Chapter 211 - 209: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (Part 2)

Chapter 211: Chapter 209: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (Part 2)

Beneath the cold moonlight, the black river water gurgled and flowed.

A massive, ruined ship’s hull sat amidst the inky blackness, which shimmered with a silvery light. The broken, upturned eaves of the stern’s pavilion jutted from the water’s surface like bone spurs, draped in algae and tattered fishing nets.

Behind it, a giant cast-iron floodgate, like a rusted guillotine, cut diagonally into the rotten ebony hull. The two were bizarrely fused and stuck together, forming a ruin upon the water that seemed almost natural, yet also resembled the slowly decaying carcass of a colossal beast long dead.

Drum of Petition.

Perhaps only the oldest Shenghai People could still dredge this name from the depths of their memory—an official vessel responsible for canal transport during the golden age of the previous dynasty, once sailing the river in magnificent splendor.

During the war, its belly was torn open by cannon fire. It was left adrift on the Su River, with no one to salvage it. The river’s relentless current eventually caused it to merge with this Western mechanical sluice gate, built a few years prior, at a bend in the waterway. It became half-submerged, half-floating, taking on the form it has today.

On ordinary days, a few poor folk who made their living by the river would sometimes sneak to the bank to light a stick of incense, treating the wreck as a sort of makeshift River God to be worshipped. The former glory represented by the three words "Drum of Petition" had long been sealed away in the past, buried under the riverbed’s silt.

Now, the black river water surged slowly between the Drum of Petition’s decaying hull and the rusty steel bones of the floodgate, letting out a hollow moan.

BOOM—CRACK!

In the distance, from the direction of the Concession, a massive, golden-red firework suddenly exploded. The light shone through the rotten holes and shattered diamond-patterned window lattices, briefly illuminating the ship’s interior—

A figure stood silently on the deck in the center of the Drum of Petition’s main cabin.

He was a man in a Profound Robe, not very tall, his skin possessing a cold pallor from long lack of sunlight. A long, thin, jet-black queue hung down his back. The robe was styled like an old palace garment, embroidered with dark purple thread depicting a three-legged toad squatting on a dark moon. The pattern was strange, shimmering with a dark light.

He used the light of the fireworks to study the intricate, winding lotus patterns on the cabin wall, now covered in cobwebs and dust. His gaze was not that of someone looking at a wreck, but rather of someone admiring an ancient ritual vessel inlaid with his family’s merits—a calm, almost gentle scrutiny.

Around the man, shadowy figures bustled about, many of them moving silently and efficiently.

Near his feet, a strange, rhythmic sound, like the beating of a drum yet also the croaking of a frog, occasionally echoed from a dark, gaping hole leading to the ship’s belly, reverberating faintly through the empty cabin.

Just then, a figure hurried over, shattering the silence.

The newcomer was thin and wore a blue brocade suit. He approached the man in the Profound Robe and, heedless of the filth on the deck, knelt directly and bowed respectfully. "Funicia He Sheng pays his respects to Lord Yu!"

The man in the Profound Robe shifted his gaze from the nearby lotus carvings to the person before him, his voice flat and emotionless. "Is everything arranged?"

"Everything has been set up according to your lordship’s instructions."

"Good."

The man in the Profound Robe nodded slightly. "If this succeeds, I will report to Her Majesty and credit you with great merit."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Overjoyed, the man immediately kowtowed, shouting, "May Her Majesty live a thousand years!"

If any outsider were present, they would surely recognize this man as Bai Hexing, the Gang Leader of the Blue-clothed Gang, one of the three major gangs on Shenghai Beach.

As the leader of the Blue-clothed Gang, Bai Hexing was a powerful and influential figure in Shenghai, yet here he was, kneeling like a slave. But there was no hint of reluctance on his face; instead, it shone with a sense of shared glory from serving his master.

After kowtowing his thanks, Bai Hexing scrambled up from the floor. He hesitated for a moment, then couldn’t help but speak. "Lord Yu, we’ve tried several times to use the Toad Immortal to lure out the Fish Demon, but each time, just as we were about to succeed, someone interfered."

"Tonight..."

"Not tonight."

The man in the Profound Robe cut him off coolly. "The Westerners, the compradors, the powerful elites, and those Jianghu Wanderers who follow the stench of money—since they’re more interested in Gold, we’ll give them Gold."

"I’ve already sent people to negotiate with them. At least for tonight... they will not be our opponents."

Bai Hexing was stunned. He asked subconsciously, "If I may ask, Lord Yu, who is our opponent tonight?"

The man in the Profound Robe gazed through the shattered, carved window at the top of the cabin, looking at the night sky where fireworks bloomed and faded.

He watched for a moment before speaking softly, each word sounding as if it had been soaked in ice water. "Whoever doesn’t want the Fish Demon in the trap, whoever wants to keep all the Gold and treasure for themselves, whoever is with that girl who escaped from the White Dragon..."

"They are our opponents tonight."

Bai Hexing’s pupils shrank as he immediately understood. "The one named Wen!"

