Chapter 51
The murky river water, laden with mud, rotting weeds, and inexplicable debris, poured frantically into Gu Linzhi's mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. The suffocating sensation felt like an iron clamp tightening around his throat. A massive undercurrent, like an invisible underwater python, entwined and tore at his already battered body. Each tumble brought a sharp pain like a ripping wound beneath his ribs and a chilling numbness from the accelerated spread of the poison. His consciousness drifted in and out of the cold, suffocating waves of pain, flickering like a candle in the wind.
A heavy tug came from both sides—Luo Manzi's large, iron-like hand still gripped his arm tightly, while on the other side came the fainter weight of Shen Mo. The three of them were crudely bound together by a water-soaked cloth that Luo Manzi had torn off at some unknown time. They were bobbing in the turbulent current like sacrifices bound together and thrown into the rapids.
Darkness. The underwater vision was a chaotic, dark yellow. Only the occasional air that reached the surface offered a brief, painful respite before being submerged again by the larger waves. In my ears was the dull, thunderous roar of the water and the increasingly slow, heavy thump of my own heartbeat.
Am I going to die...
Just buried silently in the cold undercurrent of the canal?
My father's injustice... the blood feud of the Jingbei Army... the dark side of Jiangnan... and the mystery of the "Ice Soul" that I just glimpsed...
I won't accept this! I absolutely won't accept this!
A dying stubbornness from the deepest part of his soul, like the last spark bursting out from the dying ashes, forcibly ignited Gu Linzhi's almost completely disintegrated will! He struggled violently, using his remaining strength to resist the current, trying to float upwards!
His struggle inspired Luo Manzi. The seriously injured Cao Gang leader was clearly not completely unconscious. His instinct for survival made him cooperate with the current and the two of them worked together to drag the unconscious Shen Mo and finally broke through a wave!
"Cough! Cough cough!" Gu Linzhi's head suddenly emerged from the water. He greedily and violently inhaled a breath of cold, damp air that smelled of freedom. Then he was choked by the river water and started coughing heart-wrenchingly, bringing out more black and purple blood foam.
Luo Manzi also emerged, the blood on his face washed away by the river, revealing an even paler complexion and a hideous scar. He gasped for breath, clutching Gu Linzhi and Shen Mo tightly with his one arm, his scarlet eyes rapidly scanning the surroundings in the darkness.
The rain continued, but with a slight decrease in intensity. On both sides of the river were blurry, rapidly receding shadows, like desolate mudflats and swaying reeds. They had been swept far away, the flames and shouts of battle long gone behind them, only the relentless roar of the canal filled the air.
"Hold... on..." Luo Manzi's voice was hoarse and broken, and every word was filled with the sound of water and blood. "Find... a place... to dock..."
However, in the middle of this turbulent river, while the two banks seemed close together, they were actually riddled with undercurrents and whirlpools. Given their current state, reaching shore was practically impossible. Every time they struggled towards shore, they were swept back into the river by the stronger undercurrent. Their strength was rapidly depleting, and the cold was slowly robbing them of their remaining warmth.
Gu Linzhi felt his eyelids growing heavier, and Luo Manzi's hand, gripping him, trembled slightly. Shen Mo remained silent, like a heavy log. Despair once again washed over him like a cold river.
Just when his consciousness was about to be completely swallowed by darkness and coldness again—
Gu Linzhi's blurred vision seemed to catch a glimpse of an extremely faint, stable, dim light in the shadow of an exceptionally dense reed marsh at the bend of the river in the right front. It was different from the shimmering water!
It’s not starlight, nor phosphorescence…it’s like…a lamp?!
"The light...over there..." He used up his last bit of strength to squeeze out a hoarse voice from his throat, and tried hard to raise his fingers to point in that direction.
Luo Manzi suddenly looked in the direction indicated! When he saw the faint but real light, his cloudy eyes instantly burst into an incredible, desperate light!
"There's a boat?!" He roared in ecstasy, and squeezed out strength from somewhere. He paddled hard with one arm, dragging the two people, struggling desperately towards the direction of the light!
Hope, like a shot of adrenaline, injected into a dying body. Gu Linzhi matched his feeble movements. The distance gradually closed. The light emanated from an unassuming old boat anchored deep in the reeds. A dim hurricane lantern hung on the bow, and the boat rocked gently with the waves, like a silent, long-awaited ghost.
"Hello! Is there anyone there?! Help!" Luo Manzi screamed at the top of his lungs, but his voice sounded extremely weak over the wide river surface.
There seemed to be movement on the boat. A hunched figure emerged from the low cabin, lantern in hand, peering out over the river. The light illuminated a wrinkled face, etched by the wind and the passage of time. His eyes were cloudy, revealing the numbness and vigilance characteristic of someone who has lived on the water for years.
