Accident×2
There was no night watch in the village, so Mo Li could only estimate the time by himself.
It was probably around the third watch of the night. The outside of the courtyard was pitch black, the dog didn’t bark, but the chickens in the coop were making a ruckus.
Mo Li realized that something was wrong. He silently left the house and swiftly moved to the courtyard entrance. As he expected, he saw the dog lying on the ground, and there was a faint scent of blood in the air.
The dog was already dead, impaled by a throwing dart.
A dark figure was crouched on the roof of the house where Mo Li was staying, fiddling with something.
When Mo Li left the house, his movements were extremely swift. The thief on the roof was engrossed in his task and hadn’t noticed the situation below. It wasn’t until he felt a gust of wind behind him that he panicked, trying to dodge quickly.
Mo Li didn’t leave any room for maneuver this time.
The figure in the black night attire had some martial arts foundation, but his luck was not on his side today. Even if he slid around like an eel, he couldn’t avoid the fiercely approaching strike.
All his retreat paths were sealed off, and he sensed the chilling momentum typical of a swordsman in this strike.
Damn it, how could there be such a master in this poor village?
Is it also to get treasure?
The thief’s heart tightened. Even though he tried to avoid the attack with a swift stomp, the shingles shattered, and he fell into the house. He intended to escape in the confusion.
Mo Li followed suit without surprise.
He had spent a night in this room, so he knew its layout better than the thief did.
Trying to escape? Not to mention the door, there wasn’t even a window to flee through!
As soon as the thief landed, he exaggeratedly thrust out his palm, intentionally flinging the bedding off the bed to obscure Mo Li’s vision, all while tilting his body slightly backward, ready to retreat with the force.
But Mo Li wouldn’t give him that chance.
The thief suddenly felt an inexplicable force pulling him forward, causing him to stumble a step. He was shocked, realizing he had encountered a martial artist with profound inner strength.
This method of simplifying complexity and using borrowed force to counter force was the hallmark of a skilled martial artist, often someone like a sect leader or an elder in the martial world.
“May I know which school you belong to? We’re all making a living in the martial world, so why be so ruthless?”
The thief lowered his voice and feigned innocence, “I’m just an insignificant person trying to make ends meet. I resorted to such a method, wanting to steal some silver to get by. Who is the distinguished guest of this household? If I’ve offended you, I’ll leave immediately!”
Mo Li completely ignored him, even refraining from a sarcastic smile.
The thief’s heart trembled, and his desire to escape intensified. However, every step he took towards the window was immediately met with a force that pushed him back inside.
Meanwhile, the loud noise caused by the collapsing roof had already woken up some villagers outside.
A piece of shingle that had partially fallen but not fully shattered landed perfectly on the table inside, knocking Mo Li’s bag onto the ground along with its contents.
Most of it was herbs, wrapped meticulously in oil paper to keep them dry.
The plump sand rat swiftly darted out from Mo Li’s embrace, diving into the fallen bedding and transforming back into a human form.
The thief had no idea how a third person suddenly appeared in the room. He only caught a glimpse of a flickering figure from the corner of his eye before someone scooped up the fallen items.
His heart raced; could this be the treasure?!
Just as Meng Qi was sighing in relief after salvaging the herbs, he reached out and tugged at the blanket draped over him, intending to pick up the last oil paper package from the floor.
Suddenly, he heard a faint “click.”
“Hidden weapon, watch out!”
Meng Qi reacted swiftly, and at the same time, Mo Li gracefully moved to the side.
They dodged and weaved, with one person blocking the door and the other blocking the window, demonstrating remarkable coordination.
A thousand streaks of silver gleamed and whizzed through the air, creating a rapid succession of impacts against the walls and furniture.
The thief abandoned the hidden weapon tube in his hand and lunged toward the only flat oil paper package that Meng Qi hadn’t picked up yet.
A flicker of realization crossed Mo Li’s mind, suddenly recalling what was inside that package.
A knife swiftly flew out from Meng Qi’s sleeve, with a delayed release that made it arrive before its presence was even felt.
The dim blade transformed into a tangible arrow of sharpness, slicing a wooden stool into two halves. The blade’s momentum remained undiminished as it advanced, aimed directly at the thief’s hand reaching for the oil paper package.
