“Something isn't right here. Everyone, form a circle! Don't give whatever is lurking in the dark an opening,” Gu Qingyun commanded decisively.
The pitch-black night sent a shiver through Head Constable Liu and the others, goosebumps erupting across their skin.
In the deathly silent night, the pounding of their own hearts was magnified in the darkness, leaving their scalps prickling with dread.
At that moment, everyone obeyed her instructions, gathering into a tight circular formation around the carriage.
Inside the carriage, the elderly man quickly ducked back into the compartment and pulled the young master into his arms. “Don’t be afraid, Young Master. This old man will surely protect you.”
“Qingyun, do you feel like it’s gotten even colder than before?” Grasping the hilt of his saber, Wu Yong stared wide-eyed into the pitch-black night. With his vision obscured, his gaze couldn't even focus.
“I feel it too. It’s chilling right to the bone. It’s so dark here I can’t see a thing. If an enemy launches a surprise attack, I doubt I’d be able to dodge it.” The speaker was Zhang San. Although he was blunt and simple-minded, he now stood on high alert as if facing a mortal enemy.
Licking his dry lips, Wu Yong said bitterly, “Why is our luck so rotten? We aren't going to meet our ends here, are we?”
The moment he said that, Head Constable Liu and the others grew anxious, falling into a tense silence.
“All right, don’t scare yourselves. We’ll all make it out of this mountain forest safely.” Gu Qingyun’s voice chimed in right on cue, miraculously bringing a measure of calm to their unsettled hearts.
With a soft whoosh, a warm yellow flame sprang up from the torch in Gu Qingyun’s hand. With a casual flick of her wrist, she tossed it, planting it firmly into the earth beside the carriage.
The long-awaited illumination allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief, faint smiles returning to their faces.
“This torch came just in the nick of time. I’d been relying on the stars and the terrain to navigate, never expecting an unexpected snag like this,” Wu Yong said.
Gazing toward a certain spot in the darkness, Gu Qingyun’s expression tightened. “Stay focused, everyone. It’s coming.”
Seconds ticked by, yet the mountain forest remained dead silent, as though Gu Qingyun had miscalculated. However, the chill in the air grew heavier and heavier. The young master inside the carriage had already wrapped himself in a quilt, and a layer of frost coated the eyebrows of Head Constable Liu and the others.
“Get down!” Gu Qingyun barked.
His hair standing on end, Wu Yong hit the deck without a second thought and rolled across the ground. A black claw swiped past the spot where he had just been standing, carrying a gust of sinister wind with it. Seeing that its strike had missed, the shadowy figure let out a shrill screech and swiftly melted back into the darkness.
Having cheated death, Wu Yong scrambled to his feet, panting heavily. “What in the world was that? It was too fast! If Qingyun hadn’t warned me, I never would’ve dodged that strike.”
“A shanxiao. They fear light, live in packs, and relish flesh.”
During that brief clash, Gu Qingyun had caught a clear glimpse of the monster. She couldn't have mistaken it: resembling both human and monkey, it was dark, gaunt, yet lithe, covered head to toe in short black fur. Most importantly, it had only one leg—the hallmark feature of a shanxiao. She was certain of it.
Gu Qingyun’s words instantly snuffed out the courage the group had just managed to muster. Had they been facing bandits or outlaws, they could still put up a fight, but against a monster like this, they were utterly at a loss.
Wu Yong was the most timid of the five. Having just survived an ambush, his palms were slick with cold sweat. Gripping his saber tightly with trembling lips and bloodshot eyes, he stared into the gloom, terrified that another black claw would reach out from the dark.
“Uncle Wu, there’s no need to fear. I’m here. They're just mountain sprites and wild monsters; a blade can still cut them down,” Gu Qingyun reassured him in a calm, steady voice.
With that, she retrieved eight Evil-Warding Talismans from her pocket and placed them in the eight directions. Weaving threads of spiritual power and anchoring the formation eye with offcuts of lightning-struck wood, she raised a barrier that enclosed everyone and their horses within.
Breathing a sigh of relief, a smile touched the corner of her lips. “Don’t be afraid. I’ve set up a barrier using Evil-Warding Talismans. Those shanxiao won't be able to harm us.”
Once the barrier formed, the group felt the temperature warm up considerably, and they couldn’t help but breathe easier.
Hearing this, the master and servant inside the carriage exchanged a glance and stepped outside.
“Benefactors, thank you for saving our lives. Seeing how treacherous tonight is, this old man shall add another twenty taels of silver for each of you in gratitude for your protection.” As he spoke, he bowed deeply toward Gu Qingyun and the constables. From inside the carriage, he had seen everything clearly.
Although these constables possessed mediocre martial skills, they hadn’t abandoned them to flee for their lives; instead, they had shielded them in the center. Such noble character was well worth this bounty.
With their lives no longer in immediate peril, Head Constable Liu felt a bit embarrassed. “This is all Qingyun’s doing. We truly are powerless against that shanxiao.”
“No, the fact that you did not abandon us is your greatest merit.” Turning to Gu Qingyun, he added, “As for this young officer, heroes truly come from youth. Traveling north and south throughout my life, this old man has seen a fair share of extraordinary people and wonders. These eight talismans must have cost quite a bit of silver, and that black object serving as the formation eye—if I am not mistaken, it cannot be cheap either. How about this: I shall reimburse the cost of all these expended items and settle the sum with you when the time comes.”
Gu Qingyun nodded. “We can discuss that later.”
Looking at Head Constable Liu, she instructed, “None of you must touch this formation eye. I’m going out to face those shanxiao. Once these creatures taste human flesh, they crave it relentlessly, which is why they ambushed us. Tonight, I must wipe them out to the last.”
Hearing this, Head Constable Liu gritted his teeth. “I’m coming with you. I can’t let you go alone. In the worst case, I can still act as a meat shield for you in a pinch. If even you can’t survive, what hope do the rest of us have?”
The others grew frantic, and Zhao Si hurriedly intervened. “Let’s just tough it out here until daybreak! Didn’t Qingyun say that these things fear light? Once the sun rises, we can be on our way. Our lives are what matter most!”
“No need. Even if I'm outmatched, I can still get away. You all stay right here,” Gu Qingyun said with absolute finality, leaving no room for argument.
Rustle, rustle... rustle, rustle, rustle...
Faint rustling noises drifted from the darkness. Gu Qingyun’s ears twitched, and she stepped out of the barrier with measured strides. “They're here. Remember, do not step outside. No matter who calls your name or what sounds you hear, do not leave this barrier. When I return, I will walk back in myself.”
As her voice faded, Head Constable Liu and the others could only watch helplessly as her figure melted into the dark.
“This young lady officer is truly a role model for us all. This old man is in awe.”
Head Constable Liu and his men were in no mood to pay him any mind. Gripping their sabers, they remained on high alert. If they couldn't help in battle, they at least had to protect Qingyun’s horse—that beast was her pride and joy—and keep watch over whatever magical artifact was anchoring the formation. All of it belonged to Qingyun.
“Wuu-aoooh—!”
A shanxiao’s cry suddenly ripped through the air. Head Constable Liu snapped his head up, his pupils contracting sharply. On a horizontal branch directly above him, a shadowy figure lunged straight down at him.
He thrust his saber upward to parry the blow. However, mid-descent, the dark figure slammed into what seemed like an invisible wall. Emitting an ear-splitting screech of agony, it scrambled away in haste.
Head Constable Liu swallowed hard, never having imagined that the setup Gu Qingyun had laid down would be so potent.
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