January 28, 2023
"Qing'er! Young man!"
A shout came from a hundred steps behind. It was Qing's father's voice, who remained in place with the Witch with no hands and the black crocodile.
Qing's father made the right decision; if he had joined the search ahead, he could have been the next prey of the big hand-fish.
He also extinguished the lantern on his boat to avoid attracting any uninvited guests.
This human had experience dealing with us.
The handless Witch whispered in its heart. It was tempted to order its black crocodile to attack Qing's father but refrained, remembering Sizhu's warning that he would rage if any human was harmed, tearing its body to pieces and drying it under the scorching sun if that happened.
It had also resigned itself to all this as part of an agreement with Sizhu — that it would be left alive once Sizhu reached his goal. The Witch depended on this agreement.
A hundred steps ahead, Sizhu and Qing widened their eyes as dozens of big hand-fish surrounded them on the riverbank.
The big hand-fish lined up, ready to attack simultaneously under the command of their leader, who had a roughly similar build but with a human face and two legs.
Their scales were red, like pomfret fish, but the size of tuna.
"Moi! Moi! Moi!"
"Moi! Moi! Moi!"
On both sides of the river, the fish noisily shouted 'Moi! Moi!' Sizhu and Qing watched cautiously to see which fish would dare to approach first.
The human-faced, two-legged fish grinned. It looked pleased to have many prey tonight. After months of fasting, it could finally taste human flesh again.
That's why they noisily shouted 'Moi! Moi!' from their fish mouths.
"That fish! Father said a few months ago that around the Yangtze River, there's a Witch that can swim and likes to prey on humans who dare to pass near the forbidden forest river."
Qing pointed at the grinning human-faced fish.
Sizhu heard it but didn't comment. He remained focused, observing the surroundings and feeling the water flow in case any fish approached to attack.
"Moi! Moi! Moi!"
"Why aren't they attacking yet?" Qing asked anxiously, seeing the fish only shouting 'Moi! Moi!' at them all this time.
"They're waiting for their master's command. The human-faced fish is their master. If it dies, these fish will lose their leader's guidance and flee."
Sizhu calmly answered Qing's question.
Delicious humans, your fate ends in this river. The darkness of night makes the water below appear dark; if we attack them all at once, no human can resist no matter how strong they are. Moi.
Besides, they can't escape anywhere because we've surrounded them from all directions. Moi.
After that, we'll attack the old man who shouted just now. Moi.
Tonight our bellies will be full. Moi!
The human-faced, two-legged fish prepared to leap into the river water.
It smiled broadly at Sizhu and Qing, who helplessly floated in the river.
"MOI! MOI!"
"MOI!"
At once, the hand-fish followed their leader, jumping into the water, swimming quickly to strike Sizhu and Qing.
From the mouth of the human-faced fish, a wooden staff spun straight, piercing through its throat and out the back, then lodged into a tree branch behind it.
Eh? Moi?
Unnoticed, as soon as its body touched the water, its legs and hands could no longer move. Its fish tail twitched a few times before going limp. Dark reddish-black blood, different from fish blood, stained the river within five steps around it.
I... am dead? Moi?
How could this be... Moi...
The light in the human-faced fish's eyes went out along with its terrifying wide smile.
Sizhu, who had been in a throwing stance moments ago, sighed in relief.
"The third lesson from my master: In any situation, always watch your enemy and strike the moment you see their weakness."
Qing, hanging from Sizhu's neck, couldn't believe what he had just seen. His mouth was wide open.
The way Brother Sizhu threw his wooden staff just now, how he gave it spin power while floating on the water, made the staff fly straight like an arrow — even faster than an arrow — piercing that Witch's body...
Such incredible power!
Qing smiled broadly in amazement. He truly admired that throwing strength.
The others big hand-fish surrounding Sizhu and Qing quickly turned around and swam far away.
The splashes calmed as the big hand-fish 'fled' somewhere unknown.
"That was amazing, Brother Sizhu! You defeated that Witch with just one throw!"
Sizhu nodded, "Your father was worried and shouted for us. We should return to the boat quickly before more Witches arrive."
The corpse of the human-faced, hand- and leg-fish Witch was left floating there. Some of the big hand-fish creatures tore at their leader's flesh. A corpse is still just a corpse — food for them regardless of what or who it once was.
After swimming to retrieve the wooden staff lodged in the riverside tree, Sizhu and Qing returned to the father's sampan and the black crocodile of the handless Witch.
"Thank God! You're both safe!"
Qing's father hurried to hug his drenched son tightly, not caring that his own clothes got wet from Qing's wet clothes from the river.
"Don't worry, Father! Brother Sizhu saved Qing and defeated that fish Witch."
Qing's father glanced at Sizhu, who was also soaked. Water dripped from his long hair. There was a faint fishy blood smell from both him and Qing.
"Thank you, young man. I don't know how to repay your kindness for saving my son and me, Master Sizhu."
Qing's father knelt on the sampan facing Sizhu. Sizhu stood on the black crocodile — his boat — feeling slightly awkward.
"Master Sizhu?" Sizhu said awkwardly.
He didn't know how to respond. It was the first time he'd seen someone kneel like that to him.
"Lift your face. My master never commands anyone to kneel before him."
Sizhu kneeled on one knee, touching Qing's father's shoulder to help him sit upright.
"Your son is strong. It's not right for a father with such a son to kneel before anyone."
Qing's father wiped his tears. Throughout his life, he had never heard such kind words.
He had always lived in hardship, exiled from his home village with his wife. Forced to live in a village near the forbidden forest. No one was willing to help or even pay any attention to his family.
Not even on the night his wife was killed and torn apart by ,that creature. No neighbors or villagers cared, prioritizing their own safety first.
They ran away, leaving the house attacked by that creature, while Qing's father could only fall to his knees watching his wife's body scattered, taken into the forest by that creature that 'fled' upon seeing humans.
"Thank you. Thank you. I always thought my life was a punishment from the gods. I always thought my life was cursed. I didn't want my children to grow up in that cursed place. I regret pushing limits and seeking more than i should.
"If you hadn't been here tonight, young man... maybe tonight would have been our last night fishing..."
Qing's father sobbed. Seeing such a fragile old man, Sizhu was speechless and just remained silent.
Qing, hearing his father's hoarse words, also remained silent. Since he could walk and talk, his father had taught him fishing and work. It was all for the family. His father had long endured all that suffering for their family.
"Father, let's go home."
Only those words came from Qing's mouth as he hugged his father tightly.
"I promise to be strong like Brother Sizhu and we will leave that village. I promise."
***