In the churning river.
Jiang Xia and the Mermaid dove beneath the water, surrounded on all sides by rushing currents.
The Mermaid had already entered her assembled puppet form, her slender arms—indistinguishable from an adult human's—looped around his waist. The water around them pulsed in an orderly rhythm, repelling every shard that could cut a human body. Even the sharp edges on the riverbed could not strike them... could not strike this human and this Ghost.
Among the Ghosts' chaotic assortment of abilities, the Mermaid's skill was fairly straightforward.
She could let one person breathe underwater for fifteen minutes.
That was when she did not manifest. But if the Mermaid puppet was summoned and kept within one meter of the user, then "Underwater Breathing" could continue until the Killing Intent ran out and the puppet vanished.
This time, they had no idea how long they would be rafting down the river, and they would have to travel alongside debris from the destroyed vehicle for a while. Drifting alone would require constant effort to avoid it. On top of that, the light was dim at night, making the riverbed even harder to see. Therefore, Jiang Xia figured he might as well summon Working Fish and have her serve as the driver.
The Mermaid seemed to enjoy the sensation of swimming with a physical body as well. She dodged the vehicle fragments while happily rolling around in the water.
Carried along by her, Jiang Xia felt as though he had accidentally fallen into a washing machine. After a moment of silence, he calmly reminded her, "Stop playing around. Hurry to the main channel and find that fragrant boat. If it looks suitable, Fake an Accident for Compensation—don't you want some sweet-and-sour Killing Intent soup?"
Hearing about that boatful of fresh Killing Intent,