roccoschili Chapter 49 - 45: The Phantom of the Lake
Chapter 49 - 45: The Phantom of the Lake
Chapter 49: Chapter 45: The Phantom of the LakeThere are countless principles in the world, but only the fist is the hardest truth.
Whether in his past life in modern society or after transversing to this era, Jiang Shouzhong had a deep understanding of this.
Alas, with mediocre aptitude and having missed the prime age for martial training, he had to give up the idea.
Now, hearing about the other party’s swordsmanship, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Brother, when did you start learning swordsmanship?"
Mr. Yan was not one to boast; he honestly replied,
"In my youth, I had no fondness for martial arts, and even with a renowned master’s guidance, I never took it to heart. It was not until the age of twenty that I truly began my training. Unfortunately, my talents were lacking, and the swordsmanship I have learned has barely made some progress, hardly worthy of high praise."
Jiang Shouzhong was skeptical of the man’s modesty.
In his quest to find his daughter, he had traveled far and wide, especially since she had been abducted by horse bandits, the places he
Jiang Shouzhong was about to nod when suddenly, from a distance, a cry of terror came,
"There’s a ghost! There’s a ghost in the water!"
Jiang Shouzhong turned his head and saw a tourist who had accidentally fallen into Cloud Lake struggling desperately, screaming in panic.
The surrounding boatmen and tourists all stared blankly.
And the tourist was one of the young men who had boarded Zhao Wancang’s boat earlier.
Zhao Wancang stood inside the cabin not far from the shore, looking stunned.
Jiang Shouzhong hesitated whether to go and help, turned his head to say something to Mr. Yan, but when he turned around, he saw that the man, holding his sack, had already run far away, still shouting as he ran, "The ghost is coming, run, run fast!"
Jiang Shouzhong was dumbfounded.
Damn it, I hope I haven’t actually been duped.
...
The young tourist was rescued from the lake by Zhao Wancang. Even after being pulled ashore, he kept on ranting.
Eventually, he was scolded by his companions and dragged away forcibly.
Some people thought it was just a scare from falling into the water, and they laughed and talked about it, not taking it seriously.
Others were truly frightened. Originally planning to take a boat ride, they no longer had the courage, and they all left, much to the dismay of the boatmen who cursed in frustration.
They had made their livings on Cloud Lake for so many years and had never seen a ghost in the lake.
Zhao Wancang’s face darkened.
He tied his boat to the post on the shore, staring at the tranquil lake, seemingly lost in thought, with one hand tightly grasping the Jade Buddha hanging around his neck.
Jiang Shouzhong watched from a distance, his expression thoughtful.
As it neared the afternoon hour of You, the lake’s visitors had all gone, and most of the boatmen had also returned home. Zhao Wancang borrowed some tools from the boat service and began repairing his small boat.
As the sky gradually darkened, only Zhao Wancang was left in the vicinity.
After repairing for nearly an hour, as the darkness became more profound, Zhao Wancang stood up to stretch his weary muscles and bones.
He looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, he untied the boat rope and gently rowed his boat towards the center of the lake.
The Jade Buddha that he bought near Wuchan Temple was already taken off his neck, clutched firmly in his hand.
"It still proved to be a good catch."
Jiang Shouzhong, witnessing this scene, couldn’t help but feel his spirits lift. He roughly estimated the direction the other man was heading and quietly followed along the lake’s shore.
Strangely enough, Zhao Wancang stopped his boat in the middle of the lake on the south side of Cloud Lake and did not row any further.
Zhao Wancang stood quietly in the cabin, motionless.
As if he were frozen in place.
Jiang Shouzhong was puzzled.
With his gaze fixed on the small boat, he did not notice the faint ripples spreading in the farther parts of the lake.
A shape slowly rose from the waters.
A woman in a red wedding dress, her complexion deathly pale.
The red-dressed woman’s eyes, devoid of pupils, looked towards Zhao Wancang in the boat, then her gaze shifted, falling upon Jiang Shouzhong on the shore. Her crimson lips slightly curved upwards.
"Such a heavy aura of death... it looks very delicious."