Is this even the altar I set up...! Where are all our family's gods!

Pan Longxiang was completely baffled, his expression nearly cracking. He saw the unfamiliar revered god on the altar already angrily saying to Tan Xiao: "You didn't go home after school... what are you doing here!"

Although he sounded angry, there was actually a hint of pleasant surprise, just that he couldn't reveal it. After all, as soon as he appeared, before even saying anything, he was recognized!

Pan Longxiang: "..."

Ah, which revered god is this little snake shaman worshipping, so willful, even caring about him not going home after school.

Pan Longxiang had been doing this for most of his life and had never encountered this kind of situation. He wanted to give the little snake shaman a few pointers, but unexpectedly, in terms of summoning gods and spirits... Let's put it this way, he and most colleagues he'd seen were performing rituals to summon gods, while this one had the god descending to urge him!

But what could he do, of course he had to make way and hand the altar over to them to perform...

He saw that revered god had already walked up to Tan Xiao, looking at him dissatisfied and continuing to ask: "Why exactly are you lingering here." Making him wait so long in the car, only learning from Lin Yang that Tan Xiao wasn't going back, before thinking of an excuse to get out of the car and come over.

Tan Xiao also felt very awkward. He pointed at Pan Longxiang and said: "I'm taking extra lessons. Great God, is something the matter?"

He was busy learning the recipe and moves of the old Dao Gong.

Fortunately he wasn't talking about taking over someone else's altar and patron god.

Kong Xuan said in a bad mood: "Nothing. Even if it's nothing, can't I look for you?"

Tan Xiao: "..."

Pan Longxiang: "..."

The old Dao Gong fell into deep thought, touching upon knowledge that even he didn't understand. Which family's patron god was so... clingy.

"I'm still busy. Wait until the Dao Gong here finishes work, then I'll come find you." Tan Xiao thought there was still a victim waiting to be found. It would be better to ask the Great God Peacock to vacate the altar first. What was the meaning of occupying it, you weren't even invited...

"I dare not." Pan Longxiang also didn't really want to continue chanting the shaman incantations. The altar had been snatched away! Was there still a place for Qiyun to stand?

Besides, no matter how he looked at it, he never imagined Tan Chunying could have a child like this!

Forget it, forget it...

"Little snake shaman, why didn't you say earlier that you had this spiritual capability. Since the god has descended, might as well send the Buddha all the way to the west."

Does this mean they want him to take action? Tan Xiao was taken aback: "I... I haven't prepared anything. Dao Gong, weren't you going to handle it yourself?"

"If I handle it myself, I'm afraid of angering the ancestral spirits! The less we provoke them, the better. I'll be joining them in a few years and don't want them to make things difficult for me then."

Pan Longxiang's words made Tan Xiao chuckle. He thought, of course, it’s best not to break the rules. "If I had known you had this skill..."

Though it wouldn't have stopped him from getting the ritual robes, having a reliable partner certainly eased his mental burden.

Tan Xiao thought it over and agreed. The risk had been mentioned, and they would need to seek forgiveness from the ancestral spirits afterward. Since the mighty Peacock God had arrived, there was no need for pretenses. "Alright, since I'm not familiar with Yao family techniques, I might accidentally offend them. Please guide me."

Pan Longxiang spread his hands. "Please." Normally, if Tan Xiao were still in his school uniform without any ritual tools, whatever he did would feel wrong. But now, with the god's descent, nothing else mattered.

He watched the schoolboy took the photo of Lei Yong's son provided by Lei Yong, with his birthdate and time written on the back, walked to the altar, and grabbed a stack of joss paper. With a pinch, he divided it into four parts, lit them with the incense, and chanted, "Disciple Tan Xiao prays on behalf of Lei Yong. Lei Yong's son, Lei Zijun, went missing today near Qiyun Ridge in the Qi Village. I pray for divine light to illuminate his traces, to witness his whereabouts!"

He threw the four stacks of joss paper into the four corners.

Kong Xuan moved to Tan Xiao's side, his aura enveloping Tan Xiao. He grasped Tan Xiao's hand, forming a hand sign. "Illuminate everything."

