Xiaogua nodded. He held his right wrist with his left hand. With his right hand, he pointed two fingers to the river, closed his eyes and concentrated on his internal energy as he awakened his core.
Manipulating water was easy. Manipulating water to carry weights was harder. But luckily, he had done it before when he saved a little boy from drowning once.
He slowly lifted his two fingers by bending his wrist up in a way to lead the water. As Xiu'er pulled, she could feel the catfish starting to rock while the water brought itself to a higher tide. Xiaogua opened his eyes to see the water rocking, but not to his satisfaction yet. He needed to raise the tide higher. He repositioned and clasped his hands together with a clenched jaw.
Xiaogua could only hold this new position for so long until he ran out of endurance for the massive internal energy releasing from his body. Once he loses concentration, he would drop to the ground in a terrible headache as if his head was a bell and someone was pounding on it with a huge gong mallet.
Fortunately, the water was already starting to show signs of leniency.
Xiaogua parted his hands, placed one hand on top of the other while facing them up, and used two fingers on each hand to point at the water. With energy flowing from two directions into the same focus point will allow him to raise the tide faster, but with a risk of him going majorly injured, internally.
Xiu'er could see the tide rising faster as she hauled the catfish with all her might. As expected, the water overflowed the river banks, carrying the fish onto shore. Xiu'er pulled the fish with one last heave out of the water. After reassuring the fish won't go back into the river, she let go of the rope and checked the red marks on her hand, rubbing them together. She was unaware of the water's continuous rising behind her.
Xiaogua held his position but his eyes went large as he saw the water kept rising and was now toppling over Xiu'er's head.
He's at it again!
If he loses control, the water would flood and cause her to be swept forcefully under.
"Xiu'er!" Xiaogua hollered. She looked up at him, but soon realized the large shadow lurking behind her that was blocking the moonlight. She turned around to see the massive wall of water. A frightened look appeared on her face. "Get away from there!" Sweat dashed on hi's face. He was no longer able to hold the water any longer.
The water finally collapsed and washed over her, who didn't have enough time to escape. The water swallowed her up before Xiaogua could regain his concentration. Before he did so, the water swept her into the river while refilling the basin at the same time.
Xiaogua squeezed his fists which raised the water once more. The water created a huge hump in front of him. Xiu'er was inside the hump, struggling to resurface as she waded and floundered like a weak doll. Xiaogua immediately realized that Xiu'er didn't know how to swim. She was swallowing too much water while gagging and coughing.
A stabbing pain suddenly shot up his neck and into his head and Xiaogua dropped the water as it overflowed the bank once more, washing his feet. He went down on one knee with both hands on his head. He finally panicked about his powers, followed by the excruciating headache.
A'Li quickly came running behind him and he managed to hear the little footsteps.
"A'Li! Hurry! Go get Kun Shang and Silang." He grunted through the pain.
Without missing a beat, A'Li ran back over the bridge, down the roads and disappeared around the corner. Xiaogua forced the pain in his head to subside for a split second to open his eyes and take a look at the water. The river had turned a mucky brown color.
Dirty water makes it heavier to control. Damn it!
He was in too much pain, but he would never forgive himself if he had killed her. He can't let her die like this. He wouldn't let her die. He had to save her. He must save her!
Running footsteps were heard behind him, but Xiaogua seemed to be completely taken over by the vast amount of qi he had released a moment ago. He was fully on his knees with his hands on his head. Tears of agony rolled down his face, his eyes squeezing, his jaws screaming and grunting into the night.
Kun Shang put a hand on his shoulder and hit the back of Xiaogua's neck with his other hand to knock him out. Silang dove into the river as soon as he arrived without asking any questions. His sister's life was at risk and he didn't have time to think, only act.
He searched the mucky water for his sister and found her floating at the bottom of the mud. The dirt was stinging his eyes but he couldn't give a care in the world. His sister's biggest weakness was water because she can't swim. She'd hated water ever since she was a small child, and hated taking baths because she was afraid she might slip and drown in the bathtub. Her fear got worse after one night when she was five, she woke up and refused to go anywhere near water. For this to happen to his sister must be traumatic and horrifying.
Kun Shang helped Silang bring Xiu'er onto shore and laid her on the bridge, next to the unconscious Xiaogua. She regained her consciousness as soon as she was put down but she was still weak and injured from swallowing too much water. She coughed some up, tasted dirt in her mouth but still smiled to see her brother, who gave her a worried look and caressed her face in his hands.
"Bring your sister back while I carry Xiaogua," Kun Shang announced. "A'Li, go ahead and light candles. Can you start a fire?" A'Li squeaked and took off. Kun Shang examined her physical appearance.
"She'll be alright," he said to the worried brother.
Silang piggybacked his sister back to the house, trying not to go too fast and having to wait for Kun Shang, who had one of Xiaogua's arms over his shoulders. Xiu'er whispered something into her brother's ear, but he was too concerned to remember what she said.