That day, he arrived at a bustling little town called Three Creeks.
The town had been named for the confluence of three streams. Its markets stood in dense rows, boats came and went, and it possessed even more of Jiangnan's gentle charm and lively bustle than Heyang City.
It was nearly noon, and he was slightly hungry. Gu Hui found a fairly clean-looking riverside eatery, chose a seat by the window, and ordered a bowl of vegetarian noodles and two steamed buns. Quietly, he watched the covered boats glide back and forth across the river outside, as well as the bustling crowds crossing the stone bridge.
The eatery was filled with clamor, its patrons a motley mix.
At the next table, several men who looked like escort guards were loudly discussing what they had seen on the road.
"...If we're talking about the strangest thing happening in the jianghu lately, it has to be those villages in the Southern Lands!" An escort with a scar across his cheek gulped down some wine and lowered his voice, though everyone nearby could still hear him clearly.
"Perfectly healthy people turn into skin and bones overnight, like something sucked them dry of all their blood and essence! The authorities investigated for ages and found jack shit. They only said it was some strange illness."
"Exactly!" a younger escort chimed in, fear flickering across his face.
"I heard those corpses didn't have any obvious wounds. Just two tiny red dots on their necks, smaller than needle pricks. Creepy as hell! People are saying... could some bloodsucking spirit be causing trouble?"
"Shh! Watch your tongue!" The older escort leader shot the younger man a glare. "It's best not to discuss such supernatural nonsense. Lest—"
Gu Hui's hand holding his bamboo chopsticks paused slightly.
Drained of