The older generation knows that back in the eighties, the Yellow River had to be cleared of silt every year. One year, in a neighboring county of Xishan, they dug up a giant turtle as tall as a two story building.
The thing was crouching beneath the silt. At first, no one noticed it, but after a shovel went in, blood began to seep from the mud. As more and more people came up to dig, the creature finally revealed its true form.
This event even made the local newspapers, drawing many people to see it.
Among the onlookers at the scene, half said the turtle was spiritual and must not be killed, while the other half felt that eating it would prolong their lives. They argued incessantly. The turtle, whether hibernating or dead, did not move; it simply took a shovel hit and bled a great deal.
By the next day, when people returned, the giant turtle was gone. Only a deep pit remained, filled with the white bones of cattle, horses, and sheep.
As for the man who had struck it with the shovel, he died in a very eerie way—he tripped while cutting grass, and his sickle fell and severed his own neck.
The others who had dug the pit also met with various deaths or injuries; not one of them came to a good end.
There is also a type of fish called the Iron Headed Dragon King. Anyone who sails on the Yellow River knows about this creature. It can grow up to a dozen meters long and loves to circle in the whirlpools at the center of the river. Sometimes it hides by the banks, devouring children, cattle, and sheep who come to play in the water.
But none of these are the most sinister things.
The most sinister things of all are the dead in the Yellow River.
No one can count how many people drown in the Yellow River throughout the year, but the supernatural events surrounding the river are countless. Because of this, many strange rules have been born.
For example, one must never say the word "flip" on the river, nor can one pour anything containing blood into the water. Sailors must carry a dog skin whip soaked in chicken blood. If they encounter a corpse in the river, they retrieve it if they can; if they cannot, they avoid it; and if they cannot avoid it...
Then they had better have the skill to never set foot on the river again for the rest of their lives.
Of the families gathered in Xiaoning today, which of their ancestors did not rely on the Yellow River for their livelihoods?
There was the Liu family who retrieved corpses from the river, the Zhang family who specialized in paper making for funerals, the Wang family of coffin makers who relied on floating timber down the river, and the Lyu family, who started as water bandits before moving into shipping...
Even the younger generation had heard their elders mention the sinister tales of the Yellow River from before the founding of the country.
The content of the second trial of the official trial sounded simple: just sit quietly and watch the opera.
If this were ten years ago, no one would have been afraid even if they had to strip naked and swim a lap in the water at midnight.
But what time was it now?
Spiritual Resurgence was happening everywhere. Things running on the mountains, swimming in the rivers, and buried underground were all coming out to cause trouble, let alone the Yellow River, where strange occurrences were frequent.
Could the authorities really be so "kind" as to invite them to watch an opera?
Some people stared at the Qin Opera performers creaking on the stage, their legs turning weak.
Performing an opera was already prone to attracting ghosts, let alone on a desolate rocky beach by the Yellow River in the early hours of the morning.
Who knew what kind of things it would draw up from the water.
If it were just ordinary ghosts, they had ways to deal with them, but if it drew something larger...
Then everyone present would be in a precarious position.
"The authorities are playing this too big, aren't they?"
"Isn't this just asking for our lives?"
"Exactly! The authorities might as well just issue an announcement saying they don't want us to explore the Imperial Tomb Underground Palace together!"
Someone complained aloud, only to receive a massive eye roll from Lyu Dongfang.
"Your legs are softer than your mouth. The competition hasn't even started and you're complaining about this and that. If you ask me, you've just been raised uselessly at home with good food and drink. As a martial artist, you don't think about making progress every day; you just think about idling around and picking up scraps.
"The moment you encounter a bit of danger, you start shouting that you're going to die. Why don't you go look at your own reflection in the river?"
"What kind of nonsense are you talking? Who here isn't here for the things beneath the Imperial Tomb? The authorities want to keep it all for themselves and are making things difficult for us with some three stage trial. Is it really wrong for us to complain a bit?"
