In just one day, the atmosphere beside the Cool River outside Wutan City had changed as dramatically as heaven and earth overturning. Once a summer refuge the youngsters longed for, it was now surrounded by people with pale faces and terror-filled eyes, as though some primordial beast lurked beneath the clear water, waiting to devour its chosen prey.
The source of it all was Xiao Yi, standing on a large blue-gray rock by the river. Today, he wore a shabby Daoist robe, his hair loosely pinned behind his head with a wooden hairpin. In one hand he held a bizarre "ritual implement" of indeterminate purpose; in the other, he carried an equally bizarre "corpse."
The thing was soaking wet, most of its fur stripped away to expose blue-black skin. Its limbs were long and thin, its nails sharp, and it looked part monkey, part human. It reeked of river muck and rot-a masterpiece he had cobbled together from who knew where.
Xiao Yi wore a solemn expression, his gaze deep and unfathomable, as though he were a master who had just fought a demon for three hundred rounds. With a tone of compassion for all suffering souls, he slowly addressed the Xiao Clan youngsters below, who were frightened into silence like cicadas in winter.
"This creature is called a Water Monkey, a being of the darkest yin and utmost evil that dwells in water. It normally lurks in the depths, dragging the living underwater to drain their yang energy and feast on their flesh and blood. The recent heat has made yang energy flourish, luring this fiend out. Fortunately, I discovered it early today and slew it with my Demon-Subduing Pestle. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable!"
As he spoke, he shook the foul-smelling "Water Monkey" corpse in his