Strangers at Night (I)

The girl blushed and mumbled, "How…how dangerous can it be!"

Shangguan Wan could easily please others with her sweet remarks, but she could also be sassy. "Hmph! If you truly think so, why don't you go outside? Grab some firewood from the pile near the door! It is not very far away."

The young lady spoke no more. She was too scared to go there.

Noticing their conflict, Wan Xiu'er tried to ease the tension. "Make compromises, okay? We are all frightened today, and everyone is starving. I will go fetch some wood."

The noble ladies had kept adding wood into the fire, even when it was unnecessary. The fuel in the room was now almost gone just a quarter of an hour after Jiang Pengji had left. The fire would soon go out if no one got more wood.

A heavy piece of wood barred the door. With the help of another girl, Wan Xiu'er moved the bolt away, pushed the door open with both hands, and closed it, leaving it unlocked for her return.

The biting wind outside was a stark contrast from the warmth indoors. She shivered for a while in her thin spring dress.

Repressing the fear in her heart, she found some logs in the darkness and picked up some heavy ones.

The moment she stood up with the wood in her arms, however, she spotted a few blurry shadows hovering by entrance of the village.

She froze from the bottom of her feet to the top of her head, and she probably would have fainted had she not seen so many horrifying scenes that day.

Still, she could not move her legs. In panic, she bit the tip of her tongue, and the pain slightly released her from the nervousness and fright. She held the firewood tightly to avoid making any noise that would attract the ghosts' attention.

When she re-entered the room, the noble girls noticed her pale face and her chattering teeth. She hurriedly gave the wood to the nearest person, and before that lady could ask why, she shut the door with all her strength.

"Quickly… quickly bolt the door! I saw spirits out there!" She almost broke into tears.

The exhausted girls hastily acted, and together they placed the hefty wood behind the door.

"Spirits? So what Liu Lanting said is true…" Their hearts pounded as they remembered her mischief before she left.

"What she said about the bandits... is that not true? And she killed them, did she not? Those must be their phantoms!"

"Should we put out the fire? It is too bright!"

"Aren't ghosts afraid of light? What if the fire could stop them from transcending through the walls?"

They now all wished Jiang Pengji were there, despite their dissatisfaction with the way she had treated them earlier.

Then their nightmares came true. The shadows approached and could be seen through the paper window panes. They knew they must keep quiet, and the wimps bit their hands to hide their screams.

In fact, on the other side of the door, the people they thought were phantoms were in a greater predicament than they were.

"We are lucky to find a village in this remote area. Before seeking a physician, let us take your Fourth Langjun there so he can take a rest." In that era, "langjun" was a common address that showed respect toward men who had high social statuses, and it was also used among friends and family members.

These people appeared disheveled; the ornaments for their tied-up hair were in a disarray. Blood was on the blades they carried, and some of the men were injured.

Small villages like this likely didn't have physicians. Even if they did, they probably would not be as skillful as they desired. Yet the team must try their luck in their current plight. They had been lost in the forest for two days, and a group was chasing after them. What was worse, their Fourth Langjun had caught a serious cold and had fainted due to high fever.

But when they reached the entrance, they sensed something unusual.

"Check if this place is safe. We will stay here in the meantime."

Among the various houses, there was only one with light, and it was uncommonly bright. The surroundings were also too quiet. There wasn't even the sound of chickens or dogs. At that time, it was very common for villagers to keep dogs for hunting, and there was no way the animals would not bark when strangers approached.

The teenager who gave the orders analyzed these observations speedily. Before long, the two guards returned with unexpected, appalling information.

"Feng Langjun, this seemed to have been a place for bandits, but all of them were killed less than two hours ago. Their lives were taken by someone very powerful in a neat and precise manner."

The young man tightened his lips and looked at Fourth Langjun. He asked, "Is there anyone inside the main house?"

"There are quite a lot of people... Is it another gang?"

Licking his pale, cracked lips, Feng Langjun decided without hesitation. "Knock on the door, but do not alarm them." The guard complied immediately.

When the noble ladies heard the knocks in the middle of the night, they readied themselves by the door, prepared to confront any forces that attempted to open it. Raising their fists, they cried for Jiang Pengji in their minds.

When the guard received no response, he turned to Feng Langjun and knocked again when Langjun gestured for him to do so.

This time, a strange voice answered. It was a coarse female voice.

"Who is that? A spirit?" Wei Jingxian said in an unnatural voice, struggling to compose herself as she imitated the way Jiang Pengji tricked the bandits.

As soon as she spoke, the group outside identified her disguise. They had seen much in the world and concluded that the speaker was likely harmless.

"We are living people, for sure, and we beg your pardon for our intrusion." Feng Langjun slowly released his furrowed brows. "We are a team of merchants that have accidentally entered the forest and lost our bearings. Worse, our master hurt himself and is now suffering a high temperature. Could you please allow us to settle here?"

Men? The ladies looked at one another and then shook their heads at Wei Jingxian. They must not let them in!

She replied, "My husband has left to hunt, and only my friends and I are in the house. It is already late at night, and we must keep our proper distance from male visitors. My husband will return soon. To avoid misunderstanding, please seek shelter somewhere else. We would appreciate it very much."

Feng Langjun raised his brow and again tightened his lips. Light flickered in his eyes as he pondered.

On the other side, Shangguan Wan asked Wei Jingxian, "Do you think you can scare them away?"

"If they are really merchants, they must have seen a lot during their business travels to different places. I said Lanting is coming back, and if they have noticed the corpses and know how powerful she is, they will leave. Or at least they will not open the door by force."

Shangguan Wan was stunned. The other girls seemed to have guessed her plan and confirmed that their conjecture was right.

Puzzled, Wei Jingxian looked at Shangguan Wan. "What is the matter?"