Chapter 446

Speaking of Liu Guozhong, after rescuing Aunt Wang from the Ku Jing that night, he lay unconscious in bed. He then ran a fever for several days, his mind became hazy, and naturally he overlooked the scene where Aunt Wang had scratched him. He might not even know what the girl he saved looked like.

Only after a while did everyone burst through the door, chattering as they surrounded Liu Guozhong, asking him questions. Only then did Liu Guozhong gradually regain his senses and vaguely recall what had happened that night.

That night, Liu Guozhong took a few capable men out to search for the missing yellow ox in the production team.

Villagers reclaiming land needed farming tools and livestock. In the production team of the old society, besides human labor, important labor force included oxen and plow equipment; without oxen, the field could not be cultivated and became a wasteland unsuitable for sowing.

Thus, the ox's status in society at that time was even more important than that of people; ordinary folks, even if they themselves went hungry, had to find ways to feed the ox.

That night, Liu Guozhong led a few capable men to search the village for most of the night, but still found no trace of the yellow ox. After dark, to recover the ox as quickly as possible, Liu Guozhong suggested everyone spread out to search, which would expand the search area and increase the chances of finding the ox.

The direction Liu Guozhong took happened to be the far end of the Zhu Lin. As he walked in with a flashlight, he had not gone far before hearing a faint cry for help.

A martial artist observes six directions and listens to eight. As his qi sense grows stronger, his eyesight and hearing become sharper. Thus, though the sound was faint, Liu Guozhong still caught it.

When Liu Guozhong hurried to the edge of the Ku Jing in a few quick steps, he clearly heard the cry for help coming from the well's edge. Though people of the jianghu are often rough and illiterate, most martial artists who wander the jianghu are righteous types who help those in need. Thus, Liu Guozhong almost without thinking leapt straight into the well.

Afterward, Aunt Wang was pulled up, while Liu Guozhong's leg was grabbed by the Thousand-Faced Corpse.

Fortunately, Liu Guozhong is a true disciple of the Southern Liu Family Fist; otherwise, an ordinary person might have been dragged down by the Thousand-Faced Corpse within moments and had his face peeled off.

The Liu Family Fist differs from the Cai Li Fo and Mo Family Fists; besides the famous Liu Family Staff of the south, its bridge hand and Liu Family Stance are also unique to southern martial arts.

As is well known, martial artists emphasize waist and horse unity; when issuing a punch, the explosive force is not brute strength but relies on the waist, sending power from the fist. For example, the Two-Level Horse (two-character clamp yang horse) of Wing Chun, when perfected, is as stable as a thousand‑weight drop; even if you break his bricks or snap his staff, he remains unmoved. Even if you catch him off guard and strike his groin, as long as he clamps his horse stance, the opponent's leg will be locked as if by a thousand‑jin vise; if he does not release, the opponent cannot move.

In Guangdong there is a boxing saying that describes the Liu Family Fist thus:

"The bird‑spider claw (spider claw), swift as lightning, traceless; the shrimp‑lord waist," bending freely, suitable for attack and defense.

"The bird‑spider claw" describes the bridge hand needing to be quick and agile, like a spider catching prey; "the shrimp‑lord waist" describes the waist turning flexibly. Advance or retreat, one can turn attack into defense and defense into attack.

Therefore, the horse stance of the Liu Family Fist is no inferior to that of Wing Chun. First, the standing horse trains endurance; then the bow horse and walking horse coordinate with the bridge hand to issue punches. It stresses four‑sided stability, feet rooted like an old tree, firm and powerful.

That night, in peril, Liu Guozhong relied on this solid stance training to preserve his life. He planted his heels firmly in the rock‑wall crevice, clenched his teeth, held his breath, and after sending forth his bodily yang energy, he engaged the Thousand‑Faced Corpse in a delaying struggle.

In the end, everyone knows what happened. The old Party secretary led the villagers in timely arrival, pulling Liu Guozhong, who was about to sink to the well bottom, out of danger.

After hearing Liu Guozhong's account, the onlookers, besides exclaiming at the narrow escape, could not help but give him thumbs‑up, praising his kung fu. Some even knelt publicly, wishing to take him as their master.

Liu Guozhong, this honest fellow, though born into a martial‑arts family, the Liu clan had long since declined; his father's so‑called sect head was merely an empty title. These years he followed his father south and north, performing acrobatics, living a life of wind‑blown meals and irregular hunger, never having seen anyone treat him with such great ceremony.

Thus, Liu Guozhong hurriedly waved his hands at the kneeling villagers and said: "I merely have some fist and foot skills, not fit for the grand stage. If you like it, I will gladly teach you. As the saying goes, a man's knees hold gold; please do not bow, it makes me uncomfortable."

Liu Guozhong's blushing, honest appearance made everyone laugh heartily, and their impression of him rose a few points.

At this moment, a busybody went outside and pulled in Wang Auntie, who had been hiding outside, peeking through the door crack at Liu Guozhong.

