Witch Hunter: Goujian Sword

January 31, 2023

"We will divide the bodies we caught evenly. There are 11 corpses; those who managed to kill may keep the heads as special trophies."

The village chief stopped in the middle of the village crossroads. Many villagers awaited their return.

Children and mothers paid little attention to the hunted bodies their fathers brought back. They cared more about their fathers' well-being than the distribution of the corpses.

"Thank goodness you returned safely, Master Sizhu."

Qing's father watched from behind, walking up to Sizhu, who was at the rear of the group.

Qing and Yaoyao watched from a distance. Both never dared to see the bodies directly since they were still underage.

Sizhu nodded and dismounted his horse.

"I didn't do much. Mostly the village chief and the other men hunted. I just watched."

"Out there, those humans—no, those evil creatures—will still attack you even if you just watch from afar. I told you, they're a type of magical creature. They're different from humans like us."

Sizhu remained silent. He neither nodded nor shook his head. He knew they were humans, but he didn't understand why those humans acted aggressively toward the villagers.

The only thing that makes them somewhat different from us is their blood-red eyes and their bodies' resistance to pain. I'm not sure what to call them. Maybe 'magical creatures' is more fitting.

Sizhu stared at the corpses cut up in the middle of the village and displayed openly for many to see.

Their blood was collected in a large bucket, as were some other body parts. Each corpse's wounds were tightly bandaged during the journey so much of the blood remained inside when they were cut up.

"I still have one head and some hand pieces from last month at home. I will take a bit of blood and parts for next month's preparations."

Qing's father stepped into the center of the village to help the other men cut up the bodies. He had brought a cleaver from home.

"Brother, brother Sizhu. By the way, have you seen the Witch with the missing leg-hand and his black crocodile?"

Qing tugged on Sizhu's robe sleeve. Reluctantly, Sizhu looked back.

Yaoyao peeked from behind her brother's back. She didn't want to see the body-cutting ceremony.

"Said Blothel Qing, brothel Sizhu rides a big clocodile!"

Yaoyao also asked. She had long searched for it in the river with Qing but didn't know where the Witch and the crocodile Sizhu rode yesterday had gone.

The young man with long straight black hair shook his head.

"I haven't seen them since I spent the night at your house."

"Black crocodile? Is it yours?"

A village youth approached. He looked about the same age as Sizhu but was neither as muscular nor tall.

Wearing a simple village outfit — a pale brown long-sleeve cotton shirt and pants rolled up just below the calf — he walked in straw sandals.

The young man smiled warmly as he spoke, greeting Qing and Yaoyao.

"Ni Hao, Qing and Yaoyao. Did you catch many butterflies in the field yesterday?"

He extended his hand to high-five Qing, who happily returned the gesture.

"Haha, yesterday I caught a butterfly as big as my fist from brother Muren's field. Yaoyao caught nothing."

"Thad is because blothel kept being mischievous!"

Yaoyao crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks defiantly.

They all laughed at Yaoyao's cute stubbornness.

"The crocodile, where is it now?"

Feeling ignored, Sizhu asked Muren again.

He's asking about the black crocodile. Is he hiding the crocodile and the Witch?

Sizhu's serious expression made Muren, the brown-haired youth, a bit uneasy. He scratched the back of his head, which wasn't itchy.

"Um, yes. Before you went hunting two days ago, my father took that black crocodile and the corpse. Do you know it?"

"Corpse?" Sizhu asked suspiciously.

The Witch is dead?

Muren nodded confidently. "Yes, come with me. I'll show you."

Sizhu, Qing, and Yaoyao followed Muren past the village crossroads, turned left, then walked a long way along a path by the riverside.

Passing several houses and other villagers' fields or gardens, they finally arrived at a wooden house and a rather large livestock pen compared to the other villagers'.

The four of them entered the now empty pen. Nearby were goat and cattle pens.

"What is this place? It smells awful."

Sizhu tried to cover his nose, which was very sensitive and sharp. He smelled a mixture of animal dung inside the empty pen, plus the goat and cattle smells nearby. It stung his nose.

