Chapter 7: 7 Shout

7 Shout

A donkey cart sped through the wilderness, as hurried as a stray dog, as frantic as a fish escaping the net.

After a good while, even the donkey could not take it anymore and stopped to pant; only then did the two people on the cart catch their breath.

In the night, only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard; no one spoke.

After a long while, someone finally asked a question.

"What just happened?"

The two asked in unison.

After a moment of silence, Tang Zhao said, "Feng Ge, you have traveled the jianghu for a long time and are well-informed. Do you know what was going on with those crows just now?"

Sui Feng said, "I was just about to ask you. You read a lot of books; do you know what that was about? How can a person conjure crows out of thin air?"

Tang Zhao said, "I do read a lot, and there are stories about conjuring crows, but those are all made up!"

To be honest, among the stories he had heard since he was little, there were all sorts of bizarre things; never mind conjuring crows, even conjuring phoenixes, monsters, or Transformers... nothing was strange. But even though he was only twelve, he knew that things in stories could not be trusted.

In the real world, in the world he lived in, the only people who transcended ordinary folk were Martial Artists. Every child knew that only martial arts masters could leap onto roofs and vault over walls, split mountains and crack stones, and touch the realm of the extraordinary, so the only thing he truly yearned for was martial arts.

As for the commonly existing notions of immortal arts, magic, or superpowers, he had never seen them outside, nor had he even heard of them; even the rumors in the marketplace had never invented such things. They were simply incompatible with the world.

In this world, at most, there were only Yin Ghosts.

Could it really be the legendary Yin Ghost?

But...

He picked up the Longevity Lock; it was the talisman that had saved him this time.

"Ah..."

Hearing the exclamation, Sui Feng turned his head like a startled bird and asked urgently, "What is it?"

Tang Zhao opened his hand; the jade was exceptionally lustrous under the moonlight, smooth as a mirror.

"It's actually whole again!"

The shocking crack on the jade had actually disappeared.

Sui Feng frowned and said, "What is whole? Was it broken before?"

Tang Zhao said, "It was broken before, there was a crack, you might not have noticed..."

Sui Feng said in confusion, "When did that happen? You were still clutching the Longevity Lock while unconscious on the cart earlier, and I wanted to take it off you, but you were gripping it too tightly. It was perfectly fine then, just like it is now."

Tang Zhao did not speak for a long time.

Sui Feng suddenly realized something and met Tang Zhao's gaze.

A chill spread wantonly in the silence.

Tang Zhao pulled his cotton coat tighter, but it could not block the bone-chilling cold rising from his spine.

Sui Feng sat slowly on the cart shaft and said softly, "Father said that a child's eyes are the most truthful and can see many things that adults cannot."

Tang Zhao said, "Does it have to do with the Yin Ghost..."

Before he could finish, Sui Feng had already pressed his hand over Tang Zhao's mouth and barked, "Nonsense! You don't know the taboos! In the middle of the night... why are you saying this in such a desolate place?"

In this world, besides martial arts, Yin Ghosts were also a staple topic in marketplace gossip and storytelling. However, martial arts masters were often associated with power, prestige, wealth, fame, or legends of the jianghu, while Yin Ghosts represented the eerie, disaster, and catastrophes for the common people.

Although Yin Ghosts were also mysterious and unpredictable, they were real.

It should be...

A Yin Calamity sweeping through, a Demon Cave descending upon the world, countless families being destroyed—could that be fake?

It was just that Yin Ghosts were not close to Tang Zhao. From childhood to now, he had never heard of any relatives or friends truly being harmed by a Yin Ghost; not even in the same street, the same ward, or even the same city. Although neighbors and playmates occasionally talked about them with mysterious, fearful expressions, in Tang Zhao's view, they did not truly feel the fear of a sword hanging over their heads.

True fear was not idle chatter after tea; it was turning pale at the mere mention, losing one's soul at the discussion, and avoiding it at all costs.

Just like Sui Feng.

Had he truly encountered a Yin Ghost before?

There were some things that, no matter how fiercely described, one would never take to heart if one hadn't seen them; Tang Zhao had been like that before. He had always secretly doubted the existence of Yin Ghosts.

Because what he learned from a young age was different from others, he had a sense of superiority of "everyone is drunk while I alone am awake."

Until he saw this scene tonight.

Night, deep mountains, deserted village, villains, crows...

If this wasn't a ghost, what was?

Could those shadow crows be the power of a Yin Ghost?

Could humans also command ghosts and demons?

This was not strange in stories, and he was not unable to accept it.

