“Little Stone!”
Sun Lan cried out and rushed toward the river, ready to jump in without a second thought.
Sister Chunhua and the others hurriedly grabbed her, afraid that before the child could be saved, his mother would drown as well.
No one paid any attention to the helpless Fu Min.
The little girl ran to the riverbank in tears, only to have someone grab her arm.
She turned around nervously.
“Grandpa Wang!”
Wang Tiezhu calmly pointed toward the whirlpool in the middle of the river, signaling her to look.
Fu Min turned her head in confusion.
The next instant, her mouth fell open.
Mom…
She had actually swum all the way into the center of the whirlpool!
“Xiaoyun made it over! She really made it!” Sister Chunhua suddenly shouted excitedly.
Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to the agile figure in the middle of the river.
“He Jie is here! Make way…”
Wu Younian had finally brought over He Jie from Team Two. As he motioned for the crowd along the riverbank to clear a path, he stopped mid-sentence when he spotted Ye Qingyun in the river.
She took a deep breath and dove straight into the whirlpool.
After disappearing beneath the water for three or four seconds, she burst back to the surface in a splash.
Someone with sharp eyes noticed she was holding someone.
“She got him! She saved Little Stone!”
Wu Younian snapped his jaw shut after staring in shock and immediately shoved He Jie forward.
“You’re the best swimmer in the brigade. Hurry and go help!”
He Jie hadn’t even finished taking off his clothes before a powerful shove from behind sent him straight into the river.
“Wu Younian, you…”
“Quit talking! Saving the child comes first!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Younian began organizing the people on shore to prepare long poles, ropes, and other rescue equipment.
Cold river water splashed across He Jie’s face.
Wiping it away irritably, he decided he’d settle the score with Wu Younian later.
He brought his arms together, ready to swim toward Ye Qingyun.
But before he could even push off—
Ye Qingyun was already swimming toward shore by herself, carrying the child with one hand while cutting swiftly through the water with the other.
Only a few breaths later…
She had already reached the riverbank.
“Big Brother!”
Ye Qingyun lifted the child up.
Wu Younian hurriedly dropped the wooden pole, caught the child, and immediately handed him over to the rushing Sun Lan.
Then he pulled Ye Qingyun ashore.
Standing waist-deep in the river, He Jie stared in complete disbelief.
Was that even humanly possible?
This woman’s stamina was unbelievable!
Ye Qingyun wiped the water from her face.
As she walked past He Jie, she gave him a casual glance before looking away again, completely uninterested.
“Mom!”
Fu Min rushed over with tears in her eyes and threw herself toward her soaking-wet mother.
Afraid her daughter would get soaked too, Ye Qingyun sidestepped the hug.
Remembering that she’d jumped into the river because she’d thought it was one of the twins or Fu Xiangdong who had fallen in, she firmly poked her daughter on the forehead.
“We’ll settle this after we get home!”
Fu Min blinked innocently.
She’d been terrified too.
She hadn’t meant to make her mother misunderstand.
But she didn’t dare explain now.
What if Mom really spanked her?
Instead, the little girl grabbed her mother’s hand, overflowing with concern.
“Mom, your hands are so cold.”
“I’ll warm them up for you.”
“Mom, are you cold?”
Ye Qingyun shook her head.
Compared to the icy pools she’d trained in during cultivation, this river was practically warm.
“Where are the other three?”
Fu Min quickly answered,
“Don’t worry, Mom. Cousin took them to Eldest Uncle’s house.”
There had been too many people and too much chaos.
Afraid her younger siblings might fall into the river too, she’d immediately had her cousin Wu Xiaohu take the twins and little brother home.
After such a huge incident, Wu Xiaohu had also been afraid of getting scolded by his parents, so he’d run off as fast as he could.
Only after learning that all her children were safe did Ye Qingyun finally have the peace of mind to check on the drowning child.
Little Stone had been underwater for far too long.
He had already fallen unconscious.
