289 Right-Angle Alley

to meet his gaze just inches away.His eyelashes were almost brushing against my nose. At such close proximity, even the slightest movement of his lips could bring them together, as if in a reluctant,...We followed his direction and saw a huge chasm ahead!

My goodness! If you fell in there, you'd be dead for sure!

And it was in a sinkhole on the river, this drop equivalent to a waterfall.

I was terrified looking at the end of the road ahead: "Is this really the entrance to the magical realm If I go the wrong way, wouldn't everything just fall and be lost!"

"No, no, don't be afraid. We couldn't possibly get our own front door wrong, could we" Shi Fatty patted his chest.

But I'm still very scared!

I can't swim, I was already nervous being on the boat, and now I'm just watching it sail towards one end.

The tributary's water flows back into the sky pit and then from the sky pit into the dark river. If you fall down here, I estimate that your bones would be washed away to who knows where.

As it got closer, a chill emanated from the water's surface.

The surface of the water around began to mist, wisps of cold air rising from the depths of the abyss.

"Dong..." A strange sound suddenly came from the bottom of the boat.

"Ah!" I jumped back in fright, Jiang Qiyun grabbed me and whispered, "Don't be afraid, it's a water ghost."

"A water ghost!" I was stunned.

The water ghost still tells me not to be afraid I'm not really afraid of ghosts anymore, but I'm afraid of water!

"Wouldn't this capsize the boat" my brother asked, frowning.

"It's nothing, he just came to say hello," Shi Fatty replied. "There are three corpses standing at the bow of the ship, their stench is heavy, it attracted the water ghosts."

Water ghosts... It is said that these are the skeletons of drowned people held down by their spirits, drifting in the water. Because of the intense pain they suffered before death, their resentment is very heavy. Such spirits desperately want to kill others.

I once saw in the news that a whole family went to pay respects at their ancestors' graves. As a result, one daughter was squatting by the reservoir washing her hands when she somehow slipped and fell in. Her younger sister went to pull her up, but she also slid down into the water.

After that, the family, as if possessed, one after another ran down to save people. Even their thirteen-year-old son ran down to help.

The consequences were predictable. None of the adults and children who went down to save people came back up. Seven people died that day!

When I first saw this news, my skin crawled and I felt a chill down my spine.

This is obviously a problem.

A normal person, seeing their relatives one by one being submerged in water, should be terrified and desperately calling for help, right Why are they still one after another running into the water

In other words, even if you're a good swimmer and want to save people, so many people have already drowned in the water. Why don't you learn from this Even children who just started middle school and can't swim go into the water to save people

I could only say that I was bewitched.

This is too creepy. I don't even know the specifics just from watching it on TV. Later, online, people said it was a water ghost seeking revenge, saying that the local government drained the reservoir to salvage the bodies. They found that the older sister who fell in first was holding onto her younger sister, and they were tangled up stuck at the drainage opening...

That's terrifying, at least for me it is.

I can't swim. Last time I was chased by a zombie at Shen's place and fell into the lake, I choked on water and now I have a fear of water.

The small wooden boat beneath my feet creaked again with a soft “dong!” sound, and I was about to lose my balance. I looked at Jiang Qiyun with a wronged expression – last time when I fell in the water, he was the one who carried me up. Now, I was going to fall again…

Jiang Qiyun saw that I was afraid and said, “I’ll take care of them.”

He had just begun the incantation when Long Xiaogē immediately shouted, “Stop! These water spirits are our protectors. Don’t take them!”

My brother replied, “But these things that can't see bumped into my sister and scared her... A deity would get angry.”

Long Xiaoge nodded and said, "I'll take care of it."

He suddenly stamped his foot and growled, "Get out!"

The mist around him dissipated, and he cast a gloomy look at us, explaining, “There’s both deathly and ghostly energy on this ship today. As living people, you might find it hard to distinguish them, they're restless and agitated. Don't be afraid, they wouldn't dare capsize the boat.”

"...But I hope so," I whispered back.

The boat moved forward slowly. When the bow reached the edge of the celestial chasm, I was so frightened that I gripped Jiang Qiyun and my brother's hands tightly and squeezed my eyes shut—

》》》

gusts of mountain wind swept across the water surface, bringing with them a damp scent.

When it hit my face, it seemed like there were still little droplets of water. We didn't capsize, did we

Jiang Qiyun's voice held a hint of amusement. "Open your eyes, scaredy-cat,"

Coward, scaredy-cat!

I'm not afraid, am I I just have respect for things I don't understand.

"You're so cowardly, you say you're not afraid, strutting around with your belly out like nothing's wrong. Desperate to appear strong for your child's safety... really… you're being foolish!"

Jiang Qiyun pinched my arm, encouraging me to open my eyes and take a look.

The scene before me was no less impressive than Mu Wanchen's masterful mountain city!

We didn't fall into a chasm, but instead appeared on a wide, flat, shallow river. In the distance were stone piers, corridors, and suspension bridges. Both sides of the river were lined with stilted houses, and in the distance, atop a mountain, was a towering wooden military fort.

King Miao's City! That must be the legendary King Miao's City!

Every Miao ethnic village has a chief, and Long Xiaogē and Shi Pàngzi called themselves Hei Pa, which should be the Black Miao. Besides, there are also White Miao, Green Miao, Flower Miao, and Little Flower Miao, etc., different villages.

The Black Miao's power has always been the greatest, their Miao King City hidden from the world, unseen by mortals.

I was shocked to follow Long Xiaoge and Shi Fatty all the way to Miao Wang City.

A Miao King City is often the crystallization of the efforts of several generations of Miao Kings. Although it is a wooden structure built on a mountain, there are many "zaimen" (fortresses) built using the terrain.

The number of gates in a Miao village symbolizes the power and strength of the king.

I secretly counted how many gates had "Broken Dragon Stone". Long Xiaogē seemed to see through my thoughts and took the initiative to say, “No need to count, there are a total of twenty-seven gates.”

He couldn't hide the pride in his voice: "Sixteen more gates than 'the world's largest Miaowang City."

Standing at the railing of a wooden building, I gazed down at the lights below, awestruck.

There are so many unknowns and strange things in this world.

"Looking at you like this... completely dumbfounded." Jiang Qiyun suddenly laughed and pinched my cheek.

Well, silly

He pulled me along, slowly climbing the stairs. The night breeze blowing through the wooden building was slightly cool, dispelling my drowsiness.

"...I still remember the way you crossed the River of Souls." He chuckled softly.

"Covered in wounds and blood… crouched on the bamboo raft, huddled together in fear, wrapped himself up in his raincoat like a little animal…"

I was nearly scared to death when he suddenly ripped open my raincoat, and then he dragged me onto the shore.

"Xiao Qiao, when can we..."

He let out a soft sigh, as if wanting to speak but holding back.more… If you're willing, I wouldn't be able to stop you... nor could I. With such an imposing son-in-law, how could I keep you Alas~~ I've always wondered what kind of man your future husband would be...