However, Tang Zhao felt it was not.

The invisible wall released from his own Longevity Lock, although it looked nothing like the crows, both bloomed from the cracked jade; no matter how one looked at it, they came from the same source.

His side was not at all eerie or sinister, but rather a righteous protective power—at least it looked that way.

And the person who gifted him the treasure did not seem like a demon or monster in terms of status or temperament.

What other secrets did this world have?

Sui Feng sighed gloomily.

"Just keep it to yourself, don't go around saying it. Actually... it's possible." He said softly, "Those people just now, most likely came from that kind of place." He made a gesture.

"That kind of place... oh?" Tang Zhao said in surprise, "Demon..."

He swallowed the word "Cave" that followed.

Yin Ghost, Demon Cave, Fierce Beast, and also Calamity Moon—these are all a series of terms, interconnected and intertwined, the nightmare in the hearts of the common people of the world.

Under the Calamity Moon, the Demon Cave descends from thin air, Yin Ghosts emerge everywhere, seizing people's Souls, fierce evil runs rampant, and beasts are led to devour men. Within a hundred miles, the living are plunged into misery and suffering, turning into a ghost realm.

This is the Yin Calamity.

Sui Feng had just reminded him not to easily speak taboo words; he hadn't said the full name, but he still couldn't help asking out of curiosity: "How did you tell?"

Sui Feng said: "That place... it certainly wasn't the innermost part, just the surrounding area that was ravaged. Everyone calls it 'Yinhuo Township'. After the calamity is created, large numbers of refugees always flee out. They are very pitiful, but everyone is afraid to get involved with them. Because they have Yin Qi on them, they might bring disaster."

Tang Zhao wanted to speak but stopped, and Sui Feng continued: "And they are easy to recognize, they have some traces on them. Earlier on the road, I saw a person dressed very tightly, which wasn't strange. But while walking, they got scraped, revealing half an arm, and it was covered in black, charred marks. Suddenly, the street exploded, and everyone scattered and fled. Father also hurriedly told me to stay far away, so as not to catch the Calamity Qi."

Tang Zhao asked: "What happened to that person later?"

"What happened? They were caught by the officials. They shouldn't have been running around everywhere. The officials marked out a place outside the city for these refugees, telling them to live there; they don't lack food or clothing, but they aren't allowed to come out. So Father also said, if you see someone on the road dressed especially tightly, you must be careful. Furthermore, you must also be careful of bald heads."

Although the night was gloomy and the cold wind bit into his body, Tang Zhao couldn't help but laugh: "What's wrong with bald heads? Are people not even allowed to be bald?"

Sui Feng said: "It's not looking down on bald heads. People who come out of a calamity township have been infected with Calamity Qi, and it most easily manifests on the hair. Hair withering and falling out is one thing, but it can also become very strange. To avoid being looked down upon, those people mostly shave their heads or wear large hats."

Tang Zhao suddenly remembered that the children just now all had sparse hair, and that girl also wore a hat to cover her head. He suddenly understood; if one or two had no hair, it might be a coincidence, but for such young children to be mostly bald, there was naturally something strange about it.

He asked again, puzzled: "Since everyone avoids them like the plague, why do human traffickers still catch children from the calamity township? Even if they are unscrupulous, don't the buyers avoid them too?"

Sui Feng hesitated slightly and said: "Actually, there have always been rumors that some children in the calamity township are targeted by people, and their destination is different from ordinary children. Some forces specialize in taking them."

Tang Zhao said in horror: "What... what kind of forces?"

Sui Feng shook his head and said: "I don't know about that, I've only heard of it. But if that old gentleman is really an Official Broker, those forces aren't necessarily some shady, crooked paths, right? Maybe legitimate forces want them too."

A flash of thin iron chains and the tormented little girl crossed Tang Zhao's mind, and he said: "What kind of damn legitimate force could this be?"

Sui Feng sighed and said: "In any case, they are all major forces we can't imagine. You should mention right and wrong less. Not mentioning calamities is a heavenly taboo; not mentioning noble people is a human taboo. Calamity comes from the mouth. You are a smart person and have read books; walking the jianghu is originally more than enough. Just don't be too impulsive; you were impulsive today."

Tang Zhao said helplessly: "I know. I shouldn't have stared at that human trafficker's hand just now. If I hadn't stared at his thumb ring and shown something unusual, I wouldn't have provoked what followed. Later, when he used words to test if I recognized the ring, I was also off guard. If I hadn't let him test it out, he might not have turned hostile..."

