novelraw Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Splash!
Qi He'an fell into the pool, and in the blink of an eye, he was swept away by the undercurrent at the bottom, disappearing from sight.
The nearby Protectorate Guards rushed over immediately, but they were a step too late.
They only managed to see Qi He'an being swept away by the undercurrent.
"The Third Young Master of the Qi family had an accident while trying to catch a fish!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Qi family immediately looked toward the stream.
Han Chong was close by and hurriedly stepped forward to check.
The pool was very deep and seemingly calm.
He threw a pebble into it.
After sinking a certain distance, the pebble was suddenly swept away by a rapid current.
The Protectorate Guard who arrived first said, "Captain Han, the pool must be connected to an underground river. The moment the Third Young Master fell in, he was swept into the underground river by the undercurrent."
The implication was that Qi He'an was likely doomed.
An undercurrent that could sweep a person away in an instant meant the underground river was rushing and fierce. Qi He'an, who could neither swim nor use martial arts, had absolutely no power to resist.
Han Chong's face was solemn as he shouted at Wu Chenggang, "Captain Wu, bring some ropes over, the more the better!"
Before his voice could fade, Qi Yanzhou had already arrived at the edge of the pool.
He grabbed Han Chong's hand and said in an unquestionable tone, "Hold onto me, I'll go down and try."
Han Chong glanced at Ye Chutang. Seeing that she didn't object, he nodded in agreement.
"Young Master Qi, be careful."
The two grabbed each other's wrists for a firmer grip.
Without any hesitation, Qi Yanzhou immediately jumped into the pool.
The suction force at the bottom of the pool was tremendous. If Han Chong hadn't been pulling him, he would have been swept away by the undercurrent as well.
Han Chong gradually felt the strain, almost unable to hold onto Qi Yanzhou.
With a forceful pull, he hauled the man back up.
"Young Master Qi, I'm afraid your brother's chances of survival are slim."
This was put very tactfully.
But the reality was that Qi He'an was undoubtedly dead.
Water dripped from Qi Yanzhou's body. His face was gloomy, and it was unknown what he was thinking.
Concubine Xu stumbled over, her entire body exuding sorrow, looking as if she were about to shatter.
"He'er, where is my He'er?"
"Don't be afraid, He'er, Mother is going to save you right now."
After saying that, she tried to jump into the pool, but was grabbed by Old Master Qi, who had chased after her.
"Lady Xu, calm down."
Concubine Xu's tears blurred her vision, and her voice choked with sobs, "He'er's fate is unknown, how can I be calm?"
This silly child, he was just supposed to fetch water, why did he have to catch a fish!
Now that he had fallen into the pool, what were they going to do?
Qi Yanzhou couldn't find any words of comfort, his gaze falling on Zhao Qingshu not far away.
He knew very well that Qi He'an was timid and cautious; he would never jump into the pool to catch a fish.
There was definitely foul play involved!
Zhao Qingshu noticed Qi Yanzhou's gaze and calmly met his eyes.
However, the sweat on his palms betrayed his apparent indifference.
It was he who had flicked a pebble at the back of Qi He'an's knee, causing him to pitch into the pool.
He originally just wanted to make Qi He'an make a fool of himself, but he never expected it would cost him his life.
Fortunately, he had done it covertly, and no one had noticed.
At this moment, Wu Chenggang brought over a lot of ropes.
Qi Yanzhou said, "Tie the ropes around my waist, I'll go deeper inside to take a look."
Han Chong didn't dare let Qi Yanzhou take such a risk.
"I'll go!"
But Qi Yanzhou ignored Han Chong and directly took two ropes, tying them around his waist.
Under the tree, Old Madam Qi was worried to death.
"A'Tang, what should we do? The pool is so dangerous, will something happen to Zhou'er?"
She felt deeply sorry for Qi He'an, who was swept away by the undercurrent, but humans are inherently selfish, and she cared more about her own son.
