"I am Ba Manzi, and who are you?" Thank heavens, I finally understood that this time, even though the accent was truly bizarre.

"Who?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"I am Ba Manzi, General of the Ba State. And who are you? Is the King of Chu well?" The voice from deep within Tan Ping'er's lower abdomen remained gentle and calm.

"The King of Chu?" I doubted my hearing again. After a pause, I blurted out something utterly embarrassing, "I don't know this person!" I then looked at Tan Ping'er with an expression of pure innocence.

"Indeed, how would younglings like you have met the King of Chu? Alas, in gratitude for his army loan, to save three cities of the Ba State, I took up my blade and offered my head before the King of Chu’s tent, thus I was never disgraced by the Ba State..."

This whole classical passage left me completely bewildered, my mind a tangled mess. I quickly interrupted the rambling voice, thinking that if I let it continue with its archaic pronouncements, I would certainly need to hire an expert in classical Chinese translation. I said, "Sir... how is it that you are inside my friend's stomach? How did you... get in there?"

"Hah, how dare a lowly wretch launch a sneak attack on this General!" Tan Ping'er ignored my question, suddenly spinning around, spreading her hands like rakes, and lunging toward a shadowy figure sneaking up on us—it was none other than Man Niao Niao. It turned out this fellow, seeing me and Tan Ping'er standing close together in an intimate posture, had grown bold. He had crept up to us, about to ask what was going on, but was completely taken by surprise when Tan Ping'er suddenly moved. He panicked, stumbling backward toward the bow of the boat in a state of utter disarray, narrowly dodging the strike.

I thought Man Niao Niao wouldn't normally take Tan Ping'er's attack seriously. It was only the sudden, rough male voice that pierced his mental defenses that caused such a clumsy reaction. Perhaps the sound of Hua'er's barking had masked the man's voice earlier, so Man Niao Niao hadn't heard my exchange with the voice. Hearing it suddenly now, even the most audacious person would be startled, let alone Man Niao Niao, who still harbored lingering fears about ghosts.

Tan Ping'er, or rather, Tan Ping'er possessed by the spirit, had no intention of letting go. She hopped forward like a zombie, lunging at the still-startled Man Niao Niao at the bow. Man Niao Niao cried out repeatedly and tried to sidestep onto Kun Gui. But just then, Kun Gui happened to raise its head, its drill-like snout extending across the bow, coincidentally blocking Man Niao Niao's escape route. Although panicked, Man Niao Niao’s movements were agile. Seeing Tan Ping'er's raking hand about to clamp around his neck, he dropped low in a desperate move and swiftly rolled from beneath Tan Ping'er’s arm to behind me. Standing up, he gripped my neck tightly and urgently whispered, "You son of a turtle, what in the hell is going on? If you don't figure out how to handle this, I'm going to strike with deadly force!"

I had no time to explain to Man Niao Niao, as Tan Ping'er had already jumped in front of me, her arms extended, seemingly reaching for Man Niao Niao. I was anxious and helpless. I feared the completely uncontrolled Tan Ping'er might harm Man Niao Niao, yet I worried that the enraged Man Niao Niao might strike down the oblivious Tan Ping'er.

Strangely, the out-of-control Tan Ping'er seemed friendly toward me. Although her movements were mechanical and stiff, her hands, which appeared ready to grab my face, retracted lightning-fast. She swept under my armpit, reaching for Man Niao Niao behind me. I instinctively clamped down, but immediately released my hold, worried about injuring Tan Ping'er’s arm. Man Niao Niao was quick enough, using my body as a giant shield by clinging to my neck to avoid Tan Ping'er's fierce assault.

Tan Ping'er’s face was close to mine, and the white vapor puffing from her nostrils sent a chill through me, causing the muscles in my face to twitch uncontrollably. Seeing me continuously blocking Man Niao Niao, she retreated slightly, then hopped sideways, clearly aiming to circle around me to grab Man Niao Niao. And Man Niao Niao? He kept moving around my body... Thus, I was trapped in the middle, spinning like a top as the two circled me. The speed increased rapidly, and soon my vision blurred, the scene of black and white world quickly dissolving.

At that moment, I desperately missed someone—Ji Ye. But I had no idea where that old man was!

The dizziness in my mind soon clouded my consciousness. Unconsciously, my hand reached for the sharp sword tucked into my belt, then raised it high, preparing to hack wildly at whoever was in front of me. In the cold flash, the sword plummeted downward, and I hadn't seen clearly who the figure in front of me actually was.

