Chapter 15 The River Guardian

The man said, "It's not a complete free pass! Only those who died violently are placed in the house."

"After the corpse has been stored for three days, Old Liu steers the boat and takes the corpse for a spin in the river. After the spin, the corpse can be buried. Otherwise, it's difficult to bury the dead; if you force a burial, they might come back."

My heart stirred slightly, "Who is Old Liu? Where can I find him?"

The man said, "Old Liu is the village's Great Immortal, we all call him Grandpa Liu. He lives in the village. His house is by the water."

I asked again, "Is there anything else strange about Old Liu?"

The man said, "Old Liu lives in that house for a period every year when the water rises. When he goes, he first digs a big pit next to the house, so that the water can flow into the pit. When he leaves, he fills the pit. Every year, he does this, and he doesn't let anyone look into the pit. That's all I know."

I said in a low voice, "Go find Old Liu and tell him I want to stay in his house by the river. No matter how he tries to get rid of me, I won't leave. Don't say anything else. Go!"

The man agreed and turned to walk towards the village. I saw people greeting him from a distance, but he ignored everyone. He just kept his hands hanging by his sides, his upper body straight, walking step by step towards the village.

Not long after, I saw an old man with a bedroll on his back walking towards me. The other man greeted me with a smile, "I heard we have a distinguished guest, so I came to welcome you. Come inside."

I followed the old man into the house and watched him spread his luggage on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), especially leaving the best, warmest spot at the head of the kang open. "The head of my kang is where the dead lie. Distinguished guest, you'll have to make do at the foot of the kang!"

After the old man made his bed, he lit his pipe, "My name is Liu Bao, you can just call me Old Liu. How should I address you, honored guest?"

I looked at Old Liu with a half-smile, "I'm hardly an honored guest! My name is Li Po! Po as in soul. Just passing by. I thought your place was interesting, so I came in to sit."

"A name with 'ghost' in it, that's powerful." Old Li took a puff of his pipe. "Friend come from upstream?"

The old man took me for a water ghost. Who told me to have a ghost character in my name?

Since the old man had misunderstood, I didn't explain, "Came from outside, looking for someone." As I spoke, I gently flicked my wrist.

I had fitted two dragon-shaped buckles onto the Soul Shackling Chain that my master had given me. I usually kept it wrapped around my wrist as a wrist guard and as decoration.

I flicked my wrist to let him see the Soul Shackling Chain clearly.

Old Liu's eyes suddenly widened, and he asked tentatively, "Are you a… superior?"

"What do you think?" As I spoke, I infused yin qi (ghost energy) into the Soul Shackling Chain. The finger-thick iron chain instantly flashed with bursts of eerie light, and the baleful aura from the underworld instantly radiated from my wrist.

Old Liu immediately stood up respectfully. "Water Guardian Liu Bao, greets the superior. May I ask what brings you here?"

I said indifferently, "I'm here to find someone, someone who died many years ago. Her name is Wang Li Shi. Do you know where she is?"

Old Liu shook his head after hearing this. "My family has been guarding the river for generations, and I've never seen such a person."

I asked again, "I heard you dig pits in front of your door and take corpses for a cruise on the river?"

Old Liu said, "To be honest, Superior, I dig pits in front of the door to wait for a fish. To wait for it to come and avenge my ancestors."

"Our Liu family has been entangled with that fish for more than one generation. I don't know how my family offended that fish, but someone dies at its hands in every generation. My short-lived son was dragged into the river by that fish, and we couldn't even find his body in the end."

Old Liu shed tears as he spoke, "I'm already this old, and my only wish is to avenge my father and my son! That beast is too cunning. I dug a pit and waited for him in the house, but he didn't come. I took those who died violently on a cruise on the river, using yin qi to tease him, but he didn't come out either. I have no choice."

I asked indifferently, "What does that fish look like? Where does it hang out?"

Old Liu said, "I haven't seen the full appearance of the fish, I've only seen its spine. I estimate that the fish is about one person long. Also, that fish has no scales."

My gaze sank slightly, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Old Liu nodded. "I once fought with that fish, and that fish has no large scales. It looks like it's covered with a piece of black cotton cloth."

Old Liu saw that I didn't speak and continued, "I've encountered that fish several times near the whirlpools upstream. I've always suspected that the fish came out of the whirlpools. But I dare not go into the whirlpools!"

The dead, the fish, the whirlpools, Wang Li Shi, it all fit together.

I lit a cigarette and took two puffs. Before I could even frown, I heard Old Liu shout, "You're not a ghost official, you're a human?"

I exposed my identity because of smoking. There are still differences between ghosts smoking and humans smoking. I am not a real ghost, and there are some things that I cannot do.