Mutated Tao

Yang Xiaohai felt somewhat relieved when he heard that his elder sister was coming home soon. In these troubled times, being on the sea was relatively safer than being on land.

“Fifth Child! Your father wants you to come over.”

Yang Xiaohai quickly acknowledged his Second Brother. He crouched down to wash his hands in the water, then stood up and headed into the cabin.

The cabin was just big enough for Yang Xiaohai to enter without bending down.

“Come on, Fifth Child, have a drink!” His father, Chi Baishui, pulled him over and thrust a cup of wine into his hand.

Although Yang Xiaohai didn’t drink, he glanced at the elders looking at him, then downed the wine in one gulp.

The wine had a strange fishy taste, which made him want to vomit. Everyone else burst into laughter at his reaction.

“How is it, Fifth Child? Not used to it, huh? This is white fish wine. It’s good stuff, it can be both drunk and used as medicine! You’ll get used to it after a while.” Chi Baishui patted Yang Xiaohai hard on the back and laughed along with the others.

“Fish... fish wine? Can you really make wine from fish?” Yang Xiaohai had never encountered such a thing before, even as a cook.

“Of course, you can make wine from fish! Come on, have a seat!” Chi Baishui pulled him to the table.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, they began to discuss serious matters. Chi Baishui was a little tipsy, as he took a sip of wine and said, “Fifth Child, now that you’re back, go to the Dragon King Temple tomorrow morning to register into the dragon household. I’ll buy you a boat, and you can fish and live with your wife from now on.”

Yang Xiaohai was momentarily stunned. Buying a boat? Fishing? Settling down? These things hadn’t been part of his plans.

Chi Baishui’s face darkened when he noticed Yang Xiaohai’s reaction, “Why? Are you planning to leave again? Why did you come back then?”

Yang Xiaohai felt a little panicked at his long-lost father’s anger. “Dad, no, that’s not it, really.”

“Alright, that’s settled then. You can go.”

Zhao Xiumei saw her husband walk out of the cabin looking puzzled. She stopped shelling the crabs, then quickly stood up and ran over.

“Xiaohai, what’s wrong? Weren’t you feasting in the banquet?”

Yang Xiaohai was a little dazed. “Xiumei, my father wants me to stay and live here. What do you think?”

Zhao Xiumei turned to look at the swaying oil lamps on the distant boats and the families on them. “I’m fine with whatever you decide. I’ll follow you since we’re married.”

Yang Xiaohai said nothing more and returned to sit with his siblings as they continued to eat at the feast.

After the water banquet, Yang Xiaohai lay in the hammock, but he couldn’t sleep. On one hand, he had just met his family. On the other hand, he thought about the fellow disciples who had gone through life and death with him.

He wished he could have both, but it was impossible. He could only choose one side.

Yang Xiaohai finally fell asleep amidst his drowsiness. When he woke again, he saw his mother gently watching him. Her expression showed a fear that he might run away again.

Yang Xiaohai felt a warmth in his heart. He had never experienced such concern from his family before.

“Fifth Child, you’re awake? I’ll take you to the Dragon King Temple. Your father is waiting for you.”

Yang Xiaohai nodded, then got up and helped his mother up the steps of the cabin.

Whether he stayed or left, he needed to be recorded in the ancestral hall, since he was part of this family.

Yang Xiaohai and his mother made their way through the wooden boats on the sea. The uneven paths were tricky, and he occasionally bumped into others’ belongings.

The residents were very welcoming and gave Yang Xiaohai friendly looks.

During the walk, Yang Xiaohai wanted to ask his mother if they should move the family to Cowheart Village, where life was better than fishing out at sea. When he didn’t get a response despite talking for a while, he was quickly reminded that his mother was deaf.

Forget it. I’ll talk to Dad about it after registering in the ancestral records.

After a while, they arrived at a temple with wide eaves. The eaves blocked all the light, making Yang Xiaohai feel a bit oppressed.

“Come on, don’t keep your father waiting. He’s got a bad temper,” his mother said and pulled him inside.

Once inside, Yang Xiaohai was awe-struck by a giant painting in the distance. The dark-toned painting was shrouded in incense smoke and looked especially mysterious.

“Mom, what’s that?” Yang Xiaohai was about to point, but his mother quickly pulled his hand down.

“Don’t point. It’s disrespectful to the Dragon King.”

“Dragon King? But isn’t that a black snake?” The painting depicted a coiled giant black snake without pupils.

“Our Dragon King looks like that. Quickly offer incense. The Dragon King used to be more unreliable, but he’s very effective now!”

Under his mother’s urging, Yang Xiaohai solemnly offered incense, then performed three bows and nine kowtows to the Dragon King’s painting.

While he was kowtowing, a group of people came out, including Chi Baishui and the elders from last night’s dinner.

They were dressed in a brown top and a skirt, with outer ceremonial robes, which made them seem very grand.

Yang Xiaohai looked closely and realized the robes had fish scales, and they seemed to be made of fish skin.

As Yang Xiaohai wondered whether he was now officially part of the dragon household, he saw an elderly man with white hair step forward. This man took out a bamboo scroll and started to chant towards the painting.

Yang Xiaohai couldn’t understand a word. The man’s speech had a heavy accent that made it sound like singing.

However, one name was repeated several times, which Yang Xiaohai barely made out as Ao Wuzhi.

“Kneel~”

Yang Xiaohai heard this and knelt before the giant painting again.

After another round of three bows and nine kowtows, he saw the elders in fish skin robes surround and look at him solemnly.

Before Yang Xiaohai could understand what was happening, Chi Baishui stepped forward and removed Yang Xiaohai’s shirt.

Then, fish spines dipped in ink pricked his skin, causing excruciating pain. He tried to get up instinctively but found he couldn’t move. The fish spines contained more than just ink.

Yang Xiaohai just kept kneeling like that as he glanced sideways at his anxious parents. He endured the pain as the fish spines left scale tattoos on his body, just like the other boat people.