Chapter 5: Knocking at Midnight

Guanzhong cuisine has a long history.

As the capital for several generations, chefs from all directions gathered in Chang'an, and delicacies from all over the country were gathered here, not only in great variety but also eaten with great care.

Besides soup noodles and flatbread, there was also "Green Essence Rice" from the south, made by pounding "Southern Candle" into juice for soaking, then steaming and drying it nine times. The rice grains were tight and small, black as pearls, capable of strengthening tendons and improving complexion, and if eaten for a long time, one's hair would turn white.

There was also "Group Oil Rice," with over a dozen ingredients. "Clear Wind Rice" was for cooling in summer, "Jade Well Rice" was accompanied by steamed lotus root, not to mention things like locust leaf noodles, cherry pastries (biluo).

Various livestock like pigs, sheep, cows, and horses were prepared in dazzling ways. Although the capital had moved north, some traditions hadn't been broken.

Li Yan was a foodie in his past life, so his skills were naturally not bad.

Now that the weather was turning hot, some foods weren't suitable for making, and without an ice cellar, preserving the half-fat pig was the priority.

Smoked meat is best made in the dead of winter; making it now, if not done well, would lead to maggots and rot.

But Li Yan clearly had plenty of ways.

Rendering lard—some used for stir-frying, and the rest sealing the large chunks of pork belly in oil, which would last long enough.

The rest were made into braised pork, stewed meat, and deep-fried meatballs.

Of course, a basin of good meat sauce was indispensable.

The courtyard was filled with fragrance, attracting the village dogs to pace outside the gate.

"Get lost!"

Li Yan scolded with a laugh. "Blind Old San entered the village, and you didn't dare bark—all useless things."

Although he said so, he was still suspicious.

These village dogs, even if a wolf pack came, would dare to go up. Why did they let "Blind Old San" sneak into the village?

Unfortunately, the matter had passed, and no one knew the reason.

Meat sauce noodles for lunch, rice porridge and steamed buns with stir-fried pork oil for dinner—the two of them ate until their bellies were full, squatting on the threshold blowing the cool breeze, and all their worries were gone.

Rural life is peaceful but boring.

When night fell, except for a few men still tossing and turning with their wives in bed, the rest of the commoners had already extinguished their lights and gone to sleep early.

The busy farming season had arrived, and they had to get up early tomorrow to work in the fields.

Before long, the whole village was in silence.

In the main room of Widow Wang's house, the candlelight was dim.

In the room, a square altar table was filled with offerings.

In the open space in front of it, over a dozen red wooden sticks were inserted, wrapped with red rope to form a circle, inside which lay a little girl.

This little girl was only four years old, and unlike the disheveled Widow Wang, her clothes were clean, and because she hadn't seen the sun for years, she looked fair and tender.

The little girl was currently trapped in a nightmare, her body curled up, her face flushed red, her eyes tightly closed, her eyelids trembling constantly, her forehead covered in sweat.

It was her daughter.

Widow Wang, kneeling on the ground to the side, looked pale, watching her daughter worriedly, and occasionally glancing outside the door.

It seemed she sensed something. She held three sticks of incense above her head, kowtowing constantly toward the main hall, muttering:

"Hu Sangu, bless us, Hu Sangu, bless us..."

In the side room, the sleeping Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

He sat up abruptly, touching his back somewhat suspiciously.

His hand felt a piece of coldness, while the surroundings were hot, as if touching ice on a hot summer day.

What's going on?

Li Yan's eyes were uncertain.

He had practiced martial arts for years. Although he couldn't break through to Dark Jin due to his age and lack of combat experience, his perception and control over his body far exceeded ordinary people.

He could detect any problem the first moment it occurred.

This feeling was very familiar; it had appeared once after he killed the vicious wolf "Blind Old San."

But it disappeared quickly, making him think it was just an illusion.

Why did it appear again, and so clearly?

Could it be that the beast wasn't clean, and he had caught some plague?

Li Yan didn't panic but tried using the substitute statue.

This treasure of his, as long as it was a physical injury—whether poisoning or wounds from blades and weapons, or even illness—could be replaced the first moment. Before the three life fires were extinguished, he was nearly immortal.

But the strange thing happened:

The statue didn't take effect!

His back remained cold, even getting colder.

How strange. Could it be a psychological problem?

*Thump! *

Just at this moment, a sound came from outside.

It was as if something was knocking on a wooden board.

Although faint, it was very clear in this silent night.

Li Yan's sword-like brows tightened. He hurriedly got out of bed, put on his pants, took the Guanshan blade from the wall, and slowly pushed the door open a crack to look out.

His movements were silent.

This place in Guanzhong had a peaceful and plain rural life, but it wasn't without danger. Wolf plagues were just one; more terrifying were those bandits.

Although Village Head Li Huairen might not be able to scrape much oil and water, there might be some desperate guys.

