Ascension Day

The villagers stared at the old man, their expressions odd. He continued to ramble on, crying out, "This monster changed your memories! Think about it! Did Xu Jin really go out on his boat seven years ago and catch a child in his net? Of course not! This boy only showed up two or three months ago!"

"Old Xu has gone mad."

The villagers all shook their heads. Someone came over to console Xu Ying, telling him not to take it to heart. "Old Xu’s getting on in years, and his mind plays tricks on him," the person said. "Last time, he falsely accused me of peeping on the young widow while she was bathing. Can you believe that? Heh."

Xu Ying paid it no mind.

That evening, Xu Ying saw an old man with a troubled expression enter the village and speak with Old Xu. A moment later, an old man in white and a woman in red also arrived.

The trio looked very strange. They seemed to have been injured—one had a broken arm, another limped, and the third appeared to be having chest pains.

As the three spoke with Old Xu, they began pointing at him, a faint light shining from their fingertips.

Xu Ying saw what was happening and grew suspicious. He grabbed a Stone Axe from beside his door and started toward them, shouting from a distance, "What are you doing? Don’t you worry, sir! Xiaoying is here!"

The three of them were in the middle of pointing at the old man. Seeing Xu Ying approach, they immediately turned and fled, vanishing without a trace.

Xu Ying walked up to him, axe in hand. Old Xu jumped in fright and said, "Ying, are you planning to hurt someone?"

Xu Ying was taken aback. Old Xu had never been friendly toward him before. He couldn’t understand why the old man had such a change of heart, suddenly acting so kindly.

The boy was puzzled. He offered a few brief replies and then left.

Outside Mataopo Village, Beichenzi said, "That was close. When we altered the memories of the villagers in the nearby towns, I never thought one would slip through the net. Fortunately, we discovered him in time, before any real trouble could start."

The three of them stood on high ground, watching Xu Ying from a distance. They saw that he had already accepted his new identity and was flipping over his wooden boat to clean the hull. Only then did they let out a collective sigh of relief.

"The seal is perfect this time. Utterly foolproof! Now we can finally rest easy!"

The three exchanged glances and burst into laughter. The woman in red smiled and said, "Let’s go! Now we can recuperate in peace!"

Xu Ying was adept at a fisherman’s chores. He washed the boat and set it out to dry, then went to spread out the fishing nets. Just then, Xu Jin returned from his worship, limping slightly. When Xu Ying asked what happened, Xu Jin said, "I got kicked by the Lord River God at the He God Temple."

Xu Ying flew into a rage. "He dared to kick my dad!" With that, he snatched up the Stone Axe leaning in the corner, ready to go fight the Divine Spirit to the death.

Xu Jin hastily stopped him. "Do you have a death wish? That’s the God Lord we worship here on Ma Family Slope! He could crush you with one finger! Put the axe down!"

He sighed. "I thought when the New Land appeared, the Government wouldn’t be able to get over here to collect taxes. I never imagined the Lord River God would become even more demanding. Just now, the Lord River God demanded we build him another temple and increase his offerings. We told him we have no money, that we can’t even catch any fish, and so He kicked me."

Xu Ying said, "That Lord River God looks like nothing more than a clay statue to me. He doesn’t seem to have any real power, so why be afraid of Him? Ever since the New Land appeared, He gets bullied by the big creatures in the water every day. He’s been beaten up so many times He doesn’t even dare go in the river anymore. That River God preys on women—He’s married so many wives His temple is overflowing. Now He wants a new temple? He probably just wants to marry even more women! If He marries all the women, how am I supposed to find a wife? If it were up to me, I’d take this axe over there and I guarantee I could chop Him to pieces!"

Xu Jin glared at him and snapped, "You’re completely out of control! And you’re thinking about getting a wife? You couldn’t afford the bride price even if you sold me! Is the boat clean or not? Finish up and get to bed. We’re heading out in the morning!"

"Dad, we haven’t eaten yet. Sleep? What are we having for dinner?"

"We haven’t been able to fish in days! We can eat air for all I care!"

Despite his words, Xu Jin still took a dried fish down from the wall, dusted it off, and gave it to Lu Clan to cook.

The next day, the father and son had some congee. Lu Clan packed up the leftovers from the night before for them and brought out a few roots from some unknown plant. "I went to the mountains with some of the other wives yesterday to dig for roots," she said. "They’re quite sweet when you chew them. I was afraid to give them to you last night, but I ate some myself and I’m not dead yet, so I brought some for you two to snack on during your journey."

Xu Ying took the roots and took a bite. It was sweet, just as she’d said, but a little too fibrous.

Xu Jin scolded, "You little brat! That’s our food for the whole day! Don’t you eat it all!"

"But I’m hungry," Xu Ying said.

"You still can’t eat it. Save it for when we get back tonight. If you don’t, you won’t have the strength to pole the boat. And if we can’t get back, we’ll be food for the giant fish."

Xu Ying placed the roots in the boat’s hold. Xu Jin pushed off with a bamboo pole, and the small boat entered the turbulent currents of the Yuanjiang. Once they were out in the middle of the river, a massive fish four or five times the size of their boat swam beneath them, nearly knocking them over.

The father and son scrambled to steady their boat, watching as the great fish swam off into the distance.

The sun rose over the river’s surface. Several giant, snow-white birds let out high-pitched cries as they flew overhead, their wings casting shadows like passing clouds.

This was a bend in the river where the current was too swift for fishing. The father and son guided their boat downstream toward a tributary of the Yuanjiang.

It was dozens of miles downstream, a place where the water was shallower and the current less swift. There, they would find fish and shrimp.

Xu Ying stood at the bow, adjusting the boat’s course while practicing his breathing exercises.

He was practicing a Cultivation Technique called the Taiyi Guiding Skill. Strangely enough, the technique felt as if it were etched directly into his mind; he had no idea where he had learned this Guiding Technique.

"Practice, practice, practice. What’s the damn point?" Xu Jin was scornful.

Xu Ying’s concentration didn’t waver. "I think it’s useful," he said. "Besides, I’m just standing here anyway, so I might as well practice. Dad, want to learn? I can teach you."