After Swapping Identities With My Archenemy - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: The Evil of Humanity, The Goodness of Nature

The creature thrashed its body, sending waves crashing like a collapsing mountain. In this relatively narrow river, a massive curtain of water rose, and the once-clear stream turned murky before their eyes. The dark water spread like ink, staining the entire river pitch black.

The Jiao soon reached the old man. By now, the human trafficker was motionless. Jiang Huaiyi thought to herself that even if he died here today, it would be a fitting end; there was no need to save him. People are not commodities; the Heavens have their own way of balancing the scales.

Sin brings its own retribution.

Yet, in the next moment, everyone saw the Jiao beneath the surface swiftly nudge the old man out of the water. Because human limbs are unbalanced, the creature had to nudge him repeatedly, only managing to push him above the surface for three to five seconds at a time before he would slide back down. The unconscious old man could only be tossed back and forth, helpless.

The people standing on the observation deck were currently busy wringing out their clothes, soaked by the spray the Jiao had kicked up. No one paid attention to the movement below. Jiang Huaiyi and her group had anticipated this and moved back early, so they remained dry.

As the old man was pushed up, the water on his body rapidly turned into mist. It was clear the water temperature was quite high; otherwise, he would have frozen to death before he even had a chance to drown. The mist swirled as the cold northern wind began to bite.

Northern winters are no joke. Boiling water tossed into the air turns to ice instantly. Soon, the crowd began to shriek in pain as the warm water on their skin rapidly lost its heat. They scrambled toward the back, frantically pulling dry clothes from their bags, descending into a chaotic mess.

Despite the cold, the allure of the Jiao was too strong. Once they had thrown on whatever dry gear they could find, they crept back to the slippery edge of the deck, poking their heads out to watch.

“Is it going to eat him?” someone shrieked.

“How is that possible?” another replied. “If it wanted to eat him, it would have swallowed him in one gulp already.”

The Jiao was undeniably massive—its head alone was nearly as tall as a child. A long silence followed as they watched the Jiao repeatedly try to save the drowning man.

“What is it doing?”

“It looks like… it’s saving him? Is anyone going to pull him up?”

Silence again. Everyone looked at the old man’s teammates. Those men kept their heads down, pretending not to hear. It was clear these people couldn’t be counted on.

Jiang Huaiyi was now certain: this Jiao possessed spiritual intelligence. Animals act on instinct, especially cold-blooded ones whose instinct is to kill. A predator would have constricted and crushed its prey, not performed an act of rescue.

Suddenly, a tall, thin man stepped out from one of the teams, a forced smile on his face. “Let’s stop pretending. We’re all here for the same purpose, aren’t we?”

The deck went deathly quiet.

“Look,” the man continued, “he’s as good as dead anyway. No need to discuss saving him. Our goal is to kill this ‘Dragon,’ rip out its inner alchemy (neidan), and split it among ourselves. We’ve spent a fortune on ‘sacrifices’ every year. If we catch it now, our children and grandchildren will never have to worry about food or drink again!”

“YES! That makes sense!” “Let’s do it! No point in bickering!”

A ripple of greedy smiles spread across the crowd.

Below, the Jiao was tirelessly trying to save a human. Above, the humans were plotting how to kill both their comrade and the creature saving him.

Jiang Huaiyi felt a wave of uncontrollable nausea. Since this journey began, she had seen nothing but the ugliness of the human heart. Her world had shifted from a peaceful life to a nightmare where every event whispered how disgusting people could be.

A murderous intent surged in her heart. She wanted to kill them all. These traffickers deserved to die. Her eyes drifted to the gun in Shen Wensi’s hand.

Shen Wensi caught her gaze and sensed something was wrong. While the others were fuming with righteous anger, Jiang Huaiyi was standing too still, her breathing becoming dangerously light.

Shen Wensi reached out and pressed down on Jiang Huaiyi’s hand. “Calm down. I’ve already used the satellite phone. The driver has called the police.”

Jiang Huaiyi looked at her, her voice low and heavy. “How long will it take them to get here?”

“Two days at the earliest,” Shen Wensi replied.

Jiang Huaiyi let out a cold laugh. “I don’t want to watch them breathe for another minute. We shouldn’t believe traffickers have ‘humanity.’ They can kill, and they have killed. This child wasn’t the first, and won’t be the last. I can’t imagine what they’ll do if they leave this forest.”

She pulled out the silk paper and noticed it had turned a dusty gray, its luster fading as the words became sharper: Jiao’s Crossing, Dragon Hunting.

“I understand now,” Jiang Huaiyi whispered, her eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp energy. “The paper wants us to help the Jiao become a Dragon. Its cultivation must be reaching its peak!”

Her sudden intensity made Chu Lianxue startle. For a moment, she saw a shadow of the girl’s childhood self—bright and spirited. But Chu Lianxue quickly shook the thought away. They are two different people, she told herself.

Jiang Huaiyi’s mind was racing, her anger fueling a frantic plan. She didn’t notice the silk paper dimming further in her hand.

Suddenly, Shen Wensi reached out and pulled her into a firm embrace. Jiang Huaiyi’s nose hit Shen’s soft inner garment, and she froze. The clean, calming scent of Shen Wensi filled her senses, and the red fog in her mind began to clear.

“You don’t need to do this,” Shen Wensi’s muffled voice came from above her. “Don’t dirty your hands. Don’t let the impulse control you. They deserve punishment, but that is for the law. We can save the Jiao, but you are not a killer. You can’t tell the ‘bad’ from the ‘misled’ in a crowd like this. Don’t lose yourself.”

The tension in Jiang Huaiyi’s nerves snapped, and her mind cleared. She felt a chill of horror at her own thoughts she had truly wanted to kill everyone on that deck.

She took a few deep breaths, leaning into the warmth of the embrace. It felt steadying, like a battery recharging her hollowed-out spirit. She gave a quick, grateful squeeze before pulling back.

On the other side of the deck, the “hunters” were already pushing several elderly men the “experts”—to the front. The atmosphere was feverish. Their target was set: Slay the Jiao.

Jiang Huaiyi watched them, and a simple, urgent thought formed: She had to warn the creature to run.

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