Water Ghosts Destroy Village, People Are Panicked

Chapter 16: Water Ghosts Annihilate Villages, Spreading Panic

Chapter Sixteen: Water Ghosts Annihilate Villages, Spreading Panic

Lin Mo naturally understood the principle that "tall trees catch the wind." After his conversation with Old Man Yang Yun, he received some rewards.

Although he was only a registered disciple, Yang Yun symbolically increased his monthly Blood Essence Pill quota to ten pills and bestowed twenty taels of silver, which alleviated Lin Mo's immediate financial hardship.

He had only five taels of silver left, which he had pooled together for lamp oil. He was truly penniless.

The injuries on his ten fingers had not yet healed, showing a faint tendency to scab over. To ensure a more thorough recovery, Lin Mo went out to Guo's Pharmacy.

He intended to purchase some simple wound-healing medicine and herbs for external application when practicing the White Ape Eight Section Fist, to help alleviate muscle strains and the like.

"My Blood Essence has already broken through to the Great Accomplishment stage. After practicing the last two forms of the White Ape Eight Section Fist, there are no longer any barriers. In the coming days, as long as I focus my mind and practice diligently, my combat power will likely double again once I reach the Minor Accomplishment stage."

Lin Mo mused to himself as he walked onto the street. However, after walking for a while, he noticed something strange.

It was noon, under the warm autumn sun.

Changxing Street, the main thoroughfare of Changhe County, should have been the liveliest time of day. In the past, the banners of the restaurants would flutter in the wind, and the cries of vendors would be heard everywhere.

However, recently, an inexplicable sense of dread seemed to have quietly spread through the streets and alleys.

At first, a few peddlers carrying their burdens were whispering to each other, their faces filled with panic as they mentioned, "The village downstream from Wulong Village... not a single soul was left alive..."

The news spread like wildfire: Water Ghosts! They had already wiped out three villages!

Lin Mo walked along the street, and the small stalls and vendors were all discussing the matter, with no inclination to do business.

He went into a restaurant to eat and overheard someone confidently stating that their relative from a neighboring village had fled there last night, covered in blood, describing corpses floating ashore in the dark, devouring anyone they saw.

With the clamor of voices, he lost his appetite. He ordered some food, ate it quickly, and left.

Lin Mo headed towards the pharmacy, unconsciously quickening his pace, his brow furrowed.

"I didn't expect these Water Ghosts to really cause such widespread panic by massacring villages. It's likely to be chaotic again for a while. I'll just calm down and wait for them to handle it."

He hadn't forgotten about the matter of merit points. If someone with ill intentions appeared, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to fight back in his current Great Accomplishment state.

In this world, one's life was still the top priority!

Along the road, there were constant patrols of yamen runners and constables. Sometimes they would sternly shout, "Those who spread rumors and confuse the masses will be beaten with eighty strokes."

But Lin Mo clearly observed that even among the constables, many had expressions of unease. Their timid appearances suggested they were afraid a Water Ghost would suddenly leap out from a corner.

"This county magistrate is also muddled. Isn't this arrangement only going to exacerbate the panic?"

Lin Mo shook his head and didn't think further. After purchasing his medicine at Guo's Pharmacy, he turned back to his small courtyard with the stone walls. He was accustomed to practicing his skills there.

"Hello, Senior Brother Lin..."

"Hello, Senior Brother."

As soon as he entered, he was greeted by the apprentices. He responded to each of them and went to the mud-packed training ground. The number of apprentices still training there had significantly decreased.

It was unclear whether they had fled Changhe County in a hurry or had lost their lives during the Water Ghosts' village massacre last night.

Lin Mo casually applied some wound-healing medicine to his hands and then found Xu Changfeng.

"Senior Brother Xu, I have already broken through to the Great Accomplishment stage and would like to ask you to teach me the practice methods for the last two forms of the White Ape Eight Section Fist."

"It just so happens that I have some free time these days, so I'll teach you hand-to-hand."

