Chapter Forty-Two: Oblivion

Hearing sounds underwater is not particularly strange. Water, after all, is also a medium for transmitting sound. Yet the faint strains of music I now perceived were altogether unusual. I was acutely aware that the Lady of the Yellow River had come ashore, the river’s waters spilling out onto the banks and flooding the entire Mountain Gorge Village. This music was clearly accompanying her arrival, reminiscent of what we had heard before in the mist of the Yellow River.

Startled by the sound, my hand paused. Was the Lady of the Yellow River truly here? The muddy water obscured my vision; pressed against the wall, I found myself at a loss for what to do next. If only I still had the blood jade at my chest—at least then I could take some comfort. But now I was utterly defenseless. The gun Jin Yitiao had left me was rendered useless in the water. As I hesitated, I suddenly felt a tight grip on my wrist, as if seized by a hand. A figure steadily approached, and as we came face to face—our bodies pressed together—I realized it was Tong Xiaomeng.

Tong Xiaomeng was far more adept in the water than I; even after such a catastrophic flood, she moved with ease and seemed calm, taking my hand as if to lead me away. Up to this moment, I still did not know what Old Water Ghost’s plan was. Since he’d told us to focus on survival when the flood came, I did not hesitate further, following Tong Xiaomeng as we swam forward, attempting to escape the house.

Old Water Ghost’s house was not large; we had not swum far before we reached the door, hugging the wall. Here, the music—which had been faint—grew clearer. I worried that moving forward would bring us face to face with the Lady of the Yellow River. Yet Tong Xiaomeng seemed confident, gripping my hand tightly. As soon as we left the courtyard, she eagerly floated toward the water’s surface.

The Yellow River had submerged Mountain Gorge Village, but the water level was not too high; otherwise, nearby villages would have been affected as well. Tong Xiaomeng pulled me with such force that, before long, my head broke through the surface. I opened my eyes wide. The moon shone, stars scattered, and before me stretched the boundless surging waters of the Yellow River, with nothing to obstruct the view.

“At last, we’re out.” Tong Xiaomeng gasped for breath, then turned to ask, “Should we leave this place now?”

With the Lady of the Yellow River ashore and the village submerged, I was at a loss for ideas. Tong Xiaomeng’s suggestion was sensible, but with miles of water surrounding us, relying on human strength to swim out seemed nearly impossible.

The waters of the Yellow River, though overflowing, remained relatively calm. Floating atop the river, Tong Xiaomeng and I pondered briefly before deciding to swim toward the opposite bank. Whatever happened, Old Water Ghost had said he had a way to deal with the Lady; we should leave and preserve our lives.

In my heart, I silently vowed: should I survive this bizarre ordeal, the first thing I would do upon returning was to sell the old shrine, find a place far from any water source, and start anew. Never again in this lifetime would I tangle with water.

Amid the vast expanse, our struggle to stay afloat was driven purely by the instinct to survive. At first, we exchanged a few words, but soon exhaustion set in. The river was so wide that our arms lost all feeling. If not for the knowledge that the Lady of the Yellow River lurked below, intent on taking our lives, even a chest of gold on the opposite bank would not entice anyone to swim further.

“I can’t go on,” Tong Xiaomeng whispered. I quickly wrapped my arm around her waist, nearly losing her to a sudden undertow.

“Just a bit further,” I shivered, trying to comfort her, though I knew I was at my own limit. My legs felt leaden, barely keeping me afloat. But pushed to this brink, there was no alternative. I kept silently calculating the distance; we had only reached the middle of the river, with half the way still to the ferry crossing.

It was then that the water before us began bubbling, the size of bowls, and with each burst, a nauseating stench spread across the surface. Tong Xiaomeng and I both held our noses. Abruptly, with a loud splash, a coffin—black and stained red—rose from the water.

We stared, dumbfounded. The coffin looked familiar, like the one used at Erdao Kou to hold the female corpse, but on closer inspection, it was not the same. This one was newer, its color deeper; even without light, its eerie aura was unmistakable, making us shudder from within.

“Is it... is it the female corpse from Erdao Kou coming for us?” Tong Xiaomeng trembled, but the more I looked at the coffin, the more transfixed I became. I felt as though I had seen it somewhere long ago, as if from childhood...

I stared at the faint scratches on the coffin lid, and forgotten memories began to surface in my mind.

“Go! Quickly!” As I came to my senses, the persistent strains of music returned, drifting on the river wind as if a wedding procession was slowly approaching.

Without explanation, I grabbed Tong Xiaomeng’s hand, mustering the last of my strength to climb atop the coffin, pulling her up with me.

With both of us out of the water, the black coffin began to drift, swaying rapidly toward the opposite bank. In the distance, under the moon and stars, a small mountain peak emerged from the water. The coffin carried us there and finally came to rest.

“This looks like the mountain we passed near that ravine earlier,” Tong Xiaomeng, with her sharp memory, recognized the peak instantly. She looked in wonder at the coffin beneath us, murmuring, “Is it saving us?”

“Hurry, get ashore! Or everyone will have died in vain!” Stunned, we turned to see Old Water Ghost, half his body above water, blood streaming from him, waving frantically and shouting hoarsely.

“Go! The Lady of the Yellow River and the Jade Corpse are trapped in the jade coffin. Even then, the dead may not let you go. Once you leave, never approach water again in this life—you'll have peace forever!”

“Grandpa!” Tong Xiaomeng’s eyes welled up. Clutching her hand, I pulled her down, and we collapsed atop the mountain. We watched as something seemed to drag Old Water Ghost’s legs beneath the surface; his body sank sharply and vanished.

“Grandpa!” Tears streamed from Tong Xiaomeng’s eyes. Seeing her attempt to jump back into the river, I held her fast. Meanwhile, the black coffin drifted back toward the river, circling where Old Water Ghost had disappeared. Huge bubbles gurgled around it, and the entire coffin sank with him. At the same moment, a bolt of lightning tore across the sky, splitting the dim stars like a dragon lashing down into the water.

Boom!

A mountain-high wave surged in all directions. I quickly pressed Tong Xiaomeng beneath me, letting the river batter us, its water slicing our skin like knives. At that moment, the cries of children, curses of women, shouts of men, and coughs of the aged all echoed as the Yellow River boiled, as if every soul buried here through countless ages was awakened by the heavenly thunder.

This chaos lasted less than two minutes. Then, a deep roar of a wild beast sounded from afar, and all noise was abruptly silenced. The water level began to recede, a gentle river breeze brushed over us, and I knew the distant roar must have been the awakening of the True Dragon of the Yellow River.