No one would willingly sacrifice their hand for an unknown item. The thief could only give up on his attempt. But he wasn’t willing to quit so easily. As he retreated, the back of his right boot struck the ground, causing a razor-sharp blade to spring forth from the boot tip. With a daring move, he managed to barely cut open the oil paper package.
A crack appeared, revealing a golden hue.
The shimmering gold slid out slowly from the oil paper package, almost resembling a “flow.”
The thief’s eyes widened, and a name sprung to his mind. He blurted out:
“Golden silk…”
Before he could finish uttering the last word, Meng Qi lunged forward and struck the back of the thief’s neck.
The man didn’t faint because Meng Qi realized something was amiss and pulled his blow just in time.
Upon closer examination, he noticed that the man was wearing a thick leather collar with protruding iron needles underneath, designed to defend against precisely such sneak attacks. Meng Qi’s expression changed, and he adapted his move to strike heavily onto the man’s right shoulder.
A loud crack followed by a pained groan resounded.
Despite the injury, the thief straightened his posture and, relying on his light footwork skills, leaped back through the roof opening.
Everything had occurred so swiftly that the village chief’s house had only just lit up with lamps.
Meng Qi’s figure expanded, and he followed, leaping out through the hole in the roof.
“Wait…”
Mo Li silently swallowed the latter half of his sentence. Someone was wearing only a blanket, without any clothes! Even if they were to pursue, shouldn’t he be the one to do so?
Mo Li stared at the wreckage inside the house, feeling perplexed.
Although they had only exchanged a few moves, the thief managed to break free from their joint encirclement. Could this just be an ordinary thief?
If one said the thief’s martial arts were exceptional, that wouldn’t be accurate.
His martial arts skills weren’t exceedingly high, but his agile body movements and swift dodges allowed him to elude attacks seemingly impossible to avoid.
Mo Li found it somewhat difficult to fight smoothly because he wasn’t familiar with the opponent’s tactics. If the thief managed to see through his moves, no matter how cunning he was, he would be trapped and unable to escape.
Amid the commotion in the courtyard, the village chief, hastily dressed, saw two dark shadows flash across the rooftop. He stumbled back in fright, almost dropping his lantern.
He pressed himself against the wall, hastening to reach the door of Mo Li’s room and knocking urgently.
“Young man, what’s happening here?”
Mo Li stored the Golden Silk Armor away, lit a candle with a matchstick, and then opened the door.
“Oh my!” The village chief’s beard trembled as he looked at the damaged roof.
“Village Chief, this…”
Mo Li was somewhat hesitant, his gaze shifting to his money pouch.
In case the thief truly had no money, what was initially just a dead guard dog in this household had now resulted in a ruined house. Although it wasn’t entirely his responsibility, for ordinary villagers, it was still a considerable loss.
He should be able to afford the compensation, and as for repairing the roof, Mo Li had experience from his time in Zhushan County.
To his surprise, the village chief slapped his thigh in regret. “Young man, I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have let you stay in this room.”
“Uh, Village Chief…”
The village chief wore a distressed expression as he spoke, “A few years ago, there was a severe drought everywhere. The village wanted to perform a ritual for rain, so a Taoist came. He said that if we placed a wooden box with talismans in it on the roof with the most abundant Yang energy, it would work. Everyone listened to him, but later, I don’t know how it got passed around. The village has been plagued by thieves, always climbing onto the roofs for no reason.”
“They thought there was a treasure in the box?”
“Exactly!” The village chief said remorsefully.
“So, the wooden box was on the roof of this house?” Mo Li inquired cautiously.
“It used to be, but my son has been away for many years without returning. This house has been empty for so long, and it still didn’t rain. We thought maybe this method had failed. When I thought about it, an empty house doesn’t have much Yang energy. So, I removed the box. Originally, I intended to place it on my eldest son’s roof, but he had two daughters. You can’t exactly say there’s abundant Yang energy there…”
The village chief kept on rambling, and Mo Li had to interrupt him to inquire about the whereabouts of the box.
“Young man, why are you asking about that?” The village chief became quite cautious.
