Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 69 Pigsnout Town

Because Wen County was truly at peace, and there was no war in the surrounding areas, Yueya decided to make a trip to Pigsnout Town. She had unintentionally obtained a thousand silver dollars from Master Gu, spent some on rent and living expenses, and had several hundred left. She had put them in an earthenware jar and buried it underground, considering it a family treasure, something she wouldn't retrieve unless absolutely necessary. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the three of them left Pigsnout Town and never returned. She thought that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the jar should still be underground.

Several hundred silver dollars is a considerable sum anywhere, and Pigsnout Town isn't remote; it's not far even on foot. Lord Gu was tired of living in Wen County, and when he heard that Crescent Moon and Wuxin were going to Pigsnout Town, he readily agreed and personally led a squad of soldiers to act as their bodyguards.

Lord Gu retraced his escape route from the previous year, a sense of smug satisfaction filling him. Riding his tall horse with self-satisfaction, he pointed along the way, saying, "See that intersection ahead? If I had turned there, I wouldn't have reached Pigsnout Town, and I wouldn't be seeing you all!"

Wuxin and Yueya rode together on a horse. Upon hearing this, Wuxin said, "Fate brings us together even from a thousand miles away."

Lord Gu nodded: "That's right, we are somewhat destined to meet. We've met again and again by chance."

Yueya nestled against Wuxin's chest, watching the wildflowers sway in the breeze. Under the azure sky, a golden bee brushed past her nose. Gently placing her hand on the back of Wuxin's hand holding the reins, she smiled and said, "That's good. Don't be distant between you two from now on."

Lord Gu immediately laughed: "Don't worry, I won't fight him." Then he glanced at Wuxin and continued: "Even if we do fight, it's fine. He can't beat me, and I can't kill him."

The horse was moving slowly, and growing impatient, the rider took it upon himself to leap off, startling both Yueya and Lord Gu. Lord Gu was about to unleash a torrent of abuse when Yueya, like a fierce little shrew, barked out first, "What are you doing?"

Wuxin looked up at the crescent moon and smiled, "I'll lead your horse."

He didn't mean to lead Yueya's horse, but he actually let go of her hand after a while. He squatted down by the roadside and picked a large bunch of forsythia flowers, then walked back to Yueya and tucked them into the horse's bridle. Yueya kept following his figure, looking at him as if she couldn't get enough. He walked forward, holding the reins, and as if sensing her gaze, he suddenly turned back and smiled.

The bright spring sunshine shone on his face, and his smile revealed a set of beautiful, white teeth, giving him an innocent and captivating look. Crescent Moon smiled along, her gaze lingering on him, etching him deeply into her heart. She thought, "How wonderful he is!"

Wuxin turned his face away contentedly, reaching out to pull on Lord Gu's reins again. Lord Gu immediately waved his hand: "Go away, I don't need you to lead my horse!"

Crescent Moon bent down and slapped him: "Can't you come up here and rest your dog legs? You're the laziest person at home, but you're so diligent outside! Look at all these flowers you picked, how many bees have they attracted? You'd better come up here right now, or if Lord Gu and I leave, no one will take care of you!"

Wuxin obediently mounted the horse, feeling that neither Crescent Moon nor Lord Gu had much of a romantic interest.

The group arrived at Pigsnout Town. The house they had previously rented was still locked, indicating that no new tenants had moved in. Crescent Moon dug along the back wall of the house and unearthed a broken earthenware jar from the depths. The jar was heavy, and inside were silver dollars.

Although Yueya had buried the ocean herself, digging it up six months later felt like a miraculous recovery, and she was extremely grateful. The three of them went to a restaurant in the town center for a late lunch, intending to return to Wen County after a satisfying meal. However, before the dishes were finished, the sky outside became overcast. Lord Gu walked to the window of the private room and looked out: "Oh dear, is it going to rain?"

Wuxin and Yueya were also unsure, and just as the three of them were about to look at the sky to talk, rain began to fall.

Lord Gu had no urgent business upon returning to the county, so he simply settled down, leisurely eating and drinking while waiting for the rain to stop. However, the spring rain continued for a long time, and the sky grew darker and darker.

Crescent Moon, having sat for a long time and feeling quite full, decided to get up and move around. The restaurant was a large establishment with two floors. She lifted the curtain and left a private room on the second floor, walking along the greasy corridor towards the stairs. As she walked, she suddenly stopped, her eyes fixed on the floor.

She raised her hand to cover her chest, opened her mouth, and then let out a loud burp. The burp was quite loud; while Crescent Moon wasn't exactly a refined lady, she couldn't compare to Master Gu's boisterousness. After shutting up, her face flushed. She glanced left and right, noticing that there weren't many guests upstairs today, and the private rooms were quiet. Presumably, no one had heard her burp, so she quickened her pace, feeling guilty, and hurried away.

At the same time, the curtain of the private room behind her suddenly moved, and a pair of pale little hands, about to be extended, silently paused in mid-air.

When Yueya arrived downstairs, she saw Lord Gu's soldiers gathered around a large round table, happily eating and drinking. These young men in their early twenties had bottomless stomachs, and with their superior paying the bill, they wolfed down their food, constantly urging the waiters to add more dishes. Yueya walked to the door and looked outside. The street was damp, and the air, washed clean by the light rain, seemed even more transparent.

Behind the counter by the entrance sat a young proprietress, a very clever young woman. Seeing Yueya standing and gazing at the sky, she warmly struck up a conversation with her, pushing a plate of salt and pepper peanuts from the counter towards her, inviting her to eat and chat. Yueya rarely encountered a female companion of her own age, and knowing that Lord Gu must be upstairs discussing his important military and political affairs, she was quite bored, so she stayed behind the counter chatting with the proprietress for a long time. Later, when she felt it was about time, she said goodbye to the proprietress and prepared to go upstairs to her private room.

