nyslfriends Chapter 5: The "Human Sacrifice" of Blackrock Town
Chapter 5: The "Human Sacrifice" of Blackrock Town
The Demon Suppression Bureau's office was located in the center of Blackstone Town. Calling it an office was an understatement; it was more like a dilapidated, crumbling courtyard. The two-courtyard building had weeds growing half a foot high in the cracks between the blue bricks of the front yard. The pair of demon-suppressing stone lions that once stood before the gate had long since been dragged away and sold off by some greedy person, leaving only two bare stone stools, covered in a thick layer of dust and scratched beyond recognition by children with pebbles. The "Demon Suppression Bureau" plaque above the gate had its gold lettering peeled away, leaving only a few broken corners; when the sunlight shone on it, it didn't even reflect light, exuding an air of utter desolation and ruin.
When Lin Yan stepped into the courtyard, there were already twenty or thirty people gathered there, standing sparsely like withered crops. There were soldiers from the Demon Suppression Bureau, as well as young men temporarily conscripted from the town, all with their heads drooping, listening to Zhao Mang's speech from the steps. Zhao Mang's face was as white as paper, his chest wrapped in thick white bandages. He occasionally coughed, pressing his chest, clearly indicating the serious injury he had sustained the night before when he was swatted away by the demon. Yet his eyes remained sharp, sweeping across the crowd like two icy knives, carrying an undeniable authority.
"...Last night, demons attacked the town, killing and wounding over twenty people. The refugee camp was almost completely razed to the ground." Zhao Mang's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper had been rubbed against it. "The town gate has been smashed open, and three sections of the wall have collapsed. They must be repaired immediately. Each team must complete the tasks assigned yesterday by noon! Anyone who dares to slack off will be dealt with according to military law!"
"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison, but their voices were scattered, revealing a lingering weariness and fear. The roars of the demons from last night still echoed in their ears, and everyone was afraid that they would be the next to die.
Lin Yan stood at the very edge of the crowd, not rushing forward. He lowered his eyes, seemingly listening to the instructions, but his peripheral vision scanned everyone present. Wang Ergou huddled in a corner, his hands gripping the hilt of his knife tightly, his knuckles white, his eyes flickering, clearly still shaken by the danger of the previous night; several older soldiers huddled together, their mouths moving incessantly, their voices hushed, whether discussing Zhao Mang's injuries or worrying about today's tasks; the townspeople who had come temporarily were even more so, their faces numb, listening to orders like puppets on strings—in Black Stone Town, human life was cheap as grass, and death was just another corpse added to the pile.
"Lin Yan".
Zhao Mang suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly silenced the noisy courtyard. All eyes turned to Lin Yan, some with curiosity, some with jealousy, and some with an indescribable scrutiny.
Lin Yan stepped forward, placed his right fist against his left chest, and gave a standard military salute: "Captain."
Zhao Mang looked down at him, his eyes as complex as crumpled paper: "Last night you killed two demonic beasts and saved a mother and child from the refugee camp, which is a great achievement. According to the rules of the Demon Suppression Bureau, the reward for killing a late-stage Body Tempering demon is twenty taels of silver, so two would be fifty taels, plus another merit. Once I submit the documents to the county government, there will be additional rewards from above."
Fifty taels!
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. An ordinary soldier's annual salary was a mere twenty taels of silver; fifty taels was enough to buy a tiled house with a courtyard in town, plus a few acres of meager land, enough to live comfortably for half a year. Wang Ergou's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Lin Yan, jealousy crawling like a venomous snake in his heart, almost overflowing—why? Lin Yan used to be a pushover, how did he become a hero overnight?
But Lin Yan's face remained completely calm, showing no emotion whatsoever: "Thank you, Captain. It is only by chance that I survived. The killing of the demon was entirely due to the traps in the mine. I dare not take credit for it."
"Lucky?" Zhao Mang sneered, his voice filled with obvious sarcasm. "It's lucky to trigger the trap at the right moment, it's lucky to deliver the fatal blow after the demon was attacked by the formation, it's lucky to rescue people from the pile of corpses in the refugee camp... Lin Yan, your luck tonight is a bit too good."
These words were like needles, pricking everyone present and making them prick up their ears. Zhao Mang's suspicions were now out in the open, and everyone could hear the barb in his words—was he up to something?
Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat, but his face became even more respectful: "It's all thanks to the captain's good fortune. If it weren't for you leading the brothers to hold back the demons, I wouldn't have had the chance to escape to the mine." He attributed the credit to Zhao Mang, which both saved face for the other party and silenced the gossip.
Zhao Mang stared at him for a full three breaths, then suddenly smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Good, you're not arrogant despite your achievements; you're a promising talent. From today onwards, you're promoted to squad leader, leading a five-man squad, responsible for the daily patrols of North Street."
Corporal?
