Chapter 136 - 14: Purple Axe and Orange Axe

Chapter 136: Chapter 14: Purple Axe and Orange AxeXiao Jie couldn’t help but exclaim, "My goodness, does ’I Want to Be Immortal’ have incredible luck or what? Even crossing a river triggers an adventure?" However, he guessed that this adventure must be related to the weapon carried by the person crossing the river, probably only an ax could trigger it. Seeing that ’I Want to Be Immortal’ still looked confused, he said speechlessly, "Haven’t you heard the story of the golden axe and the silver axe?" "No, what’s it about?" Xiao Jie was truly shocked this time. "My God, what did you learn when you were young that you haven’t even heard such a classic story? Seriously, you should read more books. Never mind, I’ll just give you a brief rundown. "Once there was a woodcutter crossing a river over a bridge, and he accidentally dropped his axe into the river. The woodcutter sat on the bank and wept bitterly. Suddenly, a river god emerged from the river and asked him what was wrong, and the woodcutter said he had lost his axe. The river god said, ’Don’t be sad, I’ll help you fetch it.’ After a while, the river god brought up a silver axe and asked if it was his. The woodcutter was very honest and said no. The river god went back into the river and fetched a golden axe this time, asking if it was his. The woodcutter said that wasn’t his either, that he had lost an iron axe. Finally, the river god fetched an iron axe, and the woodcutter said yes, yes, yes, that was his axe. Pleased with his honesty, the river god said since he was so honest, he would give him all three axes. Later, the woodcutter told his friend about this, and his friend also ran to the river and threw his axe into the water. The river god fetched a golden axe, and his friend, being greedy, said yes, yes, yes, that was the one he dropped. The river god fetched a silver axe, and his friend again claimed that too. Angered by his greed, the river god said he deserved to have none of the axes and left.] (I didn’t really want to write this story because most readers already know it, but I had to include it for the plot to flow smoothly. To prevent anyone from thinking I’m padding the word count, I’m releasing an extra 500 words of free content this Chapter. The method is to first publish 2800 words, then adjust in the backend, adding the extra 500 words, so these 500 words aren’t included in the paid content, making this Chapter a total of 3300 words, which everyone can enjoy without worry.) After hearing the story, ’I Want to Be Immortal’ seemed thoughtful. "So, should I be on the riverbank holding my head in my hands and crying now?" Xiao Jie laughed, "Well taught, youngster! Exactly, you must hold your head and cry; otherwise, how would the river god appear? Hurry up, remember the story, huh! If the river god offers you a golden or silver axe, you mustn’t take it. Be an honest child." ’I Want to Be Immortal’ seemed skeptical. "Brother Feng, isn’t this story meant for children?" "Haha, you guessed right. It is indeed a children’s book." ’I Want to Be Immortal’ said, "But wait, the style of this game doesn’t match these children’s stories, right? It can’t just be a coincidence, can it?" Xiao Jie decisively denied, "No, definitely not a coincidence. Otherwise, why would nothing else but the axe in my bag have fallen into the river? But you were right about one thing, the story of the golden axe and the silver axe doesn’t quite fit the ambiance of this world, so perhaps things might take a different turn soon. Let’s just play it by ear. But generally speaking, whether it’s children’s books or ’Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio,’ they advocate for the reader to be good. Offers like these from river gods are often tests, so I feel that being honest is the right approach. What do you think, are you confident in resisting temptation?" ’I Want to Be Immortal’ readily agreed: "Don’t worry, Brother Feng. How could I fall for a story meant to fool children? Should I start crying now?" "Come on, whichever appears, a river god or something else, remember to maintain an honest attitude like the woodcutter in the story, and certainly don’t act like the woodcutter’s friend." "What about you?" "I’ll cover you from the side. In case something goes wrong, I’ll be ready to step in immediately." "Step in? The river god isn’t going to eat people, is it?" "Who knows? It’s always good to be prepared." Having finished speaking, he sat down cross-legged, meditated, replenished his inner strength and energy, then stood behind ’I Want to Be Immortal’, ready to act at a moment’s notice. "Begin." I Want to Be Immortal immediately burst into loud crying, howling into the microphone. "Wuuuuu, I am so miserable, so miserable; my axe, why did you leave me?" "Put some feeling into it, will you? You sound so fake," Xiao Jie coached from the side. I Want to Be Immortal had no choice but to put more emotion into it. "Wuuuuu, my beloved axe, we’ve shared so many years of hardship, you are the only valuable thing I own, a treasured family heirloom, how am I to face my ancestors without you!" He cried for a long time with no response. "Brother Feng, wuuuuu, what’s happening?" Xiao Jie felt a bout of inner ridicule, wondering if it could really just be a coincidence. Suddenly, the river’s surface churned, and a huge whirlpool appeared out of nowhere. "Here it comes, don’t stop, keep going." Amid the cries of ’I Want to Be Immortal’, a beautiful woman shrouded in mist and dressed in black appeared before them. Jiao Yuehua (River God) Level 26: Life Value 3000. The beautiful river god, dressed lightly with bare feet, her black silk skirt intermittently revealing