Chapter 15 - Mu Family (1/2)

Chapter Fifteen – Mu Family

In order to pull himself together, Xu Yi bit the tip of his tongue, letting the bitter pain wake his mind. He then noticed a flock of large carps moving around, foraging for food.

The large carp was one of the specialities of the Evil Dragon River. A grown carp would be roughly three meters long. These species always came in flocks, as they enjoyed collective life. As a dish, the large carp was absolutely a rare delicacy – large carp soup, relished with green onion, was the most popular cuisine - which appeared on the table of prominent officials and eminent personages.

Xu Yi was exhilarated by the appearance of these carps. To him, it was like stumbling across an oasis in a desert. He exerted his last bit of energy, as he paddled his feet and swam towards the largest one.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Shirong felt some ripples in the water. Suddenly, a subtle smile emerged on his face.

“Finally, you can’t hold your breath any longer!” However, when Shirong was about to wave his palms he came to a sudden stop. He felt confused, as he fully opened his eyes to observe what was happening on the surface of the water – ripples were seemingly coming from different directions in the water, making it difficult for Shirong to lock onto his target.

Frustrated by the multiple directions of the ripples, Shirong eventually stretched his palms and aimed at the largest one.

- Bang! Bang! Bang! -

Again, large waves exploded towards the shore. In the end, a single large carp floated towards the surface of the water, with its belly exposed to the sky.

“Xu Yi hasn’t surpassed the peak state yet, it takes years to make any concrete breakthrough. As long as he lives in Guanan, he will be caught sooner or later. It’s just a matter of time!” Shirong tried to console himself after his fruitless attacks.

Meanwhile Flying Snow was groaning bitterly, as if trying to arouse sympathy for what it had suffered, which made Shirong feel even more agitated.

Meanwhile, deep underwater, Xu Yi grabbed onto the tail of the largest carp and let it drag him along, down the river.

Out of sheer panic, the carp swam like crazy and as it did, the other carps in the flock quickly followed. They swam around like headless chickens, causing even more ripples to appear on the surface.

Eventually, the large carp, together with Xu Yi, swam several hundreds of meters away down the river. Xu Yi eventually managed to crawl on the back of the carp and then closed his eyes. As the carp kept moving deeper down and further away, Xu Yu gradually lost consciousness and left his life in the hands of destiny.

……..

It was early morning, the sky was blue and a fresh air was lingering around.

In a narrow, yet neat yard, roses were blooming and a five-leaved ivy was climbing up against a wall. Moreover, there were numerous green melons and red fruit dangling on its vein, sending out a refreshing fragrance into the air. The flaming red and vigorous green made this place really a feast for the eyes.

Xu Yi was sitting on the doorsteps, gratefully breathing in the fresh morning air. He wore a blue robe and seemed to be in a rather good mood. Even though his bristly unshaven chin indicated that he was not in a particularly good condition, as he looked rather pale.

“Uncle Xu, get up. It’s time for breakfast. Come and enjoy the fried noodles. They’re delicious!” A young girl, at preschool age, urged Xu Yi to have breakfast. The girl had a straight nose and a chubby, yet delicate, face. She lifted a cloth bag with her left hand, while she was simultaneously putting crisp fried noodles in her little mouth with her right hand. Funny enough, she had a running nose, and occasionally, she would wipe it with her sleeves.

Hardly had the girl’s voice faded away, or an elder man appeared. He had strong muscles and a tall stature, leaving an impression that he most likely possessed some exceptional abilities.

“Autumn, you have been continuously gobbling down those noodles. You were supposed to leave some for your uncle, yet now it seems like the bag is already empty.” The elder man said jokingly to the little girl.