Another commotion erupted in the courtyard. The organization of the Demon Suppression Division was clearly defined: five men in a squad, ten men in a platoon, and a hundred men in a team. Although the squad leader was the lowest-ranking officer, he was still an "official," receiving a monthly salary of five taels of silver and a complete set of leather armor and standard weapons, no longer having to wear those tattered servant's clothes. More importantly, with this status, Lin Yan was no longer a lowly soldier whom anyone could kick around.
"Thank you for your promotion, Captain." Lin Yan bowed again, bending even lower.
"Go, collect your equipment from the warehouse, and take up your post today." Zhao Mang waved his hand, no longer looking at him, and turned to continue assigning tasks to the others, but the weariness in his voice was even more pronounced.
Lin Yan stepped aside, and the old soldier in charge of the warehouse quickly came over with a fawning smile on his face: "Sergeant Lin, this way please, I'll pick out the best stuff for you." This old soldier had been in the Demon Suppression Division for more than ten years and was very good at reading people's faces. He knew that Lin Yan was now a favorite of Captain Zhao and dared not be negligent in the slightest.
The storeroom was in the most remote corner of the backyard, dark and damp. As soon as you pushed open the door, a musty smell mixed with the smell of rust hit you, making you wrinkle your nose. Several sets of leather armor were displayed on the shelves, most of them worn through and the plates rusted. There were quite a few weapons, swords, spears, and halberds piled up in half the room, but upon closer inspection, the blades were either chipped or the spearheads were bent, and very few of them were usable.
"Sergeant, look, these are all newly repaired. Please take your pick," the veteran said, pointing to the leather armor on the top shelf.
Lin Yan glanced around and chose a set of black leather armor—the plates were somewhat worn, but the stitching was sturdy, and the armor protecting his heart and vital areas was intact. He then picked out a standard-issue longsword from the weapon rack; the blade was thick and heavy, and although the edge wasn't very sharp, it didn't have any obvious nicks and could be used with a little sharpening. He also had the veteran fetch five sets of equipment for ordinary soldiers, packed them up, and carried them on his shoulder—these were for his five team members; he couldn't let his brothers patrol empty-handed.
When I walked out of the warehouse carrying the equipment, most of the people in the yard had already left, each carrying their tools to repair the wall. Several craftsmen were hammering stones, piling up broken blue bricks one by one, the sounds echoing in the morning air, making the place seem particularly desolate.
Lin Yan was about to head to North Street when an old voice suddenly called out to him: "Little Lin... no, you should call me Corporal Lin now."
He turned around and saw Uncle Zhang slowly walking out of the weapon shop in the corner. Uncle Zhang was the town's old blacksmith and also the full-time weaponsmith of the Demon Suppression Division. He was nearly sixty years old, his hair was as white as frost, his back was hunched so much that it was almost at a right angle, and his face was covered with wrinkles and scars from the furnace fire. But his calloused hands were still strong and powerful. He had held a hammer all his life and never shaken it once.
"Uncle Zhang." Lin Yan stopped and bowed slightly in greeting. In the original owner's memories, Uncle Zhang was one of the few people in Blackstone Town who treated him well. Before, the original owner was weak and unable to do heavy work, so he was assigned to do odd jobs at the blacksmith's shop. Uncle Zhang never scolded him and often secretly slipped him half a cornbread; in winter, when his hands were swollen from the cold, Uncle Zhang would warm them by pressing them inside his cotton-padded coat. Lin Yan remembered this kindness.
Uncle Zhang walked closer, looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, lowered his voice and said, "Sergeant Lin, may I speak to you in private? I have a few important words to say to you." His voice trembled slightly, as if he was afraid of something.
Lin Yan's heart stirred, and he followed Uncle Zhang to the old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard. This old locust tree was over a hundred years old, with lush branches and leaves, its shade covering most of the corner, just enough to block the view of outsiders.
"Uncle Zhang, please speak frankly," Lin Yan said softly, placing the equipment on the ground.
Uncle Zhang sighed, took out a pipe from his pocket, but didn't light it. He just kept stroking the pipe, his wrinkles furrowing. "Squad Leader Lin, you killed the demon and saved people last night. You're a real man. But there are some things I've thought about and I think you should know, so that you won't... go astray in the future."
"Please speak." Lin Yan's expression turned serious. He knew that Uncle Zhang was not a talkative person, so if he had specifically called him over, it must be something important.
"It's about the siege of Canglang Mountain by demon wolves three years ago." Uncle Zhang lowered his voice even further, almost whispering in Lin Yan's ear, "You were young then, so you probably don't remember clearly."
Lin Yan's eyes narrowed: "Please enlighten me, Uncle Zhang." The original owner did have a vague impression in his memory. He was only fifteen years old at the time. He only remembered that everyone in the town was hiding in the cellar, and there were wolves howling outside for seven days and seven nights. He thought he was going to die.
