Chapter 29: What on Earth Is That Thing?

By the riverside, the group finalized their ambush plan before dispersing to their designated positions.

Perhaps because they realized they would truly be spending the night outdoors, Lu Jing noticed that many in the crowd seemed distracted. Even some of the yamen runners were casting frequent glances back toward Wuling City. When they had first departed, Lu Jing had kept the pressure on, and the men had been spirited, but after all this commotion, now that they were splitting up, they appeared lazy—especially those from outside the yamen.

Lu Jing looked at the sun in the west and understood. In at most an hour, the sun would set and darkness would fall. Many believed this was merely a patrol before dusk, a way to make a show of effort—after all, that was often how the yamen operated. Living in such an era, Lu Jing was accustomed to this, yet even in such times, some still held onto ideals.

Lu Jing did not know why, but a wave of frustration rose within him. Watching the people drift away in scattered groups, whispering to one another, he could not help but roar, "Wait!"

Those who had already dispersed stopped and turned to look at Lu Jing in confusion. Just as someone was about to ask what the matter was, Lu Jing spoke first.

"I know that none of you have much confidence, and I understand that you all wish to return home early. This gang has already taken seven lives! Seven lives! Even if they were merely idlers, they were still our people of Wuling! The murderers are still out there, and none of us want any harm to come to our kin... If we capture these vicious bandits and spread the word, other villains will not dare to target our Wuling!

"I need not say much to my brothers from the yamen, but as for those of you who have come to assist, you do so with righteous intent. I, Lu Jing, am merely someone who has practiced some martial arts and caught the eye of the Magistrate; I am no great figure, but I, too, am a man of Wuling! If we have the chance to capture the culprits today, I promise that if they appear, I will be the first to charge into battle. I also beg you all to give it your best! Once it is over, I will certainly petition for rewards for all of you!"

He had intended to deliver a reprimand, but as he spoke, it turned into this. Lu Jing himself felt stirred by his own words, and at the end of his speech, he bowed deeply to the crowd.

To be honest, the others were slightly stunned at first, but soon, they could not help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Head Constable Lu, there is no need for such formalities!" "Fine, since you are so sincere, I, Zhang, will certainly stand by you tonight!"

"Rest assured, Head Constable Lu, we won't slack off tonight!"

"Me too!" "So, are we still hiding the way we discussed?"

"When it comes to ambushes, we hunters know best."

"Right, right. You and I, we know that the beasts in the mountains have the keenest senses, and these thieves are much the same. When hiding, you mustn't stare too intently; you must lower your presence..."

"How do you lower it?" "Sigh, it's simple—just think of yourself as the flowers and grass beside you. Just be a blade of grass."

"How can a person be grass?"

"Why are you so slow? He's talking about clearing your mind—no joy, no sorrow!"

"Hey, hey, it's not just that. Those beasts are cunning. Today, the wind is blowing from the mountains; that is a natural advantage. We discovered this spot first, so that is our geographical advantage. Then, as my great-uncle says, you must suppress your human scent..."

"Ah?"

"Hey, hey, we're here to catch murderers, not hunt beasts!"

"It's about the same, about the same..."

The mood of the crowd was clearly stirred. While life might not be cheap in this day and age, it was rare for government officials to be so candid and passionate. If that was the case, why not give it their all? It was said that the hearts of men were not as they once were, but if they could punish the wicked and earn a reward, who wouldn't want to?

When the crowd dispersed again, and the deployments were slightly adjusted, Lu Jing kept his promise and hid in the most forward position. This time, the spirit of the men as they left was clearly different.

***

The sun gradually dipped below the horizon. There was still sunlight on the other side of the mountains, but the distant city of Wuling was already shrouded in the shadow of the western ridge. The area near the riverbank had long since quieted down, and the disturbed ground had been restored to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened.

In this ambush, the veteran hunters who had only come to assist became the instructors, employing methods such as facing the wind, covering themselves with grass, and concealing their tracks.

