Chapter 284: "Borrow"

He Lingchuan calculated quickly, "Of the six, I caught two. Your efficiency is too low! Isn't there a curfew at night?"

What he actually meant was, Dragon City must frequently send out Three-Corpse Worms for patrols, yet they still couldn't catch those monsters.

"They've changed their schedule; they no longer appear at night," the Sparrowhawk said. "They also don't appear in bright sunlight, only on overcast days, probably fearing true solar fire. These creatures aren't intelligent; we suspect someone is manipulating them from behind the scenes. And also—"

It hesitated.

"What else?" Experience told him that what followed such a pause was usually the crucial part.

"Commander Zhong summoned the most experienced apothecaries to examine these monsters, and I was present then. Their conclusion was that these monsters were still in their larval stage."

"Larval stage?" He Lingchuan frowned. "They're still younglings?"

"The fontanelle sutures on their heads were still very large and hadn't begun to close, so the apothecaries judged them to be in a larval state," the Sparrowhawk repeated. "Either infants or fetuses."

"'Fetuses?'" He Lingchuan was genuinely shocked. "They're so difficult to deal with, and they're still fetuses!"

How terrifying would these things be when fully grown?

"That's why they instinctively fear strong light and only emerge on overcast days." The Sparrowhawk resisted the urge to flap its wings. "Since the first monster appeared, there haven't been many overcast days." So the reason they had caught few monsters wasn't due to a lack of effort on their part.

"That little monster, did it come here on its own?"

"Yes, it kept stopping and starting, as if looking for something, and eventually it reached your wall." The Sparrowhawk had been circling high above, monitoring. "I saw it try to turn and bite you, so I came down."

"Thank you." He Lingchuan was deeply moved and gently stroked its head.

The Sparrowhawk disdainfully dodged his hand. "If you want to thank me, light the stove!"

"It's freezing in here; I'm about to freeze to death!"

"Alright, alright." He Lingchuan realized he hadn't been a very good host. "I'll light the fire right away."

He looked around the kitchen and found that there was no charcoal or firewood left.

That's right, he'd used it all up during his last dream-realm entry and had been too lazy to replenish it.

Anyway, he was strong and healthy; he could get by on sheer willpower.

"What now?" He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then picked up his only blanket and wrapped the Sparrowhawk in it. "Wait here, I'll go borrow some charcoal. I'll be right back."

After leaving He Lingchuan's house, the patrol guard took several turns, heading further and further off the main path, finally entering a deserted alley.

The walls on both sides were low, and the trees overhead were tall. A residential house next to it was undergoing renovation, its main gate wide open, materials piled up, but no one was inside.

Overcast clouds filled the sky; it looked like it would rain soon.

The patrol guard glanced around, confirmed he wasn't being followed, and slipped inside.

He stood in a corner at the back of the house, lifted the straw basket, bringing his gaze level with the small monster inside.

Man and monster stared at each other for a few breaths.

Then, the small monster made a 'pata-pata' sound, as if speaking.

The patrol guard remained motionless. After the small monster finished, he, too, remarkably made a 'pata-pata' sound!

Listening closely, the sound didn't come from his throat, but from his chest!

The patrol guard then lowered the straw basket, intending to tip the small monster onto the snow.

If it were thickly coated with snow, and the snow melted, reducing the stickiness of the adhesive, perhaps it could escape.

Just then, an arrow shot from a short distance away, pinning the patrol guard's arm directly to the wall.

He didn't even feel pain or cry out. Only then did the whoosh of the arrow belatedly arrive.

The patrol guard reached out to pull the arrow out. But the next arrow arrived, pinning his other hand to the wall as well.

He finally let out an angry roar. Ignoring everything, he pulled with all his might, and incredibly, he tore his palms clean off the arrows!

The arrows remained stuck in the wall, covered in blood from tip to fletching.

But he was still a step too slow; the third arrow struck him directly in the heart!

The patrol guard immediately froze, his head drooping. But from his back armor, something twitched. Something suddenly leaped out from there, attempting to flee along the wall corner.

Its movement was incredibly decisive, and its speed was like light. Even if an observer watched it intently, they would only see a blur in the air.

Unfortunately, the fourth arrow arrived, striking it squarely. It seemed as if its escape path had been precisely calculated beforehand.

By leaping as it did, it was as if it threw itself onto the arrow.

A rough, agonizing shriek—"Gaa—!"

These four unadorned arrows forced it out of its hiding place and pinned it dead against the wall.

With composure and ease.

Only then could one see clearly. What had leaped out from the patrol guard's back was also a monster, resembling a long-legged spider. Its eight legs were at least three feet long but as thin as noodles. Its body, however, was only the size of a duck egg, and on its back was a vicious human face.

Hit by the arrow, its eight claws frantically scraped and scrabbled at the wall, but couldn't even scratch the paint. Its long legs were designed for delicate tasks, such as injecting venom or manipulating human nerves to make a skin-suit speak and act normally, rather than for digging or clawing.

Evidently, the patrol guard had been successfully ambushed by it inadvertently and subsequently became the monster's host body.

It had gained He Lingchuan's trust, intending to rescue the small monster in the straw basket.

Unfortunately, an even greater hunter was lurking behind.

