Stranger Danger

“My name is Ye Qing. I’m going to Anyang to further my studies!” Ye Qing answered succinctly.

“Study? You’re a scholar?” Yang Guan exclaimed in surprise but quickly came to terms with the answer. “That makes sense. You’ve been holding that book of yours and reading all day. You’re obviously a bookworm, and there are only so many kinds of bookworms in this world.”

“But why are you, a helpless scholar, traveling to Anyang all by yourself? Aren’t you worried you might be killed by a Stranger in the middle of nowhere?”

“I never said I’m a helpless scholar,” Ye Qing said with a smirk, “and I’m not alone either. Brother Frog, will you please introduce yourself?”

“Croak!”

A frog’s croak interrupted the conversation as Kung Fu Frog leaped out of the darkness. It executed an expert-level flip in the air before landing on a rock, causing Yang Guan to flinch a little. It took him a few seconds to realize that the Stranger was none other than the strange frog sitting on the donkey’s head earlier.

The young guard hadn’t felt much when Kung Fu Frog was far away, but now he could clearly feel its aura. Fear and trepidation gripped him like a vice grip. The Stranger was small, but Yang Guan felt as if he was facing a monster so terrifying that its pressure alone was enough to ground his courage to dust. Forget resisting, he could barely summon the energy to continue breathing.

“B-b-b-brother, i-i-i-it’s…” Yang Guan stammered as his blood froze inside his veins. He was so scared he could not even say a complete sentence.

“Hahaha! Don’t be afraid, my friend. Its name is Kung Fu Frog, and I promise he won’t hurt you!” Ye Qing laughed while giving Yang Guan a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Taking comfort in the gesture and his laugh, Yang Guan gradually calmed down but couldn’t quite shake off his nervousness completely. He gulped audibly before asking, “You sure… you sure he won’t hurt a human?”

“Of course! I’m still alive, am I not? You’re alive, are you not?” Ye Qing smiled comfortingly at Yang Guan before looking at Kung Fu Frog. “Brother Frog, Brother Yang gave us a bowl of broth even though he didn’t have to. Do you think we should reciprocate his kindness?”

Kung Fu Frog thought for a second before slapping its tummy. A jar of wine appeared in its hands, and it handed it to Yang Guan.

The young guard subconsciously took a step away from Kung Fu Frog and glanced at Ye Qing for help. Ye Qing simply smiled and said, “You really don’t need to be so nervous, Brother Yang. Brother Frog is just reciprocating your kindness. I can tell you right now that there’s nothing Brother Frog loves more than wine, so you better not turn it down, you hear?”

“Really?” Yang Guan mustered his courage and accepted the jar of wine. When he waited for a few seconds and noted that he was still alive, he let out a small sigh of relief and said, “Thank you, Brother Frog!”

“Croak!” Kung Fu Frog croaked in response before going over to the bowl of broth and taking a small sip. When the sensations hit its tongue, its eyes lit up, and it croaked repeatedly as Yang Guan as if to say it was delicious. It proceeded to down the broth in large gulps.

“Haha…” Yang Guan relaxed completely when he saw just how much Kung Fu Frog loved his broth. He also felt a surge of pride knowing that his cooking was well received even by a Stranger. He said, “I’ll be taking my leave then. You two have a good night.”

“We will. See you later, Brother Yang!” Ye Qing said with a wave.

Yang Guan had just taken a few steps when he recalled something. He turned back and said, “Feel free to lie down closer to our camp when you rest later. It’ll be safer that way…”

As soon as he said this, Yang Guan recalled that Ye Qing was protected by Kung Fu Frog. Who would dare to attack the young man when he was protected by such a powerful Stranger? No wonder he’s confident enough to travel to Anyang alone. He trailed off and scratched his head in embarrassment.

He’s a good person, Ye Qing thought with a smile. He had a barbed tongue, but he was really a forthright and simple guy with a good heart. So, he saluted Yang Guan and said, “Thank you, Brother Yang. I will take you up on the offer!”

