Dong Zheng said, “The official road, it’s safer and faster. If we hurry, we might catch the evil spirit before it reaches the village.”
Ren Heming agreed with this suggestion, and the two of them veered to the right path, taking the official road. The road was open and wide, but it was empty of people. Lush weeds and shrubs hugged the roadside, the wind rustled the forest tops, and several birds called out from time to time in the distance.
Earlier, Dong Zheng’s mood had been disturbed by the cave, but it had gradually calmed down. Thinking about it as a businessman, he could estimate whether countless contracts were true or false. They still had to complete their mission, and their mission was more important.
Two hours had already passed. The sun had set to the west, burning most of the sky red, and the temperature was different from the scorching heat at noon. Dong Zheng heard the sound of gurgling water, and as expected, ahead of them, on a little hill beside the official road, was a small stream.
There was a string of small footprints on the bank of the stream, which seemed to have belonged to a small girl. The footprints moved from the official road to the dirt path that led to the stream and disappeared into the water. From the look of it, the girl had entered the stream.
Ren Heming stopped the horse and looked at the mountain ranges on the other side of the small stream. He looked at the series of footprints and frowned.
“These footprints are very fresh. They were obviously left here only a short while ago,” Dong Zheng said in a low voice as he moved next to him.
Ren Heming took out the talisman paper to determine the position of the evil spirit. The ashes pointed to the other side of the stream toward the direction of the girl’s footprints.
“It’s over there.” Ren Heming got off his horse. He held the rein and told Dong Zheng, “Prepare to cross the stream.”
Dong Zheng dismounted and went to the stream. He squatted down to check the string of footprints. Based on the size, it should belong to a thin child about ten years old. But such a small child―Dong Zheng looked at the rushing water that looked to be almost as deep as his thigh―could he pass through such deep water?
Ren Heming grabbed the reins of his horse and took the lead in stepping into the water. The stream may have been fed by melting snow from the mountaintops; it was biting cold. The bottom of his foot stepped on the slick, rocky waterbed, and he cautiously walked forward step by step, shouting to Dong Zheng, “Be careful! The bottom of the stream is too slippery!”
Perhaps the water was too cold and too deep. The brown horse that was being pulled behind him was initially unwilling to enter the water. But Ren Heming loudly shouted, and the horse tossed its tail and obediently followed.
The horseshoes were particularly slippery when stepping on the rocky waterbed. Ren Heming had to not only keep his balance but also pay attention to the horse’s hard work. Even worse, the rush of water made it difficult to control the direction of his movements.
The area in which Ren Heming was crossing was the deepest and had the strongest current and so he had to breathe deeply and take very careful steps. As Dong Zheng waited on the bank, he saw Ren Heming’s body sway under the rushing current, and he couldn’t help but break out in a sweat.
At this moment, it seemed as if something that they couldn’t see suddenly swept pass, following Ren Heming. The horse immediately became frightened. It abruptly raised its front hoof and turned its head to run. They had expected this development, and Ren Heming was too focused on his footing. The rein was yanked out of his hand, and his body became unstable and shook violently before he completely lost his balance. With slippery rocks under his feet, Ren Heming could only fall into the water with a loud splash.
“Senior Brother!”
Dong Zheng yelled loudly. Ren Heming was directly dumped into water as deep as a person’s thigh and the water swallowed him up. In the blink of an eye, the rushing stream washed Ren Heming downstream. The horse only managed to move five to six meters away before it too lost its balance and ended up crashing into the water, screaming as it was washed away after Ren Heming.
When Ren Heming fell into the water, his posture wasn’t very good. He flopped twice to the bottom, but the bottom of the stream was too slippery and he couldn’t get his footing. He could only struggle to keep his head out of water. Based on his posture, Dong Zheng could see that the situation in the water wasn’t too good.
Ren Heming moved up and down with the water. The moment his head broke the surface, he turned to Dong Zheng and shouted, “Lao Qi!”
“Keep your balance! Don’t panic!” Dong Zheng yelled. Within just a few breaths, the water had already carried Ren Heming ten meters away. At this moment, Dong Zheng decided to:
🔼 Catch up on land → Skip to Chapter 242
⏺ Catch up in water → Skip to Chapter 243