Chapter 147: A Contest of Skills at Wu Village
Shi Hao and his companions arrived at Wu Village.
Towering mountains surrounded them, the air cool and misty, the sound of a distant waterfall echoing through the valley.
They walked along a narrow, winding path, passing mulberry trees, the rhythmic thud of an axe echoing from the mountainside, the atmosphere strangely peaceful, the sound of the axe reverberating through the quiet valley.
Normally, villages like this had roads leading to them, accessible by carts and other vehicles.
But there were no roads here, only this narrow path winding through the forest.
Shi Hao, dressed in his blue Daoist robe, a sword strapped to his back, walked ahead, followed by Du Yuejiao and Xu Xiaoyan, also carrying swords.
Hou Bomin took out a small, stone pipe, packed it with some herbs, lit it, took a puff, and exhaled a cloud of smoke with a satisfied sigh.
Xu Xiaoyan stepped back, wrinkling her nose, “Old Monkey, what is that?”
Hou Bomin chuckled, “Something they enjoy in the south. It’s called dry tobacco. Quite enjoyable. Want to try?”
Xu Xiaoyan covered her nose with her hand, “So that’s dry tobacco? I heard it’s useless, addictive, and makes you cough. Keep it away from me.”
Hou Bomin chuckled, “I rarely use it myself. I enjoyed it for a while, but then I smoked too much one day, and my clothes reeked of it. I didn’t even notice. That night, I was on a mission, well-hidden, but I was discovered because of the smell. I barely escaped.
“After that, I stopped using it, only occasionally indulging, when I’m not on a mission. Speaking of which, girl, you’re always on the move, never settling down. You used to be a lone wolf. Why are you traveling with others now?”
He nodded towards Shi Hao’s back, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him?”
Xu Xiaoyan, hands on her hips, snorted, “Him?”
Hou Bomin chuckled, “Yes, him…”
Suddenly, both of them turned and looked at Xiang Gu.
She was frantically trying to catch something. They looked and saw a small bee buzzing around her. She tried to grab it, but it kept evading her.
The bee flew towards a moth resting on a nearby tree.
Xiang Gu shrieked, “Don’t eat it!”
The moth tried to escape, but the bee landed on it, its legs, sharp as blades, piercing the moth’s body, tearing it apart, extracting something, and then quickly devouring it.
Xiang Gu stared, her mouth open, as if in shock.
Shi Hao, turning around, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing…” Xiang Gu quickly caught the returning bee, tucked it into her robe, and forced a smile, “Nothing at all.”
Shi Hao, still looking puzzled, asked, “Are you sure?”
Xiang Gu nodded emphatically, “Yes.”
Shi Hao shrugged and continued walking, leading them towards the village.
They reached Wu Village, its buildings a uniform grey, the wood coated in some kind of paint, giving it a strange, sinister appearance.
The buildings within the village were also unusual, their architecture unlike that of the Central Plains.
Farmers, woodcutters, and physicians carrying medicine chests emerged from the forest and the surrounding mountains, their numbers growing.
They stared at the newcomers with hostile gazes.
Shi Hao called out, “I am Shi Chongyun, here to see your Village Leader.”
The villagers, their faces expressionless or sneering, parted, forming a path but also a wall, blocking their escape.
Shi Hao frowned but continued forward without hesitation.
Reaching the village entrance, he saw that it was built on stilts.
A large pit lay beneath the village, wooden pillars rising from it, supporting the structures. The base of the village blended seamlessly with the surrounding earth and rocks, giving the impression it was built on solid ground. But if you looked closely, you would see the space beneath.
A grey, wooden staircase led up to the village. The entrance was unguarded.
They climbed the stairs and entered.
It looked like an ordinary mountain village, with rows of simple houses, water jars, carts, and millstones, similar to villages in the south.
But strangely, despite being daytime, the streets were deserted.
Every door and window was closed, but pairs of eyes, some curious, some hostile, could be seen peering out from within.
Suddenly, three doors opened simultaneously, and three young women, carrying silver platters, emerged.
