Witch Hunter: Goujian Sword

January 31, 2023

"Brother! Brother Sizhu! We have to go home immediately! That creature is really coming!"

Qing hid behind Sizhu's back, trembling with fear. Meanwhile, Sizhu stayed alert, watching his surroundings carefully.

"You."

Sizhu quickly turned toward the source of the voice. He was about to strike with the wooden staff he had been holding in his left hand from the start.

The staff almost hit the village chief's head hard. The chief didn't flinch as the staff stopped just a few centimeters before landing.

He glanced, then stared seriously at Sizhu and Qing.

"What are you doing here? This place is dangerous, and you nearly crossed the village boundary."

Sizhu opened his mouth but hesitated to say anything.

This man... How does he know we are here?

He eyed the village chief standing firmly two steps ahead of him with suspicion.

The sky had darkened; the sun had left its post, leaving only a little light for the three to stare at each other.

"We were chasing that chicken, then it died, attacked by a cat and the cat di—aw!"

Sizhu deliberately stepped on Qing's foot. The village chief raised one eyebrow.

"We were just taking a walk. Qing accompanied me here to show the village border."

Sizhu gave a more plausible explanation. He didn't want to reveal the real incident since he sensed something odd about the man in front of him.

"Go home. It's already night. That creature will take tonight's offering early. You don't want to become one of its offerings, do you?"

The village chief looked at Sizhu with an unpleasant gaze. His eyes bulged frighteningly. Sizhu and Qing nodded once.

"Then we'll take our leave."

Sizhu led Qing walking quickly away. Without turning his head, the village chief remained standing still.

He probably saw the dead cat and chicken. I'm sure he'll be suspicious of me. That wasp... What is its connection to the village chief?

Walking forward without looking back, Sizhu's mind was full of questions. All those thoughts vanished when he heard the village chief's hoarse shout.

"Obey the rules of this village! And you will live peacefully! Sizhu."

Sizhu kept walking without responding to the chief's shout.

***

It was already early night when Sizhu and Qing returned home.

They immediately ate dinner after answering Qing's father's questions, who was busy grilling fish. Qing's father asked where the two had gone that afternoon. Sizhu replied that they had taken a walk around the village so he could get to know it better.

Afterward, they helped Qing's father prepare dinner on the simple hut's porch.

"We just met the village chief earlier. Who is he exactly?" Sizhu asked while picking at his grilled fish.

As usual, Qing's father's grilled fish was seasoned with a special blend that soaked deep into the meat, paired with raw chili-soy sauce that was so addictive.

Look at Yaoyao and Qing, their faces smeared with the sauce. They clearly loved it, devouring the grilled fish eagerly.

"Village chief? Ah, you mean Zhuangzhu Muzhe."

"Zhuangzhu?"

"Zhuangzhu is the respectful title for the village chief. What did he say to you, master Sizhu?"

Sizhu was still not used to hearing "master" attached to his name. He shrugged, indicating it wasn't important.

"He just reminded Qing and me not to cross the village boundary."

Qing's father nodded as he chewed the fish meat. His portion was smaller compared to Sizhu and the children's. It seemed the fish was almost ran out; perhaps he would go fishing in the river again tomorrow.

"By the way, Zhuangzhu Muzhe... Since when has he been the village chief here?"

Sizhu tried to pry more information about the chief. He felt there was a suspicious connection between him and the wasp he had seen that afternoon.

"Hm, Zhuangzhu Muzhe has been here even before this village was formed. If I'm not mistaken, the Muzhe family was the first to settle this village. Then many others came here."

"When was this village formed?"

"About ten to twelve years ago. We have only lived here five years after my wife died exactly on the day we settled here."

Ten to twelve years... What could have happened in that time to cause these rules and curses to plague this village?

I'm sure Zhuangzhu Muzhe knows the answer. I must ask him.

But what if he's the enemy? Or worse, the one controlling that giant wasp I saw earlier?

Sizhu looked conflicted. He had no solution yet for this complicated problem.

He then saw Qing mischievously hiding a piece of Yaoyao's fish meat. The two immediately argued and accused each other.

