Midnight Knocking

Guanzhong cuisine had a long and storied history.

As the capital of several dynasties, Chang'an had gathered cooks from all corners of the land, while delicacies from the Nine Provinces converged there. Not only was the variety immense, but great care was taken in how food was eaten.

Besides Tang Bing and Hú Flatbread, staple foods included Qing Jing Rice brought from the south. It was made by pounding Nanzhu into juice to soak the rice, then steaming and sun-drying it nine times each. The finished grains were small and tight, black as jet pearls; it strengthened sinews, improved the complexion, and prolonged consumption could turn one fair.

There was also Tuan You Rice, made with more than a dozen ingredients. Qingfeng Rice dispelled summer heat and brought coolness, while Yujing Rice came with steamed lotus root—not to mention Locust Leaf Cold Noodles and Cherry Bilu Pastry.

Pigs, sheep, cattle, horses, and all manner of livestock could be prepared in ways dazzling to the eye. Though the imperial capital had now moved north, some traditions had not been severed.

Li Yan had been a glutton in his previous life, so his skills were naturally nothing to scoff at.

The weather was growing hot now. Some foods were unsuitable to make, and without an ice cellar, dealing with more than half a fat pig had to focus on preservation.

Guanzhong Smoked Meat was best made in the bitter cold of the Twelfth Lunar Month. Making it at this time of year could easily lead to maggots and rot.

But Li Yan clearly had plenty of methods.

He rendered the lard, using part of it for stir-frying and sealing large slabs of Five Flowers Meat in the rest. It would keep for quite some time.

With the remainder, he made Ba Zi Meat, braised meat, and dry-fried meatballs.

Naturally, a basin of fine Meat Sauce was indispensable.

The entire courtyard filled with fragrance, drawing the village mutts to pace endlessly outside the gate.

"Get lost!"

Li Yan laughed as he cursed, "When Blind Old Three entered the village, every last one of you was too scared to bark. What a bunch of spineless trash."

Though he said that, he remained puzzled.

The village dogs would dare charge even at a wolf pack. Why had they allowed "Blind Old Three" to slip into the village?

Unfortunately, it was already over, and no one knew the reason.

Meat sauce noodles at noon, rice porridge, steamed buns, and vegetables stir-fried in lard at night—the grandfather and grandson ate until their bellies were stuffed. They squatted on the threshold, enjoying the cool breeze, with not a worry left in the world.

Life in the countryside was peaceful, yet dull.

Once night fell, apart from a few men still busy tossing about with their wives in bed, the rest of the villagers had already extinguished their lamps and gone to sleep early.

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

Before long, the whole village had fallen silent.

Inside Widow Wang's main room, the candlelight was dim and yellow.

An altar table stood inside, piled high with offerings.

In the open space before it, more than a dozen red wooden stakes had been driven into the floor and wrapped with red cord, forming a circle. A Girl lay within it.

The child was only four years old. Unlike the bedraggled Widow Wang, her clothes were clean. Having rarely seen sunlight for years, she looked pale, soft, and tender.

The Girl seemed trapped in a nightmare. Her body was curled up, her face flushed crimson, her eyes tightly shut, her eyelids trembling without stop, and sweat covered her forehead.

She was Widow Wang's daughter.

Widow Wang knelt nearby, her face pale as she looked worriedly at her daughter, occasionally glancing toward the door.

As though she had sensed something, she held three incense sticks above her head and bowed again and again, murmuring endlessly:

"Third Aunt, protect us. Third Aunt, protect us..."

Inside the Wing Room, the sleeping Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

He abruptly sat up and touched his back in puzzlement.

His hand met an icy chill, while everything around him felt scorching hot, as though he had touched ice on a sweltering summer day.

What was going on?

Li Yan's expression darkened and brightened by turns.

He had practiced martial arts for years. Though his age and lack of combat experience had kept him from breaking through to Hidden Strength, his awareness and control of his body far exceeded that of ordinary people.

If something was wrong, he could sense it immediately.

This feeling was familiar. It had appeared once after he killed the vicious wolf, "Blind Old Three."

But it had vanished quickly, making him think it was merely an illusion.

Why had it appeared again, and so clearly this time?

Could that beast have carried something foul and infected him with a plague?

Li Yan did not panic. Instead, he tried to use the Substitute Divine Statue.

As long as an injury was to the Physical Body—whether poison, blade wounds, or even illness—his treasure could replace it immediately. Before his three Life Flames were extinguished, he was practically immortal.

But something strange happened.

The statue did not work at all!

His back remained icy cold, and the chill was even growing stronger.

How strange. Could it be psychological?

Thud!

At that moment, a sound came from outside.

It was as though something was knocking against a wooden board.

Though faint, it was exceptionally clear in the stillness of the night.

Li Yan's swordlike brows drew together. He quickly rose from the bed, casually pulled on his trousers, took the Guanshan Knife from the wall, and slowly pushed the door open a crack to peer outside.

His movements were utterly silent.

Though village life in Guanzhong was peaceful and plain, it was not without danger. Wolves were only one threat; bandits were even more frightening.