The joss paper burned completely, and the ashes in the southwest corner were blown into long, winding lines, resembling a river.

"Thank you, Great God." Tan Xiao noticed that the Peacock God had not yet let go of his hand. After a moment, he released his grip, finding it easy since the Peacock God was a spirit.

Tan Xiao approached the paper ashes, finding it curious because the ashes should indicate the whereabouts of Lei Yong's son, Lei Zijun, who had gone missing. Everyone said he ran into the mountains, but the southwest corner was in the opposite direction from the mountains.

Moreover, the ashes resembled a river...

Tan Xiao hesitantly interpreted, "Does this mean he is not in the mountains but has gone downstream, underwater?"

"Not good, not good. He has fallen into the river and drifted downstream," Pan Longxiang said, recognizing that the river path matched the course of the Nanxi River. "No wonder he wasn't found in the mountains. This is dangerous."

He carefully examined the ashes and muttered, "There is still a chance of survival. Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Pan Longxiang urged repeatedly, and Tan Xiao sprang up, "Let's go quickly then?" He hurriedly moved to the door but was stopped by Pan Longxiang, who pointed to the Peacock God.

Oh right, they still needed to send off the deity.

Tan Xiao looked pleadingly at the Peacock God.

Kong Xuan glanced at the altar, noting it lacked his favorite foods—all raw and unappealing. "Hmph, I’ll wait for your return."

"Thank you, Great God." Tan Xiao clasped his hands together like a little hamster and bowed before running out.

"Thank you, thank you," Pan Longxiang also bowed hastily, not even knowing which deity this was, deciding it was best not to worry about the details with such a chaotic altar.

As they exited, Lei Yong, who had been anxiously waiting outside, stood up. "Shi Gong, they just called from the mountain saying they still haven’t found him. Did you divine his whereabouts?"

"He's not in the mountains!" Pan Longxiang declared confidently. "Quickly prepare a car and a rubber boat. We're heading downstream of the Nanxi River."

"What?" Lei Yong exclaimed. He initially thought Pan Laoye, who knew some metaphysical tricks and was familiar with mountain paths, would search the mountains. But now Pan Laoye was saying he wasn't there.

Pan Longxiang spoke with such certainty. If Lei Zijun was indeed downstream in the river, searching the mountains would be futile. The thought of the river filled Lei Yong's mind with the worst possibilities, "Is my son drowned? Are you asking me to fish out his body?"

"Uncle, he's not dead yet! Hurry and drive!" Tan Xiao shook Lei Yong to snap him out of it.

Lei Yong weighed it in his heart. With dozens of people searching on the mountain and still not finding anything... he decided to go with Old Pan to take a look.

He quickly went to borrow a small truck. Since there were rafting activities here, rubber rafts were not hard to find. They quickly loaded the necessary things onto the truck. Several people got on, including Pan Jianjun who came along to lend a hand.

By now, the news of Lei Zijun's disappearance was known to everyone in the village. Many were helping to search, but they all headed up the mountain. Only they were driving downstream.

At this time, dusk had already fallen. The truck drove on the country road, as if slowly entering the deepening night sky on the horizon.

Tan Xiao and Pan Longxiang both sat in the back of the truck. Pan Longxiang checked the rubber raft, then took out a yellowed handwritten booklet. Opening his flashlight, he saw a few lines written on the cover: "Eight hundred li of Yunmeng, grace extending to Chu. Thousands of years of the true teachings, the great Dao connecting to heaven."

"This was given to my father by an old Pai sect master from Qiyun Ridge in the past when he had no successor. Then it was passed to me. I've read it myself, but haven't had many chances to use it." Pan Longxiang laughed a couple times. "Before, I thought, this old Pai sect master didn't even have a disciple. Later, my own child also didn't want to inherit the altar. Sigh, it's both a good thing and a bad thing."

Tan Xiao didn't know what to say. When he was born, the situation was already different. But he knew that if Tan Chunying had not sought to transform back then, the Tan family might have ended up in a similar situation.

