sbdcsierra Chapter 237 The Wronged Souls of the Dam, the People of 9 Chrysanthemums
Chapter 237 The Wronged Souls of the Dam, the People of 9 Chrysanthemums
"Dad, what's wrong?" Gui Gui asked curiously, nudging Shen Yu who was keeping his eyes closed and not speaking.
"It's nothing." Shen Yu opened his eyes and ruffled his hair. "Dad is thinking about something."
He looked up at the boatman who was punting the boat and asked casually:
"Uncle, I just heard someone say that things haven't been peaceful in this river lately. Is that true?"
The boatman's expression changed. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying:
"Are you all tourists from out of town? Let me tell you, please don't go for a stroll by the river at night, it's not safe."
"Why is it unsafe? Is there really a river god?" Jiang Xinlan asked.
"What river god? It's all just nonsense from the older generation," the boatman sighed.
"But this river is really strange. In the past, one or two people would drown every year, but this year is particularly strange. In the past two weeks, three people have gone missing and their bodies have not been recovered."
Moreover, many people say that at midnight, they can hear a woman crying in the river, crying very pitifully.
"Don't the people in the town care?" Jiang Xinlan asked again.
"We did try to manage it. The town mayor hired a Taoist priest to perform a ritual and even erected a stone tablet by the river, but nothing worked."
The boatman shook his head.
"As expected, something bad still happened. I'm telling you, you can play during the day, but whatever you do, don't go out at night, understand? Especially if you're with children, be extra careful."
"Thank you for reminding us, Uncle. We'll remember." Shen Yu nodded.
Jiang Xinlan's face paled even more, and she gripped Shen Yu's hand tightly. The two children also quieted down, seemingly sensing the adults' tension.
The boat rowed forward for a while, and when it reached the vicinity of the old dam upstream, the boatman turned around and rowed back.
"The Ghost's Sorrow is just ahead. The current is swift and it's not safe, so we won't go any further," the boatman said.
Shen Yu looked up and glanced at it.
In the distance, you can see an abandoned old dam standing in the canyon, its body covered with moss and weeds, looking very old.
A thin layer of black mist shrouded the dam, and even from this distance, one could feel the heavy, eerie aura emanating from it.
It seems the root of the problem lies in that dam.
It was almost noon when the boat returned to the dock.
The two children were a bit tired after sitting on the boat all morning, and they lay listlessly in Shen Yu's arms.
"Let's go have lunch, then go back to the hotel for a nap, and then go out to play again in the afternoon," Jiang Xinlan said, holding Niannian's hand.
The family found a riverside restaurant and ordered several local specialties.
The river fish, river shrimp, and braised pork with dried bamboo shoots were all very delicious. The two children were hungry and ate with great relish.
After finishing their meal, they returned to the hotel.
The two children played all morning and fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed, breathing evenly with rosy cheeks.
Jiang Xinlan sat on the edge of the bed, tucked them in, then went to the living room and said to Shen Yu with concern:
"Shen Yu, do you think there's something wrong with what happened in the river? The boatman told me something really scary."
"There is indeed a problem." Shen Yu didn't hide it from her.
"I just investigated on the boat, and there's a strong sense of resentment at the bottom of the river. I also found runes from the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect. This matter should be related to the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect."
"The Nine Chrysanthemum Sect?" Jiang Xinlan's expression changed. "Why would they come to a place like this?"
"They're probably here to collect resentment," Shen Yu said.
"Underneath that old dam, there must be many wronged souls suppressed. The Nine Chrysanthemum Sect broke the seal, releasing their resentment to forge evil artifacts."
"What should we do?" Jiang Xinlan asked worriedly. "Will it be dangerous? Should we call the police?"
"Calling the police is useless; they can't handle this kind of thing." Shen Yu shook his head. "Besides, if it really is the Nine Chrysanthemums Sect behind this, there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it. I can't just sit idly by."
"So what do you plan to do?" Jiang Xinlan asked.
"I'll go to the dam tonight and find out what happened," Shen Yu said.
"You and the children stay in the hotel and don't go out. I've set up a protective barrier around the hotel; it's very safe."
"Then you must be careful." Jiang Xinlan walked over, hugged him from behind, and pressed her face against his back. "The children and I are waiting for you to come back."
"Don't worry, everything will be alright." Shen Yu turned around, hugged her, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"They're just a few low-level henchmen from the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect; they can't hurt me."
In the afternoon, the two children woke up and started clamoring to go play again.
Shen Yu spent the afternoon with them strolling around the ancient town, buying them many trinkets. The two children had a wonderful time and were completely unaffected by what happened that morning.
Shen Yu also temporarily put aside his worries and focused on spending time with his wife and children.
Anyway, let them have a good time these next few days first.
In the evening, the family soaked in the hot spring in the hotel courtyard.
The warm spring water enveloped my body, dispelling the winter chill.
The two children, wearing swimming rings, splashed around in the water, laughing loudly.
Jiang Xinlan leaned against the poolside, watching the father and his two sons play around, a smile always on her lips.
After soaking in the hot spring, the two children were tired, so they took a bath and went to bed.
Jiang Xinlan sat on the edge of the bed, watching Shen Yu put on his coat, hesitant to speak.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Shen Yu kissed her on the lips. "Wait for me at home."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.
The hot spring in the courtyard was still steaming, and the moonlight shone on the water, giving it a cool, silvery glow.
Shen Yu looked up at the direction of the upstream dam, his eyes sharpening.
He vanished into the night in a flash, speeding towards the old dam upstream.
The Zhaoxi River at night is even more eerie than during the day.
The river flowed gurglingly, as if something was growling from the depths. A thick layer of black fog shrouded the river, obscuring the view of the opposite bank.
Shen Yu moved quickly and soon arrived at the abandoned old dam.
Only by standing beneath the dam can one truly appreciate its grandeur and eeriness. The dam, tens of meters high, stands between the canyons like a sleeping behemoth.
The dam was covered with moss and weeds, and black water seeped from the cracks, emitting a strong fishy smell.
The entire dam was shrouded in an intensely thick black aura of resentment. If an ordinary person got close, they would be invaded by the aura within three minutes, experiencing hallucinations at best and dying from bleeding from all seven orifices at worst.
Shen Yu stood at the bottom of the dam, spreading his divine sense to carefully investigate the situation inside the dam.
Soon, he sensed the presence of a living person.
Deep inside the dam, a person was performing a ritual. That person carried a distinct aura of the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect.
Moreover, he was continuously absorbing the resentment beneath the dam, which was then being collected into a container.
Shen Yu's eyes turned cold.
As expected, they are evil cultivators from the Nine Chrysanthemum Sect, collecting resentment here.
He didn't act immediately, but instead silently crept into the dam. He wanted to see what these Nine Chrysanthemums Sect people were up to.