Chapter 6: Chapter Six: The Warmth of Beicang Village

At dawn, the village was already wreathed in cooking smoke, dew soaking the surrounding flowers and grasses. On the road into the mountains, four strange figures emerged — one old, three young. The village's morning tranquility was disturbed, and the surrounding villagers gathered round, some even carrying their breakfast out to watch the commotion.

The little wild boar on Wang Pangdun's back was too conspicuous; one told ten, ten told a hundred, and before long the whole village knew.

"Ning lad, you three have quite the guts. The old man takes off and you run straight into the mountains to hunt, even bringing back a wild boar. I was just as bold when I was young."

The bearded, rough-looking uncle boasted proudly, but no sooner had he finished than the auntie beside him seized his ear and yanked.

"You good-for-nothing, I've followed you half my life and barely tasted wild boar a few times, yet you brag in front of the kids. Hurry up and go hunt — don't come home without a boar. Ning lad, are you hurt? My family has medicated wine; I'll bring some for you to rub on later."

"Let go, let go, my ear's coming off — can't you give me a little face in front of the children?"

The auntie glared fiercely at the uncle and released his ear. The uncle scrambled away and ran for the mountains, grumbling as he went: "Just you wait — tonight I'll bring back a boar and make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow."

The crowd roared with laughter. The auntie muttered curses — "useless, disgraceful thing" — while turning back home to fetch the medicated wine.

"Ning lad, you've made something of yourself. A mountain wild boar isn't so easy to kill. How bad are the injuries? Should I get Old Ge Tou to take a look?" The village uncles and aunts all crowded around, feeling and checking for problems. A few with wandering hands even reached downward, but Ning Ze dodged them.

Ning Ze couldn't endure the villagers' brazenness; groped until his face and ears burned red, feeling taken advantage of, he fled in fright, shouting as he ran: "Uncles, aunties, I'm fine, no need to check. Pangdun, Liu Lü'er, come find me at my place after you're done processing it."

"Ning lad, all grown up now and won't let people touch. When you were little Auntie bathed you — what haven't I seen? Now you're shy."

Ning Ze vanished in a puff of smoke, treating those words as unheard. Now it was Wang Pangdun and Liu Lü'er's turn to be surrounded. Auntie Pang pinched Wang Pangdun's ear and scolded him, her loud voice carrying through the whole village.

"Wang Pangdun, your guts have grown fat — daring to enter the woods and hunt wild boar without a word to Mother. Next time you run off recklessly, I'll break your legs. Your father's already gone; if anything happens to you, how am I supposed to live?"

"Mother, nothing happened, see? We've got wild boar meat to eat tonight."

"You still talk back? I know exactly what you're made of. If Ning lad hadn't been there, you'd have ended up in a beast's belly long ago. Let me tell you — without Ning Ze, you dare set foot in those woods alone, and if something happens, I won't go on living either."

Hearing Pangdun talk back, Auntie Pang yanked his ear harder, but as she spoke, worried tears welled up unbidden.

"Carry the boar home. Once I've processed it, you take it to Ning lad. There's still some medicine at home — bring some to him too. Hurry up; I'll deal with you when we get back."

Wang Pangdun grinned foolishly to the side, listening to Auntie Pang's scolding without a word of protest. Auntie Pang shoved through the crowd in annoyance, wiping tears as she went home.

"Pangdun, get home quick, or your mother'll come after you with a bamboo switch." Only then did Wang Pangdun realize, and he hurriedly shouldered the boar and followed his mother.

The crowd laughed uproariously again. The three went home, and the villagers dispersed.

Liu Lü'er's grandfather and grandmother waited at the door. Seeing her return unharmed, their trembling old hands never let go of hers. They were even more worried about Liu Lü'er — both pairs of eyes red, they'd clearly fretted all night. From what the villagers said just now, the old woman had cried all night.

"Back safe, back safe."

Liu Lü'er's eyes misted. "Grandpa, Grandma, I'm sorry — I made you worry."

"Lü'er, you've grown up. We two are useless, can only worry blindly. It's fine, it's fine, don't cry — coming back is enough. Come inside with me. Old woman, prepare some herbs later and have Lü'er take them to Ning lad."

Some families rejoice, some grieve. Villagers hunting in the mountains risk their lives at any moment; how many return laughing and loaded down every day? Each household simply prays for safe return, hearts heavy with dread. Wang Pangdun and Liu Lü'er venturing into the woods with Ning Ze this time — their lone, widowed families naturally feared disaster. Yet they also understood: villagers must eventually face the mountains' fierce beasts; they just refuse to accept the worst outcome.

Hunting food is bought with lives. In twelve years, Ning Ze had witnessed many partings of life and death in the village. He had no power to change things, only to do his best aiding those who'd lost kin. In truth, the village all helped each other — each household according to its means. The old man — though his strength was formidable — they'd relied on each other for years, and Ning Ze didn't want to lose him either.

The corpses carried back from the mountains over the years — Ning Ze had seen a few. Horrifying: huge claw marks tearing half a body away, some rotting whole, most beyond human shape. Hard to imagine what beasts caused it. Village elders guessed perhaps demonic beasts from the deep mountains had come out to rampage. Ning Ze had never seen a demonic beast, but from the corpses' gruesome state, no matter how strong the old man was, he hoped he'd never encounter one.

