Yun Ze found it hard to believe but still tried, using the breathing technique the old beggar had 'taught' him.
The moment he took his first breath, he felt a warmth spread through his lower abdomen, dispelling all the cold within his body!
It actually worked!
Surprise flickered in Yun Ze's eyes, but he quickly frowned again.
He hadn't known this breathing technique would allow him to breathe underwater, so he had been holding his breath and even exhaled a lot of bubbles that surfaced.
Now that the immortal beside He Lai Chao had discovered him, even if he stayed hidden underwater, he might arouse suspicion.
If the other party went into the water, it wouldn't matter if he hid five meters or ten meters deep; the result would be the same.
Instead of hiding here, it was better to surface and check the situation on the boat.
As Yun Ze willed it, he put the immortal jade back into his embrace and began to swim towards the surface.
Perhaps it was because his attention was entirely focused on the surface, but he didn't notice the immortal jade growing slightly warm against his abdomen after being placed there...
He returned to the depth from which he had dived and found the flower boat still in the same spot, but there were more than two figures on board!
Although they were all male, none of them resembled He Lai Chao or the immortal from earlier.
Had they discovered something and left?
This was for the best. He had already gathered quite a bit of information. It would be good to leave now and discuss how to handle the situation with the elder.
But just as Yun Ze was about to turn and leave, one of the figures on the boat jumped down!
Splash!
With a spray of water, Yun Ze's heart trembled.
Were these people here to check if anyone was underwater?
Indeed, if he were He Lai Chao, upon suspecting someone was eavesdropping underwater, he would immediately send someone to investigate!
As for that immortal...
He was an immortal! How could he do such a low-skill job as catching people underwater? Such tasks would naturally be left to the servants, yamen runners, and other inferiors.
Fortunately, though.
The person who fell into the water was some distance away from Yun Ze and hadn't discovered him.
But if one person was like this, it didn't mean everyone after would be.
As more splashes sounded on the water, more people fell around Yun Ze.
He made no move, merely counting the number of people who had fallen into the water in his mind... three, five, nine, seventeen!
A total of seventeen people had entered the water. Besides them, one figure remained on the boat, who, judging by his attire, looked very much like those black-skinned dogs.
This meant that He Lai Chao and the immortal were not watching on the boat but had entrusted the entire matter to these eighteen people.
This number... was quite coincidental.
A hint of killing intent flashed in Yun Ze's eyes, and his fists clenched.
Having a deep understanding of water, he naturally knew what it meant for someone to be able to breathe freely underwater.
Within the realm of mortals, he was invincible in this world!
He would first capture one person to see. If it wasn't one of those black-skinned dogs, he would leave. But if it was indeed those black-skinned dogs who aided and abetted evil, then he would let the fish in the lake feast well!
Yun Ze swam towards the figure closest to him.
They had just entered the water and were still getting used to the water temperature, not daring to dive recklessly. They were still some distance from Yun Ze.
It was night, and if they didn't dive, they couldn't see what was happening underwater at all.
Yun Ze seized the opportunity to quietly swim beneath one of them, waited for the right moment, grabbed his feet, and dragged him down!
"Ugh! Mmm!"
With two muffled cries, a person was dragged into the water by Yun Ze.
The other sixteen people on the surface saw this and laughed, looking at the spot where the person had disappeared.
"Old Qi is too impatient. Even though there's a hundred taels of silver reward for finding that guy, he doesn't have to go down now, does he?"
"Let's not bother with him. Let's warm up first! If he's in such a hurry to go down, maybe we'll have to fish him out later!"
"Exactly! Let's not bother!"
While they chatted merrily on the surface, Yun Ze had already dragged the person over ten meters underwater!
The sudden dive caught the person completely off guard. His hands flailed wildly in the water, and the little air he had was almost gone.
Seeing that the time was right, Yun Ze released his legs and swam in front of him to examine his face.
When he saw the person, the person naturally saw him too.
The hands that had been flailing wildly in the air immediately reached out towards Yun Ze, but Yun Ze raised his leg and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying!
Yun Ze had seen this face before.
It was among those nineteen heads!
Since that was the case...
A smile appeared on Yun Ze's lips, and then a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.
He smiled because he could send seventeen people to the Yellow Springs to accompany their parents and kin first!
He regretted because... if he took revenge underwater, he didn't know how he would deliver the head to his kin's graves for offerings!
Ah! He had an idea!
Yun Ze then noticed that this person was still wearing a saber at his waist!
Perhaps due to extreme panic, he hadn't drawn his saber before Yun Ze kicked him away.
Now, on the verge of suffocation, his mind was filled only with the need to breathe, and he had no thought for his saber.
Yun Ze reached out, took the saber from his waist, and then... with a swift stroke!
A crimson stain spread underwater, and the head began to detach from its neck, floating upwards towards the surface.
Yun Ze grabbed the person's hair and tied it securely to his belt.
One.
He continued to surface, casually pulled down the second person, and repeated the same operation!
Second!
He surfaced again, but just as he was about to pull down the third person, the remaining fifteen people simultaneously dived into the water.
With this dive, illuminated by the lights on the boat, at least three people saw Yun Ze underwater at the same time!
Firelight, a youth, simple clothes, a long saber, a bloody head!
The moment this scene entered their eyes, only two words remained in their minds!
Water ghost!
Whether immortal or ghost, this was not something mortals could resist!
Three people hurriedly surfaced and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Water... ugh!"
How could Yun Ze let them expose him!
The fact that those three could see him meant they were not too far away.
The moment he saw these three surfacing, he swam up and dragged two of them down, killing them with one saber each, severing their heads!
But the third person managed to utter the last word!
"Water ghost! There's a water ghost! Run!"
"Water ghost?"
There was still one person on the deck. He frowned slightly, then saw two crimson stains spreading on the water's surface. His heart trembled, and he quickly turned and ran towards the cabin!
"Young Master! Bad news! Something has happened, Young Master!"
"What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"
"Water ghost! There's a water ghost!"
"Water ghost?"
The voice of the immortal from earlier slowly echoed, "What a coincidence. I, this old man, love to eat water ghosts the most. Let me go down and take a look!"