"What kind of nonsense is this?" Li Huowang frowned deeply as he walked into the grove where the Fool was lingering.
The moment he stepped inside, Li Huowang's pupils shrank. The Fool and the old beggar were crouched in front of a small mound of dirt, noisily gobbling something. Atop the mound, several sheets of yellow paper lay pressed down by a stone.
Suppressing his rising anger, Li Huowang stormed over and kicked the Fool to the ground. "Get up! You dare eat offerings left for the dead?! Are you tired of living?! Haven't I told you not to talk to this beggar?!"
The Fool struggled to his feet, his face full of grievance. "I...I...I didn't talk to him."
"Kneel! Apologize immediately and offer your respects!" Li Huowang barked the order sharply.
Seeing the Fool kowtow heavily several times before the mound, Li Huowang grabbed him roughly and yanked him to his feet. This place was rife with strange occurrences, and he dared not take risks. Mishandling something like this could have dire consequences.
With a sharp "clang," Li Huowang drew the sword from his back and pointed its tip at the beggar's nose. His voice icy, he warned, "I don't care what your intentions are. Stay away from my people! Or don't blame me for what happens next!"
Without waiting for a reply, Li Huowang turned and dragged the Fool away.
"I'm not a beggar. I'm a monk," the man muttered quietly, continuing to munch on the dead man's offerings.
Back on the road, the group resumed their journey, but Li Huowang's expression had grown heavier. Addressing the group, he warned, "No one sleeps too deeply for the next few nights. Something might happen."
Although the Fool had kowtowed to apologize, there was no telling how the spirit within the grave would respond. Li Huowang couldn't afford to gamble on the outcome.
Understanding the gravity of his words, the group exchanged solemn nods.
As the sun set behind the hills, night fell, and the travelers began gathering firewood in the roadside woods.
Surrounding their two donkey carts, Li Huowang kindled a roaring fire and instructed others to gather plenty of wood to keep the flames burning brightly.
There was no moon tonight, and the darkness pressed in from all sides. The swaying branches of the nearby trees seemed alive, concealing countless unseen eyes that stared at the travelers huddled around the fire.
As the night deepened and the world grew still, Li Huowang remained awake, his focus sharpened by anticipation.
While his primary concern lay with the eerie grave, part of his attention was still on the old beggar. If trouble arose, it would surely find the man first.
Time crawled by. The first half of the night passed uneventfully, giving way to the late hours when drowsiness claimed most people. It was the perfect time for danger to strike.
"Li...Li Shixiong," Dogwa's voice trembled. "Over there... wasn't there a face?"
Li Huowang's gaze snapped toward the indicated direction, but the thick darkness revealed nothing.
"Are you sure?" he whispered.
Dogwa swallowed hard. "Not sure. Maybe... maybe I imagined it."
"Quiet. Don't speak," Li Huowang ordered, his eyes pretending to focus on the fire while his peripheral vision swept toward the shadowed area.
After a moment, faint light from the fire revealed an ugly face emerging from the darkness. Its mouth curled into a cruel smile. But as Li Huowang watched, more faces began to appear, each one grotesque and twisted. Beneath the heads, white glimmers flickered in and out of sight.
"Wait... white light?" Li Huowang stood abruptly, seizing a burning branch from the fire. He hurled it toward the shapes. "Stop! Who are you?!"
His sudden shout shattered the stillness of the night, startling his companions awake.
As the burning branch illuminated the scene, it revealed that the eerie heads were attached to living, breathing bodies. Beneath the faces were legs—legs with shadows cast by the fire.
"They're alive!" Li Huowang realized, his voice laced with anger.
The others saw the figures as well. One person screamed in terror, "Bandits! Run for your lives!"
The cry ignited chaos. Travelers scattered in all directions, grabbing their belongings and fleeing into the surrounding woods.
"Damn it! We've been discovered! Bring the horses over!" One of the bandits shouted, and the clatter of hooves echoed through the night as they chased after the fleeing travelers.
"Get into the woods! Horses can't run well in the trees!" The old beggar shouted, his voice rising above the panic.
The travelers heeded his advice, abandoning the main road and diving into the forest.
But for those with carts, like Li Huowang, escape was not an option. Horses would easily outrun donkeys on the open road.
As hoofbeats thundered closer, Li Huowang turned to face his pursuers. He saw a bandit on horseback raising his blade to strike down an elderly woman.
"No time to lose!" Li Huowang popped a pill into his mouth, and a fiery heat surged through his veins.
Pushing off with both feet, he launched himself toward the bandit. But before he could reach them, the old beggar suddenly appeared, shoving the woman out of harm's way.
The mounted bandit sneered, dismissing the beggar as a threat. Pulling hard on the reins, he reared his horse, intending to trample the man underfoot.
He grinned, anticipating the sickening crunch of bones beneath the horse's hooves.
But in the next instant, a shadow blurred past, and a fist connected with the horse's head.
With a sickening "thud," the animal let out a tortured scream and crumpled to the ground. The bandit's sneer froze on his face as he tumbled from the saddle, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Before he could recover, Li Huowang's sword cleaved through his neck.
The remaining bandits blew sharp whistles, signaling their comrades for help. But they had underestimated Li Huowang's strength, bolstered by the alchemical pill coursing through his body.
The scuffle was brief but bloody. After several of their men fell, the bandits panicked and fled.
"Retreat! This one's with the Jian Tian Si!" a bandit shouted, and the survivors vanished into the night.
Li Huowang stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.
Turning, he saw the old beggar kneeling beside the body of a slain traveler, his hands pressed together in prayer.
"Meditating at a time like this?" Li Huowang thought, his expression hardening as he approached. The man was muttering under his breath.
"Amitabha... Amitabha... Amitabha..." The beggar's mantra was clumsy and poorly pronounced, but it repeated with fervent sincerity.
After dozens of recitations, the old man stood and moved to the edge of the forest, where he began to dig a grave with his bare hands.
Notes and Cultural Context:
Funerary Offerings (祭坟的东西): The "yellow paper" refers to joss paper, traditionally burned or offered to honor the deceased in Chinese culture. Consuming such offerings is considered highly taboo, as they are meant for spirits, not the living.
Amitabha Chant: The mantra "Amitabha" is a central practice in Pure Land Buddhism, often recited to invoke the Buddha's protection or to pray for the souls of the deceased.
Bandits and the Jian Tian Si (监天司): Banditry was a common issue in rural areas during chaotic times. The mention of "Jian Tian Si" hints at a powerful organization or authority figure feared by the bandits, suggesting that Li Huowang may have inadvertently appeared more formidable than intended.