Chapter 387: Mid-Autumn Night Beneath the Bright Moon

Baokang County derives its name from the Northern Song's "Bao Kang Army," meaning "to preserve peace and protect the people"; it was only established as a county after the Great Da Xuan dynasty came to power.

Though Baokang County's town was built barely a century ago, this region had been inhabited since ancient times, even tracing back to King Xiong Yi of Chu.

For countless years of war and chaos, these lands remained untouched.

The reason is simple: within Baokang County, mountains pile upon mountains, gullies crisscross, terrain shifts constantly, and streams and ravines are countless.

Strictly speaking, this area also falls within the Jingchu mountain forest region; some villages remain isolated year-round, self-sufficient, and even the government struggles to collect grain taxes.

In times of chaos, it was effectively a secluded paradise.

But now, the shadow of war has also descended upon this land.

"Waa! Waa!"

Beneath the bright moonlight, crows gather and scatter intermittently.

Along the deep, narrow mountain trails, corpses lie thick and dense—both Tian Sheng cultists and imperial troops—limbs scattered, shattered banners and weapons tangled across the ground.

The surrounding forests and woods billow thick smoke and flames.

If someone gazed down from above, they would see over a dozen such ruined battlefields scattered across Baokang County.

This is the current state of the battlefield.

In Ezhou, imperial troops are insufficient; they are all drawn from other regions. Meanwhile, the Tian Sheng Army and Longxiang Army grew up in these mountains, expert in forest warfare, and hold the advantage of terrain.

They break into small units, roaming and launching ambushes, causing considerable trouble for the imperial forces.

Even when Zhenwu Palace mobilizes troops, they can only eliminate one or two small squads at a time, unable to decide the outcome of the war.

Thus, the imperial strategy now is to leverage numerical superiority, advance steadily, and continuously compress the Tian Sheng cult's territory.

Fortunately, the court has not pressed for haste.

First, the past two years have brought bountiful harvests and a full treasury, granting ample time to eradicate this threat deep within Shenzhou.

Second, the court is using this opportunity to train troops and test new firearm tactics.

The situation in the Jingchu mountain forests has reached its final stage; neither the Longxiang Army nor the Tian Sheng Army holds any hope of victory.

What was once a grand, roaring movement now merely clings to life…

…………

"Sigh~"

On a distant mountain path, Wang Wang Daoxuan sighed, lowering his gaze. "If these battlefields aren't cleared soon, countless wandering souls and malevolent spirits will arise."

"There's simply no time."

Gong Qun replied: "The Tian Sheng cult has raised a demonic army, all trained in dark arts and armed with new firearms, hiding in the forests to wage Mobile Corps Commander warfare."

"Especially around battlefields, when Zhenwu Palace's Daoists perform rituals, they're frequently ambushed—snipers fire from the shadows, then vanish. It's a constant headache."

"The commander has ordered: no one may leave the unit alone; after nightfall, all must return to camp. Cleanup must wait until after the war."

"Let's move on."

Li Yan looked up at the weed-choked mountain path ahead and asked doubtfully: "Do people actually live here?"

"Yes!"

Gong Qun said: "Deep within these mountains lies Longtan Village, remote and surrounded by treacherous trails, untouched by war."

"Behind the village, there's an ancient mountain path, rumored to have been built by the early Chu people; through it, one can bypass the Tian Sheng Army and enter Inside Shennongjia."

"I know the village head personally. We'll rest there tonight and set out for Inside Shennongjia at dawn."

"Fine, let's go already—I'm starving!"

Sha Sha Li Fei grumbled.

Along this journey, they've broken up several enemy attacks, achieving great victories, but have been on constant alert day and night, unable to light fires, and their dried rations are long gone.

Over the past two days, avoiding the main battlefields, they've crossed mountains and ridges, hiding their trail, surviving only on wild fruits—this is becoming unbearable.

Gong Qun himself was exhausted and said no more, leading the group through the dense forest trails.

Soon, a steep slope loomed ahead.

Around it, vegetation was lush, but here, jagged rocks jutted bare, barren of any grass, like the exposed skeleton of a giant beast sloping toward the mountain peak.

"Right here."

Gong Qun looked up and said: "Other routes are either too densely wooded or sheer cliffs—impassable. Only this path offers easy passage."

Gazing at this peculiar terrain, Wang Wang Daoxuan pulled out his Luo Pan from his robe, examined it, then frowned: "This place is barren, chaotic with yin energy, no water ahead, no support on either side—it's a cursed land. Has nothing happened here?"

Gong Qun paused. "I've been to Longtan Village several times. There are farmlands and a large pond, many hunters, and life has been peaceful—nothing unusual."

