Chapter Five: Entering the City

The situation did not develop in the worst possible direction. When Liu Chen decided to leave, Zhao Qian, seeing that his attempts to persuade him were futile, let him go with a sigh.

"You seem a bit reluctant to part with him, don’t you?"

Seeing the look of regret on Zhao Qian’s face, Li Cui, standing nearby, chuckled as he asked.

"Of course I’m reluctant! Didn’t you notice? While being around Brother Liu, you never once hear the sound of his breathing. Such martial prowess is already considered innate among martial artists. With a little cultivation, he could become a valiant warrior able to sweep across the Nine Provinces. In my entire life, I doubt I’ll meet another like him. What a shame that the timing’s wrong!"

At Li Cui’s question, Zhao Qian spoke as he walked on, his regret written all over his face.

"From what I see, even without all this, Liu Chen would eventually go his own way. Don’t be fooled by his gentle manner; he has his own mind. He’s not one of those rough men who’ll risk their lives just because we toss a few words their way."

After listening to Zhao Qian, Li Cui thought for a moment, then shook his head and replied.

"You rascal, when have I ever taken you lot for fools? Still, you’re right—someone like him is not someone a mere sergeant like me could ever recruit. Never mind, let’s not dwell on it. I’d best inform the governor, so he can make arrangements."

He glared fiercely at Li Cui, but the old fox was not so easily cowed by a mere look. Seeing this, Zhao Qian could only smile helplessly and comfort himself.

Meanwhile, Liu Chen, having left the military camp, followed the ruts left by the wagons of wealthy merchants, heading south. He waited in a grove far from the camp, keeping a lookout for their return.

After about an hour, a noisy group approached—it was the people who had delivered gifts to the governor and were now on their way back. However, after a quick glance over them, Liu Chen frowned.

Their large wagons seemed to have been left behind at the camp, leaving only a single carriage. The dozens of laborers were now bunched together, all armed with blades and spears, encircling the carriage. It was clear they’d been warned and were on high alert.

Seeing this, Liu Chen felt a headache coming on. Though he was now in a zombie’s body and had little fear of ordinary blades, he was no iron man. If surrounded and hacked to pieces, he’d be no use to himself at all.

"People guard against thieves the day after a theft, but I’ve never heard of guarding before the crime. I don’t believe you rich bumpkins can keep up this level of vigilance every day!"

Grinding his teeth, Liu Chen could only give up for now, watching as the group slowly led the carriage away.

He followed them at a distance, finally stopping when they reached the city. He watched the carriage pass through the gate, then circled the city walls, sketching a rough map of the city in his mind. At last, at a deserted corner of the northern wall, he found a spot with no one around.

It was only a small city. Though prosperous enough that the walls were well maintained, they were not very high—barely the height of a two-story rural house in the twenty-first century, maybe even lower.

For most people, this would be an insurmountable barrier. Even seasoned thieves would find it a challenge. But for Liu Chen in his current state, it was nothing.

With a powerful leap, he reached halfway up the wall, then used his hands to vault over it with ease.

Getting down was even simpler—he just jumped. In this zombie’s body, there was no need to fear any backlash.

However, once he landed and glanced around, Liu Chen couldn’t help but frown deeply.

In this world, the south is always considered yang and the north yin, so the northern part of the city was always the poorer quarter, inhabited mainly by the destitute. There was no municipal management in this era, and the poor had neither the means nor the energy to care about their environment, so the north side of the city was in a truly wretched state.

Even though Liu Chen’s senses were greatly dulled by his transformation, the sight before him still made him uncomfortable.

“What a place for a human to live,” he muttered bitterly, hastening his steps southward to see if he could gather any information.

But just as he was about to leave the north quarter, he sensed something amiss and turned for a quick look. He spotted a ragged man with a timid demeanor, nervously sizing him up. The moment the man saw Liu Chen’s face, his eyes went wide with terror, and he turned to flee without a second thought.

For reasons unknown, Liu Chen clearly sensed the man’s helpless fear upon recognizing him. Though he didn’t understand why, he was certain the man knew something.

