Corpse Retriever

Once Master got talking, though, he became noticeably more chatty, and his words began to wander.

Xu Feng wanted to cut in, but he could not make it too obvious.

So he waited for an opening.

For now, he took a sip of soup.

Watching Xu Feng drink, Master followed that thread. "We Corpse Sewers deal with people from every walk of life. Among them, Mr. Zhou is a cautious man.

"He has always known what he can touch and what he must leave alone. Go to him with an ordinary matter, and he'll handle it properly. But if real trouble breaks out, he'll run faster than anyone.

"I reckon he came this time to see what we encountered during the Corpse Stitching. Once he gets back, he'll weigh up what to do with his own craft."

At that, Master brought up the Executioner again.

"Your Uncle Liu is an honest, decent man. Like I said, if you run into trouble, go to him. If he can help you, he'll give you a hand.

"If there's anyone in Luoyin County you can put a little trust in, it's your Uncle Liu.

"But don't go to Doctor Qi, the one who sells medicinal plasters, unless you have absolutely no choice."

With that, he looked at Xu Feng gravely. "Have you remembered everything I said?"

Xu Feng seized the opening at once. "I have. But Master, from what you said, there was something strange about all six corpses. Then the corpses in the Yellow River—"

Xu Feng's question had found its course. He was just about to reach the heart of it.

But then a knock came from outside.

It was not someone pounding on the door with news of death, though it was not a soft knock either.

At the sound, Xu Feng closed his mouth and glanced at the sky.

The sun had set. Darkness was spreading, the moon was visible, and stars hung across the heavens.

By rights, no one would come to a remote place like the Earth God Shrine at this hour. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the sky would be completely dark. And never mind demons or ghosts.

Even the wild dogs, wolves, and boars along the road could make travelers suffer. Walking at night without a large group was courting death. So who had come at this hour?

The corpse collectors?

Xu Feng looked at Master, who motioned for him to open the door.

Xu Feng relaxed.

It was not the corpse collectors.

Otherwise, Master would not have sent him to answer it.

Xu Feng went over and opened the door. A gaunt old man stood waiting outside. Despite the chilly weather, he wore an open-front undershirt.

Through its opening, every rib in his chest stood out.

He was short, scarcely taller than Xu Feng was now. In stark contrast to his bony frame, though, his arms were extraordinarily thick and powerful.

Even in the murky light, Xu Feng could see the veins bulging along them like the gnarled roots of an old tree.

His arms, especially his forearms, were like rowing oars. They looked impossibly broad for his body.

When he saw Xu Feng open the door, the old man bared a mouthful of yellow teeth. "You're Old Zhao's lad, aren't you?"

Before Xu Feng could speak, the man reached out with practiced ease, caught his arm, and gave it a light squeeze.

That single squeeze made Xu Feng wince.

The man's five fingers felt like five divine pillars pinning down the sea. They had found the precise point where the muscles of his arm met, and their grip seemed to close around the bone itself.

If Xu Feng was not mistaken, the man could crush his arm with ease if he wanted to!

Flesh and bone alike!

This man was ruthless!

And dangerous!

Fortunately, the man knew his own strength. Just as Xu Feng instinctively tried to pull away and open his mouth,

he let go.

Then he handed Xu Feng the fish basket from his back. "Take it. Consider it a first-meeting gift from your Uncle Sun.

"There's nothing wrong with you, little lad, except that your body's a bit frail. A hard fate and a weak body are no good together.

"A person's flesh is the general, their birth chart the loyal minister, and their soul the sovereign. Each stands above the last, but none can be too far out of step. Your general is much too weak. That'll bring trouble!"

His surname is Sun?

Xu Feng did not take the basket at once. He turned to look at Master, but before he could even turn his head, Master spoke. "Take it. Since your Uncle Sun gave it to you, accept it. We're all among friends."

"Thank you, Uncle Sun," Xu Feng said.

Only after thanking the man did he take the basket.

At his thanks, Uncle Sun grinned. "Interesting. Very interesting. A little lad who knows his manners. Not bad at all."

He walked through the open door. Xu Feng was about to follow, but Master said, "It's nearly dark. Light the lantern by the door before you come in."

Xu Feng agreed.

He thought nothing of it. But to his surprise, Uncle Sun, whose strength was so astonishing, glanced back at him when he heard those words.

His expression turned thoughtful.

While Xu Feng looked for a bamboo pole to reach the lantern and light it, Uncle Sun went into the side room and sat down across from Master without ceremony. "Old Zhao, looks like you're mighty pleased with this disciple. You bought Yellow River Carp from me, and now you've got the boy lighting the lantern.

"You're building him up from the inside and teaching him the work that's done for all to see.

"What, has he really become your final disciple? From the looks of it, you mean to teach him everything you know?"

Master gave a brief "Mm," offering no explanation. That only made the man surnamed Sun look more interested. He glanced toward the door. "Your apprentice has fine bones! Since you've taken a disciple, I'll take a little loss myself.

"I don't mind that you're Corpse Sewers. Let's arrange a match between your apprentice and my dear girl.

"Don't worry, I won't make him marry into my family. He can carry on with this trade too."

Master shook his head. "Your girl couldn't withstand that lad's birth chart. If it brought about your death, I'd be the one to blame."

The man surnamed Sun laughed. "What fate or birth chart could be harder than mine?"

Master leaned close and whispered a few words in his ear. The man surnamed Sun stopped laughing.

Xu Feng lit the lantern, took the fish basket to the kitchen, and returned.

Uncle Sun was sitting in his place.

He had another bowl in his hands and was drinking meat soup too.

When Master saw Xu Feng come over, he beckoned him closer. "Come. You should know who he is.

"This is your Uncle Sun. He's the one who retrieved those corpses from the Yellow River!"

Xu Feng greeted him again, now understanding who the man before him was—a Yellow River Corpse Collector.

But what was a Yellow River Corpse Collector doing at the Earth God Shrine after dark?