Uncle Changshun Escapes the Tiger's Jaws? Water Ghost Brings Calamity

Chapter 12: Uncle Changshun Escapes the Tiger's Jaws? Water Ghost Brings Calamity

Chapter 12: Uncle Changshun Escapes the Tiger's Jaws? Water Ghost Brings Calamity

The days gradually entered late autumn. Since passing the martial arts school's examination, Lin Mo had been able to focus on tempering his qi and blood. Xu Changfeng, on the other hand, often went out, sometimes for two or three days at a stretch.

According to him, Changhe Martial Arts School had joined forces with the county's major powers to organize people to clear out the water ghosts.

It was said these water ghosts were quite fierce. Even a martial artist could fall victim to one if he was careless.

Once late autumn arrived, the dock's fishing income dwindled, and Lin Mo was happy enough to enjoy the leisure.

Taking advantage of the early morning light, Lin Mo removed his shirt and finished a round of White Ape Stance Training. White vapor steamed from his entire body as he thoroughly loosened his muscles and bones.

He was just about to take advantage of the early hour to practice the first four forms of the White Ape Eight Section Fist once more.

Suddenly, urgent shouts came from the dock entrance. The voice sounded quite familiar.

He turned to look and was surprised to see Lin Hai, whom he had not seen for several days. Normally, Lin Hai came with Uncle Changshun to sell their catch, but this time he had come alone.

Lin Hai looked frantic, as if something major had happened. The moment he spotted Lin Mo, he came panting and running over.

Only when he reached him did he brace his hands on his knees. He wanted to speak, but could barely catch his breath. "Mo... Brother Mo..."

"Have some water and catch your breath. Why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning?"

Lin Hai did not take the cup. The instant he caught his breath, he blurted out anxiously, "Something terrible has happened! My dad... my dad was attacked by a water ghost. He's still lying in bed..."

"Uncle Changshun is hurt? Go fetch a physician. I'll take the Trauma Medicine and go back to check on him first."

The previous owner's mother had died early, while his father had taken his own life after racking up gambling debts.

When Lin Mo had first arrived in this world, he had gnawed on grass and tree roots for several days. If Uncle Changshun had not given him a few mouthfuls of food despite his own family barely having enough to eat, Lin Mo feared he would never have made it through that ordeal.

He threw on his clothes and hurried toward Big Fishing Village. Leaping and bounding like an ape racing through the forest, he moved so quickly that Lin Hai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Big Fishing Village was not too far from Changhe County, only seven or eight li away. With his qi and blood running at full force, Lin Mo arrived in barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

A great crowd of villagers had gathered around the Lin family's earthen house.

When they saw Lin Mo arrive, many seemed to have swallowed a calming pill. Lin Changshun's wife in particular hurriedly grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Quite a few fishermen did not know what was going on and asked curiously, "Whose boy is that? From the look of him, is he some martial artist lord?"

"Big Brother Lin Changshun from the village entrance's son!"

"His older brother? Didn't he jump into the river and kill him—"

Before the rest of the words could leave his mouth, the fisherman wisely covered his mouth. Through the window, he quietly watched the activity inside.

Lin Changshun lay weakly on the wooden planks of the earthen bed, his face pale and his lips purplish. Fortunately, he still had some spirit left in him.

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

"I have, I have. We found a barefoot doctor from the neighboring village. He said it wasn't serious, just that I lost a little too much blood. As long as I rest well for a few days and don't work the fields, it'll be fine."

As he said this, Lin Changshun seemed to remember something and hurriedly urged him, "Aren't you still working as a steward? Things must be busy there. Hurry back and do your work!"

"It's fine. Everything there has already been arranged. I came specifically to see you."

As Lin Mo spoke, he slightly lifted the blanket and saw Lin Changshun's right leg wrapped in not particularly clean cloth, with bloodstains still seeping through.

Just from the remaining bloodstains alone, he knew the wound could not possibly be as minor as Lin Changshun made it sound.

