Chapter 193: The True Form of the Fish Demon

　　Under the dim light of the hall.

　　Lu Fei's face appeared unusually pale, his clothes were drenched as if they had been soaked in a lot of water.

　　"Boss, why did you come back alone? Where's Ah Jian?" Hu Zi looked at Lu Fei in surprise, and then glanced behind him.

　　Lu Fei didn't speak, but instead pointed at the innkeeper lying on the recliner.

　　"Him? He's fine, I've been watching over him."

　　Hu Zi turned his head, and immediately, Lu Fei reached out towards the back of his neck.

　　Drip.

　　A cold drop of water fell on Hu Zi's neck, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin instantly.

　　His body reacted quickly, moving to the side.

　　The pale hand grasped at thin air, and a gush of water flowed from beneath Lu Fei's feet toward Hu Zi.

　　Hu Zi leaped and dodged the flowing water, drawing out a large ghost-headed cleaver from his backpack and slashing fiercely at Lu Fei.

　　Lu Fei's body softened, and he slipped into the water beneath him.

　　"I knew you weren't the boss!" Hu Zi snorted coldly, "You're soaked and deathly pale. Do you think I'm blind?"

　　Having followed the boss for so long, he had seen his fair share of situations. How could he be fooled by such a simple trick?

　　The water moved back and forth on the floor, revealing the swollen head of an old man.

　　The old man stared unblinkingly at Hu Zi, his pale eyes full of malice.

　　"What are you looking at? Keep staring and I'll chop you down!"

　　Hu Zi, full of bluster, swung his large ghost-headed blade and slashed at the old man.

　　The old man retreated step by step, frantically swimming toward the door.

　　"If you've got the guts, don't run!"

　　With his tall stature and long legs, Hu Zi reached the doorway in just a few strides.

　　The old man desperately tried to squeeze through the door crack, and perhaps due to his panic, he was unable to get out for a long time.

　　"Old turtle, you can't escape now! Take this knife from your tiger grandpa!" Hu Zi chuckled, raising his large knife.

　　But at that moment, the door suddenly slammed open with a bang.

　　Amidst the sky full of aquatic plants, a tall woman in a black dress appeared. She reached out her hand and easily grabbed Hu Zi by the neck, lifting him up without effort.

　　The old water ghost crouched at the hem of the woman's skirt, his swollen, old face wearing a sinister smile.

　　Hu Zi instantly realized that the old water ghost had been feigning his escape, deliberately luring him to the door.

　　"Damn old turtle!"

　　Hu Zi burst into curses, then felt a sudden chill all over.

　　He turned his head and saw the tall woman in the black dress staring coldly at him.

　　This woman was at least two meters tall, her long black dress shimmering with an odd luster. Her face was covered with a black silk scarf, revealing only a pair of bulging eyes.

　　"Give...it...back...to...me..."

　　The woman in the black dress spoke, enunciating each word distinctly.

　　Water weeds crawled out from her sleeves and into Huzi's backpack, causing its contents to fall to the ground in a jumble.

　　"Give...it...back...to...me...my child..."

　　Not finding what she wanted, the woman's voice was filled with anger. With a wave of her hand, she threw Huzi harshly into the water.

　　The old water ghost immediately swam over, excitedly grabbing Huzi and pulling him down. Huzi struggled desperately as if he were drowning.

　　Above the water, a storm raged.

　　Below the water, the world was eerily silent.

　　Dark, cold.

　　Huzi felt, for the first time, that he was so close to death.

　　"Tiger!"

　　Just as he was about to become dazed, he heard Lu Fei's anxious voice.

　　"It's the boss, it must be the boss this time... Boss, help me..."

　　"Tiger, hold on!"

　　Lu Fei and Jing Jian ran over desperately.

　　The woman in the black dress slowly turned her body; her neck seemed unable to turn, so she had to move her entire body to shift her gaze.

