The clay figures appeared to be of all ages, their movements eerie and sluggish.
They picked up objects only to put them down, then picked them up again.
They took two steps forward, retreated, then advanced two more steps.
It seemed they were perpetually repeating the same motions.
"What in the world are these things?" Jing Jian shuddered, goosebumps rising across his skin.
"Is it possible... they're actually people? Weren't we almost turned into clay figures earlier?" Lu Fei pondered aloud.
After observing for a while and sensing no immediate danger, the two cautiously entered the room.
Jing Jian scraped off the mud from a clay figure's surface with his Seven-Star Magic Sword, revealing pale, lifeless skin beneath the thick sludge.
"They really are people!" Jing Jian's eyes widened in horror.
"It seems everyone taken by River Lord ends up becoming clay figures." Lu Fei felt a flicker of hope. "Quick, look for a mother and daughter pair—the girl should be around seven or eight, with two small braids."
This mother-daughter pair were the family members of the Night Pawn Shop customer. Lu Fei had studied the records beforehand. He'd initially worried their remains would be too decomposed to identify, but their transformation into clay figures had preserved the bodies intact.
As they searched among the clay figures, they soon made a discovery.
"Lu Fei, is it this one?"
A pair of clay figures—a mother and daughter—stood hand in hand.
The mother and daughter walked in place, their body movements seemingly joyful, yet their faces were etched with sorrow and pain.
Lu Fei observed all the clay figures, finding only this pair depicting a mother and daughter.
"It must be them."
He took out a rope and bound the pair, marking them for easier retrieval later.
"What about the others?"
Jing Jian looked at the other clay figures. Regardless of their poses, each bore an expression of agony.
"With just two people and four hands, we can only return later. Or perhaps after eliminating River Lord, they'll naturally be freed."
"Where do you think River Lord is hiding?" Jing Jian scanned their surroundings.
He constantly felt unseen eyes watching him, yet couldn't locate their source, creating profound unease.
"Since the bodies are here, it must be in this house. Let's search carefully without alerting it." Lu Fei made a tactical hand signal.
"Agreed!"
Both moved stealthily toward the exit.
As they approached the threshold, sharp spikes suddenly protruded from the top and bottom of the door.
The door frame snapped shut like jaws lined with razor teeth.
Any creature caught would likely be bisected instantly.
"Halt!"
Lu Fei shouted in alarm, yanking Jing Jian backward.
Both men scrambled through the muck, desperately retreating.
The door slammed shut with finality.
Simultaneously, all windows and portals in the mud house vanished, sealing the structure completely.
"Oh no, we're trapped!"
Jing Jian brandished the Seven-Star Magic Sword and thrust it fiercely at the wall.
But the wall was unexpectedly thicker than imagined—the sword couldn't penetrate through.
Channeling his magic, faint starlight emanated from the sword. The wall split open a narrow crack, which quickly sealed shut.
"Lu Fei, if we combine our strength, we should be able to carve an exit..."
Jing Jian was about to exert force again.
"Save your strength for dealing with He Laoye," Lu Fei exhaled deeply, touching the cloth doll in his pocket. Though dampened, it should still be functional.
"I have a way out, but we'll only get one chance—it must be used decisively. Since we're sealed in, He Laoye knows we're here. No point hiding—we'll confront it directly."
Steadying himself, he scanned their surroundings.
The mud-formed house was stifling and oppressive, like a sturdy underwater prison.
"What are our odds?" Jing Jian asked gravely.
"I'll answer after seeing its true form."
The two cautiously advanced deeper into the house.
Numerous clay figures stood in bizarrely shaped chambers.
Some moved slightly while others stood motionless—an indescribable strangeness.
"What's that evil spirit planning? It's collected all these people just to display them here... like playthings?" Jing Jian shuddered. The more incomprehensible something was, the more terrifying it became.
"Playthings?!" Lu Fei froze. "Now that you mention it, these clay figures arranged throughout the house do resemble toys."
"Could this evil spirit be... a pervert?"
After extensive searching, they found nothing but these clay figures—no trace of the evil spirit.
"Damn it—where's that thing hiding?"
Just as they were at a loss.
"Help, help..."
A cry for help suddenly came from somewhere in the house.
Though not loud, the sound was exceptionally clear in the silent environment.
"How is there still a living person?!" The two were startled.
"This might be suspicious. How could ordinary people survive at such deep underwater?" Lu Fei frowned, then listened carefully and suddenly looked surprised: "Why does this voice sound familiar?"
"Familiar?" Jing Jian also felt uncertain. "Should we go check? Even if it's a trap, with our abilities we might not fall for it. Maybe we can use this to find the River Lord!"
"Right, we can't just keep waiting here!"
The Dragon Scale consumed magical power, and prolonged use wasn't sustainable.
Without further hesitation, they followed the sound and soon found the source among a pile of mud-covered figures.
Lu Fei scraped off the mud from the figure's face with his jujube wood staff.
A familiar face emerged.
"Brother Zheng? How is it you?!"
Lu Fei could hardly believe his eyes.
Jing Jian asked in astonishment: "You actually know him?"
This was actually the river maintenance worker Lu Fei had met by the riverbank days earlier!
"It's you! Thank heavens, young brother! Quick, save me!" Brother Zheng became overjoyed upon seeing Lu Fei.
But Lu Fei didn't act immediately, instead scrutinizing him closely.
This person's sudden appearance at the riverbed was extremely suspicious.
"Brother Zheng, why are you here?"
"I don't know either. Yesterday, I went to clean the riverbank and accidentally fell into the water. When I opened my eyes again, I was here, trapped in this mud and couldn't move..." Brother Zheng's eyes widened as if remembering something. "A monster—it was a monster! It dragged me here..."
"Is that so?"
Lu Fei glanced at him but remained still.
"Have you seen the monster? What does it look like?"
"It eats people! That monster eats people! Brother, save me! I know where it is—I'll take you there..." Brother Zheng trembled violently, his voice shaking with terror.
"Take us?"
Exactly what they wanted.
Lu Fei and Jing Jian exchanged a glance, nodded, and began scraping the mud off Brother Zheng.
"The monster's over there. Come quickly..."
Brother Zheng immediately started walking, leading the two toward a corner.
The two followed silently, their ritual tools gripped tightly in hand.
At the deepest part of the corner stood an enormous chair.
On the chair sat what seemed to be a massive shadowy figure.