Chapter 601: The Water Demon of Lake Yun

There were many large lakes in Yunzhou, and not far outside Yundu City lay a vast body of water known as Lake Yun, stretching nearly three hundred li around. On the far side of the lake rose tall mountains, their steep cliffs reflected in the water.

The lakeside was lined with reeds and thatch, and during this season, they had just come into bloom, their feathery tops also mirrored in the lake's surface.

The Daoist walked slowly along the shore, bamboo staff in hand and a conical hat on his head. Behind him followed a dark red horse, and lying across its back was a little girl in a tri-colored outfit, eyes half-shut, dozing.

By his side walked a short, thin young man, who looked equally lacking in energy.

“Did you not sleep well last night, sir?” The Daoist turned his head and smiled at the guide. “Or were you out chasing mice too?”

At the mention of chasing mice, the little girl on the horse perked up and sat upright, casting a confused glance at him. She looked around but saw no mice, so she yawned and lazily lay back down.

“...I truly didn’t sleep well last night,” the guide muttered.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

He wasn’t particularly afraid of the Daoist finding out that he had gone to retrieve the snake bones, skin, and gallbladder. After all, the Daoist himself had urged him to go. What he did fear was that the Daoist might know how much he had hesitated and wavered over it, and then laugh at him for it.

So he mumbled a vague reply and changed the subject, turning to the lake and saying, “Though I live in the city, I’ve heard a thing or two about the water demon in Lake Yun.”

“Oh?” said the Daoist.

“They say it’s a pitch-black fish, though some say it’s a dragon. It especially likes to come out on clear days, maybe because the reflections on the water are easier to see then. If a boat passes over and it spots the shadow, it’ll spit out jets of water to flip the boat. But for larger boats, it doesn’t have a way to deal with them.”

“Then today’s weather is perfect,” said Song You, glancing up at the sky.

Blue skies and white clouds spilled into the clear lake alongside the verdant mountains.

“There are lots of fishing villages along the lake,” the guide continued. “The folks here all rely on Lake Yun for their livelihood. Most of the fishing boats are small. For the past half a year, it’s said many fishermen have been eaten by the creature. People only dare to cast nets or fish from the shore now. But over time, that thing, having grown used to the taste of human flesh, starts craving it. Sometimes, even people on the shore get attacked.”

As he walked, the guide shared everything he knew, doing his best to earn his twenty-five wen, and to repay yesterday’s advice.

“The price of fish in the city’s gone up too.”

“Your information is quite well-informed,” the Daoist said.

“There’s all sorts of people at the city gates. They gather and chat, and when there's nothing to do, gossip flows freely. That’s the kind of talk I like best.”

“Then have you heard of the Dragon-Rising Land in southern Yunzhou?”

“Dragon-Rising Land?”

The guide wasn’t sure why the Daoist had suddenly changed the topic, but he gave it some thought and answered honestly, “I have heard about a range of mountains down south. Some folks say if you go far enough, the world ends there; go any farther and you’ll fall off the edge. Don’t know if it’s true. Some people tried looking for it, and it’s all mountains. Some manage to find it, some don’t. They say every year, people see dragons flying out of those mountains.”

“How does one get there?”

“I don’t remember clearly, just that it’s in the south. I think there’s a red-colored river. Don’t know what it looks like exactly, but they say if you follow that river, you’ll eventually reach the place.”

The Daoist smiled. “You truly are well-informed.”

“The things I know don’t stop there,” the guide said. “Even the place you’re headed, Xianning County in Zhao Commandery, has all sorts of strange rumors. I’ve heard a few myself.”

“Oh? Let’s hear them,” said the Daoist.

“They say that over the past few hundred years, something strange has happened in Xianning several times.” The guide paused, rubbing his eyes. His head was starting to feel a bit numb, but he tried hard to recall. “It’s like... Some people who seem to come from other places suddenly appear in Xianning, claiming they’re locals. All the mountains and lakes match the memories in their heads, and even the villages look more or less the same. But in their version of the place, the entire world only stretches a few dozen li north to south, and as far as east to west goes, you can only reach the edge of a lake or the top of a mountain. The sky never darkens, and the sun never moves.”

“Hmm?” A faint smile appeared on Song You’s lips. He hadn’t expected a casual conversation to yield such an unexpected surprise.

“I wouldn’t dare lie to you, sir. I only heard it from someone else,” the guide added quickly, seeing his interest. “The county officials took those people to the villages they claimed to be from, but the villages weren’t exactly the same. And none of the villagers recognized them, nor did they recognize the villagers. Folks all said they were people who had died hundreds of years ago, but hadn’t quite died properly, and somehow woke up again after all this time, with their minds confused. Naturally, they couldn’t recognize anyone from the current era, and no one recognized them either.”

“I see...” Song You’s smile grew even wider.

“Up ahead is Yang Family Village, the one you mentioned where the water demon shows up most often. I think they rent out boats there.”

“Many thanks. You look absolutely exhausted, why not rest here for a bit?” Song You said with a smile. “We’ll rent a boat and do a bit of fishing on the lake. I’ll come back to find you later.”

“Would you like me to help haggle over the rental?”

“No need.”

“Want me to row the boat for you?”

“No need, my young companion is skilled at rowing.”

