Chapter 124: Both Sides Can't Be Found

The Tongtian River is one of the largest rivers in Dazhen, spanning half the country. After turning south past Dazhen's southern border, it flows into the Dazhen East Sea. While some sections are slightly narrower, most parts are very wide.

Where Ji Yuan was, the river was so vast that one could barely make out cattle or horses on the opposite banks. Yet, the current was gentle, and there were no large waves.

The fishing float bobbed up and down with the river, yet there was no sign of a fish biting.

"Mr. Ji! Mr. Ji!"

Someone on the bank was calling Ji Yuan. It was the old man who had rented him the sampan. The old man stood there, holding a small clay pot and a bundle of dried lotus leaf dumplings, and waved at Ji Yuan.

Ji Yuan reeled in his fishing rod, picked up the oar, and slowly rowed closer to the bank.

"Hehehe, Mr. Ji, this is two catties of my homemade rice wine. I specially brought it for you," the old man said. "It's getting cold; why don't you stay overnight in our village?"

As the boat approached the bank, Ji Yuan stood up and took the wine and food from the old man.

"Thank you, Elder Chen," Ji Yuan replied. "But I'm naturally resistant to the cold. Besides, this sampan provides shelter from the rain, can be closed off at both ends, and has bedding inside, so I won't get cold."

Old man Chen shook his head. He knew perfectly well how cold a sampan could get. This Mr. Ji was gentle, polite, and learned, but he seemed to enjoy enduring hardship, staying in this sampan for so long in such cold weather.

"Did you not catch any fish today, sir?"

The old man glanced at the fish basket at the bow; it was empty.

"Indeed," Ji Yuan replied with a smile. "Two dragons passed by under the river today and scared all the fish away. They're all hiding everywhere; how could they dare to bite the hook?"

"Hahaha, Mr. Ji, you're joking again," the old man chuckled. "Well, enjoy your meal. I'll be going now. If you can't bear the cold tonight, please come to Xiashatou Village. I still have a guest room ready at my house at any time!"

Ji Yuan put down the food and wine and cupped his hands in greeting to the old man.

"Alright, I'll certainly come if necessary. Goodbye, Elder Chen!"

The old man also cupped his hands, then tightened his clothes and turned to leave. This Mr. Ji genuinely didn't seem to mind the cold. But he was truly a good person: he paid generously for the rent and even helped him write a family letter to his eldest daughter, who had married into a distant household.

After watching Old Man Chen leave, Ji Yuan sat back down in the sampan.

Ji Yuan looked out at the Tongtian River. Unlike the Chunhui Prefecture, where pleasure boats and painted barges were filled with tourists, there were few such vessels here. This, of course, might also be due to the season.

He first unplugged the clay pot and sniffed, then took a sip of the wine. It was a bit cloudy but tasted decent.

He untied the hemp rope on the dried lotus leaf package. When he opened the lotus leaf, four steaming buns were revealed. A sniff told Ji Yuan there were three vegetable-filled buns and one meat-filled one.

He sat cross-legged at the bow, munching on buns and sipping wine, his gaze fixed on the river surface. Just then, another blurry black shadow, dozens of feet long, swam into view from afar. Countless aquatic creatures scattered in panic as it glided along the riverbed.

'What's happening under the river today?' Ji Yuan wondered. 'There are too many flood dragons in the Tongtian River, or perhaps not all of them are from here?'

Flood dragons are rare in shallow waters, and even in large rivers, they might not be present, or at least not in large numbers. They typically remain dormant, unwilling to move. The Tongtian River was an anomaly in this regard.

Curiosity aside, Ji Yuan dared not stop a flood dragon to ask questions. With his current level of cultivation, he wouldn't be able to handle one without drawing his sword and fighting for his life.

Although "Records of Heretics" held a strong bias against demonic creatures, there was one point Ji Yuan still believed: flood dragons generally have bad tempers.

Beneath the Tongtian River, a flood dragon swam, its four claws tucked close to its belly, twisting its body through the water. Its dragon eyes glowed like large amber lamps. Besides seeing everything clearly on the riverbed, its peripheral vision could also glimpse the mortal boats bobbing on the surface.

As it approached a certain spot ahead, the flood dragon suddenly felt that someone on a small boat was looking at it. As it swam closer, it noticed that the person's face remained constantly turned towards its body.

After swimming a few miles past the small boat, the flood dragon turned its head to look again. It found that the person on the small boat was leisurely drinking wine, no longer looking at it.

'This person shows no signs of magical power or divine light...' it thought. 'Could it have been an illusion?'

