The grass rustled underneath his feet. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked from logs in the river in front of him. A full moon shone down, sparkling in the water. Such a beautiful night, indeed, but Bai Yazhu couldn’t forget one thing.

“I let the dan jiao go,” he whispered to himself.

In all these eight years of being a roaming cultivator, he never allowed any evil creatures to go on their way. It wasn’t right to let such sinful beast to continue to ramble. What would his fellow cultivators think? What would Xu Shiuan think?

Bai Yazhu ran his fingers across his sword’s hilt. Surely, he’d let his family down—if they were still alive. No, he let his sword down. Night’s Fall was so eager to feel the splattering of blood on its blade. He’d need to slaughter a thousand corpses to feed his sword’s hunger.

Shifting his feet along the dirt, Bai Yazhu quickly noticed how uncomfortable the log he sat upon was. It was getting late as well; he’d have to go back and face Xu Shiuan. But what his partner didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. If he asked, then Bai Yazhu would simply say, “it’s been taken care of.”

It was his only option, now.

Easing a breath, Bai Yazhu stood slowly and turned toward the direction of their new quarters. It was about once a week they would relocate. Once the evil was gone and their duties done, the commoners were happy and they’d earned their keep, they moved.

Last night, they settled into a small hut outside of ShangPing. The time of large sects were mostly gone in southern regions, taking their place were minor clans. Many of them were combined. Here, the smaller clan of ShangPing joined in with the neighboring YueChi to create a collaboration of ShangChi sect. Their tower was located in a more prosperous area of the region, though, so Xu Shiuan was certain they’d have no difficulties in their short time here.

Bai Yazhu dragged his feet the entire walk back to his hut. He could have mounted his sword, but didn’t have the energy this far out. Besides, he needed all this time to think carefully about what he’d done, and how to explain it to Xu Shiuan in case his partner didn’t believe him.

Unsure of how long the walk took, he finally approached the hut sometime late at night. It was still dark inside, which made him stop in his tracks. Didn’t Xu Shiuan come back after leaving the field earlier in the day? And at this time of night, Xu Shiuan wasn’t the type to fall asleep early. There had to be a few women and lots of alcohol, laughing and crying and screaming, and a constant rustling of clothing.

However, there wasn’t any of it. Bai Yazhu stood bewildered by the lack of noise. “Did something happen?” he whispered.

As he carefully stepped forward, the door swung open and Xu Shiuan strolled out in his usual drunken state.

“A-Zhu!! You’re home!!” He draped his arm across Bai Yazhu’s shoulders, leaning into him with all his weight. “You missed it. There were so many beautiful women here just earlier. I wanted to introduce you but they needed to leave.”

“It’s okay. I need some sleep, anyway,” Bai Yazhu said, trying to step forward carrying the extra burden on his back.

“Aww, okay. Okay.” Xu Shiuan breathed in his ear. “Did you kill that dan jiao, then?”

Bai Yazhu swallowed and tried to hide his nervousness. “It’s been taken care of.”

“Oh...” The extra mass on his shoulders was suddenly gone. Bai Yazhu glanced behind him as Xu Shiuan stood, back straight and not at all wobbly from drunkenness. “Is that really so?”

Bai Yazhu turned to face him. “Yes.”

An unusual smile lifted at the corner of Xu Shiuan’s lips. “Strange, then. I seem to have seen a young beast recently, matching the description of the same one you killed in the field.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yes, yes! But it could have been my imagination.” Xu Shiuan tipped his head. “What do you think?” He raised his hand, snapping his fingers, and a strange reddish-black aura began to take shape in the air between them.

It began as a human head, then grew arms and legs, and an oddly shaped elongated torso that took a moment to straighten out into a normal, yet plump body. The head grew ears and pointed out like a dan jiao’s. The sun-tanned skin color came next, followed by the meager clothes the same beast wore.

Bai Yazhu’s heart thundered in his chest. “What kind of wicked magic is this?” he hollered out to Xu Shiuan as the aura faded and the thing stood.

Xu Shiuan stepped forward to stand next to it. “Like I said before, there are many things you don’t know about me, Bai Zhu.”

The dan jiao glanced at the ground, then up at Bai Yazhu, then at Xu Shiuan. His expression quickly went from shocked to frightened at the sight. “Please. You don’t understa—“

“If you’re not brave enough to kill this beast, then maybe I should!” Xu Shiuan pulled his sword from its sheath.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Wait!” Bai Yazhu was quick to draw his own. “Tell me what’s going on, first. Why is it here?”

“Ah, right!” Xu Shiuan nodded, then lowered his sword. “Perhaps it would be best to explain. We’ve known each other for so long. You see, it was supposed to be a simple experiment.” Xu Shiuan stepped back and forth. “I switched spirits with a human and a dan jiao. You kill the thing, which is actually the human spirit, and I will then know if the dan jiao’s spirit has died as well in a different time.”

He stomped on the ground. “But you ruined it! If you hadn’t shown him mercy, he would be dead now. We would be together tonight, drinking merrily, entertaining women, and... well, you understand, yes?”

“No!” Bai Yazhu yelled. “You’re playing with people’s lives. Who are you to do such things? And where did you learn to such devil sorcery?”

Xu Shiuan let out a sly chuckle. “I knew you wouldn’t understand. So be it. I shall kill this thing myself.” He raised his arm again, ready to slash down on the dan jiao’s head.

“Wait!”

“Wait!”

The two voices mingled simultaneously. Both the dan jiao and Bai Yazhu’s pleas echoed in the otherwise quiet night air. The beast’s eyes were full of concern.

“Return him back to his time,” Bai Yazhu said, softly. “Return him, and we can discuss this over a jar of wine.” He stepped forward, palms open, hoping that Xu Shiuan would be interested in such a kind offer.

