Chapter 59

That day finally dawned, and all the mad dogs were killed. They were getting closer to Huai City. Those people had planned to send a good swimmer to catch Xu Mo in the river, but in their haste, they couldn't find the right person.

As they approached the outskirts of Huai City, the roads by the Dong River became more complex, and other vehicles appeared on the road. The helicopter, unable to continue following with so many people around, had no choice but to fly back into the mountains, leaving the truck to tail them.

The view from the truck was naturally not as good as from the helicopter. The oblique angle of observation was not as effective as the high-altitude view, and when they passed a river embankment, their line of sight was blocked, allowing Xu Mo to easily shake them off.

After shaking off the truck, Xu Mo did not dare to come out of the river. He swam along the Dong River all the way into Huai City. By then, it was already afternoon. Although he wasn't hungry, his body was extremely exhausted.

He hid under a bridge over the river to rest. The bridge above was a railway, and the sound of trains passing by could be heard from time to time. As Xu Mo listened to the 'clank clank' sound of the trains, he pondered his future actions.

Zhou Huaizhong and the others were captured, and some of the police were in league with those people. He couldn't go back. After such a long time, Zhou Huaizhong and the others might have been tortured and could have revealed his secrets. His home might already be under surveillance. Returning would be like walking into a death trap.

He sighed. He couldn't stay in this city either; if they investigated, they could easily find him.

Fortunately, he had all his important things with him, so he didn't need to go back to pack. But where should he go? He thought for a long time but found that the world was vast, and there was no safe place. No matter where he went, as long as he used his identity, those people would find a way to track him down.

For a moment, he became anxious. After much thought, he finally came to a conclusion: should he hide in the deep mountains and forests?

The thought of living like a wild man in the mountains made him hesitate. He sighed again, rested for a while, and continued swimming along the Dong River, planning to find a shallow spot to get out. After leaving this dangerous place, he would find a clean spot to rest and decide his next move.

When he got out of the water, he realized that the place was very familiar. It was near Xiao Man's home. Although he was still in danger, the thought of the little girl who called him 'dad' warmed his heart.

Just as he was about to leave, he glanced to the left and saw a large crowd gathered by the riverbank. A woman in the crowd was pleading with the onlookers, "Please, save my daughter. She fell into the river and is entangled in the water plants. Please, save her."

Xu Mo frowned. The voice was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before. His heart raced, and his expression turned serious. Without considering his own danger, he pushed through the crowd. In the center, a young woman was desperately pleading with each onlooker, her face filled with anxiety and panic.

The woman was only in her mid-twenties, and Xu Mo recognized her as Xiao Man's mother. The onlookers, seeing her approach, shook their heads and stepped back. Among them were several good swimmers, but the water was too deep, and the underwater plants were too dense. They feared that trying to save her would only put themselves in danger, so no one dared to help.

Seeing her, Xu Mo was shocked. He instantly thought: Xiao Man has fallen into the water. Without hesitation, he ran to the water's edge and jumped in.

The onlookers gasped in surprise, and Xiao Man's mother stopped pleading, anxiously watching the river surface.

Although Xu Mo's swimming skills were not great, his strong breath-holding ability made up for it. As soon as he entered the water, he quickly dived to the bottom. He knew that Xiao Man must have fallen from the riverbank and would be close to the shore. After a brief search, he indeed found a child's body.

Xiao Man had been in the water for a long time and was already unconscious, no longer struggling. Xu Mo was deeply worried. He felt the water plants entangled around her legs, took out his dagger, and cut them with a few swift strokes. He then quickly swam to the surface with Xiao Man in his arms.

The onlookers pulled them out of the water. Xiao Man's mother, the most anxious, burst into tears when she saw her daughter rescued, repeatedly thanking Xu Mo, "Thank you, thank you." She was overwhelmed with gratitude. When she saw Xu Mo's face, she was startled, clearly recognizing him.

Xu Mo laid Xiao Man on the ground. She had swallowed a lot of water, her belly swollen like a watermelon, her face pale, and her lips blue. Her body was cold.

"Xiao Man, Xiao Man," her mother called out loudly, but there was no response.

Xu Mo placed Xiao Man on his lap and tried to get the water out of her, but it didn't work. He patted her chest a few times, but there was no response. He was both shocked and terrified, feeling the same heavy burden as when he couldn't save Xiao Qing that night.

