Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng were walking along the river towards Bridge Bay Town. Before they reached the town, they saw a few boats floating not far from the shore. People on the boats were extending bamboo poles with hooks tied to them, tapping the water's surface.
On the shore, there were also people carrying white banners, scattering paper money, and calling for the souls of the dead to return. There were not many people, just over ten, a mix of men, women, and children, all looking pale and sickly.
This was a bay below Bridge Bay Town, where the river was wide. Normally, many fishing boats would be here, sails fluttering and white seagulls gathering. The waters of the Virtue River were usually rapid, but they calmed down here, making the place look like a paradise on earth.
Chen Shi and Fu Leisheng approached and saw an old lady performing a ritual by the river. She was shaking a drum and dancing, using a soul-summoning technique to find corpses. Waves of cold energy rose from the river.