It had been a few weeks since they had returned to Qingyi, yet no information about their assailants had been obtained. It seemed as though the group that had attacked them disappeared into thin air like ghosts. Of course, they were not the most organised or professional bandits, so it was impossible for them to have achieved such a feat on their own. They had either been helped or killed.

The only good thing that had come of their time at home seemed to be the healing of their wounds, which was all but complete. Master Yin—with the help of many meditation sessions—had managed to fully restore and strengthen his Qi.

Not much had happened. Well, not much that Song Mengyao found himself involved with. Everything was as it should be. Quiet. The busy streets of Qingyi were no more crowded than usual and the prince had travelled down to the marketplace on occasion with the company of Meixiu or Master Yin. Although, on none of their endeavours had they learnt any new passing information of relevance.

It was only when a new letter arrived from his sister, that things started to change again.

My Dearest Brother,

I wish I was writing to you under better circumstances, but this is no light matter.

Our eldest brother was sent on a mission to the Xiangliu River to follow up on reports of multiple disappearances of fishermen in the area, but days have passed, and he is yet to return.

Father is worried that something may have happened to him but cannot send Chonglin to investigate as he is currently on his way to Quzhou to defend the townsfolk from a ferocious Ao Yin.

I am sure you have noticed it as well, the unrest in the air. The demons are more dangerous than before, and sightings have risen tenfold in only a matter of months. Please, if you take up our request to find him, be careful. I fear for your safety but knowing that Master Yin will fight by your side puts me at ease somewhat.

Please, find our brother and return him home to us, but do not risk your own life if he is already gone.

Your Sister,

Jiaying.

Master Yin watched Song Mengyao's expression shift as he read the letter. He had expected to see the prince smile after receiving word from his sister, however, it was nothing but a sombre frown that had captured his face.

"What is it?"

Song Mengyao put the letter down and raised a hand to smooth out the tension between his brows, rubbing two fingers softly against his skin. "My brother is missing."

"Song Chonglin?"

"No, my eldest brother, Song Guang. At the Xiangliu River."

Their eyes met, although there was not a hum in thought nor a scratch of the head between them. The Xiangliu River had received its name from the beast that was said to reside within it: the Xiangliu. Although, that was just an old legend.

It was speculated that the creature had never been defeated and was in a deep slumber where the river was at its deepest, awaiting its next meal.

"Xiangliu." Yin Jianguo lightly rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a moment before his eyes set on Song Mengyao once again. "Do you think-"

"No. The creature was last seen centuries ago, said to be dead. If it has risen again..." Song Mengyao shook his head, words trailing off as he thought the worst.

Of course, Song Mengyao could not sit idly by while his elder brother was missing. Nor would Master Yin allow him to travel into danger alone. So, against the wishes of Lady Yin, who had expressed nothing but concern since they announced their coming journey, they set out by nightfall.

His mother had simply been worried for them both. Her son, whom she had only just been reunited with, and Song Mengyao, a prince she hoped would one day court her daughter. Song Mengyao had become much more than a hostage to all of them, including Lady Yin, so there was little but a sad goodbye when they set off into the night.

The journey had been long, a few days on the road yet again. Many games of Go came and passed as they spent the rest of their time chatting or meditating to concentrate their Qi.

Master Yin had grown rather fond of their shared meditation. It was a time he much enjoyed, even if it seemed to be dull and boring at first. He had certainly grown to enjoy the peaceful moments he shared with the younger boy. However, he was not yet able to meditate on his own or perhaps he did not wish to. He simply needed the company of a particular handsome prince.

"We are here."

It was with a sigh that Master Yin stretched his limbs and pulled himself out of the carriage. As his feet came into contact with the soil beneath him, he extended a hand to Song Mengyao, helping the prince step down.

They glanced around, noticing the dreary atmosphere in the air that surrounded them.

Huangshou was a small village inhabited mostly by fishermen and their families. The Xiangliu River ran right through the middle with a single old, rickety bridge linking each side together.

