Chapter 4
The narrow ridges between the fields were slick with morning dew. Twenty minutes of careful walking brought Li Xia to another farmhouse.
It was modest: a small vegetable garden within a wooden fence, and a simple structure with a thatched, sloping roof.
Just as he raised his hand to knock, the wooden door slid open. A man in dark blue work clothes stepped out, a hoe on his shoulder, and called back inside, "Yumi, I'm off to the fields!"
He turned and found the light blocked. Looking up in surprise, his gaze traveled upward and settled on Li Xia's face—and the blood still smeared across it.
"Waaah!!"
---
A short while later, Li Xia sat cross-legged by the hearth, a cup of hot water in his hands. "Thank you for your hospitality."
"My deepest apologies for mistaking you for a bandit," Murata stammered, his eyes darting between the bloodstains on Li Xia's torn suit and the axe at his side. His wife, Yumi, huddled behind him with their two children, trembling.
Li Xia ignored the half-hearted apology. He looked down at his clothes—a Western-style suit, what was called sebiro here. It was shredded and stained from the previous night's fight, though his trousers had fared better. Showing up in a town looking like this would raise more than eyebrows.
He took out one of the trial-bound silver coins and placed it on the tatami, sliding it forward. He noticed Yumi's trembling stopped; she was now staring fixedly at the coin.
"This should cover a change of clothes and a meal."
He placed another coin beside it.
"And I need a guide.To take me somewhere."
The allure of two silver coins was irresistible to the farmers. Under his wife's hopeful gaze, Murata's fear was overshadowed. "Where to, sir?"
"Mount Kumotori."
"The mountain is large. Do you have a specific place, sir?"
Li Xia opened his mouth, then closed it. He didn't, actually.
"A village at its base,perhaps?"
"Then we must search for it." Murata suddenly bowed deeply, his forehead touching the floor. "Sir, I will guide you. Please... could you spare a little more?"
After Murata handed all the coins to his weeping wife, the couple embraced and shared hushed words. Yumi's tears flowed freely, puzzling Li Xia. It's just a guide job. Why does it feel like a farewell?
It was only when a Hall notification appeared that he understood. The extra coins were, in a way, payment for Murata's life.
[Note: You have acquired a Follower (Valid for this trial only)]
[Name: Ichiro Murata]
[Category: Attendant]
[Status: Infected - Schistosomiasis (Intermediate Stage)]
[Attributes: Standard Template (Weakened - All Attributes -1)]
[Skills: Cultivation Lv.2, Basic Bamboo Weaving Lv.3, Basic Wilderness Survival Lv.2]
[Loyalty: 80]
[Cannot leave this world.]
[Commentary: This poor farmer's last act of worth was selling himself after learning of his terminal illness, leaving a final inheritance for his family. Your generosity secured the loyalty of an otherwise insignificant man.]
Schistosomiasis. Li Xia closed the notification. He knew of it—a parasitic disease, once rampant.
"Sir," Murata said, having composed himself, "if we are to go to Mount Kumotori, I suggest we take the river. We can follow it to Saitama. The journey will take about a day."
The main road would take two or three.The mountain paths were faster but far more dangerous.
Murata was already proving his value. This was why Li Xia wanted a guide. He knew the perils of unfamiliar wilderness. And in a world with demons, who knew what lurked on the roads? Without formidable personal skill, a local guide was the wisest choice. They had a sense for local rumors and danger—exactly what Li Xia needed.
The coins he'd paid were loot from a corpse, bound to this world. They couldn't generate interest sitting in a pocket.
"Alright. We go by water."
With only fifteen days, speed was essential.
Murata agreed and led Li Xia down a winding mountain path. The settlement was sparse, homes scattered across the gentle hillside. Murata waved and called out hearty greetings to other farmers in the fields.
Soon, they reached the riverbank. Murata negotiated warmly with a boatman, soon turning back excitedly. "Sir! Twenty mon per person, and that includes a bento lunch!"
Li Xia had no objection; he had no grasp of local prices anyway.
The boat was small, a covered river craft. The boatman, wearing a straw hat, stood at the stern. Li Xia sat at the bow, watching the banks slide by. The cool breeze fought off his growing drowsiness.
Murata chatted with the boatman a while longer, returning with two wooden trays. The meal was simple: a small rice ball, a dried and steamed minnow, and a dab of natto. Murata ate with relish.
"Sir," he said between bites, "the usual fare is forty mon! And an extra five for the bento!"
"Oh?" Li Xia, who was about to eat, paused. "Did you ask why it's so cheap?"
"I did," Murata mumbled, his mouth full. "Brother Boatman said he was heading to Saitama anyway, so he gave us a discount."
A discount because it's on his way?
Li Xia was silent for a moment.Using his body as a shield, he quietly dumped the contents of his tray onto Murata's. Then he took out the rice ball Yumi had prepared for their journey, broke it onto his own tray, and began to eat slowly.
Anything out of the ordinary is suspect. Even a discount didn't warrant an unplanned meal. He might be overly cautious, but the cost of being wrong was too high.
Murata stared, astonished, at the extra food on his tray. "Sir, this—"
"Shh. Don't ask. Just eat."
Though confused, the joy of a double portion silenced Murata's questions. Two meals! How wonderful!
Li Xia sincerely hoped his suspicion was misplaced.
But when Murata suddenly went limp and collapsed, Li Xia could only sigh.
I wonder if it'll be 'wonton' or 'sliced noodles' next.
"Don't blame me," a trembling voice came from behind. The boatman was slowly approaching. "If I don't do this... that monster will eat me."
Huh. Wrong again. Neither wonton nor noodles.
Li Xia slowly pulled the axe from his belt, turned, and stood.
The river wind picked up,billowing his simple robe open.
His bare torso was a canvas of fresh,狰狞 scars from the demon fight.
Simply standing there,axe in hand, he radiated a feral intensity.
Just a day ago,Li Xia had been an unremarkable office worker. Now, through trial, a different self was emerging.
He looked at the boatman, who had frozen, staring at his scars.
Li Xia drew the damp air deep into his lungs.
"So,"he said, his voice low. "It was a demon after all."