At nightfall, the merchant ship dropped anchor by the riverbank.
No sailing at night was a rule of those who made their living on the water.
On one hand, it gave the sailors who had toiled all day time to rest and recover their strength. On the other, it was for safety.
After dinner, Zhang Yuan came out onto the deck.
The moon had already risen. Its limpid light shone upon the great ship and danced across the glittering waters of the Celestial Steed River.
On both banks lay vast, uninhabited wildernesses, their deep solitude carrying a bleak desolation.
Because of the existence of the strange, most people clustered within cities and the surrounding areas.
It was perfectly normal for even fertile land to show no sign of human habitation.
Zhang Yuan withdrew his gaze.
Then, all of a sudden, he spotted a vast shadow in the nearby river.
It was as though some colossal beast beneath the water was rapidly closing in on the merchant ship!
Zhang Yuan's heart gave a jolt.
But before he could make it out clearly, the dense shadow silently vanished again.
It had appeared and disappeared so abruptly that Zhang Yuan wondered whether he had seen wrong.
Perhaps it had merely been a refraction of light and shadow upon the water?
"Zhang Shidi?"
Just then, a puzzled voice came from behind Zhang Yuan!
Zhang Yuan turned with a smile. "Feng Shixiong!"
The newcomer was none other than Feng Ming.
The Outer Hall disciple hesitated briefly, then stepped closer and said, "Zhang Shidi, you'd best not stare at the water like that in the future, especially at night."
Zhang Yuan blinked. "Why?"
Feng Ming lowered his voice. "There are strange things in the river. They can bewitch a person's soul!"
Tales of Water Ghouls had