Chapter 51: Rumors of a Monster Spread Among the People

"Sir..."
Gu Cang's voice was a little hoarse as he said, "That woman..."
"She is even more formidable than that Bai family member we encountered before," Qing Yuan exhaled, saying, "The intent she has cultivated belongs to the element of water among the Five Elements, manifesting as a kind of law akin to frost."
He patted the iron staff at his waist, smiling as he continued, "Generally, people like that tend to be cold by nature, sometimes even icy and unfeeling. Fortunately, that young woman is only cold on the surface; within, she is still kind-hearted. Otherwise, just by glancing at her, you and I might have been cut down with a sword."
Gu Cang was startled. "Is that truly possible?"
Qing Yuan chuckled. "Killing over a single word, or taking a life for a lingering glance—such things are not rare in this world."
Gu Cang was utterly astonished.
When a tiger encounters a goat, it hunts and kills out of hunger, to sustain itself.
Yet humans do not eat one another—so why do they so often kill without reason?
Those men earlier were driven by greed, resorting to robbery. But to kill over a disagreement, or for merely a second look—what is the purpose?
Qing Yuan tilted his head, smiling. "In truth, whether in times of chaos or peace, people... understand best how to devour their own kind..."
Gu Cang could only utter a gasp, staring wide-eyed.
"You'll understand in time,"
Qing Yuan said. "Let's rest for the night. Tomorrow, we set out early for Gu County."

Qing Yuan and Gu Cang rested for a day. At dawn the next morning, they set off for Gu County.
Gu County was not impoverished, but situated on the borderlands, it could hardly be called prosperous.
As the two of them set foot there, they immediately attracted many gazes.
From their clothing alone, it was obvious they were not locals.
Passersby regarded the two outsiders with wariness, even barely concealed hostility.
"Excuse me..."
Qing Yuan approached a man on the road, intending to ask a question.
But the man merely cast them a guarded glance, ignored them, and detoured around.
Gu Cang asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with the people here?"

Qing Yuan recalled what the innkeeper had said and mused, "There must have been some recent troubles, which is why they're unfriendly toward outsiders."
Gu Cang asked, "So what should we do?"
Qing Yuan smiled. "With money, all things are possible."
So he stepped ahead, reaching out to stop a passerby.
That man already looked askance at the two strangers, and being stopped made him flare with anger.
Before he could curse, Qing Yuan produced a tael of silver from his robes and handed it over. "Brother, I'm here to visit relatives but have lost my way. I don't know the area—could you give me some directions?"
The man's eyes lit up at the sight of silver. Upon hearing it was for a family visit, he nodded with a smile. "So you're here to see relatives. What's your kin's name?"
Qing Yuan knew the truth of his visit was irrelevant; what mattered was the money. He handed over the silver and said, "My relative's surname is Yan—Yan Wang. He must be over seventy by now, and I worry for his well-being, so I've come to visit and see how he's faring."
"Old Yan?"
The man paused, suddenly feeling the silver almost too hot to hold, but he kept it firmly in his grasp. "You've arrived at quite a time. His household has just suffered a major misfortune. He’s an old widower, truly in need of someone to care for him."
"A major misfortune?"
Qing Yuan's heart sank. "What happened?"
"Last month, Old Yan's granddaughter was abducted by traffickers," the man sighed. "That old man is pitiful—years ago, his son died as a soldier on the battlefield, his daughter-in-law fell off a cliff while gathering herbs, leaving only the granddaughter to depend on. Now, he's completely alone, with none left to care for him in his old age."
Qing Yuan frowned. "Human traffickers?"
"Not exactly..." The man hesitated, then eyed Qing Yuan warily. "Are you really his kin?"
Qing Yuan's expression remained calm. "I am."
"Well, it wasn't human traffickers..."
The man took a deep breath, leaned closer, and whispered, "It was a demon..."
Qing Yuan's gaze sharpened. "A demon?"
The man waved his hands anxiously. "Keep your voice down."
Qing Yuan asked, "What kind of demon?"
"Well..." The man grimaced. "Such matters are best left unsaid, or you invite misfortune..."
Qing Yuan took out another tael of silver, passing it over.
The man hesitated, then accepted it and said, "It all started because Old Yan is too kind for his own good. Last month, a woman came to town—about fifty or sixty, a mute with nowhere to go, sleeping rough on the streets. Old Yan saw her and took pity, gave her a bowl of rice, and brought her home, hoping to find her some work so she wouldn’t go hungry. But that very night, the woman abducted his granddaughter..."

Qing Yuan frowned. "How does that connect to demons?"
The man replied, "Someone saw them on the road, and everyone gave chase into the mountains. But the woman circled around a slope, and suddenly vanished."
He leaned in, lowering his voice with an air of mystery. "Then, a great wolf came running out from a ravine—so huge, with Old Yan’s granddaughter in its jaws."
Qing Yuan was startled, "A wolf?"
"Yes, a vicious wolf,"
the man said. "No one had time to react. Some hurled steel pikes, others shot arrows, but the demon had a hide like iron—it wasn’t wounded at all. They say the steel pikes glanced off, and the arrows missed, except for the village hunter, who struck it in the waist."
Qing Yuan asked, "Who is that hunter?"
"He’s not some renowned master, but his bow once felled a tiger, so it has the aura of a tiger—only that could hurt the demon."
The man dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "But not long after, the hunter was killed by the wolf."
Qing Yuan pondered this, then asked, "Who did you hear this from?"
The man said smugly, "I saw it with my own eyes, of course."
Qing Yuan said nothing, merely giving him a cool glance.
The man felt a sudden chill, then forced a laugh. "Well, it was my cousin who saw it, but he’s an honest man and doesn’t lie."
Qing Yuan withdrew his gaze. "Where is Old Yan's house?"
"Not far..." The man pointed the way. "But you should be careful; he’s been in a bad temper lately. There are all sorts of rumors—some say he grew lecherous in his old age and fancied that woman, which is why he brought her home. If not for that, none of this would have happened. Old Yan has heard the gossip himself, so his temper is worse than ever."
Qing Yuan nodded. "Thank you for the warning."
"No thanks needed..." The man licked his lips, grinned, and clutched the silver in his hand, clearly hoping for more.
Qing Yuan turned to Gu Cang. "Let’s go."
Gu Cang assented.
The two of them walked away.
The man lingered by the roadside for a while, then shouted angrily, "Didn’t he say thank you?"