Li Qingxian looked toward Ye Han, whose face was pale as though he’d caught a chill.
"Then let’s head to the communal hall," Wuu Jingtian said.
"Lords of the Night Guard, please follow me," Wang Laoshu said as he led the way. "Tonight we are making offerings to the Lady of Prayer for Birth, so we have prepared a great deal of food. It will be brought to the communal hall soon. Our Fangyuan Village is quite remote and we don’t have many fine things, just simple home-cooked fare. I hope you lords won’t take offense."
Han Anbo said, "If the food is for an offering, we can’t just eat it, can we?"
A few of the Night Guards shot Han Anbo displeased looks. Liuu Xiang—the one who had urinated in the river earlier—was wearing the Embroidered White Horse Official Robe of a Senior Tenth Grade. He glared with light-brown eyes and said, "Brother Han, you can’t be serious. We’ve been walking for days. Are you saying we can’t even have a hot meal? It’s all the same whether it’s for gods or people. I’ve even eaten offerings meant for the dead before."
Wang Laoshu smiled and said slowly, "Of course, the food for us is separate from the offerings for the Goddess. My lords, the village is holding a Grand Rite to worship the Five Goddess. The rules don’t apply outside the village, but the Matron has established certain ’taboos’ within it. Unlucky words must not be spoken. Also, until the new little master has his name chosen at the Naming Ceremony, no one in the village is permitted to state their name."
A few of the older Night Guards looked doubtful for a moment, but the expression quickly vanished from their faces.
Wuu Jingtian nodded. "Rituals are a matter of utmost importance. Since ’taboos’ have been established, they must be observed. Everyone listen carefully: while in this village, do not state any names, and do not say anything unlucky."
"The Lord Night Guard is truly a man of the world," Wang Laoshu said with a smile as he slowly led the way.
Li Qingxian felt once again that he was overlooking something. ’But it doesn’t feel important,’ he thought, and couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it.
"Since we can’t use our names in the village, let’s just give ourselves nicknames to make things easier. I enjoy listening to storytellers, so everyone can just call me Book Listener." Han Anbo shot Li Qingxian a meaningful look.
Li Qingxian was a little bewildered but nodded. "In that case, just call me Sunshine Boy."
After he spoke, Li Qingxian felt his mind clear considerably. He grumbled internally, ’Qii Country is full of so much damn trouble. You even have to come up with a screen name just for a ritual.’
Just like Li Qingxian and Han Anbo, none of the others saw any issue with this and began to come up with new names for themselves one by one.
Liuu Xiang smirked and called himself "the Pisser." Ye Han called himself "Hao Yunsheng," and Nie Shan, who was behind Ye Han, called himself "Denggao."
Wuu Jingtian simply went by "Captain."
Yur Ping frowned. "What new name should I use?"
"Foodie," Li Qingxian said without thinking.
"That settles it," said Han Anbo.
Yur Ping pursed his lips, not bothering to argue.
As the group approached the communal hall, they saw an old woman in blue cotton clothes standing at the entrance. Her back was hunched, her face a mass of wrinkles. A wicker basket filled with Mugwort hung from her left arm. She took out a sprig with her right hand and said with a beaming smile, "All who arrive are guests. Take some Mugwort to ensure your safety."
Her fingernails were caked with black grime, filled with who knows how much dirt.
The old woman handed the first sprig of Mugwort to a Night Guard, smiling brightly. "And how should I address this Lord Night Guard?"
The young Night Guard was toying with the Hanging Red Tassel Double Fish Pattern Jade Pendant at his waist, his mind elsewhere. He took the Mugwort and replied casually, "Yun Zhigao. My friends call me Yun San’er."
The faces of nearly half the Night Guards paled slightly.
"This old one will remember that," the old woman said, still beaming as she reached into her basket for a second sprig of Mugwort.
Book Listener stepped forward on his own. "I’m called Book Listener."
The young Night Guard finally realized his mistake. He let go of his Jade Pendant and hurriedly said, "I misspoke! My name is ’Cowherd’."
The old woman in blue chuckled. "Once a name is given, it cannot be changed so easily. Here, for you, Book Listener." She handed the second sprig of Mugwort to him.
The one now called Cowherd looked remorseful. The Pisser laughed. "It’s no big deal. You just misspoke. Just remember for next time. I’m the Pisser."
Apart from Cowherd, the twenty men all gave their new names. Some tucked the sprigs of Mugwort into their sashes, while others toyed with them in their hands.
Book Listener carefully tucked his Mugwort inside his robes and said earnestly, "Everyone, put the Mugwort away safely. Don’t play around with it, and don’t lose it."
Sunshine Boy also tucked his into his clothes. Aside from a few who seemed unconcerned, most of them put it away carefully.