Sui Feng waved his hand: "Don't blame yourself for what happened just now. We've never even heard of those ghostly things, so how could we know how to deal with them? Running into this gang of villains was just fated, there's nothing to be done. I'm talking about what happened in front of the Great Hero's mansion."

Tang Zhao said "Mm".

Sui Feng said: "That Yang Yishi, we met him for the first time, with no family ties or friendship, why did you have to take on his business? Even if you really had money to spare, it would be one thing, but you are in such a state yourself, and you're still worrying about others?"

Tang Zhao said: "The situation was critical at the time... could I really watch a righteous person be forced to death alive?"

Sui Feng said: "You also know he is a righteous person? Righteous people have a much higher status than us and are much wealthier; how are we worthy of worrying about such figures?"

Tang Zhao said: "A single copper coin can stump a hero; who doesn't have times of bad luck or misfortune? Then do you think we shouldn't save people, or that we shouldn't save people stronger than us? If it were the old, the young, women, or children, could they be saved?"

Sui Feng was silent. After a while, he said: "It's best not to save anyone. Our traveling troupe is already the poorest and lowest of people. We are even a generation lower than actors; who is there that needs us to save them? If you want to live a long life in the jianghu, it's best not to care about anyone and only care about yourself."

Tang Zhao shook his head: "If women and children were in front of you, Feng Ge, you would never be able to harden your heart."

Sui Feng sighed repeatedly: "Stop talking about me, am I some good role model? To be like Father... forget it, saving people is a good deed, it's just a matter of knowing your own weight. Why were you getting angry in front of Xue Fu?"

Tang Zhao's expression changed slightly, and he said: "I wasn't getting angry, was I?"

Sui Feng was a bit annoyed and said: "If you weren't getting angry, why did you say those things later? Even if I'm as uneducated as that old gatekeeper, I know what you said was out of line."

Tang Zhao said: "Everyone speaks, so I just said a few words. Besides, what I said came from the heart. I..."

Sui Feng grew increasingly heated: "What 'everyone speaks', what 'said a few words', what 'came from the heart'? You're doing it again. Don't you understand what I'm saying? It's that you aren't allowed to say what's in your belly! Don't say what's in your belly; even if you have your teeth knocked out, you have to swallow them!"

The faster he spoke, the more agitated he seemed: "I know you book-reading people want to talk about integrity, about being neither humble nor arrogant, but we who walk the jianghu can't afford that! Humble is humble; those people are Great Hero masters, higher than us up to the heavens. We cling to them, and if they look at us, that's luck; if they don't, we should hurry and roll away, don't get in their eyes. And you even made threats; who do you think you are? Don't think you're still a Scholar who reads books, a person above others; that's all old history! From now on, if you're going to walk the jianghu and eat this meal with us, you have to eat with your head down."

Tang Zhao felt his heart gradually twisting together and said: "I remember the Sui Family Troupe is a troupe that performs for a living, not one that kowtows to beg for food, right?"

Feng Ge's expression changed abruptly. In the darkness, he could only feel his breathing becoming heavy and his chest heaving, and he said loudly: "Of course not! We walk the jianghu relying on our skills, selling our abilities, upright and proper, not those who hold their palms upward to beg on the street!"

Tang Zhao raised his eyebrows: "Because we earn our own living, we are better than beggars, but lower than everyone else?"

Feng Ge was stunned for a moment and said: "Of course not... is..."

Tang Zhao continued immediately: "Since that's the case, it would be better to just beg. Since we have to kneel honestly anyway, begging saves one step and saves some exhaustion. Is it that you look down on beggars? And you still consider yourself a person? Self-respect and self-regard are things you either have or you don't; how can you pick and choose who to treat differently? Isn't that just—"

Although he controlled himself and swallowed the last three words, Sui Feng was still furious. However, he was not naturally eloquent; those words had been churning in his chest for half a day before they finally burst out in a long speech. For him to argue with Tang Zhao point by point now was truly difficult. He glared at Tang Zhao: "Nonsense! You... nonsense! Nonsense!"

Tang Zhao said: "You're angry too? That's right, people aren't made of mud; who doesn't get angry? It can't be that you getting angry at me is justified, but me being bullied by others is what I deserve, right? Who isn't a person?"

Feng Ge couldn't swallow or spit out his breath. He stared straight at him, finally slapped his own thigh, let out a heavy "Sigh", and turned to sit on the carriage shaft.

Tang Zhao also stopped. It wasn't that he had nothing to say; he had read many books, and if he wanted to speak, he could be eloquent and talk endlessly. But he ultimately calmed down; he didn't want to argue with Sui Feng.