Ye Chutang had slid down to sit on the ground at some point, her palms pressed tightly against the earth.
She voiced words of comfort to the old madam, "Mother, the heavens protect the good. Both A'Zhou and Third Brother will be fine."
After Qi He'an fell into the water, she had activated her earth-element ability.
Countless mud tentacles extended from the surroundings of the underground river, searching for Qi He'an in the water.
Earth conquers water, so finding a person was very easy.
Therefore, Ye Chutang had already found Qi He'an and placed his unconscious body in a spot within the underground river where there was air.
She didn't rescue him immediately because she hadn't yet thought of a logical way to bring him up.
She originally wanted to find a pool downstream of the stream and create the illusion of an undercurrent surge pushing Qi He'an out.
However, the next pool was three miles away!
The distance was too far; perhaps some accident would occur before he could even be found.
So she had to think of another way.
Old Madam Qi wasn't reassured by Ye Chutang's comfort. She stared fixedly at her son, who was wrapping ropes around his waist, as tears fell from her eyes.
"Tang'er, you've always been resourceful, is there no other way to save He'er?"
She truly didn't want her son to take risks.
Just as Ye Chutang was about to shake her head, she found a reasonable excuse to save Qi He'an.
In the underground river, there was a massive black carp weighing over a hundred pounds, struggling to swim upstream.
She placed Qi He'an on the carp's back and, utilizing the power of her earth-element ability, sent both the person and the fish toward the pool.
After tying the ropes, Qi Yanzhou said to Concubine Xu, who was crying uncontrollably, "Concubine Xu, I will do my best to bring Third Brother back."
Despite saying this, he knew very well that at this moment, Qi He'an had probably been swept several miles away by the current.
Concubine Xu knew in her heart that her son was likely not coming back.
Not wanting Qi Yanzhou to have an accident too, she grabbed his arm and said, "Second Young Master, life and death are up to fate. He'er definitely wouldn't want to see you risk your life for him."
Heaven knows how difficult it was for her to say these words.
Just as she finished speaking, she fainted from heartbreak.
Old Master Qi also tried to persuade Qi Yanzhou, "Zhou'er, don't go down, it's too dangerous."
"Father, there are so many ropes, nothing will happen to me."
After Qi Yanzhou said this, he prepared to jump into the pool.
Suddenly, he noticed that the blue-green bottom of the pool had turned black.
Something was wrong!
Just as he was about to look closer, a massive black fish carrying Qi He'an on its back flew out of the pool.
In reality, when Ye Chutang moved the person and the fish to the junction of the underground river and the pool, she manipulated the mud tentacles to fling them out.
This created the scene of Qi He'an riding a fish and flying out of the pool.
Smack!
The enormous fish smashed onto the ground.
Because it was out of the water, the large fish was frightened, and its tail frantically thrashed against the ground, making a series of slapping sounds.
Qi He'an fell to the ground.
Seeing that he was about to be struck by the fish's tail, Ye Chutang hurriedly shouted, "A'Zhou, save him!"
Qi Yanzhou immediately snapped back to reality, pulling Qi He'an away from under the fish's tail and placing him in a safe area.
He immediately checked Qi He'an's pulse.
He was very surprised to find that he was uninjured and had merely fainted.
Logically speaking, for Qi He'an, who couldn't swim, to be swept into the underground river for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, even if he luckily survived, he should be in critical condition.
But his pulse was strong, and he was completely fine.
Ye Chutang came up to Qi Yanzhou and, feigning concern, asked, "A'Zhou, is Third Brother alright?"
"He's fine, he just fainted."
Ye Chutang checked Qi He'an's pulse.
"It's true! It's truly a miracle that Third Brother could return completely unscathed!"
Qi Yanzhou agreed, "It is indeed a miracle!"
After saying that, he patted Qi He'an's face and firmly pinched his philtrum.
Qi He'an soon opened his eyes.
He looked at the soaking wet Qi Yanzhou with a bewildered expression.
