Those Eight Legs Weren't for Nothing

Bing Fire had only just passed; the Dog Days had yet to leave.

Heat waves rolled across Jiang Huai Great Marsh. The rippling glittering light seemed to conceal rolling fireballs, and the entire shallows had been baked warm and scalding.

Teenage boys ignored the danger, pushed aside the reeds, and jumped into the white light to dive and cool off, only to be dragged home by their elders by the ears. A few idlers remained, but River Conservancy Office clerks soon rowed over in small boats and drove them ashore.

Amid the flashing golden light, a long procession swam closer, like a drifting strip of cloth blanketing the ripples.

The villagers in the tea house rose one after another and stepped out of the shade, shielding their eyes from the light.

"Hey, the blue octopus is back! Strange, it only left a month ago. Why did it come back so soon? Didn't the River Conservancy Office clerks say it only came once every half year?"

"It heads east in winter and west in summer. It must've gone upstream, and now it's going back."

"Damn, that octopus's voice is fucking soft. It's even nicer than Spring Flower from the prefecture! When I went home that night, I woke up the next morning and found my underpants all wet!"

Huh? Everyone glanced sideways and backed away, leaving an empty circle around him.

For a moment, no one knew what to say.

As if realizing he had let something slip, the speaker hurriedly changed the subject. "I wonder what level a demon beast like that is at. If it starts causing trouble, can Master Liang beat it?"

"He can, definitely. If Master Liang can't, doesn't he still have his Master? The two of them together should manage."

"Heh, you can't just spout nonsense."