Night, by the riverbank.
Wang Qiang sat on the riverbank, holding a fishing rod and constantly observing the river's surface.
The water was pitch black at night, making it impossible to see what was beneath the surface. This made him feel a bit anxious. He turned to Sun Yan, who was sitting next to him scrolling through TikTok, and asked, "Is it really useful to just wait here? Why don't you perform a soul-calling ritual to directly summon my father's soul?"
Sun Yan liked a beautiful lady's video on TikTok, then looked up and said calmly, "Mr. Wang, as the saying goes, there are specialties in every profession. Though I know exorcism, it doesn't mean I know everything. Even a Harvard Ph.D. can't build a spaceship by himself. Let's wait patiently."
"Do you think my father's soul is really trapped in this river?" Wang Qiang took out a cigarette and offered one to Sun Yan. He started smoking silently, as if he had something on his mind.
"Drowning victims are likely to experience such things. If the body is retrieved in time, the resentment isn't as heavy, and the water ghost can't gain much power. But if it's drowned in a famous river, the consequences are serious. The body will keep floating on the surface, and without some skill, even a corpse collector can't bring it up."
Sun Yan, smoking, started recounting to Wang Qiang the real events recorded by his grandfather in the "Mountain Chasing Manual."
"Is it that serious?" Wang Qiang asked curiously.
"Have you heard of the Yellow River corpse collectors? They're specialized in this. The Yellow River is mysterious, with many strange events happening there, some that even modern science can't explain," Sun Yan said with a mysterious smile.
Though he hadn't witnessed those events himself, speaking of them impressed people enough, adding to the respect his clients had for him and demonstrating his reliable and knowledgeable image.
"No, I moved to North America with my family when I was young and only come back home once a year during the New Year," Wang Qiang puffed out a smoke with some regret and shook his head.
Just then, the fishing rod in his hand suddenly dipped, bending into an arc, and its weight made Wang Qiang realize that whatever was on the lure must be quite heavy.
"Something's biting!"
Wang Qiang beamed with excitement, standing up quickly with a cigarette in his mouth, gripping the rod to tussle with whatever was beneath.
The creature beneath had considerable strength, causing Wang Qiang to sway. He had to take a few steps back to steady himself but couldn't pull the catch up despite his efforts.
Sun Yan watched the scene curiously, then turned on the camera function on his phone to record from the side.
Having grown up in Dongmu Town and influenced by the local fishing culture, Wang Qiang had long been a seasoned fisherman.
Even though the catch was tough, he used his skills to gain the upper hand in the struggle.
Swish!
The sound of water breaking was heard as Wang Qiang pulled a dark figure from beneath the river, splashing water everywhere.
"Oh, a big one," he couldn't help but laugh at the figure he had fished up.
However, Sun Yan frowned. The fish was indeed large, about 40 centimeters, but it showed no signs of movement, not even any resistance.
Once Wang Qiang reeled it in for a closer look at the fish, his face dramatically changed, and even his hands holding the rod trembled slightly.
On the line was a dead fish, mouth on the hook. Its eyes were cloudy and white, its belly had a large hollow, its organs missing, and its body had long decayed.
This was clearly a dead fish and had been so for quite some time.
But if the fish was dead, then what was struggling with him in the water just moments ago?
There's no way a dead fish could still muster such powerful resistance.
A chill ran through Wang Qiang, and his eyes on the dark river turned fearful.
"Something alive must be down there," he quickly stepped back and loudly warned.
There's a saying among night fishermen: 'If you catch a dead fish, pack up and leave.'
Catching a dead fish with its mouth open is considered an ominous sign, and staying could lead to danger.
Even Sun Yan, who was filming, didn't expect such an unforeseen situation. He stepped forward and quietly opened his 'Celestial Eye,' immediately seeing a thick mist of black aura surrounding the dead fish, clearly linked to an evil spirit.
Simply catching a dead fish isn't scary. In a river, it's normal for a few fish to die and occasionally get caught by anglers downstream.
But if you catch something swimming like a live fish only to find it's dead, that's quite intriguing.
It means a water ghost has set its sights on you, wanting to make you its substitute, using a dead fish to toy with you.
Thump!
Sun Yan kicked forcefully, sending the dead fish back into the river. "Don't panic. You're safe with me here."
"Maybe we should leave first and come back during the day. This is too terrifying," Wang Qiang was visibly frightened, daring not to stay close to the bank, fearing some monster might pull him into the water.
"Ghosts hide during the day. How else can we find your father's spirit? Come and sit; with you here, there's more hope for your father's soul to appear. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."
Sun Yan patted the small stool beside him. Wang Qiang swallowed hard, thinking of his father, and reluctantly returned to his spot with the fishing rod.
The "Mountain Chasing Manual" mentions that those who drown in the water become water ghosts after death, unable to reincarnate, thus needing a living person as a substitute to escape their suffering.
These water ghosts are also known as Water Monkeys. In the water, they are immensely strong, easily overpowering an adult male and dragging him to drown.
In terms of danger, Water Monkeys surpass evil spirits but are still below the rank of evil spirits. Still, the emergence of a Water Monkey spells disaster for the locals.
Luckily, these terrifying Water Monkeys have a weakness: once on land, they become extremely weak, vulnerable even to a five-year-old child.
Moreover, as they lack a solid form, standard exorcism techniques can easily handle them.
Sun Yan, smoking calmly, sat by the riverbank, his Celestial Eye keeping an eye on the water surface, his right hand in his pocket tightly gripping the Ghost Torturing Stick, ready to counter any abnormal changes on the water instantly.
Meanwhile, Wang Qiang sat nervously, far from the relaxed demeanor he had while fishing earlier. If it weren't for trying to recover his father's soul trapped in the river, he would have long packed up and fled, unlikely to stay put as Sun Yan suggested.
Gurgle, gurgle.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed before the previously calm water suddenly formed ripples, as if a shadow was steadily approaching the surface.