False evidence

Chapter 333 Fishing for Spiritual Bones at the Dragon Ascension Pavilion (4)

I gestured to Liu Hong, took out a mini waterproof flashlight, turned it on, and squatted down to look.

From the muddy riverbed, a pale human hand emerged and grabbed his ankle. The fingernail, about an inch long, was mostly embedded in his flesh.

Because the finger was pinching the numb spot on his ankle bone, if he tried to pull it out forcefully, the thumbnail of that hand might tear his Achilles tendon. No wonder he didn't dare to make any rash moves.

I pulled out my dagger and tried to pry open the fingers of that hand, but no blood came out after the first cut. The bone was exposed, but the hand showed no sign of letting go.

I cursed under my breath, "Go to hell!" and swung my knife, severing the hand at the wrist.

Just as I was marveling at how useful the gadgets Liu Hong had prepared were, another arm suddenly emerged from the mud.

This is not a complete hand, but an arm with obvious signs of being gnawed, and the palm has been completely gnawed away, leaving only the bone.

However, this incomplete hand seemed to be alive; as soon as it appeared, it immediately reached out and grabbed at me.

Neither Liu Hong nor I had professional diving equipment; we were only wearing underwear.

And that skeletal claw was aimed at the most dangerous part of my lower body.

Even with my strong will, I was almost scared out of my wits. In my panic, I pushed off with my feet and used the buoyancy to flip backward.

He flipped himself nearly a meter away, and just when he thought he had escaped, he suddenly felt a tightness around his waist.

I knew in my heart that this was not a good sign.

When I turned my head, I saw that the hand hadn't grabbed me, but had grabbed the rope tied around my waist.

Liu Hong reacted extremely quickly. As soon as he broke free of the grasp, he immediately rolled off and, after assessing the situation, drew his dagger.

However, before he could strike, a white beam of light suddenly shot out from nowhere, like an arrow, straight toward his face!

We only guarded against the dead man's hand reaching out again, but we didn't guard against the hidden arrows in the water.

Fortunately, Liu Hong was a trained fighter and knew that it was difficult to outrun arrows launched from a machine gun in the water. In a critical moment, he grabbed the rope tied around my waist with one hand, using it to dodge while simultaneously slashing his sword at the arrow that had just passed my shoulder.

With a single slash, a burst of crimson blood erupted before him.

I thought he was still wounded by the arrow, but upon closer inspection, I was shocked to find that the blood mist spreading in the water was not his.

What was shot at him was not a hidden arrow at all, but a strange fish that was less than a foot long, as thick as a finger, and completely silvery-white!

The strange fish was cut in two by Liu Hong. Although it was dead but not stiff, it had lost its ability to attack.

I didn't recognize the species of this shuttle-like fish, but its lightning speed was even more intimidating than the claws at the bottom of the river.

If Liu Hong hadn't reacted quickly, and had actually been hit head-on by the strange fish, it wouldn't have pierced his body, but it would have caused considerable damage, much like a rubber bullet fired from a high-pressure air gun.

Such damage is fatal to someone without defensive equipment underwater!

The key point is, I feel that the appearance of this 'swordfish' is not a coincidence...

Liu Hong seemed to have a premonition as well, and stopped moving forward, only gesturing to me.

I understood what he meant, and ignoring the claws gripping the rope, I completely abandoned my original plan and cut the rope around my waist. As I rolled over, I pushed off the large rock I had just used for leverage and leaped backward diagonally.

Just as Liu Hong and I retreated to the sides at the same time, dozens more swordfish shot out from the silt at the bottom of the river.

I felt a wave of fear wash over me; if we hadn't dodged in time, we would both have become targets!

Fortunately, the fish didn't intentionally attack people. Instead, they seemed startled and fled from their burrows. After their initial ferocity, their speed slowed down, and they scattered in all directions without any organization or discipline. Liu Hong swam up to me from the side and handed me a folding shovel.

It turns out that when he pulled the rope just now, he accidentally pulled off the spare equipment I was tied to.

Liu Hong gestured to me with one hand – Go up!

I wouldn't say I'm desperate, but I'm already somewhat disheartened.

The phrase "taking things for granted" is always a major taboo in action.

I was being far too naive. How could a moment of impulsive courage possibly overcome reality?

Danger can strike in an instant. We escaped the threat of the fish, but we lost even the most basic scuba gear. What else can we do...?

I was still a little unwilling, but Liu Hong was more decisive than me. After confirming my intentions with his eyes, he threw down the crowbar, patted my shoulder, and gestured for me to go up again.

The folding shovel had become an obstacle, and I was about to throw it away when I suddenly saw something illogical.

The crowbar that Liu Hong had thrown away suddenly stopped just as it was about to sink to the bottom of the river. It turned sideways and hovered about a foot above the riverbed!

Liu Hong obviously saw it too, but still gestured to me.

I knew he was short of breath, so I gestured for him to go up first.

Liu Hong untied the rope from his waist and handed it to me. He then made three pulling gestures at me before swimming upwards.

Although I could hold my breath a little longer thanks to the power of the water ghost, it was still quite limited. I didn't bother to tie the rope around my waist; I just wrapped it around my wrists twice and tied a knot.

I put the miniature flashlight in my mouth, unfolded the folding shovel, and threw it towards the spot where the crowbar was hovering.

The folding shovel and the crowbar collided, both sinking slightly, but quickly rose back to where the crowbar had been, slowly spinning in a cross shape!
I really can't figure out why this is happening. I feel like I'm about to run out of breath, so I have no choice but to go up and get some fresh air.

Just then, a bright orange, bulging bag, with its rope attached, floated up to me – it was one of the makeshift scuba tanks I had made earlier!
I thought to myself, "Fine, today is today, so there's no need to go up!"
I took off my scuba gear, clenched my mouth shut, and shoved it into my mouth to breathe.

At that moment, my tense body subconsciously relaxed, and I slowly rotated with the surging undercurrent.

A thought suddenly flashed through my mind, and I looked again at the two intersecting, suspended tools...

It wasn't a 'proper' scuba tank after all; it lost its effectiveness after only a few breaths.

However, this breath should last until I figure out why the tool is floating.

After catching my breath, I dared not put the flashlight in my mouth again.

He simply tucked it into the elastic band of his underwear and paddled across the water in the shimmering light.

At that time, there was no 'science and observation', it was all based on intuition.

When I got close, I immediately reached for the handle of the folding shovel, wanting to further confirm my earlier idea.

But I overlooked one thing.

The two tools are suspended in the same position where our two claws extended when we came down!
As soon as I grabbed the shovel handle with one hand, the previously still skeletal hand suddenly emerged from the mud and fiercely gripped my left chest!
Humans cannot fight against their instincts.

A sharp finger bone pierced my pectoral muscle, and in the excruciating pain, I involuntarily opened my mouth.

The icy river water filled my mouth and nose. I had no time to think. Driven purely by the instinct for survival, I flipped the folding shovel and chopped downwards...

(End of this chapter)