When the old boatman saw the three people struggling in the water, especially how bloody and miserable they were, a hint of obvious surprise and vigilance flashed in his eyes, and he did not immediately rescue them.
"Father-in-law! Please be kind! Give us a hand! You will be rewarded handsomely!" Luo Manzi shouted hurriedly, his voice distorted by anxiety and weakness.
The old boatman hesitated, his eyes scanning the three of them. Especially when he saw the hideous wound under Gu Linzhi's ribs and his pale face, his cloudy eyes became even more wary. He seemed to be weighing something.
Gu Linzhi was filled with anxiety, his life slipping away with each passing moment. He forced himself to raise his head, facing the dim light, and gaze at the old boatman. Despite his shabby appearance and near death, his cold eyes still held the unquestionable authority honed by years of high office and decisive action.
He didn't beg, but simply used all his strength to utter a few words hoarsely but clearly. His voice was not loud, but it carried a strange power that penetrated the wind and rain: "Father-in-law...ferry...not caring...success or failure..."
This was an old saying among canal boatmen, implying that a ferryman's sole responsibility was to ferry people across the river, regardless of their origins or grudges. Now, spoken by Gu Linzhi, it carried a heavy weight of trust and an irresistible feeling.
The old boatman's body seemed to tremble slightly when he heard this. His cloudy eyes once again looked at Gu Linzhi carefully and deeply. The look in his eyes was extremely complicated, with surprise, inquiry, and finally turned into a resigned silence.
He no longer hesitated, quickly put down the lantern, picked up the long bamboo pole at the bow, and reached it accurately towards the three people struggling in the water.
"catch!"
Luo Manzi grabbed the bamboo pole like a lifeline. The old boatman exerted his strength on the boat, cooperating with Luo Manzi's last bit of strength, and struggled to drag the three soaking wet and bloody people onto the narrow side of the boat one by one.
Once aboard, Luo Manzi completely lost his strength and collapsed on the wet deck, gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. Gu Linzhi was also nearly exhausted, leaning against the side of the ship, his vision blurring, his cold body trembling uncontrollably. Shen Mo was laid flat on the deck, his face ashen, the arrow wound in his chest still oozing black blood, his breath so weak it was almost imperceptible.
The old boatman looked at the three uninvited guests on the deck who had obviously caused great trouble, especially the horrifically injured Gu Linzhi and Shen Mo. His wrinkled face was expressionless. He just silently picked up a piece of worn felt and covered the shivering Gu Linzhi. He checked Shen Mo's injuries again, shook his head, and said in a hoarse voice: "This... I'm afraid it won't work..."
Gu Linzhi's heart sank.
The old boatman said nothing more and walked into the low cabin. Soon, he came out with a rough earthenware jar and a broken bowl. The jar was filled with a turbid liquid with a spicy smell.
"To ward off the cold." He said it briefly, handed the broken bowl to Luo Manzi, and gestured to Gu Linzhi.
Luo Manzi gratefully accepted it and took a large swig himself. The spicy liquid rolled down his throat like a line of fire, bringing a hint of warmth. He then carefully helped Gu Linzhi up and brought the edge of the bowl to his lips.
Gu Linzhi reluctantly drank a few sips. The liquid tasted pungent and bitter, but it seemed to send a heat into his cold limbs and bones, causing his almost frozen blood to start flowing slowly again, and his consciousness became a little clearer.
"Thank you...father-in-law..." Gu Linzhi's voice was still hoarse.
The old boatman waved his hand, dismissing the request. He squatted down, looked at Shen Mo, sighed, and pulled out a small cloth bag from his bosom. Inside was some coarse herbal powder. He sprinkled it on Shen Mo's wound, then tore off a strip of cloth and bandaged it briefly. His movements were skillful, yet revealing a helpless indifference. Clearly, he didn't believe this could bring him back to life.
After doing all this, the old boatman picked up the bamboo pole and silently pushed the boat away from the reed marsh. The boat drifted along with the current, silently sliding into deeper darkness. He no longer looked at the three people on the boat, but instead focused on the river ahead, as if he were just a ferryman who cared nothing for the ups and downs of life.
The boat sailed silently along the dark river. The rain had stopped at some point, leaving only the gurgling sound of the river and the gentle thud of the boat breaking through the waves. A thin layer of clouds parted in the night sky, revealing a few pale stars. Their faint light shone on the river, casting a shadow on the boat's lonely form.
