Folklore simulation, starting with the mortician

"You debt collector, the Kitchen God is here to take you away!"

As the shout came from afar, the boat drew closer and closer. The altar master, who was lying on the deck, twitched his eyelids and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"Nonsense, nonsense! You old codger who buried me, you were the one who instigated this attempt to kill me, how could you be calling me by a different name?"

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you, and feed you to the river!"

The altar master's voice grew increasingly shrill, his throat so thin and high-pitched that it was completely devoid of human tone.

The crawling body suddenly turned around and rushed towards the old man on the river. Its sharp claws, carried by the wind, pounced on the old man.

With a swift swipe of its claws at the old man's skin, it tore off the entire skin, revealing, to everyone's surprise, a different person underneath.

The man had a young face, around forty years old, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light as he waited for the altar master to regain his footing and withdraw his attack.

"You debt collector, what's wrong? You don't even recognize your own kitchen god?"

The man just smiled, staring at the altar master, who stared back at him. After a long while, the altar master finally muttered to himself, "My lord, you're too late! You're too late!"

The altar master suddenly burst into tears and collapsed onto the deck like a child, crying out, "They all say you're dead! You died in the river, swallowed by some fish! Oh, sir! Oh, sir! Please save me!"

"I'm out of options, I have no choice but to kill them all!"

After these words were spoken, everyone's eyes widened. Huang, the chief clerk, was the first to realize that he had been deceived, not only by Xiang Tongzi but also by the River Drifter.

What's the point of betting your life? In the end, you're betting your own life.

For some reason, he burst into tears while laughing, "Young Master, we were so wrong, so terribly wrong!"

They were crying on one side and sighing on the other.

"There's no going back, there's no going back!"

The altar master stared blankly at the middle-aged man before him, watching helplessly as his body gradually deformed, no longer resembling its original form.

"So, I'm just taking you with me, so as not to tarnish the reputation of our ancestors or leave a bad legacy for future generations!"

The middle-aged man shook his head. Seeing that the water puppet that the altar master had transformed into had lost its humanity, he tapped the boat plank with his toes and jumped up from the river surface.

Li Feng was stunned by what he saw, and thought the skill was impressive, like a craft.

Mr. Lin, who was there, appeared beside Li Feng at some point and introduced the technique, saying, "This is a method of striking the yang stake. Judging from the heat, it should be the shopkeeper's. I have only been to Gaoyin County and have been to Suolong Village. It was a gloomy place."

"I thought it was just a picnic and I had to pay respects to a river god, but I didn't expect it to be a skill that can be passed down. I can't really tell what's going on inside."

Li Feng may not have been as knowledgeable as Mr. Lin, but he had his own methods. He could learn other people's skills as soon as he saw them and even just a glimpse of them.

The middle-aged man scooped up a water puppet from the water with his fingers shaped like claws and hooks. He pinched the puppet's collarbone and cracked it. The puppet let out a strange cry and shrank into a ball.

As the ball was tossed into the air, the middle-aged man's face changed, transforming into a ferocious expression. He bulged his chest and abdomen, then suddenly exhaled a mouthful of fire. The fire was so fierce that it instantly reduced the ball to ashes.

The whole process was smooth and seamless.

Li Feng was dumbfounded. He never expected that these methods could be used in such a coherent way. It broadened his horizons and he couldn't help but want to ask for a piece of this person's personal belongings.

"What are you standing there for? Help! If you expect me to do it alone, we'll all die here!"

The middle-aged man couldn't help but roar and spew fire in their direction.

The fire kept burning, like a fiery snake, coiling around everyone and making their cheeks turn red.

Upon being scalded by the fiery snake, Mr. Lin was the first to react, and the door to the furnace, which was covered by miasma, was opened.

The furnace, which had been smoldering for quite some time, was almost choking with smoke. Mr. Lin and Chief Steward Huang exchanged a glance, noticing the strange look in each other's eyes.

This person who came here is skilled and experienced, but he doesn't look like someone who has entered the household; he's more like someone who has already entered the hall.

But thinking there must be a specific way to deal with them, they didn't say much and each used their own methods to deal with these water puppets.

It's unclear how many of these water puppets there are; some are still hidden underwater and haven't come out yet, and some are even dressed in the style of the previous dynasty.

Mr. Lin didn't use his most secret techniques; he used both the stripping method and the sealing method, peeling one side and stuffing the other.

They were quite skilled at alternating between them, but they could only cover up a limited amount.

Needless to say, Huang Da, the fortune teller, used all his skills as a fortune teller. With a large brush in his hand, he touched the water puppet's brow and changed its fate.

However, with each use of this technique, Huang Da's complexion grew increasingly gloomy.

This is the domineering aspect of fortune telling, but also its weakness.

Within the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the water puppets that were nearby were carried away, and everyone felt a sense of relief, thinking about how to escape.

But then, looking up at the sky, there was another movement. A full moon tore through the veil, casting its light once more upon the river.

This time, not only did the river surface churn, but the thunder in the sky grew even stronger, crackling and sputtering against the boat's planks, sending up several arcs of electricity that tore the already overburdened planks to shreds.

"The light is dim! Hurry, hurry!"

Huang Dazhang splashed ink on the table, scattering a large area of ​​it on the crowd of water puppets that rushed forward. He staggered and almost fell to the ground.

"Big Brother!"

The voice came from the handsome young man, clear and melodious.

The handsome young man stepped forward and hurriedly helped Huang, the head of the yamen. Huang waved his large hand, "Go! Go now! If we don't leave, we'll all die here! Our fate can't end with us!"

Li Feng and Mr. Lin were both taken aback by the scene, finding it rather strange.

But they didn't say anything, and instead used their methods to throw the water puppets that were nearby out.

As everyone jumped onto the boat, the middle-aged man grinned. "Gentlemen, this is where we part ways. Take care on your journeys. I still have this matter to settle, otherwise I won't be able to face my ancestors in the afterlife!"

After saying that, the middle-aged man pushed the boat away, using all his skills to the fullest.

Mr. Lin and Chief Steward Huang wanted to help, but the equipment in the furnace suddenly stopped, and their methods also ceased. They could only urge the boat to move out of the area as quickly as possible.

Just as everyone caught their breath and steered the boat out of the whirlpool, a tail suddenly shot straight up from the water and crashed down.