Chapter Two: The Old Woman

The middle-aged man and the young attendant clearly deferred to the young scholar. When Cui Xiu greeted them with courtesy, both looked to the scholar for a response.

The scholar, who seemed somewhat aloof at first, was visibly surprised upon hearing Cui Xiu mention "Anyuan County."

He returned the greeting, saying, "So we are from the same hometown. My name is Wu Yu, styled Zixing, also from Anyuan County. This is my attendant and that is my guard. Brother Cui, are you also returning to Anyuan?"

"Ah, it is Brother Wu! I have long heard of your reputation as a prodigy," Cui Xiu replied.

Hearing the scholar introduce himself, Cui Xiu finally realized why he had found the young man familiar. Back in the prefectural city, he had heard of this name and even glimpsed him from afar.

Moreover, this Wu Yu was indeed quite well-known in Anyuan County; even the original owner of Cui Xiu’s body had some memory of him. Wu Yu was only sixteen but had already made the list in the recent provincial examination.

"To be honest, Brother Wu, I too am returning home after the exam results were posted. But unlike you, my name did not appear on the list. I am rather ashamed," Cui Xiu admitted.

Wu Yu’s lips curved with a faint smile, which he quickly suppressed. Shaking his head, he responded, "Brother Cui, you jest. It was merely a stroke of luck."

It was unclear whether he meant that he himself had been fortunate or that Cui Xiu had been unlucky.

"There's a village not far ahead where I intend to rest for the night. Would you care to join me, Brother Cui?"

Realizing this was a polite offer, Cui Xiu smiled and declined.

Wu Yu did not insist. He nodded, then turned to the old woman and said, "Thank you, madam, for showing us the way. We shall take our leave."

"Ah, Master Wu, though my humble home is small, it could provide shelter for the night. The road is not safe at this late hour. If you do not mind the modest conditions..." the old woman sighed.

"Madam, you are too kind. We have a carriage and horses, and it would be inconvenient for us to trouble you," Wu Yu said with a gentle smile, politely cutting her off.

The old woman said no more.

"Brother Cui, we will take our leave," Wu Yu said.

Cui Xiu smiled and bowed again.

The three of them boarded the carriage. The middle-aged man glanced at the old woman, then at Cui Xiu, and shook his head slightly.

"Young Master," the attendant whispered, "Uncle Wu said there was something odd about that old woman. And since Young Master Cui is also from Anyuan County, should we..."

Sitting quietly in the carriage, Wu Yu closed his eyes to rest and replied softly, "He is but a failed examinee. We invited him once. If he does not wish to join us, what else can we do?"

"But, young master, we just picked up a child by the roadside before meeting the old woman. Young Master Cui seems to have done the same. Do you think this could be something from one of those ghost stories..."

"Confucius said, 'The wise do not speak of strange phenomena, violence, or spirits!'" Wu Yu’s eyes snapped open as he glared at his attendant, who dared not say another word.

...

"Madam, I found Xiaocao by the roadside. She seemed lost, so I brought her back to you. I am relieved to return her safely," Cui Xiu said as the carriage receded into the distance. He turned his attention back to Xiaocao and the old woman.

Xiaocao was likely the old woman’s granddaughter. As for the other child hiding behind her, Cui Xiu couldn’t see clearly—perhaps another grandchild.

"You are too kind, young master. Truly, it is I who should thank you," the old woman replied with a smile. Her wrinkled face appeared deathly pale in the moonlight.

Cui Xiu smiled faintly.

"I hear you are returning to your hometown. It grows late; would you not stay the night? Consider it my family’s thanks for helping Xiaocao," the old woman offered.

Cui Xiu hesitated. The strange demeanor of Wu Yu’s party had already left him uneasy, and he was not keen on staying.

"It would be best not to trouble you," he said after some thought. Unwilling to travel with Wu Yu but recognizing the safety in numbers, he intended to follow discreetly behind.

The old woman looked as if she wished to say more but stopped herself.

Cui Xiu bid farewell to Xiaocao and was about to leave when a cold little hand suddenly grabbed his left hand.

Startled, he turned to see Xiaocao’s clear, innocent eyes.

"Big brother, don’t go," she pleaded softly, her voice barely more than a whisper, as if she did not want him to leave.

Cui Xiu paused, unsure how to respond. Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation. Was it an illusion? Xiaocao’s cold little hand seemed to transmit a faint, cool energy, and at the corner of his eye, a wisp of gray mist twisted lightly.

He looked down at the girl’s earnest, almost fixed expression. An inexplicable trust rose within him, along with a peculiar compulsion to stay.

For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a hint of surprise on the old woman’s face, but it was gone in an instant.

Soon, he followed the old woman into the little courtyard, leaving the old horse outside, snorting and pawing uneasily at the dry leaves.

"We have little to offer, just some coarse biscuits and tea. I hope you won’t mind," the old woman said.

"Not at all," Cui Xiu replied with a distracted smile.

He ate a little without realizing it, then, at the old woman’s arrangement, retired to a small room next door, lying down fully clothed.

...

In the latter half of the night, the moonlight was cold as water, filtering through the woods and shining on the withered leaves.

Suddenly, Cui Xiu woke with a start, sweat visible on his forehead.

"How did I end up sleeping here?!"

He looked around. All he saw were rotting leaves and several mounds of earth.

Terrified, he instinctively grabbed the sword at his side and scrambled to his feet.

He scanned his surroundings anxiously. Apart from the chirring of insects, there was only silence.

"What is this...?" he muttered, memories of Wu Yu, Xiaocao, and the old woman coming back to him.

Had he encountered a ghost?

Cui Xiu’s face turned pale. Last night, he had meant to leave, but somehow ended up staying—and fallen asleep.

The old horse’s nervous snorting jolted him back to his senses. Though still confused, unease urged him not to linger. He hurried to the horse, mounted, and spurred it on.

"Go!"

He slapped the horse with his sheathed sword and rode off in haste.

"Do not linger... do not linger..."

A faint, aged voice, almost unreal, echoed in the air.

Hearing that ghostly warning, Cui Xiu dared not hesitate for a moment.

He did not notice that, in the mist behind him, a pair of haunting eyes watched him until his figure vanished from view.

...

Cui Xiu did not know how long he rode before he calmed down, breathing heavily and realizing he had likely encountered a ghost.

So there really were demons and spirits in this world?

Once composed, he felt a chill of terror. He had not been in this world long, and the original owner’s memory contained nothing of such things. He’d fallen into a trap without realizing it.

But he did not doubt his experience. Since even transmigration was possible, why not monsters and spirits?

No wonder Wu Yu’s party had acted so strangely yesterday. They must have known something.

Thinking this, Cui Xiu couldn’t help shaking his head. He did not blame Wu Yu—they had invited him, after all. It was his own ignorance that led him into trouble.

"Hmm? What’s this?"

As he gathered his thoughts, wiping away cold sweat, he suddenly noticed several lines of distorted, gray mist forming small words at the edge of his vision.

They read:

Cui Xiu—

Martial Arts: Basic Swordsmanship, Thirteen Forms (Uninitiated, 8%), Ninth Set of People's Broadcast Calisthenics (Beginner, 0.8%)
Source Energy: 2