The night was as still as water.
The Jade Rabbit rose in the east, and ink-stained dark clouds drifted by, obscuring more than half of the lunar disk.
A vast shadow cast itself over Dingyuan County, like a heavy black curtain.
“Clang! Clang! It is the second watch!”
“The weather is dry!”
“Watch your candles!”
The alleys of Dingyuan County crisscrossed, and the markets were interconnected, as cluttered as a maze.
In this deep night, only the watchmen accustomed to the old roads could rely on the candlelight in their hands to find their way forward.
The old owl in the sky called out a few more times.
Old Zheng, the watchman, was fifty-three years old this year. He was an old widower who had lost his wife years ago.
Now, he was a man who ate his fill and left his whole family satisfied. He had no one else to worry about.
Every day after finishing his watch, Old Zheng would go to a shop in the south of the city to eat a bowl of hot soup noodles. Then, he would go to a tavern to buy a pot of wine, two ounces of pickled goose, and two side dishes.
After waking up from a beautiful sleep, he would eat his food and drink his wine while enjoying the evening breeze. He wouldn't trade this life for that of an immortal.
“Clang! Clang! It is the second watch!”
“The weather is dry! Watch your candles...”
Old Zheng struck his clapper and walked forward along the familiar road.
Just then, a cool breeze blew, parting the clouds to reveal the moon, and the candle flame in his lantern flickered slightly.
Old Zheng felt as if sand had gotten into his eyes. Just as he was about to reach out to rub them, he saw a veiled woman standing at the end of the road.
“Hehehe.”
The woman’s figure was graceful. Although her appearance couldn't be seen clearly, her light veil danced in the air, bringing with it bursts of fragrant wind.
“Come here.”
“Come over here.”
Old Zheng swallowed hard, wondering which brothel this courtesan belonged to.
“Which house are you from, my lady? Are you lost? The night is cold; you should head back quickly!”
The woman twisted her waist as she slowly approached, her large, soul-stirring eyes blinking beneath the veil.
“Come and look at me... look at me...”
Her words, almost like a spoiled child's plea, caused Old Zheng to lose his wits. As if possessed, he reached out his hand and lifted the veil—
Beneath the veil, a bloody maw full of sharp teeth was slightly open. The woman’s voice was incomparably charming, but a furry, large red face squeezed into Old Zheng’s vision.
“Look at me. Do I look like a person, or do I look like a god?”
“Aaaaaaaah!!!”
Old Zheng’s tragic scream almost pierced the sky, waking up half of Dingyuan County.
...
...
“Big Sister, are you free today?”
Nanzhi was curled up on the sofa wearing a face mask. On the tablet beside her, the game character was also sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Above the character's head, the green experience bar was growing bit by bit at an extremely slow pace.
On the screen, Nan Ye sat by the bed, embroidering something stitch by stitch.
She seemed to be embroidering shoes and socks for Nan Dazhuang.
The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, and the weather was getting hotter and hotter.
Nan Dazhuang had complained once that the shoes and socks on his feet were uncomfortable, and Nan Ye had taken it to heart.
Nanzhi glanced at the screen again and heard a knock on the door. Then, a young man’s clear voice came from the tablet.
“I have some leads on the matter Big Sister asked me to check a few days ago. Would you like to come with me to Wangjia Bridge to take a look?”
A quest?
“Yes, yes, yes! Of course I’m free!”
Nanzhi rolled over and got up. Without even taking off her face mask, she replied repeatedly, “Of course I am—”
Before she could finish, she saw Nan Ye pouting with a jealous little expression.
“Big Sister has been going out with Big Brother all day lately. Do you still remember what Mom told you before she left?”
Nanzhi tried hard to remember and said somewhat sheepishly, “Uh... go out less, and at least whiten this skin of mine first?”
Heaven have mercy, she couldn't sculpt her face in this broken game. Otherwise, she would definitely perform a feat of Nuwa mending the heavens and sculpt herself a face so handsome it would cause both gods and men to grieve.
The door opened, but Nan Yi refused to enter. He only took a brief glance and said to Nan Ye with a smile:
“How much vinegar have you been drinking, Little Ye? It’s so sour it makes my teeth ache. I have serious business with Big Sister today. If you aren't afraid, why don't you come along and see?”
Nanzhi was a bit curious. “Looking at your expression, has something big happened in the city?”
“There hasn't been a murder. It’s not a big deal, strictly speaking, but it is a bit tricky.”
Nan Yi pondered for a moment and spoke slowly with a frown:
“For the past few days, the watchmen in the city have all been staying home sick. Headman Zhang told us to go to their homes and take a look.
But these watchmen only said they encountered a monster while on duty, and they refused to say anything more.
