Chapter Four: It Was a Ghost After All
Before leaving, Li Xia carefully licked the map again, a habit leftover from playing games.
Sure enough, he discovered some scattered small items, such as a dozen dragon coins, along with a few small silver and copper subsidiary coins.
The denominations ranged from fifty qian to one li, but none of these coins could be taken out of the trial; they were only usable within it.
The most valuable item was a hairpin made of pure silver, its delicate patterns winding like vines, set with a pearl.
The hairpin was tucked into the ghost’s belt; if a protruding piece hadn’t pierced through the belt revealing it, it might never have been found.
Li Xia turned it over and noticed two characters engraved on the hairpin.
“Xing... Zi?”
Just a name, yet Li Xia’s imagination spun a whole love story—a poor young man leaving his hometown to make his fortune, returning to marry the girl he loves.
But on the way back, he encountered Muzan...
All he could do was wish Muzan Kibutsuji endless days in the sun and nights of ceaseless torment in the Infinite Castle.
...
The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the distant mountains gradually revealed their undulating outlines. Li Xia walked slowly along the narrow ridge between rice paddies.
The early morning breeze was especially cool, lifting strands of hair across his forehead. The moist air carried the unique scent of the rice fields.
Unconsciously, the tension in his heart eased considerably.
The ridge was narrow, the soil compacted by frequent footsteps, but damp with dew, making it especially slippery.
By the time he crossed the fields and reached another household, twenty minutes had passed.
The farmhouse before him was modest, with a small yard enclosed by a wooden fence, where some vegetables grew. The wooden walls supported a slanted thatched roof.
Just as he was about to knock, the wooden door slid open. A man wearing a deep blue coarse cloth work outfit stood at the entrance, carrying a hoe, and shouted loudly:
“Yumi, I’m going to the fields!”
The man turned his face, but the sky seemed darkened. He looked up in surprise, his gaze rising until it rested on Li Xia’s bloodied smile.
“Ah!!!”
...
Li Xia accepted a cup of hot water, sitting cross-legged by the hearth, and thanked them.
“I apologize for the mistake, mistaking you for a villain.”
Murata lowered his head, his eyes flickering between the bloodstains on Li Xia’s clothes and the axe, offering insincere apologies.
His wife Yumi clutched their two children, trembling behind him.
Li Xia paid no mind, glancing down at his clothes. The hall had provided him a suit—the kind the Japanese then called “Western clothes.”
After a battle with a demon, the suit bore several tears and was soaked in blood, though the trousers fared a bit better.
Wearing such attire to town would surely have consequences.
Li Xia took out a dragon coin, which could not leave this world, and pushed it across the ground. Yumi, holding her children, immediately stopped trembling and stared at the coin.
“One yen for a set of clothes and a meal.”
He then produced another coin, placing it beside the first:
“Also, I’d like to hire you as my guide to take me somewhere.”
The two dragon coins were undeniably attractive to peasants. Murata even forgot his fear, and with his wife’s hopeful gaze upon him, he asked:
“Sir, where do you want to go?”
...
“The Kumotori Mountains.”
“It’s a vast area. Do you have a specific spot in mind?”
Li Xia opened his mouth but seemed unsure where exactly to go.
“Probably a village at the foot of Kumotori Mountain?”
“Then we’ll have to find it...” Murata suddenly knelt, speaking earnestly, “Sir, I will find it for you. Please, give me more money.”
...
Watching Murata hand all the money to his wife, the two embraced and whispered.
As they spoke, Yumi began to weep, which puzzled Li Xia.
It was just finding a guide—why did it feel like stepping onto a battlefield?
Only when the hall issued a prompt did Li Xia realize that the extra dragon coins had bought Murata’s life.
[Notification: You have gained a follower (valid only in this trial).]