Just then, a figure leaped down from the wall. It approached silently, pulled out the feathered arrow, and stuffed both the arrow and the spider-monster into a quiver.

The small monster in the straw basket kept making 'pata-pata' sounds. Besides its agitated noises, its tiny eyes seemed to be filled with terror.

The figure picked up the straw basket and disappeared into the alley with a few leaps.

He Lingchuan climbed onto the wall.

Yes, it was the low wall between his house and Sun Fuling's. His plan was to borrow some firewood from his good neighbor.

Teachers at Shumin Academy received so much 'kindling'—a pun on their ample salary—each month that they couldn't possibly burn it all. Otherwise, why would it be called 'salary'?

By the way, why did that little monster come here?

The moment he scaled the wall, a thought suddenly sparked in his mind, and he understood what had seemed amiss earlier:

The small monster in the straw basket had struggled the entire time, except—

Except when he was talking to the patrol guard.

Except when he handed the straw basket to the patrol guard.

During these two moments, the small monster was as quiet as a child.

Why?

He Lingchuan stood blank for several seconds, then slapped his forehead in frustration.

That patrol guard was probably trouble! But by now, that person was long gone.

What was he thinking? How could he have been so gullible?

The matter was over; dwelling on it was useless.

He sighed and continued looking for firewood.

Sun Fuling's small courtyard was empty. Only a chair and a ladder were placed under the eaves. The snow on the ground had melted and refrozen into clear, slippery ice.

The courtyard was cleaner than his own face, but it lacked any sign of life.

It looked like Sun Fuling hadn't been back for days again. Wasn't she on winter break recently? Why was she nowhere to be seen?

There was no firewood in the courtyard, so He Lingchuan decided to go into the kitchen to look, at most leaving her a note.

They were good friends, so he could be a bit informal.

He pushed the door open and entered. He found that a tall stack of firewood was indeed piled in a corner of the kitchen, with charcoal beside it. He wondered how long she'd been accumulating such a hoard.

He Lingchuan looked at the woodpile, taller than a person, and silently wondered if Miss Sun never warmed her house when she was home.

Otherwise, how could so much firewood accumulate?

Looking further into the kitchen, pots, pans, and all utensils were neatly arranged. But they were arranged too perfectly; there were no traces of smoke or fire anywhere, like a display kitchen.

He Lingchuan reached into the stove's bottom; there was no soot, at most a bit of dust.

Miss Sun said she couldn't cook, and indeed she wasn't being humble.

But didn't she even boil water? Did she just chew on snow to quench her thirst?

The door between the bedroom and the kitchen was left ajar. He Lingchuan knew he shouldn't go in, but his legs wouldn't obey him.

Sun Fuling's bedroom was equally spotless. The bedding was clean and smooth, and a chair was placed against the wall with two books on it. He Lingchuan looked; they were all leisure books.

A box with a latch, but unlocked, sat by the wall.

Half a burned candle lay on the box lid.

He Lingchuan scanned the room again, seeing nothing unusual. His gaze then shifted to the box.

To open or not to open?

He had seen Sun Fuling retrieve medicine from her room several times, but he saw no medicine chest here, so the medicine must be in the box.

What else could be inside?

Suddenly, a 'creak' came from outside; the courtyard gate opened.

Oh no.

He Lingchuan quickly circled back to the kitchen and opened the door to leave.

Then, he came face to face with Sun Fuling, who was just entering the courtyard.

Both froze.

Sun Fuling looked a little surprised, blinking, with items in both hands.

Caught red-handed, He Lingchuan didn't need a mirror to know his face was scarlet with embarrassment.

"Hi." His voice was weak. "You're back."

Sun Fuling looked at the courtyard wall, then at him, as if realizing something. "Something wrong?"

"I came to..." He Lingchuan chuckled awkwardly. "Borrow some firewood."

Seeing the bulging leather bag in her hands, he quickly stepped forward to help. "Let me carry that for you."

Sun Fuling handed the items to him. Then she went into her kitchen and returned with a large bundle of firewood and a large bundle of charcoal, stuffing them all into his hands. "I can't use all of this; feel free to take as much as you need."

Suddenly, a squawk came from next door.

Sun Fuling noticed it. "What was that sound?"

"A bird." He Lingchuan gestured with his chin towards the ground. "The Sparrowhawk just fought a monster in your courtyard and got injured. It's recovering at my place. It kept complaining about the cold, so..."

He gestured with the firewood in his hands.

"It's injured?" Sun Fuling looked slightly concerned. She had been present when the Sparrowhawk visited last time. "I'll go take a look." With that, she turned and pushed open his door.

He Lingchuan, of course, couldn't go back the way he came. He had to follow her out the door, take two steps, and push open his own courtyard gate. "Please come in."

He went to the kitchen to light the fire. When he turned around, he saw Sun Fuling squatting to examine the Sparrowhawk's injuries, even reaching out to stroke its back.

The Sparrowhawk not only didn't dodge but closed its eyes, looking very much like it was enjoying the attention.

...Was this bird playing favorites? How disdainful it had been of him just moments ago!

"Poor thing, its feathers are broken. It looks like it'll need some time to recover before it can fly." Sun Fuling produced a small packet of dried meat from somewhere, tore it into thin strips, and fed them to the bird bit by bit. "I bought it from the market; it's not too salty."