"Second Brother, what happened to you?"
"I'm fine. How are you feeling?"
"I..."
As soon as Qi He'an spoke, he was startled by the commotion caused by the giant black carp.
"Where did such a big fish come from? It must weigh over a hundred pounds! How scary."
Ye Chutang frowned and asked, "Third Brother, do you remember nothing at all?"
Qi He'an looked bewildered. "Second Sister-in-law, what should I remember?"
Just as he asked, he recalled being ambushed, plunging into the deep pool, and being swept away by the raging currents.
"Second Sister-in-law, I remember now! Someone threw a stone at the back of my knee, causing me to fall into the water!"
With that, he rolled up his pant leg, revealing a dark purple bruise on the back of his knee to Ye Chutang.
At this moment, the crowd, previously stunned silly by the absurd spectacle, finally snapped back to their senses.
"Were my eyes playing tricks on me? I actually saw a fish flying in the sky!"
"Third Young Master Qi rode a fish out of the water. Could it be that he can control beasts?"
"...You've been reading too many storybooks, haven't you?"
"Surviving such a catastrophe means the Third Young Master is destined for great fortune!"
The chatter continued, but Ye Chutang ignored it, keeping her eyes fixed on the injury at the back of Qi He'an's knee.
"Third Brother, where were you standing before you fell in?"
Qi He'an stood up and limped over to the edge of the pool to recreate the scene.
Standing in his original spot, he pretended to reach out to catch a fish.
"Second Sister-in-law, I was standing right here and fell in with this exact posture."
Looking at the bruise on Qi He'an's leg, Qi Yanzhou deduced the trajectory of the stone.
He and Ye Chutang looked toward the Zhao family's direction at the exact same time, instantly identifying the person who had harmed Qi He'an.
Zhao Qingshu!
In the entire Zhao family, he was the only one who knew martial arts.
Under their piercing gazes, a cold sweat broke out on Zhao Qingshu's back, and he guiltily averted his eyes.
Qi Yanzhou untied the rope around his body and whipped it toward Zhao Qingshu.
The rope coiled around Zhao Qingshu's neck several times before a tremendous pulling force struck him.
An excruciating pain radiated from his neck, feeling as though it would be snapped in the next second.
He tried to untie the rope, but Qi Yanzhou forcefully yanked him forward.
"What... are you... trying to do..."
Zhao Qingshu barely squeezed out those words before Qi Yanzhou, his eyes flashing with malice, kicked him straight into the deep pool.
His reactions were quick. He immediately spread his limbs, bracing them against the rocky sides of the pool to keep from being sucked into the undercurrent.
"Officers, save me!"
The escorting guards were all the Emperor's men; surely they wouldn't just watch him die.
Though he reassured himself with this thought, the suction from below made his heart pound with panic, and raw fear surfaced on his face.
Han Chong looked at Zhao Qingshu coldly. "You nearly killed the Third Young Master of the Qi family. Why should I save you?"
"I didn't... Ah!"
Ye Chutang picked up a few small pebbles from the ground and flicked them at Zhao Qingshu's knees.
His knees buckled, causing his feet to slip from the pool's edge, and his body began to slide downward.
His hands dug desperately into the rocky crevices, halting his descent.
But the suction from the water was too immense. His hands gradually lost their strength, and it was obvious he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.
At that moment, Zhao Mingxu rushed over.
"What are you doing? Pull my son up this instant!"
The moment his words fell, Ye Chutang hurled three more pebbles at Zhao Qingshu.
They struck his knees and elbows with precision.
Rendered completely powerless, Zhao Qingshu was instantly swallowed by the raging undercurrent, vanishing into the depths of the pool.
Zhao Mingxu's heart nearly stopped in pure terror. He roared like a madman.
"I'll make you pay with your lives!"
Screaming, he lunged at Ye Chutang.
Before he could even get close, the rope in Qi Yanzhou's hand lashed out.