[Name: Ichiro Murata]
[Type: Follower]
[Status: Schistosomiasis infection (mid-stage)]
[Attributes: Standard template (weakened, all attributes -1)]
[Skills: Cultivation specialization Lv2, Basic bamboo weaving Lv3, Basic wilderness survival Lv2]
[Loyalty: 80]
[Cannot leave this world]
[Evaluation: A frail farmer, notable only for selling himself after realizing his incurable illness, leaving a final legacy for his beloved wife and children.]
[Your generosity has earned the loyalty of an insignificant commoner.]
Schistosomiasis, Li Xia mused, recalling a somewhat familiar fact—the full name of the disease was “Japanese schistosomiasis.”
“Sir, if we are to head to Kumotori Mountain, I suggest we take the water route first. Following this river will lead to Saitama in about one day.
Taking the main road takes two to three days; crossing the mountain is quicker but more dangerous.”
Murata quickly proved his worth. This was why Li Xia wanted a guide.
He had lived in the mountains as a child and knew how perilous unfamiliar mountain paths could be.
Moreover, this world had demons roaming; who knew if some might jump out along the way?
Without sufficient personal strength, hiring a local guide was undoubtedly the best choice.
At least locals had basic sensitivity to rumors and dangers.
These were exactly what Li Xia needed.
As for the dragon coins, they were looted from corpses and couldn’t leave this world—what use keeping them?
“Okay, we’ll take the water route.”
With only fifteen days total, the faster the better.
Murata agreed and led Li Xia down the winding mountain path. Houses were sparse, scattered along the gentle slopes.
When they met farmers working, the villagers would stand and wave, calling out loudly to Murata.
Soon, the two reached the riverbank. Murata greeted the boatman warmly, and after a short negotiation, cheerfully said:
“Sir, twenty qian per person, including a packed lunch.”
Li Xia had no objections; in fact, he still didn’t understand the current prices.
The small boat was like a covered skiff, with the boatman wearing a straw hat standing at the stern.
Li Xia sat at the bow, leisurely watching the scenery on both banks. The morning breeze was especially refreshing, invigorating his slightly drowsy spirit.
Murata chatted with the boatman a while longer. When he returned, he carried two wooden trays.
The food was simple: a small rice ball, a dried then steamed fish, and a small portion of fermented soybeans.
Murata ate happily, telling Li Xia, “Usually, the boat ride costs forty qian, and you have to add five more for a lunch.”
“Oh?” Li Xia paused, lowering his voice, “Did you ask why it’s so cheap?”
“I did—” Murata murmured through a mouthful of rice ball, “Boat Brother San said he just happened to be going to Saitama today, so he gave a discount.”
Because it was on the way and offered voluntarily?
Li Xia was silent for a while, then he shielded the food on his tray with his body and quietly gave everything to Murata. He then took out a rice ball Yumi had prepared at departure, broke it apart on the tray, and ate slowly.
When something seems off, it usually is. Even with a discount, adding a meal was unnecessary.
Of course, he might be overly sensitive, but he couldn’t afford the cost of a wrong guess.
Murata stared at the extra food on the tray in astonishment. “Sir, this—”
“Shh, don’t say a word! Let’s pretend nothing happened.”
Well, though he didn’t understand why, Murata was happy to eat an extra portion.
Hey! Two meals were great!
...
If it were possible, Li Xia hoped he was wrong.
But watching Murata suddenly lose all strength and collapse softly to the ground, he could only exhale deeply.
He just didn’t know whether the next meal would be “wonton” or “knife-cut noodles.”
“Don’t blame me... if I don’t do this, that monster will come to eat me...”
A trembling voice came from behind, slowly approaching.
Hmm... he guessed wrong. It was neither wonton nor knife-cut noodles.
Li Xia slowly drew the axe from his belt and turned to stand.
At that moment, the river breeze seemed to grow stronger, stirring his humble robe.
His bare upper body was covered with fierce scars left from his fight with demons.
Just gripping the axe and standing there added a fierce, valiant aura.
A day ago, he had been a lukewarm youth; in this trial, he seemed to have found his true self.
The boatman stood frozen, eyes fixed on Li Xia’s upper body.
Li Xia drew in the moist air deeply.
“So... it’s a demon after all!”