On the official road, clad in pitch-black armor, riding ferocious flood dragon horses, a cavalry unit charged recklessly. Ordinary folk dodged far away at first sight; the unlucky few who didn't were knocked straight into the roadside ditches. The cavalry didn't pause, striding off and leaving a cloud of dust. This unit rode straight into the Xia Yu City Lord's mansion — no one on the road could stop them.

The Xia Yu City Lord saw the identity token the cavalry displayed, knew these were people he couldn't afford to offend, and hurriedly ordered his men to silence those who'd been knocked down — he didn't want to hear any gossip. The Xia Yu City Lord met the cavalry commander alone in his study.

"My lord, may I ask what brings you here? Does this official need to assist in any matter?"

"This official has received word that some remnants are hiding in this area. This trip is to exterminate those remnants. Does the City Lord know where these remnants might be hiding?"

Piercing gaze through the cold mask struck straight at the Xia Yu City Lord; the voice was hard as metal and stone. Despite the scorching heat, the Xia Yu City Lord felt cold trembling, a fear from the depths of his heart.

"My lord, how could that be? This official only just heard of remnants hiding here. Had I known earlier, I would certainly have arrested them all and executed them by lingchi." The Xia Yu City Lord explained in terror — he feared that once suspected of harboring them, these cavalrymen would simply behead him on the spot.

"Best there aren't any. This official will verify one by one — not a single one will escape my pursuit. Along the pursuit, several city lords colluded to hide remnants; their end result — heh heh heh — perhaps not even bones were left. You understand?"

Bone-piercing blood stench permeated the study; the aura condensed the very air. Beneath the pitch-black armor hid a withered hand — this was surely a killer who treated lives as nothing. The Xia Yu City Lord could imagine those city lords' wretched fates; a shiver ran through him, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and he hurriedly knelt.

"This official absolutely did not collude or harbor them. I beg my lord to investigate and clear my name. My lord, who exactly are these remnants? This official will certainly help track them down and arrest them all."

"Hmph. Don't ask what you shouldn't — that's not for you to know. This official will personally ferret out those rats who dare not show their faces and crush them one by one. Go find a guide, and also get me a map. Dismissed."

"Yes, yes, yes — this official will withdraw and attend to it at once. My lord, you've traveled far; though Xia Yu City is remote, it has some specialties I wish to present to you lords — I hope you won't disdain them."

The cavalry commander closed his eyes and assented with a grunt. The Xia Yu City Lord withdrew with a fawning expression.

The moment he left the study, the waiting steward greeted him. The Xia Yu City Lord's face changed instantly — his aura turned stern and cold, faster than a Sichuan opera face-change. Then one of the black-armored cavalry guards outside entered the study, while the City Lord led the steward away expressionlessly.

In another secret study, the steward stood waiting beside the Xia Yu City Lord. Since seeing the cavalry commander, the City Lord had stood there for half a double-hour without speaking or giving any order.

Seeing the City Lord lost in thought, the steward had to interrupt: "My lord, how should we arrange that cavalry unit outside?"

The Xia Yu City Lord didn't answer immediately, still eyes closed, back to the steward. After a long while, a cold voice pried open his mouth: "Go — send those few pieces of Profound Ice Iron from the treasury to the cavalry commander. And send a map as well."

"My lord? Those pieces of Profound Ice Iron cost a great price to obtain — just give them away like that?"

"Don't begrudge it. This is our life-buying money. If they pin a harboring charge on us, we're all dead. Go on now — I'm tired." The steward obeyed and withdrew.

In the empty study, the Xia Yu City Lord remained deep in thought — this man and the fawning City Lord from moments ago seemed like two different people. After long hesitation, the City Lord took a box from a hidden compartment in the study. Inside lay a letter, and beneath it a command token. He withdrew the letter, slowly opened it, and murmured: "Remnants… could it be…"

The steward brought out a large chest from the treasury. Its surface was fringed with threads of frost; cold air assaulted the senses, and anyone nearby shivered involuntarily. The two brawny men carrying it had eyebrows coated in white frost.

"My lord, this is the specialty the City Lord sent up — please don't disdain it."

The steward was stopped by two cavalrymen outside the study and could only shout from the courtyard for an audience. The cavalry commander saw the chest's contents; his eyes flickered, gaze lingering on the Profound Ice Iron for a long time. Finally, remembering the steward still waiting, his gaze returned to him.

"Not bad. The City Lord's gift shows thought. This official believes the City Lord would never harbor those people. Convey this official's thanks to the City Lord for the gift."

After the steward left, the cavalry commander toyed with the Profound Ice Iron. For such a treasure, he too was tempted — never expected to obtain several pieces in this remote place; truly an unexpected windfall.

"The Xia Yu City Lord isn't harboring remnants — no need to investigate further. Recall the men. Here's a map — send some men to pursue leads in the surrounding area first."

"Acknowledged!" After the cavalry withdrew, the cavalry commander suddenly added: "This Xia Yu City Lord is quite the character! Heh, luck's not bad this time."