Ye Hui stood in the courtyard, watching Niu Niu.
Niu Niu's eyes were unfocused. Blood kept trickling down the blade.
She was murmuring something, too softly to make out.
"Seven... eight... nine..."
Ye Hui finally heard her clearly. She was counting how many times she had hacked at the body.
"Niu Niu-!"
Aunt Chen had been helping brew medicine at Blacksmith Zhao's house when she heard the commotion. Her hand shook around the medicine bowl, spilling scalding liquid over half her sleeve, but she seemed not to feel the pain as she raced home like a madwoman.
One of her shoes fell off as she ran. Her bare foot trod over broken tiles scattered across the flagstones, leaving a trail of bloody footprints.
Aunt Chen rushed forward and clung to Niu Niu from behind, as though she wanted to knead her daughter into her own flesh and bones.
"It's all right, it's all right. Mother's here. Don't be scared, Niu Niu. Don't be scared."
Tears streamed down Aunt Chen's face, yet she kept patting Niu Niu's frail back, over and over.
"Mother's here. Mother's here."
The blade struck the corpse's shoulder blade and lodged there.
Niu Niu tugged once, but it would not budge. She tilted her head, seeming puzzled for a moment, then let go of the handle.
Aunt Chen spun her daughter around and pressed her face into her embrace, keeping her from seeing the blood on the ground again.
Ye Hui closed his eyes briefly and drew the devouring power back into his body. The Snake Sword turned into a wisp of black smoke and sank into his palm, giving a very low hum, as though it had not yet had its fill.
Ye Hui opened his eyes and stepped into the courtyard.
"Aunt Chen, the one