With a sharp smack, two red welts were whipped across Zhao Mingxu's face.
The next instant, the rope wrapped tightly around his neck.
And on the other end of that rope was Zhao Qingshu's life.
Zhao Mingxu was yanked to the ground, sliding toward the pool.
Frightened out of his wits, he flailed his limbs wildly until he finally managed to hug a massive boulder.
The rope around his neck tightened relentlessly, turning his face a dark, suffocating red.
Qi Yanzhou looked down at Zhao Mingxu with a cold smile and said, "Zhao Qingshu is on the other end of this rope. You can either pull him up, fall in with him, or cut the rope to save yourself. Make your choice."
Zhao Mingxu only had one son, Zhao Qingshu; naturally, he couldn't just watch him die.
Unable to speak, he could only look pleadingly at Han Chong for help.
If Han Chong didn't want to expose the fact that he had secretly sided with the Qi family, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
He said to Qi Yanzhou, "Young Master Qi, Zhao Qingshu has already learned his lesson. It wouldn't be good to cause a fatality."
"The officer is right. But we can't just let this go. The Zhao family must compensate my third brother."
Zhu Rong, who had just hurried over, immediately agreed.
"We'll pay! We'll compensate you!"
"Five thousand taels."
Zhu Rong glanced at Qi Yanzhou, who was making an exorbitant demand, then squatted down and forcefully tugged at the rope wrapped around Zhao Mingxu's neck to loosen it.
Given a moment to breathe, Zhao Mingxu rasped, "I'll pay! I'll pay!"
"Glad you know what's good for you."
With Qi Yanzhou's permission, Han Chong and his subordinates hauled Zhao Qingshu out of the pool.
Zhao Qingshu had been underwater for too long and battered by the rapids. The rope around his neck had cut into his skin, leaving it bloody and mangled.
Due to asphyxiation, his face had turned a purplish hue, and he was gasping weakly, barely clinging to life.
His stomach was heavily bloated, indicating he had swallowed a massive amount of water.
Zhu Rong threw herself over immediately, untying the rope around Zhao Qingshu's neck.
"Son, wake up! You can't die, or Mother won't live either!"
She wept so miserably that anyone who didn't know better would think she was wailing at a funeral.
A doctor came over to examine Zhao Qingshu's condition.
"We must expel the water from Young Master Zhao's stomach before we can save him."
Wu Chenggang ordered his men to grab Zhao Qingshu by the ankles, hang him upside down, and shake him repeatedly.
But it was to no avail; no water came out.
The doctor said, "Young Master Zhao has been drowning for too long. We can only try breathing air into him."
Zhu Rong cried out, "Then try it quickly!"
Ye Chutang could tell that Zhao Qingshu wasn't going to die, so she decided to make a profit out of the situation.
She spoke up, "I can save him."
Hearing this, Zhu Rong immediately knelt before Ye Chutang and kowtowed.
"Please save Qingshu! I'll agree to whatever conditions you have."
"Ten thousand taels."
"Fine! As long as you can bring Qingshu back to life, I'll give it to you."
Ye Chutang knew that all of the Zhao family's money was in Zhao Mingxu's hands, so she cast a cold glance at him.
"Do you want me to save him or not?"
Clutching his red, swollen neck, Zhao Mingxu's eyes were filled with inner struggle.
He only had about twelve thousand taels in banknotes on hand. Having already promised five thousand taels as compensation to Qi He'an, he simply couldn't produce another ten thousand.
If he included the female family members' jewelry, he could probably scrape it together.
But if he did that, he would be left utterly penniless!
Seeing Zhao Mingxu hesitate, Zhu Rong rushed over and beat her fists against his chest.
"Qingshu is your only son! If he dies, the Zhao family line will end!"
These words caused Zhao Mingxu's expression to change drastically. "What do you mean by that?"
At this point, Zhu Rong only wanted to save her son and wasn't afraid to tell Zhao Mingxu a cruel truth.
