Chapter 71 Night Crossing
Mu Fei borrowed a practice boat and moved it to the river section where Zhu Dayong was wrecked. Seeing that almost everyone was there, she said, "Let's go into the water when it gets dark."
Tan Xiao nodded, and touched the drum prepared by Mu Fei to familiarize himself with the props he would use later. He saw Fang Zhu standing on the shore with his hands behind his back, looking very confident.
Fang Zhu was a water creature who grew up in Yunmeng Lake, so he was very familiar with dragon boat racing, as that was the birthplace of dragon boat racing. So when Mu Fei asked him to be a boatman, he was full of confidence.
"You don't know, there were people racing on the water at that time, and I also secretly borrowed a boat to participate in it. It was really interesting." Fang Zhu looked at the water for a long time, turned his head and said with emotion.
Tan Xiao: "..."
Oh my goodness, it’s you. You have a part in the supernatural legend of the dragon boat race, right?
——This is also the difference between monsters and humans. Fang Zhu is considered to be a kind-hearted monster among the monsters, but there are times when he uses a boat to scare people without realizing it.
"Okay, I'll repeat the positions now. The boatman is Fang Zhu, the drummer is Tan Xiao, I'm the gong player, and then the first position is A Jin, Jiao Guangquan, the second position..." Mu Fei read out all the positions, but didn't get to Kong Xuan, "Thank you for your hard work."
Fang Zhu thought that in this kind of situation, there would probably be no need for the Peacock God to row the boat himself. When the spiritual witch gave the order, he would just take action.
I am still the most important person in this dragon boat race. I have to lead everyone...
Before Fang Zhu finished thinking, he heard Tan Xiao holding the drumstick and saying, "It's not hard, it's all thanks to the God who led us to victory."
"Ah?" Fang Zhu couldn't help but questioned out loud.
Kong Xuan glanced over and asked, "Do you have any questions?"
What else?
There is a saying that a journey of a thousand miles depends on the helmsman!
Fang Zhu said in a daze: "I thought I was the one who grabbed the boat..."
Kong Xuan sneered and pointed at the bare dragon boat and said, "Don't you see that a dragon boat has no dragon head or tail? Don't you know what is important about a boat?"
The most important person is the boatman, but the most important parts... the dragon head, dragon body and dragon tail are like heaven, earth and man. They must be connected to form a whole, with the dragon head being the most important.
Fang Zhu had always thought that Mu Fei had other plans, but when he heard Kong Xuan's words, he suddenly had a bad feeling.
Kong Xuan looked at the sky and decided it was time to go into the water. He turned around and stood lightly on the bow, revealing his true form as a peacock. A peacock with gorgeous and colorful feathers was squatting on the bow. It was larger than an ordinary peacock, and it held its head high. Its long tail feathers covered the bow, and its color was brighter than the pattern on the hull.
The five-colored divine light was embedded in the stern of the ship, forming a "dragon" tail. When you looked at its outline in the night, it really was the case.
This substitute is so much more advanced than Jingtiao.
At the same time, it also serves to cover up their tracks - of course, they cannot reveal their tracks openly, what if they are seen and photographed by citizens, although this urban rumor seems to be very fierce.
Fang Zhu was dumbfounded when he saw this scene, "This..."
How can you refute this! Without a dragon head, it is not a dragon boat!
Kong Xuan was extremely proud. He turned his head and urged, "Get in the water."
Tan Xiao actively carried the drum onto the boat, and when he passed the bow, he touched Kong Xuan's tail, "This boat has become much more beautiful, right?"
The ancients said, "Painted egrets gather from all four directions, competing in the flow of the Yangtze River." In addition to the phoenix, there are also many other birds in the bird boats. I don't know if anyone has ever made a peacock boat, but the one in front of them is undoubtedly the most dazzling one they have ever seen.
Kong Xuan didn't say anything, but Mu Fei covered his eyes and said, "Great God, no luminous dragon boat!"
It's okay that the five-colored divine light is shining again. It looks good, but it will scare the other party.
Fang Zhu's eyes gradually changed from shock to admiration, and fell on Tan Xiao, "Is this how you got Peacock God to agree to be the leader?"