　　"Give... it... back... to... me..."

　　As soon as she saw Lu Fei, the woman's eyes bulged as if they were about to explode, wildly trembling.

　　"I can give it back to you, but you have to let my friend go!" Lu Fei pulled out the black fish skin from his backpack and held it high up.

　　"My child... my child!"

　　The aquatic plants danced, and the woman in the black dress stared intently at the fish skin, her voice and body trembling.

　　"Let my friend go first, or I'll burn this fish skin right away!" Lu Fei ignited a ghost character, hanging it below the fish skin.

　　"Stop! Stop!"

　　The woman in the black dress suddenly raised her voice to a sharp pitch, as the aquatic plants wound around Hu Zi's neck.

　　"An eye for an eye!"

　　Lu Fei looked into her angry eyes, stepped forward, and loudly said, "Fine, I'll go with you!"

　　"Lu Fei?" Jing Jian was startled, looking at Lu Fei with worry.

　　"It's okay, I have a plan."

　　Lu Fei's expression was calm, and there was no fear in his eyes. Something seemed to be brewing deep within them.

　　He met the hateful gaze of the woman in the black dress and said, "This is your only chance to take the child! Otherwise, we all die together!"

　　The flame was about to touch the black fish skin.

　　A look of tension immediately appeared in the eyes of the woman in the black dress. She stared at Lu Fei for a few seconds, and finally, the water weeds entangling Hu Zi loosened.

　　"Cough, cough, cough!"

　　Hu Zi surfaced, coughing violently.

　　"Boss, no, don't go..."

　　Lu Fei just glanced at him and then walked towards the woman in the black dress.

　　"My child!"

　　The water weeds moved all at once, instantly binding Lu Fei and lifting him in front of the woman in the black dress.

　　"An eye for an eye, killing my child... you should all die!" The woman in the black dress laughed coldly, snatching back the fish skin and bringing her face close to Lu Fei to take a whiff.

　　"The smell of a living person, very good! Very good!"

　　"Lu Fei!"

　　"Boss!"

　　Huzi's teeth were bared, nearly at the same time as Jingjian, he charged toward the woman in the black dress.

　　However, his legs suddenly felt heavy.

　　It turned out that the old water ghost had sneakily held him back.

　　"Die! Die!"

　　Huzi went berserk, biting through his own tongue and spitting a mouthful of blood fiercely onto the old water ghost.

　　The old water ghost screamed as it turned into a pool of murky water.

　　Huzi picked up the large saber and, with Jingjian, went madly slashing at the weeds in the water.

　　"Don't rush, I will drain each one of you! For my child's revenge!" The black veil slipped off, revealing a face that closely resembled a woman's.

　　The nose was flat, the mouth large and wide, with two long black whiskers hanging down from both sides of the lips.

　　Strange and comical.

　　This was the true appearance of the catfish demon!

　　She opened her mouth wide towards Lu Fei.

　　"Hurry up!" Lu Fei held his breath, feeling anxious in his heart.

　　Fortunately, the black umbrella on the side of the backpack then moved, and strands of hair emerged, cutting through all the water weeds entangled around him.

　　He splashed into the water with a plop.

　　Taking advantage of the catfish demon's reaction, he madly channeled his magical power into the lightning-struck jujube wood stick, leaped up, and struck that strange face with one blow.

　　Buzz!

　　Blue electric arcs flickered back and forth across the catfish demon's body, and her tall figure suddenly disintegrated, turning into a pile of black catfish writhing desperately in the shallow water.

　　The wind and rain suddenly diminished at this moment, and the aquatic plants withered instantly.

　　"Boss!"

　　"Lu Fei!"

　　Huzi and Jing Jian were overjoyed and ran towards Lu Fei.

　　Lu Fei picked up the black fish skin from the ground, looking around for something.

　　In the thin layer of water on the ground, a shadow resembling a fish hastily fled towards the distance.

　　"After it!"