Chapter 11: Volume One: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 11: The Clown

Volume One: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 11: The Clown

A disheveled old man stood in the alley, smiling as he watched Bai Youjun.

She nervously gripped her sister's hand.

Perhaps it was the dampness of Nongsui Lane, but the base of the walls was covered in mold.

The mold spots grew wantonly, as if they intended to swallow the entire alley whole.

"Sister..." Bai Youjun said, panicked.

Bai Yuqing lowered her head slightly to comfort Qing, who was only as tall as her shoulder: "Don't be afraid, it's just a lonely wandering ghost."

"Can Sister kill it?"

"I could kill it, yes."

"Sister, kill it quickly! There's mold growing everywhere, it's so disgusting!" Bai Youjun pleaded.

Bai Yuqing smiled: "Is Qing worried about the young master?"

"..."

Bai Youjun lowered her little head; she had no guile, and whatever she thought in her heart showed clearly on her face.

"It was just a joke. How could Sister really decide your marriage for you? Killing this lonely ghost is as easy as turning over one's hand, but our whereabouts would be exposed as a result."

"I don't care!"

"Qing, you are being naughty."

"Sister, you have left your name in the *Baize Jade Record*!" Bai Youjun insisted stubbornly.

Bai Yuqing said, slightly angry: "If you want to protect Zhao Chan, you can go kill it yourself."

"Fine!" She puffed out her cheeks.

Bai Yuqing raised an eyebrow and twisted Bai Youjun's ear.

"Sister! Sister! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"Qing, why are you becoming less and less obedient?"

"It was clearly Sister who told me to get close to the young master; we are the marriage Sister personally designated!"

Bai Yuqing was angry, but she couldn't bear to hit her: "Go! If you keep acting up, I will send you back to Da'e Mountain immediately."

The old man grinned, showing his teeth.

His teeth were pitch black, like mold spots.

Sun He pushed the door open and walked out, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the old man, both watching the two sisters who had already reached the mouth of the alley.

Bai Yuqing looked back at them and said disdainfully: "Clowns."

She took Bai Youjun to Xiliu Lane, which was next to Daguan Lane.

Although Xiliu Lane was not as wealthy as Daguan Lane, it was still a good place that the other townspeople dreamed of moving into.

Underfoot, they stepped on neatly laid bluestone slabs.

A few autumn rains had washed them clean, making it easy to see the patterns on the stone.

Young children chased each other, laughing and playing.

Wang Huan walked into the alley.

The children swarmed around him, clamoring to learn sword techniques for slaying demons.

Wang Huan patted their little heads, grinning from ear to ear, agreeing to everything they said.

Bai Yuqing and Bai Youjun passed by them.

Even though they were within arm's reach.

Wang Huan acted as if he didn't see them at all.

At the end of Xiliu Lane lay a stretch of fertile fields, the crops already harvested.

The private school was located on the flat ground next to the fields.

One could vaguely see the teacher walking out of the vegetable patch, carrying a bundle of greens.

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles, the blue expanse washed clean.

Eren Mountain, however, blocked Bai Yuqing's view of the distance.

Zhao Chan tidied up the food Bai Youjun had bought; he had already eaten a bowl of wontons at noon and wasn't hungry.

He carefully took out the *Forest of Literature* copied by his teacher, flipping through it page by page, reciting it softly, lost in a trance.

His parents had made a wish during the Spring Festival, hoping Zhao Chan would one day pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to his ancestors.

It was also that year that his parents brought him to the teacher's house with a gift for apprenticeship; the teacher tested him with a few questions and readily accepted him as a disciple.

Later, after his parents passed away, he lost his source of income and could no longer afford the tuition.

In the school, which was filled almost entirely with children from Daguan Lane, Zhao Chan chose to drop out.

The teacher tried repeatedly to make him stay, but as a mere child, he was as stubborn as a donkey; no matter how the teacher pleaded, he had made up his mind to leave.

In the end, the teacher asked him, "Do you not care about your parents' expectations?"

Zhao Chan lowered his head and wiped away his tears.

He flipped through the *Forest of Literature* one last time, unable to wait.

