Chapter 32: Suicide

The divers who had boarded the ship shook their heads under my anxious gaze. “There are only a few black handprints under the freighter—small, like those of imps. We didn’t find anything else,” they reported.

“Those handprints must have been left by the infant spirits summoned by this Feng Shui master. They’re the ones who pushed the freighter,” a few of the Feng Shui practitioners chimed in.

I was stunned for a moment, then exhaled deeply in relief. But doubt quickly filled my mind. The gray dragon was clearly trapped at the bottom of the river. Why hadn’t the divers found it?

The man in black seemed even more surprised than I was. He strode to the edge of the freighter, his cold eyes fixed intently on the water below. I saw a flash of confusion cross his gaze, and he fell silent.

This time, I had no intention of letting him off so easily. I walked quickly to his side and deliberately placed my hands on his shoulders. A wave of cadaverous chill instantly seeped from him into me, making me shudder. I hurriedly withdrew my hands. This man must have dealt with corpses for years to carry such a heavy deathly aura. I knew I wasn’t his equal in strength, but I didn’t back down verbally. I taunted, “Well, brother, should I help you get in touch with the ophthalmology hospital? Maybe you should consider donating your corneas.”

The man in black, usually unperturbed, was finally provoked by my words. A murderous glint flickered across his face as he replied coldly, “Don’t be so arrogant, boy. Don’t think I don’t know who you are. Mark my words: the day of your wedding will be the day of your funeral.” With that, he ignored me, leapt into the surging river, and slipped into the water without making so much as a ripple. He must have gone to investigate the situation below himself.

His swimming skills were formidable, no less than my own.

His words hadn’t sounded like a threat—they felt more like a prophecy. Remembering the pair of large footprints I’d seen in my house earlier, a deep unease took hold of me.

“Young man, come, come, come! Let me take you to meet my little Carp.” While I was lost in thought, Bai Ranhe hurried over to my side.

She led me into the cabin to meet her daughter.

Dressed in red, with a bare face, Bai Xiaoli showed no emotion upon seeing me, still masked. Her gaze remained fixed on the passageway the Feng Shui masters had used to board the ship.

Was she still waiting for someone who, in the end, hadn’t come?

“Xiaoli, what are you thinking about? Come take a look at your future husband!” Bai Ranhe, seeing her daughter so distracted, tugged at her a bit irritably.

Bai Xiaoli returned to herself but didn’t even glance at me. She simply said to Bai Ranhe, “Father, I’d like to speak with the master alone for a moment. Could you leave us?”

Bai Ranhe was not a man lacking in sense. He chuckled, “All right, you two have a good chat and get to know each other. I have a few things to take care of.” With Bai Xiaoli escorting him out, he left the cabin.

As soon as the door closed, Bai Xiaoli swiftly locked it from the inside, then leaned her back against it. Her beautiful eyes were grave and serious as she looked at me. “Master, thank you for the great help you’ve given my family, but I cannot marry you.”

I was taken aback and joked, “But your father has already announced it. Are you going to break his promise?”

She bit her lip hard and murmured to herself, “My father has raised me all these years. I will not break his promise, but I also will not marry you.”

I was stunned—how could she keep the promise and not marry me at the same time?

Bai Xiaoli quickly showed me her answer with action. From behind her, she produced a small knife she’d hidden earlier and pressed it to her neck. With an apologetic look, she said, “Master, I’m sorry. There’s someone I love. If I die now, I won’t have to marry you, but I won’t have broken my father’s promise, either.” With that, she gripped the knife tightly and made to cut her throat.

The girl was going to kill herself!

“Stop! Look at who I am!” I shouted as I saw the sharp blade already slicing into her delicate skin. Blood was beginning to drip down the knife—one second more and she would have severed her artery.