Xu Zhiqiu had not slept very well that night. The scene of the electrical socket exploding replayed over and over in her dreams. Thinking back, she had not done anything improper; the problem had been the socket itself. A shoddy product from an unscrupulous manufacturer. She should never have tried to save a few pennies.
If she had not accidentally crossed into another world, she would already have reported to the underworld.
In the early morning, golden sunlight emerged, driving away the chill left by the night.
Xu Zhiqiu's head drooped sideways, finding nothing to rest against. She shuddered and opened her eyes to the sunlight streaming through the opening overhead.
She sat in a daze for a moment. It's daylight.
After sitting for a while, she braced herself against the wall and stood up. Looking down, she saw that both hands were covered in dust. Her pale blue, one-piece nightdress was filthy all over, utterly unfit to wear anymore.
She opened her bundle, took off her nightdress, and changed into a plain kimono, putting on a pair of trousers that resembled modern bloomers and tightening the waistband.
Leaving the hopelessly filthy nightdress behind, she picked up her bundle and found a curved grass-cutting blade in the woodshed. Its edge was a little rusty. She gave it a few swings and decided it would do.
Xu Zhiqiu pushed aside the barricade at the entrance, opened the door, and stepped outside.
The sight of the corpses lying on the ground, their eyes still open in death, frightened her for a moment. The blood on the ground had dried, and insects and mosquitoes hovered around the bodies. The thick, bloody stench was enough to make her gag.
Xu Zhiqiu ran out of the village and dry-heaved again. There was simply nothing left for her to vomit. She continued onward, a spark of vitality returning to her face. Breathing the fresh, unpolluted air, she felt reasonably cheerful.
The trees were rather dense, and she could not see a way out, but after continuing ahead, she spotted a path worn by passing feet.
Now that she had shoes on, she no longer had to worry about scraping the soles of her feet. Xu Zhiqiu stopped and started along the way, searching her surroundings for wild fruit as she walked. After a night of torment, her stomach was growling nonstop, and she desperately wanted something to fill it.
Unfortunately, her luck was terrible. She found nothing.
She followed the path onward until hunger made her vision swim. At last, she saw a village ahead. Cooking smoke curled into the sky-it was food calling to her.
Xu Zhiqiu rallied her spirits and ran toward it.
"Miss, where are you from?" A farmer heading out to work with a hoe over his shoulder eyed the unfamiliar face warily.
At his question, Xu Zhiqiu immediately delivered the explanation she had prepared long ago. Squeezing a tear from the corner of her eye, she said pitifully, "Sir, I fled here from a village not far away. Bandits plundered the village and slaughtered the people. I hid somewhere they couldn't find me, so I escaped the disaster. But when I came out, my father and mother had already been killed by those bandits. I had nowhere to go, so I could only wander here."
The middle-aged man, whose forehead was shaved and whose hair was tied in a knot at the back, looked Xu Zhiqiu over. Her hair was disheveled, and there were obvious scratches from leaves on her face. He could tell she had been running all the way here. Besides, she was rather pretty. Perhaps she could become his son's wife.
A gleam flashed through the man's eyes. He smiled gently at Xu Zhiqiu. "I happen to have some food at home. If you don't mind, you can come over and eat."
"Not at all. Thank you so much." Hearing that there was food, Xu Zhiqiu's face lit up.
Xu Zhiqiu followed the man, whom she called Uncle Shan Ye, to his home. The man who opened the door had a hairstyle much like Uncle Shan Ye's, a somewhat handsome face, and small eyes. When he saw Xu Zhiqiu, he paused for a moment, then looked at his father.
Uncle Shan Ye explained to his son, "This is Miss Akiko, a woman who fled from the neighboring village."
The young man understood. His small eyes fixed on Xu Zhiqiu's face as he said, "Hello, Miss Akiko."
"Hello," Xu Zhiqiu replied.
Inside the house, a woman was busy working. Uncle Shan Ye and his family of three huddled together and whispered for a while. Then the woman approached Xu Zhiqiu with a beaming smile, warmly took her hand, and led her farther inside.
People in this island nation knelt on mats to eat. Xu Zhiqiu was not used to it, so she simply shifted into a seated position and waited for the food.
Meanwhile, the woman enthusiastically asked about Xu Zhiqiu's background and what she, a vulnerable woman all alone, planned to do in the future.
Xu Zhiqiu smiled and answered her with lies.
Once she had filled her stomach, she would leave. She certainly would not stay here forever. After all, the village that had been plundered was not far away. If disaster had struck there, it could strike this village at any moment too.
When she learned that Xu Zhiqiu intended to leave, the woman's smile gradually faded. She went outside, saying she had something to do.
Xu Zhiqiu gripped her curved blade. I'll have to ask Uncle Shan Ye whether he has a whetstone in a moment. I need this blade gleaming sharp-the kind that draws blood with a single slash.
At that thought, a sting came from her neck. Xu Zhiqiu lowered her gaze. For a gentleman's revenge, even ten years isn't too late. If I run into him, I'll slash his neck in return.
Xu Zhiqiu brimmed with fighting spirit, as though having a blade meant she, too, could be invincible.
A thud rang out.
"This is bad! The bandits are here!" Uncle Shan Ye's voice rang out.
Xu Zhiqiu picked up her bundle and stood, gripping her blade as she went outside. "Uncle Shan Ye."
The door was kicked open. The man outside strode in with a large blade and simply killed the obstacle in his way.
Blood splashed onto the ground.
Drawing back his blade, the man looked at Xu Zhiqiu, who stood frozen a short distance ahead, with a wicked grin. "Woman, you can't escape."
Someone had died right before her eyes. This was Xu Zhiqiu's first time witnessing a killing, and the sight struck her even harder than what she had seen the night before.
While she stood dazed, Onigumo had already slit the other two people's throats. Blood stained his blade, dripping from it one bead at a time. He rode up to Xu Zhiqiu, jumped off his horse, and reached out to wrap an arm around her waist.
Xu Zhiqiu raised her curved blade and stabbed at that arm, but reality was a harsh slap in the face. The man caught her wrist and pinned it behind her waist with one hand. Her weapon fell to the ground.
Standing behind Xu Zhiqiu, Onigumo lowered his head to breathe in the fragrance still lingering on her body. He mocked her for overestimating herself. "That's the second time. Don't test my patience."
As he spoke, he caught her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder amid her startled cries, then carried her into the house.
He had not done that to this woman last night because he had sensed danger nearby. Now that the danger was gone, it was time for him to savor her.
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Author: Onigumo is such a creep. Don't worry, I won't let him get his way. You're only here for a brief appearance, boy.
Onigumo: ...
Before you continue