Chapter 110: Suden Fish Tide Fatty Wang’s vision blurred, his eyes burning. He opened his mouth to scream, only to have a flatbread shoved between his teeth, muffling all sound.
A sharp pain shot through his chest and belly. In the space of half a breath, that brat had already landed three solid punches on him!
Every blow slammed into his diaphragm. His vision went black, and he could not draw a single breath.
But He Lingchuan was not finished. He followed up with a vicious kick straight to the groin.
The agony made Fatty Wang clutch himself and collapse, convulsing on the floor. In the face of such pain, even that nauseating stench seemed almost bearable.
The guards were quick-witted. To prevent him from toppling like a felled tree and raising a commotion loud enough to rouse those outside, they grabbed hold and pinned him firmly to the ground.
Sweat poured down Fatty Wang’s round face like water, but no sound emerged past the bread stuffed in his mouth.
He Lingchuan drew a coiled silk rope from his storage ring and swiftly bound the man’s wrists.
This was the same type of silk rope used by the city watch to arrest criminals. It was lightweight, flexible, yet resilient. He Lingchuan had not only prepared it in advance but had also practiced the proper knotwork before leaving. His hands worked fast, each loop tightening cleanly into place.
By the time Fatty Wang’s senses returned and he struggled to break free, the harder he fought, the tighter the silk rope cut into his flesh.
With his mouth still gagged, he could not call for help. And that pampered young master even drew a dagger and pressed it to his throat. “Struggle again, and I’ll slice off an ear, then dig out your eyes.”
That calmed the captive right down.
He Lingchuan gave a signal with his eyes, and one guard slipped out to scout the premises. Before long, he returned and reported, “Two men outside asked what the noise was. I simply told them that Young Master had drunk too much. They suspected nothing.”
He Lingchuan gave the bound man a kick. “Hoh, it seems like you’ve got quite the reputation. People trust you to keep things in hand.” Most likely, with Fatty Wang standing watch, the rest of the brigands never imagined trouble. They believed he could manage He Lingchuan and his two guards with ease.
This was precisely why avoiding a full-on brawl had been the right choice. Any sounds of fighting would have brought trouble, never mind whether Fatty Wang was actually stronger. The man was clearly a desperado; his counterattack would not have been weak.
No matter what, He Lingchuan and Mrs. Zhu finally had a chance to speak freely. Breathing easier, he searched the captive thoroughly, stripping him of every valuable item. He did not forget to pry the blackthorn ring from his finger either.
* * *
After He Yue and Zeng Feixiong left the commandery administrator and his wife’s lodging, they headed down toward the lake.
He Chunhua had already laid out the situation, and Zeng Feixiong was off to gather men and make preparations.
Zeng Feixiong asked, “Second Young Master, why have you come out as well? It’s dangerous out here.”
All around the lakeshore were scattered groups of villagers... or brigands. After He Chunhua’s warning, Zeng Feixiong now saw every villager as a brigand in disguise.
He Yue bristled. “My older brother just went out, and yet nobody said anything about him being in danger.”
Two guards trailed at his heels.
“Uh...” In truth, the eldest young master looked like someone who could take care of himself. The second young master, by contrast, appeared delicate.
He Yue waved a hand. “Don’t mind me, I was just joking. I can’t stay cooped up with Father and Mother all night, that would look suspicious. Don’t worry, I won’t stray too far from you.”
He was, after all, still in his early teens. For a boy his age to hide away in his parents’ room all evening would seem unnatural.
Just then, a few villagers passed by, so the two of them fell silent.
They continued on until they reached the edge of the lake, where the sound of splashing reached their ears.
He Yue glanced into the water and could not help but laugh. “I hope this isn’t where the villagers fetch their drinking water.”
This section of Immortal Spirit Lake was narrow, with wetlands cutting off a side pool. The slope was gentle, and the surface usually remained clean and still, broken only by the drift of a few leaves. But right now, four or five soldiers were splashing about in it, playing noisily like children.
It was the tenth month, and in the deep mountains the chill was even sharper. The men had been marching for days, caked in grime so thick it came off in layers at the rub of a hand. When they came upon the clear waters of the lake, resisting the urge to wash was impossible. And besides, these were sturdy fellows, so what harm was there in a cold bath?
Mao Tao was among them. Though once a sand bandit, he had a gift for getting along with people and had blended right in with the soldiers. Spotting He Yue and Zeng Feixiong approaching, he called out in a friendly tone, “Second Young Master, Boss, come on in! This is too good to miss! There are even little fish in here that nibble at you. It tickles and scratches at the same time. Ah, what a feeling!”
He puckered his lips, imitating the sound of tiny fish suckling with exaggerated smacks.
The others burst into laughter and copied his antics, until the lake was filled with strange noises.
He Yue was curious. “Fish... eat people?”
In Heishui City, there were streams and the occasional seasonal river, but never such a vast lake that stretched beyond sight.
“They don’t break the skin. There’s no blood and no pain.” Mao Tao quickly scooped up a finger-sized fish. “See? Looks like it only eats dead skin.”
“Enough, all of you. Get out of the water. Why are you all so rowdy?” Zeng Feixiong’s mind was heavy with worry. He had no patience for fooling around.
But just as he finished speaking, Mao Tao suddenly hushed, “Quiet! Do you hear that?”
The others were about to laugh at him when Zeng Feixiong’s expression changed. He barked sharply, “Silence!”
And in that moment, all grew still. He Yue also caught the sound.
Fwsshhh... Fwsshhh... It was oddly familiar, like sand being whipped through the air.
. Mao Tao pointed toward the open water. “It’s coming from there!”
The noise grew louder, closer, moving in from the middle of the lake toward the shore.
Now, everyone could see it. The water’s surface churned as though boiling, a wall of frothing white waves rolled in their direction.
Zeng Feixiong’s face blanched, and he shouted, “Out of the water, now!”
However, his warning came a breath too late.
Only two soldiers had managed to scramble up before the white surge struck.
First, two palm-sized fish leapt from the water, smacking Mao Tao across the face and leaving him stunned.
Then five, then ten, splashed into the side pool.
Then twenty, thirty...
A hundred, a thousand...
The fish that landed in the side pool thrashed madly, still unsatisfied, and flung themselves further onto the shore.
At last, everyone could see clearly that this was no ordinary wave. It was an endless tide of frenzied fish!
Several soldiers could only protect their heads or legs, yelping as flying fish jabbed and struck at them.
The creatures came in every shape and size. Some were no longer than a finger, while others were over two meters long.
Despite the alarming number of fish, the men roared with laughter. “A feast! Tonight we’ll eat our fill!”
One massive fish, nearly two and a half meters in length, flopped onto the sloping shore but could not get farther, writhing in the mud until sprays of water and sand drenched everyone nearby. Instead of fear, the soldiers whooped in delight. “That must be a fish king! It should be enough to feed dozens!”
On shore and in the water, chaos reigned, fish wriggling and leaping everywhere. By the looks of it, there had to be a thousand kilos worth of catch at least.
The noise drew soldiers and villagers over. They gathered round to watch the spectacle. However, He Yue noted something odd. Only the soldiers rushed in to catch the fish. The villagers lingered well back, never venturing closer than fifteen meters from the water.
His instincts prickled. They know something. They’re afraid of something... He suddenly recalled the bloody message and the broken Water Spirit Tablet.
This mad tide of fish is clearly unnatural. Could it be tied to that? He bellowed, “Get out! Stop grabbing fish!”
And just then, a figure burst through the reeds, charging down the slope. With a loud splash, the man hurled himself into the lake and vanished beneath its surface.