“Return him?” Xu Shiuan glanced at the dan jiao, then back at Bai Yazhu. “Are you sure? Really, A-Zhu, you sure are forgiving in this matter. Or is it because you’ve gone soft now that dear Ma and Pa have been dead for ten years?”

“Watch your mouth!”

“You long for your family. I always knew you did.” Xu Shiuan laughed. “What it is you see in this thing, I don’t know, but I can guarantee that I will not return him to his time.”

With swiftness unmatching any others, Xu Shiuan moved to stand facing the dan jiao and lunged with his blade. The silver sparkled in the full moon’s light as it entered the beast’s stomach, and dulled with dark blood as the blade came out of his back. But something else illuminated the scene at that moment.

A strange aura, like the one which formed when the thing appeared, now stood behind the limp and lifeless dan jiao. The shape was that of a human’s dressed in strange clothing. And as the aura dissipated, the human... the man stared in astonishment at his hands. He turned them around, then spread his arms. He was... real?

The dan jiao’s body lay lifeless on the ground.

“What’s going on?” Bai Yazhu raised his voice.

Xu Shiuan sheathed his sword and walked around the man seemingly in bewilderment, himself. “Hmm... this isn’t good. Seems I’ve made a mistake.” He stopped at the motionless beast on the ground and swiftly kicked his side. “Too bad. You really can’t go back, now.”

“Xu Shiuan!” Bai Yazhu gripped the sword at his side. “Return him!”

“I can’t!” Xu Shiuan yelled just as loudly. “I’m not sure what happened, but somehow... Can it be? The dan jiao’s spirit returned to his body right before I stabbed him? But how are you standing here?” He glanced at the man.

The man dropped his hands, his body shaking. “It’s... Don’t believe a word he says! He’s not what you thin—“

Xu Shiuan laughed. “Am I wicked? Such a tale from a strange man. A-Zhu, can’t I just kill him?”

“No!” Bai Yazhu stepped forward. “Return him. Now!”

“Told you, I cannot. The beast is dead, therefore there is no spirit left to replace him. Besides, this man’s body is here now, as well. How can this be?” Xu Shiuan shook his head. “I was sure to do everything correctly. Somehow... hmm, somehow the spell reversed right at that moment. I wonder if there’s a time limit?”

He turned on heel, suddenly quiet as everyone stared at him in confusion. Xu Shiuan smiled. “I guess, there’s no other way than to kill him.” He drew his sword.

“NO!”

“But,” Xu Shiuan paused. “Maybe there is a way. If you want, I’ll tell you how.”

It was still all too confusing to Bai Yazhu. But instead of killing an innocent man, he’d rather find the way to return him to his rightful time. He’d deal with Xu Shiuan later. “What is it?” Bai Yazhu wondered.

“Would you like to know where I learned such trickery? To the North West, in the Yuetou Mountains, lives a lone cultivator.” Xu Shiuan turned in the precise direction, pointing towards the mountains. “Not a priest nor immortal. A hermit, who lives in a small cabin near the river. Suppose you’ve never heard of him?”

Bai Yazhu had never heard of such person. “Are you lying?”

“Why should I lie? I’ve met him. Ah, we’ve never spent much time apart in these years we’ve been together... except when you took two weeks rest in Hanyi Village. I was bored and so I took reprieve in the mountains.”

It was true. There was only so much a low-level cultivator could do before growing tired. After wandering for years with Xu Shiuan by his side, Bai Yazhu decided to rest in a remote village. Xu Shiuan, feeling bored and lonesome, drifted away and eventually left him alone for the two weeks. So this was what he did during that time?

“Did that old hermit teach you these things?” Bai Yazhu asked

“Two weeks time is truly a lot to wait, Bai Zhu. I missed you a lot, but learned much at the man’s side. He should know how to return him to his time. If not, then I’m sure he would know something.”

“You mean, we should find this man?”

Xu Shiuan shook a finger in the air. “Uh uh. I mean, you should find this man. If I come with you, I may cause more trouble for you. Besides, you’ve been gripping your sword so tight this entire time, don’t your fingers hurt?”

Bai Yazhu released his grasp, realizing quickly his fingers did, indeed, burn from the tight grip he’d had on his sword hilt. For years, he thought of Xu Shiuan as his friend. Colleague. At times, a lover. But for the first time, as his friend stood there explaining about this strange evil magic and equally strange priest who lived in the mountains, Bai Yazhu saw his friend under a pool of blood. His sight went red. Blood pumped into his face. Heart beat hammered. A part of him wanted to swing, wanted to see the crimson of Xu Shiuan’s blood spilled all over the ground.

“You’re right,” Bai Yazhu whispered. “Perhaps, I should go visit this man alone.”

Xu Shiuan nodded. “Will you take him with you?” He motioned to the man. “Jonathan, was it?”

“Um... yes. But, y-you... you tried to kill me?” The man, Jonathan, stumbled forward.

Xu Shiuan let out a hmph. “I try to kill a lot of people, Jonathan. But this is your chance to go home, right? Best take it now, while you can.”

“But you—“

“Go!” Xu Shiuan ordered.

“You!” Jonathan went silent. He let out a breath, then stepped forward to join Bai Yazhu’s side. There was something weird about this man, and it wasn’t the bizarre clothing or the trimmed hairstyle. No, Bai Yazhu felt it when the dan jiao was here, too. The same phenomenon.

“A perfect team. This will be a long journey, I’m sure.” Xu Shiuan bowed then turned back towards the hut.

“What will you do while we’re gone?” Bai Yazhu asked.

“The only thing I can. It’s what I do best.” Xu Shiuan curled his fingers as if holding something—a jar—and raised them to his lips. Drinking liquor...