“…Village Chief, that’s not an ordinary thief,” Mo Li said and then led the chief into the room, showing him the numerous silver needles embedded in the walls and furniture.
“This!” The village chief was suddenly alarmed.
Mo Li pressed on with his questions. “Is there really nothing else in the wooden box? Have you checked? If it only contained talismans, why would someone steal it?”
The village chief nodded affirmatively. “There really was nothing in it. If there were valuables, wouldn’t thieves have stolen them long ago?”
“What about the box?”
“It’s kept in the ancestral hall!”
Mo Li was contemplating how to find a reason to check it out.
An ancestral hall was a place where outsiders weren’t allowed.
“Husband, something’s wrong. The dog in our house is dead!”
The village chief’s elderly wife came stumbling over to say this. By this time, neither Meng Qi nor the thief’s figures could be seen in the courtyard.
The village chief quickly took a lantern and went outside to look. He then picked up the dog’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his face.
“The dart might be poisoned. We can’t bury it. It’s better to…” Mo Li couldn’t bear to continue.
Commotion also arose from other parts of the village, as a child’s cries could be heard.
Mo Li recognized the voice – it was the little kid who had almost fallen into the river while trying to catch the sand rat during the day. His cries were deafening.
Now the people who had been sleeping soundly in the village were also awakened.
“What’s wrong with Zhang Dezi’s child? Why are they causing a ruckus so late?”
“It’s not his family. It’s the village chief’s! It seems like someone bad has entered!”
The crowd started chattering, and when they saw the scene in the courtyard, they were all astonished.
Previously, only minor thieves had caused disturbances, and households hadn’t lost much. With things calming down over the past year, everyone had more or less forgotten about it. How did it suddenly become a big problem?
As they spoke, they brought up the wooden box in the ancestral hall.
The group of people rushed over to take a look.
Before Mo Li could join them, someone came back to report that the thief had been caught.
He was lying unconscious at the village entrance!
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances, grabbed torches, and headed out.
Sure enough, they saw a person in black clothing lying on the ground, face covered, with a bedsheet nearby.
“Village Chief?”
“…This, it’s my family’s bedsheet!”
The village chief was full of confusion. Wasn’t this the thief who had been climbing onto roofs?
Why would he steal a bedsheet?
He couldn’t help but look at Mo Li.
Mo Li’s body tensed up.
A warm and soft sand rat had slipped onto his shoe in the cover of darkness. To avoid being detected, it had crawled a bit higher, its paws gripping his clothing, hanging on his calf. His robe was draped over it.
“Village Chief, I remember seeing… two… thieves.”
“That’s right! There were indeed two!” The village chief suddenly realized that one was lying here, so where was the other?
“Tie him up first! We’ll question him once he wakes up and find out the truth!”
“Yes, yes, tie him up tightly, don’t let him escape!”
The villagers hurried to find ropes. Mo Li took a casual glance, realizing that the thief had been acupunctured by Meng Qi. So, he put his mind at ease and let the villagers fuss over it.
Mo Li didn’t notice that there was someone among the villagers who seemed off.
This person stood in the shadows, deliberately hiding behind others. After all, Mo Li couldn’t see behind him. Once he was sure these were all villagers, he would occasionally cast a glance.
The person’s expression changed in an instant. He quickly followed the crowd but changed direction halfway.
“Zhang Dezi, where are you going?” Someone stopped him.
“Going back home, my child is crying!” Zhang Dezi said awkwardly.
He finished speaking and hurried away, his house is just next to the village chief’s house.
As Zhang Dezi entered his home, his wife scolded him, “Told you not to gamble, but you went anyway! Not only did you sell the treasure our child dug up from the woods, you also spread rumors outside, inviting disaster to the village!”
“Shut up! It’s their family having a thief incident, what does it have to do with me?” After venting his anger, Zhang Dezi hastily closed the doors and windows. Seeing no one around, he spoke confidently, “That old man’s family indeed had something good. Guess what? They were visited by aerial thieves, the kind that comes and goes high up! And besides, didn’t you hear that phrase just now… ‘Golden Silk’? Heh! ‘Golden Silk’ must be valuable!”