Xu Changfeng still had his usual smiling demeanor. He stood with his hands behind his back before the training posts, dressed in a simple gray martial arts outfit. He continued with a resonant voice, "The White Ape Eight Section Fist, the last two forms are the essence and the absolute most important part..."

"Although it's only a low-grade human-tier martial art, as long as you master the last two forms, it won't be inferior to a mid-grade human-tier one!"

As he spoke, Xu Changfeng leaped onto the plum blossom stakes. The moment his toes touched the wood, he calmly stabilized his entire body, so much so that not even the slightest tremor of the stake could be seen.

"The last two forms of the White Ape Eight Section Fist emphasize intent over form. The movements are like a mad ape, and fighting and striking rely on a surge of wild energy!"

With a sharp shout, Xu Changfeng moved according to the footwork of the White Ape Eight Section Fist. It was as if his feet had eyes, and he leaped between the plum blossom stakes without the slightest hesitation.

He unleashed a continuous barrage of punches, his arm bones connecting seamlessly, emitting seven consecutive explosive sounds in the air!

After practicing for dozens of breaths, Lin Mo used his Insightful Eye to freeze Xu Changfeng's movements and replay them repeatedly in his mind. He then leaped onto the plum blossom stakes to practice.

While the last two forms emphasized intent over form, Xu Changfeng's experience in generating force provided him with insights into the techniques of channeling Blood Essence, making it easier for him to replicate and learn.

Lin Mo imitated Xu Changfeng's posture, lowering his hips and steadying his stance. His arms spread out like a white ape reaching for branches as he twisted his waist and shifted his weight.

At first, he could imitate it fairly well with his reflexes and sufficient Blood Essence. However, after only ten or so breaths, he made a slight misstep, causing the plum blossom stakes to shake, and his internal Blood Essence became chaotic.

Each subsequent movement felt like treading on a knife's edge, and the muscles in his thighs burned due to the chaotic surge of Blood Essence.

Lin Mo gasped in pain, drawing two or three breaths. In just the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, his clothes were soaked with sweat, and his legs trembled like a sieve.

"Even with the boost from Insightful Eye, it seems I can't rush things..."

Lin Mo rested for a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Fragments of memories flashed through his mind, and he began to review them frame by frame.

"The last two forms not only emphasize intent over form but also require extremely high control over Blood Essence. No wonder there's a threshold for reaching Great Accomplishment."

"If one hasn't even reached Great Accomplishment, firstly, their Blood Essence isn't enough to support it, and secondly, their proficiency in controlling Blood Essence is insufficient."

He took a Blood Essence Pill and sat down to calm his breathing.

Lin Mo was also acutely aware of one thing: although he was a registered disciple with the backing of a martial master.

If word of his minor merits were to spread, it was inevitable that someone would try to coerce him into trading them for precious medicine by force.

In Lin Mo's opinion, such behavior wasn't foolish, but rather that when the profits were large enough, people's minds could easily be clouded.

Especially concerning the Water Ghost incident, he clearly remembered Zhao Wu raising Water Ghosts for the Zhao Family Grain Store.

Though he didn't know the inside story, Lin Mo had a hunch that they were the ones who orchestrated this Grace Order, all for the merits listed on it.

He looked at the apprentices in the courtyard, most of whom were still resting or eating, took a deep breath, straightened his back, and walked back to the plum blossom stakes.

It was true that he was already a martial artist, but the sense of impending crisis that welled up within him made him resolve to put in more sweat than others.

For the next few days, Lin Mo would finish his work at the docks in the morning, do a brief patrol, and then clock out precisely at noon to return to his stone-walled courtyard for extra practice.

He had all three meals delivered to the courtyard, not returning until dusk.

With the supply of Qi and Blood Pills and the aid of topical herbal medicines, Lin Mo's training became even more intense, more ruthless than when he was an apprentice.

Even Xu Changfeng marveled at it repeatedly.