Chapter 45 — The Surging River's Water Palace Opens the Dragon Gate

. The Dragon Palace is somewhere near here! " Xue Hu'er lowered her demonic wind, and Shen Mu and the white fox on the leaf gradually descended. After a moment the two landed.

Shen Mu looked around. The Surging River curved around a lofty mountain here, green waters encircling blue-green peaks. Clear birdsong rang through the valley, monkeys leaped and swung through the woods, and in the river swam great fish and river beasts. The scene was tranquil and serene.

The white fox bounded along as if flying, taking the lead, and Shen Mu followed at a rapid walk. The direction Xue Hu'er ran in was toward the mountain encircled by the river, and Shen Mu could not help wondering: Was the Dragon Palace not in the river at all, but built on the mountain? Before long they reached the summit. Shen Mu saw a ruin—a Dragon King temple. In front of the temple stood a huge water-suppressing stone, more than eight zhang tall, like a towering stele. Underneath was carved a colossal stone turtle bearing the stele on its back; the turtle's mouth hung wide open, as if it had grown so tired under its burden that it had to gasp for breath.

The Dragon King temple had long since fallen into disrepair, with broken walls and tumbled halls. Looking about, Shen Mu saw that there was not even a single stone statue; it must have been unable to resist the ravages of darkness. Just as he was wondering, Xue Hu'er suddenly disappeared.

Then her voice came: "Quick, come in! " Shen Mu followed the sound and saw the white fox inside the stone turtle's mouth, raising a paw to beckon him.

He hurried over. The turtle was enormous, large enough for a person to stand upright inside. Shen Mu followed the hopping white fox, and when they reached the throat, a deep flight of stairs appeared before them. At the top of the stairs there had formerly been a stone door, but for reasons unknown it had fallen, revealing this stairway down into the earth. Shen Mu followed the white fox onward.

The passage grew wider and wider, and gradually it seemed to bore deep into the mountain's heart. The walls on both sides were covered with damp, luminous moss, and there were strange creatures drifting here and there in the air like dandelions.

Beneath each one hung clusters of delicate tentacles; the tentacles writhed, and somehow the creatures remained aloft. The white fox jumped, caught one in her mouth, and swallowed it. Then she hopped along, gobbling them down one after another, looking as if they were delicious.