Uncle Changshun Escapes Danger? Water Ghost Brings Disaster

Chapter 12: Uncle Changshun Escapes the Tiger's Maw? Water Ghost Brings Disaster

As the days gradually entered late autumn, Lin Mo, after his examinations, settled into diligently refining his Blood Essence, while Xu Changfeng was often out, gone for two to three days at a time.

He heard that the Changhe Martial Arts School, in conjunction with the county's major powers, had organized a manpower to clear out Water Ghosts.

It was said that these Water Ghosts were quite fierce, and even a martial artist could be caught off guard.

With the arrival of late autumn, the fishing yields at the dock gradually decreased, and he was happy to have some leisure time.

Just as the morning sun broke, Lin Mo took off his shirt and finished practicing a round of White Ape Stance Training. White mist steamed from his body, fully loosening his muscles and bones.

He was preparing to take advantage of the early hour to practice the first four forms of the White Ape Eight Section Fist again.

Suddenly, urgent shouts came from the entrance of the dock, the voice sounding quite familiar.

He turned his head to look and was surprised to see Lin Hai, whom he hadn't seen in several days. Usually, he came with Uncle Changshun to sell their catch, but this time he had come alone.

Lin Hai looked anxious, as if something major had happened. As soon as he spotted Lin Mo, he came running over, panting heavily.

When he finally reached him, he leaned over, hands on his knees, and before he could even speak, he blurted out, "Mo... Brother Mo..."

"Have some water to calm down. Why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning?"

Lin Hai didn't take the cup of water. After catching his breath, he said urgently, "Something terrible has happened! My dad, my dad was attacked by a Water Ghost, and he's lying in bed now..."

"Uncle Changshun is injured? Hurry and get a doctor. I'll bring some Trauma Medicine and go back first to check on him."

His mother had died early, and his father had committed suicide due to gambling debts.

When Lin Mo first arrived in this world, he had gnawed on grass roots and bark for days. If it weren't for Uncle Changshun giving him some food when even his own family was struggling, he feared he wouldn't have survived that hardship.

He threw on his shirt and hurried towards Big Fishing Village, leaping and bounding like an ape in the mountains, his speed so astonishing that Lin Hai's eyes widened.

Big Fishing Village was not too far from Changhe County, about seven or eight li away. With Lin Mo fully channeling his Blood Essence, he arrived in just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

Inside the Lin family's mud house, a large crowd of villagers had gathered.

Seeing Lin Mo arrive, many seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, especially Lin Changshun's wife, who quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Many fishermen who didn't know the details looked on curiously, "Whose son is this? He looks like a martial artist."

"He's the son of Brother Lin Changshun from the head of the village!"

"His brother? Didn't he jump into the river earlier and..."

Before the rest of the words could escape, the fisherman sheepishly covered his mouth and quietly watched the scene inside through the window.

On the wooden bed, Lin Changshun lay weakly, his face pale and lips dark, but thankfully, his spirit was somewhat intact.

"Uncle Changshun, how are you? Have you seen a doctor?"

"Yes, yes, I've seen one. I found the Barefoot Doctor from the neighboring village. He said it's nothing serious, just a lot of bleeding. You just need to rest for a few days and don't get out of bed."

As he said this, Lin Changshun seemed to remember something and urged, "Aren't you still a manager? It's busy there, you should hurry back to work!"

"It's fine, everything's been arranged over there. I came specifically to see you."

Lin Mo said as he slightly lifted the quilt, revealing his right leg wrapped in a rather unclean cloth, with bloodstains still seeping through.

Just by looking at the remaining bloodstains, he knew the wound was not minor, far from what Lin Changshun was making it out to be.

"Bandaging it with such unclean cloth will surely lead to infection. If it gets infected, that's when the real trouble will start..."

Lin Mo said, then comforted him, "I've sent Lin Hai to get a doctor. Don't worry about the cost, we'll get a good one."

"No, no..."

Lin Changshun propped himself up, his face looking anxious. "Hurry and tell the doctor not to come, it's too expensive. You're still practicing martial arts, money is important!"

"What's more important, money or life? Listen to me!"

After a brief chat, Lin Mo learned the whole story from Lin Changshun.

As late autumn approached, the fishing yields became increasingly unsatisfactory. Lin Changshun, still thinking about helping Lin Mo with the dock business, called a few people and headed down the river to find good fishing spots.

After searching for a long time, they finally found a good spot and managed to catch enough. Who would have thought that on the way back, they would be dragged off the boat by this ghastly Water Ghost?

Fortunately, the villagers were numerous and powerful, and they managed to pull him out of the water. However, his thigh had been bitten, and he was injured.

But the more Lin Mo listened, the more his brow furrowed.

He had heard of Water Ghosts before, whether from the deceased Zhao Wu or from Xu Changfeng and the others.

How could ordinary people drive away a Water Ghost?

They were like wolves that could smell blood, and their combat power soared in the water, making even a martial artist hesitant to claim they could easily defeat one.

However, despite his confusion, Lin Mo still comforted Lin Changshun, saying he was a fortunate person to have escaped the tiger's maw.

After the doctor arrived, re-applied the medicine, bandaged the wound with clean gauze, and prescribed some oral medication.

Lin Mo also quietly looked at the heads of a few people. The [Observe Qi and People] skill, which he hadn't used in a long time, was activated again. White mist swirled, and he checked the fate of each person, starting with Lin Changshun.

[Robust Physique], [Wounded and Bleeding]...

He scanned through several, and indeed, he finally saw [Water Ghost Calamity].

"This thing hasn't dissipated yet?"

Based on Lin Mo's understanding of [Observe Qi and People], fate patterns related to disasters would usually dissipate once the event occurred or was resolved. He hadn't expected it to still be lingering above their heads.

"That means this incident isn't over, and the Water Ghost could still attack..."

Lin Mo pondered, knowing the Water Ghost might attack. He couldn't possibly keep Lin Changshun by his side at all times. The key was to eradicate this fate pattern.

He then looked at the other fishermen and children from the village who were gathered outside. Ever since he became a martial artist, his Blood Essence had increased exponentially. He hadn't experienced the weakness that usually came with using [Observe Qi and People].

After observing three to five people, he let out a slight gasp. To his surprise, however, Every single one of them, whether fishermen or children, had the [Water Ghost Calamity] fate pattern above their heads, as if it were a plague.

Fate patterns are contagious? Lin Mo certainly didn't believe it. He recalled a casual chat he'd had with Xu Changfeng.

'This Water Ghost is like a wild beast, but strangely, its intelligence is much higher than ordinary beasts...'

Lin Mo keenly grasped a possibility: the creature might be mimicking human behavior, marking or penning in livestock.

As this thought arose, his hair stood on end for no apparent reason.

He quickly estimated the density of the fate pattern's white aura. It seemed to have intensified only in the last few days. Water Ghosts rarely came ashore, especially when they weren't in their element.

However, if they came ashore to hunt, specifically targeting a group of villagers who couldn't even lift a chicken, or only knew how to wield farming tools, it would be as easy as slaughtering chickens and sheep.

Lin Mo sought out the village chief of Big Fishing Village to discuss the matter. He didn't need to put on airs of authority; his martial arts attire alone convinced the chief about seventy to eighty percent.

"So, you're saying everyone in Big Fishing Village needs to relocate for a while? But how long should we hide... We don't have much food..."

"No, perhaps we don't need to hide. Gather the strong young men of the village, and we'll set a trap together! We'll kill the Water Ghost!"