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Chapter 373 Searching the Lake Bottom in the Deep of the Night

After instructing Brother Tian Ning to rest well, Lin Mengya carried the medicine box and returned to her room to study its contents.

“Ya’er, I was wondering if what I am going to say would be of any help to you.”

Tian Ning blurted out as if he suddenly remembered something.

“The mistress once instructed my mother not to fill up the pond in the courtyard. Although I did not understand the reason, the mistress also told me the same in fear that my mother might forget about it.”

Tian Ning’s word gave Lin Mengya an idea suddenly.

Indeed when Shangguan Qing first married into the Lin Family, she had wanted to revamp the courtyard. However, Father was in charge of matters as such.

Although Father was usually not interested in matters which had been handed to the lady of the house, it appeared that no one had done anything to the backyard.

“I get it, many thanks. You’d better rest early, Brother Tian Ning. If everything goes well, we will be able to return to Prince Yu’s Mansion tomorrow evening.”

All of a sudden, something came to Lin Mengya’s mind. She remembered that night when she returned home, she discovered that there was a part of the pond that appeared amiss.

Mother had not allowed anyone to touch the pond. Could it be because there was something in the water?

A thought came to Lin Mengya’s mind in this instant. She was thinking of checking out the bottom of that pond in the night.

It was windy late at night and Baizhi followed behind her master, feeling jittery.

She was complaining in her heart, but she did not dare to lag behind Lin Mengya.

“Let’s go back, Master. This place gives me the chills.”

In the past, this place was where Lin Mengya had a scare. At that time, the entire mansion was frightened, so Mistress Qing engaged a priest from somewhere to have a look. The priest, claiming that there was a negative vibe about the water in the pond, suggested that the pond should be reclaimed.

If the Master did not lose his temper at that time, perhaps the pond would not have been saved.

There was no longer any tourist around. As the rockery cast a silhouette against the night light and the surface of the pond reflected the pale moonlight, the timid Baizhi could not help becoming fretful.

On the other hand, Lin Mengya went into deep thoughts, looking at the pond water.

Very cautiously, she got to the big rock by the pond and gently cupped some pond water onto her small hands.

The silky water flowed over her hand. Lin Mengya remained deep in thought as she gazed at her hand where the water ran over.

“My good master, let’s go back. Look, this place is so creepy. It is freaking me out.”

While Baizhi was shaking with fear, Lin Mengya was completely unperturbed. A mysterious smile appeared on her face as she pointed at the water and said, “Do you realize that there is something unusual about the water here?”

What was so special? Baizhi craned her neck as she tried to take a look at the pond water. It looked exactly like the water in the prince’s mansion. What could be so usual about it?

“The water in our courtyard was still flowing because Qinghu had directed a hot spring into it. However, in my impression, the pond water in our mansion would freeze into a thin layer of ice only occasionally on the third ninth day after the winter solstice. Do you still remember the time when we were young, there was a three-year-old child of a servant who almost fell into the pond?”

Baizhi thought for a while and nodded.

Baizhi recalled the incident once her master mentioned it.

Indeed, the master and Ms. Tian used to forbid her and elder Miss Lin from playing on the ice. Eventually, the three-year-old kid was saved from drowning because the adults rescued him in time.

“Master, what you mean is...”

Lin Mengya took off her shoes and socks nimbly and let down her long hair, which was like a cascading waterfall. She took off whatever she thought was necessary, handed them into Baizhi’s hands and got ready to get into the water.

“Are you, are you really going to get into the water personally? No, you can’t do that! Have you gone crazy, Master?”

Baizhi was taken aback and frightened. Good heavens! Was her master going into the water on a cold spring night?

God, she ought to be crazy!

“Shush, be quiet and don’t make a loud noise, lest you alarm anyone from their sleep. It’s alright, I’ve tested the waters just now and its temperature is ten over degrees celsius. I believe something must be abnormal down in the water, otherwise, its temperature would not be so warm. Wait for me here and I’ll be out in no time.”

After Lin Mengya did some warm-up exercises to make sure she did not get a cramp once she entered the water, she went into the water gradually.

She had already removed the heavy outer clothing. Thankfully she only had her inner garments on. She was not bold enough to attempt the sport of swimming without any clothes on.

“Gosh! My dear master, come back quickly!”

Baizhi almost choked on her words, standing by the pond. She did not dare to raise her voice when Lin Mengya gave a glare, lest she awake anyone.

Baizhi was beyond anxious, seeing that her master was approaching the center of the pond. She wished she could pace around to help relieve her anxiety for her master.

The pond water was still cold for Lin Mengya, but she could only grit her teeth.

She was doing all she could to adapt to the temperature of the water.