“Hehe…” Yang Guan scratched his head while chuckling. One last wave later, he finally returned to the camp.

When he sat down by the campfire, Yan Feng asked concernedly, “What took you so long, Yang Guan? Did something happen?”

Yang Guan slurped up his broth noisily before answering, “Nah, I was just having a chat with Ye Qing!”

“Ye Qing? Is that his name?” Yan Feng asked curiously, “Did you find out why he’s out on the road and where he’s going?”

Yang Guan answered, “Ye Qing is a scholar. He’s going to Anyang to further his studies.”

Yan Feng was very surprised. “A scholar? He, a helpless scholar, is traveling to Anyang all by himself? Is he bold or mad?”

“Hehe…” Yang Guan smirked when he noticed that Yan Feng’s reaction was more or less the same as his. “What makes you say that? There is no law that forbids a scholar from traveling alone, and even if there is, whoever said that Brother Ye is alone?”

The young guard then got up to his feet and left just like that.

Yan Feng: “...”

I bloody knew it! One day without the lash, and these rascals are already forgetting themselves!

……

Midnight soon came, and the whole world was silent save for the chirps of insects. Yang Guan and four other guards were keeping watch next to a campfire, chatting idly and scanning their surroundings from time to time. No one noticed that a near odorless scent had drifted into their camp and filled up their lungs.

Suddenly, Yang Guan rose to his feet and walked away from the camp. However, his four companions did not react to his abrupt departure at all. Not only that, they continued speaking to the empty space where Yang Guan was as if he was still present. It was bizarre to say the least.

After Yang Guan had left the camp, he walked toward the forest and even waved his hand from time to time as if he was responding to a distant companion. The strange thing was that there was no one in the direction he was waving at all. There was only a faint mist and a strange bird perched high up on a tree.

The bird had pitched black feathers and was about as big as a crow. It also had a pair of dark green eyes that glittered darkly in the night. But unlike a crow, it had an unusually long tail that almost looked like a mouse’s tail. The near odorless scent that permeated the camp had come from this tail.

The strange bird stared at Yang Guan as he came closer and closer to the tree it was perched on. Its dark green eyes flashed with human delight and cruelty as it continued to wave its tail. The scent grew thicker and thicker.

Yang Guan was about to walk right beneath the strange bird when suddenly, a hand caught his shoulder, and a voice called out to him from behind, “What are you doing here, Brother Yang?”

Yang Guan felt a warm energy entering his body and clearing up his muddled head in an instant. He looked back and saw Ye Qing smiling warmly at him.

“Ye Qing! You scared me!” Yang Guan said smilingly before answering, “My friend was calling me to follow him, so I—wait, where is he?”

Yang Guan stared into the empty woods in confusion. His friend was right there just a second ago, and now he was gone. How was that possible?

“A friend?” Ye Qing’s smile widened as he pointed upward. “Are you sure that’s your friend?”

Yang Guan looked up and spotted the strange bird immediately. The way its dark, unfathomable eyes seemed to be peering into the soul chilled him to the core.

“What is it?”

“The Rosemary Bird is a Red-class Stranger that looks like a crow, but is distinguishable by its long mouse tail. Its tail emanates a near odorless scent that is similar to a rosemary’s, but with the additional effect of strong hallucinogenic properties. It is how it draws its victim away using illusions.”

“When the victim has reached the Rosemary Bird, it would increase the amount of scent it’s giving off and slowly numb their nerves until they can’t feel anything. Then, the Rosemary Bird would land on their head, peck open their skull, and consume their brain. The good news is that the victim won’t feel any pain throughout the gruesome process. They won’t die until the Rosemary Bird has completely consumed the brain either. The bad news is… I don’t need to tell you what it is, do I?” 𝙗𝒆𝙙𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙚𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝒎

“So, to explain what happened to you earlier, you were entranced by the Rosemary Bird and a moment away from becoming its latest victim. The friend you saw? It was just an illusion!”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god…” Yang Guan broke out in cold sweat as he ran his hands over his head frantically to check that there wasn’t a hole in his head. He did not even want to think what would have happened to him if Ye Qing hadn’t saved him.