They wore sleeveless dresses, unlike the clothing of the Central Plains, their arms bare, their skirts colorful and vibrant, their waists adorned with flower garlands or wooden ornaments.
“Welcome, honored guests. Our humble village has little to offer, but please accept these fruits as a token of our hospitality,” the three women stood before them, their platters held out, bowing gracefully, then looking up, their eyes filled with a strange defiance.
Shi Hao looked at the platters. Three large platters, each containing a single grape… one green, one red, one purple.
He looked at the grapes, unsure what to do.
He turned and saw Xiang Gu approaching.
She wore her usual grey dress, her hair disheveled, but her eyes, usually dull with sleepiness, were now sharp and alert.
A few strands of her messy hair fell across her face. She carried a small sack on her back, a rope sling across her chest, and the Parting Hook, which she had bought for a single copper coin at the Red Hill Gathering, was casually tucked into her waistband.
Shi Hao stepped aside. Xiang Gu reached the three women, looked down at the platters, then picked up the grapes, one in each hand, and quickly ate them.
The three women stared at her, then stood up, snorted, threw down their platters, and stomped back into their houses, slamming the doors shut.
Hou Bomin, Du Yuejiao, and Xu Xiaoyan looked at Xiang Gu.
Shi Hao asked, “Miss Xiang Gu… are you alright?”
“I’m… fine,” Xiang Gu said, her voice firm.
They continued walking. Occasionally, a door would open, and a young woman would emerge, offering them various “snacks” and “fruits” on a silver platter.
They noticed that all the women were young, no older women or elderly women among them.
It wasn’t that there weren’t any older women in the village, but they remained inside their houses, watching.
Xiang Gu, without hesitation, ate everything they offered.
The women, frustrated, threw down their platters and left.
Du Yuejiao muttered, “What are they doing? Why are they offering us food, and then getting angry when we eat it?”
Shi Hao asked, “Miss Xiang Gu… are you really alright?”
“I’m fine,” Xiang Gu said again, her voice firm.
They continued walking, Xiang Gu accepting and consuming everything offered to her.
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from a nearby house.
The piercing cry was chilling.
“What was that?” Xu Xiaoyan asked, startled.
“Nothing,” Xiang Gu said.
The screams continued, followed by crashing sounds as furniture was overturned.
The other villagers remained inside their houses, their doors closed, no one intervening, no one even asking.
The door of the house where the screams were coming from opened, and an old woman in a simple dress, her body trembling, shuffled towards Xiang Gu, knelt before her, and kowtowed, “My granddaughter is young and foolish. She offended you, Miss. Please spare her life!”
She kowtowed repeatedly before Xiang Gu.
Hou Bomin, Du Yuejiao, and Xu Xiaoyan looked at Xiang Gu.
Had she been the one who caused the screams? But they hadn’t seen her do anything.
Only Shi Hao had a vague understanding of what had happened.
All the other young women had emerged from their houses, offering them food on platters.
And after Xiang Gu ate the offerings, they had simply left, annoyed.
But the young woman in this house had glanced at them through the window, and then a small, dark shape had flown out, heading towards Xiang Gu.
Shi Hao, using his Primordial Energy and the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique, had been constantly monitoring their surroundings.
But even he hadn’t seen what had flown out the window, just a small, dark shape.
As it approached Xiang Gu, something had emerged from her sack, swallowed the small shape, and then flown back into the house through the window, following the same trajectory.
Then the screams had begun.
The old woman continued kowtowing before Xiang Gu.
Xiang Gu, without saying a word, whistled softly.
Shi Hao sensed something flying out of the window and returning to her sack.
The screams gradually subsided, replaced by soft sobs.
“Thank you, Miss,” the old woman kowtowed again and retreated into her house, closing the door.
They continued walking, and the entire village fell silent.
No one spoke, no one opened their doors, no one offered them anything.
They wandered through the deserted village, neither welcomed nor challenged.
Xiang Gu, her messy hair hanging loose, yawned, her dirty hand covering her mouth. She looked bored.
“Look,” Xu Xiaoyan suddenly pointed.
Leave a Reply to Krozam Cancel reply