Accident×2
There was no night watch in the village, so Mo Li could only estimate the time by himself.
It was probably around the third watch of the night. The outside of the courtyard was pitch black, the dog didn’t bark, but the chickens in the coop were making a ruckus.
Mo Li realized that something was wrong. He silently left the house and swiftly moved to the courtyard entrance. As he expected, he saw the dog lying on the ground, and there was a faint scent of blood in the air.
The dog was already dead, impaled by a throwing dart.
A dark figure was crouched on the roof of the house where Mo Li was staying, fiddling with something.
When Mo Li left the house, his movements were extremely swift. The thief on the roof was engrossed in his task and hadn’t noticed the situation below. It wasn’t until he felt a gust of wind behind him that he panicked, trying to dodge quickly.
Mo Li didn’t leave any room for maneuver this time.
The figure in the black night attire had some martial arts foundation, but his luck was not on his side today. Even if he slid around like an eel, he couldn’t avoid the fiercely approaching strike.
All his retreat paths were sealed off, and he sensed the chilling momentum typical of a swordsman in this strike.
Damn it, how could there be such a master in this poor village?
Is it also to get treasure?
The thief’s heart tightened. Even though he tried to avoid the attack with a swift stomp, the shingles shattered, and he fell into the house. He intended to escape in the confusion.
Mo Li followed suit without surprise.
He had spent a night in this room, so he knew its layout better than the thief did.
Trying to escape? Not to mention the door, there wasn’t even a window to flee through!
As soon as the thief landed, he exaggeratedly thrust out his palm, intentionally flinging the bedding off the bed to obscure Mo Li’s vision, all while tilting his body slightly backward, ready to retreat with the force.
But Mo Li wouldn’t give him that chance.
The thief suddenly felt an inexplicable force pulling him forward, causing him to stumble a step. He was shocked, realizing he had encountered a martial artist with profound inner strength.
This method of simplifying complexity and using borrowed force to counter force was the hallmark of a skilled martial artist, often someone like a sect leader or an elder in the martial world.
“May I know which school you belong to? We’re all making a living in the martial world, so why be so ruthless?”
The thief lowered his voice and feigned innocence, “I’m just an insignificant person trying to make ends meet. I resorted to such a method, wanting to steal some silver to get by. Who is the distinguished guest of this household? If I’ve offended you, I’ll leave immediately!”
Mo Li completely ignored him, even refraining from a sarcastic smile.
The thief’s heart trembled, and his desire to escape intensified. However, every step he took towards the window was immediately met with a force that pushed him back inside.
Meanwhile, the loud noise caused by the collapsing roof had already woken up some villagers outside.
A piece of shingle that had partially fallen but not fully shattered landed perfectly on the table inside, knocking Mo Li’s bag onto the ground along with its contents.
Most of it was herbs, wrapped meticulously in oil paper to keep them dry.
The plump sand rat swiftly darted out from Mo Li’s embrace, diving into the fallen bedding and transforming back into a human form.
The thief had no idea how a third person suddenly appeared in the room. He only caught a glimpse of a flickering figure from the corner of his eye before someone scooped up the fallen items.
His heart raced; could this be the treasure?!
Just as Meng Qi was sighing in relief after salvaging the herbs, he reached out and tugged at the blanket draped over him, intending to pick up the last oil paper package from the floor.
Suddenly, he heard a faint “click.”
“Hidden weapon, watch out!”
Meng Qi reacted swiftly, and at the same time, Mo Li gracefully moved to the side.
They dodged and weaved, with one person blocking the door and the other blocking the window, demonstrating remarkable coordination.
A thousand streaks of silver gleamed and whizzed through the air, creating a rapid succession of impacts against the walls and furniture.
The thief abandoned the hidden weapon tube in his hand and lunged toward the only flat oil paper package that Meng Qi hadn’t picked up yet.
A flicker of realization crossed Mo Li’s mind, suddenly recalling what was inside that package.
A knife swiftly flew out from Meng Qi’s sleeve, with a delayed release that made it arrive before its presence was even felt.
The dim blade transformed into a tangible arrow of sharpness, slicing a wooden stool into two halves. The blade’s momentum remained undiminished as it advanced, aimed directly at the thief’s hand reaching for the oil paper package.