"My Lord, you overindulged in your lusts and ruined your body. You will never be able to have children again."
Zhao Mingxu refused to believe it. "Did you do something to me?"
Zhu Rong had long ago spiked his drinks with a sterilizing drug. The fact that Zhao Qingshu was his only legitimate heir was entirely her doing.
But she would never admit to it.
"My Lord, you're overthinking it. I only kept it a secret all this time to protect your dignity."
Having said that, she urged, "Save Qingshu first. You don't want a white-haired parent to bury a black-haired child, do you?"
Not wanting his bloodline to end, Zhao Mingxu immediately looked at Ye Chutang.
"As long as you can save Qingshu, I will give you ten thousand taels."
Ye Chutang took out her silver needles and pricked a few acupuncture points on Zhao Qingshu's chest and throat.
Very quickly, he coughed up a large amount of water.
After taking his pulse, the doctor said, "Young Master Zhao is fine now. He'll recover after a few days of rest."
With that, he looked at Zhao Qingshu's bloody neck.
"Do you need me to treat this wound?"
Zhu Rong understood the doctor's underlying meaning.
"No need, we have prepared some excellent topical medicine for wounds."
After putting away her silver needles, Ye Chutang held out her hand to Zhao Mingxu. "I've saved him. Hand over the money."
Zhao Mingxu reluctantly gave Ye Chutang twelve thousand taels in silver notes, and used jewelry to cover the remaining three thousand taels.
Ye Chutang accepted it with satisfaction, took out five thousand taels in silver notes, and handed them to Qi He'an.
Qi He'an quickly waved his hands in refusal.
"Second Sister-in-law, you've been managing our food, clothing, and expenses all along this journey of exile. It's best if you keep these silver notes."
Concubine Xu, who had been unconscious, was now awake and chimed in, "Madam, He'er is careless. It's not suitable for him to hold the silver notes."
Ye Chutang did not decline any further.
"Alright, I'll hold onto it for Third Brother for now, and give it to him when he gets married."
Qi He'an blushed at these words.
He quickly pointed at the giant black carp to change the subject, "What should we do with this fish?"
The giant black carp, which had been thrashing about earlier, looked dirty, its gills opening and closing weakly.
If put back in the water, it definitely wouldn't survive.
Instead of answering, Ye Chutang asked, "Third Brother, what happened after you fell into the pool? How did you end up riding a fish out of the water?"
She knew this was a question everyone was curious about, so she asked it on their behalf.
Qi He'an scratched his head, looking endearingly naive.
"I don't know either. After being swept away by the current, I fainted from fright."
He only knew that the current was very fast, and his body spun uncontrollably, making him dizzy.
The underground river was pitch black, and the water pressure from all sides made it impossible for him to breathe. He quickly lost consciousness.
"Maybe it was just good luck."
Other than this explanation, no one could think of anything else.
After all, Zhao Qingshu not only knew martial arts but was also tied to a rope, yet he still narrowly escaped death.
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "With your good luck, our journey of exile will surely be safe and peaceful."
Qi He'an suddenly felt a lot of pressure and asked weakly, "What if I used up all my good luck today?"
To be swept away by an undercurrent and return completely unscathed—he feared he had used up a lifetime's worth of luck.
"Then do more good deeds and acts of kindness. Good people will be rewarded."
"Second Sister-in-law, I understand. Then, about this giant black carp that saved my life, should we release it?"
Ye Chutang looked at the dying fish and said, "This is a blessing. We must kill it and eat it."
With that, she looked at Qi Yanzhou.
"A'Zhou, I can't finish such a big fish. Go cut five or six pounds of meat from the fish's belly, and give the rest to the officials."
Qi Yanzhou questioned Ye Chutang with his eyes, "Is it okay for you to eat fish?"
He was worried that the strong fishy smell would cause her acid reflux and morning sickness.
Ye Chutang gave a slight nod, indicating that she could eat fish.
