Startling the Snake by Beating the Grass

The small boat rowed toward the center of the lake, from two hundred zhang to one hundred, then fifty, thirty... The pill furnace before him grew clearer and clearer; more than half of it had already been dragged beneath the water by the Crab Claws.

Yan Shu, the furnace's owner, sat cross-legged atop it, his hands forming seals, his eyes tightly shut, his lips moving slightly. In the glow of the furnace fire, his face looked exceptionally red—red to the point of turning purple.

Feng Dayu of the Yuan Chen Sect, who controlled the crab, had yet to show himself and remained hidden underwater, filling Liu Xiaolou with a strong sense of unknown danger.

The small boat continued forward, entering within twenty zhang. Here, water vapor boiled, and the lake surface bubbled like a boiling cauldron, spitting out hot bubbles.

When he came within fifteen zhang, Liu Xiaolou dared not advance any farther. He looked at Yan Shu atop the furnace. Yan Shu still sat cross-legged and formed seals, yet he could not stop himself and the pill furnace from sinking inch by inch. Liu Xiaolou then looked at the pair of Crab Claws, but still could not make out the Giant Crab underwater.

Then Liu Xiaolou propped himself with the bamboo pole and began circling the pill furnace.

During the first circle, neither Yan Shu nor Feng Dayu beneath the water paid him any heed. So Liu Xiaolou continued with a second circle, then a third... After circling perhaps five or six times without either senior acknowledging him, Liu Xiaolou understood that he had likely failed his task of startling the snake by beating the grass. He turned back to look at the reeds from which he had come, gritted his teeth, and moved another five zhang closer to