"Oh?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan glanced again at the mountain peak. "That's strange. Does the village have any temple or talisman?"

Gong Qun quickly replied: "Atop the slope stands an ancestral temple, very ancient, with thriving incense offerings."

"That explains it."

Wang Wang Daoxuan understood. "Someone of high cultivation must have made arrangements."

Inside the ancestral temple, Laozi is enshrined.

With thriving incense, it naturally protects the land.

As Gong Qun said, though the rocky slope looked fearsome, and under the bright moonlight seemed eerie, it held no danger.

Not even a single wild beast was seen.

Soon, the group reached the summit.

Indeed, not far ahead, an ancient temple stood firm—its construction unadorned, walls built of uneven rocks mixed with mud.

The courtyard gate was locked, and inside, pitch black.

"Woof! Woof!"

A dog tied inside the old temple sensed their presence and barked furiously.

Creak~

The temple gate swung open immediately; three men reeking of alcohol, swords and bows in hand, burst out in panic.

"Who are you?!"

Before they could see clearly, they had already drawn their bows.

"Chen Er-Gou, it's me!"

Gong Qun quickly shouted to stop them.

"Is that… Lord Gong?"

One thin man immediately grabbed his companion's bow. "Don't move! This is Lord Gong—he helped our village before."

"Lord, why are you entering the mountains at night?"

"We were delayed on the road. Where's Daochang Yun?"

"He went into the mountains to gather herbs and hasn't returned for days. You're heading to Village Head Zhou's house? I'll guide you."

"No need. Things are unstable lately. Keep watch tight. How can you drink while guarding the village? This is reckless!"

"Lord, you know—we're a poor, remote village. Who would ever come here…?"

After brief pleasantries, Gong Qun led the group onward.

Li Yan turned back for a glance, brow slightly furrowed.

Was it his imagination, or had he heard a faint, aged sigh from within the ancestral temple?

Could it be some mundane deity?

Though strange, Li Yan did not investigate.

They had urgent business; they'd already wasted too much time. No need to stir up trouble here.

Looking down from the mountain, Longtan Village was clearly visible.

Below, mountains encircled a small basin, at its center a lake, beside which lay a village of about a Company Commander.

Under the moonlight, many homes glowed with candlelight.

Wang Wang Daoxuan glanced at the moon in the sky, then slapped his forehead and laughed: "We've been rushing so hard these days, I nearly forgot—today is the fifteenth of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn full moon night."

Descending the slope, terraced fields layered one after another.

"Thieves!" Lu San suddenly pointed ahead.

Beneath the bright moon, several dark figures moved stealthily, stealing several large melons.

Sha Sha Li Fei chuckled: "Well now, on this Mid-Autumn night, instead of reuniting with family, they go stealing melons. Never seen the like."

"You misunderstand."

Gong Qun smiled wryly and explained: "This is a custom in Ezhou—called 'Stealing the Autumn to Bring Children.'"

"On Mid-Autumn night, when the moon rises, one sneaks into another's melon patch and must make noise so the owner comes out to curse— the louder and harsher, the better…"

"After stealing the melon, one dresses as a child, hollows it out, and inserts a red chili. Then, with gongs and drums, delivers it to childless households, wishing them to bear sons soon."

"That night, the woman must sleep with the melon-child on her bed. Honestly, my mother conceived me this way."

"Look, the owner will come out any moment…"

Before he finished speaking, a sturdy woman burst from a nearby farmhouse, flinging open the wooden door, hopping and stomping, pointing at them and screaming curses.

The curses were as vile as they could be.

!.

The woman poured all her strength into her shouts, face flushed, eyes red, spittle flying—clearly enjoying the chance to vent.

Even Li Yan and the others felt deeply uncomfortable.

The "thieves" scrambled out of the melon patch, clutching a dozen large melons, and ran off.

These "thieves" were all teenagers; perhaps excited by the thrill, one stumbled and fell flat on his face, dropping the melon he held.

"Idiot!"

The lead boy, seeing this, immediately panicked.

There were rules to the autumn theft for fertility: if the melon stolen was cracked or broken, it was bad luck and couldn't be given to any household; if their father found out, he'd surely scold them.

He held two winter melons in his arms, leaving no hands free to catch it, so he bent his body and executed a scorpion's tail twist, pinning one melon between his rear legs.

The skill and reflexes clearly marked him as a trained martialist.

But the other boys were utterly unable to react.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the boys heard a whistle of wind—and suddenly, a man appeared before them, reaching out with a light motion to grasp the other melon.

The newcomer was Li Yan.

"Ghost!"

Several boys jumped back in fright.

"What ghost?"

The lead boy snapped a reprimand, then tensed his whole body, the hairs on his nape rising, "Who are you? What are you doing in our village?"