"Ihhh brothel! Give back Yaoyao's fish meat!" Yaoyao frowned angrily at her brother.

Qing stuck out his tongue, "I didn't steal it! Yaoyao is accusing me without proof!"

"Ihhh Yaoyao is sure seeing blother stealing!"

Qing's father quickly broke up the fight after pinching Qing's ear.

Qing returned the fish meat he had hidden beneath his banana leaf.

That's it! I got an idea to summon that creature and expose who the real village chief is!

Sizhu's face suddenly brightened like he had a divine revelation. He was sure his plan tonight would succeed perfectly.

The rest I must prepare for all possibilities. Even if it means I have to kill him.

He clenched his fist, his gaze showing determination.

***

"Muren, don't forget to keep the offering plate on the porch."

The family of five was having a quiet dinner.

A father, mother, an older brother who was already mature, his younger brother who just reached adulthood, and the youngest brother, three years younger than the older one.

Muzhe, the man around forty, had a stern face. But the graying hair warned him that his age was nearing its end. He had a sturdy physique for a man at his peak age.

His thin beard was short and white. His black mustache was also starting to turn white. A scar near his right cheek looked like a stitch mark.

"All right, father." Muren replied as he scooped rice onto his plate. They had fields and rice paddies not too large, but enough to support the family's daily needs.

Among the twenty families in the village, theirs was the most prosperous. All thanks to their father, the village's zhuangzhu.

"Mushan, have you finished planting rice in the paddy? I told you two days ago not to forget planting new rice after sowing seeds last month."

Mushan, the firstborn son, nodded. He had a broader and more solid chest compared to his younger brother.

"Yes, father, I've also prepared fertilizer from our livestock manure. I will fertilize in five days."

Muzhe, the father, nodded slightly. His wife, Qiao Gu, filling water to an empty glass from clay pot. She was ten years younger than her husband.

"Mufeng has also worked hard, my husband. He takes care of the goats and cows diligently while you've been out hunting."

Mufeng, the youngest son, blushed slightly. Among his older brothers, he had never been given important tasks other than leftovers from his siblings.

Mushan worked in the paddy, Muren in the fields, their father Muzhe cared for the goats and cows. There used to be many chickens, but lately many wild cats have preyed on them. Because of this, they stopped raising chickens temporarily and switched to farming catfish near the river.

They were all skilled in their tasks because since childhood their father had taught them strictly but meaningful.

"Good job, Mufeng. Starting tomorrow, you can take care of your own livestock. Maybe father will teach you to hunt as well."

Mufeng smiled widely with enthusiasm despite his mouth full of rice. Meanwhile, his two older brothers felt uneasy because they had been taught hunting before.

They chose to work in the fields and paddies to avoid that task. Because the hunting the father meant was the monthly hunt—not animals.

After the warm dinner and conversation, Muren went outside with the offering plate containing two large raw fish, some fruits from the field (such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and guava), and most importantly, a ladle of blood from his father's hunt.

The ladle of blood smelled foul and contained some floating innards.

Muren always held his nose when assigned that task. They kept the hunted meat and offerings in an empty chicken coop.

"Ugh, I never liked this task. If only this village didn't have such terrible rules."

He walked toward the porch and placed the offering with a bit of haste, almost spilling the blood ladle except for a few drops that dripped onto the wooden porch.

"Phew, almost. Father will punish me if I spill the offering."

He sighed in relief and entered his house.

As soon as he opened the door, he felt something lurking at the front gate of his house. The two-story wooden house was surrounded by a wooden fence as tall as waist human, with a wooden gate as the entrance.

Muren immediately turned back only to see the gate wide open. He went to close it and slide the wooden bolt.

"Seems like just the wind. That creature wouldn't come this fast, right? Or maybe it's so hungry it took the offering I just stored, heh."

Muren turned back to look and found the offering in front of the porch had vanished in an instant.

He was shocked and pale to see it. Because he also saw a shadow beside his house.

"That... I'm just kidding... please don't eat me too..."

He quickly hurried into his house and locked the door while gasping for breath.

***