Now that the fish was right in front of her, if she didn't eat it, it would definitely arouse suspicion.
Besides, as long as it was handled properly, the cooked fish wouldn't have a fishy smell.
Qi Yanzhou agreed, "Alright, I'll go get the fish meat."
Ye Chutang reminded him, "A'Zhou, take out the black carp stone as well."
"Black carp stone?"
"There is a hard piece located at the upper palate of the black carp's throat. Pry it out, I have a use for it."
Qi Yanzhou nodded, "Alright, you all go back and rest under the tree first."
"Okay."
Waiting until Ye Chutang was far enough away, Qi Yanzhou scraped off the fish scales and removed half of the fish's belly.
He removed all the fatty parts and even picked out the long fish bones.
The massive fish head was split open, revealing the white black carp stone, which emitted a foul, fishy stench.
Qi Yanzhou frowned and did not touch the black carp stone.
"Officers, you process the fish meat first. I will come back for the black carp stone later."
After saying that, he took the fish meat to the stream and washed it over and over again.
Only after confirming that there wasn't much fishy smell left did he bring it to Ye Chutang.
"A'Tang, the black carp stone smells very strong. Are you sure you want it?"
Ye Chutang nodded, "Just wash the black carp stone clean and soak it in peanut oil."
Peanut oil could mask and eliminate the stench of the black carp stone.
As long as it soaked for three days, the foul odor on the black carp stone would dissipate.
"Alright, I'll go handle the black carp stone."
After saying that, Qi Yanzhou looked at Qi He'an, who was dripping wet.
"Third Brother, you rode out on a fish earlier, and you smell like fish. Go change into some dry clothes."
"Okay, Second Brother."
Qi He'an glanced at the sparsely wooded forest around them and used the makeshift latrine as cover to change his clothes.
Concubine Xu asked Ye Chutang, "Madam, how should we eat this fish?"
Ye Chutang thought for a moment and said, "Let's make pickled cabbage fish."
"Alright. Madam can instruct me, and this servant will do the cooking."
"Cut half of the fish meat into thin slices, and use salt..."
Following Ye Chutang's verbal instructions, Concubine Xu quickly finished marinating the fish slices.
"Concubine, there is a jar of pickled cabbage at the back of the handcart. Take out two portions of pickled cabbage and soak them."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qi He'an's angry voice came from the woods.
"Are you a pervert? Why are you stealing my clothes?"
Concubine Xu immediately stood up.
But as soon as she lifted her foot, she put it right back down.
"Master, He'er is changing his clothes. It's inappropriate for me to go. You should go take a look."
Old Master Qi nodded, "Focus on cooking. I'll go take a look."
He hadn't taken two steps when Qi He'an's panicked voice rang out.
"You... don't come any closer! Help!"
The violently shaking makeshift latrine suddenly collapsed.
Qi He'an, wearing only his inner garments, fell to the ground, pinning a disheveled Ye Siyin beneath him.
Ye Siyin was crying pitifully.
"Third Young Master Qi, I only wanted to borrow the latrine. How could you... how could you treat me like this?"
Qi He'an stared at Ye Siyin, who was falsely accusing him, completely dumbfounded.
"You... you... don't talk nonsense!"
He was so furious he couldn't speak, making even his retort sound feeble.
Ye Siyin reached out to push against Qi He'an's chest, her fingers restlessly stroking him again and again.
"Go away, don't bully me!"
Framed like this, Qi He'an was about to explode with anger.
He hurriedly tried to get up, but suddenly lost all his strength and fell right back onto Ye Siyin's body.
Seeing that the drug was taking effect, Ye Siyin immediately adjusted the position of her head and leaned her lips forward.
As long as Qi He'an kissed her in front of everyone, he would have to take responsibility for her!
Looking at Ye Siyin's dry lips, the sour acid in Qi He'an's stomach churned.
"Blergh!"
Right as their lips were about to touch, he threw up all over Ye Siyin's face.