Chapter 51: Demon Exorcism in the First Month of the Second Year of Mingde
Not even half a li ahead, there was a small path on the left leading to the riverbank.
This was the original Lingbo ferry crossing.
The ferry crossing was small, just a set of steps for people to get on and off, and the path was very narrow. It had been abandoned for a long time, overgrown with weeds and obstructed by tree branches. One had to shield their face while passing through.
The shepherd boy rode his water buffalo down the path.
He did not encounter the Daoist priest on his way back.
The shepherd boy hoped that he had gone too far before turning back earlier and that the Daoist priest had already finished washing his hands and returned to the main road before he himself had entered the path. He hoped he was now heading toward Anqing County and not lingering by the river or met with some accident. Despite their brief conversation, the Daoist priest's gentleness and praise had touched him.
As he neared the riverbank, he heard splashing.
The shepherd boy brushed away the last layer of branches and weeds and looked toward the river, only to be startled…
He saw a man in a Daoist robe flailing in the water, seemingly having fallen in accidentally and unable to swim. He was already choking on water and unable to call out.