First Encounter with the Water Ghost

The rain outside grew heavier, hissing like meat on a grill.

"When it comes to ghosts and gods, better to believe they exist than find out the hard way."

Old Li tapped the horn, then lowered his voice mysteriously. "Mr. Chen, want to hear a story?"

"Here we go again."

Zhang Ruobing rolled her eyes and covered her ears. "Not listening. Save your chanting."

Who asked you?

Chen Feng nodded. "Sure. Let's hear it."

"What I'm about to tell you is absolutely true. Believe it or don't." Old Li's voice dropped. "Years ago, there was a filthy-rich businessman who married a tall, beautiful woman who looked like she'd stepped out of a painting."

"They hadn't enjoyed the good life for long before strange things started happening. The businessman grew weaker by the day. He was wasting away, and all the neighbors said his wife was bad luck for him!"

"But the businessman was blinded by love. He refused to believe it... until one day!" Old Li's voice shot up. "He came home early, and what do you think he found? That's right! He caught his gorgeous wife with another man!"

Holy shit. He was being cheated on.

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this the story of Wu Dalang and Pan Jinlian all over again?

As if he had read Chen Feng's mind, Old Li grinned. "You're thinking the businessman was getting weaker because his cruel wife poisoned him every day. Then, when he caught her, she and her lover killed him. Right?"

Chen Feng nodded without thinking.

"No!" Old Li said.

Chen Feng froze. "Huh? Did the businessman fly into a rage and kill his wife and her lover instead?"

Old Li bared several teeth yellowed and blackened by cigarettes. "Nope!"

Damn it. Was there a third possibility?

Chen Feng was stumped. The businessman couldn't have decided to join them, could he?

Old Li revealed the answer. "The businessman pushed open the door and saw two people embracing. He thought he'd caught the cheating pair, but when he looked closer, he saw his delicate wife holding a corpse. Its life essence had been drained until it was nothing but skin and bones!"

"Ah!" Chen Feng cried out.

Seeing his reaction, Old Li laughed. "Ever seen a human skin?"

I've done more than see one. I've been one.

"What happened next?" Chen Feng asked quickly.

"The sight was so hellish that the businessman dropped dead on the spot!"

Old Li pointed ahead. "When he opened his eyes again, his wife had thrown him off Cihang Bridge. Freezing river water filled his nose and mouth, and he drowned!"

"And his death made everything worse."

Old Li told Chen Feng, "People who die violently in the water, or take their own lives there, are full of resentment. They can't rise to heaven or descend into the earth. They can only wander the cold riverbed, never to be reborn."

"And the businessman died horribly. His resentment stuck in his chest, so he became a Vicious Ghost!"

"They say people crossing the bridge at night have heard the Water Ghost swear that one day, he'll crawl out of the river and take his demon wife's life!"

Chen Feng understood. "So there's a Water Ghost under this bridge?"

Old Li nodded firmly. "That's right. If there weren't, why would so many people have jumped off this bridge or fallen into the water in recent years?"

"He's looking for a Substitute so he can break free and take revenge on that woman!"

As soon as Old Li finished speaking, a mechanical voice sounded in Chen Feng's ear.

The Great Benefactor System had issued a new mission:

[A Water Ghost haunts the waters beneath Cihang Bridge. Its body is transparent and its features indistinct. Whenever someone falls into the water, it assails them with a chilling, malevolent aura and drags them into the depths to drown.]

[Mission objective: eliminate the Water Ghost.]

[Mission reward: 1–3 System Points, depending on performance.]

Chen Feng's scalp prickled.

A tall woman. A lover reduced to skin. A husband turned Water Ghost.

Putting those clues together, Chen Feng thought he knew what that ghostly thing that had broken into the Internet Cafe and could turn invisible really was!

Noticing Chen Feng had gone quiet, Old Li reassured him. "Don't be scared. No matter how fierce that Water Ghost is, he can't leave the water or come ashore. As long as you don't do anything foolish, like swim in the river or fish along the bank, you'll be fine."

That's exactly the problem!

"Uncle Li," Chen Feng stammered, "did you know Water Ghosts can actually come ashore?"

"Oh? Some places do say that Water Ghosts can come ashore when it rains or floods. I didn't realize you knew so much, Mr. Chen."

How could I not? I've seen it with my own eyes.

All Chen Feng wanted now was for the car to stop so he could run. "Uncle Li, I'm not hungry anymore. Could you drop me off?"

"No need to rush. We're here."