An aunt could not help teasing Wang Auntie: "You're already this big, why are you still shy? Come, quickly meet your lifesaver."

That aunt then shoved the stunned Liu Guozhong: "Older brother Yong, you too—Wang sister has been tending you day and night without sleep these past days. You ought to thank her."

At this moment, Liu Guozhong and Wang Auntie, teased by the lively crowd, blushed, fidgeted, held back their faces, but still felt embarrassed to speak to each other.

Wang Auntie had already secretly taken a liking to Liu Guozhong, but girls naturally have thin skin; being teased like this made her even more embarrassed.

As for Liu Guozhong, frankly his skin is even thinner than a girl's. Although deep down he felt someone had been quietly caring for him during his fever, facing this crowd he was at a loss, could only smile foolishly and absentmindedly scratch the back of his head.

Seeing them like this, the crowd naturally knew there was something going on. Thus, the amused people laughed and shoved them together, pushing them toward each other.

Being squeezed hard into the middle by everyone, Liu Guozhong and Wang Auntie became even more flustered; although Liu Guozhong is a martial artist, after being ill for so many days he had no strength left, and could not match the crowd's force.

Just then, a loud shout came from outside, timely easing Liu Guozhong and Wang Auntie's embarrassment.

"Noise, noise, noise—what are you all shouting about?"

The person who entered was precisely the old Party secretary of the production team.

Upon seeing the old Party secretary, everyone naturally gathered around, chattering about the daring deeds they had heard from Liu Guozhong.

"Secretary, you don't know, our Brother Yong is fierce—plant his horse stance and even ghosts have no way."

"Yes, yes, Brother Yong now truly displays divine power; Secretary, shouldn't you give him an award?"

Just as the clamor reached its midpoint, these people were silenced by the old Party secretary's loud roar.

"Nonsense, ghosts and monsters are all rubbish; we are now in the era of reform and opening‑up. We talk about science and down‑to‑earth work; ghosts are fabricated, they simply do not exist."

Having said that, the old Party secretary swept his gaze over the crowd with a stern face and said in a low voice: "Everyone remember, this incident is merely Aunt Wang accidentally falling into the well. Brother Yong went to rescue her and got tangled in water weeds; we went up the mountain to save Brother Yong who fell in the water—there is no ghost or god involved."

After saying that, the old Party secretary drove the bustling crowd out. Meanwhile, the bashful Wang Auntie seized the chance, covered her face, and fled outside.

Although she escaped the crowd's teasing, Wang Auntie's heart still lingered on Liu Guozhong; as she stepped out, she kept glancing back, taking a few furtive looks at Liu Guozhong.

After everyone had left, the old Party secretary closed the door, sat on the edge of Liu Guozhong's bed, furrowed his brow, and remained silent for a long while.

After a while, the old Party secretary took a few puffs of dry tobacco, then asked Liu Guozhong in a deep voice: "Brother Yong, do you not understand why I had to deceive everyone, twisting the facts…"

"Secretary, you need not say; I, Liu Mengyong, may be a coarse man who knows few characters, but I am no fool—I naturally know your painstaking efforts. Secretary, rest assured, this matter will be just that I, Liu Mengyong, fell into the water and you pulled me up." The old Party secretary had not finished speaking when Liu Guozhong respectfully clasped his fists and interrupted him.

Liu Guozhong naturally knows the old Party secretary's painstaking efforts; although this affair truly involved a ghost, the truth must never be spoken outside. Although the Cultural Revolution has passed, the reform and opening‑up era remains an atheist age; unless one wishes to be sent to a labor camp for thought reform, no one would foolishly go about claiming to have met a ghost.

However, Liu Guozhong's heart also felt a rare calm. Though he is a reckless man, he also harbors a fervent, loyal heart; he cannot stand injustice. Now that ghosts have appeared in this village, Liu Guozhong thinks of how to eliminate them, lest villagers suffer again.

Immediately, Liu Guozhong asked the old Party secretary in a low voice: "Secretary, how could there be such a fierce wild ghost in this village? You have lived here for decades; do you know the cause?"

Although Liu Guozhong cannot read, he is not stupid; his experience wandering the jianghu tells him that vengeful ghosts always have a cause. To find a solution, he must first understand the full story.

"Regarding this matter, the time is also very distant. I, this old man, also heard it from the older generation when I was young…" The old Party secretary puffed on dry tobacco and slowly recounted the origin of that concubine to Liu Guozhong.

After listening, Liu Guozhong pondered long, a plan gradually forming in his mind; he leaned close to the old Party secretary's ear and whispered his instructions repeatedly.

After a while, the old Party secretary grew more shocked the more he listened; finally he let out a hissing breath, sucked in a mouthful of cold air, stared at Liu Guozhong, eyes wide, and exclaimed in alarm: "Brother Yong, are you truly intending to do this?"