"We will rest for the night and begin our investigation in the morning."

Song Mengyao worried for his brother and wanted to begin his search immediately upon arrival, but he knew Master Yin was right. It was far too late to even be able to begin looking for information regarding his elder brother. He would simply have to wish for the rest of the night to pass swiftly.

When morning finally arrived, Song Mengyao was the first to arise. By the time Master Yin came down for some breakfast, the prince had already questioned half of the inn on the whereabouts of his brother. Then again, that was only a handful of men.

Yin Jianguo chuckled to himself and approached the prince, wrapping a hand around his wrist to drag him along to their table. "Eat. You cannot expect to find anything out on an empty stomach."

The prince complied without complaint, sitting beside Master Yin as he began to pick at the below-average food that had been bestowed upon him.

"Something is wrong with the river."

Master Yin raised a brow. "What do you mean, 'something is wrong with the river'?"

"They say there has not been a catch in weeks. The people here are starving."

With a frown, Master Yin took another bite from his bread, chewing noticeably slower than he had before. He was thinking, planning and preparing. "We should head to the river first then. Any news of your brother?"

The prince sighed and pushed more food into his mouth before shaking his head, seeing no need for a verbal reply.

"That may be a good thing. Perhaps he was held up and has not arrived yet or maybe something else came up along the way. Much like what happened with us at Taizhou Inn."

It was true, his brother may have very well been held up or distracted along the way. However, it had been days, perhaps even weeks, since his brother parted from Shiyanyi, and he had still not arrived. It was unlike him, for someone usually so diligent, to have been postponed for so long.

Upon finishing their food, they set out on their mission to uncover the mystery behind Song Guang's disappearance. The Yin guards who had accompanied them set off on their investigations, searching the area for anything unusual, whilst Master Yin and the prince headed for the riverbank.

With his hands on his hips, Yin Jianguo pondered over the running water in front of him.

They stood, facing the river for the first time, and could see the problem everyone had been talking about. The river looked less like a river and more like a swamp. It was full of nothing but dark, murky water that seemed thicker than oil.

Song Mengyao crouched down, pointing a finger towards the water but was prevented from dipping it in when Master Yin pulled him back.

"Don't touch the water. Look." He gestured further out into the lake, where dozens of lifeless fish could be seen floating within the almost black liquid.

"Poison? How?"

Master Yin only hummed to himself. "That is the question. How does one find enough poison to fill an entire river?"

"Poison? No, this is not poison. This is death itself."

Both men turned around, locking eyes with their latest acquaintance. It was a woman, a fisherman's wife most likely. A woman covered in dirt after going at least a few days without clean water. She was middle-aged and her pregnant stomach protruded out from beneath her clothes despite her thin frame.

With one hand supporting her back and the other holding a basket of dirty laundry, she examined the two strangers that were poking their noses around her village.

"Death?" Master Yin scratched at the back of his head, hoping to lure out a little more information from the local woman.

The lady hummed and nodded toward the river. "You've seen it yourself. It's been like it for a few days now. Kills anyone who touches it."

Sparing a worrying glance over to Song Mengyao, he stepped forward to take the basket from the woman's hands. "Let us help you carry this back; it is far too heavy for anyone in your condition."

She looked them up and down again, taking in their appearance. She was well aware that they had come from a sect and could only hope that they were there to help her village in their time of need. And so, she nodded and allowed the young men to accompany her to her home.

"Just put it down over there- Daiyu, stop pestering your brother!"

Her home was small, just large enough for a small family. Two young children ran about the room, both quieting down when their mother returned with their new guests.

Master Yin set the basket down as instructed while Song Mengyao lent the woman a hand to help her sit down.

"So," she sighed, "you want to know about the river?"

Although blunt, the woman was not wrong. They had not entirely offered her aid without hoping to gather information in return.

"We do not wish to trouble you. I am Song Mengyao, the Third Prince of Shiyanyi, and this is Yin Jianguo, the current Master of the Yin clan. We came in search of my elder brother; he was supposed to be coming here to investigate but no one has heard from him in days."

