oars. After placing the rope on the boat, she tied the rope’s end to a metal ring at the stern. Once everything was set, she didn’t immediately let the boat into the water.

Instead, she retrieved a large bag from the bundle that seemed quite heavy.

Qin Niu smelled blood.

It was probably crushed meat, mixed with other substances, exuding a strange scent.

“Pipi, come out!”

With her call, a small monkey emerged.

It was less than a foot tall, wearing a little vest. Its face was covered in white fur, somewhat resembling the legendary white-faced monkey.

But the white-faced monkey was much larger than this one.

This little monkey radiated intelligence.

After appearing, it glanced at Qin Niu fearfully, then shrank back into the landlady’s arms.

The landlady looked at Qin Niu with a touch of surprise but said nothing further.

Qin Niu had a Grade Seven Golden Toad with him, and the little monkey must have sensed its aura, hence its apprehension.

Grade Five Beast Pets were already rare.

Grade Six Beast Pets were even scarcer.

And those reaching Grade Seven were exceptionally few.

A Grade Seven Beast Pet was no ordinary commodity; like a human in the Innate Realm, it represented a being of some status and strength.

The landlady took off a hooded cloak from her back and put it on, securely guarding her head and face.

The little monkey and the bag of bloody food were placed inside the boat.

She started by throwing two handfuls of crushed meat into the river.