"Zhou Zhou Huzi, show some respect!"

Gong Qun hurried over and spoke in a low, firm voice, "These are honored guests. We've come to see your father."

"Ah, Brother Gong..."

The lead boy, with thick eyebrows and large eyes and a sturdy frame, instantly beamed upon seeing Gong Qun, "My father's inside—come quickly!"

"Dogzi, catch this—don't drop it again!"

With a flick of his calf, the winter melon landed in the hands of the boy behind him; Li Yan also smiled faintly and handed his melon over.

The boy named Zhou Zhou Huzi led the way, while the other boys kept sneaking glances at Li Yan and his group.

There was no helping it—they were far too conspicuous.

Whether it was the human-ghost Wu Ba, or the little white fox Chuqi bouncing behind Lu San, or the falcon tucked in the cloth pouch on their chests, all of it fascinated them deeply.

Seeing this, Gong Qun feared Li Yan and the others might take offense, so he quickly changed the subject: "Zhou Huzi, why so many melons this year?"

Zhou Zhou Huzi hesitated, then whispered, "Brother Gong, you haven't been here these past two years—you don't know what's happened."

"The village hasn't had a single baby born in two years. No one knows why. Oh, and Elder Yun on the mountain said he'd go into the hills to gather herbs specifically to help with childbirth—but he's been gone for days and hasn't come out..."

"No babies?"

Gong Qun also froze, his brow furrowing slightly.

No births was a grave matter—if it dragged on, rumors would spread through the village, and who knew what disasters might follow.

But he had more pressing business, and couldn't spare attention for this now.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the village center.

Here, near the lake, like other places in Ezhou, the ancestral hall stood at the center—but unlike elsewhere, this hall was built right beside the water.

The village was poor; even the wealthiest village head was merely a hunter, and his courtyard, though spacious, paled far beyond the estates of landowners elsewhere.

The gate stood wide open now, and an old woman waited at the threshold, scolding Zhou Zhou Huzi: "You brat, why so slow? Hurry up—don't miss the hour..."

As she spoke, she spotted Gong Qun and his group, and immediately shouted inside: "Husband, come out! Brother Gong is here!"

A man burst out of the courtyard—tall, with a full beard, dressed in a fresh cloth robe, thick eyebrows and large eyes, clearly resembling Zhou Zhou Huzi.

"Brother Gong!"

The man's face lit up with delight, then he turned to Li Yan and the others: "Who are these people...?"

"These are honored guests—inside, we'll explain!"

Gong Qun clearly knew the village head well—he wasted no words and led them straight into the courtyard.

Inside, a square table had already been set.

On it, wooden racks held an array of offerings: mooncakes, incense, candles, and the five ritual offerings were all present.

This was called the "Moon Offering Pavilion," used for the Moon Worship ceremony.

"Please, everyone!"

Zhou, the village head, nervous, led them into the house.

His son Zhou Zhou Huzi handed the melons to his mother to make into baby figures, then, curious, pretended to have nothing to do and drifted to the threshold of the main hall to eavesdrop.

"Oh, you're going into the Inside Shennongjia?"

"Good—I'm heading into the mountains tomorrow—I'll guide you..."

"Why are you going into the mountains, Village Head Zhou?"

"Sigh~ Elder Yun hasn't come out for days—I fear..."

Creak!

The door suddenly opened, startling the eavesdropping Zhou Zhou Huzi—he saw a bald, ferocious-looking man grinning at him.

Zhou Zhou Huzi shuddered and hurried away.

"Brat..."

Sha Sha Li Fei chuckled, then shut the door again.

After a brief discussion inside, the village head immediately stepped out to arrange lodging and meals for Li Yan and the others.

Li Yan and his group had arrived at just the right time.

It was Mid-Autumn Night, and Zhou, the village's best hunter, had caught a deer and plenty of river fish; though simple country fare, it was cooked to perfection—aromatic, flavorful, and visually appealing.

With wine and meat inside them, days of exhaustion vanished.

The Zhou family was busy too.

The stolen winter melons were quickly dressed up as plump baby figures; villagers who came to help beat drums and ring bells, carrying the melon-babies to every household.

In the courtyard, the village head led his family in burning incense, performing the Moon Worship ritual.

"Another year has passed..."

Wang Wang Daoxuan gazed at the bright moon, then looked toward the Guanzhong direction, a flicker of sorrow in his eyes: "Brother Sha, later, come with me to the lake—I'll set up an altar to honor the families of our fallen brothers."

"Agreed!"

Sha Sha Li Fei nodded solemnly, then caught sight of Li Yan frowning, as if straining to listen.

"Young Master Li, what's wrong?"

"Shh, don't speak—I hear a woman crying..."

(End of Chapter)