He opened his clothing chest, took out all his clothes, selected his thick winter garments to line the bottom, placed the book on top, and covered it with a few thin shirts.

Zhao Chan worried that with the recent heavy rains, the book would get damp.

Tucked in the chest and wrapped in clothes, surely the *Forest of Literature* copied by his teacher's own hand wouldn't get damp, right?

Of course, he was also afraid that Sun He would break into his home and damage the book.

After confirming everything was in order, he tucked the peach branch into his belt, locked his door, and jogged toward the Demon Slaying Division.

Becoming a Demon Slayer hadn't actually made Zhao Chan happy; his parents had told him to live a good life, but the Demon Slaying Division would never provide him with food and drink without requiring him to face danger and slay demons.

He had had no choice at the time.

Wang Huan had seen the miraculous nature of the peach branch; if he hadn't taken the initiative to mention joining the Demon Slaying Division to stabilize Wang Huan and make him feel that Zhao Chan was under his control, would Wang Huan have taken a desperate gamble to kill him and seize the peach branch?

Zhao Chan didn't know.

But he dared not gamble with human nature.

He passed by Zhang Cui Cui's wonton stall.

Yang Yun was sitting on a wooden stool, shaking his head as he read a classic text. Zhang Cui Cui picked up the empty bowl in front of him, and seeing Zhao Chan, she waved with a smile.

"Sister Cui Cui."

"Brother Yang."

Zhang Cui Cui asked: "Going to the Demon Slaying Division again?"

"Yes, I am a Demon Slayer now."

She held the empty bowl Yang Yun had finished: "The Demon Slayer trade is too dangerous. Can't you quit?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Sister Cui Cui!"

"Zhao Chan, you..."

"Goodbye, Sister Cui Cui. Goodbye, Brother Yang."

Yang Yun stood up to bow, but before he could finish, he saw Zhao Chan running away. He sighed: "My virtuous brother has caused me to lose my manners, alas!"

The only street in Youju Town was called "Caiyan."

The town wasn't large, but the shops along Caiyan Street had everything one could need; it could be said to be fully equipped.

Villagers from nearby villages would also come here every few days to buy daily necessities.

Therefore, Youju Town was only slightly larger than an ordinary village, but the neighbors living in the town had a much easier life than the villagers outside.

Two villagers stood outside the Demon Slaying Division, looking left and right, not daring to enter.

Zhao Chan recognized them.

Zhou Niu and Sun Dagou from Xiaoshi Village.

When he went into the mountains to collect lacquer, Zhao Chan often passed through Xiaoshi Village. Over time, he had become familiar with Zhou Niu, who lived at the entrance of the village, and Sun Dagou was a medicinal herb farmer; the two would occasionally run into each other in the mountains.

The two saw him.

The sallow and thin Zhou Niu greeted him, while Sun Dagou followed timidly behind him.

"Little brother, why have you come to the Demon Slaying Division too?"

"Brother Zhou, I have become a Demon Slayer."

"Ah?" Zhou Niu exclaimed, "Are you not afraid of death?"

Zhao Chan smiled and did not answer.

He asked.

"Are you here to report a case?"

"Yes, is Warrior Wang here?"

"Come in with me."

Zhao Chan led them to the front courtyard to sit down. Before entering, the two carefully scraped the mud off the soles of their straw sandals.

He searched around but could not find Wang Huan.

Aside from him, there wasn't a single other Demon Slayer in the Division.

"Brother Wang must be busy with something. Please sit for a moment."

"Little brother, have you really become a Demon Slayer?" Sun Dagou didn't believe it.

"Mm."

"Little brother is the strongest person I've ever seen. Since you've become a Demon Slayer, you'll surely be able to send those demons running in terror!"

Zhao Chan asked: "Is there a demon infestation in Xiaoshi Village?"

"No, something happened in the mountains."

"What happened?" Wang Huan walked in.

Zhou Niu tugged at Sun Dagou's sleeve: "Warrior Wang is here, speak quickly!"

"Warrior... Warrior Wang, I went into the mountains to pick herbs this morning and saw a demon."

"There have always been demons in the mountains."

"No, that's not right. There have never been demons on Erniu Mountain before!"