In the town of Purple Bamboo, at the West Gate vegetable market, dawn had barely broken, yet the market was already bustling with activity. In the corner of the live poultry section, at a small stall spanning no more than three paces, a sunny dispositioned youth of seventeen or eighteen was busy by the chopping board and the pot of boiling water.
"Would you like the blood?" "Yes." "Would you like the feathers?" "Yes."
Changqing skillfully slaughtered the live chickens. Though he worked alone, his efficiency was a pleasure to watch.
"Should I chop it into pieces?" "Chop it."
Changqing took out his kitchen knife, and with each strike, the blade fell with unwavering stability and exceptional precision.
"Xiaoqing, who taught you to slaughter chickens so well?" "Self-taught."
"How do you manage to pluck every single feather without leaving any behind? Is there some secret to it?" "It's just a matter of practice."
Changqing smiled as he packed the chicken, "Auntie, that's five copper coins, but since your chicken is small, three copper coins will do."
The old woman's face lit up with joy, and she praised Changqing repeatedly. The surrounding vendors all cast envious glances, especially the chicken merchants. A single chicken could fetch thirty or forty copper coins, yet Changqing, with just a few swift "swish swish swish" and "clang clang clang" movements, could earn five. Though they were envious, they also truly admired him. It was not just Changqing's efficiency, but also because a local bully had once kicked over Changqing's stall. However, since that day, the bully had never collected a single copper coin in management fees from Changqing again. Whenever the bully saw Changqing, it was just like how these vendors felt when they saw the bully.
Time passed, and it was hard not to sigh in amazement. Who would have thought that a year ago, Changqing was just a refugee youth. Armed with only a borrowed kitchen knife, he had carved out a place for himself at the West Gate vegetable market in Purple Bamboo Town. Warm, cheerful, kind, and polite, everyone took a liking to this young man. Over time, the title of "Purple Bamboo Town West Gate Vegetable Market Chicken Slaughtering Little Overlord" began to spread. Due to its length, it was shortened to "Chicken Conqueror." In fact, it was originally supposed to be just two characters.
As the old woman was about to leave, she seemed to recall something. She looked around, leaned in slightly, her face full of mystery, and asked in a low voice, "I remember when you first came to Purple Bamboo Town, you said you were a Taoist priest?"
"Yeah... that's right." Changqing nodded.
Before he came to this world, he had just been admitted to a Taoist academy. Conducting rituals, summoning wind and rain, practicing yin-yang divination, creating soldiers from beans... He didn't know any of that. The only thing he knew was to go with the flow, commonly known as lying flat. Although he had memorized a few incantations, they weren't even useful for deceiving people.
"What does a Taoist priest do?"
"Exorcise demons and evil spirits, capture ghosts, offer sacrifices to heaven. Uphold justice and act on behalf of heaven."
The old woman fell silent. In the past, she would have surely said Changqing was delirious. And in fact, a year ago when Changqing mentioned it, everyone else thought the same.
"Little Wang's widow's one-year-old chubby boy has been crying nonstop day and night. The doctors in town are at their wits' end, and some even fled after examining him. Everyone says that something unclean might have entered her home..."
"What unclean things? There's no such thing in this world." Changqing dismissed the idea. Since coming to this world, everything had been normal except for himself.
The old woman sighed, "You haven't heard the child's cries. They've already become hoarse, it's truly heart-wrenching. Why don't you go take a look?"
Changqing was about to refuse, but then some incantations he had memorized flashed through his mind.
"Alright." Changqing muttered to himself, his lips moving slightly as if he were chanting something. He took off his apron and followed behind the old woman.
"Xiaoqing, you're closing up shop awfully early today, aren't you?"
"I have to leave for something and will be back soon."
"Then I'll go buy some vegetables first. Hurry up, will you?"
"Sure thing!" Changqing greeted everyone familiarly.
At the end of a secluded corner of the town, in a dirty and messy alley, the gate of a courtyard was open, with a crowd gathered around the entrance. Several burly men, with menacing faces, held machetes and clubs, looking as if they were facing a great enemy. A few respected elderly men in the town twirled their beards, shaking their heads. Onlookers kept shouting words like "unclean things" and "impure." Many aunts and mothers-in-law also craned their necks to peek into the courtyard. When the crowd saw Changqing arrive, the chaotic scene suddenly fell silent. The expressions of those burly men turned even more fearful, and they quickly threw or hid their machetes and clubs, causing a clatter.
"The Chicken Conqueror is here, run for your lives!"
"What's the point of running? We're not here to cause trouble!"
"Right..."
Changqing pushed through the crowd and looked into the courtyard. The entire yard appeared somewhat disordered, clearly not swept for many days. The hall was dimly lit, giving an eerie feeling. Changqing looked up at the bright sunshine and then at his arms, which were now covered in goosebumps. He could faintly hear the child's wailing, hoarse and heart-rending.
"In broad daylight and clear skies, could there really be unclean things?" Changqing frowned, about to step into the yard. An aunt grabbed him, cast a glance at a thug holding a machete nearby, and lowered her voice, "It's better to be careful. His arm was scratched!"
Changqing also looked at the burly man, whose arm was wrapped in white cloth, seeping a touch of crimson. At first glance, it seemed like a machete wound.
"It's alright, I'll help if I can."
Changqing said, walking into the yard. As soon as he entered the hall, he felt a sudden chill around him. He couldn't help but shiver and followed the crying sound into the inner room. On the bed, a graceful woman, barely clothed, held her one-year-old child in her arms. Little Wang's widow kept gently rocking her arm, trying to comfort the child, but the child only knew how to cry.
"Be good, don't cry, don't cry..."
Little Wang's widow tried to soothe the child repeatedly, but no amount of coaxing worked. Changqing stood stunned at the door, his eyes filled with surprise. Little Wang's widow's face was pale as paper, and her pretty face actually had some ashen brown spots. The room felt even colder for some reason, but Little Wang's widow seemed unaware, not even covering herself with the quilt beside her. Her fingers, touching the child, were thin and bony, with a faint blood color at the tips, as if they had been stained with blood and then sucked on.
"May I take a look at the child?"
Changqing asked. Little Wang's widow raised her head stiffly and looked at Changqing. Changqing gasped sharply. Those eyes were turbid and lifeless, quite terrifying. Changqing approached with difficulty, and his nose seemed to catch an indescribable smell, somewhat foul.
"Is the child sick?"
Changqing examined the child, whose face was blue and eyes tightly shut. Little Wang's widow didn't respond. The old woman who had led the way earlier mustered her courage and came to the door, saying, "The doctor who fled in the middle of the night said the child is very healthy..."
"Could it be from hunger?" "No way, Little Wang's widow has plenty of milk."
"..."
Changqing blushed, especially when Little Wang's widow tugged at her clothes, seemingly about to breastfeed. Changqing quickly turned his head away, muttering about not looking at indecency.
"I'll give it a try."
Changqing said, turning his back to Little Wang's widow and muttering some words.
"Heaven is vast, earth is vast, in my home there's a crying boy..."
As soon as Changqing finished speaking, the child actually stopped crying! The old woman was stunned, and at this moment, Changqing was also stunned. The old woman's face was filled with joy, and her eyes looking at Changqing were full of awe. But at this moment, Changqing suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand on end. It really worked? Then doesn't that mean... there really are unclean things?