A slightly fat young man with a sinister face looked Hu Manni up and down before sneering again.
"How could I forget? Her Ma family is in the same pair of pants as the authorities. They've surely settled everything in private. Has your Lyu family already offered a pledge of loyalty too? Is that why you're always speaking up for the authorities?
"Oh, I forgot. Their Ma family isn't doing so well now either. Otherwise, why would they come all the way from the Northeast to Xiaoning just to snatch a bite of meat from us?
"Who knows, maybe one day that old fox will run out of breath—"
"Liu Guansheng, what the hell are you saying!"
Lyu Dongfang threw a punch with incredible speed. The young man named Liu did not dodge. He puffed out his belly slightly, meeting the punch directly with his rounded fat.
Thud.
A dull sound echoed, as if a punch had landed on a block of modeling clay. Lyu Dongfang's expression shifted, and he instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but his palm was trapped in layers of soft, greasy fat, unable to move!
What kind of sinister kung fu is this?!
His eyes widened. Beside him, Hu Manni's face turned pale, and her mouth moved imperceptibly...
"Your Lyu family has the Weight Child Skill, so can't my Liu family practice new techniques?"
Liu Guansheng grinned and grabbed Lyu Dongfang's hand with both of his, preparing to snap his arm downward. It was clear he intended to cripple his opponent's arm!
Patter!
A drop of rain fell on everyone's faces, but the sound did not come from Lyu Dongfang's arm.
Why had it turned dark overhead?
Was it raining?
Everyone instinctively looked up, only to witness the most inconceivable sight of their lives.
A yellow skinned strange snake, as thick as a water bucket and tens of meters long, flew straight out from the center of the river. It brought with it a massive spray of white water and flew directly over their heads, casting a giant shadow!
How could there be such a large snake in the Yellow River?
Wait, why is a snake flying in the sky??
Is this logical?
Is this scientific?
Some people had temporarily lost the ability to think, their gazes dull.
But the moment the giant snake descended.
Everyone reacted.
Run!
Liu Guansheng, who was directly beneath it, kicked Lyu Dongfang in the chest to push himself back. His fat body was unexpectedly agile. Lyu Dongfang was kicked but did not let go; he countered by slamming his knee hard behind Liu Guansheng's ear.
Crash! Splash!
The second they separated, the Yellow River water carrying the giant snake crashed down with a roar. Rocks flew and dust filled the air. The motionless body of the snake lay like a fallen Milky Way, perfectly separating Lyu Dongfang and Liu Guansheng.
The woman in blue who had been the subject of discussion earlier was now standing atop the snake's head. She held half a bamboo pole in her hand, and the line from the pole led directly into the giant snake's mouth.
The other half of the bamboo pole was protruding from the giant snake's eye socket, and red and white bits splattered all over Liu Guansheng's face.
The scene was dead silent.
Not a single person spoke.
They had seen this person sitting there fishing earlier, and some had even whispered about which family's second generation had come to join the fun.
Who the hell would have thought she could actually catch something!!
But this thing clearly wasn't something that could be caught with a fishing rod, right?!
No, now was not the time to think about that!
A python this large must weigh at least ten thousand catties. How did she pull it up with that thin line?
Even the old master of the Lyu family, who had practiced the Weight Child Skill his entire life, only had an arm strength of five hundred catties.
The crowd was split like Moses parting the sea, with each side taking a position. In the middle lay the massive corpse of the python, and atop the corpse stood the woman in blue.
The image was strangely eerie.
The woman's expression was somewhat annoyed. She didn't seem to see the people around her, only complaining plainly.
"Tsk, what a pity. It's stinking. I can't eat it."
She lifted her eyelids, her gaze slowly sweeping over the surroundings. Her glassy eyes held a hint of gloom. After a long moment, she spoke unhurriedly.
"Keep arguing, and I'll hang you up as bait."
Rate on N.U.
