C10 Walking in the River of Evil

I was shocked to see bodies... no, upright bodies, not just one or two but a whole group of them, standing in the water!

The swift current nudged the group of bodies along, as though they were taking a stroll through the water...

"Grandpa Jiaang, what... what's happening?" I asked, my voice tinged with horror.

"These aren't bodies; they're evil spirits! In such a situation, you must never disturb them," Old Master Jiaang whispered.

"Evil spirits?"

"These spirits are the souls of those who met untimely deaths upstream in the Weak Water River. They are filled with resentment, refusing to be reborn, forever wandering the waters, seeking to find a replacement for themselves."

"So where are these spirits headed? Do they just drift along with the current?" I inquired, curiosity piqued.

"They say they'll continue on until they reach the deepest end, then turn around and head in a different direction, repeating this cycle endlessly," Old Master Jiaang explained.

"Grandpa Jiaang, what do we do now? Turn back or wait until they've moved on before we retrieve the second body?" I asked.

Old Master Jiaang gazed into the distance and sighed, "There's no need to retrieve the second body. Further on lies the true Weak Water River, where even birds cannot escape its grasp. Changsheng, let's head back. I'll share with you the art of corpse fishing and the taboos of the Weak Water River."

"The real Weak Water..." I peered into the distance, where a thick mist seemed to shroud the water's depths, casting an ominous and eerie pall.

Old Master Jiaang and I turned the boat around and made our way back to the banks of West River Village. Thankfully, we encountered no further oddities on our journey.

Once ashore, Old Master Jiaang delivered the male body to the bereaved family. Such a reunion was bound to bring sorrow.

When the family had regained their composure, they offered Old Master Jiaang a red envelope. He initially intended to decline, but after glancing at me, he accepted it. I understood that Old Master Jiaang's actions were all for the sake of his foster father, hoping to purchase some nourishing supplements for him.

After the relatives of the victims had departed with the bodies, several more grieving families arrived. Initially, they were incensed that the bodies hadn't been recovered. However, upon learning that the bodies were in those eerie waters, they quickly composed themselves, shaking their heads and sighing as they walked away. This only deepened my curiosity about the mysterious waters further downstream.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, half a month had passed. With summer in full swing, Old Master Jiaang's business was booming, and we had managed to make a decent sum of money—enough to afford medicine for my foster father.

In that time, my foster father's legs had healed remarkably well, and the wounds had closed. Yet, perplexingly, his overall health and complexion were deteriorating, to the point where he even began coughing up blood.

Whenever the doctor visited, my foster father would send me far away, and they would converse in hushed tones.

This time, after the doctor had left, I stealthily followed him and, after much coaxing, finally learned the grim truth.

"Young man, I'm afraid your father doesn't have much time left," the old doctor told me.

I was shell-shocked, responding in disbelief, "How can that be? Isn't my father's injury healed?"

He sighed deeply before explaining, "Your father was already weak, with insufficient Qi and blood and a failing heart. This serious internal injury has only compounded his condition. He may appear alright on the outside, but he's extremely frail inside. Right now, he's clinging to life by a thread, and he could be in danger at any moment."

Hearing this left me heartbroken and filled with rage. My resentment towards the village grew as I desperately asked the doctor if there was any way to cure my foster father.

"Your father's condition is quite peculiar. Even if he were to visit the best hospitals in the city, I doubt they could cure him. The only thing to do is to have him take some deer antler and wild ginseng to strengthen his body, which might extend his life," the doctor said, then walked away with a heavy heart.

Drained by the weight of his words, I slumped against a tree trunk, wiping away tears. Wild ginseng and deer antler are expensive remedies, and without a penny to our names, how could we ever afford them?

I had even considered selling my blood or demanding a high price for a corpse, but how much money would that really bring in?

Feeling utterly disheartened, I made my way back to the courtyard and inadvertently bumped into someone. Looking up, I saw an elegantly dressed elderly woman who exuded an air of dignity and grace.

"I'm sorry," I offered my apology, but the old lady seemed unfazed. She turned to address Old Master Jiaang in the courtyard, "Old Mr. Jiaang, I implore you to reconsider. My daughter's situation is in your hands."

The old lady was remarkably humble, yet Old Master Jiaang coldly huffed and gestured for her to leave.

"Old Mr. Jiaang, I won't give up. I'll return next year at the same time," the old lady sighed as she departed.

Once she was gone, my curiosity got the better of me. "Grandpa Jiaang, who was that old lady?"

Old Master Jiaang sighed deeply and explained, "Her last name is Jin. She seeks me out every Ghost Moon."

"What for?"

"To retrieve a body—to have me bring back her daughter's remains. It all began 23 years ago..." Old Master Jiaang sparked his pipe, inhaled deeply, glanced at his severed arm, and began to share the haunting tale that had terrorized him for a lifetime.