He shouldn't argue with Sui Feng.

Since his family members passed away one after another, he had no one to turn to. At this time, it was the jianghu performers of the Sui Family Troupe who had been taking care of him, protecting him on the long journey to find relatives. They not only had great kindness toward him but had also done everything they could.

What Sui Feng said and what he did were not the same; at least in Tang Zhao's eyes, he was a chivalrous hero of the marketplace with a heart as righteous as the heavens.

So, Sui Feng's words just now not only made Tang Zhao angry but also made him very sad.

Just as sad as the things he had experienced today.

The Great Hero appointed by the Imperial Court acted like a tyrant, while the righteous person who eliminated demons and brought peace to the people was forced into a dead end. Young children were tied up like animals, the powerful who treated people like livestock considered themselves great philanthropists, and the kind-hearted commoners considered themselves lowly, only hating themselves for not being cold and selfish enough.

What kind of world is this?

Especially since he had only just drifted into the jianghu and had only caught a glimpse of the cruelty of the world, he felt even sadder in his heart.

"Feng Ge..." After thinking for a moment, he said in a hoarse voice, "Sometimes we do live miserably, just like... just like dogs. But we can't keep telling ourselves that we are dogs by nature, right?"

If you truly believe you are a dog, it might be less painful when you are trampled by others, but it's not easy to want to be a person again.

The wind grew colder, and the silence made the surrounding air even colder.

After a long while, he heard Feng Ge speak first: "Zhaozi, do you still have any relatives at home? Are there any friends you can entrust yourself to?"

Tang Zhao's heart shook and then dimmed. He wanted to say truthfully: "Of course I haven't had any for a long time, I have nowhere to go." But the words reached his lips and changed to: "Let me think—it's not that there aren't any."

Feng Ge said: "Is that so? How about I send you there?"

Tang Zhao felt even colder in his heart. He wrapped his cotton coat tighter around himself and said: "Actually, it's not far, just in... the neighboring county. Once we find the way back, you can just drop me off in the city."

Feng Ge was stunned and said: "Baishui County? Is it really there?"

Tang Zhao forced a smile: "Of course. But it can't compare to the luxury of Xue Daxia; it's just a small, humble household. I didn't want to bother them before, but now I have no choice but to go with a thick face."

Feng Ge nodded and said: "Good. Actually, a small, humble household is fine too; they don't bully people, and simple food and drink are also peaceful. Living under someone else's roof is hard, but it's better than drifting in the jianghu."

Tang Zhao said "Mm".

Feng Ge stood up; his figure remained tall and sturdy in the blurry, dark night, like a wall blocking the wind. He pulled the thin donkey over with one hand and said, "Let's go. Traveling at night isn't safe; let's find a place to rest first."

Tang Zhao gave a grunt of agreement, then suddenly straightened up, raised both arms on the cart, and shouted toward the sky, "Ah—"

The cry, sounding almost like a scream, continued until his throat went hoarse; a flock of crows was startled into flight, scattering while cawing "caw-caw," as if providing harmony for him.

Hearing the sound, Feng Ge turned his head abruptly; he was startled at first, but his expression gradually relaxed, and he listened quietly.

After shouting for a long time, Tang Zhao sat back down on the cart bed and said, "Feng Ge, why don't you shout a couple of times too?"

Feng Ge stared at him blankly, then suddenly laughed, "I won't roar; yours is already unpleasant enough to hear. Even if there's no one else around, I don't have a heart as big as yours."

After Tang Zhao finished roaring, Feng Ge's tone actually became a bit lighter: "That shout was satisfying; consider it you roaring for me. No matter what happens in the future, today's business is over; let's turn the page."

Tang Zhao's mood also improved a little; he sat cross-legged on the cart and said, "Alrighty."

The donkey cart rumbled forward, moving continuously through the pitch-black night. The cold wind poured into his collar, chilling him through from the inside out.

"Feng Ge." Tang Zhao exhaled a breath of cold air and suddenly spoke up: "Actually, at the gate of the Xue Clan, I really wasn't angry. What I said wasn't words of anger either; I was truly grateful to them."

Sui Feng did not turn his head and said, "Don't talk about these things; it's all in the past."

Tang Zhao gave an "en" and, as expected, said no more.

After traveling for another moment, Sui Feng said, "The Longevity Lock is fine, but is that strange treasure of yours broken? Should we find someone to fix it later? Or maybe clamp it together?"

Tang Zhao replied, "Ah, no need. That thing was already broken to begin with."

Suddenly, the cart stopped.