Chapter 153 — Night Drinking
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 3 of 5
The blue light flickered, gave a sharp hiss in the air, and descended from the sky onto the streets of Sanfu Town. But the moment they landed, Ming Li's brow furrowed. Xiao Hui jumped from his shoulder, scratched its head, and looked all around, plainly puzzled as well. After a moment it seemed to sense something too; all three of its eyes lit at once, and it chirped, its expression tense.
The Sanfu Town before them looked as though it had become an empty town, utterly deserted. Most of the surrounding houses remained intact, and only a few places showed signs of damage, yet the people of the whole town had vanished completely. A deathly stillness shrouded the little town.
Ming Li gave a cold snort, understanding a good part of it. No need to say it—this town's present state was most likely the work of the beast demons' calamity. The townsfolk had either fled north early, or, if they fled too slowly, could hardly have escaped becoming food in the beasts' jaws. A fine little town, reduced to such a state. And who knew how many other towns across the vast lands of Shenzhou now looked the same?
Wind came from afar, raising a little dust and sand along the street. On so warm a day, the wind blowing through this little town seemed cold as well. Xiao Hui still seemed uneasy; it drew close to Ming Li, looking all around. Ming Li bent down, gathered Xiao Hui into his arms, and said in a low voice, "It is all right."
Xiao Hui blinked, and seemed to calm down with Ming Li beside it. Ming Li drew a deep breath and slowly walked forward. Xiao Hui climbed onto his shoulder and made no more noise, quietly gazing about.
Apart from the wind, there was not a sound in the little town. Ming Li walked on at leisure. Halfway down the street, he saw that some houses had doors and windows tightly shut, while others stood with doors wide open—whether the beasts had broken in, he could not tell. Yet along the way he saw no human corpses; it seemed the people here had gotten word beforehand and had mostly fled north.
Just then a cold gust of wind blew past, and a tottering door on the left side of the street fell with a bang, striking the ground with a loud clatter that echoed down the empty street. Ming Li and Xiao Hui both turned to look. Behind the door, an arm lay limply across the wooden boards, motionless, and in the air there lingered a faint smell of blood.
Ming Li looked silently in that direction for a while, then turned his head and walked on. Xiao Hui, perched on his shoulder, kept glancing back at that arm.
Ming Li had been to Sanfu Town a few times before, so he knew something of the place. Walking slowly, silent for a long while, he finally spoke. "I remember there is a tavern ahead. Let us go there—perhaps we can still find you something to eat."
Xiao Hui chirped twice.
The sound of footsteps on the street seemed especially loud now. Cold wind blew from behind, gust after gust. Soon, following the street, they came before that tavern. Its signboard had fallen from the door lintel and lay face-down at the entrance, coated in dust. Ming Li glanced at the wooden plaque whose name he did not know, stepped onto it, and left a footprint there.
Suddenly Xiao Hui gave a low cry, staring into the tavern, and Ming Li's body too came to an abrupt halt. A moment later, a low growl came from within the tavern.
A beast demon? That was Ming Li's first thought—though the growl sounded somehow familiar.
"Grrraah..."
Xiao Hui suddenly let out a shriek and darted into the tavern. Ming Li was startled, not knowing why Xiao Hui had grown so agitated so suddenly; but Xiao Hui had always been closest to him, his only companion, and whatever happened he could not let Xiao Hui face the mysterious thing in the tavern alone. Seeing Xiao Hui about to vanish into the tavern in an instant, Ming Li's expression changed; his figure blurred, and he had already given chase.