Chapter 51: The River Dragon King

"Brother Kuang is righteous!" Yang Xiao's words were filled with admiration, and Su Tingting finally breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Kuang Hongyi repeatedly.

The development of events was much as they had imagined; after Kuang Hongyi took the initiative to follow the servant to see Master Feng, it wasn't long before someone came to notify them that Yang Xiao and Su Tingting could leave the estate.

The process was similar to the last time, still leaving through the side gate, and by the time they walked out of the alley entrance, a carriage had already been waiting by the roadside for a long time.

The coachman was an old acquaintance who enthusiastically helped them pull open the curtain; this was the same person who had driven them to Laoniuwan Ferry last time.

"I say, you two masters, where are we heading this time?"

Recalling what the old laborer had told him, Yang Xiao repeated, "First, go to Li Si Hutong."

If they wanted to uncover the truth behind the Laoniuwan Shipwreck Case, this only survivor, the Yixu Ye, was a link that could not be bypassed.

But the coachman was stunned for a moment after hearing the name of this place, then he put down his horsewhip, turned his head, and asked with a face full of smiles, "Master, did you perhaps remember it wrong?"

Yang Xiao slowly frowned, "What do you mean? You don't know this place?"

"No, Master, please don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else. I know this place, but... but this Li Si Hutong is very chaotic. There are all kinds of people inside: porters, prostitutes, dog-beaters, laborers, burglars, street performers, small gambling dens—all sorts of low-class trash. We usually walk around that place; why... why are you going there?" The coachman seemed to be offering a kind warning.

Whether it was chaotic or not, Yang Xiao didn't care, as long as the place was real, "We are going to find someone; we'll leave once we find them and ask a few questions."

"Alright then, please sit tight, you two." The coachman didn't waste any more words; after a shout, he flicked his whip and they set off.

Su Tingting sat beside Yang Xiao, and after the carriage started moving, she kept changing her posture as if she couldn't sit still, "Can you settle down?" Yang Xiao frowned.

Su Tingting's face showed distress, and she pointed to her buttocks with some embarrassment, her voice very small, "I... I have an injury, it hurts whenever the carriage jolts."

Yang Xiao remembered; back when Su Tingting was possessed, he had used the sharp point on a candlestick to stab her several times, "Come sit over here, I have a cushion."

The two swapped seats, and now Su Tingting quieted down. Yang Xiao lifted the curtain on the right side of the carriage window; there was quite a crowd outside, but most people were just burying their heads and hurrying along, giving one a sense of listlessness.

The vendors hawking their wares by the street were also listless, but those barefoot beggars were full of spirit. As long as they saw someone coming from afar who was dressed decently, they would swarm over like a hive, holding up broken bowls and loudly singing self-composed begging ditties.

But the next second, an interesting scene occurred: upon seeing the luxurious carriage they were riding in, the group of beggars who had originally blocked the road scattered like birds and beasts in an instant, hiding far away and only daring to look back once they reached a distant alley entrance.

"These beggars never stop the Feng family's carriage, do they?" Yang Xiao asked.

The coachman gave two apologetic smiles and explained somewhat awkwardly, "These are the old rules set by Feng Laotaiye. The old master... the old master was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see people suffer, so these beggars are also sensible and never bother him."

Su Tingting asked in confusion, "But hasn't the old master passed away for ten years?"

"Hehe, but the old master's reputation remains. These beggars are probably... probably just used to it." The coachman's explanation was somewhat far-fetched, and Yang Xiao didn't ask further; it was meaningless to make things difficult for a coachman. Besides, the situation was already clear—the title 'Southern Overlord' from back then wasn't called that for nothing. Even ten years after his death, his lingering prestige remained; one could imagine just how arrogant and domineering Feng Laotaiye was back in the day.

Li Si Hutong was even further than imagined, and the road beneath them became increasingly remote. It wasn't until more than an hour later that they finally stopped, "Two masters, we've arrived."

After getting off the carriage, the two of them realized just how poor this place was. Looking around, there were almost no houses with intact roof tiles; they were all makeshift wooden houses separated by old mud walls, with stoves and such set up directly outside.