In his anxiety and pain, he turned pale, thinking: I couldn't save Xiao Qing, and now I have to watch Xiao Man die in front of me?

At this moment, someone in the crowd suggested, "If she's been unconscious for a long time, try artificial respiration. If air gets into her stomach, the water will be easier to get out. When the water comes out, if she's not dead, she might wake up from the shock."

Xu Mo, reminded by this, took a deep breath. His breath-holding ability allowed him to hold his breath for several minutes. After taking this breath, his body seemed to swell, as if it had expanded.

The onlookers were stunned by his deep breath, their faces showing disbelief. Some martial arts enthusiasts thought: Is this... the legendary qigong? Otherwise, who could hold their breath for so long?

Xiao Man's mother, hearing the suggestion, immediately knelt down and performed artificial respiration on Xiao Man, but it didn't work.

Xu Mo, after taking a deep breath, said softly, "Move aside, let me try." He gently pushed Xiao Man's mother aside.

Xu Mo, in a daze, held Xiao Man's nose and pressed his mouth to hers, blowing air into her stomach. The air seemed endless, and Xiao Man's stomach swelled again. Xu Mo then pressed her abdomen.

Xiao Man finally let out a 'wah' and vomited out the water. Xu Mo was overjoyed, placing her on his lap with her head down. The water slowly drained from her stomach.

Xiao Man's mother wiped away her tears, finally feeling relieved and taking a deep breath.

As soon as Xiao Man opened her eyes and saw Xu Mo, she cried out, "Dad! Dad!" She hugged Xu Mo's neck, crying and shouting, "Dad! Dad!"

At her young age, she had faced death, and her cries were filled with indescribable fear.

Hearing the fear in her voice, Xu Mo felt a deep sadness.

The onlookers, seeing Xiao Man call Xu Mo 'dad,' suddenly understood. They thought: No wonder this man jumped into the water without hesitation; this little girl is his own daughter, and they are a family. He would naturally save his own child, just as I would risk my life to save my own child.

Xiao Man's mother wiped the mud and weeds from her daughter's body and glanced at Xu Mo, who was holding Xiao Man. She thought: This man is really good to Xiao Man; it's not in vain that Xiao Man calls him 'dad.'

Looking at Xiao Man, she saw her drenched and shivering and thought: I must take Xiao Man home quickly to change into clean clothes so she doesn't get sick.

She then said to Xiao Man, "Xiao Man, let's go home and change your clothes."

Xiao Man, still hugging Xu Mo's neck, turned to look at her mother and suddenly remembered something. She shouted, "Mom, it was Uncle Liu, Uncle Liu pushed me into the river."

Her face showed even more fear, perhaps recalling the incident.

Xu Mo was shocked. Xiao Man's mother, hearing this, turned cold and scolded, "Don't make things up, child."

Xiao Man cried again, shouting, "It's true, Mom, it's really Uncle Liu. He pushed me when you weren't there."

"Nonsense!" Xiao Man's mother scolded, but seeing how terrified Xiao Man was, she wondered, "Today I asked Liu Guohua to meet me, but he refused, saying some friends were visiting and he had to eat with them. Could these be excuses? Did he lie to me and secretly come here, pushing Xiao Man into the river while I was in the bathroom?"

But she shook her head, "But why would he harm Xiao Man? There's no reason. Although Xiao Man has always disagreed with my relationship with Liu Guohua, she's just a child. How could she influence anything? Liu Guohua wouldn't take her seriously. Yes, Xiao Man has always opposed my relationship with Liu Guohua and doesn't like him. She might be afraid of being scolded for being naughty and falling into the river, so she blamed Liu Guohua."

The more she thought about it, the more she believed this was the case. She wanted to scold Xiao Man but, seeing her still shaken from the near-death experience, she softened her tone, "Xiao Man, let's go home."

Xiao Man hugged Xu Mo's neck and sobbed, "I don't want to go back, I don't want to go back. If I go home, Uncle Liu will harm me again." She turned to Xu Mo, burying her face in his neck, her cold cheek pressing against his, and pleaded, "Dad, Xiao Man will stay with you and never go home again."

At that moment, the crowd parted, and a man walked in, asking Xiao Man's mother, "Xiao Yin, how is Xiao Man?"

He was out of breath and sounded panicked.