Chapter 31: Exposed

Waves from the river surged into the swaying cabin like a relentless downpour. Everyone aboard the ship felt a tremendous force erupt from beneath the water’s surface. Some of the less composed geomancers were so terrified by this dreadful power that they collapsed on the deck, rolling helplessly with the lurching of the massive freighter.

“This is bad! That kid’s infant spirit has angered the River God—we’re all doomed!” Some of the more timid geomancers began to cry out in terror.

“The freighter’s moving! The freighter’s moving!” Although the crowds on both riverbanks couldn’t see what was happening on deck, they could clearly witness the ten-thousand-ton vessel beginning to shift under the surging waves. To everyone’s astonishment, the freighter slowly straightened itself and broke free from its predicament.

“Wow! What a spectacle!” Thunderous cheers erupted from both sides of the river. All eyes turned toward me with reverence. Some elderly men, their hands trembling, pressed their palms together and bowed in my direction, treating me as if I were a river deity.

The reporters on the banks snapped picture after picture, their cameras clicking ceaselessly.

Once the freighter was aligned in the canal, the immense force beneath the river vanished without a trace, and the waters returned to their former tranquility.

“Has the channel been cleared?” Some of the geomancers who had just managed to stand looked around in disbelief.

Their gazes toward me had changed as well. A few of the more worldly geomancers began to offer olive branches, inviting me to dinner on behalf of their employers.

Bai Ranhe, overwhelmed with excitement, could barely stand without support. With the help of a security guard, he hurried over to me, his face full of gratitude. “Master, if I have offended you in any way, I beg your pardon. From now on, I entrust my daughter’s happiness to you…” As the city’s foremost businessman, he naturally seized this opportunity to ingratiate himself.

I glanced toward Bai Xiaoli in the cabin. She was quietly watching me, her face betraying little joy.

“It wasn’t him who moved the freighter—someone else did.” Just as I was about to respond, a cold voice cut through the commotion.

The noisy deck instantly fell silent.

I looked up. The speaker was none other than the man in black who always accompanied Chen Yetian. Shrouded in an eerie aura, he spoke with such gravity that all the geomancers present cast strange looks in my direction.

Unable to discern the strength of this man in black, I felt my nerves tighten at his words. He must have seen through something, or he wouldn’t have spoken so. Forcing myself to remain composed, I replied, “Brother, everyone saw it was my ritual that moved the freighter. If you have no use for your eyes, perhaps you should consider donating them.”

The man in black remained impassive. He turned his gaze toward the depths of the river and said coolly, “There’s a monstrous being hidden beneath these waters. It’s the one that moved the freighter. If you doubt me, feel free to dive in and see for yourselves.”

I was struck speechless, unable to respond.

Chen Yetian, who had been deeply disappointed, perked up at the man’s words. He gathered several good swimmers and sent them into the water to investigate. The man in black flashed a mocking smile at me before withdrawing to a corner of the cabin, where he gazed at the sky, silently waiting for me to make a fool of myself.

At that moment, I could do nothing but anxiously await the outcome. After about half an hour, the divers were hauled back onto the deck, each of them wearing a strange expression.

“Well? What did you find?” Chen Zhiqiang hurried over, eager for an answer, while the man in black also turned to look expectantly at the returning divers.