Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 488 A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance
The four of them traveled upstream in a small boat, against the current, and their speed was not slow at all. They arrived in Jingzhou two days later.

After passing Jingzhou, the number of towns on both banks of the river decreased significantly. After reaching Yiling, there were virtually no traces of Han Chinese life, and the mountains on both banks gradually became steeper.

"Indeed, 'the waters become calm here, and the mountains rise high here,'" Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed as she stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at the increasingly magnificent scenery on both banks.

"Aren't we close to Peach Blossom Spring?" Chen Lingzhi asked from the side. The two women stood against the wind, their skirts fluttering, like goddesses from Mount Wu.

"It should be in the mountains about two hundred miles to the south." Su Xiaoxiao pointed south and said, "It's a pity it's become a ghost town, otherwise I would really recommend you visit it when you come back."

"I can't see any beautiful scenery anyway, so there's nothing to regret," Chen Lingzhi said with a nonchalant smile.

As Faxiu steered the boat, she asked Ayao, "Sister, is that the Peach Blossom Spring you and Third Brother were looking for?"

"Yes." Ayao nodded, a look of nostalgia on her face. "Time really flies, four or five years have passed in the blink of an eye."

“Yes,” the young monk said with a sigh, “Five years ago I was just a junior apprentice at Lingyin Temple. I never imagined that I would become a Zen disciple in the Northern Dynasties.”

"Little monk, how did you end up in the Northern Dynasty?" Su Xiaoxiao asked with a smile.

“Sister, I have read all the Buddhist scriptures at Tongtai Temple and consulted many eminent monks, but I still cannot resolve my doubts.” Faxiu sighed softly and said, “If the Buddha is truly compassionate, how could he create endless nightmares to torment the world?”

“Because that Buddha was an imposter,” Chen Lingzhi said calmly.

“Yes, but at the time I didn’t know, and I didn’t even dare to have such a disrespectful thought.” Faxiu said with a wry smile, “Later, when I heard my senior brothers chatting, they talked about the story of Bodhidharma and the emperor. My senior brothers told it as a joke, but I took it to heart.”

“Especially that phrase ‘vast and without holiness,’ it was truly a wake-up call, resolving my long-standing confusion.” Fa Xiu continued, “So I had the idea of ​​going to the Northern Dynasty to seek out Master Bodhidharma. Just then, the temple was sending someone down the mountain to spread the Dharma, so I signed up and left Tongtai Temple. Then I went straight to the Northern Dynasty, inquiring along the way, and finally met Master Bodhidharma at Shaoshi Mountain, asking him to resolve my doubts.”

"He said, 'The Way is not easily passed on, and the Dharma is not cheaply sold.' He couldn't tell me the truth unless I became his disciple," Fa Xiu said with a wry smile.

"And then you became his disciple and switched allegiances?" Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but chuckle.

“Of course.” Fa Xiu was quite open-minded and said, “My goal is to worship the true Buddha and learn the true scriptures. If this path is blocked, of course I have to find another one.”

"Do you think Bodhidharma's path is viable?" Chen Lingzhi asked with a smile.

"..." Fa Xiu pondered for a moment and said, "Now it seems quite reliable."

"Haha, the little monk is so cautious now." Su Xiaoxiao giggled.

As everyone was talking, they suddenly felt a sway beneath their feet, and layers of white foam rose on the surface of the river, revealing a huge dragon head emerging from the water.

"Mortal, why don't you kneel down before this dragon?" the dragon head spoke in human language.

All four of them had seen a lot in life, so they weren't flustered at all. Su Xiaoxiao, on the contrary, smiled at the dragon head with great interest and said, "Go up a little higher and see if your lower part is a dragon's body."

"You mere mortal, how dare you provoke this dragon!" The dragon head seemed to have its sore spot touched, and roared, "Die!"

As he spoke, he opened his mouth and spat out a water mine, intending to blow the small boat into the sky.

Before he knew it, the mine was bounced back and exploded in front of him. With a deafening roar, it created a wave two zhang high, sending the mine flying into the sky.

Now it revealed its entire body; it was a giant turtle with a dragon's head and a fish's body. "Hahaha, I knew you were an imposter!" Su Xiaoxiao laughed loudly. "A real dragon wouldn't just show its head!"

The giant turtle was extremely embarrassed and muttered under its breath, "Isn't a fish-dragon a dragon?" and "I just haven't mastered my cultivation yet," completely losing its arrogance.

"Considering how hard you've worked to cultivate, get lost." Chen Lingzhi said indifferently, "Otherwise, next time someone else takes action, you'll be made into fish sashimi."

"..." Ayao glanced at her, feeling that she was talking about herself in a negative light.

"Hey, hey, I'm leaving, I'm leaving." The giant turtle was also pragmatic; knowing it was no match for the other fish, it obediently tried to dive away. Suddenly, it surfaced again, patted its dragon head with its fin, and said, "You all made me forget the important matter."

"What important matter is it?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

"The important thing is, cough cough..." The turtle covered its mouth with its fins and coughed twice, saying, "The area ahead is the territory of the Ghost Kingdom, and living people are not allowed to enter. You can't go any further."

As he spoke, he looked at Su Xiaoxiao and said, "Of course, you can come in."

“I am a ghost, of course I can enter,” Su Xiaoxiao laughed. “But you, you’re clearly a living being, so why are you guarding the gate for the Ghost Kingdom?”

"Who said I'm a gatekeeper?" Ao Yu patted his chest and said, "I am the water god of Qutang Gorge. Later, the Ghost King took over my territory and drove me out of the Three Gorges. I can only swim outside the Ghost Gate in the lower reaches."

"Then what are you so proud of?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

"As the old saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining," the ao fish said smugly. "Over the years, I've persuaded countless humans who had strayed into the gates of hell to turn back, accumulating immense merit, which is why I was able to transform into a fish-dragon. Becoming a true dragon is just around the corner!"

"Is your so-called persuasion to return just about blowing people up with mines?" Su Xiaoxiao asked, both amused and annoyed.

"You were the ones who started the insults..." Ao Yu said in a muffled voice, "I usually only use my mouth, not my fists."

"You were the one who spoke rudely first," Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Lingzhi said in unison.

"Alright, alright, let's not argue anymore. Even if we're both at fault, you should go back now." The Ao Fish waved its fins and said, "When your lifespan ends, a soul-binding ghost will naturally bring you here."

“We can’t wait that long, we have to go to the Ghost Kingdom now,” Chen Lingzhi said in a deep voice.

"You think you're so great just because you can beat me? Let me tell you, no one can come out of the Ghost Kingdom alive!" The dragon fish stared at Chen Lingzhi with its wide dragon eyes, then suddenly its pupils shrank and it said, "Fine, forget I said anything, you can go if you want."

After saying that, he was about to dive away again, but Chen Lingzhi stopped him and said, "Don't go yet, tell us about the Ghost Kingdom."

"Do I need to explain? Don't you know better than I do?" Ao Yu rolled his eyes.

"I don't know," Chen Lingzhi shook her head and said, "This is my first time going out."

"Nonsense, how many times have you fished for me? Look, you've made me into a mandarin fish with a perky mouth." The mandarin fish licked its thick lips.

"Really?" Chen Lingzhi said calmly, "Then why are you still being so dishonest?"

"Honest, honest, I'm more honest than anyone else." Ao Yu shuddered in fright, clearly terrified of Chen Lingzhi. This time, he dared not waste any more words and quickly began to explain the situation of the Ghost Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)