Uncle Zhang took a breath, as if he had made a great decision: "Three years ago, on the night of the full moon, the wolf pack from Canglang Mountain suddenly surrounded the town. It wasn't just one or two, but hundreds! The wolf king, who was leading the pack, was said to have reached the threshold of the Profound Realm and could crush a blue stone with a single bite."
"At that time, the Demon Suppression Division still had more than fifty people. The captain was Captain Wang, a tough guy. He led his brothers out of the town to fight, but..." Uncle Zhang's voice choked up, "...the entire army was wiped out, and not even all the bodies were found."
Lin Yan listened quietly, his fists unconsciously clenching.
"The demonic wolves besieged the town for seven days and seven nights." A deep fear flashed in Uncle Zhang's eyes, as if he had returned to that nightmarish night. "The town gate was rammed and was on the verge of collapse, the food was long gone, and even the wells were poisoned by the demonic wolves. Seeing that the town was about to fall, the town mayor Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang, who was then the deputy captain... made a decision."
"What decision?" Lin Yan's voice was somewhat cold.
Uncle Zhang's lips trembled, each word he uttered sounding like it was dripping blood: "They... signed a 'tribute contract' with the wolf pack. Every month... every month they offer three living people, in exchange for the wolf pack not attacking the town."
boom!
Lin Yan felt as if his mind had exploded, and his blood had frozen. Human sacrifice? Three per month?
"Most of those sacrificed were refugees, no one cared, no one asked about them." Uncle Zhang's voice grew lower and lower. "But sometimes they really couldn't gather enough people, so they... they would pick from the town, those destitute orphans, or those who had offended Mayor Chen. The next day they would say that the people had 'accidentally gone missing,' to deceive outsiders."
The air seemed to freeze. Lin Yan finally understood why Zhao Mang, though panicked, hadn't lost his composure when the demons attacked the town last night; why the refugee camp's defenses were so weak, like paper; and why the townspeople were so numb to death—they had long been accustomed to exchanging other people's lives for their own peace.
"Uncle Zhang, why are you telling me this?" Lin Yan forced himself to calm down. He knew that Uncle Zhang was taking a risk by saying these things.
Uncle Zhang raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy eyes: "Because you are different from them. For three years, the people in town have either become accomplices or turned a deaf ear, but only you dared to wield a knife against the demons and even dared to save those refugees. I've lived for sixty years, and I can't be wrong about people. You are a good person and shouldn't be kept in the dark."
After saying that, Uncle Zhang patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, turned around and staggered back to the blacksmith shop. His hunched back looked particularly desolate in the morning light.
Lin Yan stood there, motionless for a long time. The sunlight shone on his face, but it couldn't warm his cold heart. The mark on his chest was slightly burning, as if it were angry, or perhaps echoing the murderous intent in his heart.
Three lives lost every month, in exchange for three years of barely surviving. Three years, thirty-six months, at least one hundred and eight lives, sacrificed to the wolves. Town mayor Chen Fuhai, captain Zhao Mang… the blood on their hands was more than that of demons.
But he couldn't act impulsively. Zhao Mang was a late-stage Body Tempering cultivator who had been operating within the Demon Suppression Division for many years, commanding over twenty soldiers and backed by the town mayor; Chen Fuhai, having served as mayor for so many years, must have powerful backers. He was currently just a squad leader; acting rashly would only lead to an inexplicable death. More importantly, even if he killed Zhao Mang and Chen Fuhai, without the contract's binding force, hundreds of demon wolves would immediately massacre the town, resulting in even more deaths.
"A thorough plan is essential," Lin Yan muttered to himself. He needed to know more: the Wolf King's exact strength, the terms of the contract, the wolf pack's activity patterns, and the power behind Chen Fuhai. He needed to accumulate power; the late stage of Body Tempering wasn't enough. He had to break through to the Profound Realm as soon as possible to have the resources to contend with the Wolf King.
The source of that power is demons.
Lin Yan picked up his equipment and strode towards North Street. North Street was the most remote part of Blackstone Town, right next to the barren mountains outside the town, and also the entrance through which the demons had broken in the previous night. The street was narrow and dirty, with low and dilapidated houses on both sides, their walls peeling off. Most of the houses were inhabited by poor families and homeless people.
The sergeant's courtyard assigned to him was located in the middle of North Street. It was a detached house with a crooked jujube tree growing in the yard. Although the house was dilapidated, it was a hundred times better than the leaky thatched hut he used to live in. Lin Yan put his equipment in the yard, changed into his new leather armor, fastened his long sword, and walked to the water vat in the corner of the yard to tidy his appearance.