The night was dark and the river was empty.
After boarding the boat, Tan Xiao started by playing the side drums, asking everyone to follow the rhythm.
A Jin, who was in the lead, felt numb and a little scared. It was easy for water to enter the dragon boat when it was moving forward, so the accumulated water needed to be cleaned up. As an electrical appliance, he always felt a little uncomfortable when immersed in water.
But he looked around pitifully and realized that he was the only one who was scared. He was not even afraid of that damn camera. What? Is your waterproof function very powerful?
“Boom boom boom!”
Ah Jin was still complaining in his heart when the drumbeats suddenly became faster!
Amateur rower A Jin quickly followed the temporary training and increased the frequency of rowing. Maybe it was because the one beating the drum was a witch, but the sound of the drum was different from that of ordinary dragon boat drums. It traveled particularly far, floating on the river, seemingly melodious, but it made people's hearts tighten.
Ah Jin only felt that his mind was also being stimulated, constantly bouncing in his body. As the rhythm became faster, the whole monster became mysteriously excited. He forgot his aversion to water and moved downwards with a great amplitude, feeling as if he was riding the wind and waves.
Ah Jin was so engrossed in rowing that he didn't know how far he had rowed before a thought crossed his mind: "Why haven't we lured out the Night Dragon Boat yet? Are they afraid to come?"
A Jin turned his head quickly, only to see that Tan Xiao had put on his Nuo mask at some point, an old version of a paper mask. The shadow on his face was even darker that night. He seemed to notice it when he was beating the drum, and turned his head slightly to look back. A Jin could feel his stern gaze through the mask, which scared him so much that he quickly concentrated on rowing again and stopped thinking about it.
After beating the drum for a long time, no boat appeared. At this moment, panting, Tan Xiaoyang sang the dragon boat tune he had heard in his childhood: "The flying oars push away the thousands of waves, bending inwards!"
He led the others. Even though the newly formed dragon boat rowers had not rehearsed before, they couldn't help but sing along for Tan Xiao, "Bend inwards—"
“Clang, clang, clang! Clang, clang, clang!”
The sound of an excited and rapid gong suddenly rang out from behind, giving people a startle!
This is the sound of the gong to urge the dragon boat to speed up, meaning that the dragon boat is lagging behind others and it is time to speed up.
Here it comes.
The sound of gongs and drums suddenly appeared behind me in the darkness.
Everyone's heart moved, knowing that it must be the Night Dragon Boat coming.
"Boom, boom, boom!" But at this time, Tan Xiao's drumbeats told them to concentrate on rowing and not disrupt the rhythm.
The rower at the end concentrated on paddling, but he could almost see the bow of the boat catching up from the corner of his eye. But the next second, Fang Zhu gave a long pull , and his own dragon boat pulled ahead by a large distance.
"Beat the drums and row the boats!"
"It's OK, the disaster has been eliminated——"
The other side's dragon boat also began to chant neatly, and it was obvious that they were working much harder than theirs. Their speed was getting faster and faster, and they were about to catch up.
Although most of the players here are amateurs, Fang Zhu is a member of the Jiao family. He moves forward slowly and just plays with the other party.
Ah Jin didn't know what Tan Xiao was planning. Even the Peacock God didn't attack him violently. He just silently cut through the wind and waves with the posture of a dragon head. Could it be that he really intended to win the race? However, in the drumbeat that seemed to control people's hearts, he had no time to think about anything else. The two boats raced on the river, the boats changed back and forth, and it was unknown where the end was.
There are river view rooms in the residential area on the shore. On the balcony of one house, a little girl pointed at two shadows swimming on the river and shouted, "Mom, look, there are people rowing down there!"
The hostess smiled and said, "That's called a cargo ship. It's used for transportation."
"No, Mom, they are having a competition." The little girl turned her head and said.
The hostess suddenly remembered the recent rumors in the community. Her heart skipped a beat and she ran to the window and looked down, but the river was vast and there was no sign of any boats.
"Come on! Come on!" The little girl raised her fist and shouted, but I didn't know which dragon boat she was cheering for.