The man in the Profound Robe withdrew his gaze and let it fall upon a thin, coiled, jet-black whip tied around his waist.

He reached out a finger, gently stroking the tip of the whip, and said in a low voice, "In this world, everyone lives under Heaven’s watch."

"But there are always some who overestimate themselves, who foolishly dream of defying the Heaven above them, of going against Heaven’s will..."

"Tell me, do people like that not deserve to die?"

"Of course they deserve to die! A million deaths would be too few!"

Bai Hexing replied, his eyes cold and his tone grim.

’The Gold from the White Dragon, and the treasure of Emperor Qianming that is crucial to the great cause of restoration—it was all rightfully "theirs" to begin with.’

’But there are always those people, like flies drawn to the stench of blood, who swarm in one after another, trying everything they can to stop them from taking back what is theirs.’

’That treacherous rebel faction overseas deserves to die, that Wen fellow deserves to die, the greedy Westerners deserve to die, the compradors deserve to die... everyone who stands in their way deserves to die!’

’This world will always be "their" world.’

"I will not disturb you any longer, my lord. He Sheng will take his leave."

"Go."

The man in the Profound Robe waved his hand dismissively. Bai Hexing bowed and retreated, walking backward step by step.

Inside the empty cabin, amidst the rhythmic and bizarre frog-like croaking, the figure of the man in the Profound Robe merged with the darkness in the corners. He was silent and still. Under the light of the fireworks blooming in the distant night sky, he seemed to meld completely with the twisted, gnarled rust and barnacles on the cabin walls, becoming indistinguishable from them.

....

「Purple Cloud Mountain, mountain path.」

Fu Juemin suddenly stopped halfway up the mountain. He turned and looked toward the Shenghai District in the distance—

There, fireworks bloomed one after another against the pitch-black canopy of the sky. They were brilliant and distant, creating a phantom sense of festivity.

"’They’re setting off fireworks...’"

Fu Juemin’s eyes reflected the flickering points of light. He stood watching quietly for a moment, then turned back and called for Big Cat and Kitty to continue up the mountain.

"Let’s go."

This time, though it was night, their ascent was much faster than the last.

Before they reached the summit, they saw two small, thin figures on the narrow path, supporting each other as they made their way down.

Fu Juemin’s expression flickered. His figure darted forward like a night bird, appearing before the two in an instant.

The wavering candlelight from a lantern suddenly illuminated two startled young faces in the darkness.

"It’s you?!"

The Little Novice Monk holding the lantern recognized Fu Juemin and cried out.

He still remembered the snowball fight he’d had with Fu Juemin under the Bodhi Tree.

Fu Juemin smiled at him, his gaze shifting to Li Huaisuang beside the monk. Li Huaisuang naturally remembered him too. Her pretty face was now pale as paper, though it was hard to tell if it was from fear or the cold.

There were also clear signs that she had fallen, yet her eyes revealed an immense sense of urgency.

Fu Juemin noticed the bracelet on Li Huaisuang’s right wrist. It was the Fishbone Chain, made of polished fish bones strung together, but it was now bizarrely floating in the air, pulsing with rapid, faint flashes of light.

When Li Huaisuang saw his gaze land on her, she instinctively tried to shrink behind the Little Novice Monk.

Fu Juemin gave her no chance. He reached out and pulled her from behind her protector, his tone deliberately steady. "Don’t be afraid. Madam Ding sent me to get you."

As he spoke, he pushed her toward Big Cat, who was standing behind him.

Without a word, Big Cat lifted the feather-light girl onto his back, turned, and sped down the mountain. The sudden burst of speed drew a short cry of alarm from Li Huaisuang, which was promptly swallowed by the mountain wind.

The Little Novice Monk was left behind, holding the lantern, standing foolishly on the spot.

Fu Juemin waved at him, his smile a blur in the flickering light of the lantern. "Go on back. Say hello to Master Huai Kong for me. I was in a hurry this time. Next time, I’ll bring you something good to eat and play with."

With that, he also turned, his figure quickly vanishing into the thick darkness of the mountain path.

The Little Novice Monk stood there in a daze for a long while before scratching his bald head. He picked up his lantern and started back up the mountain, looking back every few steps.

At the foot of the mountain, a carriage was already waiting.

Fu Juemin bundled Li Huaisuang into the carriage and climbed in after her. Big Cat and Kitty cracked the whip, and the carriage immediately galloped off toward the Shenghai District—a place of brilliant fireworks and roiling, unseen currents.

Inside the carriage, Fu Juemin watched Li Huaisuang, who was curled up in a corner like a frightened little animal. His gaze was deep and flickered with uncertainty.

’Although Aunt Ding had only asked him to pick her up and hadn’t said anything more, he could piece things together. There was what Aunt Ding had mentioned at the train station, the bizarre scene of "fish paying homage" she had seen in the city’s canals during the day, and now, the agitated Fishbone Chain on Li Huaisuang’s wrist...’

’He had a pretty good idea of what was happening tonight.’