Chapter 87 Bai Xiuming, have you ever caught a dragon?
Achan tried to grab at it a few times, but unfortunately she couldn't grab anything and fell into the water.
Before she fell into the water, she was suddenly swept up and her body was thrown backward at high speed. In the blink of an eye, all she could see were the blurry lights on the boat.
The thing didn't put her underwater, so it seemed it didn't want to die for the time being. But being imprisoned like this was unpleasant. The icy river water soaked her whole body, and all she could smell was the water vapor and a strong fishy odor.
Is it a monster in the Ji River or...?
The most likely thing that Achan could think of right now was the dragon that the people of Yongzhou City worshipped during the day, but why would it want to capture her?
When the ship was attacked, Bai Xiuming, who was resting in the cabin, rushed out.
However, the creature in the water that attacked the ship was much faster. It only damaged one part of the ship's side before retreating immediately. It was so fast that its shadow was not even seen.
At this moment, the guards on the ship and Chen Hui ran out. Seeing that there was no one on the deck, Chen Hui's face flashed with horror, and she quickly said to Bai Xiuming, "Lord Bai, Achan was on the deck just now."
Bai Xiuming's expression changed. He grabbed a guard's sword from a distance, leaped forward, and walked on the river, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The commotion quickly alerted the other three ships. On the two foremost ships, Xue Ying stood beside the Shen siblings, listening to Shen Yingzhu ask her triumphantly, "How was it? Isn't my brother amazing?"
Xue Ying nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with admiration.
She had previously thought Shen Yingxiao was too weak, not even as good as the sons of military generals in the capital, but now her impression of him had been completely changed.
He could actually control a water dragon, a dragon that was worshipped as a god by the people of Yongzhou during the day!
Moreover, he was seeking revenge for himself.
The thought that Ji Chan would soon die in the dragon's mouth filled Xue Ying with immense pleasure.
Shen Yingxiao put down the bone flute, turned around and saw Xue Ying's expression. He couldn't help but smile and said to her gently, "Alright, it's late, you should go and rest."
Xue Ying nodded, and as she turned to walk towards the cabin, she felt her face getting hot for some reason.
She thought that marrying Shen Yingxiao might not be so unacceptable.
After everyone left, Shen Yingzhu laughed and said, "See? I told you, those ignorant young ladies in the capital can be easily subdued with just a few tricks."
Shen Yingxiao put the bone flute away and gave a faint "hmm".
"Brother, what orders did you give to the Dragon King?"
"Didn't you say we couldn't let her die so easily? Let that dragon have some fun first, and then eat her when it's done. They won't even be able to find her remains."
"Although I can't see it with my own eyes, the Dragon King shouldn't disappoint me." A look of satisfaction flashed across Shen Yingzhu's face.
At the same time, he said with some envy, "Now that the Flood Dragon King listens to you so much, once it advances to the next level, won't you be able to call the shots in the entire Ji River, brother?"
"It will take some time before it can advance to the next level. For now, we need to avoid those insects from the Mingjing Division," Shen Yingxiao said with disgust.
Shen Yingzhu frowned upon hearing this and said unhappily, "Since these people can't find the Dragon King, they have been sabotaging every sacrifice the people of the city make for it. The incense offerings are being collected too slowly, and even the speed of cultivation improvement has slowed down a lot."
"It's alright, let them be arrogant for a few days." After saying that, he glanced at the ship behind him and said, "Alright, go and rest. Let them deal with these troubles themselves."
On the ship Zhang Jinghuai was on, after learning that the ship behind them had been attacked, he ordered the captain to turn around.
To everyone's surprise, the captain preferred to be beheaded rather than turn back: "Sir, it's not that I don't want to turn back, but the commotion just now clearly showed that the Dragon King was angry. If we turn back, all the lives on this ship will be in danger. Please spare me, sir!"
The boat captain and his crew knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"You can stay put and get alongside the ship behind you to pick up the people on board."
"This..." The boat captain was also unwilling. That was a ship that had been attacked by the Flood Dragon King. Who knew if their approach would displease the Flood Dragon King?
But when he looked up, the cold glint of the weapon caught his eye, and his heart skipped a beat: "Very well, this humble subject will bring the person over right away."
The two ships soon approached each other. Zhang Jinghuai's gaze swept across the deck. Apart from Bai Xiuming and Ji Chan, everyone else was there.
When Chen Hui arrived, Shen Huixue hurriedly asked, "Hui Niang, where is A Chan? Has something happened to her?"
Chen Hui nodded: "Something in the water attacked our ship. Achan happened to be on the deck at the time, and she was taken away by that thing. Lord Bai has already chased after it."
Shen Huixue's face was full of worry: "Why did it have to be Achan of all people?"
Achan also wanted to know why it had to be her. It was pitch black all around, with only the moon shining on the water. Ripples on the water carried a patch of moonlight, which allowed her to tell that she was still on the water.
She didn't know how long the thing held her before she was thrown into a rocky cave. The bottom of the cave was covered with a layer of fine gravel, which hurt her all over.
