Chapter Nine, The Black Water Sunken Coffin

Wen Hai instead looked at her twice, slightly pursed his lips, and raised an eyebrow. It was unclear whether he genuinely did not notice her fear or was pretending not to notice. He indeed took the lantern without any courtesy.

Bai Xiaobi was stunned for half a day and said, "Is it true that the fierce tiger has descended from the mountain?"

Seeing that he showed no signs of anger, Bai Xiaobi mustered her courage and said, "That day I was just talking nonsense. If they knew they had been deceived by Young Master Wen..."

It was an unintentional question, yet it clearly implied doubt about his abilities. As soon as the words left her mouth, Bai Xiaobi realized she had misspoken again and awkwardly shifted the topic: "I heard that when discussing coffins, family members should be present. Doesn't the Fan family worry about that?"

That is an enormous, resplendent lotus flower!

The reality is far removed from imagination; a few understated words shattered all of Bai Xiaobi's fantasies. The hope for revenge was extinguished, and a deep sense of disappointment and anger surged within him, as he became an accomplice to the powerful, fearing their authority and unable to discern right from wrong.

Wen Hai glanced at her this time

His arms were very strong, and although the small boat continued to rock unsteadily, he held her firmly, standing steady. Bai Xiaobi's face turned red with embarrassment, instinctively resisting and struggling.

In the dead of night, guarding a coffin, an ordinary girl would have long been scared to tears or fainted. Although Bai Xiaobi did not cry or faint, she was drenched in cold sweat. The less than half an hour felt to her as if it had lasted a year. It was not until the family servants at the foot of the mountain came to carry the coffin away that she finally breathed a sigh of relief and silently followed behind to return.

In the dead of night, a coffin was placed before her, and how could a girl not be afraid? Bai Xiaobi instinctively shrank back, clutching the corner of his clothing, but realizing it was inappropriate, she hurriedly let go.

The sound of water can be heard

The Fan family is not worried, which naturally indicates their strong trust in him. Previously, they believed he was deceiving the Fan family. Bai Xiaobi is even more anxious and quietly asks, "Aren't you... afraid of being discovered by them?"

Instead, Wen Hai asked, "Are you afraid?"

In the next moment, something emerged from the bottom of the pool

The lotus flowers truly bloom in the pond at midnight! Bai Xiaobi was unable to react for a long time. Taking advantage of the dim light, Wen Hai quickly walked down the bow of the boat, approached her, and swiftly lifted his foot to kick the bag of lime away.

"Deceive?" Wen Hai interrupted her, "Why would I deceive?"

Wen Haidao: "You stay here, they will come shortly."

Bai Xiaobi exclaimed, "Isn't this just helping them?"

Bubbles rise, accompanied by a "gurgling" sound, and the lotus in the water suddenly closes up

At the same time, Bai Xiaobi felt a tremor beneath her hand, and the lantern went out

The light in the pool was gradually dimming, and Bai Xiaobi steeled herself to relight the lantern. Once the small boat reached the shore, she quickly jumped off the boat and stood far away from the coffin

Compared to ordinary lotus flowers, this particular lotus is quite special; it has not emerged above the water's surface, remaining submerged instead. It appears as if a massive pattern is laid out beneath the water, difficult to discern between reality and illusion, magnificent and eerie

Wen Hai interrupted her: "Don't move!"

The coffin was not placed down; Wen Hai and Madam Fan, along with others, were outside the city. Upon seeing the coffin, Wen Hai nodded and left. Master Fan hurriedly instructed the servants to carry the coffin and followed himself.

She murmured, "But they are so bad, my father..."

Wen Hai turned around to look at her

Feeling sad, I suddenly saw Wen Hai drop something into the water, and after the splash, a whirlpool unexpectedly formed, causing the small boat to shake violently.

The light extinguished, and darkness once again enveloped the small boat like a tide. Bai Xiaobi shivered slightly, unable to help but shrink back. It was the dead of night, and there was no one else around the Cailian Pond. It should have been him who had just thrown the small arrow with his own hands, and he did not even need a bow; what incredible strength! Previously, I had thought he was just like Uncle Zhu, at most the most skilled geographer. I never expected his abilities to be so great. No wonder he could row a boat without oars. I often heard my father say that there are people in the world who cultivate internal energy, capable of injuring others with just a flower or a leaf. The most formidable among them can even take a life with their bare hands, and the most common are the experts within the imperial palace. Now, he too can wield such skills; it is truly terrifying!

Bai Xiaobi remained silent. The common people do not fight against the officials; no matter how capable he is, he is ultimately not a deity. It is only natural to fear offending Minister Fan, especially since he himself is incapable of seeking revenge. How can he demand others to do so? It is sufficient that he can help Zhu Quan escape.

