Chapter 98: Water Monkey

I gazed at myself with a face full of concern once more. Old Lady Wan shook her head and stated she had no idea what the cause was, but then she comforted me, saying, “Child, you think too much. Sometimes, one shouldn’t overthink things. When you reach the bridge, the boat will naturally straighten out. Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet; worry about them only when they do occur.”

“Um!”

Perhaps this is why I’ve spent my years by the water; there are too many uncertain factors on the water, so I’ve had to anticipate one step ahead each time, which has resulted in my current personality of harboring heavy worries.

“All right, after this fake death, that thousand-year evil spirit will no longer seek trouble with you. Come find me here before your wedding, and I have a great creation to bestow upon you both.” With that, Old Lady Wan turned her gaze to Bai Xiaoli and said, “Xiaoli, go now. The yin fetus in the shop is waiting for you to go offer incense.”

Bai Xiaoli bade me farewell with reluctance and even urged me to protect myself diligently before the wedding, not wanting to see me suffer any more harm.

I nodded and saw Old Lady Wan and Bai Xiaoli out of the house, waiting until the backs of that old and young pair vanished from my view before I turned to prepare to return.

At the doorway, I suddenly saw a black, elongated monster crouching in front of my window. The creature was covered in dense hair, and a pair of eyes the size of beans, hidden within the black fur, were secretly observing my room. On the ground before it lay a wet puddle.

This thing isn’t from ashore!

When I spotted the creature, it quickly noticed me staring at it. With a flash, it turned and fled.

Oh no!

I realized this creature must be a spy for that thousand-year evil spirit. If it reported back to the thousand-year evil spirit that I was faking death, all would be lost.

Unexpectedly, Madam Yellow River was so cautious; she had already extinguished my soul lamp yet still remained uneasy, planting eyes in my dwelling.

I rushed to the window where the monster had just been. There was a puddle of the distinctive pale yellow muddy water unique to the Yellow River, as I had guessed. This fellow was indeed a being from the water.

I gazed in the direction it had fled. Apart from the puddle left where it had stood for an extended time, no other water was visible.

The Wind Water Alley spread in all directions, making it impossible to chase this monster by force. I pulled a piece of joss paper from my pocket, folded it into a small boat shape, dipped my finger in the water left by the monster on the ground, and drew a talisman on the paper boat.

Then I placed the paper boat onto the puddle. The paper boat gently bobbed on the water and sped forward rapidly.

Under the moonlight, the small boat wove swiftly through the alley’s cobblestones.

I followed closely behind the paper boat. The boat moved at an astonishing speed within the alley, and I was beginning to struggle to keep up. Finally, after it turned several corners with me, the paper boat came to a halt.

Not long after the paper boat stopped, a child’s foot landed on it, flattening the boat in one step.

Out of breath, I paused, then looked up ahead. There, before me, stood a child about ten or fifteen years old. The child looked at me with a face full of remorse and said, “Big brother, sorry, I didn’t mean to step on your boat and ruin it.”

I had been about to get angry, but seeing it was merely a small child, my anger dissipated. I symbolically lectured him a bit and sent him on his way.

The child still politely apologized and walked past me.

When the child first approached me, I glanced at the time—it was already past one o’clock in the morning. This struck me as odd. A child wandering the streets at that hour in this Wind Water Alley, where even adults dared not venture out at night?

No, this child is suspicious!

At that thought, I seized the child’s arm.

The child was clearly guilty. As soon as my hand closed around his, he started to struggle and bolt. I wouldn’t let him escape; anticipating his flight, I gripped him firmly.

“Hehehe!” The child suddenly let out an eerie giggle and said, “You still caught me, after all.”