"Wrapping it with such dirty cloth will definitely cause an infection. If it gets infected, that's when there'll truly be trouble..."

As Lin Mo spoke, he comforted him a little. "I had Lin Hai fetch a physician. Don't worry about the money. We'll change it for proper dressing."

"No, no..."

Lin Changshun propped himself up, anxiety showing on his face. "Hurry and tell the physician he doesn't need to come. It's too expensive. You're still practicing martial arts—money is important!"

"What's money compared to a life? Listen to me!"

After exchanging a few simple words, Lin Mo asked Lin Changshun about what had happened and finally learned the whole story.

Seeing that late autumn had arrived and the catches were growing more and more disappointing, Lin Changshun had still been thinking about helping Lin Mo build up his dock business. So he called several people and traveled downstream along the river in search of a good fishing spot.

After searching for most of the day, they finally found a decent place and barely managed to pull in enough catch. Who would have thought that, on the way back, that neither-human-nor-ghost water ghost would drag him off the boat?

Fortunately, the villagers had strength in numbers and pulled him out of the water. However, his thigh had been bitten open, leaving him wounded and bleeding.

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

Naturally, he had heard of water ghosts, whether from the dead Zhao Wu or from Xu Changfeng and the others.

How could ordinary people drive away something like a water ghost?

The moment it smelled blood, it was like a wolf. In the water, its combat strength surged even further. Not even a martial artist would dare claim he could easily take one down.

Yet despite his doubts, Lin Mo still comforted Lin Changshun, saying that he was a blessed man and that was why he had escaped the tiger's jaws.

When the physician arrived, he reapplied the medicine, wrapped the wound in clean gauze, and prescribed some topical medicine.

Lin Mo also secretly looked above the heads of several people. [Observe Qi and People], which he had not used in a long time, took effect once again. White qi spread before his eyes as he examined Lin Changshun's fate.

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

He scanned several in succession, and at last truly saw [Water Ghost Calamity].

"This thing hasn't dispersed yet?"

Based on Lin Mo's understanding of [Observe Qi and People], fate patterns of the calamity type normally vanished once the event had occurred or been resolved. Yet this one still remained above his head.

"That means this incident isn't over yet. The water ghost may still attack..."

Lin Mo calculated inwardly. Even if he knew the water ghost might attack, there was no way for him to keep Lin Changshun by his side at every moment. The key was to uproot this fate pattern entirely.

He then looked toward several fishermen from the village and children who had come to watch outside the door. Since becoming a martial artist, his qi and blood had increased severalfold, and he had not experienced the weakness that came with using [Observe Qi and People].

After looking at three or five people in succession, he finally let out a slight rough breath. Yet what surprised him was this.

Whether fishermen or children, every single one of them had [Water Ghost Calamity] staining the tops of their heads, neatly lined up as though it were a plague.

Could fate patterns be contagious? Lin Mo certainly did not believe so. He recalled something Xu Changfeng had once mentioned in casual conversation.

'This water ghost is like a wild beast, but isn't it strange? Its intelligence is much higher than that of an ordinary beast...'

Lin Mo keenly seized on a possibility. Perhaps this thing was imitating humans, marking them, raising them like livestock.

The moment this thought arose, the hairs on his body stood on end for no reason.

Judging simply from the density of the white qi around those fate patterns, it seemed the danger would come within the next few days. Water ghosts did not often come ashore, especially when they were away from their home ground.

But if it came ashore to feed, specifically to eat a group of villagers too weak to truss a chicken, or at most capable of wielding farm tools, it would truly be like slaughtering chickens and sheep.

Lin Mo found the village chief of Big Fishing Village to discuss the matter. He did not need to put on the airs of a steward; merely his martial attire made the village chief believe seven or eight parts out of ten.

"Then does that mean everyone in Big Fishing Village has to hide somewhere else for a while? But how long would we have to hide... We don't have much food..."

"No. Perhaps we don't need to hide. Bring the village's able-bodied young men and set traps with me! Kill the water ghost!"