The salt and pepper peanuts were stir-fried by the landlady herself, with a few small red chilies added. Crescent Moon chewed as she went upstairs, but as she chewed, she felt a burning sensation in her throat, as if she'd been choked by dried chili peels. She reached the wall for support, coughing all the way up. By the time she reached the second-floor corridor, her face was flushed, and tears and snot were streaming down her face. She stopped and cleared her throat for a long time until the burning discomfort subsided before continuing. But then, she suddenly stopped again.

The corridor was long and narrow, with only two tables of guests at the far end, from which came the occasional sounds of laughter and conversation. Crescent Moon shivered inexplicably, one hand still gripping the wall, the other fumbling in her pocket. As if a chilling breeze brushed against the back of her neck, the greasy curtain of the private room moved silently, and a pale little hand slowly emerged. In the dim light, the hand, still childish, had congealed bright red scabs on the back, and its bare nails were tattered and dirty.

At this moment, Crescent Moon pulled her hand out of her pocket, revealing a worn-out handkerchief as thin as a cicada's wing.

She covered her nose with the handkerchief, and just as her little hand was about to touch her hair bun, she suddenly lowered her head and blew her nose with a loud thud. Then she threw the handkerchief behind her, and it hit her little hand.

The little hand was startled and immediately stopped halfway. Crescent Moon raised her head and continued walking, muttering to herself, "Oh my god, this feels so uncomfortable."

Just as Yueya returned to her private room, she heard a commotion downstairs outside the window. A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and a fat man squeezed into the room—it was the town mayor. The mayor and Lord Gu had a somewhat roundabout family relationship, but their acquaintance was very shallow, almost nonexistent. However, Lord Gu's resurgence, not only by ingratiating himself with the old marshal but also by seizing control of Wen County, led the mayor to reconsider his plans and decide to have another chat with Lord Gu. Upon hearing that Lord Gu had arrived in Pigsnout Town, the mayor rushed over, fearing that his delay might cause him to let a good relative slip away.

Now that they had trapped Lord Gu in the private room, the town mayor, in his cheerful conversation, was determined not to let him leave easily. He even brought up the matter of kinship and seniority, constantly referring to him as "your sister-in-law" and "your nephew." Lord Gu listened with a smile, his attitude neither warm nor cold. Finally, he accepted the mayor's invitation and decided to stay overnight at the mayor's residence, as the incessant rain would make the roads extremely muddy. Walking dozens of miles was already quite an ordeal.

The town mayor, the town's richest man, owned a large, chaotically laid-out mansion where he housed his wives, concubines, and numerous children. Lord Gu entered the living room and chatted with the mayor. Seeing his concern for Wuxin and Yueya, the mayor offered them a fine room to rest in.

The room was probably a concubine's bedroom; it was decorated in bright colors and had a lively atmosphere, with a faint scent of perfume. Crescent Moon sat down, holding a cup of hot tea, feeling a little awkward: "So, I'll be staying here tonight?"

Wuxin replied, "Who cares? I'll let you stay. It'll save you from cooking a few meals and give you a day off."

Crescent Moon looked at him with a smile, he was so pleasing to the eye, she wished she could bite him.

As night fell, Wuxin and Yueya went to bed early, snuggling in their warm blankets and chattering away. Meanwhile, Lord Gu and the town mayor sat in the front hall, drinking and feasting. Lord Gu, in high spirits, chuckled and made many empty promises; the mayor, unfamiliar with him and not knowing his character well, couldn't discern the truth in his words. After a chaotic commotion, the mayor left to urinate, and his concubine took her place, her sweet voice demanding to play a drinking game with Lord Gu.

The concubine was quite beautiful, and Lord Gu was also handsome and distinguished. The two exchanged glances and flirted, and before they knew it, quite some time had passed. Finally, Lord Gu was the first to realize what was happening: "Why hasn't my elder brother returned yet?"

The concubine reluctantly sent her servant to find the town mayor. After a while, the servant returned, saying, "Master fell in the courtyard and hurt his leg. He was just helped back to your room."

The concubine immediately slammed her hand on the table: "Honestly, my brother is still sitting here! How could he just leave like that without even saying a word?"

The mayor was always an amiable person, and he was even more amiable towards his concubine. The servant knew that the concubine was much more powerful than the mayor, so he dared not say anything and just smiled obsequiously.

The mayor left, but the concubine, in high spirits, wanted to continue drinking and playing drinking games with Lord Gu. Lord Gu, however, thought that while the concubine had pretty features, she wasn't particularly stunning; she was someone he could pursue, but not someone he should. Besides, according to kinship, the mayor was, after all, his elder brother, and he shouldn't be entangled in such a trivial matter with his elder brother's concubine. With a few forced words and an excuse that he was drunk, he also left the table.

The concubine was thoroughly disappointed and stormed back to her room. There, she saw the bed curtains hanging low, revealing a thick leg dangling beneath them. She slammed the door shut and sat down at her dressing table, removing her makeup as she complained, "You're such a big town mayor, and you have absolutely no manners! If I hadn't sent someone to look for you, Commander Gu would have had to keep waiting! You fell and hurt your leg, not your mouth, and you couldn't even muster the strength to send a maid to inform him?"

The concubine tossed a hair clip onto the dressing table, pouted at the large round mirror in front of her, and was about to continue complaining. But just as she was about to speak, she suddenly paused.

Through the large round mirror, she saw her bed curtains sway slightly; and her chubby husband, the town mayor, silently peeked out from behind the curtains with one eye out of sight.

(End of this chapter)