She propped herself up to sit up, and her hand suddenly touched something smooth. Turning her head, she discovered it was a skull.
She then discovered that around the stone cave, there were not only stones, but also many white bones.
Just then, a piercing scraping sound rang out, and the fishy smell she had just smelled reappeared. Achan raised her head warily, and above the stone cave, a huge head covered in scales and with a horn was facing her.
She held her breath and dared not move.
Soon, the enormous head disappeared, and then a tall, humanoid figure entered the stone cave.
Achan looked over and saw that the dragon had already transformed into human form, but its body still retained many traces of the dragon, such as the scales on its cheeks, the single horn on its forehead, and its hands and feet, which were still shaped like claws.
It looks like it failed at transformation, but it still feels pretty good about itself.
The dragon walked step by step to Achan's side, its yellowish-brown eyes filled with cold scrutiny: "You look different from other human women. When I captured them, all they knew how to do was cry, and some were even scared to death."
It chuckled mockingly, "Those bones around you belong to them."
"Are you the legendary Dragon King?"
"Oh, you are quite clever, managing to guess my identity."
"Your Majesty is exceptionally brave and capable; you will naturally recognize me. But I wonder, in what way have I offended Your Majesty?"
The Dragon King squinted at her for a while before saying, "How do you know you've offended me? I think you're quite beautiful and I'm planning to marry you. What do you think?"
"Your Majesty is too kind. This is a serious matter of marriage..."
Before she could finish speaking, the dragon suddenly slammed its fist into the stone wall beside it, creating a deep pit.
"Marriage is a major event, and naturally it is up to Your Majesty to decide," Achan immediately changed her mind. "But since it is a marriage, even without the phoenix coronet and wedding robes, shouldn't Your Majesty and I at least have a wedding ceremony?"
"A wedding ceremony? Why are you humans so nosy?"
"Your Majesty is so powerful, can't you even fulfill this small request?"
"Alright, as you say." The dragon grinned, revealing three rows of sharp teeth.
Its emotionless eyes stared at Achan, but in its heart it was thinking, "I'll play with her for a couple of days first, and then eat her when she lowers her guard and thinks she can survive. That way, I can fulfill the young master's order."
"Then I will wait here for Your Majesty."
The Dragon King glanced at her again, bent his knees slightly, and leaped out of the stone cave.
This small island is just a temporary place for it to stay; there's nothing there for a wedding ceremony.
It looked around and was about to find a large rock to carve into a table when it saw a blade of light slashing straight at it.
The Dragon King was disdainful and did not take the attack seriously, taking the blow head-on with his body.
It thought it couldn't even cut its own scales, but to its surprise, the blade actually sliced into its body, and blood gushed out.
The Dragon King was terrified and immediately transformed back into his original form, diving directly into the Ji River. With a few undulations, he disappeared into the water, even his aura vanishing.
Bai Xiuming carried his knife onto the island. He didn't chase after the escaped dragon. His gaze swept across the small island, and finally, he confirmed a direction and started walking towards it.
Achan sat in the stone cave, soaking wet. She hugged her knees, trying to warm herself up.
As she looked up at the night sky, she thought to herself that the saying "bad luck in the year" was quite fitting for her.
Just then, a figure appeared on the stone.
Ah Chan finally breathed a sigh of relief, her voice tinged with grievance: "Lord Bai, I thought you weren't coming."
Bai Xiuming floated lightly into the stone cave and reached out his hand to her.
Achan placed her hand in his palm, and Bai Xiuming grasped her hand, gently pulling her up, which helped her stand up.
"Are you injured?" He looked down at Achan.
"No."
Achan raised her hand and touched her cold nose, sensing that she might get sick again tonight.
Bai Xiuming hummed in agreement, but did not let go of her hand. Then, Achan felt a warm sensation flowing into her body through his palm.
The heat quickly spread throughout my body, drying out my previously damp clothes.
She thought to herself, "Bai Xiuming is really useful."
"What about that dragon?" Achan asked.
"He escaped wounded."
"It escaped from your grasp?" She couldn't help but be surprised. The dragon's cultivation level was definitely no higher than Bai Xiuming's, yet it still managed to escape.
"Yes, that dragon's escape technique is very powerful. Even if it enters the water, it will be difficult for me to catch up." Otherwise, he wouldn't have only just come here.
"Okay, so where do we go next?"
"Let's go back to Yongzhou City first, and we can talk about the rest tomorrow."
Achan nodded and instinctively stretched out her arms to him.
Bai Xiuming lifted her up with one hand and let her sit in the crook of his arm. A Chan exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Then, with a light leap, he brought Achan out of the stone cave.
The distance from that small island to Yongzhou City wasn't very far, though it's also possible that Bai Xiuming was fast. Soon, she saw the tightly closed city gates.
"Lord Bai, your waist token should be valid for opening the city gate, right?" Achan asked uncertainly.
"No waist tag."
"Hmm?" Achan asked, puzzled.
"He was suspended from his post for protecting the suspect."
"What suspect?"
Bai Xiuming remained silent, only looking at her.