her pale, luminous skin, shimmered with water light. At this moment, a mysterious fog seemed to rise around her, even the lighting turning ethereal. The scene was so dreamlike it made one wonder if they were dreaming. "Young man, why are you crying so bitterly here?" "Immortal! I’m so shocked; there is actually a river god, and she’s a beautiful immortal at that." "Hehehe, yes, I am the river god of Jingshui River, seeing you so pitiful I came to meet you—the young man over there, put down your knife." "Hehehe, Ms. Immortal is joking. How could I dare to disrespect you? It’s just that I didn’t realize it was you arriving. You know, in these wild hills, it would be bad if a mountain spirit or water monster appeared." As he spoke, Xiao Jie put away his knife. This river god didn’t seem quite right, mainly because her level was too low. Even if a river god was a lower-ranking immortal, Level 26 seemed embarrassingly low. Unless immortals have a different method for calculating levels, or perhaps the River God herself was just weak? In any case, something felt off, but even if the other party wasn’t an immortal, he probably shouldn’t mess with her, so it was best not to anger her. "Hehe, tell me, young man, what trouble have you encountered?" "My axe fell into the river, and it’s a treasured family heirloom." sniffled. "No need to be sad, I’ll fish it out for you, just wait a moment." With that, she dived into the water and vanished. Xiao Jie’s eyelids twitched. Damn, she’s definitely a demon! She just dove in like that; what kind of River God dives into the water this way? He didn’t dare to make a sound and sent a private message to ’I Want to Be Immortal’ immediately. "Be careful in dealing with her!" Before long, the beautiful River God surfaced again, a gorgeous golden Giant Axe floating in her hand. "Young man, is this the Eight Diagrams Gold Clutch Mountain Axe that you dropped?" Sure enough, the words actually appeared on the axe––[Eight Diagrams Gold Clutch Mountain Axe (Epic/Giant Axe)...] ’I Want to Be Immortal’ was impressed but that was all. After all, he was used to big scenes; a mere piece of Epic Equipment couldn’t faze him. "This isn’t the axe I dropped." "Hm, is that so? Then I’ll go down again and look." A moment later, she surfaced again. "Then, is this the Sky-splitting Divine Axe that you dropped?" [Sky-splitting Divine Axe (Legendary/Giant Axe)...] Now ’I Want to Be Immortal’s’ eyes widened. "I—" *Cough cough cough!* "I—" *Cough cough cough!* ’I Want to Be Immortal’: Feng, this is a Legendary Weapon! Hidden Moon Following Wind: It’s definitely fake, if you don’t want to die, just stick to the plan. Adventures are opportunities fraught with danger; you can’t just focus on the benefits without considering the risks; who knows, this Orange Axe might even be a trap. Xiao Jie looked around, the mist-laden environment dimming even the sunlight, making him somewhat uneasy. Unable to hold back his constant coughing, ’I Want to Be Immortal’ finally bit the bullet and said, "No, River God Sister, the axe I dropped was just an ordinary Giant Axe." "Then I’ll help you look some more." As the River God dived back into the river, Xiao Jie typed quickly—"Don’t hurry; if these axes are real, according to the plot, the next three axes will all be yours." He actually hoped these axes were real; getting both a Legendary and an Epic Weapon would have been incredibly cool. He was only Level 10 after all, just the thought was thrilling. But having been harshly dealt with by society many times, he instinctively felt there was something fishy about pie falling from the sky. This time, the beautiful River God stayed under a bit longer before finally surfacing again. "Oh dear, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find the axe. The river must have swept it away somewhere." "However, since Jingshui River is under my jurisdiction and I’d feel bad not helping you, how about this—I’ll give you these two axes as compensation for your loss, how does that sound?" With a wave of her hand, the two axes floated right in front of ’I Want to Be Immortal’, within reach. "I—" *Cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough!* ’I Want to Be Immortal’ glanced at Xiao Jie, his heart racing, thinking that it was time to take them—those were Legendary level weapons. But in the end, Feng’s words prevailed, and through clenched teeth, "No, I can’t accept these. They aren’t the axe I dropped; I only lost an ordinary Giant Axe, please take them back, Ms. Immortal." The beautiful River God was briefly stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahaha, young man, I must say, you are the most honest human I’ve ever met, truly a commendable virtue." Xiao Jie thought to himself, a commendable virtue sure, but you could have given the equipment. Unexpectedly, the River God suddenly smiled mysteriously, waved her hand, the Orange Axe and Purple Axe both vanished, and she assumed a serious expression. "I just had a chat with a turtle, and it said your axe was probably swept downstream. If you follow the river downstream and take a left at the first fork, you’ll reach a small fishing village at the end of the river where you might find what you’re looking for. Remember, maintain your honesty; as long as you consistently treat people sincerely without changing your original intentions, you’ll eventually receive the rewards you deserve. As for you—" the beautiful River God glanced at Xiao Jie, "please continue your ’honesty’ as well. So, farewell, you two young men, hehehe." With those words, she dived back into the river, vanishing from sight. The mist around them also dissipated, leaving only the two to look at each other in astonishment.