Chongmei Mountain lay 120 li to the west.
Bubbles streamed continuously from the bottom of Yunze Lake; vast patches of pitch-black mud stirred up in tandem.
One by one, the Golden Pearl Clams, the size of millstones and triangular in shape, were dragged from beneath the water by the pearl gatherers.
Their surfaces were smooth, bluish-black, with wave-like frills fringed around the opening edges, fitting together jaggedly like interlocked fangs.
Chen Mu stood at the forefront of the bamboo raft, waving a grass fork, hauling the most recent Golden Pearl Clam onto the raft.
The pearl gatherer, Chai Song, stepped forward and adeptly pried open the clamshell, dissecting the clam flesh. Five or six golden pearls the size of soybeans were quickly found.