The alley entrance was quite lively, with many peddlers carrying shoulder poles walking through the streets hawking their goods, while some vendors simply piled the items they wanted to sell on the ground, and there were small taverns and eateries with flags hanging out.

Calling them eateries was a stretch; they were actually just a few square tables placed side-by-side, the furnishings extremely shabby, incomparable to those in the town.

However, the hawking, the noise, and the curses in thick local dialects were all intertwined; this Li Si Hutong was much more vivid than the town.

"Two masters, our carriage can't get into this place. You two go in yourselves. You must be careful and come back quickly." The coachman pointed to a shady spot nearby, "I'll wait for you around there."

According to what the old laborer had said, Yang Xiao found the third house from the end on the west side of the alley. This place was even worse than the wooden houses outside—a dilapidated thatched hut with large cracks in the mud-plastered walls, and it was pitch black inside.

Looking closely, one could see a tattered straw mat spread on the floor, along with a table and a chair; other than that, there were only some broken, miscellaneous items.

"The person isn't home." Su Tingting was somewhat disappointed; they had traveled for more than half an hour specifically for this Yixu Ye.

A broken pot was propped up outside, the fire long extinguished. Looking closer, there was still half a pot of porridge-like substance inside.

Yang Xiao touched the rim of the pot with his hand; it was cold. The person had been gone for some time.

An old water skin was also discarded by the pot. It was empty, but upon opening it, one could smell a thick scent of alcohol.

Su Tingting found some oil-paper-wrapped, dirty, and wrinkled things near a stone stool made of stacked rocks. After getting closer, she could smell a lingering medicinal scent.

"It seems to be medicinal plaster." Yang Xiao nodded in confirmation, though these plasters had all been used.

Su Tingting turned to look around. This house gave her a strange feeling, but she couldn't say exactly what was strange about it, "Is this really where the Yixu Ye lives? It's too dilapidated. Could it be that you were... that old laborer didn't tell you the truth?"

Casually discarding the plaster, Yang Xiao stood up, "No, this is the residence of that Yixu Ye. These old water ghosts who spend their whole lives soaking in the river water have a habit of alcoholism to ward off the cold. When they get older and the damp cold enters their bodies, they have bone pain whenever it's cloudy or rainy, so they need to apply plaster for relief."

Turning around, Yang Xiao looked at the thatched hut and lifted his chin, "Don't you think this house is very strange?"

Su Tingting nodded quickly, "Indeed, I also think it's strange, but... but I can't say why."

"This house has no windows." Yang Xiao said bluntly.

The confused look in Su Tingting's eyes suddenly cleared, "Yes, that's right! It really doesn't have windows, but why is that?"

"These old water ghosts worship the River Dragon King. Legend has it that the River Dragon King is a vicious flood dragon that hasn't yet transformed into a dragon. Because it rammed ships and devoured people, it was punished and forced to shrink itself into the silt at the bottom of the river, forbidden from seeing the light of day for eight hundred years and forbidden from eating meat. If it ever dared to surface and be touched by light, the count would reset, and it would be locked away for another 800 years."

"And a water ghost, in order to pay respects to the River Dragon King, snuck to the bottom of the river at night, woke the River Dragon King, and brought it home to treat it with good wine and meat. The River Dragon King was very happy, and after a big feast, it fell asleep at this person's house. As a result, when it woke up, it was already dawn."

"The River Dragon King didn't dare to see the light and could only hide in the house waiting for nightfall. But the water ghost's little daughter was mischievous and curious about the River Dragon King's appearance, so she took advantage of her father's distraction and pushed open the window of the River Dragon King's room. Sunlight spilled into the room, and the River Dragon King was caught. It was punished by having the scales on one of its claws peeled off as a warning, and then it was bound hand and foot and thrown back into the river silt."

"Rumor has it that ever since then, the River Dragon King has held a grudge against households with windows, believing these families all have ill intentions. Therefore, the believers who seek its protection have all sealed their windows to express their absolute loyalty to the River Dragon King."