"What happened?"
A tremendous explosion suddenly erupted to the north, shaking the mountains and the earth as starlight blazed.
Such a heavenly phenomenon appearing beside Changde Town, a place half mundane and half spiritual, sent panic through everyone's hearts.
"An earthquake?"
"Or have those beasts from Qingyuan Mountain gathered together? Is another beast tide coming?"
"It's been more than ten years since the last beast tide, hasn't it... Damn it, Erzhu only entered the mountains not long ago. Could it be..."
"No, no, Heaven will protect him. Erzhu is such an honest, kindhearted child. Nothing will happen to him."
"Ah, we need to notify his father at the blacksmith's shop!"
"You're right, but who's going?"
At once, all the neighbors who had just been worrying about Cao Erzhu began avoiding one another's gazes.
Erzhu was a lovable child, but his drunkard father... ah, don't even mention him!
"Anyway, I'm not going. Old Yang, you—"
"I'm busy. My stall still isn't sorted out!"
"You're busy? Then I'm busy too. I need to slaughter pigs; I'm already behind schedule today."
"There's a beast tide and you're still slaughtering pigs? Hurry up and roll up your bedding. Get ready to run!"
"There won't be one. Heaven will keep us safe from the beast tide, just like thirteen years ago."
"Ah..."
Uneasy panic spread through the streets.
Yet not a single unusual sound came from the tightly shut blacksmith's shop.
The drunkard was normal.
In the rear courtyard, Kui Leihan had in fact cast off his usual ways. There was none of his usual slovenliness about him, nor was he sprawled limply on the ground.
Wrapped in a greatcloak, his face looked as though carved with an axe, its lines hard and sharp. Ink still stained his thick beard. His expression was distant and