005 The Mysterious Man in Black

After a while, feeling somewhat tired, Chen Yage poked her head out of the water, glanced around to make sure no one was near, then stripped off her filthy, stinking rags and washed them in the river. However, the grime on her clothes was as stubborn as a city wall; without soap or detergent, there was no way to get rid of the stains. Those marks seemed to possess the same tenacious vitality as cockroaches. Chen Yage tried with all her strength, but it was futile. In the end, she tossed the clothes behind her in frustration and plunged back into the water.

Gradually, a scent of blood wafted over, invading her nose and mouth. No way—is there a water ghost in here? Or a corpse? Memories of ghost stories and horror films flickered through her mind—those murdered souls dumped into rivers. A chill ran down Chen Yage's spine.

If you've done nothing wrong, you needn't fear ghosts knocking at your door! Even if there really is a ghost, why would it seek revenge on me? Ghosts have their reasons, don't they? In all those TV stories, ghosts only seek justice or retribution. Surely, no ghost would bear to harm someone as lively, lovely, beautiful, and clever as me. But Chen Yage overlooked one thing: it was usually men who showed mercy to women, while those who appeared and disappeared mysteriously were most often female spirits. Like repels like, opposites attract—so a female ghost would hardly spare another woman!

Suddenly, Chen Yage burst out of the water. The river remained calm, its surface unbroken. She held her breath and listened intently; the bloody scent grew stronger. Heart pounding, she glanced back and remembered tossing her clothes behind her. She quickly swam over and, luckily, her clothes hadn't yet sunk to the bottom. Otherwise, she'd be in real trouble—she couldn't exactly go around like a cavewoman! Although open-minded, she wasn't about to wander around naked.

As she grabbed her clothes, she felt something else tugging at them. Using all her strength, she pulled—and before her lay a figure clad in black, blood still flowing from his body. The river water, mingled with blood, glowed crimson beneath the setting sun. Terrified, Chen Yage fell backward into the water, clutching her clothes and swimming furiously away. Only when she put ten meters between herself and the figure did she feel somewhat safer. Hastily, she put her clothes back on, scrambled ashore, and ran. Yet after a few steps, her curiosity got the better of her. She hesitated, then turned back toward the riverbank. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

Step by step, Chen Yage walked toward the river, her heartbeat rising like a thermometer in boiling water. Though terrified, she couldn't suppress her curiosity and kept moving closer to the land of death.

Would he leap up and kill me? Is he a man, or a ghost? Chen Yage crept forward, nerves stretched taut. If someone else appeared behind her now, she would surely faint dead away.

It was only by sheer force of will that Chen Yage approached the man in black. He had thick brows and thin lips, his skin deathly pale, lips pressed tightly together. She reached out and felt for his breath—there was still a faint sign of life. At last, she let out a sigh of relief. He was alive, not a ghost!

Was this snatching someone from the hands of the King of Hell? It probably didn't count.

Saving a life is better than building a seven-tiered pagoda; if the King of Hell comes looking for her later, that would be a problem for another day. Saving him was the priority.

So, using all her strength, Chen Yage dragged the man in black to the riverbank. His body was a bloody mess. Carefully, she tore open his clothes. Having soaked in the river, his body was slightly swollen; his snow-white chest was covered with gaping wounds, blood seeping out endlessly.

What to do? If this went on, he would surely die from blood loss! As the saying goes, if you save someone, save them to the end. Having brought him ashore, she couldn't just let him die. Gritting her teeth, Chen Yage ran to the riverbank in search of bitterwort. When she was a child, she used bitterwort to stop bleeding, and fortunately, some grew nearby. Otherwise, she wouldn't have known what to do.

Bitterwort is a wild herb with slender stems and many leaves, intensely bitter in taste. When boiled, it can clear heat and detoxify; applied raw, it has a miraculous effect in stopping bleeding. Without hesitation, Chen Yage stuffed the bitterwort into her mouth, chewed it thoroughly, and then applied it to the man's wounds.

When she finished, Chen Yage tore strips from the man's clothes and carefully bandaged him. Though he frowned from the pain, he uttered not a sound. She couldn't help but admire his endurance—a true man, reminiscent of Guan Yu having his bones scraped. Yet she wondered whether she had saved a good man or a villain. If he was good, she had done a good deed; if he was evil, she might have aided the wicked.

"Are you awake? How are you feeling?" Chen Yage saw the man in black open his eyes slightly and waved her hand before his face, but he immediately fainted again.