Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 871 - 425: Daughter and Mother_2

Chapter 871: Chapter 425: Daughter and Mother_2

After speaking, the woman turned and left.

Fang had his hands tucked into his sleeves and lamented, "Jiang Shouzhong, oh Jiang Shouzhong, I genuinely feel a bit sorry for you."

——

"Achoo!"

Jiang Shouzhong rubbed his nose, muttering, "Who’s thinking about me again."

After saying goodbye to the burly man in the cave, he returned to the lakeside where he had previously stayed, with his dog in tow.

The fog over the lake, once thick as ink, had dissipated considerably, now draped lightly over the lake like a thin veil.

However, the heavy clouds obscured the moonlight, making the surroundings still dark and blurry, limiting Jiang Shouzhong’s vision from extending too far.

"In this damned place, where can I find a boat?"

Jiang Shouzhong furrowed his brows, his eyes scanning back and forth along the lakeshore.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the scattered, decrepit coffins distributed between the mountains and forests.

Jiang Shouzhong had a sudden idea and a plan formed in his mind.

He chose a relatively intact coffin from among the many, moved the corpse inside out, then drew the sword at his waist, hacking and chiseling away at the coffin.

Before long, a makeshift "coffin boat" began to take shape.

Jiang Shouzhong dragged it into the water and stood on it with his dog.

The small boat was relatively stable.

Following the advice of the burly man, Jiang Shouzhong cut a bloody line across the palm of his left hand and placed the eyeball in it.

As soon as the eyeball touched the wound, it seemed to come alive instantly and squeezed into it flexibly.

Then, it seemed to adapt to the new environment, its pupil slightly rotating before closing again.

The burly man said if there were any abnormalities, the eyeball would react.

This meant that there was nothing unusual in the surroundings at the moment.

Jiang Shouzhong gently waved the Spirit Water Sword in his hand, propelling the unique coffin boat toward the lake’s center using Sword Qi.

The little dog nestled at Jiang Shouzhong’s feet, occasionally lifting its nose to sniff the air.

After sailing for a while, Jiang Shouzhong suddenly felt a warm sensation rising in his palm.

It was as if a small stream of warmth was slowly flowing in his palm.

Upon opening his palm, he found the eyeball moving back and forth, as if searching for something.

Jiang Shouzhong raised his palm, facing it toward the shimmering lake surface.

The eyeball’s movement became faster, like a spinning top out of control.

Suddenly, the eyeball in his palm swelled several sizes, its once smooth shape turning abrupt, as if it were about to break free from his palm at any moment.

The powerful force tugged painfully at Jiang Shouzhong’s flesh.

The dog demon, which had been quietly nestled, also stood up, fur all over its body bristling, barking frantically at the lake’s surface.

"Is there something below?"

Jiang Shouzhong’s heart skipped a beat.

He originally planned to unleash his flying sword to explore the water, but hesitating for a moment, he simply leaped into the deep lake.

The lake water wasn’t cold; on the contrary, it flowed with a faint warmth.

However, the light below was extremely dim.

The darkness, thick as ink, seemed to press down with weight, making Jiang Shouzhong feel as if he were falling into an Endless Abyss, bottomless and profound.

Luckily, the eyeball in his palm emitted a faint glow, barely allowing him to see the murky shadows around him.

The lake’s depth far exceeded expectations, and Jiang Shouzhong had to swim continuously deeper below.

The oppressive darkness squeezed in from all sides, threatening to crush his body, every inch of his skin feeling the suffocating pressure.

Until, an unusual sight suddenly intruded upon his vision.

Upon a closer look, he saw rows and rows of people neatly standing at the lake’s bottom!

To be precise, they were corpses of men!

All these men’s corpses were dressed in bright and splendid wedding attire for grooms, the glaring red appearing especially horrifying in the dim waters.

Yet, the corpses showed no signs of decay, standing quietly in the water, their bodies slightly swaying with the gentle flow of the water.

