Less than half a li ahead, there was a narrow path to the left that led down to the riverbank.
That was the old Wave-Treading Ferry.
The ferry was small, no more than a set of steps where people could board and disembark. The path was narrow too, abandoned for a long time and overgrown with weeds, with branches blocking the way. One had to shield one's face to force a passage through.
The cowherd rode his ox all the way down.
He did not encounter that gentleman returning along the way.
The cowherd hoped he himself had simply gone too far before turning back, and that the gentleman had long since washed his hands, returned to the main road before he entered the path, and was now headed for Anqing County. He prayed the man had not lingered by the river or met with some mishap. Though they had spoken only briefly, that gentleman's gentleness and praise had touched him.
As he gradually neared the riverbank, he heard the constant splashing of water.
The cowherd pushed aside the last screen of branches and weeds. When he fixed his gaze upon the river, he could not help but start in shock—
A man in a Daoist robe was floundering in the river. He seemed to have fallen in by accident and could not swim; he had already swallowed so much water that he could no longer cry out.
He could not see clearly from so far away, but who else could it be if not that gentleman?
The cowherd's heart clenched with anxiety, yet he did not dare enter the water.
He wanted to shout for help, but this place was far from the main road and had long been deserted. Who could possibly hear him?
Just then, a dark