Han Yu gawked at the corpse, his jaw hanging open in sheer shock.
"Where in the nine heavens did this come from?! Did it wash up here? Did the river decide to start offering corpses as gifts now?!" He muttered, his brain scrambling to make sense of the situation.
The body lay face down, clad in tattered robes that barely held together. It looked like something even a beggar would hesitate to wear. The exposed hands and legs were rough and calloused, like those of a peasant who had toiled all his life.
"Did he drown himself?" Han Yu wondered aloud, rubbing his chin.
It wasn't unheard of. People did all sorts of crazy things when they lost everything. The hill he had just climbed down from was practically famous for gamblers and debtors jumping to their deaths. A prime location for those who had gambled away their last shred of hope.
"But if he had jumped from the hill, he'd be on the other side of the river," Han Yu reasoned, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "And he wouldn't have even fallen into the water... which means—"
He looked down at the corpse, tracing the direction of the current.
"This guy floated down from upstream!" Han Yu gasped.
A shiver ran down his spine, but curiosity got the better of him. He took a cautious step closer, then another. The air around the corpse felt eerily still, as if the wind itself was holding its breath. Han Yu swallowed hard.
He nudged the body with his foot. No reaction.
He nudged it again. Still nothing.
"Whew… okay. Definitely dead."
His initial fear was replaced with a glint of opportunism.
"Well… it'd be a waste not to check if he's got anything valuable, right? It's not like he needs it anymore… Hehe! Might as well see if fate decided to reward me for all my suffering!" He rubbed his hands together, his grin widening.
He crouched beside the body and gingerly reached out, hands trembling with excitement.
GRIP.
Han Yu froze.
The corpse's hand shot up, latching onto his robe with an iron grip.
For a moment, his brain refused to process what had just happened.
Then, pure terror flooded his veins.
"G-G-GHOST!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" Han Yu shrieked, his voice climbing to octaves that should have been impossible for a mortal throat to reach.
With strength fueled by sheer panic, he yanked himself backward. RIP! A chunk of his robe tore away, but he didn't care. He was free!
His feet barely touched the ground before he was off, sprinting like a madman. He ran faster than he ever had in his life, faster than when Peng Gu was on his tail, faster than when he once stole an entire roasted duck from a market stall. Even the cold wind slapping against his wet clothes couldn't slow him down. The fear of an undead specter was a far greater motivator than hunger or exhaustion.
He ran and ran, his lungs burning, his heart pounding, until he finally collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"HAAAH… HAAAH… HAAAH…" Han Yu wheezed, staring up at the sky in disbelief. His body was aching, his legs felt like jelly, and he was pretty sure he had just shaved a few years off his lifespan from sheer terror.
"What… the fuck… was that…" he panted, mind reeling.
He lay there for a moment, trying to convince himself that he had imagined it. Maybe it was a trick of the light. Maybe the wind had moved the corpse's hand. Maybe—
He turned his head and caught a glimpse of the river in the distance.
"NOPE! Not staying here!" Han Yu shot up like a cat doused in boiling water and bolted once more, his stamina miraculously replenished by fresh terror.
By the time he reached the eastern gate of the town, his breath was coming in ragged gasps, and his clothes were damp from both river water and sweat. He stopped in front of the entrance, trying to compose himself as people turned to stare. Travelers, merchants, and even the guards were giving him curious looks.
"Ehem!" Han Yu cleared his throat, slicked back his wet hair, and attempted to adopt a casual, dignified stride toward the gate, as if he hadn't just spent the last ten minutes fleeing for his life.
"Han Yu." A stern voice called out.
Han Yu stiffened before flashing his best charming smile. "Ah! Guard Shen! I haven't seen you at the tavern in a while! Still enjoying the plum wine?"
Guard Shen folded his arms. "I didn't see you leave through the gate."
Han Yu blinked. "Uh… I came when Guard Tu was on duty. You know, big guy, kind of grumpy, doesn't talk much?" He bluffed effortlessly.
Shen narrowed his eyes. "Not getting into trouble, are we?"
"Me? Trouble? Absolutely not! I was just… uh… fishing! Yeah! I heard the winter carps are appearing, so I thought I'd try my luck at the river!"
The guard glanced at his soaked clothes, his suspicion slightly easing. "Fishing, huh? Then where's your fishing rod? And your bucket?"
Han Yu's mind whirred at lightning speed. "You won't believe my luck today, Guard Shen! I caught a monster of a carp—this big!" He spread his arms wide. "But the bastard was strong! I almost had him, but then, BOOM! I slipped and fell into the river! My fishing rod? Gone! Snatched away by the currents! And my bucket? I was so mad, I kicked it! Next thing I knew, it was floating downstream!"
He made sure to add a dramatic sniff, as if on the verge of tears. "I lost everything, Guard Shen. The fish, the rod, the bucket… and most importantly, my dignity."
The guard sighed, rubbing his temples. "You… really have the worst luck. Just don't go fishing in this weather again, or you'll catch a cold. Now go dry off."
Han Yu beamed. "Thank you, Guard Shen! I'll be more careful next time!" He quickly scampered past the gate, eager to be rid of the questioning gaze.
Once he rounded a corner, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Phew~ My silver tongue saves the day once again!" He grinned, shaking off the last remnants of his fear.
Though deep down, he made a mental note:
Avoid that river.
Forever.