“Alright then...” The guide found a tree, walked over, and sat down with his knees hugged to his chest.

The sound of the small bell gradually faded into the distance. The figures of the Daoist and his party were reflected on the lake’s surface. They didn’t disappear from view until they entered the village.

The guide remained where he sat. His eyes were so dry they could hardly stay open, but he leaned against the tree, forcing himself to stay awake, staring intently in that direction.

This wasn’t like yesterday in the stone forest. That place was up in the mountains, shrouded by trees and foliage. But here, by the lake, the ground was flat and open. From where he sat, he could see quite far. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to witness for himself how an immortal master dealt with a demon.

He rubbed his eyes again.

Not long after, he really did see a small boat emerge from Yang Family Village and head out onto the lake. The little girl on board was indeed skilled at rowing; she paddled steadily toward the center of the lake.

There was wind along the lakeshore, and the surface of the water rippled, but the boat was still faintly reflected in it.

Before long, the boat came to a stop.

From where Wang Xiaoman sat, it looked like just a tiny dot on the vast expanse of water. He could barely make out a figure on the boat waving their arm, seemingly the Daoist, who looked to have borrowed a fishing rod from the village and was now casting a line into the lake.

It seemed to be that little girl again.

Then the small boat simply floated there on the lake, swaying gently under the sunlight with the waves. The Daoist was no longer visible, but the girl was still seated at the bow, occasionally making a motion as if reeling in the line.

Time passed little by little. The guide’s head grew heavier and heavier, his eyelids drooping until he could hardly keep them open.

Not only had he not slept a wink the night before, but he’d also run dozens of li, and then got up early this morning to lead the Daoist here. He was both exhausted and drowsy, how could he possibly hold on?

His mind began to drift as well.

One moment, he was thinking about the massive python in the mountains last night, big enough to swallow a person whole, and about the shed skin, bones, and gallbladder he had collected and was about to sell. He wondered how much money he could get for it.

The next moment, he was debating whether to sell it to an apothecary, to someone who dealt in such things, or maybe to some wealthy noble in the city as a novelty item. Then he thought, if he sold it today and made a fortune, would he still come back tomorrow to guide this Daoist around?

His thoughts were a jumbled mess, and the moment he relaxed, he could no longer stay awake. He slumped against the tree and drifted off to sleep.

In his dazed slumber, he even had a dream.

In the dream, he had learned a bit of magic himself and could now slay demons and monsters. He no longer had to scavenge the corpses left behind by others, he could make a living on his own. More than just survive, even the nobles and officials in the city treated him with great respect. His life was nothing like it used to be.

Who hasn’t had a dream like that?

Until suddenly, he heard a loud crash in the distance.

“

Boom

!”

It sounded like thunder exploding over the lake. Startled, the guide’s eyes flew open and he sat up, immediately turning his gaze toward the water.

What he saw was a towering column of spray rising high into the air, waves crashing down all around it. The lake’s surface was in utter turmoil.

And that little boat was still on the water, rocking violently with the waves. But the boat itself... was empty.

After a while, a figure finally sat up on the boat. Though it was far away, it could vaguely be made out as the Daoist. He removed his bamboo hat, and it turned out he had been lying in the boat the whole time, napping with the hat covering his face. As for the little girl who had previously been fishing at the bow, she had vanished without a trace.

It was really too far away to see clearly.

After a moment, the girl reappeared on the boat and began rowing slowly back toward the shore.

“...”

The guide stood there, dazed for a moment, then quickly walked over. He followed the boat all the way to the ferry landing.

He watched as the girl expertly maneuvered the oars and brought the boat ashore. For someone so young to be that skilled at rowing, she must have grown up by the water. The Daoist sat calmly in the boat, chatting casually with the girl.

“Don’t you have a Water-Splitting Blade? How did you still end up all wet?”

“It’s not my fault!”

“Oh? Then is it because the water demon was too powerful?”

“No! It’s the water’s fault! The water’s all soft and slippery, and it got right into my fur!” the girl said with a serious expression. “Even if you’ve got a blade, it’s the same!”

“I see...”

The guide listened to their conversation, stunned.

Only one thought filled his heart: these two didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the water demon at all.

Once the two of them docked the boat and came ashore, the little girl was still carrying her pouch, which was once again puffed up and now dripping wet. The guide took an extra look this time and saw that it was stuffed full of lake fish, big and small, which were clearly the catch from their fishing earlier.

They returned the boat and then began walking back. The guide scratched his head and led the way.

“You were still willing to come guide us today, running all over for just a mere twenty-five wen,” the Daoist’s voice rang out again behind him, “which means you must not have gone to sell that snake demon’s bones and flesh last night.”

“But now that this water demon’s been taken care of by Lady Calico, its body will likely float to the surface tonight and be washed to shore, probably around here. Who knows if there’s anything on it that can fetch a price. This place is even closer to Yundu than yesterday’s stone forest. If you’re interested, you might come down to the lakeside tonight to collect it. Don’t wait till morning; by then, chances are the villagers will have already found it.”

“Sir, you jest. I promised to come guide you, and even if I’d sold the snake demon’s remains for silver, as long as I said I’d come, then I must come,” the guide mumbled, half-asleep.

As for tonight’s water demon...

Wandering around the lake at night, now that was far more dangerous than being in the mountains.