Shaking off the thought, the flood dragon continued swimming forward. In a few days, it would be the True Dragon's thousandth birthday. All aquatic creatures from the four directions, if they had any connection, yearned to come and offer congratulations. Few, however, had the privilege, and it happened to be one of them.

Ji Yuan swallowed the homemade wine, even chewing on the sediment within. That had been another flood dragon, and its intuition was quite sharp. He, Ji, had only stared a moment longer, and it seemed to have been noticed.

One hundred and fifty *li* south of Ji Yuan's small boat, a section of the Tongtian River stretched over ten *li* wide, flanked by mountains and forests. The river's depth here was immeasurable.

Beneath a layer of waterweed-covered enchantments at the riverbed stood a magnificent complex of buildings, like a palace. This was both the Tongtian River God's aquatic residence and a dragon palace.

At this moment, the dragon palace was bustling with activity. Aquatic spirits and creatures bustled about: some carried cauldrons, some carried screens, some laid crystal paths, and some were busy clearing waterweeds. Countless colorful fish darted back and forth.

However, in the main hall, a man and a woman were sighing, a stark contrast to the lively and festive atmosphere outside.

"Alas..." the man sighed. "Father isn't back yet, and at such a crucial moment, the guest of honor is missing!"

The speaker was a well-built, handsome man, wearing a silk-satin long robe like water clouds and a small golden-jade crown. He was casually leaning back on a soft chair.

Standing beside him was a woman, whose clothing style was similar to the man's. Her face was delicate and gentle, and her hair was coiled like a flower, with long tresses and sideburns nearly touching the ground. She, too, was frowning in worry.

"He said he was going to find some friend," the woman lamented. "He can't be absent for his birthday, but he's been gone so long and still hasn't been found... Now, it's great: Father can't find his friend, and we can't find Father, alas...!"

As the two complained to each other, a Yasha stepped into the hall.

"Reporting to the River Goddess," the Yasha announced, "Master Gao from Tianshui Lake has arrived."

The woman nodded and waved her sleeve.

"Understood. Arrange for him to rest in the palace quarters," she said. "Also, instruct him to avoid manifesting his dragon form as much as possible. Many of the assisting aquatic creatures are not highly cultivated, and dragon aura will make them uncomfortable."

"Yes, your subordinate takes his leave!"

After bowing, the Yasha exited the palace and departed.

After the Yasha left, the casually leaning man spoke. "You don't think Father won't come back even on his birthday, do you?"

"How could that be!" the woman retorted immediately. "Father has his limits!"

The woman immediately retorted, then thought for a moment and hesitantly added, "What if... I mean, what if you transformed into Father's appearance? Do you think people would see through it?"

"Cough... cough... Little sister, do you know what you're saying?" the man exclaimed. "You're pushing me into a pit of unfilial rebellion!"

The woman gave an awkward laugh.

"I was just saying..."

The hall fell silent for a moment, and the man began drinking. The woman also sat in her seat, closing her eyes to rest her mind, though she was actually extending her divine sense to cover the aquatic palace, checking on the preparations for the banquet.

During this time, other Yashas or aquatic spirits came to report, all about the arrival of prominent figures from various regions.

At this very moment, on Wafeng Mountain at the edge of Chunhui Prefecture, the old dragon Ying Hong stood on the cliff above Black Wind Ravine, looking down at the sword mark that had split the mountain.

Even after so long, the old dragon, with his level of cultivation, could still sense a faint yet irresistibly sharp and astonishing sword intent permeating the area.

When Yin Zhaoxian returned home after passing the imperial examination, the county magistrate led a grand banquet. At that time, the old dragon went to Ning'an County again, thinking Ji Yuan might return to congratulate him, but he didn't.

Privately, he sought out Yin Zhaoxian again. Seeing that Yin Zhaoxian had already exhausted the divine wine's power, he inquired further and learned that Yin Zhaoxian had almost been harmed by a demonic creature. After further conversation, the old dragon, who had learned about the City God's conversation with Yin Zhaoxian, also deduced some other circumstances.

He circled above Chunhui Prefecture for a long time, eventually tracing the clues to Wafeng Mountain and witnessing the majesty of this sword stroke. It was no wonder the Chunhui Prefecture City God had pressed Yin Zhaoxian about whether the esteemed person he knew used a sword.

"Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan..." the old dragon sighed. "I've looked for you for three years and still can't find you. Where on earth have you gone?"

The old dragon was somewhat exasperated; usually, people sought him out, not the other way around.

And to actually not find him was truly something!