In a trance, the hostess seemed to hear the faint sound of gongs and drums in the distance. Her face turned pale and she covered her daughter's mouth, "My dear, let's stop watching the game and go to bed, okay?"
…
"Boom, boom, boom! Boom! Boom!"
When Ah Jin heard the drum sound change, he followed suit subconsciously. He felt his body tilt and the boat under him turned around quickly.
In a very short time, the entire dragon boat turned sideways, blocking the way of the dragon boat behind.
Faced with such an "intercept", the other party had to turn the bow of the ship if they did not want to collide with the ship. However, there was only one direction left for them, and the end of that direction was a dangerous shoal that appeared in front of them without knowing when!
The river here is narrow and the water is fast, leaving no room for using tricks to circle around the opponent. What else can the Night Dragon Boat do at this moment?
The night dragon boat almost brushed past their bird boat, and rushed onto the beach at a very fast speed, but still slid a long distance on the beach and was in danger of running aground.
"..." Ah Jin was panting to cool down, and then he understood why Tan Xiao had not taken any action. He was waiting for the beach at the turning.
And the night dragon boat did not escape after it ran aground.
Not only did they fail in the race, they were also forced to run aground on the beach. They had lost so miserably and were too humiliated to flee.
Tan Xiao changed the drum sound at this time, Fang Zhu took control of the direction, and the dragon boat rowed towards that direction. Everyone's minds gradually relaxed.
Mu Fei put down the gong and wiped the sweat off her head: "I'm so nervous!"
If it was a fight of magic or a water combat, it would have been a fierce battle, but the dragon boat race is another kind of excitement.
Everyone on the boat looked at each other, and this moment of unity and cooperation gave them a special sense of satisfaction. Even Kong Xuan, the leader, was not dissatisfied because he did not make a move - no, how could winning the race not count as making a move? Look at how well he coordinated with Tan Xiao's drumming.
Just now, everyone had almost no time to turn around and look at the boat. Now, looking at the back of the dragon boat that was rushing to the beach, it was a shadowy figure in the darkness. Ah Jin couldn't help but ask: "Spiritual Master, I have a question. You said that a dragon boat cannot be considered a dragon boat without a dragon head, but this one should not have a dragon head either, right?"
Tan Xiao's face under the mask was also full of confusion. It was true... He didn't even know where the boat came from. He even asked Mu Fei to count it, and found that no boats in the dragon boat race were missing. Not only the racing dragon boats, Mu Fei even asked the local dragon boat factories and workshops, and none of them reported any missing boats.
As for the dragon head, that is even more impossible. The dragon head is not only in the temple now, but has also been given to a wizard to perform a ritual. It is even more difficult to steal.
"Maybe they are... irregular. Oh, they are illegal dragon boats. What do you care about them?" Mu Fei said.
"No way, I seemed to have seen a dragon head on them on the river before." Fang Zhu said. As a boatman, he needed to concentrate the most, so he didn't really look at them.
"Yes, I think I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't see clearly what kind of dragon head it was at night."
"Ah? Why are they also going to borrow the dragon head?" Mu Fei said depressedly.
At this time, their ship had reached the beach and successfully landed.
Everyone jumped off the boat and walked to the side. Now that they were close, they could see clearly that the rowers and boatmen on the boat were mostly dressed in shorts, some of them were even quite old, their faces were pale, and they were all wet.
These are probably the rowers who have drowned in dragon boat races.
They looked over with empty yet strangely focused eyes, as if life had frozen in the last moment before death, leaving only a repetitive plot.
The boatman at the helm was more alert, he clasped his fists towards the group and said in an erratic voice: "I am convinced, Shengjia."
"No problem..." Tan Xiao was halfway through his words when Mu Fei turned on a high-intensity flashlight, illuminating the beach so brightly that everyone could see the other party's dragon boat clearly. They saw that there was also something on the bow of their boat. It had a soft appearance, but a hard texture and bright colors.
Everyone: “…………”
Fang Zhu was stunned: "Tiger-head ship?"
Mu Fei was devastated: "Kai x cat! Which mall or amusement park did you steal this from?"