Pan Longxiang told Tan Xiao to hold the flashlight for him as he drew talismans on the inside of the rubber raft. Then he stood up, using the fading daylight to look at the road. When they reached about the same place as the paper ashes, he tapped on the window. "Stop the car!"

Lei Yong slammed on the brakes and got out. This place was already some distance from the village. It was hard to imagine how Lei Zijun had frantically run into the deep mountains and then been washed down.

Looking around, the river and night were both vast and hazy. There was no sign of any figure to be seen. His heart was uneasy. While watching the water, he was also thinking about the deep mountains in the night. It was truly agonizing. Unable to hold back, he shouted: "Zijun!"

The echoes rang out but there was no response.

Lei Yong had long gone to live in the city. Pan Jianjun was a bit more familiar with this place. He inhaled sharply and said, "A bit further down is the Shang Mao Shoal!"

After Shang Mao Shoal, there was also Xia Mao Shoal, a notoriously dangerous rapid in the area. The more it got to the dry season, the more perilous it became. The rafting routes at Qiyun Ridge all excluded this section of river.

Even when rafting for fun with safety personnel on guard, capsizing could lead to injuries, let alone in an area like this.

When Wen Tianxiang* wrote about the dread at the head of the rapids, it was because boats easily overturned in dangerous rapids. Hidden rocks and undercurrents could all take lives.

*T/N: Famous historical figure, the former Grand Chancellor of the Song Dynasty

Pan Longxiang glanced over and directly pushed the rubber raft down. "It has ropes. We'll only search in this section."

He wasn't here on a suicide mission. Naturally he wouldn't recklessly venture into dangerous rapids in the middle of the night.

The group together pulled the rubber raft to the riverside, then went back to get a bag of rice and placed it in the raft, along with bowls, incense, life jackets, ropes and other items. One end of a rope was tied to the raft while the other was secured to the truck. They were fully prepared.

"You two stay on the shore. The little snake shaman and I will go down," said Pan Longxiang.

"Old Pan, I should go down with you. This kid is still young," Lei Yong instinctively objected. Tan Xiao was still wearing his No. 1 Middle School uniform and wasn't very old. How could he feel at ease?

"If you tell him to stay on shore, then what about me? Who will I rely on?" Pan Longxiang said irritably. He had brought the little snake shaman to protect his own life!

Lei Yong: "...Huh?"

Pan Jianjun gave him a push. "Enough, don't say anymore. The client should just do as instructed. Don't give your own opinions."

Lei Yong could only shut his mouth. He watched as Pan Longxiang and Tan Xiao stepped into the rubber raft. The Nanxi River was much wider here. The two paddled the raft diagonally out towards the middle of the river.

"The spirit arts of the Pai sect mainly involve talismans and water," Pan Longxiang said to Tan Xiao. Once on the water, the Yao family's shaman arts were not as useful as the Pai sect's.

Tan Xiao listened attentively while also looking around. Even with his excellent eyesight, he really couldn't see any sign of people on the riverbanks. He couldn't help but look towards the surface of the river.

Pan Longxiang also started muttering to himself, "With such rapid water, where could a person be stuck?"

The water was much more turbulent here. Downstream at Shang Mao Shoal there was a sharp bend. But the indication given by the Peacock God clearly showed no movement here either, only displaying something at the bottom of the river. Could it be caught on some reef?

The rubber raft reached the middle of the great river. Pan Longxiang picked up an old porcelain bowl, scooped up some river water and splashed it towards the center, shouting Lei Zijun's name: "Lei Zijun - come ashore!"

He shouted nine times but there was still no movement.

At this point he couldn't shout anymore. Nine was the ultimate number.

"Eeyaya heya hey--"

In the darkness, from some unknown place, the faint sound of a robust unison chant seemed to drift over.

On the shore, Lei Yong and Pan Jianjun exchanged a glance, their whole bodies trembling. They immediately recognized it. This was clearly the chant of the raftsmen!

