Chapter 13: The Water Monster

Upon hearing the woman’s words, everyone immediately turned their gaze to the surface of the lake. What they saw left them all speechless with terror. On the once-calm waters, a shadow had appeared, as if some monstrous creature was gliding beneath the surface. Xu Xuan instantly sensed the threat; focusing his mind and steadying his breath, his inner power surged, ready for battle. Clearly, trouble had found them today—something monstrous was about to emerge from the lake’s depths.

The pressure radiating from the creature weighed heavily upon Xu Xuan, and his expression grew grave, uncertain of the outcome. The young gentleman, too, was pale as a sheet, realizing now that his careless words had brought disaster upon them. As for his servant, he trembled uncontrollably, so frightened he collapsed back onto the boat.

Suddenly, the boat lurched violently—a heavy blow from the shadow below nearly capsized them. Everyone stumbled and fell in a heap, and the woman, who was holding her child, lost her balance entirely. Both mother and child tumbled into the water.

Seeing them fall in, Pi Wu, the boatman, could not stand by and do nothing; he immediately leapt into the lake to rescue them. But just then, a massive shadow, as large as a small hill, appeared near the struggling pair. As the dark shape drew closer, Pi Wu himself recoiled in fear, not daring to approach.

All at once, the enormous shadow swelled the lake’s surface into a great mound. Xu Xuan fixed his gaze and saw a pair of green eyes, each the size of a lantern. Whirlpools began to form all around, threatening to draw mother and child beneath the waves.

This astounding scene on the lake quickly attracted the attention of many fishing boats. All saw the monstrous shadow, and fear was writ large on every face.

“A demon! There’s a monster in Emerald Lake!”

“There’s a demon in the lake—what are we to do?”

“It’s going to eat someone! Hurry, fetch the demon-hunters from the Suppression Bureau!”

“Help! The monster is here to harm us!”

In an instant, the fishing boats scattered, rowers shouting in panic as they raced for the shore.

Among them, Xu Xuan alone remained composed.

“Courting death!” he roared. Forming a sword seal with his right hand, he pointed at the water’s surface. In a flash, the crimson bracelet on his wrist gleamed and transformed into a streak of light, ringing with the cry of a sword. The bracelet became a three-inch scarlet flying sword, which shot straight toward the monstrous shadow in the lake.

With a shrill whistle, the sword became a bolt of lightning, striking the lake demon. The creature thrashed, sending up torrents of water, and a thread of fresh blood drifted to the surface—Xu Xuan’s Scarlet Mist Sword had found its mark.

Wounded, the monster realized that a formidable opponent was aboard and immediately dove, vanishing into the depths. Though it was gone, the sense of danger remained.

With the surface momentarily calm, Xu Xuan pressed his foot down and sprang into the air. Skimming across the water, he reached the mother and child in a flash, seized them with one hand, and brought them safely back to the boat.

His display of skill drew cheers from the crowd watching on the shore. Some townsfolk from Emerald Wave Town recognized Xu Xuan and began singing his praises. The reputation of Scholar Xu from Willow County was sure to spread throughout the land now.

Everyone returned to the boat, soaked and bedraggled. Pi Wu, caring nothing for his drenched clothes, rowed feverishly for the shore—on land, they would be safe. No matter how fierce the demon, it would be helpless out of the water; even a whale is just a dead fish on land. Unless, of course, the monster was a crocodile, in which case, forget what I said.

After this ordeal, the young gentleman was utterly shaken, looking at Xu Xuan with awe and reverence. Had Xu Xuan not intervened, their little boat would have been capsized and all of them become food for the lake demon.

The woman sobbed uncontrollably, caring nothing for her sodden garments as she patted her child’s back. The child, having swallowed a mouthful or two of water, was only just now regaining his breath—too frightened even to cry.

While rowing, Pi Wu, still shaken, grumbled at the young gentleman, “Now you see what trouble a careless tongue can bring? Your words must have angered the Lord of the Lake—he’s furious now. To appease him, we’d need to throw the child in as a sacrifice—what a calamity!”

Hearing this, the gentleman’s face was full of regret. “What are we to do now?” He had never imagined his idle words would bring such disaster, but now it was far too late for remorse.

The woman, hearing Pi Wu’s words, trembled with fear and sobbed even harder.

Xu Xuan, gazing at the calm surface, turned to Zhao Jinqian and asked, “Jinqian, have you ever heard of a Lord of the Lake in Emerald Lake?”

She replied, “I lived here for three years, but never heard of such a being. Perhaps it’s just a local legend.”

“Are there any ancient monsters in the lake, notorious for eating people and wreaking havoc?”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that, either. Besides, my godfather has long watched over Emerald Lake. With him here, no ordinary monster would dare cause trouble.”

From this conversation, Xu Xuan gained some insight into the secrets beneath Emerald Lake. Zhao Jinqian’s godfather had made a home of this place, tending the water levels and calming storms—a benevolent guardian, who would never allow evil monsters to run rampant. Zhao Jinqian, though a ghost, had not lived here long; perhaps she was unaware of all the rumors. As for Pi Wu, a lifelong boatman, he might know more than she did.

After a moment's thought, Xu Xuan asked Pi Wu, “Boatman, you keep mentioning this Lord of the Lake—have you ever witnessed his power?”

Pi Wu replied, “Master Xu, it’s been passed down from my ancestors that the Lord of the Lake watches over Emerald Lake. Thanks to his protection, our waters are always calm, and we can make a living in peace. Every New Year, our town prepares offerings to him, praying for a safe and prosperous year.”

Xu Xuan was left pondering, uncertain who or what the monster that attacked them really was. Unless this mystery was solved, they could not cross the lake in safety.

“If nothing else works, I’ll have to dive beneath the surface myself,” Xu Xuan decided. After all, he had the golden scale given by Wave Rider Huang, allowing him to move freely underwater. He was heading westward to slay monsters anyway; if an evil demon lurked in Emerald Lake, it would be dealt with as well.

As they spoke, the small boat sped toward the shore, Pi Wu rowing with all his might, desperate to reach land. They were almost there, and everyone began to relax—when suddenly, great waves surged up around them. A tremendous force smashed into the boat, splintering it to pieces and tossing everyone into the water.

Fortunately, floating planks from the wreckage offered something to cling to, so none of them drowned. Xu Xuan, sensing danger as it struck, had already leapt clear and now stood atop a drifting board, watching the lake with grim determination.

In the spot where the child had fallen, a shadow was swiftly closing in—clearly, it had set its sights on its next meal.