Song Duanping was a county magistrate leaving the capital to take up a post elsewhere. With his family, guards, and servants, he had traveled for several days when they passed a small temple. Night was approaching, so they stopped there.
It should have been an ordinary day.
But before darkness fully settled, three strangers arrived outside the temple.
They wore strange clothes, had unusual hair, and carried themselves differently from ordinary folk.
The young man leading them was particularly striking: handsome and heroic, he inspired goodwill at first sight. So when the three asked to rest in the temple, Song Duanping did not refuse. He even gave them some food.
Never could he have imagined that this act of kindness would bring disaster!
At midnight, as monsters shrieked and ran wild outside, the young man leading the three suddenly rose, went to the door, and flung it open!
Song Duanping's head buzzed. His wife, son and daughter, guards, and servants all stared wide-eyed, terrified, their faces deathly pale.
"The door! The door's open—"
"So many monsters!"
"We're going to die—"
Song Duanping and the others froze. The monsters outside were stunned too. They had tried to break in earlier, only to be stopped by the bluestone. Now the temple door had opened without warning!
Their shock lasted an instant. Then came wild delight and greed!
They fixed their eyes on Huang Tian at the door and everyone behind him, let out hideous roars, and lunged without hesitation!
"Wooo!"
"Hrrr~"
Huang Tian raised his eyes and saw them clearly in the ink-black night.
Most resembled ghosts: human-shaped, but insubstantial and drifting, with bloodstreaked crimson eyes and savage faces. Farther away, in the black mist, stood a few that appeared solid. They were gray stone from head to foot, taller than a