With one hand resting against her rounded stomach, the woman sighed again. "I'm Liqin. My husband was a fisherman in our village. He went missing about a week ago. I don't know if it was the man you mentioned, but a well-dressed young man arrived here around the same time the river began to darken. He was looking into the disappearances here, but it was no use. He became a victim himself."

Song Mengyao leaned forward, asking with a tone of urgency, "There was a body?"

Liqin shook her head. "No, but he too went missing after taking a boat down the river not long after arriving here."

The prince locked eyes with Yin Jianguo, who already had a hand softly rubbing at his chin when he asked, "Where does the river lead?"

"There is a large lake at the end, but no one has dared go near it out of fear that it is the source of whatever is plaguing the river."

Song Mengyao paced his way over to the door, somewhat eager to leave. He had heard enough and did not want to believe that something terrible may have happened to his brother. He felt the need to head to the lake right away in search of answers. At the very least, he wanted to locate his brother's body.

"Thank you. Please, take this for your family." With a smile, Master Yin handed a small pouch of coins to the woman, who gratefully accepted it.

By the time he was outside, Song Mengyao was already marching off toward the river. His judgement was clouded by emotion, and he was clearly no longer concerned for his own safety. Thankfully, one of them still had a cool head and did not hesitate to stop the prince from acting rashly.

"Song Mengyao."

The prince halted, allowing the hand around his arm to hold him in place. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a brief moment to calm down. It was unlike him to act this way but, when his family was concerned, his emotions tended to get the better of him.

"I just- I want to find my brother."

The tight grip Yin Jianguo had on his arm loosened as he turned around. When their eyes met, his hands moved so that they were resting on either side of Song Mengyao's shoulders. "And we will. But you need to calm down. We should think about this carefully and decide on a safe course of action."

The prince exhaled, body untensing before he spoke, "You are right. First, we should find out who took my brother down the river. He is nothing if not capable, but he has never been good with boats."

Master Yin chuckled, somewhat relieved to know that at least one member of the Song Clan had a flaw.

After a good few hours searching, not to mention taking a small break for some lunch, they had finally found a lead.

"Ah, I remember that fancy-looking young man. Old Man Yaozu was the only one willing to take him down the river."

"Where can we find this Old Man Yaozu?"

The fisherman hummed in thought for a moment, rubbing at the back of his neck as he racked his brain for that last bit of information. "No one has seen him come into the village for a while now, they suspect he went missing like the rest of them. He lived in a small shack down the river, a little way from the village. If you head that way and keep following the river, you'll find it."

"Thank you. Here, for your trouble." Master Yin gave out more coins, hoping to provide at least some aid in return for the help they had been given in their investigation.

If all were to go as planned, they would find the source of evil contaminating the river and return the village to its former glory. Not that a fishing village could ever be glorious, so to say, but at least the people would be able to make a living again.

"If we cannot find this Old Man Yaozu we should return here and take my men to the lake. That is the next best thing we can do if we cannot gather any more information safely from here."

With a nod, Song Mengyao agreed. This was their last safe lead. If there was no sign of the man they were looking for, they would have no other choice but to head to the lake. From what the villagers had told them, the lake was the most likely cause of whatever had been happening to the river. Although, heading there without any idea of what they would find or what dangers awaited them there was not a smart idea. It was a last resort, one it looked like they were going to have to take.

They walked for some time before spotting a small fishing shack alongside the meandering river. It was certainly old, possibly more so than any building in the village to date. The wood was rotten and mouldy; the roof slanted and unstable. It was a miracle such a building was still standing.

When they reached the door, they were afraid knocking would only cause it to crumble down and so, Song Mengyao gently pushed it open.

The room would have been dark had it not been for the cracks and splits in the outer walls, allowing beams of sunlight to shine in.

Song Mengyao froze for something he recognised all too well was captured in those rays of light: a pale face carrying an empty expression, lying lifelessly by the wall. "Gege!"

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