Witch Hunter: Goujian Sword

January 31, 2023

"How many villages are around here?"

A beautiful woman asked the driver who was taking her into the forest in a flying car. The flying car followed the narrow paths that the local villagers used to take long ago.

"Five years ago, there should have been 20 different villages, not too far from each other. They usually made a living from the Yangtze River. Currently, we have no confirmed information ever since our intel went missing here."

"Ara~ looks like we're going to get some big fish."

The adult woman with crystal-like purple pupils gazed out the car window. The morning sunlight couldn't penetrate the black-tinted glass, allowing her to clearly see outside without any glare.

She saw many villages were abandoned, some even in ruins. Yet she didn't sense a single soul still living there.

Another flying car was tailing behind. They were Hunter agents that the beautiful woman had brought to investigate the emergence of a large magical energy near the forbidden forest.

"By the way, do you know about curses?"

Inside the car, there was only the beautiful woman and her driver, a four-star Hunter with forty years of experience in the field.

The man's face, although old with a thick white beard and mustache trimmed short, still bore sharp and defined features. His eyes were sharp like an eagle, always carefully searching for prey.

"Of course, Miss Luxia. I have dealt with cursed witches' cases for many years."

The woman with long snowy white hair down to her waist smiled faintly. Some of her flowing hair covered her back. She wore a simple white shirt without a blazer or tie and a fairly tight black skirt.

"What do you think a curse is?"

"The witches have two main skills when using their dark magic. Creating powerful magical creatures or cursing humans, physically or mentally.

"A curse can make someone behave abnormally. The most common curse is mind control. The signs vary, but the stronger the witch's curse, the clearer the signs become.

"Like eyes reddened as red as blood. Insensitivity to pain. Madness leading to killing each other. Essentially, someone cursed by a witch is no longer a normal human. They have become a slave, the witch's minion."

The woman closed her eyes.

"What do you think is the best way to deal with someone cursed by a witch?"

The man was silent for a long time before answering.

"Kill them."

***

CRAT!

Ten people in the village — almost everyone in that riverside hamlet — were slaughtered by Qing's village group.

Sizhu didn't do much since last night's incident. He knew what they hunted were real humans. Yet he didn't understand why these humans acted so aggressively and unlike normal humans.

As soon as the group burst into the village, all the men and women — no matter if children or the elderly — raised weapons to try and kill Qing's villagers.

A fierce battle erupted. The village chief acted like a war commander, ordering archers to shoot the aggressive humans. Others raised spears and machetes. Bloodshed ensued.

So, ten people in the small village of only four houses were massacred after fighting ferociously, despite many arrows piercing their bodies.

Some only died after their throats or stomachs were slashed. Sizhu didn't see a single one killed solely by arrows lodged in their heads.

"Argh! Damn monsters!"

One of the men in the group got hit by a thrown axe from one of those aggressive humans. It stuck deeply in his right shoulder. He grimaced in pain, trying to bandage the wound with cloth.

But his hand trembled from the pain, making the bandage fail to hold tight and causing more bleeding.

"Let me help."

Sizhu, on horseback, offered help to the poor man. Quickly, he tied the cloth tightly to stop the bleeding after seeing the man nod.

"Thank you. This month's been unlucky for me. Last month I only got half a body's share, now I got a serious wound."

The man with short pointing hair looked pale. Sweat dripped from his temples down to his chin.

Looks like his wound will get badly infected if left like this.

Sizhu observed the grim morning scene before him. Qing's villagers were busy loading the lifeless bodies of aggressive humans onto their horses.

Bloodstains covered the ground everywhere. The stench of death made Sizhu cover his nose. His five senses were far more sensitive than normal humans.

"Our hunt is enough. Let's return to the village before tomorrow comes. Otherwise, we will be cursed just like them," the village chief shouted to inform everyone.

All nodded in agreement. Eleven corpses were already loaded on their horses' backs — enough to be divided among the houses as offerings to that creature.

For two days straight, they kept searching without rest. It would take about half a day on fast horses to reach the village again. They should arrive by tonight.

"Thank you, young man. You seem new here. This kind of thing must be done if we want to live safely for the next few years."

The wounded man whom Sizhu helped walked alongside him, carrying a corpse on his horse behind.

Sizhu nodded slightly. He hadn't caught anything himself. Since last night's hunt, he was quieter than usual. He felt a disgusting new feeling inside his heart.

Guilt.

"I won't say much, but let me tell you this, I'll give you some of these corpses."

The man patted the dead body behind him, which twitched slightly.

"Every place has its own rules. If you don't follow those written rules, you won't live comfortably or safely because you'll be seen as a criminal there.

"That's life, young man. We're not a group of strong men who can kill the culprit behind all this. In this cruel world, only the strong control the weak. And the weak must follow the strong to survive."

The man patted Sizhu's shoulder once.

"Be strong. This is for ourselves, and for someone we protect and love."

He smiled warmly at Sizhu, forcing himself to stay strong in front of the young man.

The strong control the weak, huh? I wonder what my master would say if he heard that.

Sizhu didn't answer. The wounded man quickened his horse's pace to catch up with the lead group.

Sizhu's face looked up at the blue sky. Through the gaps in the leafy trees, a gentle breeze came from the right side of the river. Small rodents like squirrels foraged for food, jumping from branch to branch.

Sizhu felt a bit relieved. Although he knew what Qing's villagers did wasn't right, he felt relief that they weren't truly evil.

They are just people forced to survive this way. If I defeat the witch causing all this, this hell will end.

Sizhu tightened his horse's reins. He had a goal for now.

I will kill the witch who cursed this place. No matter how dangerous he is.

***