"Brother Sizhu, have you never seen a livestock pen?"

Qing on Sizhu's right asked innocently. He was used to the smell because he often helped Muren take care of his livestock.

Shaking his head, Sizhu had never even heard the word "pen" before, much less "livestock." In ten years of training, he'd never seen his teacher raise or keep animals. So it was natural he only know it by now.

"What? Where have you been living all this time, um... Sizhu? Most villagers here raise pigs or chickens on their land. They become food after we raise and farm them to maturity, you know?"

Muren almost laughed at Sizhu's blank face, which looked like little Yaoyao learning to walk.

"So you take care of them to eat later?"

Muren, Qing, and Yaoyao nodded, while Sizhu quietly said "Oh."

That's impressive. At least they don't have to hunt in the forest to eat.

Muren then explained in detail how his family's livestock farm worked. They raised many animals, not just in that big pen. They also farmed catfish and other things in the pond side the river.

Sizhu seemed amazed by Muren's explanation about raising and farming animals. His attention was then drawn to a large cloth covering something foul-smelling in a corner of the empty pen.

"…Each livestock has a daily feeding ration. My father is the village chief and the best livestock farmer here, you know. None of our livestock ever die from disease or wild animal attacks. We have the best livestock quality in this village."

Muren looked proud and enthusiastic explaining his family's pride. Qing and Yaoyao said "Wow," while Sizhu stared at the corner covered by the large cloth.

There's something beneath that cloth. What is it…

"Muren. Is the crocodile there?"

Seeing the direction Sizhu pointed, Muren nodded. He then led the three over.

"Come here. I'll show you."

A few steps apart, Muren uncovered the cloth, which was weighed down with stones at the edges to keep the foul smell from escaping.

A large black crocodile, dried out like it had been sucked of moisture, lay there. Beside the crocodile's shriveled head was the corpse of a Witch missing hands and leg.

Not only were the bodies shriveled and dried, but they were also full of holes without blood stains except inside the dried flesh. Like a leaf withered in summer.

Qing jumped back several steps, startled. Yaoyao hid behind her brother in fear. Sizhu stared wide-eyed at the dried crocodile and Witch.

"My father said they tried to escape the village at night. No one may leave the village until the sun shines, or they'll meet one of those creatures. So now they're like this."

"Only when sun shine?"

Sizhu felt uneasy.

What really happened to this village? What would happen if someone tried to leave after sunset?

Muren nodded. He was about to say something when a hand patted his shoulder from behind.

"That is a curse—"

"No. That is the rule in this village."

A deep, hoarse voice made the four turn at once, looking at the village chief who silently appeared behind Muren.

Sizhu found the chief's arrival strange since he made no sound, though his heartbeat was still audible.

The man had a broad chest and strong physique for his age. His hair was half-white with grey streaks. His beard was trimmed short with no sideburns. A thin mustache matched his white hair. His eyes were narrow and sharp.

The air of authority from a village chief who had protected his people for years was palpable.

"Father, you startled us." Muren smiled, turning to face his father.

The man's hands were covered with dried red blood.

"Do you know the Witch's corpse, Sizhu?"

Sizhu paused briefly before answering.

"How do you know my name?"

Pointing to Qing and Yaoyao, the chief said, "Their father explained about you since we were about to go hunting two days ago."

His index finger then moved toward the crocodile and the dry, hole-filled Witch corpse under the crumpled cloth.

"Are they from the forbidden forest like you?"

Sizhu nodded. "They were still alive that night. What caused them to die like this?" Looking seriously at the chief, Sizhu tried to learn more about the rules the chief mentioned.

"They died because of that creature for breaking the rules here. You know the rules; follow them and we will welcome you to this village, Sizhu."

The village chief then turned and walked away slowly.

"What exactly is that creature? You're the village chief; you must know that creature."

Sizhu asked, half-shouting.

Without looking back, the chief replied,

"That creature is the guardian of this village. It protects this village from more terrifying creatures. Namely, humans with evil hearts."

***