Nowadays, no one poled rafts anymore. But who in Qiyun Ridge hadn't heard the raftsmen's chants? People their age, even if they hadn't heard the old raftsmen sing it, had heard it in folk songs.

The chanting that rang out at this time and place made Lei Yong feel dizzy for a moment.

The Chu region had many rivers and also many mines, giving rise to the two most dangerous occupations - miners and raftsmen. An old saying went, buried miners aren't dead, dead raftsmen aren't buried.

The Nanxi River, now traversed by tourists, once claimed the lives of countless raftsmen from hidden reefs, water monsters, or dangerous rapids. Below, there were innumerable wronged souls.

So Lei Zijun had been entangled by water ghosts transformed from raftsmen?

Who didn't know that water ghosts seeking a substitute were as vicious as hanged ghosts seeking a substitute!

Tan Xiao also heard it. In the light of the flashlight, he and Pan Longxiang vaguely exchanged a glance without saying anything. Were the iron tortoises of the Pai sect meant to suppress the water ghosts?

"Dao Gong, doesn't the Pai sect have the technique of floating bodies to drive corpses?" Tan Xiao could only ignore the singing and ask, "Can it be modified to make Lei Zijun float up?"

Tan Xiao himself was always modifying incantations on the fly. To him it was just like flexibly applying formulas when solving problems. Sometimes he even combined them in novel ways.

Hearing this, Pan Longxiang hesitated for a moment, then continued scooping water. He told Tan Xiao to light three sticks of incense. Using the three incense sticks, he drew a talisman on the water's surface while silently reciting an incantation: "Rise!"

Sure enough, the surface of the water ahead started churning. A human-shaped dark shadow was moving.

Lei Yong had been watching from the shore the whole time. Seeing this, he forgot his fear and shouted hoarsely, "Zijun, is that you?"

Pan Longxiang gestured with his hand.

Pan Jianjun quickly said, "Keep shouting, call out his full name." The night had already deepened, and the flashlight illuminated the dark shadows stirring on the water's surface. Lei Yong's hoarse voice carried far, his tone still trembling, ending with a cracked note.

The two men rowed the boat closer and threw out a life buoy tied with a rope: "Lei Zijun? Lei Zijun?"

The dark shadow beneath the water suddenly flipped upward, grabbing onto the life buoy, and a strong fishy smell wafted over.

Tan Xiao's heart skipped a beat as he stared directly at a ghastly pale face, exactly the same as the one in the photo of Lei Zijun. His eyes were covered with a gray haze, occasionally sliding around like a lizard's. Further down, there was a reddish-brown mottled skin, wet and slippery, somewhat resembling the body of a salamander, but with short human-like limbs.

This half-human, half-fish creature grinned at Tan Xiao, then suddenly sank back into the water, still clutching the rope, as if intending to overturn the rubber boat.

It wasn't a water ghost, so what was it?

"Hold on tight!" Pan Longxiang saw everything and shouted. He quickly filled a bowl with water and placed an incense stick upright in it. Just as he finished, the rubber boat violently shook and seemed about to capsize, but miraculously stabilized as the incense stick stood firm.

Tan Xiao held onto the rubber boat, pondering for a moment. Instead of summoning Kong Xuan, he reached into the water and made a hand seal: "Clear and spiritual, troops below, sever the water demon, bring peace to the human realm!"

With his other hand, he tore open the rice sack that Pan Longxiang had placed in the rubber boat and threw a few handfuls of rice into the water.

All things have spirits. Tan Xiao realized it was an evil creature from underwater. Recalling the earlier chant, he was suddenly inspired and decided to try reciting the soul-summoning spell.

"Dad!" Pan Jianjun on the shore was frightened and tried to pull the rope back. He couldn't clearly see Lei Zijun's face from afar, only a nearly two-meter-long figure that was neither human nor beast surfacing.

Lei Yong was so anxious he was jumping up and down. What was going on?

Pan Jianjun and the others pulled the rope back, but it was taut, as if encountering great resistance.

Pan Longxiang and Tan Xiao also noticed. The rubber boat, originally being pulled in that direction by Pan Jianjun and Lei Yong, had stopped, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds of iron.