Ah, no, brother, you guys should at least steal a real faucet!
And if you look closely, there are actually faint traces of blood on the cat's eyes - before the faucet is launched, rooster blood must be used to add the finishing touch.
When the other boatman heard what Mu Fei said, he scratched his head in confusion and said, "What, isn't this a dragon head?" It was just like what Mu Fei was thinking about at that time, where to find a handicraft to replace it, and they all thought of the same thing.
"Is there a bow with a dragon head?" Mu Fei couldn't complain anymore. It seemed that the boatman had been dead for too long. Don't think that was some new type of ribbon.
"It turns out that our dragon head is not the only one that is fake, haha." Tan Xiao accepted it well. After all, he himself was also using a peacock to pretend to be a dragon head. He patted the side of Kong Xuan's neck, and Kong Xuan shook his body and jumped into Tan Xiao's arms.
This was not intentional on Kong Xuan's part. He was not a lazy person. He would not ask Tan Xiao to carry him just because he did not want to walk or anything. He definitely did not have that intention at all. He was just afraid that his identity would be exposed.
When Kong Xuan moved, the boatman was startled: "Oh, you almost scared me to death. How come your phoenix head is fake and it moves? It's so weird!"
Everyone: “…”
Looking at what you said, does that mean your leader is not fake?
Tan Xiao still had a paper mask on his face. He held the peacock in his arms and looked in his hands, from the beginning to the end, and finally found a familiar face among the wet faces, "Mr. Zhu... Zhu Dayong?"
When the dazed soul heard its own name, it slowly raised its head and responded.
As long as he reacts, it's fine. Tan Xiao is afraid that he will really immerse himself in it.
Zhu Dayong looked at the masked man and thought that his voice sounded familiar. However, in this form, he struggled to think about it for a long time but couldn't remember why it sounded familiar. He said as if in a dream: "Do I know you? You won, right..."
"Yes, we won, you can go back." Tan Xiao only answered the second question.
"Go back? Go back, back to where?" Zhu Dayong said blankly.
"Go back to class!" Kong Xuan said angrily, "Do you have any moral integrity as a teacher?"
Everyone: “…”
Zhu Dayong was also inexplicably frightened by the ferocity and shrank back as he looked at the aggressive bird. He didn't know why he was afraid of the bird... He felt both scared and a little familiar with it.
"None of your business." Zhu Dayong said stubbornly, "I want to row the dragon boat. Once we get first place, I will go back."
He seemed to be assimilated, and rowing was apparently the only thing on his mind.
"This kind of group activity will naturally enhance the sense of teamwork. What's more, he is in the state of a soul now, and his mind is straight forward." Mu Fei commented. No wonder his soul could not be summoned back. It would be fine if he was suffering outside, but in fact, they were taking him to do physical training, which was exactly what he wanted. He had only been a dragon boat rower once before, and later, including this Dragon Boat Festival event, he had no chance.
Therefore, Zhu Dayong was wholeheartedly determined, and like other water ghosts, he wanted to participate in the competition first.
How come it's none of my business? What should I do about my physical education class? Kong Xuan's eyes became sharp, and he immediately wanted to force Zhu Dayong's soul back. Just as he was about to open his mouth to chant a spell, Tan Xiao pinched the bird's beak of fate with two fingers.
Kong Xuan: “…………!”
Damn it, how audacious!
Tan Xiao continued to pat Peacock soothingly, trying to slowly loosen his fingers and felt that Peacock was not going to continue screaming.
"But you've already lost the boat. Haven't you rowed enough these days? If you keep rowing, your body won't be able to take it." Tan Xiao said to Zhu Dayong, "Have you forgotten that your family, friends, colleagues and students are waiting for you..."
Zhu Dayong was in a trance and hesitated.
Yes, he has been happy for many days, does he have to get first place?
“Zhu Dayong! You still have ten years left on your mortgage, the lesson plan is not finished yet, and the PPT is waiting to be made…” Mu Fei directly cast a social animal spell.
Zhu Dayong instantly came to his senses after hearing this and begged for mercy, “Ahhhh!”
