Steward Liu led them there and then turned to leave, seemingly with more important matters to attend to, probably waiting for the Paper Talisman Artisan who would never return.
With Steward Liu gone, everyone spoke more freely. Kuang Hongyi's experience was similar to Yang Xiao's, with the encounter with the Paper Man Third Young Master soon after getting into the water. They realized the deception and immediately steered their boat away, heading in the direction where the Kongming lanterns had been released.
Just like what Yang Xiao had thought, neither team had actually released any Kongming lanterns.
The unexpected occurred at that moment when Kuang Hongyi and his companion came across a boat with a White Lantern hanging on its bow. Thinking it was their comrades, they approached, only to see that the person standing on the boat was the already dead Sun Amao.