vrcanaries Chapter 452 The Strange Tales of Crossing the River 2
Chapter 452 The Strange Tales of Crossing the River 2
The passengers gradually relaxed, some leaning against the railing to admire the river view, others strolling leisurely on the deck.
However, the good weather didn't last long. Suddenly, the sky turned gloomy, and dark clouds, like cotton dyed black with ink, pressed heavily overhead.
The river wind began to howl, and the water splashed against the gunwale, making a series of muffled sounds.
The boat captain was experienced; he looked up at the sky and inwardly cried out in alarm.
He quickly shouted, urging the guests to return to the cabin as soon as possible and not to stay on the deck, lest they be swept into the river by the strong winds and waves and endanger themselves.
……
Just as I stepped into the cabin and before I could even sit down, the ship suddenly began to shake violently, as if it had been struck by a tremendous force.
The once calm river surface has now become turbulent, with howling winds sweeping across and bringing bursts of torrential rain, like a pack of ferocious beasts roaring, which makes people feel fear.
Upon seeing this, the boat captain's face instantly turned extremely grim, as he was well aware of the seriousness of the situation.
He has been making a living on this river for decades and has experienced countless stormy days, but he has never encountered such a terrifying scene before.
He decided to go out and check the situation himself, so he carefully opened the cabin door and braved the wind and rain to walk with difficulty to the bow of the ship.
However, as he saw the scene before him clearly, his worries grew even stronger.
The gale, like a raging beast, relentlessly tore at the sails, and the rain, like arrows, shot towards the bow, almost blinding him.
What terrified him even more was that he felt as if a pair of enormous hands were manipulating the boat from below, causing it to sway precariously in the turbulent river, as if it could capsize at any moment.
"A ghost!" the boatman cried out, his voice echoing across the empty river, sending chills down everyone's spines.
If there weren't really ghosts, how could such a strange situation occur?
Upon hearing the boat captain's shout, the passengers' eyes all turned to the young woman holding the child.
Her face was as pale as paper, and her body was trembling slightly; she was clearly terrified.
It must be that she said she was going to throw the child into the river, and the water ghost heard her. Now the water ghost wants her to keep her promise!
The thought flashed through people's minds, and fear quickly spread.
"Throw the child out right now!" someone shouted, a hint of despair in their voice.
“We don’t want to die with you!” another person chimed in, their voice filled with fear and anger.
"Yes, you've talked nonsense and ruined us. I'll haunt you even as a ghost!" More people began to criticize the young woman, and the scene became chaotic.
The crowd, one after another, pressured the young woman to do as they told her to do.
The young woman was completely terrified. She hugged her child tightly, backing away repeatedly, muttering, "No, I... I was just talking nonsense, I don't want it!"
Just as the young woman was about to be forced into the cabin, Ren Yinyin appeared behind her in time and supported her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid!" Ren Yinyin's voice was gentle yet firm, as if giving the young woman a sense of comfort.
Then, she raised her voice and said, "Everyone, be quiet and listen to me!"
The commotion gradually subsided, and everyone's attention turned to Ren Yinyin.
“My senior brother and I are Taoist priests,” Ren Yinyin said calmly. “Our mission is to subdue demons and monsters. There’s no need to panic. With us here, we will ensure your safety.”
After hearing Ren Yinyin's words, hope ignited in everyone's eyes, but some still cast doubtful glances.
"Just the two of you little Taoist priests?" someone in the crowd questioned.
Ren Yinyin ignored the doubts and turned to look at Shi Shaojian with a firm gaze.
Shi Shaojian nodded slightly, and the two quickly took out a peach wood sword and a yellow talisman from their bags and left the cabin.
Holding a peach wood sword, Ren Yinyin chanted incantations, and a yellow talisman instantly burst into flames. She then threw the burning talisman onto the river.
At the same time, Shi Shaojian also used magic to create an invisible barrier around the ship.
The gale seemed to be contained, and the rocking of the boat eased slightly.
Just then, a huge column of water suddenly surged up from the river, and a giant hand covered in scales reached out from the water and grabbed at the hull.
Upon seeing this, Ren Yinyin's expression turned solemn. A red rope flew out from her sleeve, binding the giant hand. Ren Yinyin then used her magic to pull it down.
Shi Shaojian's lightning-cracked fist slammed into the struggling giant hand. After a piercing scream, the giant hand turned into a bloody mess and fell onto the deck.
But the crisis was not over. Before the two could catch their breath, even more giant hands suddenly emerged from the river and grabbed at the boat.
Ren Yinyin and Shi Shaojian worked together seamlessly, their peach wood swords and yellow talismans flying together as they continuously cast spells.
Ren Yinyin threw out a yellow talisman that turned into flames, burning towards the giant hands, while Shi Shaojian used his fists and feet to repel the approaching giant hands.
However, as more and more giant hands appeared, the ship continued to rock, and the passengers cried out in alarm.
Just when they were starting to feel overwhelmed, Ren Yinyin suddenly noticed a strange light flickering at the bottom of the river.
A thought struck her: perhaps that light was the source of all this.
She made a quick decision and shouted to Shi Shaojian, "Senior brother, I'll go to the bottom of the river to check the light. You stay here and stabilize the boat!"
Although Shi Shaojian was somewhat worried, he still nodded.
Ren Yinyin took a deep breath, cast a spell to protect herself, and leaped into the river, swimming towards the strange light.
Shi Shaojian, meanwhile, braced himself and fought off the ever-approaching giant hands, awaiting news from Ren Yinyin.
Ren Yinyin swam quickly in the river, and the strange light drew ever closer.
As she approached, she discovered that the light was coming from a giant clam shell.
Countless black tentacles were wrapped around the clam shell, which were the source of those giant hands.
As soon as Ren Yinyin approached, the tentacles attacked like snakes.
She wielded her peach wood sword and clashed fiercely with the tentacles.
Just as she was struggling to cope, she suddenly heard a faint voice: "Help me..."
The sound was coming from inside the clam shell!
Ren Yinyin hesitated for a moment, then took advantage of a gap in the tentacle attack to approach the clam shell and discovered that a little girl was trapped inside.
She made a snap decision, first severing the tentacles binding the little girl and freeing her.
As soon as the little girl emerged, the tentacles vanished instantly, and the river gradually calmed down.
Ren Yinyin swam back to the boat with the little girl, by which time Shi Shaojian had already stabilized the boat.
As soon as the little girl left the water, she transformed into a clam the size of a palm, which Ren Yinyin then tucked into her handbag.
The torrential rain finally stopped, the sky cleared, and sunlight shone through the clouds onto the river, making it sparkle.
Everyone stepped out of the cabin, breathing in the fresh air, and their mood improved accordingly.
They saw Ren Yinyin and Shi Shaojian standing at the bow of the boat, their faces showing grateful smiles, and went forward to thank them.
The young woman, carrying her child, quickly walked up to the two men, bowed gracefully, and kept saying, "Our saviors! We are so grateful for your great kindness!"
Upon seeing this, Ren Yinyin quickly stepped forward to help the young woman up, and said with a smile, "There's no need for such formality. This is merely our duty as cultivators."
She looked down at the child in the woman's arms, whose round eyes were staring at her curiously. Ren Yinyin couldn't help but smile slightly.