Achan's finger curved and pointed at herself, asking uncertainly, "Me?"
"Otherwise what?"
"Your boss is really unreasonable," Ah Chan complained, but a smile was secretly creeping onto her lips.
"You seem pleased that I've been suspended?"
"No, I was just thinking... from now on, can I call you by your name instead of calling you Lord Bai?"
Bai Xiuming turned to her, a smile playing in his deep eyes: "Whatever you say."
“Bai Xiuming, let’s go that way. Look at that city guard, he’s probably dozing off,” Achan said, pointing in a direction.
"Breaking through the city gates after curfew..."
Achan interrupted him, saying matter-of-factly, "You're no longer an official, so why should you still abide by the law?"
She patted Bai Xiuming on the shoulder and urged, "Hurry up, I'm sleepy."
Bai Xiuming curled his lips and entered the city, avoiding the guards in the direction she pointed.
By this time, all the inns in the city had closed, and Bai Xiuming led Achan to the inn where they had stayed during the day.
The innkeeper heard the knocking and came to open the door. He saw that the two guests outside looked familiar, like the distinguished guests from earlier in the day, so he quickly welcomed them in.
"Are you two honored guests looking for a room?" He didn't dare ask any further questions, wondering why guests who had already checked out had returned.
"Two superior rooms, boil a bucket of hot water and send it to her room." Bai Xiuming put A Chan down after entering the shop and gave the order to the shopkeeper, then threw a silver ingot over.
The shopkeeper took the money and immediately put on a smile: "Please wait a moment, esteemed guests. I'll have the kitchen boil some water right away. Please come with me."
The shopkeeper led the two upstairs, and soon hot water was delivered to Achan's room.
After taking a hot bath, Achan felt that the unpleasant fishy smell on her body had finally been washed away.
She lay in bed, finding it difficult to fall asleep. Although she knew in her heart that Bai Xiuming would definitely come looking for her, the feeling of powerlessness she had felt when facing the dragon lingered in her mind.
She thought, "If only I were still a demon, being human is so troublesome."
Thinking this, Achan gradually fell asleep. She didn't sleep soundly, and in the middle of the night she had a dream in which a huge dragon's head was facing her, saying that it wanted to marry her.
The night watchman struck the second watch gong, and the night deepened.
In her dream, Achan was so angry at the shameless dragon that she was practically fuming, while the candle in Bai Xiuming's room next door remained lit.
Suddenly, the tightly closed window was opened from the outside, and a shadowy figure crept in through the window.
Bai Xiuming, sitting in his chair, saw the man enter and showed a hint of surprise on his face, asking, "Why are you here?"
The man turned around, and the waist tag hanging from his waist swayed. It was the same waist tag of the garrison commander that Achan had mentioned earlier.
This man is Shen Zhuo, the garrison commander stationed here, the one who cleaved the dragon statue in broad daylight.
Shen Zhuo is older than Bai Xiuming, but he has a baby face and looks like he is in his early twenties.
He closed the window before turning to Bai Xiuming and saying, "You think I wanted to come? That dragon appeared again tonight. I was patrolling the water's edge when I saw you sneaking into the city carrying someone."
"Then what?"
Shen Zhuo narrowed his eyes: "Did you encounter that dragon?"
"Yeah, I slashed it once, but it got away."
"Even you can't catch it?" Anger flashed across Shen Zhuo's face. He had been forced to stay in Yongzhou for two months because of that bewitching dragon.
That dragon was not only cunning, but also exceptionally skilled in water escape techniques. He tried many methods to lure the dragon out, but he could never catch it.
If he stays in Yongzhou for another two months, he'll lose all face.
Just as the two were talking, there was a knock on the door.
Shen Zhuo opened his eyes wide, flipped over and leaped out of the window. Only then did Bai Xiuming speak and ask, "Who is it?"
"Bai Xiuming, I have something to tell you." Achan's voice came from outside the door.
"At this time?" Bai Xiuming was surprised.
"Hurry up." The person outside the door yawned, annoyed by his dawdling.
Bai Xiuming stepped forward and opened the door. Achan stood outside the door, her hair already disheveled. She had made a messy braid that hung down in front of her, barely managing to tidy her appearance.
He stepped aside to let Achan into the room, and after she sat down in a chair, he asked, "Is there something important that you have to say in the middle of the night? Do you have a fever?"
Achan touched her forehead and shook her head at him. It was only a little hot, not serious.
"What should I say?" The flickering candlelight reflected in Bai Xiuming's eyes seemed to carry a gentle light.
When she met his gaze, Achan was lost in thought for a moment before finally regaining her composure.
"I just dreamt about that toad." Recalling the scene in her dream, Achan started to get angry again.
Bai Xiuming couldn't help but chuckle, realizing her disgust for that dragon, which she had demoted to a toad.
"And then?" he asked.
"It actually wanted to get married to me before! Now, just thinking about it makes me so angry that I can't sleep."
"So what do you want?"
"I can't quell my hatred until I've skinned it alive." With that, Achan leaned closer to him, her tone seductive, "Bai Xiuming, have you ever caught a dragon?"
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