No one would willingly sacrifice their hand for an unknown item. The thief could only give up on his attempt. But he wasn’t willing to quit so easily. As he retreated, the back of his right boot struck the ground, causing a razor-sharp blade to spring forth from the boot tip. With a daring move, he managed to barely cut open the oil paper package.
A crack appeared, revealing a golden hue.
The shimmering gold slid out slowly from the oil paper package, almost resembling a “flow.”
The thief’s eyes widened, and a name sprung to his mind. He blurted out:
“Golden silk…”
Before he could finish uttering the last word, Meng Qi lunged forward and struck the back of the thief’s neck.
The man didn’t faint because Meng Qi realized something was amiss and pulled his blow just in time.
Upon closer examination, he noticed that the man was wearing a thick leather collar with protruding iron needles underneath, designed to defend against precisely such sneak attacks. Meng Qi’s expression changed, and he adapted his move to strike heavily onto the man’s right shoulder.
A loud crack followed by a pained groan resounded.
Despite the injury, the thief straightened his posture and, relying on his light footwork skills, leaped back through the roof opening.
Everything had occurred so swiftly that the village chief’s house had only just lit up with lamps.
Meng Qi’s figure expanded, and he followed, leaping out through the hole in the roof.
“Wait…”
Mo Li silently swallowed the latter half of his sentence. Someone was wearing only a blanket, without any clothes! Even if they were to pursue, shouldn’t he be the one to do so?
Mo Li stared at the wreckage inside the house, feeling perplexed.
Although they had only exchanged a few moves, the thief managed to break free from their joint encirclement. Could this just be an ordinary thief?
If one said the thief’s martial arts were exceptional, that wouldn’t be accurate.
His martial arts skills weren’t exceedingly high, but his agile body movements and swift dodges allowed him to elude attacks seemingly impossible to avoid.
Mo Li found it somewhat difficult to fight smoothly because he wasn’t familiar with the opponent’s tactics. If the thief managed to see through his moves, no matter how cunning he was, he would be trapped and unable to escape.
Amid the commotion in the courtyard, the village chief, hastily dressed, saw two dark shadows flash across the rooftop. He stumbled back in fright, almost dropping his lantern.
He pressed himself against the wall, hastening to reach the door of Mo Li’s room and knocking urgently.
“Young man, what’s happening here?”
Mo Li stored the Golden Silk Armor away, lit a candle with a matchstick, and then opened the door.
“Oh my!” The village chief’s beard trembled as he looked at the damaged roof.
“Village Chief, this…”
Mo Li was somewhat hesitant, his gaze shifting to his money pouch.
In case the thief truly had no money, what was initially just a dead guard dog in this household had now resulted in a ruined house. Although it wasn’t entirely his responsibility, for ordinary villagers, it was still a considerable loss.
He should be able to afford the compensation, and as for repairing the roof, Mo Li had experience from his time in Zhushan County.
To his surprise, the village chief slapped his thigh in regret. “Young man, I’m truly sorry. I shouldn’t have let you stay in this room.”
“Uh, Village Chief…”
The village chief wore a distressed expression as he spoke, “A few years ago, there was a severe drought everywhere. The village wanted to perform a ritual for rain, so a Taoist came. He said that if we placed a wooden box with talismans in it on the roof with the most abundant Yang energy, it would work. Everyone listened to him, but later, I don’t know how it got passed around. The village has been plagued by thieves, always climbing onto the roofs for no reason.”
“They thought there was a treasure in the box?”
“Exactly!” The village chief said remorsefully.
“So, the wooden box was on the roof of this house?” Mo Li inquired cautiously.
“It used to be, but my son has been away for many years without returning. This house has been empty for so long, and it still didn’t rain. We thought maybe this method had failed. When I thought about it, an empty house doesn’t have much Yang energy. So, I removed the box. Originally, I intended to place it on my eldest son’s roof, but he had two daughters. You can’t exactly say there’s abundant Yang energy there…”
The village chief kept on rambling, and Mo Li had to interrupt him to inquire about the whereabouts of the box.
“Young man, why are you asking about that?” The village chief became quite cautious.
