Chapter 137: Remain Calm and Unafraid

An hour later, Zhou Qing’s figure drifted from the broad river into the boundless sea. Judging from this, the words of the demon he had encountered atop the mountain were not false; as long as he followed the coastline in one direction, he would be able to leave the Wildman Forest.

Pausing briefly at the river mouth, Zhou Qing’s figure flickered and swept along the shore beneath the water, gliding away.

Not long after Zhou Qing left the waters of the Wildman Forest, Lord Feng Shui returned to his aquatic palace. Standing at the gate of the Water-Avoidance Palace, he saw his nephew, already deceased.

“Little Gold Robe.”

Staring at the golden carp lying dead upon the stone path, Lord Feng Shui uttered a mournful cry. His figure flashed, and he appeared beside his nephew’s corpse. The thick stench of dead fish pierced his nostrils, revealing that his nephew had been dead for days.

“You little human Daoist, you dared deceive me.”

Gazing at the body of his slain nephew, Lord Feng Shui let out an angry shout. Then, his form flickered, and he floated straight out of the Water-Avoidance Palace, speeding toward the northern sea near the Wildman Forest.

Lord Feng Shui moved with astonishing speed; before long, his figure appeared at the northern river mouth of the forest.

“Little Snail, let me ask you, that…”

Beneath the waters at the river mouth, Lord Feng Shui caught up a fist-sized snail and began inquiring about Zhou Qing’s whereabouts. Moments later, a cold glint flashed across his face, and he crushed the snail in his hand to bits. His figure flickered, and he floated off in the direction Zhou Qing had taken.

…

He traveled swiftly along the coastline for an indeterminate time until Zhou Qing saw that the forests and dense trees by the sea had vanished. Gazing from the sandy shore, he could see a small town in the distance.

His figure flickered, and Zhou Qing surfaced from the water, heading toward the beach. There, beside a large boulder, a pair of young lovers sat nestled together, whispering quietly.

Suddenly, the girl spotted Zhou Qing emerging from the sea and tapped her companion.

“A—A sea demon?”

The young man saw a figure in red coming from the water, quickly covered the girl’s mouth, and silently hid behind the boulder with her.

They believed Zhou Qing hadn’t noticed them, but he had seen them the moment he came ashore.

Originally, he hadn’t wished to disturb the lovers behind the stone, but arriving in an unfamiliar place, it was best to ask a few questions.

Thus, after coming ashore, Zhou Qing walked, hands behind his back, toward the large boulder at the edge of the beach.

The couple behind the stone saw Zhou Qing approaching and panicked; the young man hurriedly grabbed his lover’s hand to flee.

“Please, you two, stay—do not be frightened or alarmed. I am no demon or monster,” Zhou Qing called, seeing them about to bolt.

Hearing this, the young man turned his head and glanced at Zhou Qing. Seeing the slight smile on Zhou Qing’s face as he approached, moving slowly yet somehow drawing closer despite their hurried escape, he hesitated.

“Don’t run—I truly am not a demon or monster. If I meant you harm, do you think you could escape from me?” Zhou Qing added, and the couple, glancing back at the rapidly closing distance, finally stopped.

“Are you really a Daoist cultivator?” the young man asked, fear still trembling in his voice as he sheltered the girl behind him.

Zhou Qing didn’t answer directly, only nodded in response, then proceeded to draw information from their lips.

After a while, he flicked his sleeve and headed toward the distant town, leaving the couple standing on the beach, watching his departing figure with disbelief.

From their conversation, Zhou Qing learned that the nearby coastal settlement was called North Beach Town, home to three or four hundred families. The young couple themselves were locals.

Traveling south from North Beach Town for about a hundred miles, one would reach Guobei County.

Now, Zhou Qing’s destination was Guobei County, for he could not remain in the coastal town. He knew the vengeful Lord Feng Shui from the Wildman Forest’s waters would surely pursue him, so he dared not linger in this region.

Zhou Qing walked briskly into North Beach Town but did not pause; he went straight through and took the official road south toward Guobei County.

Back on the beach, the couple watched Zhou Qing’s red-robed figure vanish into the distance. Hand in hand, they returned to the boulder and sat together on a flat stone.

Overcome by passion, the two could not restrain themselves and began to indulge in their desires upon the stone…

As rain and clouds overturned, the golden-clad Lord Feng Shui rose from the sea nearby. His gold-hued form, ghost-like, followed the waves as they crashed upon the shore. When a wave surged up to the boulder, Lord Feng Shui appeared beside it.

“Ah—!”

The girl lying on the stone saw Lord Feng Shui suddenly appear and screamed in terror. Her lover, hearing her cry, turned to look but had no time to react before Lord Feng Shui seized him by the neck and lifted him.

“Speak—where did the red-robed youth go after coming ashore?”

Lord Feng Shui demanded. The young man, choking, could only utter muffled sounds and pointed toward North Beach Town nearby.

Seeing his gesture, Lord Feng Shui turned his gaze to the kneeling girl, who tearfully begged for her lover’s life.

“Did the red-robed youth go to that town?”

“Mm—mm—” The girl, eyes brimming with tears, nodded in response.

Having learned Zhou Qing’s whereabouts from the couple, Lord Feng Shui flung the young man against the boulder with force.

Immediately, a bloody scene unfolded before the girl, who clung to his leg, pleading.

“Ah—!” The girl shrieked in terror, then fainted, her eyes closing.

“Hmph—” Lord Feng Shui snorted, kicked the unconscious girl onto the sand, then stood at the shore, glancing up at the sky and then at North Beach Town.

“You little human cultivator, I will not let you escape.”

He uttered a vicious oath, formed a strange mudra with his hands, and pointed skyward. Instantly, dark clouds gathered overhead.

Within ten breaths, a torrential rain poured from the heavens.

Lord Feng Shui stood beneath the downpour, his fury raging as he strode toward North Beach Town.

Although this carp spirit’s cultivation was profound, he was, after all, a creature of water. Without an earth spirit root, he could not move on land as freely as he did beneath the waves.