Wen Hai Dao: "Lighting up."

Did he go into the water? As Bai Xiaobi was thinking this, two points of red light suddenly appeared on the surface of the pond, a distance of ten feet away.

Wen Hai did not respond

Bai Xiaobi became even more flustered under his gaze, unable to utter any more words of fear, shaking her head: "N-no, it's nothing."

Seeing that he was about to leave, Bai Xiaobi panicked: "I ... ... "

Bai Xiaobi was taken by surprise, startled, and hurriedly grasped the edge of the boat: "You ... ... "

The sudden onset of darkness made it difficult for the eyes to adjust, rendering the outstretched hand invisible. Bai Xiaobi dared not move, and Wen Hai remained silent, uncertain whether he was still on the boat. The surroundings fell into a terrifying silence

Noticing something unusual, Bai Xiaobi immediately regained her composure and stared intently at the dark, murky surface of the water beneath the boat. Gradually, her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock, revealing a look of fear—soft, bright light was emanating from the bottom of the water, and something was slowly emerging, its outline becoming increasingly clear.

Madam Fan was very satisfied and praised her profusely, then warned, "If you speak carelessly outside, I will skin you alive." As for the notion of taking her as a granddaughter, it was never mentioned again. Bai Xiaobi never took it seriously; even if Madam Fan truly wished to, she would not be willing. Her father had met a tragic end, how could she go to the enemy's house to be a young lady? It would be best if Madam Fan forgot about her after this matter was settled. However, upon returning to the Bai family's small courtyard in the middle of the night, the image of that black lacquered coffin immediately resurfaced in her mind. She could not even bother to wash herself, curling up in the corner with her blanket, shivering all night long, and coincidentally having nightmares throughout the night.

Nowadays, it is not like before; one is no longer a young lady, and no one will always be there to protect oneself. Bai Xiaobi forced herself to remain calm and handed over the lantern in her hand: "It is dark; can you see the road?"

Wen Hai nodded: "Zhu Quan does not listen to my words, so he suffers the consequences; this is his retribution. How can an ordinary citizen contend with officials? If he angers Minister Fan, where can he escape? The only course of action now is to help him escape from the Fan family first"

After a while, the corpse of the giant shrimp sank down

Bai Xiaobi suddenly turned her face, only to see Wen Hai standing tall at the bow of the ship, his demeanor calm, as if he had done nothing at all

I have never seen such large shrimp, each approximately two feet long, with a bright red body and long antennae, swirling and floating in the water. The sound of the water I heard earlier was indeed produced by them.

Wen Hai interrupted her: "The fate of the Fan family has indeed run its course, and their time of decline will come in due course; you need not say any more."

It is actually a coffin painted in black with golden patterns

Shrimp! Bai Xiaobi finally saw what that thing was and was so frightened that she was left in a daze

As for where the coffin should be carried for burial, Bai Xiaobi had no mood to pay attention to it

"Don't move." He frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on the surface of the water

A hand reached out and embraced her

The light not only did not extinguish, but at that moment became even more dazzling, illuminating the surface of the pond as if it were broad daylight. The water in the pond surged violently, as if stirred by a storm. Bai Xiaobi, caught off guard, nearly fell from the boat and could not help but exclaim.

In the darkness of the night, Wen Hai raised his gaze towards the opposite shore and said: "When a fierce tiger descends from the mountain, there must be a favorable den. Where the spirit gathers, relocating the remains here can ensure that descendants achieve prominence, wield great power, and attain the highest positions among men."

The coffin floated on the water's surface, no longer sinking. The small boat beneath his feet seemed to catch the wind, swiftly moving forward. Wen Hai released her, bent down, and with his right hand, grasped it. The wood was of excellent quality, and there should be burial items inside. This coffin weighed at least three to four hundred pounds. With just a gentle grasp, lift, and release, the heavy coffin rose from the water and accurately landed inside the boat. Although the boat sank significantly, it remained stable, only swaying slightly.

The lime was completely poured into the water, landing directly on the central lotus stamen

Hearing the tone of the command, Bai Xiaobi finally recalled that they were currently engaged in serious business. She had no choice but to stop her actions, turn her face away, and tightly bite her lip in silence, allowing him to hold her. The embrace exuded the unique scent of a strange man, subtly revealing a sense of dominance that frightened her

The light initially appeared very faint, reflecting on the dark surface of the pond, resembling two stars in the night sky. After about the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, it gradually became brighter and closer to the boat, red like the fishing lights on the river

In a moment of astonishment, before one could react, a faint sound of wind echoed in the ears, and in the blink of an eye, two small black arrows pierced into the abdomen of the giant shrimp

The surrounding light seems to have begun to brighten again