Was it "Lei Zijun"?

Pan Longxiang watched the water vigilantly.

Pan Jianjun called for Lei Yong to join him in using all their strength, and the boat moved slightly before getting stuck again. At that moment, right in front of the rubber boat, the nearly two-meter-long monster with a human head and fish body leaped high, its clawed human hands swiping upward!

Clearly, if the boat hadn't stopped in place, it would have been struck.

Pan Jianjun was so scared his hands went numb.

The human-headed fish floated in place, glancing at them, then suddenly circled around the rubber boat and headed downstream, biting the rope and severing it. Without the assistance, the rubber boat rapidly drifted downstream!

Further down were the hidden reefs of Shang Mao Shoal, an almost U-shaped bend where countless boats had capsized.

Pan Jianjun and Lei Yong shouted while running downstream. To safely ascend here, they needed to pull the boat, with raftmen working together. With just the two of them and the rope broken, they were powerless.

The rubber boat sped downstream, the water churning dangerously.

The human-headed fish swam ahead, darting left and right as if avoiding something.

Tan Xiao felt the rubber boat, after violently shaking, seemingly being pushed by something, swiftly approaching the human-headed fish, bypassing hidden reefs and undercurrents, steadily nearing the shore.

He had a vague sense.

In the darkness, whether from the sky, the water, or afar, the faint sound of a chant rose again, "Heave-ho, navigating the rapids—"

In that instant, Tan Xiao confirmed his guess. Those he had summoned were none other than the raftmen who had perished in the Nanxi River. They were water ghosts, but not seeking lives. Instead, they were helping those who, like themselves, had been plagued by water monsters.

At that moment, both Tan Xiao and Pan Longxiang understood why the Peacock God had guided them here. The waterways were treacherous not because they were waiting to ambush, nor because Lei Zijun was trapped by rocks, but because water ghosts had been obstructing the way, ultimately cornering the human-headed fish here!

Their bodies lost to the water, their souls trapped here, day after day, year after year, their spirits would slowly diminish and erode, their strength dwarfed by the human-headed fish monster's. But gathered together, united as one, chanting in rhythm as in life, working in unison, they could stop the human-headed fish.

Tan Xiao suddenly recalled the origins of the raftman trade that Tan Chunying had mentioned in his childhood, and the rapids song he had once hummed: "Feeding flesh and blood to fish bellies, breaking bones to support boats."

The people underwater were chanting, the spiritual priest above making hand seals with a golden blade.

Pan Longxiang shouted, "Everyone, hook it!"

"Heave-ho!"

Working together, the nearly two-meter-long human-headed fish was lifted entirely out of the water.

"Five-colored divine light converges, suppressing ominous calamities!" Tan Xiao's rubber boat was right beside it. With one slash, Lei Zijun's body separated from the fish body, and Pan Longxiang grabbed him and pulled him up!

The small rubber boat, supported by invisible forces, broke through the rapids and steadily docked at the shore.

Pan Longxiang had held tightly to Lei Zijun's body the entire time. After stopping, he couldn't help sighing in relief. He lowered his head to confirm Lei Zijun was still breathing before relaxing.

The separated human-headed fish was also washed ashore, its head still resembling a human's but rougher and more bizarre, with reddish-brown mottled skin, no hair, gills on its cheeks, and limbs like a human's but thicker and shorter.

Tan Xiao shone his flashlight on the belly-up human-headed fish. Its eerie appearance made one uncomfortable. "What the heck is this thing..."

Was it the water monster that the raftman guild had suppressed in the past? How should he record this? Seeing it half-human, half-fish, he suspected it was the legendary Ling Fish, but Ling Fish lived in the sea.

No matter for now. Tan Xiao tossed out a rope, tied up the human-headed fish, and dragged it over. He then scattered paper money over the river, fluttering in the night sky like yellow butterflies.

A mature shaman shouldn't make any promises to unnatural beings, but at that moment, Tan Xiao couldn't help saying, "In the future... uh, after the final exams, I will make a special trip to pay respects to you all!"