Chapter 48.4: The Well Trap

Runsheng exhaled deeply, feeling like he had wrung every last drop of wit from his brain just to muddle through the situation.

But then, something happened that left him utterly dumbfounded.

Li Sanjiang, holding his Bagua Compass, first walked south beneath the bridge. When the river curved and there was no way forward, he simply reversed course, following the compass north.

And Zhou Yong's house? It was precisely at the northern edge of the village.

So Runsheng, trailing Li Sanjiang the whole way, ended up right in front of Zhou Yong’s house, wearing an expression as if he'd seen a ghost.

His own grandfather had always claimed that Uncle Sanjiang was useless—this was supposed to be useless? Last night, Little Yuan had spent ages finding Zhou Yong’s place, and now Uncle Sanjiang had sniffed it out in the time it took to take a leak!

“Hahaha, hello there!”

Li Sanjiang waved at the mother and daughter sitting in the courtyard.

Thanks to Runsheng, a local, standing beside him, he could see them clearly.

“Uncle, let’s not go any closer,” Runsheng said, resolving that if Li Sanjiang insisted, he'd physically carry the old man away if he had to.

“No need, no need. Just the two women at home—no point in going. Not interesting.”

After all, it wasn’t appropriate for an old man to approach a house where only women were present.

But to Runsheng, that meant something else entirely—Uncle Sanjiang could tell Zhou Yong wasn’t home just like that?

By afternoon, they had wandered back to Grandpa Shan's place.

The village head was there, checking on progress. Li Sanjiang thumped his chest, telling him not to worry—they were close to finding him.

After the village head left, there was still plenty of strong liquor left from the night before, and the village head had even dropped off some small braised dishes.

The two old men sat down and resumed drinking.

And drinking. And drinking some more.

As night approached, Li Sanjiang remembered why he'd come and made to head out again before dark.

But Grandpa Shan pulled him back, insisting he stay and drink some more, then nudged Runsheng to go out and look around again.

Runsheng agreed, grabbed his gear, and left. Little Yuan had already instructed him to check twice a day, morning and night.

He ran to Zhou Yong’s courtyard.

This time…

The mother and daughter were gone.

…

Night.

An adult walked along the riverbank with a boy on his shoulders.

At first glance, they looked like a father and son out for a nighttime stroll.

But their conversation was chilling—the man was calling the boy on his shoulders “Dad.”

“Dad, Blind Liu’s family had someone return the money. What should we do?”

“We go back another day. Double the price. I don’t believe she won’t bite.”

“Okay. Are they really that important?”

“Very. Their family has incredibly tough lives, especially that little granddaughter, Cuicui.”

“Dad… do you like her?”

The dwarf smacked the man’s head, making him yelp in pain.

“Idiot! Marrying someone with that kind of fate? You trying to bury me early?”

“Then why’re you interested in her?”

“She’s useful. If we tie ourselves to that family, they can take the heat for us. Their fate is hard; they can bear misfortune. There are three of them. If one dies, there’s another to replace them—perfect.”

“Why don’t we just take them by force—?”

“Take my ass. You forget what I taught you? In our line of work, the biggest taboo is drawing white karma. If you’re gonna pull tricks, you better do it cleanly.

Otherwise, who knows when the heavens will send a retribution—you won’t even know how you died.

We’re already freaks—me a dwarf, you with giantism. The heavens hate us, and people stare at us funny. So we have to be extra careful. Got it?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“And next time we visit Blind Liu’s, remind me to ask about that boy.”

“Still thinking about him? Just a kid.”

“I feel like he saw through me.”

“Come on, Dad, you’re imagining things. Out there, everyone thinks you’re my kid.”

“No, he saw right through me. His eyes—he knew what I was thinking. You weren’t there, you didn’t see. It was terrifying.”

“You think he’s got the same condition as you?”

“I don’t know. That’s why we need to go back to Siyuan Village and check his home. Oh, and that quiet girl beside him—she’s really pretty, like someone from TV.”

“I saw her too. Her fate isn’t hard, is it?”

“Hard to say. Probably not.”

“Then can she be my wife?”

“Ha! You’re my son. Know your place. You’re last in line.”

“Dad, you’re the worst.”

“Enough. We’re here. Get in the river and summon that fool. Let’s see how your handiwork turned out. Let Daddy inspect your progress.”

“No problem, Dad.”

The man, still shouldering the dwarf, stepped into the river, preparing to summon something—but bubbles suddenly surfaced.

A back emerged, slowly turning, revealing Zhou Yong’s body.

“Look, Dad! My dead sinker is so obedient—comes out without even being called.”

“Very impressive. Son, I’ve said it—nobody in this line has more talent than you.”

“Of course.”

“ROAR!”

Suddenly, the slime in Zhou Yong’s eyes turned crimson, and he lunged at the man.

“Dad!” the man shrieked.

The dwarf slapped a talisman onto Zhou Yong’s forehead. He froze instantly.

“So scary, Dad! What just happened?”

“Dead sinker losing control. Happens. No nee—”

A ghost wind swept over the bridge. The river’s malevolent aura surged.

The talisman burned away.

“ROAR!”

Zhou Yong’s hands pierced the man’s chest, then he bit into his throat.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The sound of shattering bones echoed, crisp and rapid.

The man was thrown back into the river.

“This can’t be… this isn’t happening!”

The dwarf thrashed in the water, unable to believe what was unfolding.

Blood and body parts surfaced. Zhou Yong pounced again.

“You bastard! You killed my son! Give him back!”

The dwarf's face twisted into a grotesque mask. He pulled out a barbed rope and twisted around like a fish, slipping behind Zhou Yong and tightening it around his neck.

“AAAAHHHH!”

Zhou Yong screamed, his neck melting away.

But as he roared, back at Zhou Yong’s house, the well’s lid slid off.

A multicolored water snake inside opened its jaws in a silent shriek—and burst into pus.

BANG!

BANG!

Windows of the house’s bedroom and kitchen exploded as two women leapt out and sprinted toward the river.

Runsheng, already on his way, saw them flash past. He recognized them—but their feet were gliding over the ground like slithering snakes.

They dove into the river, leaving only twin ripples on the surface.

“You killed my son! That was my son!”

The dwarf’s rope had nearly severed Zhou Yong’s neck. His aura was fading, malevolent energy dissipating.

This clashing-fate feng shui setup was always short-lived.

Then Zhou Yong grabbed the dwarf’s legs.

The dwarf didn’t care—he thought the dead sinker was finished.

But then, he looked to the side—something was in the water.

Suddenly, two shadows burst from the river, one left, one right, grabbing the dwarf and tearing into him.

Their eyes were snake-like. Every bite drew not red but black blood.

“AAAHHH!”

The dwarf screamed. He tried to escape, but three dead sinkers clung to him. No matter how nimble he was, he couldn’t break free.

In the end, his face turned bluish-grey, poisoned. He died unwillingly, sinking with the dead sinkers.

After Li Zhuiyuan altered Zhou Yong’s memory, his resentment shifted—from longing to stay with his wife and daughter, to vengeance for his broken family.

Once his enemy died, his revenge was complete. His resentment began to dissolve.

Even if things went wrong, there was a backup—the river’s feng shui had been altered by Li Zhuiyuan to generate a burst of deadly energy. It ignited all the surrounding aura, including the dead sinker’s.

Zhou Yong was gone for good.

With his end came release for the ghostly wife and daughter bound to him.

As they sank into the river, they eventually drifted apart, except the mother and daughter, who remained in each other’s embrace.

When Runsheng reached the river, he was startled—corpses floated everywhere.

“Little Yuan, you were right. So many dead fish!”

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