Stranger Danger

“That ghost… I think she’s a… Yin Spirit?”

After resting until his pain and exhaustion had faded away a little, Ye Qing suddenly “recalled” what the female ghost was.

“A Yin Spirit is one of, if not the weakest Strangers out there. It should not appear to anyone with even a modicum amount of yang energy. It is why they only attack people who are severely ill or dying; those whose qi, blood and yang energy have hit rock bottom.”

Ye Qing frowned deeply. “But Yin Spirits normally avoid places with great concentrations of yang energy. They’re so weak they can only haunt sparsely populated areas such as the forest. Also, I’m pretty sure my house is protected by a purge talisman, so there’s no way the Yin Spirit could come in… unless…”

Ye Qing abruptly rose to his feet and picked up the flame stick from the ground. He used it to light an oil lamp before walking over to the living room. Sure enough, when he looked up at the beam where the purge talisman should’ve been adhered to, he could not find anything.

“It’s not there. No wonder the Yin Spirit dared to invade my house.”

A purge talisman was the most basic tool a human could have to ward off Strangers. At least one purge talisman was adhered to every household. However, his purge talisman was nowhere to be seen.

“Someone must’ve deliberately removed it!” Ye Qing rubbed his nose with growing agitation. He did not believe for a second that someone had stolen it because even the poorest household in the village could afford it. This could only mean that someone had taken it to lure a Yin Spirit to his house and kill him.

“But who? Who’s the bastard who’s trying to kill me? Is it Chen Zheng?”

It had to be him. The martial artist was the only person in the entire village who had a motive to kill him, not least because he had refused to sell his farm to him again and again. If he died, his farm would become ownerless, and Chen Zheng would be able to claim it with little effort using his position and means. Even better, no one could pin the crime to him despite the fact that he was the prime suspect. After all, Ye Qing would have been killed by a Yin Spirit. Why did that have anything to do with him?

“He wants a perfect murder to go with his undeserved inheritance, eh? That son of a bitch,” uttered Ye Qing with a hint of anger. It was pure luck that he had survived the encounter.

Despite his outburst, Ye Qing was more worried than angry right now. Chen Zheng was one of the three esteemed martial artists of his hometown, August Hill Village. Its namesake was the hill adjacent to the village, Little August Hill. “Martial artist” wasn’t a cultivation level, but a title people used to respectfully address those who practiced martial arts.

In any case, Chen Zheng and his fellow martial artists were no doubt the strongest warriors in the village. They were as powerful as they were well-respected, and they were responsible for protecting the village from danger. Bearing that in mind, how could he, a defenseless, common man possibly do any harm to Chen Zheng?

Furthermore, revealing the truth would not help him one bit. It wasn’t because the villagers were too stupid to realize the truth, but because they feared the consequences too much to ever acknowledge it. To be fair, who would risk incurring the wrath of a martial artist for a nobody?

On the other hand, Chen Zheng had a hundred and one ways to kill Ye Qing without ever exposing himself. The Yin Spirit was one such example. He might have survived tonight, but he was sure he would encounter many, many more such “accidents” in the future. The next time this happened, he did not think he would be so lucky as to find another talisman to save his life.

Besides that, he remembered that Chen Zheng was an exceptionally petty-minded man. Even if capitulated now and sold his farm to Chen Zheng as Cheng Hui had advised him, he didn’t believe that the man would allow him to live.

“I can’t beat him, I can’t reason with him, I can’t even run away because this place is surrounded by Strangers. This isn’t good at all, is it?”

Ye Qing was normally a bright and carefree soul, but even he could not help a bitter chuckle and a long sigh when the reality of his situation sank in. He exhaled deeply while massaging his forehead, “Poor, poor me. Just how on earth am I going to survive this?”

“Maybe I should just… give up? I mean, I’ve already died once. What’s another death, right?” Ye Qing joked to himself. “But man, do I have to? Is there really no other way?”

Suddenly, Ye Qing caught a dark flash out of the corner of his eyes. It brightened and dimmed in intervals like a flickering candlelight in the dark.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Curious, Ye Qing went over to the strange object and picked it up. Then, he sat down by the table before raising his oil lamp to examine it.

It was a thin, rectangular sheet that looked like it was made from calfskin. It was blackish yellow in color and covered in unusual patterns that were shaped like serpents, dragons, or both. Its appearance invoked a strong feeling of age and mystery.

The dark flash came from a rune etched on the vellum sheet. It was still glowing on and off like a firefly when ominous, blood red text suddenly manifested at the center of the sheet:

“Chen Zheng wants me dead!”

To say that Ye Qing was flabbergasted would be an understatement. If he wasn’t paying attention until that point, he was now. As more and more words emerged on the sheet, his eyes continuously widened until it could widen no longer. There was a lot of shock and even a hint of terror in those eyes.

“By sending his minion to remove the purge talisman in my house, the man had nearly succeeded in committing the perfect murder and robbery by way of a Yin Spirit. Although I somehow survived the encounter, I’m sure he has more tricks up his sleeves.”

