Cat-Faced Man

Evening arrived, and Jiang Yan's group of four returned to the central square of the village.

At the edge, one of several houses had its door wide open, black smoke rising from a tall chimney on the roof. A breeze carried the fragrance of grain and millet.

Shan Renhu didn't immediately lead Jiang Yan and the others over. Instead, he stood at the edge of the square, watching a few members of another team stationed in the center.

"From now on, when you come back for lunch at noon, you don't need to do this. But when you return in the evening or after a night shift, you must stand under the talisman soldier for a while before eating or doing anything else."

Shan Renhu reminded them.

He looked at Jiang Yan. In their interactions today, he'd found this young man quite sharp, but fuzzy on some basic common sense.

Jiang Yan glanced at Shan Renhu and nodded seriously.

The talisman soldier could suppress Weird and defend the village. If someone was possessed by a Weird or cursed, spending some time near the talisman soldier would likely reveal it.

"Brother Shan, can the talisman soldier expose all possessed Weird and curses?" Meng Sheng asked, watching teams file in and out, seeking guidance.

"You have martial talent and have trained—you don't know this?"

"I..." Meng Sheng's face suddenly flushed red. He muttered a few words to himself, too quietly for anyone to make out.

Seeing this, Shan Renhu understood.

This guy had probably been tested for martial talent in his old village but was too afraid to join the patrol work. Even if he'd trained before, he'd likely sneaked peeks at local martial artists practicing and memorized the stances in secret.

In truth, many people were like Meng Sheng. They had martial talent but refused to join the Patrol Team, enjoying others' protection and content to be a peaceful dog in the village.

People came in all kinds, like leaves on a tree. Some, once tested for martial talent, were either passionate about martial arts and strengthening themselves, or envied the Patrol Team's impressive benefits—many would join.

Some ordinary people, even without martial talent, dared to gamble on the Patrol Team's high pay.

After all, even if ordinary people couldn't become Martial Apprentices by practicing martial arts, they could still build up their bodies.

Meng Sheng had gritted his teeth to join the Dahe Gang this time, probably forced by desperation. The Dahe Gang's mining area squeezed them too hard—barely enough to eat, nothing else to hope for.

That kind of life had a clear end in sight.

If there was any other chance, people would find a way to escape being miners.

"The talisman soldier isn't omnipotent. This is just a routine check procedure." Shan Renhu said coldly.

"In truth, once possessed by a Weird, there's basically no hope. Same with those instant-death curses. If we catch it here, we can deal with the trouble here."

"If someone possessed by a Weird isn't caught, it could cause bigger problems."

"Can some Weird hide and evade the talisman soldier's check?" Jiang Yan asked.

Shan Renhu's face darkened. "Of course. The Weird in the wild are varied—some are even new breeds. There's no absolutely safe method of checking."

"Then it comes down to luck."

Jiang Yan's face turned grim. He understood now: even the talisman soldier wasn't foolproof. Even inside the village, one could be possessed by a special Weird or cursed. There was no truly safe place. The Patrol Team's border patrol was the first line of defense.

No wonder the benefits were so good—free cultivation techniques, high pay. All of it, as Old Shan said, was earned with their lives.

Meng Sheng's face didn't look great either.

As they talked, the four of them walked to the center of the square. Jiang Yan looked up—the dark Big Carp Talisman Soldier still looked so ordinary.

After standing for about twenty breaths, Shan Renhu checked the four of them. No changes. He nodded. "Alright, let's go."

They left the square and headed toward the cooking house.

As they ate, a few patrol members on day duty hurried back. The day's patrol was over, and many tired faces carried a hint of relief.

"After you eat, go back. Don't wander around the village at night—it'd be bad if someone mistakes you."

Jiang Yan and the others fell silent, slowly digesting what Shan Renhu had just said.

"Huh?" Meng Sheng looked up and saw a man whose face was bright red, so vivid it seemed ready to drip blood.

"That... that person."

His finger trembled, and in his panic, he started stammering again.

He didn't need to point it out—many had already seen. Shan Renhu put down his bowl and chopsticks, picked up his spear, and walked over with a grave expression.

Tang Long was also there. He barked, "Newcomers, don't come over!"

Amid the talking and movement, the man with the bright red face had already collapsed to the ground.

"Captain Tang, should we—" Old Shan approached Tang Long, making a throat-slitting gesture.

Tang Long was silent. Judging by the man's appearance, he was either possessed or hit by a nasty curse. Acting now would save a lot of trouble.

"Cough, cough."

Just then, the collapsed man coughed violently. "Hah, hah, hah."

He let out a muffled, indistinct whimper.

"Old Liu, how are you feeling now?"

Tang Long drew his longsword, his entire body taut, his gaze icy.

"Cough, cough."

Old Liu lay prostrate on the ground; no one could make out his expression. He coughed again. "I... I'm still okay. Just now, I don't know what came over me—suddenly my head felt hot and I got a bit dizzy."

Tang Long waved his hand lightly, signaling everyone to spread out and form a large encirclement.

"If you're fine, get up."

"Right, right... meow, I need to get up, hurry back..."

After saying this, Old Liu fell silent for a moment.

"Captain Tang." Somehow, Old Liu's voice turned hoarse and sharp.

"I... I can't seem to stand up. Give me a hand, will you?"

"Sure."

Tang Long replied unhurriedly, but his feet didn't move an inch.

In the center of the square, the Big Carp Talisman Soldier slowly rotated, a yellow light gathering in its mouth.

"Captain Tang, why aren't you coming over?"

"Come on, come on?"

"Come on now!"

By the end, Old Liu was nearly screaming.

Sss!

Jiang Yan, watching coldly from not far away, suddenly felt a chill pierce through his skin, deep into his bones.

It was like venomous snakes slithering over his body—a nauseating, twisting sensation clung to him.

A blood-drenched hand stretched out.

Old Liu finally lifted his head, but his face was now that of a cat. He extended a small, tender tongue, his cold, yellow feline pupils fixed on Tang Long.

"Captain Tang, why won't you pull me up?" The corners of his mouth stretched to an exaggerated degree, revealing fine, sharp teeth. "I'm angry now."

Tang Long was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "Cat-Faced Man?"

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