In a flash, with a loud crack, the previously smooth-sailing Lotus Picking Boat was struck heavily by something unseen. My footing failed, and my body tilted sideways. The sword, grazing past the figure before me, landed with a dull thud into the outer layer of charred wood on the boat plank. The pavilion-shaped coffin lid, shifted two feet by the inertia, rattled loudly and was completely dislodged from the cabin, flying out and splashing into the pond with a whoosh, sending water spray onto my face—a chilling coldness. I shivered all over, and my senses began to clear.

The dizziness in my head was still intense. I swayed for a long time before barely managing to stand firm. When I reached out to pull the sword from the plank, I was horrified to see Tan Ping'er lying on the deck, her slender, snow-white neck only two centimeters from the blade's edge. With the slightest deviation, her windpipe would have been slit open, a bloody mess.

I rushed to help Tan Ping'er up, finding her eyes tightly shut, unconscious. The white vapor from her nostrils was growing thicker and colder, a chilling feeling sinking into my bones. The voice from her lower abdomen had not sounded again; I didn't know if it had left or what. Holding Tan Ping'er, I turned to look for Man Niao Niao, only to find the bow empty. Ripples spread across the water in the pond, and beams of white light shot up from the bottom, flickering weakly, scattered haphazardly. It seemed Man Niao Niao must have fallen into the water, and he certainly wouldn't let go of that Black Robe Post-Office Bead.

I couldn't help but worry about Man Niao Niao again. Although the fellow knew a few strokes of 'doggy paddle,' I didn't know his condition now, if he was injured, or if he had been knocked unconscious like Tan Ping'er. When the black boat jolted, I thought I heard two other, fainter muffled sounds.

This worry was clearly unnecessary. Soon, Man Niao Niao’s head broke the surface. He spat out large mouthfuls of murky water and began coughing violently; the fellow had clearly choked. Seeing he wasn't seriously harmed, I felt a slight relief and looked back at the lifeless Tan Ping'er in my arms, feeling scorched inside, unsure of what to do.

With a few splashes, I glimpsed Man Niao Niao climbing onto Kun Gui and flopping onto its shell, gulping air.

As the situation eased slightly, my mind raced: what method could I use to save Tan Ping'er? Given the current circumstances, Tan Ping'er's own spirit must have drifted somewhere; all her actions were controlled by the voice in her lower abdomen. The most pressing matter was to determine exactly what that thing inside her belly was. Only by clarifying this could I administer the right remedy and execute the next step. As for what the next step would be, I had no time to think deeply—I could only take it one step at a time.

With that thought, I hesitated no longer. I yanked up Tan Ping'er's outer garment and reached down to touch her lower abdomen. Just as I suspected, Tan Ping'er’s lower belly was cold as ice, and there seemed to be a hard mass inside, causing her abdomen to swell like a ball. If this were normal, it would be similar to pregnancy, but Tan Ping'er was an unmarried girl—how could she suddenly be pregnant for no reason? Moreover, even if she were carrying a child, how could that child speak, and with the rough voice of a man?

There was only one explanation for this abnormality: Tan Ping'er might be carrying a legendary 'ghost fetus.' Of course, this was just my speculation; only Ji Ye would know the specifics, as he was the expert in such matters. Besides, Brother Qiao's wife’s pregnancy provided a real-life reference point for Ji Ye.

Tan Ping'er’s condition was worsening, making me frantic, my mind buzzing. I pressed my temples, forcing myself to calm down.

I suddenly recalled that the coldness in Tan Ping'er’s lower abdomen might be due to yin energy, similar to when she was poisoned by the Giant Clam’s venom. Ji Ye had used the hot blood from my thumb to pull her back from the brink of death then. So, if it worked once, would using it again be effective? I didn't have time to think it through. I tightly held Tan Ping'er with my right arm, and with my left thumb, I swiftly sliced across the edge of the embedded sword. A spurt of black blood, accompanied by sharp pain, gushed from my thumb like a fountain.

I quickly withdrew my finger, tucked it inside Tan Ping'er’s clothes, pulled down her straight-cut pants slightly, and then blindly fumbled around her lower abdomen, feeling left and right. During this process, my hand trembled, my body trembled, and even my heart shook violently. The sensation was a marvelous thing that could not be described in words.

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