My name is Cao Yu. I was born on July 28th, and I'm 28 years old this year. I'm still a virgin, and in two more years, I'll achieve the legendary status of "becoming a mage at 30 if still a virgin."
Furthermore, I am also a ghost exorcist. My father is one of the heads of the Wei Dao Division in the Fujian region. To put it bluntly, I'm a second-generation official. Not long ago, I even made a name for myself in the ghost exorcist circles as a rising star, thanks to my skill in exorcising ghosts with a hearse.
But these are not what make me proud. What makes me most proud is that today I saw live Pokémon, the original starter trio, and the water-type Pokémon that became a widespread meme: Squirtle!
At this moment.
Looking at the living Squirtle in front of him, Cao Yu was completely stunned, his mind racing with a myriad of thoughts: excitement, shock, bewilderment, and...
Until Squirtle nudged his foot again, making its Squirtle-Squirtle cry.
Cao Yu finally snapped back to reality.
He dazedly turned his head to look at Zhang Wei, pointed at the Squirtle by his feet, and slowly said:
"This... is it alive?"
Zhang Wei smiled and nodded:
"Yes, it's alive. Can't you see Squirtle's head reflecting the light onto your face? Of course, if you don't believe me, feel free to touch it, but we'll have to wait until we find the water ghost first. The mission cannot be delayed."
As he spoke, he beckoned to the Squirtles.
The Squirtles, seeing this, obediently ran to Zhang Wei and lined up:
"Squirtle Squirtle."
Although their voices were all Squirtle-Squirtle, looking at the lined-up Squirtles, the one in the lead raised its little hand in a salute. Cao Yu understood the meaning behind its cry, as if it were saying, "Master, we are here. Please give your orders. We are ready to obey at any time."
Following this.
Zhang Wei's next words confirmed Cao Yu's suspicions.
Zhang Wei gestured for the Squirtles to look at the Minjiang River beside them and said:
"There's a water ghost in there, a Ghost King level one. Go down and find it. Once you find it, beat it up. Oh, and bring the Poké Balls, see if you can capture the water ghost."
His words echoed in Cao Yu's ears, and his eyes widened. He couldn't help but recall Zhang Wei's earlier words.
What the hell?!
You're actually going to capture a water ghost? Are you really going to use a water ghost for gym battles?
With his childhood experience of watching Pokémon, Cao Yu couldn't help but conjure a bizarre image in his mind.
Zhang Wei goes to challenge Brock's Rock Gym, tilts his Ash-like hat, and releases a water ghost to battle Onix. The water-type water ghost perfectly counters the rock-type Onix. Onix is defeated and loses the ability to battle. Zhang Wei wins! He obtains the gym badge!
His fantasy was interrupted by the "Squirtle Squirtle" calls of the Squirtles.
The next second.
Cao Yu watched as, under Zhang Wei's orders, the lined-up Squirtles all saluted Zhang Wei and then rushed into the Minjiang River together.
With six splashes, the Squirtles jumped into the Minjiang River.
...
Meanwhile.
Not far away.
On the bank where the fishing enthusiast had died earlier, the crowd had not yet dispersed. On the contrary, as the fishing enthusiast's family burned offerings and invited a shaman to perform a ritual, the crowd grew even larger.
As they watched the shaman converse.
A child exclaimed.
A child holding a Kamen Rider toy pointed to a spot in the Minjiang River ahead:
"Mommy! Mommy!! There are turtles, look quickly, there are several turtles over there! Such big turtles!!"
In his words.
The child did not forget to spread his hands to indicate their size.
The people around him were startled by his words. This was a more rural area of Rongcheng City, which was why people had previously discussed water monkeys looking for scapegoats. Now, hearing about turtles the size of children, they quickly looked over.
In folk customs, turtles appearing in large rivers are considered good omens, symbols of good luck. Moreover, it is rumored that large turtles in rivers are ancient and spiritual, with some even saying they are incarnations of river gods.
Instantly.
Many people busied themselves looking in the direction the child pointed:
"Where? Where? Where are they? I don't see any turtles."
"I don't see any either. Perhaps he saw some wood or something."
"It must be. The child probably just misidentified it. Sigh, children's talk, why did I get excited and believe it?"
"I didn't misidentify it, I saw it clearly. It wasn't wood. I saw the turtle's shell, a very large one, brown, with some white edges. Oh, and the turtle's head was very bright, blue."
Being discredited, the child puffed up indignantly and argued, gesturing the shape of the turtle he saw.
"Huh?? Blue turtles? And the head is bright? And the turtle shell has white edges? What kind of turtle is that?"
"This is the first time I've heard of a blue turtle."
Faced with the child's words, not only did the crowd not believe him, but they became even more convinced that the child had misidentified it. After all, what kind of turtle is blue?
However, just as they were doubting.
"Actually, I saw it too."
A young man spoke, and his words immediately drew the attention of those around him. If the child couldn't be trusted due to misidentification, the young man was different. They quickly asked for details.
In response.
The young man, with a strange expression, hesitated before speaking:
"That is indeed a turtle... it should be considered a turtle, and... I've seen that kind of turtle before."
"Ah? Are there really blue turtles? What species of turtle is that?"
Those who had previously doubted the child asked instinctively.
Feeling the curious gazes of that person and those around him, the young man slowly said:
"That's... Squirtle."
Upon hearing this.
The surrounding people: "???????"
Those burning offerings paused their actions and looked over: "???????"
And then, the next second.
The child, upon hearing the young man's words, clapped his hands excitedly and said:
"Ah!! Yes!! It's Squirtle, I knew that turtle looked familiar. It turns out it's Squirtle. Mommy, there's Squirtle."
After these words.
Everyone was even more bewildered.
Are we getting old and out of touch with the times? Even children know turtle species, but we don't anymore.
Then someone mumbled:
"Are there really such turtles? They sound very ornamental. Where can I buy one? How much? I'll buy one for my food stall."
...
On the other side.
In the Minjiang River.
At this time.
In the Minjiang River, which spans four cities, underwater near where Zhang Wei and the others were.
There lay a corpse, its skin bloated and rotten from being submerged in water. If it hadn't suddenly lifted its legs and leaned against a rock on the riverbed, it would have truly looked like a corpse.
But as it picked up an arm still oozing blood and gnawed on it, while its legs were crossed.
It was certain.
That was not a corpse.
It was a ghost.
And judging by the terrifying Yin energy it exuded.
It was a Ghost King level water ghost!
...