Old Li eased onto the brake, and the car slowed.

Rain was pouring down outside. In the brief instant the wipers cleared the windshield, Chen Feng made out a blurry figure sitting on the slick railing, legs dangling over the edge.

"That's him."

"Wait for us in the car."

The doors opened, and the two officers rushed into the downpour.

"Don't do anything rash!" Old Li shouted. "Come down and we'll talk!"

But the words had barely left his mouth when the figure plunged off the bridge.

"Don't! Don't jump!" Zhang Ruobing cried.

"Save him!"

There was no time to hesitate. Old Li stripped off his gear and shoes and started climbing over the railing.

Zhang Ruobing went pale. "I can swim too, sir! I'm going down!"

"Like hell you are!"

Old Li knew swimming and rescuing someone were two different things.

Someone drowning would grab desperately at anyone trying to help. Without rescue experience, even a strong swimmer could be dragged under.

"Get the rescue rope from the trunk! Hurry!" he roared.

With that, Old Li leaped into the river.

Meanwhile, Chen Feng had quietly slipped into the driver's seat, ready to flee at a moment's notice. When Zhang Ruobing returned with reddened eyes, he asked, "What happened? Where's your mentor?"

Zhang Ruobing tried to stay calm, but her voice shook. "He jumped in to save someone."

What?

Chen Feng's heart jolted.

He jumped in? Didn't he know there was a Water Ghost down there? Did he have a death wish?

Zhang Ruobing opened the trunk and pulled out the rescue rope.

Chen Feng hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "Wait. I'll help too."

Zhang Ruobing glanced at him. "Thank you."

Only when he stepped outside did Chen Feng realize how hard it was raining. He couldn't see ahead without wiping his face.

They reached the bridge railing. After searching the water for a long moment, Chen Feng spotted two people below: Old Li was swimming hard toward shore, dragging a young woman, but she thrashed wildly and even shoved his head underwater.

This is bad.

The rain was too heavy, the current too strong, and Old Li had someone to rescue.

Chen Feng's heart sank. With everything working against him, Old Li's strokes were already growing ragged. If this went on, he would run out of strength.

Beside him, Zhang Ruobing quickly tied one end of the rescue rope to the steel reinforcement in the bridge pier, securing an anchor point.

"Throw it!"

Zhang Ruobing aimed and tossed the rope down.

At the sight of the rope, a spark of hope flared in Old Li's despair. He swam toward it with all his strength. Then a cry for help came from beside him. The young woman's face twisted in pain, and she began thrashing frantically. She must have swallowed water.

Quick! Quick!

Old Li stopped conserving his strength. He caught the rescue rope and held it against his chest, then reached for the young woman.

Chen Feng wiped the rain from his face and prepared to guide them toward shore with the rope.

Then everything went wrong!

The young woman suddenly snatched the rope with one hand and shoved Old Li hard in the chest with the other.

The shove was devastating.

Caught off guard, Old Li inhaled a lungful of water. Even then, he pushed the young woman back toward shore.

He pushed her toward life, and she pushed him toward death!

Old Li vanished from sight and did not resurface. Zhang Ruobing's mind went blank. She broke down completely. "No!!! Sir!!!"

"Monster."

Chen Feng saw what had happened.

From the start, the young woman had thrashed and grabbed at Old Li, draining his strength like someone who couldn't swim. But the instant he was swept away, she stopped struggling. She conserved her energy and floated on her back.

There was no doubt about it. That bitch could swim!

The more Chen Feng watched her clutch the rescue rope, the angrier he grew. He rushed to the railing, ready to untie the rope and let that monster die.

But Zhang Ruobing stopped him. "I know you're angry. I am too. But saving people is our duty. You can't do that."

Chen Feng gave a bitter laugh. "You call her a person?"

As they argued, the young woman below let out a warped scream. "What is that? Something in the water grabbed my foot! Pull me up! Hurry!"

Another trick?

"Stop playing games!" Chen Feng shouted down.

But the young woman only screamed louder and thrashed harder, churning up great splashes. "I'm not lying! There's really something down there! Help! I was wrong, I know I was wrong! Pull me up! Please..."

Her cries stopped abruptly.

Something had dragged her underwater.

The force on the rope turned strange in Zhang Ruobing's hands. Whatever pulled on it weighed far more than a young woman.

Chen Feng wiped his face and followed the taut rescue rope with his eyes. There was nothing at the far end, yet the whole rope jerked in a steady rhythm!

Something ghostly was climbing up the rescue rope!