Though Village Chief Li, the sole landlord of Li Family Fortress, might not have much wealth to squeeze out, there was no telling whether some desperate madman might come along.

There were also those lowlife drifters who roamed the jianghu.

His Father had once told him that the jianghu came in Five Flowers Eight Tones, Five Lines and Eight Crafts. Some people honestly made a living through trade, but there were far more schemes for cheating, swindling, and deceiving.

For example, the Eight Gates were divided into the Eight Visible Gates and the Eight Hidden Gates.

The Eight Visible Gates were Gold, Skin, Color, Hanging, Appraisal, Group, Tuning, and Willow. The Eight Hidden Gates were Bee, Hemp, Swallow, Sparrow, Flower, Orchid, Ge, and Prosperity.

Among the Eight Visible Gates were those who told fortunes, read faces, and examined feng shui for others. A few had genuine skill, but most were half-baked frauds scraping out a living on the streets.

The "Hemp" branch among the Eight Hidden Gates consisted of lone con men.

Some of them disguised themselves as Daoists or Monks. Those with ability swindled wealthy households, while the less capable went to rural villages to fool common folk.

They would smear eel blood on your front gate so bats would crash into it at night, creating the illusion of ghosts knocking at the door.

They would also grind saltpeter and sulfur into powder, hide it in peach blossom paper, and replace your lamp wick, making the candle flame sway as though ghosts were blowing out the lamp.

In short, they would first scare you half to death, then come to your door posing as an Expert to swindle money from you.

The tricks of the jianghu were truly bizarre beyond measure.

But if anyone tried to pull that on him, it would be like an old man eating arsenic—they had grown tired of living.

Li Yan sneered inwardly and looked outside.

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

Thud!

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

This time, he heard it clearly. It came from outside the courtyard gate.

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

Even so, Li Yan did not dare lower his guard. His eyes narrowed, cold light blazing in his dragon eyes as he slowly drew his blade and crept toward the gate.

His blade was incomparably sharp.

If it truly was some petty thief or bandit, he could stab straight through them even with the wooden gate between them!

But when he neared the courtyard gate, Li Yan's expression changed instantly.

He could sense that there was nothing outside the gate, yet he could smell a rank stench—bloody and cold.

The scent was familiar. It belonged to "Blind Old Three"!

Wasn't that thing dead?!

A chill ran through Li Yan's heart, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

Unable to be certain, he concentrated again. There was clearly nothing there, yet that thick, rank stench had grown even stronger, brimming with malice.

A ghost?

What stood before him had already surpassed his understanding.

Though he had felt that "Blind Old Three" was somewhat strange at the time, it had ultimately been flesh and blood. White blade in, red blade out—he had simply slaughtered it.

But what was he supposed to do now?

Why would even a beast return as a vengeful soul to claim a life?

Thud!

The sound rang out again.

Li Yan froze and looked up.

This time, he heard it even more clearly. It came from above the courtyard gate. Judging by the location, it was his grandfather's "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque.

At the same time, he caught another scent.

It was the scent of metal and wood, carrying a faint trace of incense.

It was a strange feeling. Metal and wood had no scent, yet the moment Li Yan smelled it, that was the first impression that arose in his mind.

The rank stench from "Blind Old Three" carried an icy chill.

The scent of the Hundred Battles Tablet, meanwhile, held an inexplicable heat.

Thud!

The two scents collided, producing another sound.

Li Yan immediately understood.

He had never expected the plaque in his home to be a treasure as well. It normally concealed itself without revealing a trace, only being activated when some sinister evil thing came knocking.

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

He could now be certain that it had nothing to do with the Substitute Divine Statue. It came from the body's previous owner.

What exactly was going on?

Sweat filled Li Yan's palms. Faced with this unknown, bizarre thing, he felt utterly helpless and at the mercy of fate for the first time.

As though it had sensed his presence, the foul stench of "Blind Old Three" beyond the gate grew denser and denser, while its collisions with the plaque became more frequent.

Thud, thud, thud!

The sounds were faint and barely noticeable in the dark night.

But to Li Yan's ears, they were like drums beating out a death sentence.

He stood completely still. Thinking of his grandfather asleep inside, he dared not retreat, nor did he dare push open the gate and step outside. Even the sharp Guanshan Knife in his hand gave him not the slightest sense of security. He could only hope that the "Victorious in a Hundred Battles" plaque would hold it back.

The thudding continued without end.

Li Yan could feel his back growing colder and colder, as though a massive block of solid ice had been placed there, cold air spilling in every direction. At the same time, Blind Old Three's venomous gaze at the moment of its death kept echoing through his mind.

A curse?

Li Yan had his suspicions, but he could not be certain.

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

Without realizing it, an hour passed.

Thud!

Finally, after the last collision, the scent of "Blind Old Three" outside the gate slowly Disappeared without a trace.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

Dog barks rang out through the darkness.

The silent, chilling atmosphere was broken at last.

Li Yan let out a breath, though his expression remained grim.

The coldness on his back still had not Disappeared...

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