This scene bore an astonishing resemblance to the brides hanging from the branches outside.

Jiang Shouzhong felt a chill surge from the soles of his feet right to his heart, goosebumps covering him, sending shivers down his spine.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he fleetingly caught a glimpse of a red flash.

Jiang Shouzhong swiftly turned around.

He saw a woman in a lavish bridal gown standing quietly at the bottom of the lake.

The bright bridal gown shimmered with an eerie glow in the dim light, its long train spreading like a red lotus blooming in Hell, sprawling wantonly.

The woman’s face was hidden beneath the blood-red bridal veil.

Jiang Shouzhong could clearly feel that she was silently observing him through the thin layer of red gauze, her gaze piercingly cold.

However, before Jiang Shouzhong could recover from this sudden shock, the next moment, the bride dispersed like a thin mist.

During her dispersal, he vaguely saw a long tail gently swaying once in the water, and then it vanished completely.

Leaving only rippling waves as proof of her existence.

You Tan?

Jiang Shouzhong’s mind flashed back to what the man had said before, silently speculating in his heart.

Without time to think further, he instinctively turned to swim vigorously towards where the bride disappeared, eager to uncover the truth.

But at that moment, the previously motionless corpses of men all began to move.

Their movements were stiff and sluggish, drifting directly towards Jiang Shouzhong.

In the blink of an eye, several corpses floated to Jiang Shouzhong’s side, their cold, rigid fingers gripping his ankles and legs like iron clamps.

They pulled with all their might, attempting to drag Jiang Shouzhong to the lake bottom.

As his body continued to sink, Jiang Shouzhong noticed that his lower garments were silently changing color, transforming into a bright, vibrant red.

Exactly like the festive robes on the nearby groom corpses.

Jiang Shouzhong forcibly calmed his mind and quickly formed a sword technique.

The Dragon-slaying Flying Sword and the Jade Hairpin Flying Sword trailed brilliant water streaks as they slashed rapidly towards the corpses.

Where the flying swords passed, the arms of the corpses were severed, drifting to the lake bottom.

Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Shouzhong kicked hard with his legs, breaking free of the constriction and rising to the surface.

Upon breaking the surface, Jiang Shouzhong lay atop the coffin boat, greedily gulping fresh air, his chest heaving violently from the suffocating lack of oxygen.

At this moment, he felt his whole body aching, particularly his legs, where a searing pain spread, as though scorched by flames.

Jiang Shouzhong climbed onto the coffin boat, rolled up his pants, and saw that his legs were covered in vivid red fingerprints.

"Damn it, what a wretched place!"

For the first time, a trace of fear appeared in Jiang Shouzhong’s heart.

The dog suddenly bounded to his side and licked the wounds on his legs a few times.

Magically, the red fingerprints instantly vanished without a trace, and the previous searing pain dissipated with them.

Jiang Shouzhong looked at the dog in amazement, reached out to stroke its head, and laughed: "You sure are useful."

The dog nuzzled its head and wagged its tail a few times.

At this moment, Jiang Shouzhong noticed that a small island had appeared on the lake’s surface not far away.

The island was dimly lit, flickering like a Luminous Pearl on the dark lake.

Jiang Shouzhong frowned slightly, involuntarily recalling the story Jiang Wan had told earlier. His gaze drifted towards the island, murmuring to himself:

"It seems the story was true, there really is an island called Qixiang in this world."

The little dog wagged its tail and barked twice.

As the coffin boat docked at the island’s shore, Jiang Shouzhong hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and leaped onto the island.

Jiang Shouzhong cautiously advanced along the path.

The surroundings were eerily silent, only his and the dog’s light footsteps and breaths echoed in the air.

After moving forward a while, Jiang Shouzhong’s gaze suddenly froze, seeing a familiar figure—Jiang Erliang.

At this moment, the girl stood silently before a lavishly dressed bride, her expression wooden, eyes vacant.

"My daughter, mother has finally met you."

The bride extended a decayed hand, gently embracing Er Liang into her arms.