In an instant, the enthusiasm of the crowd was ignited, and everyone began to shout loudly.
Dragon boat racing was a traditional local event.
Therefore, the bridge, the riverside, the shores, and even the trees were packed with people.
When the people in the front shouted, the people in the back craned their necks to see.
There were too many people, so naturally, those in the back couldn't see anything.
As a result, the people in the back pushed forward with all their might.
Suddenly, with a loud splash, someone was heard shouting.
"Stop pushing, someone has been pushed into the water!"
As soon as the person's voice fell, the wooden bridge beneath their feet could no longer bear the weight. With a loud crack, it broke.
The people crowded on the bridge fell into the water one after another, like dumplings dropping into a boiling pot.
Those who were desperately pushing forward suddenly had no obstacles and instantly fell into the water as well.
For a moment, the cries and calls for help were deafening.
Xiao Yi and his group were standing upstream. Hearing the cries from downstream, they finally noticed that people had fallen into the water.
Xiao Yi's expression turned cold.
"Where is the county governor? Why hasn't anyone been arranged to rescue them immediately?"
"It's a festival today, so they are probably all on holiday," Li Jin guessed.
Because Xiao Yi and his group had only come out on a whim, the only guard accompanying Xiao Yi was Yunxiao.
"Yunxiao, go save them quickly!" Xiao Yi ordered.
"No! Your subordinate must protect you, Master!" Yunxiao refused to leave.
With so many people around, Prince Pingyang was also mobility-impaired.
If he was jostled by the crowd and Prince Pingyang accidentally fell into the water, it would be a dereliction of his duty.
On the water, some dragon boats rowed toward the place where people had fallen, while others continued to race.
Because of the accident, many people were scared and ran away.
The yamen runners on duty jumped into the water one after another to save people.
However, there were simply too many people who had fallen into the water.
Duoduo listened to the commoners on the shore crying out the names of their children and family members who had fallen into the water.
The cries and clamor were endless.
Duoduo looked at her own hands, and she quietly squeezed her way toward the river.
Li Jin turned his head to discuss with Xu Jinxin.
"I will go into the water to save people. I'll leave Duoduo and Yingniang to you. Hurry and take them to a safe place."
"Alright, be careful!"
Xu Jinxin looked at her husband with some concern.
"Don't worry, I'm quite a good swimmer," Li Jin comforted his wife.
Li Jin turned back around and was just about to leave when he realized that Duoduo was missing.
"Yingniang, where is Duoduo?" Li Jin hurriedly searched.
Yingniang was completely confused.
"I don't know."
Oh no! Duoduo was missing!
At this moment, Li Jin could no longer care about saving people.
He pushed through the crowd, searching for Duoduo.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yi saw Li Jin's panicked look.
Su Xian's tears instantly fell.
"Your Highness, Duoduo is missing!"
Xiao Yi's gaze sharpened, and he tried to stand up from his wheelchair.
"Yunxiao, hurry and find the Princess!" Xiao Yi sat back down with a cold face.
"Yes!"
Yunxiao quickly joined the search for Duoduo.
Lüdou struggled to move through the crowd, "Duoduo, wait!"
Just now, there were too many people, and she was suddenly pushed aside.
But Duoduo was like a loach, slipping away in a flash and disappearing from sight.
Hearing Lüdou's voice, Li Jin hurriedly squeezed his way over.
"Where is Duoduo?"
Lüdou pointed toward the river, "The Princess went toward the river!"
Li Jin casually pushed Lüdou back, "Go back and protect the Princess Consort and the others!"
Lüdou was unwilling, but the tide-like crowd was terrified and running toward safe places, forcing her to retreat as she was swept along.
Duoduo was small. She bent down and quickly slipped through the gaps in the crowd.
Soon, she arrived at the riverside.
At this moment, the riverside was in chaos.
Those who had fallen into the water near the shore had managed to thrash their way back to the bank and were lying on the ground, exhausted.
There were also people who had been rescued by the yamen runners, crying in the arms of their loved ones.
There were also commoners trying to walk into the river to save their family members.
Duoduo blended in among them and carefully walked into the river.
Without hesitation, Duoduo placed her hand into the river.
She silently chanted in her heart, "Come! All of it, come!"
Duoduo felt her right hand getting a little hot.
Even in the freezing river water, she could feel it.
Duoduo continued to reach her hand deeper into the water.
Suddenly, a whirlpool formed in the river water surrounding Duoduo.
The whirlpool grew larger and larger, and finally, it became a massive black hole around Duoduo.
The water in the river suddenly flowed in reverse, rushing toward Duoduo's direction.
It happened in a flash. In just an instant, the river water completely disappeared.
The people who had been struggling in the river fell onto the riverbed with a thud.
The dragon boats that were still being rowed hard in the middle of the river were as if someone had pressed the pause button, and they also dropped down with a thud.
Some were astonished, some were pleasantly surprised, and some wept bitterly!
The people who had fallen into the water felt solid ground beneath their feet, and in a panic, they scrambled and crawled toward the shore.
The commoners who had been crying on the shore also ran into the riverbed to support their loved ones.
After a burst of panic, everyone safely reached the shore.
The people on the dragon boats couldn't understand how the river water had suddenly vanished.
They sat stunned on the dragon boats, not knowing what to do.
Duoduo hid behind a large rock. She saw that all the people who had fallen into the water had gotten ashore.
"Go out! All the river water, go out!"
Duoduo looked at her right hand and silently chanted in her heart.
Just now, after her right hand grew hot, she saw a small whirlpool begin to form in the water next to her hand.
The water rushed frantically into her palm.
The small whirlpool turned into a large whirlpool, and it kept growing. Duoduo even worried if her hand would burst from it.
However, even when all the river water disappeared, her right hand didn't change at all.
Duoduo looked at her right hand with great curiosity.
She noticed that the fish-shaped mark in her palm was emitting a faint red glow.
Duoduo remembered her missing luminous pearl, the fish-shaped jade pendant that had also vanished, and that poisonous frog.
Duoduo boldly guessed that these things must have been "eaten" by her right hand.
Just like the river water.
Duoduo silently chanted in her heart, "River water go out, river water go out quickly."
Duoduo saw a stream of water emerge from her palm, and the flow grew larger and larger.
"Look quickly, water is coming out of that rock!"
Water suddenly gushed from where Duoduo was hiding, and someone immediately noticed it.
In just a moment, the river water grew larger.
The commoners who had wanted to come over and watch the commotion quickly ran back.
Even the people on the dragon boats hurriedly got off, and everyone worked together to carry the dragon boats and retreat toward the shore.
Duoduo felt the water gradually rising, and it looked like it was about to submerge her head.
She didn't dare to go out.
Just now, she had only thought about saving people and hadn't considered what to do afterward at all.
If she suddenly popped out, would it scare people?