Time ticked by. An hour or so later, the distant sun had fully set, and the afterglow of sunset remained only as evening clouds on the horizon. The nearby paths and riverbanks quickly darkened. Gradually, the sounds of small animals increased; after the cacophony of insects and birds, the croaking of frogs became the dominant melody. Amidst this symphony of nature, only a group of people hoping to catch a bandit kept silent—even those who needed to relieve themselves had to hold it in.

The only difficulty was keeping the dogs quiet, but the hunters had their own ways. With the government showing such determination to eliminate the threat, the others participating had truly committed themselves, which in turn influenced the rest of the runners.

***

During the wait, while the sun was still up, a few pedestrians had passed by, but none discovered the men in ambush. However, once the sun went down, the area became a true wilderness. Because of the recent murders, while a few might have traveled the road at night before, now that darkness had fallen, no one dared to walk.

Lu Jing and a few others with good martial arts skills lay beside the hunters, while the rest were positioned further away on the mounds overlooking the riverbank, only twenty paces away. Looking up at the sky, a thin layer of clouds did not completely block the moon, but the starlight was hard to see. On such a night, visibility was certainly low.

Having waited so long, although Lu Jing was patient, he could not help but feel a bit restless. He looked at the hunters nearby and saw that they were breathing steadily, lying in comfortable positions; some were even lying flat, looking more like they were sleeping than ambushing. The dogs were also lying on the ground, wagging their tails occasionally, though they were swatted by their masters if they wagged too much.

The croaking of frogs had drowned out many other noises. Many of those in ambush couldn't even tell if others were nearby, save for their immediate companions; they only knew the general direction. It gave one the illusion of being forgotten in the wilderness while everyone else had left. This feeling was very uncomfortable, and they would only be able to rotate shifts in the second half of the night.

In this day and age, catching a criminal required some luck, but at the very least, everyone tonight was fueled by a shared sense of indignation!

It was unclear how much more time passed. Many had relaxed—not out of true laziness, but from the exhaustion brought on by long periods of high mental tension. But, without a sound, the croaking of the frogs around them faded, and the surroundings became deathly quiet.

Beside Lu Jing, the resting hunters were all instantly alert. The one who had been lying down turned over carefully, gently stroking the goshawk on his shoulder.

*Heaven has eyes tonight. Perhaps we have finally waited for them!*

Seeing the hunters' reactions, Lu Jing felt a strange intuition rise in his heart. He rubbed his eyes and stared fixedly at the area of focus.

After another moment, Lu Jing frowned. Something seemed to be leaping out from the distant mountain pass. The area where they were ambushing was near the outskirts of the county, while that mountain pass led to the true wilderness—the boundary between the mountains and the area of human activity.

The thing that emerged moved quickly, like a shadow under the moonlight, reaching the path ahead. Soon, in the eyes of the onlookers, a figure appeared at the end of the road, walking with a swaying gait.

As it drew closer, it looked like a woman?

Just an ordinary person? Why would a woman walk alone on such a secluded road at night? Especially in a place where murders had recently occurred. Was she the one who had just come from the mountain pass? Was my vision failing me?

Everyone who saw the woman harbored similar doubts; after all, it was night, and it was hard to say if they had misjudged.

"Woooo..."

The four-browed dog beside the hunter, even with a muzzle on, let out a low, threatening growl. The other dogs also seemed hard to restrain. The sound was very faint, but it naturally drew the attention of the hunters and Lu Jing. However, for now, they could only do their best to soothe them.

Just as the woman reached a point only a dozen paces from the riverbank, her figure suddenly stopped. Her posture, which had been relatively straight, slumped in a bizarre way, and she stretched her neck, looking all around. It felt as if she were confused by something.

Lu Jing looked at his companions and the hunters; they were all frowning. *Something is wrong. I feel like something is not right!*

This seemed to be the woman's thought as well. The next moment, as if she had suddenly been startled, she turned and bolted back in the direction she had come from, her speed astonishing.

In any era, a government official with ideals and ambitions will instinctively suspect someone who suddenly turns and runs upon seeing them. Lu Jing's mind moved like lightning, connecting the information in an instant. The scholar who had been on a tryst with a woman but encountered bandits; the four dead bandits; their gruesome state of death; the missing woman; and this woman, whose martial prowess was clearly extraordinary...

Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed through Lu Jing’s mind, grasping something he had consistently overlooked.

*Who says a woman cannot be the bandit?*

At this moment, Lu Jing shouted almost instinctively.

"This person may be the bandit! Catch her—"

As the shout rang out, the hunters were the first to release their hounds.

"Woof, woof, woof... woof..." "Woof, woof, woof..."

The dogs darted out like the wind, followed by Lu Jing and the others with good martial arts skills. The people in other ambush spots were also instantly energized, jumping out and chasing after her with shouts.

"Where are you going—" "Little thief, stay right there—"

"Trying to run?" "Catch her—"

The crowd surged, their shouts shaking the sky. The once-quiet wilderness was suddenly filled with human clamor, and flames of rage rose with the roars.

***

"Woooo-ah!"

The woman let out a screech that did not sound human and ran even faster. But the hounds were equally astonishing in their speed. The fastest four-browed dog darted close to her and took a bite straight at her leg.

"Woooo-roar!"

"Woooo-ah-ah—"

With that bite, in the eyes of Lu Jing and the others, the woman seemed to deform, shriveling up in a terrifying way. With a strange cry, she kicked the dog away and darted forward again.

*What kind of monster is this?*

With this thought, Lu Jing, who was the fastest, pushed his light-body techniques to the limit. Together with the four-browed dog, which had lunged again, and the other dogs, he rushed close to the thing.

"Twang—" "Twang—" "Twang—"

From afar came the sound of bowstrings. The hunters had drawn their bows. In the dim light, the sound of arrows cutting through the air seemed to pass right by Lu Jing. Although the arrows did not hit the target, they clearly caused the thing to panic. The dogs immediately lunged, and the sound of canine tearing and fighting erupted.

Lu Jing reached a distance close enough to see. With the help of the moonlight, he saw clearly that the thing draped in clothes had a ghostly, demonic face. His heart skipped a beat in terror.

*Not human! A demon? A ghost? Whatever you are, I am catching you today!*

Lu Jing turned fierce, his ferocity replacing his fear. He sprinted toward the target, and with a roar, the ring-pommel broadsword at his back was unsheathed with a metallic "clink."

The next moment, the sword-ring hummed with a piercing sound as he slashed straight at the target.

"Take my blade—"

The sword light flashed, and blood splattered!

"Ah—"

A terrifying, shrill scream exploded in a wave of sound. Lu Jing, being the closest, felt his head swim and could not help but cover his ears. The others with decent skills who had followed behind all tumbled to the ground... The dogs were in so much pain that they released their grip and rolled away. Those chasing from further behind were also forced to cover their ears.

By the time everyone regained their senses, they only saw a strange shadow disappearing into the distance. Lu Jing saw clearly that at the moment of disappearance, that ghostly face seemed to stare at him with a double image, filled with resentment.

Even those who had the strength left did not pursue; they were clearly frightened by the inhuman sound. Once they realized what had happened, no one had any intention of chasing it into the mountains.

Even Lu Jing was but a creature of flesh and blood; he felt fear just as anyone else would. Although the others had not confronted the thing directly, they had been sufficiently terrified.

Soon, the crowd gathered.

"Head Constable Lu, are you alright?" "What was that just now?"

"It didn't look much like a human..."

The men were pale and horrified; their ears were still ringing, and some were only just climbing to their feet. Lu Jing felt the worst; having been the closest, his head throbbed, and he felt a wave of nausea, barely holding himself up by sheer force of will.

Several hunters crouched down, looking at their dogs with great distress.

"Huzi, Zhuifeng..." "Dawu..."

Of the five dogs, four were already motionless. The leading four-browed dog was not in a good state either; it was only barely breathing.

***

The next day, those who had participated in the ambush returned to the city. The other team was informed of what Lu Jing's group had encountered. Many followed Lu Jing to the county yamen's morgue to re-examine the previous corpses.

Looking at the bodies with their throats torn open and thinking back to the events of last night, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

The bandit was not human—it was likely a demon!