Chapter 44: Enraged

The further I swam, the stronger the fragrance became, mingling with a faint stench of corpses drifting through the water. I remembered clearly that my sandalwood incense was lit upstream—so why did the scent grow more intense the farther I swam forward? Something was wrong; I was headed in the wrong direction!

Suddenly alarmed, I spun around. My feet kicked against a cold corpse, but I used the momentum to propel myself forcefully ahead, swimming in the opposite direction.

My quarry had slipped away, and Xu Yingying would surely not let it go easily.
“Husband, don’t run, come home with me!” Her voice echoed behind me, chasing relentlessly.

This time, I made certain of my direction. Now, the roles of hunter and prey had swapped. To keep Xu Yingying interested, I deliberately slowed my pace, afraid that if I swam too quickly, she’d slip away again.

I swam for what felt like dozens of minutes. The dark aura that Xu Yingying had manifested began to fade, and the distant “Dragon Head Canal” and its “Ten-Thousand Blade Mountain View” grew increasingly clear. Sensing something amiss, she slowed as well, no longer pursuing me so fiercely.

Xu Yingying had already suffered once from my feng shui arrangement, and this time, she was evidently much more cautious.

Watching her, hesitant and retreating behind me, I frowned. If she made it this far and escaped, she could return to haunt me at night—an outcome I absolutely could not accept.

I turned to face her, now stalled in the water, flashing her a mocking smile. “What’s wrong? Not chasing me anymore? Aren’t you a water fiend? Can’t you even catch up with a mere mortal?”

“Hmph. Husband, you’re far too skilled in the water. I won’t play with you now; I’ll come find you tonight,” she retorted, refusing to fall for my taunts. With that, she turned and swam toward the upstream Azure Dragon Mountain.

I couldn’t let the tiger return to the mountain. From my waist, I drew a dagger, clenched my teeth, and slashed at the water’s surface. Fresh blood surged forth—it wouldn’t turn the Yellow River red, but it was enough to ignite the corpse maiden’s ferocity.

Xu Yingying slowly turned back. This time, the malevolence emanating from her was even more intense than before she’d been struck by the feng shui knife. Her eyes, now completely devoid of reason, were filled entirely with whites. The flesh on her face trembled, quivering at the scent of blood.

To be honest, I regretted it.

I dared not hesitate any longer; I fled desperately toward the Dragon Head Canal, now so close I could almost reach it.

Xu Yingying didn’t chase me directly; instead, she sank gradually into the water. Minutes later, when she resurfaced, she was blocking my way, right in front of me.

Stunned, I stared at her. Her body was covered in white fur, and the blood had triggered a surge of malevolent energy, far stronger than before. Clearly, my move had backfired. Her pale, upturned eyes pressed close to my face. She bared sharp fangs and lunged for my throat.

I spun quickly, drawing the Ghost-Taming Whip from my waist, and struck her belly with a swift lash.

A guttural howl burst from her lips, savage as a wild beast. Her abdomen convulsed violently as she clutched it with both hands, her movements slowed.

Anyone versed in herbal remedies knows that decoctions of angelica, mugwort, and ligusticum promote labor. My whip had been infused with these properties, so the fetus within the corpse maiden’s belly would surely respond.

At that moment, I managed to swim several hundred meters farther. In the distance, the Dragon Head Canal was almost within reach.

But despair set in—Xu Yingying had lost all traces of maternal instinct, forsaking the child in her womb. With a sudden burst, she seized my neck underwater.

The canal, once bustling daily, had fallen silent due to the Bai family’s cargo ship running aground and the ensuing repairs. Not a single vessel sailed its vast expanse, and no one would come to my rescue.

So be it. In the end, I’d gambled and lost. Eyes wide open, I yearned for one last glimpse of my beloved mother river.