Gathering by the Stove

Screech—

Throwing back the quilt, Chu He's long staff carved an afterimage through the air, piercing the window paper like a white-bladed spear as it thrust at the mysterious shadow.

With a bang, the shadow failed to dodge in time and staggered back several steps. Shaking his reddened, swollen palm, he sucked in several sharp breaths from the pain.

Chu He flipped out through the window. By the faint light, he could vaguely make out martial academy clothing on the other man. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and without a word, he raised his staff and smashed it toward the shadow's head.

The staff's shadow shot like a shuttle, fierce and heavy, whipping up a biting gale.

If that blow landed solidly, the man's head would be smashed like a watermelon, not even a whole piece of skull left behind.

The shadow panicked and hurriedly waved his hands. "Junior Brother Chu, stop! It's me, Mao Chen!"

The descending staff came to an abrupt halt three inches before Mao Chen's forehead. Though Chu He had stopped the move, the force of the wind still made Mao Chen shut his eyes, a chill creeping into his heart.

"Senior Brother Mao! It really is you?"

Chu He spoke in startled confusion.

As he shifted aside, the light of the lamp and moon revealed a young man eight feet tall, wearing a square headscarf.

His brows and features were handsome, his skin fair—not at all like the roughness of a martial artist. Overall, he looked more like a scholar.

"Junior Brother Chu, wasn't that a little too ruthless?"

Mao Chen rubbed his throbbing palm, still shaken. "If I hadn't spoken up in time, would I be a corpse by now?"

"Oh? Why don't you try?"

Chu He abruptly jabbed back at him.

"Are you joking with me?"

Mao Chen lowered his hand, his expression darkening slightly.

"Senior Brother Mao, you were the one joking with me first." Chu He raised his staff and pointed it straight at him. "Sneaking into my courtyard in the middle of the night like a thief instead of sleeping—do you think that's fun?"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Mao Chen could not argue with Chu He and could only change the subject. "I came to notify you about something."

"What could possibly need to be said in the middle of the night?"

Though puzzled, Chu He slowly lowered his staff.

"What happened today is related to that..." Mao Chen glanced around and deliberately lowered his voice. "This isn't a place to talk. Come with me. Senior Brother will tell you himself."

With that, Mao Chen turned and left through the courtyard gate.

Senior Brother...

A thoughtful look crossed Chu He's face. After hesitating for several breaths, he ultimately followed. The two vanished together into the long alleyway.

Under the moonlight, they turned east and west through the lanes. After walking for about half a quarter-hour and rounding out of the alley, they arrived not at Senior Brother Han Zhong's residence, but at an ordinary house at the western end of the village.

The house was small and seemed to have stood there for many years. Dust had piled up on its courtyard gate, weeds ran wild, and it looked somewhat dilapidated and old.

The area around it was lined with earthen fences, while more than half the courtyard wall had collapsed.

A faint firelight shone through the gap in the inner courtyard door. Shadows moved behind the oiled-paper windows, and fragments of quiet conversation drifted out.

The instant Mao Chen and Chu He entered the courtyard, the conversation abruptly ceased. Several breaths later, the door gently opened, and a smiling middle-aged man came out to greet them.

He wore gray robes and had a burly build, with sharply chiseled features. An air of robust masculinity rushed toward them unseen.

"Junior Brother Mao Chen, you're here!" The middle-aged man glanced at Mao Chen's wrapped left hand before smiling warmly.

"Senior Brother, I brought Junior Brother Chu."

Mao Chen nodded and looked toward Chu He behind him.

Chu He stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute. "Senior Brother."

Han Zhong studied Chu He, nodded in satisfaction, and beamed. "Junior Brother Chu, congratulations on breaking through the first level!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Chu He returned the salute with a smile.

"Come in quickly! It's cold outside—don't freeze." Han Zhong gestured them inside, leading Chu He and Mao Chen into the house.

The room was spacious. A stove blazed fiercely in the center, with the few remaining tables and chairs arranged around it. Three people sat there, all raising their eyes to inspect the arriving Chu He.

"Everyone knows each other, so there's no need for introductions. Junior Brother Chu, sit wherever you like. We're all your senior brothers, so don't stand on ceremony."