His eyes were tightly shut.
His skin had turned a grayish white.
His lips were purple.
He had stopped breathing.
Sun Lan cried so hard she was nearly hysterical.
The villagers each offered their own ideas.
Some suggested hanging the child upside down and running.
Others suggested pressing on his stomach.
Yet no one actually dared to try.
Some had already begun sighing and consoling the brigade leader’s wife, telling her to accept her loss.
He Jie had rescued many drowning children before and knew a few rescue techniques.
He voluntarily picked up Little Stone by the legs and held him upside down, shaking him.
The child coughed up several mouthfuls of water.
Hope immediately flared among the crowd once more.
But they soon noticed that Little Stone’s face was growing paler and paler.
There wasn’t the slightest sign he would wake up.
He Jie’s heart sank.
Based on all his previous experience…
The child was already dead.
But he didn’t dare stop.
He was afraid the family wouldn’t be able to accept it.
“Mom… how’s Little Stone?”
Fu Min asked worriedly.
Judging from the adults’ expressions, the little girl could already tell her friend was in grave danger.
Ye Qingyun gently stroked her daughter’s head in comfort but said nothing.
The child’s vital passages were already completely closed.
In this small mountain village with such limited emergency care…
There was almost no chance of saving him.
Unless…
She used extraordinary means.
Wait.
She had clearly seen her master when she came ashore.
Where had he gone?
Ye Qingyun swept her gaze across the crowd.
Her sharp eyes instantly locked onto a sneaky figure trying to quietly slip away.
Wang Tiezhu stiffly turned around and frantically waved both hands.
Everyone has their fate. Don’t go looking for trouble.
What did he mean, everyone had their fate?
Try first.
Talk about fate later!
Signaling her daughter to stay where she was, Ye Qingyun strode over, grabbed Wang Tiezhu by the arm, and dragged him in front of He Jie.
He Jie looked at them in confusion.
Sun Lan stopped crying.
Every villager turned to watch.
Wu Younian asked in surprise,
“Second Sister, what are you doing?”
“There isn’t time to explain.”
Ye Qingyun looked at He Jie.
“Lay the child flat on the ground.”
Although puzzled, He Jie had been hoping someone else would take over.
He immediately did as she said.
The moment Wang Tiezhu shook free of his disciple’s grip, he turned to leave.
Then he looked up.
Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at him.
With a resigned sigh, he turned back around and crouched beside Little Stone.
Nightfall had arrived.
The fading light left everyone able to see only vague outlines.
No one could make out exactly what Wang Tiezhu was doing in the center of the crowd.
All they could discern from the shifting silhouettes was that he lifted the drowned child onto his knees.
Then came a series of dull thumping sounds.
At the final strike—
A strange sound came from Little Stone’s body.
Pfft.
It was as though an overinflated drum had suddenly burst, releasing all its trapped air.
The next moment, fresh air rushed into his lungs from every direction.
Then…
The villagers heard it.
A faint breath.
“Waaah…”
A bewildered cry escaped Little Stone’s mouth.
The child who had lain motionless only moments before was now sitting on the ground, crying helplessly.
His loud, healthy cries filled the air.
The brigade leader’s family, who had been drowning in despair, burst into tears of overwhelming joy.
Sun Lan was the first to rush over.
After confirming that her son was truly alive again, she laughed and cried at the same time before dropping to her knees in front of Wang Tiezhu.
She repeatedly kowtowed, thanking him for snatching her son back from the King of Hell.
Looking at the countless pairs of eyes shining in the darkness along the riverbank, He Jie spoke up sternly.
“We’re living in the new society now. We believe in science. Sun Lan, don’t promote feudal superstition!”
Sun Lan hurriedly covered her mouth.
But the awe in her eyes whenever she looked at Wang Tiezhu made one thing perfectly clear.
She firmly believed that her son’s miraculous survival could only have been the result of some mysterious power wielded by Wang Tiezhu.