Silently, Liu Chen stopped heading south and turned to follow the man from afar. Although he was unfamiliar with the streets and occasionally lost sight of his quarry, his tireless zombie body allowed him to quickly catch up each time. After a few rounds of this, the man finally broke down under the weight of fear and exhaustion.

“Don’t come any closer!” the man cried, trembling uncontrollably as Liu Chen approached step by step. Whether it was simple terror or a futile hope that someone might come to his aid, his desperation was plain.

Some passersby glanced over, but upon seeing Liu Chen’s tall, imposing figure and cold expression, they quickly looked away and kept their distance.

“I didn’t mean to kill anyone! I swear it wasn’t on purpose! I just wanted some money to get medicine for my mother! I wasn’t trying to kill you, really! I was shooting into the air!”

As Liu Chen drew nearer, the man babbled incoherently in a heavy accent, as if trying to justify himself. Though Liu Chen couldn’t catch every word, he gathered enough to be certain that this man had taken part in the massacre in the valley.

“You say you didn’t kill me? Then why do I remember only you?”

Liu Chen deliberately lowered his voice, trying to sound menacing and coax more details from the man—such as who had orchestrated the massacre.

If he could learn the ringleaders’ addresses and households, all the better.

But Liu Chen’s hopes were too high, far beyond reality. After his attempt at intimidation, the man was scared witless, repeating over and over, “I didn’t kill you!” He could say nothing useful.

Seeing this, Liu Chen muttered a curse at his luck. He’d finally found a clue in this unfamiliar place, only to have it break off before his eyes.

He turned to leave, but hadn’t gone far before the man collapsed in a faint.

With a wry smile, Liu Chen had no choice but to prop him up in a sheltered corner. In this cold autumn night, if left alone, the man might not survive till dawn.

He gathered a few handfuls of dry grass and covered him as best he could for warmth.

“Whatever fate has in store for you. If you die, there’s nothing more I can do,” Liu Chen muttered, feeling that though he’d done little, it was the best he could manage. Then he prepared to leave and resume his own business.

“A corpse-demon with a conscience—how rare!”

Just then, a soft chuckle sounded. A figure in plain robes and straw sandals, a sword slung across his back, stepped out from the shadows.

The newcomer had a refined, handsome face and an aura that was subtle yet powerful. The long sword on his back radiated a sense of danger that Liu Chen could not ignore.

“So this is what they call a sword-immortal? Has he come to slay me as some sort of monster?” Liu Chen thought, a sense of foreboding rising as he realized his current identity.

“Why so tense?” the man asked, breaking the long silence as he took in Liu Chen’s wary posture.

“I thought you were here to slay monsters and demons,” Liu Chen replied, relaxing a little when it seemed the man had no intention of attacking, and trying to lighten the mood with a joke.

“Slay monsters and demons? What kind of demon are you that I should bother? You’re just a corpse-guardian. As long as you don’t slaughter innocents in front of me, I have no time to care about you,” the man scoffed, as if Liu Chen’s words were the height of absurdity.

“In that case, I’ll take my leave,” Liu Chen said, breathing a sigh of relief as he turned to go.

“Wait a moment. I overheard you questioning that man about the ambush. What do you know?” the man called out as Liu Chen was about to leave.

“How do you know about the ambush?” Liu Chen paused, confused.

“I’ve been investigating all over this city for three days now—of course I know. But there are still things I haven’t uncovered. I hope you’ll tell me everything you know. If your information supports my suspicions, I will reward you handsomely,” the man replied calmly, his eyes steady.

“Why are you investigating the ambush?” Liu Chen asked. A Taoist uninterested in slaying demons, but keen on a human murder—he truly couldn’t fathom it. Did Taoists in this world also do detective work?

“The ones ambushed included my only blood brother. Such a deep grudge cannot go unavenged. I have searched in all directions and will make sure every participant pays with blood. But I left home young and have no friends or family in this city, so my information is incomplete. If you know anything, please tell me,” the Taoist said, his tone free of menace, yet his words were filled with murderous intent.

To this sword-wielding Taoist, killing seemed as ordinary as eating a meal—a necessary part of settling a vendetta. The difference chilled Liu Chen to the bone.