Lin Mengya tried hard to remember where she had seen the abnormity in the pond and upon reaching that spot, she dived in, working hard to find the object she was looking for.

The last time she did this was also in the night.

She remembered that there was something shining at a certain spot in the pond.

Lin Mengya looked around and realized that water was getting deeper around her, but the temperature of the water was getting warmer.

It appeared that she had guessed correctly.

If the water in the mansion was not flowing, it would have stunk. Moreover, families that can afford a beautiful pond in their courtyard would make sure to have one that had flowing water to bring them good luck.

If she guessed correctly, this landscape pond had to also be the source of a hot spring. However, because the temperature of the hot spring was not too high, her mother had built a landscape pond on it.

Now that Lin Mengya was certain that the temperature of the water was warm and she had warmed up from moving in the water, it was easier for her to dive deeper.

The problem now was to get sufficient oxygen supply. If she did not find what she was looking for soon, she would have to go up to the surface to take a breath before her limit was up.

With a splash, she emerged from the pond water like a mermaid.

Baizhi, who was standing by the pond, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She thought her master was going to get out of the water, but before she could cheer, her master dove into the water once again.

The ripples on the surface of the water gradually faded. Once again, Baizhi had a lump in her throat as she looked on.

Lin Mengya’s second attempt at diving sped up a great deal.

Strangely, even though she remembered clearly that this was the spot, why was it that she could not find anything?

Lin Mengya refused to give up but continued searching. It was right opposite the spot where she saw it the last time, that she finally found the light which could not be hidden even in the dark night.

This was it!

Lin Mengya swam toward it, graceful as a mermaid.

When she was finally right in front of it, she felt a chill run through her heart.

It was no wonder that she thought it was some kind of a padlock when she first saw it. Now that she took a careful look at it and realized that there was indeed a padlock attached to a medium-sized box. Right below the box was a gigantic dragon turtle and it was gazing at her with fierce eyes!

Lin Mengya felt disheartened, being aware that dragon turtles were ferocious creatures. Not to mention catching it, it was extremely difficult to come near to it.

However, for some unknown reason, this supposedly aggressive dragon turtle did not seem bothered by her proximity.

Moreover, when Lin Mengya reached out her hand to touch its shell, the dragon turtle did not shy away.

Although Lin Mengya was surprised by its lack of reaction, she drew closer to observe the dragon turtle more carefully.

She realized that the box was chained to the body of the dragon turtle. The reason she missed this the last time was because she was in a hurry. Moreover, it was not easy to spot the dragon turtle because it was possibly half-buried in the mud as it was kept immobile.

Now it appeared that the dragon turtle was carrying the box as if it were a burden.

Strangely, the box did not look like it was made of metal or wood. Even though it had been submerged in the water, there was no sign of rust of any form of deterioration.

Even the padlock and chains appeared uncorroded and new.

Lin Mengya would have thought that they had been placed there just recently if not for the water plants that covered them.

She tugged at the padlock but it did not budge. She did not see any key or any mechanism which she could use to open the lock. However, when she got closer, she spied a picture that resembled a piece of ginseng on the lock.

Could it be...

A sudden thought came to Lin Mengya and she swam back up to the surface of the water.

“Quick, Baizhi, bring me the seal that is in my clothes!”

She instructed Baizhi with a hushed voice. With a reluctant look on her face, still, Baizhi swiftly took out the seal and handed it to her master.

The little ginseng-shaped object did not look like anything special under the moonlight.

However, when Lin Mengya immersed it in the water without much thought, multi-colored rays of light gradually shone forth from the seal.

Lin Mengya gazed at the little object in her hand with amazement before she dove to the bottom of the pond once again.

The deeper she went, the brighter the light from the seal shone. When she finally reached the bottom, the light which shone forth from her seal was exactly the same as that of the padlock.

Lin Mengya was overjoyed. Perhaps this was what she had been desperately searching for!

Carefully, she inserted the seal into the keyhole. The feeling that they fit together in perfection amazed Lin Mengya.

The box which the dragon turtle carried on its back sprung open. An airtight black pouch, carried by the current, floated up.

Lin Mengya caught hold of the little pouch, then she stroke the dragon turtle’s head gently and gratefully before it swam away.

She scrutinized the little pouch under the dim night light. From the weight of the pouch, it did not seem to be just a book!

Baizhi looked on as her master studied the little black pouch, as if she was in a daze, Baizhi felt so anxious that her eyes were almost welling up with tears.

She quickly dragged her master to the bank and helped her master changed her wet clothes into a dry, warm cloak.

“My dear master, will you stop scaring me? Let’s go back quickly. I will boil some ginger soup for you.”

She looked at her master’s long wet hair with pain in her heart. If her master were to catch a cold again, Elder Sister Baiji and Baishao would skin her alive!