“I am but a common man. It would be suicide for me to go up against Chen Zheng, a Qi Invocation stage martial artist. I do not wish to surrender to my grim fate though. What should I do? Is there really nothing I can do except wait to die? Is it really a sin to be weak?”

“I really, really don’t want to die here. Perhaps my only way out is to join the watchmen. I can’t hide forever, but it may just buy me enough time to find another way.”

The ominous passage ended there. Contrary to the vellum’s still and unassuming appearance, Ye Qing’s stomach was churning like the raging sea right now. Not only did the vellum narrate the cause and effect of the attack, it even gave him what looked like a temporary solution to the threat to his life. How could he stay calm? How could he not be afraid?

A long time later, Ye Qing gradually calmed down and realized that he was overreacting a little. This was not the mundane world where he lived. This world was overflowing with all sorts of oddities and unexplained mysteries. With that in mind, it wasn’t so strange that this vellum would turn out to be more magical than expected, was it?

If he remembered correctly, the vellum had come from the same wandering Daoist priest who had sold the yellow talisman to his host’s—no, I can’t think like this anymore. My host and I are now one and the same—parents. According to him, the vellum was a special artifact made from the skin of a powerful Stranger. Its name was Annon (Unknown) Sutra, and it was in possession of a mysterious power—or so the Daoist priest claimed.

Honestly, his parents should’ve known better than to fall for the Daoist priest’s dubious sales pitch, but they didn’t, and they quickly discovered that the so-called “artifact of mysterious power” was completely useless save for the fact that it was impervious to water or fire. Even if the Daoist priest wasn’t lying, they certainly hadn’t found the way to invoke it.

His parents were depressed for a long time because of this, but they had spent too much money on the “artifact” to throw it away. So, they decided to store it in the hidden compartment together with the talisman.

For the longest time, Ye Qing was of the same opinion as his parents, but now, he realized that the Daoist priest might not have been lying after all.

“But why did the Annon Sutra wait until now to show its power?” Ye Qing asked himself while tapping his knuckles against the wooden table. It was then he saw the blood on his hand and the blood-colored words on the vellum’s surface. He exclaimed in realization, “Perhaps my blood is what revived the artifact?”

The Annon Sutra had been stored in the wooden box together with the talisman. He must have tossed both the talisman and the Annon Sutra at the Yin Spirit just now. It was also when he accidentally got his blood on the vellum.

“Should I give it another go?” Ye Qing muttered to himself. His mind made up, he clenched his fist and squeezed out a few drops of blood onto the vellum. As soon as contact was made, the Annon Sutra emitted a dark flash and seemingly absorbed the blood into itself. Then, new words began emerging on its surface:

“I think I’ve uncovered the Annon Sutra’s secret! Based on my experiment, I believe that my blood is capable of invoking its power. How wonderful! In the future, I should be able to make some inquiries to avoid the dangers ahead and grow my strength, all at the meager cost of some blood.”

“Still, I have a question. Is this truly the extent of the Annon Sutra’s secrets?”

“I knew it. This is incredible!” Ye Qing slapped his thigh in excitement after reading the passage. Assuming he hadn’t grossly misinterpreted the Annon Sutra’s meaning, it was suggesting that he could pay a blood toll to exchange for answers from now on.

The last line on the Annon Sutra left him feeling a bit chilly though. He also wondered why the wandering Daoist priest would sell something so clearly extraordinary to his parents.

Maybe he never found out its true power?

Or maybe he’s plotting some sort of scheme?

Ye Qing’s head was starting to hurt again from all the question marks sprouting over his head. Even his initial good mood was slowly but surely being overcast by gloom. Eventually, he rubbed his forehead one last time before pushing it all to the back of his mind. “There’s no way I can rid myself of the Annon Sutra right now, and there’s nothing I can do even if that Daoist priest is scheming something. In other words, whatever comes will come, so there’s no point thinking about it until then. Yes, I should just focus on solving the crisis at hand!”

Speaking of which, the temporary solution provided by the Annon Sutra was undeniably excellent. As the defenders of the village, the watchmen were well-respected among their society. Although Chen Zheng was one of the three esteemed martial artists in August Hill Village, even he did not have the right to interfere with their business. Furthermore, the watchmen was commanded by an equally strong martial artist, so Chen Zheng would not be able to coerce them to his will.

Of course, joining the watchmen did not mean he was rid of his problems forever. In fact, it was highly probable that his life would be in great danger. The watchmen weren’t just responsible for guarding the village from Strangers, they frequently went on expeditions to curb the Stranger population in the vicinity of the village as well. This meant that he would be fighting those terrifying creatures directly.

Even so, he would rather die to a Stranger than succumb to Chen Zheng’s schemes. Joining the watchmen would also give him the opportunity to learn martial arts. It was the only way he could grow stronger and save himself once and for all. With the Annon Sutra in hand, he might yet be able to turn his seemingly hopeless situation around.

“That’s the plan then. I’ll apply to join the watchmen first thing in the morning!”