Gu Linzhi leaned against the side of the boat, wrapped in his cold, wet clothes and the equally damp felt, feeling the faint warmth from the pungent medicine slowly being swallowed by the deeper cold and the deadly poison. He knew that his time was running out. Shen Mo was in imminent danger, Luo Manzi was seriously injured, and whether this mysterious old boatman was a friend or foe remained uncertain...
We must get the antidote as soon as possible! Or... find a way to temporarily suppress the poison!
His gaze fell on the unconscious Shen Mo, then on the old boatman silently rowing, his mind racing. Cao Wushang and Beidi wanted his life in exchange for Bingpo's awakening, so they wouldn't let him die so easily in such a short time... Perhaps... they held a method to temporarily suppress the toxin?
Just as his thoughts were swirling, an unassuming blue cloth bundle, half-hidden under a torn fishing net in the corner of the cabin, caught his distracted gaze. A corner of the bundle opened slightly, revealing the rough cover of a booklet inside—the color, the texture... it looked unmistakably like Ge Ping's account book, soaked in blood and tears!
Ge Ping's account book?! Why is it here?! Shouldn't it be with that camphorwood box...
Gu Linzhi's heart skipped a beat! He struggled, moving his body with great difficulty, stretched out his hand, and tremblingly hooked it towards the bundle.
His action startled Luo Manzi who was standing beside him. Luo Manzi looked at him suspiciously, then followed his gaze to the bundle.
Gu Linzhi signaled with his eyes. Although Luo Manzi didn't understand why, he still helped him drag the bag over.
The bundle felt heavy and damp. Gu Linzhi undid the buttons with trembling hands. Inside was Ge Ping's account book! Though soaked in water and wrinkled at the edges, it was still largely intact. Beneath the book lay several blackened, twisted, and deformed metal fragments, seemingly burned by a fierce fire.
Gu Linzhi picked up a fragment and examined it carefully in the dim light of the bow lantern. The fragment was covered in soot, but on one fractured surface, he could vaguely see extremely fine, artificially carved lines and... a fuzzy mark, almost unrecognizable due to the high temperature, but the general outline could still be seen - it was a strange pattern surrounded by water ripples!
The Yunze Society's watermark?!
Are these fragments… the remnants of some bombed-out artifact? From the explosion site of the Tongyuan Cao Gang pleasure boat in Hangzhou?! The clue in the detailed outline, "a rubbing of a fragment reveals the 'Yun Ze Hui' watermark," has actually appeared in the form of these physical fragments on this lone, life-saving boat?!
Who the hell is this old boatman?! How could he have both Ge Ping's account book and metal fragments bearing the Yunze Society's logo, possibly from the Hangzhou bombing?!
All the clues - the crossbow made by Youzhou craftsmen, the mysterious mark of Yunze Society, Ge Ping's account book, Beidi's conspiracy... at this moment, in this lonely boat drifting on the dark canal, they all converged strangely!
Gu Linzhi suddenly raised his head, his eyes like lightning, shooting towards the back of the old boatman at the stern who was still rowing silently, as if he was unaware of everything behind him!
This is definitely not an ordinary ferryman!
Who is he? An enemy? A friend? A pawn of another faction? Or... a member of the mysterious organization known as the "Yun Ze Society" that looms behind all these mysteries?
Just when Gu Linzhi was filled with doubt and tried to speak to test the waters——
The old boatman, who had been rowing silently at the stern, seemed to have eyes behind him. Without turning his head, he slowly and word by word recited an ancient fishing ballad popular among the canal boatmen in his hoarse, old voice. The tune was strange and desolate, the lyrics blurred by the sound of the rushing water, making it difficult to hear clearly. Only the last two lines, with unusual clarity, carried on the night wind and reached Gu Linzhi's ears:
"...The storm in front of the Dragon King Temple is fierce, and the empty box is thrown to terrify the ghosts and gods..."
Dragon King Temple? Empty boxes?
Gu Linzhi's pupils suddenly constricted! Key scenes from the detailed storyline, such as "Gu Linzhi throws 'Box No. 3' to lure out the snake" and "Dragon King Temple bandits fight over the empty box," flashed through his mind!
This old boatman… not only does he know about the Yunze Club, he also seems to know Gu Linzhi's next plan?! Maybe he's even part of this plan?!
Was he the one who sent the clue? Or was he... the fisherman who cast the bait?!
The vast mystery and cold calculations, like the bottomless waters of the canal, instantly drowned Gu Linzhi. He looked at the old boatman's hunched and mysterious back, then at the Ge Ping account book and the metal fragment with the Yunze Society's mark in his hand. A chill, even more piercing than the river water, slowly crept up his spine.
The lone boat continues to drift along the dark river, heading towards the unknown, destined for bloody next stop: Dragon King Temple. Everyone on board seems to have become a chess piece in this vast chess game, with no control over their fate.
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