Shackles of Humanity

The next day, Luo Kai followed Big Beard to a small pier on the Nili Long Riverbank. Both sides of the Nili Long River were lined with fertile fields. Early spring was the busy farming season, and large numbers of farmers were hard at work, creating a bustling and peaceful scene.

Luo Kai was in no mood for fishing. He lay under the boat’s canopy, a melancholic expression on his face, staring at the Crystal Finger on his palm. A night had passed, and the crystal, once colorless and completely transparent, was now covered in a dense network of blood-red veins. Moreover, skin tissue was forming on its surface. He figured it wouldn’t be long before it looked no different from his other fingers.

It seemed to have no effect on his body, but a deep unease lingered in his heart. This crystal segment was clearly a life form he couldn’t comprehend. His current situation felt like being parasitized; this thing was surely using his body as sustenance.

The roar of a steam engine from outside interrupted his thoughts. A long, narrow steamship was approaching. Big Beard hurriedly rowed their boat out of the way. If they were hit by such a mechanical iron vessel, his small covered boat would likely be torn to pieces.

Luo Kai rushed out to help him row. The iron steamship passed before them. It was painted white, somewhat resembling a yacht, and looked extremely luxurious. A line of soldiers, armed with live ammunition, stood on the deck. A young girl in magnificent, snow-white clothes stood at the bow, accompanied by a young man in his twenties. Luo Kai felt a vague sense of familiarity with the young man, but he couldn’t recall where he might have seen him before.

The girl on the ship gazed at the fields on the bank and said softly, "What beautiful pastoral scenery." Her voice was crisp and pleasant.

The young man said solicitously, "Cousin, would you like to go ashore for a bit? The little river porpoises of the Nili Long River are incredibly delicious. We can pull over and buy a few from the villagers."

Seeing the girl nod, the young man immediately ordered the anchor dropped and the ship stopped. The iron steamship slowly pulled up to the bank, and a group of soldiers escorted the girl as she walked toward the fields.

...

"Damn, that little piece of ass is gorgeous!" Big Beard’s eyes went wide, and drool trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Luo Kai was a little speechless. The old man was over fifty, how could he still be so shameless? Still, he couldn’t help but turn to look. This time, he got a clear view of her face. She was indeed a very pretty girl, looking no older than sixteen or seventeen. She had a delicate face, raven-black hair, and wore a snow-white, fox-collared cotton jacket, making her look like a freshly bloomed White Lotus—the very picture of pure, delicate beauty.

Luo Kai subconsciously compared her to Lu Qing. He decided they each had their own charms.

"Dammit, I wonder which little bastard will get lucky with a piece of tail like that. Ai, all the good cabbage gets eaten by pigs." Big Beard suddenly spat fiercely into the water and started cursing.

Luo Kai ignored Big Beard’s grumbling, went back under the canopy, and tried to get some more sleep. This time, his weakness wasn’t just physical; his Spirit was also drained. He needed a lot of sleep.

He was just drifting off when he was jolted awake by a bloodcurdling scream, followed immediately by Big Beard’s terrified voice. "M-Monster!"

Luo Kai rushed out from under the canopy. On the nearby bank, a strange fish nearly two meters long was thrashing about, tearing into a farmer who had fallen into the water. Clouds of blood bloomed from the river as the farmer was instantly ripped to shreds by the monster fish. It was too late to save him.

Just then, another scream came from a different part of the bank. It was the young girl. She had been washing up by the water’s edge when she saw the horrifying scene. Her foot slipped, and she fell into the river. The current of the Nili Long River was swift in early spring, and her body was immediately swept into the rapids.

"Cousin!"

The young man on the bank cried out and rushed over. But when he reached the edge, he didn’t dare to jump in. He could only shout orders at his men. The faces of the few Guards were filled with terror, and they hesitated, too scared to jump. The Xingma Kingdom was in the south, and most people were decent swimmers, but the scene of the great fish devouring a man had been far too shocking.

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment, then said to Big Beard, "Big Beard, get to the bank! I’m going in to try!"

Big Beard was stunned. "Are you crazy?! There’s a man-eating fish in the water!"

Luo Kai stripped down to his shorts, took a deep breath, and leaped into the river. The moment he hit the water, that strange sense of belonging returned. Countless subtle vibrations flooded his mind, and he instantly perceived the girl’s location. The turbulent river water, upon touching his body, immediately grew gentle, softly surrounding and propelling him. His speed was no less than that of a fish.

As the distance closed, a massive shadow suddenly appeared in the water. It was the monster fish. Luo Kai got a clear look at its face. It was a creature that looked like an alligator, except all four of its limbs had degenerated and vanished. Only its giant maw was even larger, with rows of sharp teeth exposed outside its lips. A long, narrow Bone Spike also grew from its long tail fin.

The monster fish’s cold, vertical pupils glanced at Luo Kai, then at the girl on the other side. It seemed to hesitate over which to choose as its meal. Ultimately, it chose the girl, because Luo Kai exuded an aura that made it uncomfortable.

After a moment of shock, the girl remembered how to swim and began struggling toward the bank.

"Look out, the fish is after you!"

The girl hastily turned her head. Her newly recovered composure was instantly shattered, and she forgot how to swim. Panicking, she choked on several mouthfuls of water. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

A ragged volley of gunshots rang out. The people on the bank were firing to help, but the monster fish’s scales were incredibly tough. The bullets only made slight dents; they couldn’t pierce its hide. In fact, the shots only enraged the beast, making it a fraction faster.

Seeing the monster fish rapidly closing in on the girl, its blood-soaked maw already opening slightly, Luo Kai cursed under his breath. He had no choice but to force his heartbeat to quicken again, forcibly raising his conscious frequency. The surging river water instantly achieved some kind of Resonance with his consciousness, and he violently slapped the water in front of him.

The girl, who had been on the verge of a tragic death, was thrown high into the air by a jet of water. The monster fish snapped at empty air, stunned for a moment, then immediately opened its mouth wide toward the spot where the girl was about to fall.

At that moment, Luo Kai swam up, took a deep breath, and used the force of the current to leap from the water’s surface. He snatched the girl into his arms just before the monster fish could get her and hastily began swimming toward the shore.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to kill the monster fish, but he couldn’t. His current physical Power was about the same as a ten-year-old child’s. Although he could manipulate the water, the currents themselves had no real killing power. His drained Spirit during this period had also left him no opportunity to study how to use the water offensively.

The monster fish was furious. With a powerful flick of its tail fin, it shot forward like a Sharp Sword.

When it came to the use of Hydro Power, Luo Kai was in no way inferior to any aquatic creature. He deftly sidestepped and dodged the attack.

If he were alone, the monster fish would have been powerless against him in the water. But it was a different story with someone in his arms. On top of that, the girl had woken up and was struggling constantly. Her delicate fists hitting his chest felt like a series of heavy hammers. His weakened body couldn’t take the blows. A sweet taste filled his throat, and he couldn’t help but spit out a large mouthful of blood.

Luo Kai gritted his teeth in frustration. "If you keep struggling, I’m throwing you back!"

The girl, having been sprayed in the face with his blood, fell quiet.

The monster fish circled them, attacking relentlessly. Luo Kai managed to dodge each time by a hair’s breadth, but his breathing was gradually becoming ragged and his face was turning deathly pale. His current physical condition didn’t allow for such strenuous exertion. Gauging the distance to the shore, he gritted his teeth, mustered what little strength he had left, and threw the girl toward the bank. Then, he turned to face the monster fish, his gaze fierce and sharp.