After tying up the oxen, twenty Night Guards wearing Mugwort entered the house.
The room was spacious and bright, with a long table of yellow wood set in the center.
Wang Laoshu followed them in, smiling. "Lords of the Night Guard, please wait just a moment. The food will be here right away."
Everyone took a seat. A cool breeze drifted through the room, dissipating the summer heat.
"Finally, some real food! My mouth’s been tasteless for days," Pisser said. He propped his feet up on the dining table, leaned back in his chair, and began to rock back and forth.
The Captain said, "We’ll rest for a while after the meal, but no one is to wander off. We must all stay together. Once it cools down outside, we’ll find some villagers and ask about the Wolf Demon. If we find its trail, we kill it. If not, we’ll depart tomorrow afternoon."
"We’ll do as Lord Wuu says," said Pisser.
The Captain’s face darkened. "Are you thick-skulled?" he snapped. "There is only ’Captain’ here, no ’Lord Wuu’ or any other lord! Say that again and I’ll... You’d better watch your mouth."
"Yes, yes, Lord Captain, my mistake..." Pisser apologized hastily. He then turned his head and pursed his lips, his light-brown eyes filled with nonchalance.
Book Listener cleared his throat. "When we are in another’s village, we must abide by their rules. If you only care about your own way of doing things and trouble finds you, don’t blame this Book Listener for not giving you a warning."
Most of the men nodded in agreement, but a few merely stared out the door.
Sunshine Boy remained silent. He felt more and more that this place was bizarre, but then he remembered it was for a Grand Rite, and the thought put him at ease. ’In Qii Country, Grand Rites are paramount; their rules cannot be broken.’
Before long, village women began entering one by one, carrying trays of food that they placed on the table.
The eyes of some Night Guards lit up, their gazes glued to the chests, waists, and buttocks of the women walking in and out.
Foodie stared at the fragrant dishes, practically drooling.
Glistening, golden-brown pork knuckle; steaming beef stew; steamed whitefish smothered in chopped scallions; crimson, soy-braised spareribs; a colorful mixed salad; and verdant, glossy bok choy...
Without waiting for the Captain to speak, some men grabbed scallion pancakes, others helped themselves to noodles, and still others ladled out bowls of rice. They picked up their chopsticks and began to feast, grabbing at the meat and vegetables.
Pisser, in particular, was smacking his lips as he ate, picking and digging through the serving platters to grab only the pieces he liked.
Foodie turned to look at Book Listener, his gaze full of reproach.
Book Listener shot him a fierce glare in return.
The Captain snorted and said to Wang Laoshu, "Elder, please join us."
Wang Laoshu quickly replied, "How could I possibly do that? All of this is for our guests."
The Captain said, "There’s no logic in a guest eating what the host will not. Please, eat. If you don’t eat, then neither will we."
With the exception of Pisser and three or four others, the rest of the men silently put down their chopsticks and stopped eating.
Wang Laoshu laughed. "Since Lord Captain insists, I dare not disobey. It seems I’m in for a real treat today. I’m normally not qualified to eat such rich meats."
With that, Wang Laoshu picked up a bowl of rice in his left hand. With his right, he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork knuckle, which he placed in his mouth. He chewed with gusto, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
Only then did the Captain pick up his own bowl of rice and take a piece of the pork knuckle.
The rest of the men hastily followed the Captain’s lead, taking only from the pork knuckle dish.
Foodie remained motionless, his eyes on Book Listener.
Book Listener snorted, ignoring the feast to drink some water and eat his own dry rations.
Sunshine Boy took a few bites of his dry rations, then looked toward Hao Yunsheng.
Surprisingly, Hao Yunsheng and four other men were also not eating the village’s food, sticking to their own prepared rations.
In the spacious brick-and-stone communal hall, sunlight streamed through holes in the paper-covered windows, illuminating the entire room.
The Night Guards devoured the meal like a whirlwind, sweating as if it were raining. Before long, the table was a complete mess of empty plates and bowls. The men all leaned back in their chairs, clutching their stomachs with satisfied expressions.
Pisser picked at his teeth with his right index finger, letting out loud belches. With every burp, his thin eyebrows, narrow eyes, and the mole near his eye all trembled in unison.
Even the Captain was leaning back with his stomach pushed out, too lethargic to speak.
Full and content, the men sat around idly chatting about the war in Yanzhou and along the Great River.
Sunshine Boy listened in silence.
After resting for an hour, the Captain stood up, patted his stomach, and said, "Alright, we’ve eaten and drunk our fill. Time to get to work. Everyone, with me. We’re investigating the Wolf Demon."
Nineteen Night Guards left the communal hall. They first followed Wang Laoshu to question the deceased’s relatives, then went to the two locations where the bodies were found to investigate.
By the time they returned to the village, the sun had set and night had fallen.