Therefore, Headman Zhang wants to ask Big Sister to take a look and see if there is some evil spirit at work.”
Ever since the Painted Skin Ghost died, someone had spread the word that the one who killed the ghost wasn't actually Nan Dazhuang, but the eldest daughter of the Nan family.
Others claimed with absolute certainty that the Nan family's eldest daughter had learned the Sleeve Universe ability from an immortal in her dreams, and with a wave of her hand, she could hide evil ghosts in her sleeves.
Consequently, when Nanzhi went out during this period, many people looked at her with both respect and fear. Some busybodies even privately called her a Shamaness.
Headman Zhang was the bearded constable from that night, and he had always been on good terms with Nan Yi.
She didn't know where he had heard the news this time, but he actually asked Nan Yi to go home and invite her.
“The watchmen?”
Nanzhi was a bit confused. “Several watchmen saw the same ghost?”
Nan Yi nodded. “Those watchmen all said the same thing.”
Could it be the mud ghosts from the City God Temple?
No, the ghosts at the City God Temple were very law-abiding. Even if they had no offerings to eat, they wouldn't just appear to scare people.
Could it be a new harmful ghost that had come to Dingyuan County?
That shouldn't be right.
Why didn't it show up on the map?
But it was perfect; she was just waiting to farm some experience and level up!
Nanzhi packed up and was about to go out with Nan Yi. At the last moment, she asked Nan Ye if she wanted to come along.
Upon hearing there was a ghost, Nan Ye’s little face turned pale with fright, and she shook her head repeatedly.
The siblings were amused by their younger sister’s reaction. After giving her a few more instructions, they hurried out.
...
Nanzhi followed Nan Yi to the homes of several watchmen and found that they were all in a miserable state of extreme shock.
Some were even unable to walk and could only lie on their stomachs on their beds, looking exceptionally pitiful.
But no matter how Nan Yi asked, the watchmen remained tight-lipped about the ghost encounter at night, only saying they had seen a ghost and refusing to say anything else.
In particular, there was an older watchman among them named Old Zheng.
When he saw that the person coming with Headman Zhang was a young lady, he closed his eyes and tried to drive them away.
“Go away, go away, leave quickly! There’s nothing to say! What bad luck, what bad luck!”
“Hey! You old fool, you really don't recognize greatness when it's right in front of you.”
Headman Zhang’s beard shook with anger as he started scolding:
“You haven't gone to work for several days in a row. The Main Scribe has scolded me several times, saying that if you can't go back tomorrow, you can forget about this month's salary!
Have you lost your mind, you old fool? You can be at odds with anything, but don't be at odds with money.
This is the daughter of Nan the Butcher, and she is very capable! If you really encountered some evil spirit, hurry up and speak!”
Upon hearing the name of Nan the Butcher, Old Zheng, who was lying on the bed, raised his head and then quickly lowered it again.
After a long time, he said awkwardly:
“I can't, I can't. She’s an unmarried young lady. How can I speak of such a thing? How can I?”
He couldn't say it?
Nanzhi understood. She nodded to Nan Yi and found an excuse to go into the courtyard.
Old Zheng lived alone, and the courtyard wasn't large. The tools Old Zheng used for his work were piled in a corner, covered in a layer of dust after several days of disuse.
A piece of coarse cloth clothing hung in the yard, washed so many times it had turned white.
There was a woodpile in the backyard. Nanzhi habitually clicked on the mini-map and suddenly frowned.
Hmm?
...
A moment later, Nan Yi and Headman Zhang filed out of the room, but the expressions on their faces were a bit strange.
“What’s wrong? Why such strange expressions?”
Nanzhi asked curiously, “What did Old Zheng confess?”
It would have been better if she hadn't asked. As soon as she did, Headman Zhang started laughing so hard his whole body shook like a sieve, and his full beard swayed violently along with him.
“Damn it, hahahaha, hahahahaha! This ghost, this ghost is truly troublesome... hahahahaha.
I can't, I can't. I can't bring myself to say it. Young Yi, you should be the one to say it!”
Nan Yi was somewhat helpless. He pulled Nanzhi to a corner and explained in detail:
“That ghost is truly a headache. Old Zheng said ever since that ghost started haunting him, it has been making a fuss at his house every night.
Not only does it mimic a rooster crowing in the middle of the night, but it also... also, when he was using the latrine, it used a sorghum stalk, it used a sorghum stalk...”
At this point, Nan Yi’s face was as red as a persimmon. He desperately suppressed his laughter before he could barely finish the rest of his sentence:
“It poked his butt with a sorghum stalk.”
Nanzhi’s face was full of question marks.
???
Maybe you should say that one more time?
Rate on N.U.