The water in the vat was somewhat murky, yet it clearly reflected his appearance: still that thin face, his eyebrows and eyes unchanged, but the timidity in his eyes was long gone, leaving only coldness and determination; his skin, due to the transformation of the Body Tempering Realm, shone with a faint luster, and wearing black leather armor added a touch of heroic spirit, like a sword hidden in its sheath, ready to be drawn at any moment.
"Squad Leader Lin Yan," he murmured to the water, as if confirming his new identity.
Footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by Wang Ergou's deliberately ingratiating voice: "Sergeant! Is Sergeant Lin here? We've arrived to report for duty!"
Lin Yan pushed open the door and saw Wang Ergou leading four soldiers standing outside, all with their heads down and looking uneasy. These five men were the squad members Zhao Mang had assigned to him.
"Sergeant, from now on we'll follow you! We'll go wherever you point, no questions asked!" Wang Ergou said with a smile, but his eyes unconsciously darted toward the equipment in the yard, revealing a hint of greed.
Lin Yan glanced at them and quickly got a sense of them: Wang Ergou, early stage of Body Tempering, bullies the weak and fears the strong, greedy for money and afraid of death; Li Daniu, early stage of Body Tempering, big and burly, but an honest man, very timid; Zhou Shun, an ordinary person, knows some martial arts, quick-witted but slippery; Zhao Si, an ordinary person, physically weak, one of the original owner's few friends, and used to be bullied together; Sun Xiaowu, only sixteen years old, as thin as a bamboo pole, can't even hold a weapon steadily, forced by his family to come to the Demon Suppression Division to make a living.
With such a haphazard and disorganized team, it's questionable whether they can even properly guard North Street, let alone deal with demons. But Lin Yan didn't show the slightest dissatisfaction, simply saying calmly, "From today onwards, our squad will be responsible for patrolling North Street. We will patrol three times a day, once each at Chenshi (7-9 AM), Wushi (11 AM-1 PM), and Youshi (5-7 PM). We must carefully investigate each location, and report any abnormalities immediately. No unauthorized actions are allowed."
"Yes!" the five answered in unison, their voices finally gaining some confidence.
"Get your equipment, and now follow me on our first patrol," Lin Yan said, pointing to the equipment in the yard.
The five men hurriedly stepped forward to collect their equipment. Wang Ergou grabbed the most complete set of leather armor and glanced smugly at the others. Lin Yan ignored these little incidents and took the lead out of the courtyard. The five men quickly followed, their formation crooked and uncoordinated, looking like a group of scattered soldiers.
The morning in North Street was deathly still. A few houses opened their doors, but upon seeing the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau, they slammed them shut again, not even leaving a crack. A few vagrants huddled against the wall at the street corner, their clothes tattered, their hair a tangled mess. Seeing Lin Yan and his group approach, they quickly shrank back into the corner, their eyes vacant, like frightened rabbits. A faint smell of blood lingered in the air, left by the demons of the previous night, mixed with the scent of dust, making one's heart ache.
Lin Yan walked at the front, maximizing his sensory range. After reaching the late stage of Body Tempering, his divine sense could cover a radius of ten zhang, allowing him to hear even the scurrying of rats in the corners of walls. When he reached the end of North Street, near the town wall, he suddenly stopped.
"Sergeant, what's wrong?" Wang Ergou asked nervously, instinctively gripping the hilt of his knife, thinking he had encountered a demon again.
Lin Yan didn't speak, but quickly walked to the collapsed section of the wall. This was where the demon had broken in last night, and several townspeople were repairing it, piling new stones at the breach. Lin Yan's gaze, however, went beyond the wall and landed on the barren mountains outside the town—where the morning mist shrouded the mountains, making them appear and disappear like a lurking beast.
He could clearly sense a faint trace of demonic energy lingering in the air, not the ferocious aura of a demon, but rather... the pungent smell of a wolf.
"Besides the Yao Liao, other demons came last night," Lin Yan said in a deep voice.
"W-what?" Wang Ergou's face turned pale instantly, and his legs began to tremble. "No, no way? The demon just left, why is it here again..."
Lin Yan crouched down and picked up a few gray hairs from the soil under the wall. The hairs were coarse and stiff, as long as a finger, with dark red bloodstains at the ends, and emanating a faint demonic aura—they were wolf hairs, and there was more than one.
He raised his head and looked towards the direction of Canglang Mountain. The mountain range was quiet in the morning mist, but Lin Yan knew that it harbored hundreds of demon wolves, including a wolf king nearing the Profound Realm. They received offerings from the living every month, yet they still secretly watched Blackstone Town, as if confirming the movements of their prey.
Lin Yan gripped the wolf fur tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white. A cold glint flashed in his eyes.
He would peel back the layers of darkness in this town. He would shatter the "peace" built with blood with his own hands. He would collect the blood debts owed by Zhao Mang, Chen Fuhai, and those demon wolves, one by one, with interest.
And all of this begins tonight.
He needs more power, he needs to devour more demons.