Chapter 96: The Hell We’re About to Face

Facing my question, Johnny didn’t answer me, but said that we would talk about it on the boat.

In fact, there was no reason for us to linger in this small village. We had already explored everything we needed to, and the black sheep had already died and been disposed of properly. So, as evening approached, we set out on our journey back.

“Are you worried that our actions will be leaked?” The setting sun was red, illuminating the barren village and lengthening our shadows. Walking on this simple but natural road, Cheng Yuan suddenly took my arm and asked me.

Before I could answer, the chatty Wal-Mart had already spoken up: “It’s impossible to be leaked. The village here is isolated, the villagers are superstitious, and some are numb. They can’t spread such things.”

“That’s probably true, but what we should worry about is not what ordinary people know, but just a big catfish. Rather, I believe that people with a heart will never give up on the issue.” Uncle Johnny is the kind of person who can’t be happy without alcohol. When he said this, he took out his tin wine flask filled with Wuliangye and took a sip.

The light of the setting sun hit his side face, his slightly furrowed brow and slightly narrowed eyes looked so full of vicissitudes and worries, making my mood heavy as well. Our actions should be kept secret. The four major powers in the unique circle of Indian cultivators should not be able to find out anything, right?

Back on the boat, Singh had prepared a simple but substantial dinner for us. He was just like a typical Indian, who could not do anything without curry. Even Hui Gen’er’s fried eggs were kindly seasoned with a little curry.

But after a long day of travel, we ate very sweetly. Hui Gen’er held up his ginger tea and shouted, “No one is a true man who has not climbed the Great Wall, and no one has been to India without eating curry.”

We laughed heartily! The sky was already dark blue, and the stars had already appeared. The joy of dinner seemed to have made us forget all the thrilling adventures of the day.

After dinner, as usual, there was a deck meeting every night. The “virtuous” Singh placed a blazing stove in the middle of us, then poured a glass of whiskey for everyone. Walma was very happy sipping the drink: “If this is the adventurous years, I hope that these years will never end.”

I ignored the excited Walmar and just took a sip of my drink, looking at Johnny and saying, “Johnny, you said you would tell us everything back on the ship. Is it about time?”

“I don’t know who you learned your impatient nature from.” After saying this, Johnny drank the wine in his glass in one gulp, and then asked Singh to pour him another glass before saying, “Li has always been very calm. I hope that when you reach the age of forty, you will be half as calm as Li. You think I’m hiding something from you, but I’m not. I’ve told you everything before. Even Li can’t guarantee that nothing will happen, but there’s one thing I didn’t say at the time, because it didn’t make sense until I saw the contaminated monster.

“What is it?” I put down my glass and lit a cigarette for myself. This has almost become a habit. When I am thinking and serious, I always need one.

And my attitude makes everyone else take it seriously.

“That is what Li once said, no matter what kind of mutation is caused by the existence of the contaminated creature, it will always have the unique purple color of Kunlun! So when I first went into the water, I was observing this. Now I can also confirm that the contaminated creature has become bloodthirsty and ferocious. This is not a light matter. Can you imagine the consequences of an elephant becoming a carnivore?” Johnny sighed slightly at this point, looking out at the distant night sky beyond the deck and said, “I am very worried that the Ganges is full of these monsters, and what a tragic consequence it will bring to the people of this land! But in fact, today’s discovery also proves one of Li’s speculations.”

“My master had a theory?” I asked, puffing on my cigarette.

“Yes, he once said that polluted creatures, like people addicted to opium, always want opium, and those creatures are also likely to follow the source of pollution! I’m sure there were more than one man-eating catfish in the past, which is why there were so many tragic incidents. But today, we only met one underwater, which shows that the man-eating catfish that used to roam here has already left with the presence… In fact, I’m very worried about what the place where the presence is now will become like. Is it hell? I hope it’s not a place where people gather. After saying this, Johnny once again drank his glass of wine.

I was also feeling a bit down. I could imagine that we might be facing many of these man-eating catfish, or even… Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but ask Johnny, “Besides catfish, could other creatures do it?”

“Any living thing! You don’t know, that existence is actually…” Johnny squinted again, his eyes seemed infinitely deep, and then decided not to hide it, but to say it plainly: “That existence is actually a corpse, understand? The one that holds it… I really can’t describe it, you can only understand it if you see it with your own eyes. If I have to say, I can only say that it is a strange ship.”

After saying this, Uncle Johnny sighed, put down his cup, and walked to the bow of the ship. His voice drifted to our ears along with the wind.

“This is indeed a terrible mutation, you know? These giant catfish are actually not that scary. They are mostly found in the Mekong River in Vietnam, and there are many in Africa. I’m sure the Yangtze River in China may also have giant catfish, but I’ve never heard of catfish eating people in these places except in India. As he spoke, Johnny’s fingers lightly touched the railing of the Penglai, and he continued, “Yes, there are very old funeral customs in India, such as water burial, which makes the fish here a little different. But if this reasoning is correct, then wouldn’t the more places where water burial is practiced be more dangerous? This is not a reason for the catfish to change! In those places, nothing like this has happened, not to mention that animals that are used to eating dead things and carrion are almost never going to touch live things… just like vultures! So, do you think this mutation is terrible? In Vietnam, giant catfish that are almost hunted are transformed into killers in India, creating so many bloody cases. If they lose their restraint… Johnny’s expression was worried, as if he had suddenly aged ten years.

Then he came over, sat down heavily, poured himself another glass of wine, and said to me, “Chengyi, we can’t wait any longer. I have to stop it, even if I have to face hell! This pollution is spiritual pollution. This is what Li told me. The reason why I let you use the soul-roaring technique underwater today is none other than these polluted animals, which have been contaminated with some of the soul power of the Kunlun disaster. Roaring it away can temporarily stop its ferocity! In fact, I think that when we really get to the place where the existence sleeps, these polluted existences will be controlled, just as if they were all sharing a single soul… This concept may be very abstract, but I hope you understand. I can’t wait any longer.”

I naturally understand, just as the master told me about the concept of the fish spirit, thousands of fish produce a powerful fish spirit, and these polluted animals can actually be understood as each existing being sharing a little of the soul power of the Kunlun disaster, they are like the same race, and can even be understood as one, and will naturally be controlled by the main soul.

As for those that didn’t leave, I don’t know why they didn’t follow the others out of their habitat. It’s like the catfish today. After all, there are too many coincidental events in the world, and I can’t ask for an explanation for each one. But I can draw a small inference, which is that as time passes, as the pollution source moves away, the ferocity in it, or the pollutants, will slowly fade away. After all, what was found in its stomach were various small animals, not people. You have to know that even if the people in the village don’t go into the water, what about the town? What about the other villages? It insists on eating people, and it always gets to eat them! But it didn’t…

In addition, it did not attack us the first time we sneaked into its lair.

I don’t know if my deduction is correct, but when I asked Johnny for his opinion, he agreed with me. He said, “It’s the soul that doesn’t dissipate, not the soul power. Your deduction is naturally correct. This relieved me, but the real bomb was still hidden, waiting for us to defuse it.

“Yes, I can’t imagine what that place has become, but this is a very valuable clue and good news. At least, we haven’t heard anything terrible, which means it’s drifting in an uninhabited place, not a densely populated place. Isn’t that great news?” I comforted Johnny, but in fact, the danger we face is not going to be any less.

“Yes, this is the best news. I hope we can get through this… and you can successfully obtain the first remnant soul of your master.” Johnny said seriously.

I was silent. What then? After that, there are four more remnants of the soul, and then I will have to face the real monster near Penglai?