When Ye Qing finally relaxed after sorting out his problems, he abruptly remembered that he was still tired, hungry, and in pain. So, he tucked away the Annon Sutra and forced himself to shamble over to the kitchen despite his aches. After warming the food Cheng Hui had brought him and shoving it all down his throat, he went back to his bed and fell into a deep slumber.

……

The next day, Ye Qing got out of bed and went to the training ground at the break of dawn. It wasn’t long before he arrived at his destination and saw a dozen youngsters training their hearts out while wielding an assortment of swords and sabers. Giant beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads and sparkled like diamonds in the growing light.

“Your lower half must be steady, your back must be straight, and your punches must be infused with strength! You must be like a tiger galloping down a hill to defend its domain from all manner of predators! If you cannot accomplish this much, then how can you hope to kill a Stranger? Show me strength, dammit! Strength!”

A well-built, stern-faced man in his forties was standing at the edge of the training ground with his hands clasped behind his back. Every time they made a mistake—which was quite often—he would rebuke them and give corrective instructions.

The trainer’s name was Lin Hu. He was the captain of the watchmen and one of the three esteemed martial artists of August Hill Village.

“Are you feeling better, Ye Qing?” Lin Hu noticed Ye Qing and greeted him first.

“Much better. Thanks for the concern, captain!”

Ye Qing was going to say more when he suddenly felt a wave of pressure. His senses screamed as if he was facing down a tiger, and the blood drained from his face so fast that a small cough escaped his lips. It was because he had entered the captain’s range.

Lin Hu furrowed his brow when he saw his reaction. “You may be better, but you’re certainly not healed. Why are you running about when you should be resting instead?”

The watchmen captain wasn’t trying to be loud, but his voice washed over Ye Qing like a gale and caused his ears to ring anyway. Ye Qing scratched his left ear before replying in a quiet voice, “I came to see you, captain!”

Lin Hu looked puzzled. “Go on.”

“I would like to join the watchmen!” Ye Qing said directly.

“What?”

Lin Hu was having a hard time believing his ears. A watchman’s life was terribly risky. Almost every day, one or more watchmen would be injured or killed. Barring a handful of permanent personnel, most of its members consisted of conscripted villagers who were chosen via a rotation system. Not only that, the conscription was only temporary. It was no wonder Lin Hu was surprised to receive a volunteer at all.

The youngsters at the training ground had paused their training as well. They were all staring curiously at Ye Qing and whispering to each other.

Suddenly, Lin Hu glared at the youngsters and roared, “The hell are you people looking at? Get back to your training! You’re not allowed to rest until you’ve learned the ‘Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation’!”

The youngsters immediately snapped out of their idle chatter and shrank away like frightened quails. Training resumed not a second later.

Lin Hu turned back to Ye Qing and asked in a much kinder voice, “Are you sure about this, Ye Qing? You do understand what it means to join the watchman, don’t you?”

Ye Qing nodded. “I do. I understand I’ll be risking life and limb by joining the watchmen. Even so, I am not afraid, so please…”

Lin Hu mulled over the request for a bit before nodding. “Very well. It so happens that the watchmen are in need of new blood, so I have no reason to turn you away.”

The captain had an inkling why Ye Qing had volunteered to join the watchmen; he had heard of the conflict between Chen Zheng and him. Lin Hu had nothing but scorn to offer the despicable bastard, but Chen Zheng was also one of the only three esteemed martial artists in the village. There was nothing he could do to stop the man unless he crossed the line.

That said, he didn’t mind offering Ye Qing an olive branch. It was also a fact that the watchmen were sorely understaffed right now. For the past few months, the Strangers had been attacking humans non-stop like they had gone insane. Many watchmen had been seriously injured or killed because of this madness. It was why they needed fresh blood now more than ever.

In fact, the youngsters training on the training ground right now were their latest conscripts. They would be running patrols and performing guard duties after just a few days of basic training.

“Thank you!” Ye Qing replied gratefully.

Lin Hu nodded. “Normally, this is the part where I order you to join your fellow brothers pronto, but that would be unreasonable seeing as you’re still recovering. You may come back after you’ve regained your health.”

“That said, that is no reason for you to stay idle the whole time. Take this with you. It is a manual on the ‘Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation’. You will familiarize yourself with its contents until you’re ready to train. I’ll explain it to you in greater detail then.”

“Thank you very much, captain!” Ye Qing thanked the captain again as he accepted the manual. There was a clear glint of enthusiasm in his eyes.

“If there’s nothing else, you may return home. Don’t worry, now that you’re a member of the watchmen, I can promise you that no harm will come to you in the short term. Just focus on recovering as much as possible!”

With that, Lin Hu gave Ye Qing one last nod before turning around and returning to the training ground.

Behind Lin Hu, Ye Qing could not resist pumping his fist a little and thinking, Yes! Lin Hu had basically promised to protect him for the next couple of days, meaning that he had achieved his initial objective.

Still holding the martial arts manual, Ye Qing was about to take his leave when suddenly, a loud commotion broke out from the village entrance. Alarm bells started ringing in his head when he looked and saw a couple of watchmen carrying four wounded men into the village. Some of them were shouting,

“Captain! It’s bad! It’s real bad!”

“Help! Help!”