And there were some low-life scum mixing in the martial world.

He had heard his father talk about the "Five Flowers and Eight Gates" in the martial world. Some were honest businessmen, but there were more tricks for cheating. For example, these Eight Gates were divided into Bright Eight Gates and Dark Eight Gates.

The Bright Eight Gates were Gold, Skin, Color, Hang, Comment, Group, Tune, and Willow—people who told fortunes, read faces, and looked at feng shui. Some had real skills, but most were half-baked, eating a living on the street.

And the "Hemp" lineage in the Dark Eight Gates were lone scammers.

Some of them would dress as Daoists or monks. Those with ability would go to cheat rich families, and those without would run to villages to fool commoners.

They would smear eel blood on your gate, causing bats to hit the door at night, creating the illusion of a ghost knocking.

They would also grind water nitrate and sulfur into powder, hide it in peach blossom paper, and replace your lamp wick, making the candlelight flicker and creating "ghost blowing the lamp."

In short, they would scare you half to death first, then pretend to be an expert to cheat you out of money.

All kinds of underworld tricks were truly bizarre.

But trying to fool him was truly like an old man eating arsenic—tired of living.

!.

Li Yan smiled secretly and checked outside.

However, the moonlight was dim, and there was nothing in the courtyard.

*Thump! *

Just as he was suspicious, the sound rang out again.

This time he heard it clearly; it was outside the courtyard gate.

The sound was very faint. Could it be a rat or a cat?

Even so, Li Yan didn't dare to be careless. He narrowed his eyes, the cold light in his dragon pupils burning, slowly drew his blade, and walked toward the gate with light footsteps.

His blade was incomparably sharp.

If it were really some petty thief or bandit, he could stab them through the wooden door!

But after approaching the courtyard gate, Li Yan's expression changed instantly.

He could feel that outside the gate, it was empty, with nothing there, but he could smell a fishy, foul odor, bloody and cold.

The scent was very familiar; it was exactly "Blind Old San"!

Didn't this guy die?!

Li Yan felt a chill in his heart, goosebumps rising all over.

He couldn't be sure, so he sensed it carefully again. There was clearly nothing there, but that thick, fishy, foul odor was even stronger, full of malice.

Ghost?

What was happening before him had already exceeded his understanding.

Although he felt "Blind Old San" was somewhat strange at the time, it was, after all, flesh and blood. A white blade in, a red blade out—slaughtering it was the end.

But now, what should he do?

Why would even a beast seek revenge as a vengeful spirit?

*Thump! *

The sound rang out again.

Li Yan was stunned and looked up.

This time he heard it more clearly; it came from above the courtyard gate. Judging by the position, it was exactly the "Hundred Battles Mighty" plaque his grandfather had.

At the same time, he also smelled another scent.

It was the scent of metal and wood, and it carried a trace of incense.

This was a strange feeling. Metal and wood have no scent, but when Li Yan smelled it, the first impression in his brain was this.

The fishy, foul odor on "Blind Old San" carried a coldness.

And the scent of the Hundred Battles plaque inexplicably had a scorching heat.

*Thump! *

The two scents collided, making a sound again.

Li Yan suddenly realized.

He didn't expect this plaque in his house to be a treasure, only that it didn't show its true colors on ordinary days, and was only triggered when that evil thing came to the door.

And his strange sense of smell could smell the scents of unusual things.

All of this was clearly not related to the substitute statue, but came from his predecessor.

What exactly was going on with all this?

Li Yan's palms were sweating. Facing this kind of unknown, eerie thing, he felt for the first time that he had no way out, a feeling of his life not being in his own hands.

It seemed that sensing his aura, the fishy, foul odor of "Blind Old San" outside the door grew even stronger, and the frequency of its collision with the plaque grew faster and faster.

*Thump, thump, thump! *

The sound was faint and not obvious in the dark night.

But in Li Yan's ears, it was like a death-summoning drum.

He didn't move, thinking of his grandfather sleeping in the room. He didn't dare to retreat, let alone push the door and go out. The sharp Guanshan blade in his hand couldn't give him the slightest sense of security, and he could only hope the "Hundred Battles Mighty" plaque could block it.

The *thump, thump, thump* sound rang out constantly.

Li Yan could feel that his back was getting colder and colder, like placing a piece of solid ice, cold air overflowing, and at the same time, the resentful gaze of "Blind Old San" when it died kept echoing in his brain.

Curse?

Li Yan had a guess, but he couldn't be sure.

Fortunately, he could feel that as the two forces collided, both scents were weakening.

Unknowingly, an hour passed.

*Thump! *

Finally, after the last collision, the scent of "Blind Old San" outside the door slowly dissipated, leaving no trace.

*Woof, woof, woof! *

In the dark night, sounds of dogs barking rang out.

The silent, cold atmosphere was broken.

Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief, his expression still gloomy.

The chill on his back still hadn't dissipated...

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