Later that day, a large, unusual-looking fish swam steadily along with the current of the E River, soon reaching the mouth of the West River.
After circling the river mouth a few times, the large fish swam into the West River. The water grew noticeably shallower here, and it surfaced more and more often.
Calling it a large fish was not entirely accurate, for its skin was smooth and scaleless, its appearance quite unlike that of ordinary fish, and it could breathe above the surface.
More people appeared along the banks of the West River. Some passersby spotted the large fish in the water, and a few even cried out in surprise.
"Hey, hey, hey, look! Jiang Zhuer—"
Hearing the cries, everyone on the bank looked toward the water. A plump, endearing creature was swimming there, and it seemed to hear their calls, turning to look at the people onshore as though trying to tell them apart.
"What a rare sight! So that's what they look like!"
"Hey, it really is one! It's even swum into the West River. That's rarer still!"
"Stay back from the bank. These things are clever! They'll even spit water at people for fun. Getting soaked in weather this cold would be very bad indeed!"
While the people onshore marveled at the spectacle, the "large fish" vanished beneath the water with a splash.
The West River wound along the terrain for a stretch before gradually approaching West River Village near Broad South Mountain. Before reaching the head of the village, the large fish surfaced again. As though sensing something, it looked toward one bank, where a little marten lay watching the water.
At the sight of the little marten, the large fish stopped. It was, in fact, a river dolphin.
Many ordinary folk had only