The Water Ghost Hunts Souls

"So the string of suicides at Cihang Bridge was connected to a water ghost. And this one could not only turn invisible, but even come ashore when it rained!"

Chen Feng had barely finished his story when he felt the car slow down.

"We're here."

Old Li tapped the brakes and looked at the figure sitting on the bridge railing ahead. Then he turned. "Mr. Chen, wait in the car. We'll be right back."

"Okay."

Chen Feng nodded. Based on his last attempt, all he had to do was wait in the car for the Water Ghost to appear and kill the three of them. Then he could drive away and complete the mission with ease.

So why did that leave such a bad taste in his mouth?

Old Li was a good man. To save someone, he would jump without hesitation into a raging river. Even after the girl snatched away his lifeline, he would still push her toward shore.

A good man like that shouldn't die here.

At that thought, Chen Feng suddenly said, "Wait."

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Chen Feng asked, "You're going to rescue someone empty-handed?"

"Oh, right!"

Chen Feng's reminder made Old Li remember the rescue rope in the trunk.

After they took out the rope, Chen Feng volunteered. "I'm coming too."

Just like last time.

Once the girl surnamed Zhong was sure she had an audience for her suicide performance, she jumped off the bridge without hesitation.

"Ruobing, keep an eye on where she lands."

"I'll go save her!"

Old Li was already about to take off his clothes and repeat his earlier mistake.

Chen Feng hurried to stop him. "Uncle Li, don't jump! We only have one rescue rope. If you go in too, you might not save her, and you could lose your own life."

Old Li would never have backed down just because a rescue was dangerous. But hearing that jumping in might cost two lives gave him pause. "But can we save her with just a rope?"

His concern was reasonable. A rescue rope wasn't a life jacket. If the girl didn't know how to use it, she couldn't be saved.

Chen Feng wiped the rain from his eyes and pointed down. "Uncle Li, look how strong the current is. She isn't thrashing around, and she's keeping her head tilted back. She's staying steady on the surface. Someone who could only tread water couldn't do that."

"You're right."

It was easier to see clearly from the sidelines. With Chen Feng's reminder, Old Li understood too.

"Throw it!"

At his command, Zhang Ruobing threw the rescue rope in front of the girl.

The rope was close enough to reach with a single stroke, but the girl did nothing. She didn't move at all.

"She's exhausted!" Zhang Ruobing cried.

"No," Old Li corrected her. "Someone who couldn't swim would grab anything that floated for dear life. If she isn't grabbing it, she's still fine."

Old Li knew his business.

Chen Feng had been afraid the girl's acting would fool Old Li into jumping in and undo everything he'd accomplished. Now that Old Li hadn't fallen for it, Chen Feng only needed to wait for the Water Ghost to appear. The mission was as good as done.

"Should be about time."

As soon as Chen Feng spoke, the girl who had been floating on the surface sank beneath the water.

"Help! Gurgle, gurgle..."

Old Li spotted that something was wrong and immediately threw the rope, but the river surged on. Its surface was empty. Where had the girl gone?

A system notification sounded in Chen Feng's ear:

[Ding! Mission complete.]

[Congratulations, player. You have received one system point.]

One point could buy him another reload. That made this life worth the cost.

Chen Feng looked at the rescue rope. Just like last time, there was clearly nothing at its far end, yet it was pulled taut and jerking in short bursts.

Zhang Ruobing stared. "Wh-what is that?"

"Uncle Li, cut the rope!" Chen Feng shouted. "The Water Ghost is coming up!"

"A water ghost?"

Staring at the bizarre sight, Old Li remembered what Chen Feng had told him on the road: Water ghosts could come ashore and turn invisible. He immediately drew his pistol.

"Master, what are you doing?" Zhang Ruobing asked.

They couldn't see the Water Ghost, but if it was climbing up the rope, it had to follow a straight line. Old Li aimed down and fired several shots.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sharp shots rang out. As the bullets struck, blood suddenly spattered from empty air!

"Ah!"

Zhang Ruobing screamed. She could hardly believe her eyes. There was nothing there, so how could it be bleeding?

"Don't shoot it," Chen Feng called. "Shoot the rope!"

"Right!"

Old Li aimed at the rope. Bang! It snapped, and the severed length fell onto the river, throwing up an abnormally huge splash.

Zhang Ruobing's voice trembled. "Master, was that...?"

Old Li's face was grim. "A water ghost."

An eerie silence fell over them. Only the wind and rain howled in their ears.

Chen Feng couldn't help asking, "Why are we still standing around?"

"Procedure says we secure the scene, establish where the person fell into the water, and call the fire department to recover the body," Zhang Ruobing explained.

She took out her phone, only to find she had no signal at all.

"Forget the body!" Chen Feng urged. "If we don't run, we'll be bodies ourselves!"

Old Li froze. "Run? That thing isn't dead?"

"Definitely not!"

Chen Feng was certain. Last time, he'd hit the monster with a car and still hadn't killed it. What good were a few bullets going to do?

The three hurried back to the car, started it, and fled.

Old Li stepped on the gas, still shaken. "Brother Chen, we owe you one."

Without the young man's reminder to get the rescue rope and his warning not to jump, Old Li would probably have fallen prey to the Water Ghost by now.

Chen Feng waved it off. "It's fine. Where are we going now?"

Old Li turned the wheel. "Back to the station to change into dry clothes, then..."

As he spoke, he saw Zhang Ruobing pick up the radio to report what had happened and quickly stopped her. "Wait."

"What is it, Master?" Zhang Ruobing asked.

"What are you going to tell our superiors?"

"The truth."

"The truth? That a water ghost killed the girl in the river, then climbed the rope to come after us?" Old Li shook his head. "You think they'd believe that? I don't want to see you sent to the Fourth Mental Hospital."

"Well..." Zhang Ruobing hesitated. If she hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed it either. "Wait, we have body cameras! That's strange. Why is mine broken?"

A phone with no signal. A broken body camera.

Remembering the power outage at Happiness Internet Cafe, Chen Feng suspected that electrical devices failed whenever something supernatural appeared.

But Zhang Ruobing still refused to give up. "Whatever the case, we can't let that Water Ghost keep killing people!"

Old Li was silent for a long time before making a decision. "I'll find someone to handle this. Go home, get some sleep, and forget what happened today."

"But..."

"Enough!" Old Li slammed on the brakes and pointed at Zhang Ruobing, his voice rising. "This isn't something you can handle! If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to face your late father?"

Zhang Ruobing refused to back down. "And if something happens to you, Master, what will your wife do on her own?"

Chen Feng wondered why Old Li, at his age, didn't have any children.

But the three arguing in the car had no idea what was happening behind them.

Not long after they drove away, a line of footprints appeared out of nowhere in the rainwater pooled on the road.

Strangely, there was no one above them.