“So? Are we still following your ‘friend’, or?” Ye Qing joked.

“Come now! That isn’t funny at all!” Yang Guan smiled awkwardly before his anger caught up to him. He looked up at the damn bird that nearly killed him and drew his saber.

However, Ye Qing caught his arm and said, “It’s already dead, Brother Yang!”

As soon as he said this, something snapped the Rosemary Bird’s neck before pushing it down the tree branch. When Yang Guan’s eyes adjusted, he realized it was Kung Fu Frog.

“Brother Frog!” Yang Guan cheered. He should’ve known the powerful Stranger would be present.

“Croak!” Kung Fu Frog croaked in greeting before jumping to the forest floor.

As soon as the Rosemary Bird hit the ground, Ye Qing immediately pulled out a knife and cut off its tail. He then cut open its stomach from the tail, stuck his hand into its entrails, and pulled out something that looked like a gallbladder. It smelled surprisingly nice even though it should be the opposite.

“What is that, Ye Qing?” Yang Guan asked when he saw Ye Qing stuffing the gallbladder into his Nature’s Shell.

Ye Qing replied, “It’s the Rosemary Bird’s scent gland. Similar to the venom gland of a venomous snake, it contains the scent the Rosemary Bird uses to influence its victims.”

“Do you know what it’s used for?” The young guard asked curiously.

“Oh, it can be used for many things. The scent can be turned into incense, spice, pills and medicine. It can even be used to improve one’s cultivation and magic!” What Ye Qing did not say was that the Rosemary Bird’s scent gland was one of the key ingredients to create the Incense of Dreams.

“I see!” Yang Guan replied a little dizzily.

Ye Qing wasn’t done with the carcass, however. He produced a porcelain bottle next and began collecting the Rosemary Bird’s blood.

Yang Guan was puzzled. “Why are you collecting its blood? It stinks like hell, and I doubt it can be used to make medicine.”

After collecting a full bottle of blood, Ye Qing handed it to Yang Guan and explained smilingly, “It’s true that the blood of the Rosemary Bird can’t be used to make medicine, but it can be used to save lives, specifically you and your friends!”

“You’ve all inhaled the Rosemary Bird’s scent for some time, and the scent is toxic to a certain extent. If you do not remove the toxin in time, you will wake up tomorrow with a pounding headache and nausea, and fall ill for the next couple days.”

“Thankfully, the blood of the Rosemary Bird can cure this. When you return to your colleagues, feed them exactly one drop of blood. No more, no less. You should be fine after that!”

“Ah…” Yang Guan blanked out again after hearing Ye Qing’s advice. He wasn’t doubting the young man’s words—he would be dead already if it wasn’t for him—he was just having trouble processing everything that had happened tonight, so much so that he half-thought that he was still dreaming. However, what shocked him the most was the extent of Ye Qing’s knowledge. Even long-time hunters would have trouble identifying the exact characteristics and properties of a Stranger, and yet this young man—he wasn’t even in his twenties yet!—had said it all like it was nothing. Of course he was having trouble accepting this.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Qing asked when he noticed that Yang Guan was just staring at him blankly.

The young guard snapped out of his reverie and asked, “You said you’re a scholar, right? How do you know so much about Strangers?”

A tiny smirk crept onto Ye Qing’s face. “I don’t understand what you mean? It’s perfectly normal for a scholar, an icon of knowledge, to be aware of such things, is it not?”

Yang Guan: “...”

Normal?

A normal scholar is someone who uses unnecessary complex words to feel superior to others and mask their lack of knowledge about everything outside the books! They definitely shouldn’t know about Strangers like the back of their hand!

You’re not a fake, are you?