bookpub Chapter 18 Fairy, You Can't Handle This Cup of Water
Chapter 18 Fairy, You Can't Handle This Cup of Water
The moment it entered the mouth, a refreshing and sweet taste slid down the soul.
The woman's cool, moon-like face was filled with astonishment.
A surge of life energy, pure to the extreme, that she had never experienced before, exploded within her parched and depleted body.
The feeling was like parched land receiving its first spring rain.
The divine light that had been dimmed by her tribulation now bloomed uncontrollably, with mysterious runes flowing around her and a surge of vitality bursting forth from her body.
She could feel that her damaged immortal roots were being rapidly repaired and nourished by this power.
"What...what kind of water is this?" the woman exclaimed, her eyes, which had witnessed the birth and death of stars, filled with shock.
The purity of this water even surpassed that of the celestial nectar treasured by her master.
"The tap water has been filtered," Chu Jiang said, rowing his fancy boat without turning his head.
The woman looked at the ordinary jade cup in her hand, then at Chu Jiang's nonchalant expression, her mind a jumble of confusion.
She took a deep breath, calmed her turbulent immortal energy, and re-examined the "boatman" before her.
"You are not an ordinary underworld messenger," the woman said with certainty.
"Oh? What do you mean?" Chu Jiang yawned, looking like he hadn't woken up yet.
"Ordinary underworld officials could not possibly possess this holy water containing primordial merit." The woman paused, then added, "Even more impossible, in my celestial calculations, it is a state of chaos."
"Maybe it's because I haven't paid my internet bill, and the signal is bad," Chu-Jiang casually made up.
The woman ignored his banter. She looked at the deep blue waters and the gleaming spirit boat, and slowly spoke.
"You think you're just ferrying the dead?"
Chu Jiang paused his rowing motion for a moment.
"Otherwise what? My full job title is Ferryman of the Three Crossings of the River of the Underworld, or simply boatman."
"You're wrong." The woman's voice carried a strange penetrating power. "What you've touched is the authority of 'ferrying'."
"Power?" Chu Jiang frowned; the word sounded very prestigious.
"All things in heaven and earth have their own rules. Birth and death, reincarnation, creation, destruction... these are all supreme laws."
"And beneath these laws lie countless branches, which we call 'authority.' Doctors wield the authority of 'healing,' emperors wield the authority of 'rule,' and you…"
The woman extended her slender finger and pointed at Chu Jiang.
"You are now in control of the 'ferry'. Connecting this shore with the other, sending people off and welcoming them, this in itself is a power of rules that transcends the boundaries of life and death."
Chu Jiang was stunned.
"You mean, I'm not working, I'm... cultivating immortality?"
"You're not cultivating immortality, you're 'acting'," the woman corrected.
"Play a role? Play what? Play a miserable working person who gets up earlier than the chickens, goes to bed later than the dogs, and doesn't even have weekends?" Chu Jiang couldn't help but complain.
"You are playing the role of the concept of 'ferryman' itself."
The woman's words awakened Chu Jiang.
"Every rule you set at this ferry crossing—'queueing,' 'calling numbers,' 'charging'—is not a simple management tool. You are using your own will to define the laws governing the authority of 'ferrying'."
"Every time you shout 'queue up,' you are reinforcing your divine throne. Every 'fare' you collect is a declaration of your ownership of this world."
"Judge Wei banished you here, thinking he was giving you a hard job. Little did he know, he was personally placing you on a divine pedestal."
boom--!
Chu Jiang felt a sudden burst of clarity in his mind.
He always thought the system was his cheat code.
Now he understood that he himself was the biggest advantage. The system was merely a tool to help him understand and utilize this power.
[Warning! The host has detected the rudimentary form of 'Authority'! Conflict with the worldview framework!]
[System logic is undergoing underlying restructuring...]
[Reconstruction complete!]
[Ding! Congratulations, host! The God-Level Ferryman System 2.0 has been successfully updated!]
[As compensation, the host is rewarded with a god-level divine ability: Authority Simulation!]
[Authority Simulation: Within the Three Paths Ferry area, the host can simulate the authority of any 'profession' that you deeply understand, and briefly wield a portion of its power. Note: The realism and duration of the simulation are related to the host's depth of understanding of that profession and the consumption of soul power.]
Chu Jiang was stunned as he felt the massive flow of information flooding into his mind.
Authority simulation?
Does that mean that if he wanted to, he could play the role of a "doctor" at this ferry crossing, possessing the power of healing? Or play the role of a "chef," creating delicacies imbued with laws?
Even... playing the role of a "programmer"?
Chu Jiang's gaze unconsciously drifted towards the Soul-Nourishing Wood phone that Li the programmer treasured.
"So that's how it is..." Chu Jiang murmured to himself.
No wonder that mysterious Taoist priest was so powerful, yet he was still willing to abide by the rules he set.
Because at this crossroads, Chu Jiang's rules are the law!
"Thank you for your clarification, fairy." Chu Jiang came to his senses and cupped his hands in greeting to the woman.
This time, his attitude was much more sincere.
"No need," the woman said calmly. "I'm just stating what I've seen. Ultimately, you have to walk your own path."
"Well, you have to walk your own path and collect your own money." Chu Jiang changed the subject, revealing his signature shrewd smile.
The woman paused for a moment, not understanding what he meant.
"Fairy, what you just said is priceless to me." Chu Jiang rubbed his fingers together.
"This falls under the category of paid knowledge services, high-end consulting. So, it seems you'll have to pay extra for this trip."
A crack appeared in the woman's aloof expression.
She had lived for countless years, and this was the first time she had ever encountered someone who dared to bargain with her.
And this is under these circumstances.
"What you just said has given me a completely new understanding of my life plan and career development." Chu Jiang began his performance.
"You have to pay some compensation for emotional distress—no, for the premium in terms of conceptual understanding—right?"
"What do you want?" The woman looked at him, her eyes showing no anger, but rather a hint of curiosity.
"I'm a straightforward person, I don't play games with you." Chu Jiang spread his hands. "Just give me whatever you think is appropriate. Rare and precious materials, divine martial arts manuals, innate spiritual treasures, I don't care."
The woman was so angry at his shameless and self-righteous attitude that she laughed.
She stretched out her hand, and a flash of light appeared in her palm. A golden Dao seed, radiating chaotic energy and seemingly containing a complete world, appeared in her hand.
"This is the 'Celestial Origin Dao Seed,' a protective item bestowed upon me by my master before my tribulation. It can help you solidify your foundation of power and evolve a small world."
"Consider this...your fare." The woman handed the seed to Chu-Jiang.
Chu Jiang took the heavy Dao Seed and stared wide-eyed at the immense power within it.
This is great stuff!
"You're so generous, fairy!" Chu Jiang immediately put on a fawning smile and personally refilled the woman's cup of holy water of merit. "Please enjoy, there's more if you need it!"
The woman shook her head, watching his expression change faster than turning the pages of a book, and said nothing more.
The ship soon arrived at the so-called "gate of return".
It was a portal of light suspended in the void, and on the other side of the portal was a celestial sea of clouds shrouded in immortal energy.
As the woman disembarked, just before stepping through the portal of light, she suddenly turned back and asked a question.
"What's your name?"
"Sanzu Ferry, Chu Jiang." Chu Jiang waved. "Welcome back next time, and remember to give us a five-star review!"
The woman glanced at him, then disappeared into the portal.
Chu Jiang looked at the golden Dao Seed in his hand, his mouth practically watering.
Can this stuff be used as fertilizer?
I'll use this to water my holy water of merit; I wonder if it will generate more KPIs.