Han Zhong chuckled, his manner notably forthright.

Chu He nodded and sat in a chair beside the stove. His gaze casually swept over the other three faces, and after his thoughts turned over, he formed an initial guess about the nature of this gathering.

Everyone seated here had broken through the first level of the Golden Bell Shield. Among them, Senior Brother Han Zhong had cultivated the furthest, already at the peak of the second level, while the others had only reached the first level.

Of the nearly thirty disciples in the courtyard, only six had broken through the first level of the Golden Bell Shield. Without the aid of medicinal baths, breaking through one's realm through meditation and sitting alone was as hard as climbing to heaven without some talent.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, Senior Brother, why did you gather us? What instructions do you have?" Liu Ci, seated to the left, gave Chu He a cold glance before turning to ask.

"Yeah. I heard Junior Brother Mao say it was related to Plow Village's destruction. Did Senior Brother receive some inside information from Master?" Li Zhi, lazy by nature, could not help asking.

"It is indeed somewhat related. And the information I know may very well affect our future..."

Han Zhong's smile faded as he kept them in suspense. "But there's no rush for that. First, I need to discuss several matters with you."

"Senior Brother, just give the order. Why discuss it?" Mao Chen said, his eyes full of trust.

Chu He raised his head and silently swept his gaze over the two of them.

He could tell at a glance that the two wore the same pair of trousers.

Han Zhong waved a hand without responding. Instead, he said seriously, "Master will personally leave for Plow Village tomorrow to investigate the truth. He also has to go to Blackwater Town to report this matter. The round trip will take about three days. During that time, we must remain vigilant at all times and cannot let anything else approach the village. Do you understand?"

"Understood."

The other four answered in unison.

"Since Junior Brother Chu has just broken through, the six of us can pair up, with each pair leading some men. We'll patrol once each in the morning, at noon, and at night. What do you think?"

After speaking, Han Zhong looked at the people around him.

"Didn't one person used to lead one squad for one patrol?" Li Zhi sprawled in his chair, speaking lazily. "Now we're not only patrolling three times a day, but doing it in pairs. Isn't that making a mountain out of a molehill?"

"Indeed. It's a waste of energy."

Liu Ci frowned and added coolly.

"Senior Brother must have his reasons for saying so. Besides, after Plow Village's destruction, there's nothing wrong with being more cautious for a while, is there?" Mao Chen argued his case and took Han Zhong's side of his own accord.

Li Zhi rolled his eyes at Mao Chen, knowing his temperament well.

"I still think this is a bit unnecessary. The disaster that befell Plow Village may not reach us. And to put it bluntly, even if that kind of disaster does come, we might not be able to stop it. We'd be better off lying down properly..."

Mao Chen cut Li Zhi off. "Doing something and doing nothing are two different matters. Why are you saying such discouraging things the moment you arrive?"

Chu He silently watched them, finding them only noisy.

If he were the senior brother, these fellows would not have had the chance to open their mouths. Even if they did, it would only be to see whose fist was bigger.

"Old Wu, what do you think?"

Seeing them argue without end, Han Zhong suddenly turned toward someone in the corner. The moment he spoke, the dispute immediately stopped.

Everyone looked at Wu Feng, who had remained silent all along.

Chu He looked over curiously as well. The man was a middle-aged fellow about the same age as Han Zhong, but his skin was coarse and his face weathered, like an old farmer out in the fields.

From the moment Chu He entered until now, he had not heard this man say a single word. He had only silently watched the burning stove.

"Why ask for my opinion? We're both in the know. Stop teasing these junior brothers and tell them the truth." Wu Feng poked at the firewood without turning his head.

"Heh, true enough."

Han Zhong rubbed his nose and addressed the bewildered crowd. "Let me put it this way: the strange entity that destroyed Plow Village actually has a great deal to do with our Earthhead Village."

At that, he revealed a bitter smile. "Because our Master, together with people from the imperial court, was the one who suppressed it beneath the Land God Temple in Plow Village. Now that it has escaped, there's a ninety percent chance it will come seeking revenge. So, do you think we should strengthen our defenses?"