“…Village Chief, that’s not an ordinary thief,” Mo Li said and then led the chief into the room, showing him the numerous silver needles embedded in the walls and furniture.
“This!” The village chief was suddenly alarmed.
Mo Li pressed on with his questions. “Is there really nothing else in the wooden box? Have you checked? If it only contained talismans, why would someone steal it?”
The village chief nodded affirmatively. “There really was nothing in it. If there were valuables, wouldn’t thieves have stolen them long ago?”
“What about the box?”
“It’s kept in the ancestral hall!”
Mo Li was contemplating how to find a reason to check it out.
An ancestral hall was a place where outsiders weren’t allowed.
“Husband, something’s wrong. The dog in our house is dead!”
The village chief’s elderly wife came stumbling over to say this. By this time, neither Meng Qi nor the thief’s figures could be seen in the courtyard.
The village chief quickly took a lantern and went outside to look. He then picked up the dog’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his face.
“The dart might be poisoned. We can’t bury it. It’s better to…” Mo Li couldn’t bear to continue.
Commotion also arose from other parts of the village, as a child’s cries could be heard.
Mo Li recognized the voice – it was the little kid who had almost fallen into the river while trying to catch the sand rat during the day. His cries were deafening.
Now the people who had been sleeping soundly in the village were also awakened.
“What’s wrong with Zhang Dezi’s child? Why are they causing a ruckus so late?”
“It’s not his family. It’s the village chief’s! It seems like someone bad has entered!”
The crowd started chattering, and when they saw the scene in the courtyard, they were all astonished.
Previously, only minor thieves had caused disturbances, and households hadn’t lost much. With things calming down over the past year, everyone had more or less forgotten about it. How did it suddenly become a big problem?
As they spoke, they brought up the wooden box in the ancestral hall.
The group of people rushed over to take a look.
Before Mo Li could join them, someone came back to report that the thief had been caught.
He was lying unconscious at the village entrance!
The crowd exchanged puzzled glances, grabbed torches, and headed out.
Sure enough, they saw a person in black clothing lying on the ground, face covered, with a bedsheet nearby.
“Village Chief?”
“…This, it’s my family’s bedsheet!”
The village chief was full of confusion. Wasn’t this the thief who had been climbing onto roofs?
Why would he steal a bedsheet?
He couldn’t help but look at Mo Li.
Mo Li’s body tensed up.
A warm and soft sand rat had slipped onto his shoe in the cover of darkness. To avoid being detected, it had crawled a bit higher, its paws gripping his clothing, hanging on his calf. His robe was draped over it.
“Village Chief, I remember seeing… two… thieves.”
“That’s right! There were indeed two!” The village chief suddenly realized that one was lying here, so where was the other?
“Tie him up first! We’ll question him once he wakes up and find out the truth!”
“Yes, yes, tie him up tightly, don’t let him escape!”
The villagers hurried to find ropes. Mo Li took a casual glance, realizing that the thief had been acupunctured by Meng Qi. So, he put his mind at ease and let the villagers fuss over it.
Mo Li didn’t notice that there was someone among the villagers who seemed off.
This person stood in the shadows, deliberately hiding behind others. After all, Mo Li couldn’t see behind him. Once he was sure these were all villagers, he would occasionally cast a glance.
The person’s expression changed in an instant. He quickly followed the crowd but changed direction halfway.
“Zhang Dezi, where are you going?” Someone stopped him.
“Going back home, my child is crying!” Zhang Dezi said awkwardly.
He finished speaking and hurried away, his house is just next to the village chief’s house.
As Zhang Dezi entered his home, his wife scolded him, “Told you not to gamble, but you went anyway! Not only did you sell the treasure our child dug up from the woods, you also spread rumors outside, inviting disaster to the village!”
“Shut up! It’s their family having a thief incident, what does it have to do with me?” After venting his anger, Zhang Dezi hastily closed the doors and windows. Seeing no one around, he spoke confidently, “That old man’s family indeed had something good. Guess what? They were visited by aerial thieves, the kind that comes and goes high up! And besides, didn’t you hear that phrase just now… ‘Golden Silk’? Heh! ‘Golden Silk’ must be valuable!”