"Don't be like this, what if he doesn't want to go back?" Even though Tan Xiao has not yet entered society, he was still a little scared.
"Let him wake up." Mu Fei smiled, and it was hard not to think that she did it on purpose.
At this time, a voice could be heard faintly from the river: "Is Zhu Dayong back?"
Someone answered: “I’m back!”
Another voice came, "Is Zhu Dayong back?"
"Did you hear that? Who's calling me?" Zhu Dayong turned his head. "This voice doesn't seem to be the first time I've heard it... It seems like I've heard it a long, long time ago."
But no one else could hear the sound except him.
These were the voices of Zhu Dayong's parents. They had indeed brought offerings and gone to the river to call back the soul as Tan Xiao had said.
Previously, Zhu Dayong was immersed in the competition and did not take it seriously. He had heard such voices many years ago. He was like a child who had been playing outside and forgot to go home. He was suddenly awakened by his parents' shouts: It's time to go home.
"I should go back!" Zhu Dayong's eyes became determined.
"Don't do dangerous things in the future." Kong Xuan also said coldly.
Zhu Dayong: “…” Why does this concern reveal an inexplicable threat?
"Let's go back. We can find the way by following the sound." Tan Xiao pushed Zhu Dayong, and he set out on the road to return to the dead.
After Zhu Dayong left, there was silence for a few seconds.
"We lost, and the rowers are not in unison." The boatman sighed, "Let's go too."
The water ghosts were all listless. First they lost, and then their rowers slipped away. They were all a little hit and stood up and wanted to leave.
"What should I do if you all leave?" The Kaix cat suddenly spoke in a delicate girl's voice, "Don't leave, you promised me that you would participate in the competition together!"
"?!" There were too many ghosts here, and Tan Xiao didn't really notice that the "dragon head" was also wrong. It turned out that it was not stolen, but turned into a spirit. "Ah? Why do you also have a dream of dragon boats?"
He really couldn't understand. It was okay for Zhu Dayong and these water ghosts, but how did you come up with the dragon boat dream?
The girl held back her tears and said, "Why can't I have one? I've competed for twenty years and won countless times, and I've been locked up for eight years. Is it wrong for me to want to go into the water? They've already painted my boat, why are they putting it back? Why are they giving my dragon head to other boats? I can still row!"
Tan Xiao finally understood that it was just speaking through that mouth, but it was actually the dragon boat . It couldn't transform yet, so it seemed to be a new generation of demon.
Thinking of the stranded ships, Tan Xiao understood why Mu Fei said they were not stolen when he went to see them. It was naturally that they were covering up for themselves.
"You formed the team..." Mu Fei sighed, "But you can't disrupt the rules and drag people into it. It has had a huge impact on Teacher Zhu. Since it's your first offense, I'll apply for a part-time job for you, and you have to pay for his medical expenses."
This expense cannot be paid directly, saying that I caused you to be hospitalized, so I will compensate you. Instead, it should be compensated in the form of lottery winnings or bonuses after the later settlement. For example, in order to compensate for the loss, A Jin is still working. In this way, you can also learn the rules of the new demon in the working service.
This is done in 404 and is called "work instead of town".
"There's not enough time." The boat girl said pitifully, "Can you just let me participate? I won't drag anyone else. I know I'll lose to you. Even if I can't get first place, just let me participate again. I promise to be a good boy."
Mu Fei was speechless, "Uh...you are different from everyone else, how can you join?" If it just wanted to go in the water and behave itself, then it would save time in educating it. The problem is that they have changed to a fiberglass hull, and the dragon boat team would not agree even if she agreed.
"It's actually not impossible." Tan Xiao suddenly said, "If we can convince them to add a traditional dragon boat show before the race, we can also earn some income from the performance."
His family has been doing various performances all year round, so naturally this came to mind. Not participating in the competition but being able to go in the water is quite suitable.
"Really?" The boat girl said in surprise, "Then can I take my new head to the competition? Humph, if you don't give it to me, I don't want the old dragon head anymore. I have my white tiger head!"
Everyone: “…………”
No, tell me again, what kind of head is this?
