Chapter 69 - Sacred Mountain in Myanmar (Part XXIII)

Chen Shaoxian quickly stopped and turned to ask, “Is this a reincarnation fish?”

Xiao Zhuang, looking at the reincarnation fish in his hand, said, “I’ve seen these once in my hometown. One year, it rained heavily, causing a landslide upstream of the river. The next day, a lot of these fish were caught from the river. No one recognized them at the time, and they were extremely easy to catch-so easy that you could grab them with your hands. People from our place are very good with water, so both adults and children went into the river to catch the fish.”

“I caught a few myself and took them home to show grandma. She was terrified when she saw the fish and urged me to release them immediately. I was young and threw a tantrum, thinking that might let me keep the fish. Unexpectedly, my usually doting grandma hit me hard that time.”

“She instructed my father and mother to lock me in the house and not let me wander. My parents didn’t understand.”

“Grandma told them these were called reincarnation fish and were water ghosts looking for a replacement in the river. They must not be caught.”

“My parents thought grandma was too superstitious, but out of respect, they listened to her.”

“After speaking with my parents, grandma went to other families who had caught the fish and asked them to release them. Grandma had a great rapport with the community, and my late grandfather was a well-respected judge in the area, known for his fairness. So, when grandma spoke, the villagers listened, and they all released the fish.”

“Grandma initially thought that would be the end of it, but an incident still occurred. That afternoon, a fishing boat came from downstream. It looked like they were fishing along the river’s edge towards upstream, and the boat was full of these reincarnation fish.”

“When grandma found out, she rushed to the riverbank, but the boat had already left. After returning home, grandma sighed repeatedly. Father reassured her, saying that with so many sailors on the boat, nothing would happen. Grandma shook her head and told him he didn’t understand, then fell silent.”

“Just as grandma predicted, that night, the villagers all heard strange roars coming from the river, as if there were many of them. It frightened everyone so much that they stayed inside, not daring to go out. It wasn’t until mid-morning the next day that everyone mustered the courage to gather by the riverbank.”

The river water was extremely murky, with many dead fish floating on the surface, the same kind we caught the previous day, and they were already rotting, emitting a foul stench.

Grandma organized the villagers to search upstream for the fishing boat, and sure enough, they found it by the riverbank. However, there wasn’t a single person on board, nor were the fish they’d caught. The boat showed signs of struggle, with bloodstains and numerous scratch marks on the deck.

Everyone was shocked when they looked in the cabin: a person lay there, almost completely reduced to a skeleton by gnawing.

The villagers quickly notified the police, who were startled upon arrival. They promptly reported to their superiors, and by the afternoon, many people came to the village to investigate.

These people found grandma, and she talked with them in the house for a long time. No one knew what grandma had said, and after they left, the family asked her about it, but she only shook her head.

The next morning, grandma took out a lot of money and asked father to buy nine sheep. After he bought them, grandma gathered all the villagers by the river and had them release the sheep alive into the water.

No sooner had the sheep been released than the whole river seemed to boil, swallowing all nine sheep in an instant. Once the waters calmed, grandma told everyone not to go into the water for the next three years.

Grandma never revealed what exactly was in the water until she passed away,” Xiao Zhuang finished, sighing.

Chen Shaoxian looked at Xiao Zhuang and said, “Your family must have had someone involved in some mysterious fields; otherwise, they wouldn’t know these things.”

Xiao Zhuang just smiled without saying anything.

Chen Shaoxian glanced at the fish on the bamboo raft and remarked, “We may not have nine sheep, but we do have two foreigners. I just wonder if the water monkeys¹ would like them.”

Though Thomas knew Chen Shaoxian was joking, he still shuddered slightly.

Xiao Zhuang curiously asked, “Shaoxian, do you know what was in the river?”

Chen Shaoxian replied, “When reincarnation fish appear, water monkeys surface. What was in that river were water monkeys.” Then he scratched his head and added, “Honestly, I’ve never seen them myself. When I was young, Uncle Liu and I would secretly go to the river to swim, and Grandpa Liu often used tales of these creatures to scare us.”

Later, during a meal, Uncle Liu and I got Grandpa Liu drunk and managed to get some information out of him. Grandpa Liu said that water monkeys and reincarnation fish are companion species. Legend has it that reincarnation fish are the souls of people who drowned, and some say they are the souls of those killed by water monkeys, becoming followers whose sole purpose is to find food for the water monkeys. Only by finding a substitute can they be released to reincarnate. That story terrified Uncle Liu and me so much that we didn’t dare eat fish for a while. In short, wherever there are water monkeys, there will be reincarnation fish.

After finishing his story, Chen Shaoxian threw all the fish from the bamboo raft into the water. He then washed his hands and said, “Watch the water surface.”

No sooner had he spoken than a bubble rose to the surface with a gurgle. More bubbles quickly followed, and soon a ripple formed on the water, heading straight for Chen Shaoxian’s bamboo raft.

Chen Shaoxian slapped himself on the mouth and said, “For heaven’s sake, let’s hope it doesn’t eat me.”

Footnote:

1. Water Monkeys(水猴子): “Water monkeys” are mysterious creatures from Chinese folklore, resembling monkeys, and are said to live in water. They are known for their rumored ability to pull people into the water.