My Demon Husband Is a Snake

With a fusillade of firecrackers crackling and popping.

The wedding matrons sent Wanwan and Bai Zanhe onto a black-canopied boat decked out in red silk. After we took our seats on the gunwale,

they handed each of us a red paper lantern.

Once the wedding matrons disembarked, the two hemp ropes mooring the boat were promptly severed with an axe.

The swift current immediately carried us away from the riverbank, flowing downstream.

The sound of the flowing river was distant and melodious.

I wedged the handle of the umbrella under my chin, flipped up the red tassels of my head cover, and looked back,

attempting to catch a glimpse of Yu Longting on the shore.

However, the moment the wind blew, the silver ornaments on my forehead started swaying wildly.

My eyes were instantly dazzled, and I saw nothing.

The boat then drifted to a bend in the river, completely obscuring the view of the opposite shore.

Feeling disappointed, I let out a dejected sigh.

Bai Zanhe, sitting opposite me, lifted her veil upon hearing the sigh, "What's wrong, Wanwan?"

"It's nothing. Hey, Sister Zanhe, can we really enter Baiming Cave by just drifting with the current?" Worry suddenly gripped me, so I quickly hid my disheartened expression and asked Bai Zanhe.

Bai Zanhe set the lantern aside and propped her chin with one hand, "We should be able to. Baiming Cave is downstream."

"Have you been to Baiming Cave? Do you know what it's like inside?" Since my arrival in Barbarian Village, I had only heard snippets about Baiming Cave in villagers' idle chats.

That place was said to be the abode of the Dragon God, shrouded in mystery.

Bai Zanhe shook her head, "No, the entrance of Baiming Cave is always protected by a Barrier and is off-limits to the people of Barbarian Village."

The boat drifted with the current for a while.

By evening, a sunshower began to fall unexpectedly.

The sparkling ripples on the water surface and the reddish hues diving into the water were more dazzling than the wedding dresses we wore.

This meandering river appeared as the sun's bride.

Bai Zanhe suggested that since Baiming Cave was still a distance away, we might as well stay inside the canopy to shelter from the rain.

That way, we could avoid some of the cold wind and rain.

Her advice seemed sound, so I followed her inside the canopy to take shelter from the rain.

"Zanhe, something's not right! Look under the deck, is water seeping in?"

After just a short time under the canopy, I felt dampness beneath my feet, and an ominous feeling welled up within me.

Bai Zanhe bent down to check the floor, touching the wood of the boat's base, "Could it be water from the rain outside seeping in? The black canopied boats of Barbarian Village are crafted by experts; they shouldn't have any problems."

"But... Sister Zanhe... I think I found a leak." I discovered an excessively damp corner where water was seeping through. When I touched the wood, it was loose.

My face turned pale, and I quickly eased the force in my hands, afraid to exert too much pressure.

It felt like applying any force would pierce a hole in the boat.

Bai Zanhe decisively lifted her veil and knelt down, tapping on a few innocuous spots.

She then dislodged two parts that should have been nailed together.

Our complexions turned green at the same time.

Bai Zanhe's voice trembled, "This boat hasn't been... nailed together, it's all... glued…assembled…"

"This boat is no different from a paper matchbox, it will fall apart after drifting for a while." Although I was calmer than Bai Zanhe, it was all an act; a fine sweat broke out on my forehead, "How could a good boat end up like this?"

Good heavens, I've never learned to swim since childhood, I'm completely land-bound.

If the boat falls apart before attracting the counterfeit, I'll drown.

Bai Zanhe slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes cool and complex as they quietly looked at me, "Actually, the boat for the Maiden of Luohua Cave to marry the River God is supposed to be like this. Only by drowning the Falling Cave Girl can the Dragon King be appeased."