Chapter 1

Xiaoqiu fiercely flicked the willow whip in his hand, deeply inhaling the warm scent of grass and trees, and made the most important decision of his life.

His life had only been twelve years long, and he could not fully grasp the significance of this decision, but the residents of Wild Forest Town, who knew him well, all understood that he was a stubborn boy, like a young wolf that had just learned to use its limbs and teeth. Even if he knew there was a cliff ahead, he would still rush to the edge to investigate, and no one could pull him back.

"I need your help," Xiaoqiu said earnestly, his dark eyes full of hope.

In front of him, four boys of about the same age squatted on the grass, looking up at Xiaoqiu in confusion. A little further away, several herds of livestock were lazily grazing. They were all herd boys, and among them, Xiaoqiu was responsible for taking care of a dozen horses.

"Do you want to—steal Fangfang?" Dalang, Xiaoqiu's best friend, with a kind round face, did not show full support at this moment.

"Yes. Not steal, but save. Fangfang will willingly come with us," Xiaoqiu corrected firmly.

"Are you sure?" Dalang looked at the other three herd boys, feeling even less confident. "Did Fangfang tell you herself?"

"No, you all know that Mr. Qin doesn't allow me to enter the school," Xiaoqiu would not lie to his friends. "But it's obvious. Fangfang can't... can't..."

Xiaoqiu was thinking about his words when Erlang, Dalang's younger brother by two years, continued for him, "Fangfang definitely doesn't want to marry the Shen family. She would be overjoyed if someone could help her escape."

"That's exactly it," Xiaoqiu flicked the willow whip again. "We'll act tonight. Two of us will keep watch outside, and three will go into the school to find Fangfang. It's that simple."

The four herd boys looked at each other. Dalang pushed his straw hat up, uneasy, and said, "The Shen family is the richest landlord in town. Most of the cattle, horses, and sheep we look after belong to them. I think... I think Fangfang might not be unwilling to marry into the Shen family."

A black and thin herd boy provided evidence for Dalang's view, "I heard that Mr. Qin is particularly happy about the marriage with the Shen family. The auspicious day tomorrow was chosen by him."

"Mr. Qin is a money-grubber. He sold Fangfang to the Shen family and received a lot of silver," Erlang said disdainfully, gesturing with his hands to indicate a large amount of treasure.

The last herd boy spoke up, "Mr. Qin isn't greedy for money. His family is from elsewhere and hopes to establish themselves in Wild Forest Town, so he is especially willing to marry into the Shen family."

"Mr. Qin seems like a decent person. He even gave me a name," Dalang frowned, trying to recall his formal name.

Xiaoqiu was a bit anxious and squatted on the grass, looking at his four companions at eye level, his eyes unwavering, "We're not talking about Mr. Qin, but Fangfang. She doesn't want to—who would want to marry a fool?"

The herd boys shook their heads. Erlang was more inclined to help Xiaoqiu and continued, "The eldest son of the Shen family is over twenty years old and can't even feed himself. When he gets angry, he hits people."

The children of Wild Forest Town had all seen the eldest son of the Shen family and looked up, recalling the times they were chased and beaten by him. The black and thin herd boy added, "The eldest son drools all day. If Fangfang marries him, she'll have to wipe his mouth every day."

"What do you think? Will you help me?" Xiaoqiu asked, feeling hopeful.

But he was disappointed. When it came to the crucial issue, all four herd boys backed down, even Erlang, who had been supporting him, lowered his head, seemingly more interested in the ants on the grass leaves.

"Brother Xiaoqiu," Dalang felt a bit guilty. He had never refused any of his best friend's proposals before, but this time was different, "You're not... still thinking of Fangfang as your wife, are you?"

Erlang and the others lowered their heads to suppress their laughter, snickering through their noses.

Xiaoqiu's face turned cold, and he stuck the willow whip into the soft grass, "I mean what I say."

"Wasn't that just for fun?" Dalang whispered, noticing that Xiaoqiu's gaze became even more stubborn and determined. He gave in, even though his name contained the character 'Da' (big), he always played the role of a follower in front of Xiaoqiu, "Okay, I'll help."

"I'll help too," Erlang said excitedly, immediately showing his support.

The other two herd boys also agreed.

"Let's go home as usual, and after dinner, we'll meet at the bridge," Xiaoqiu felt a weight lifted from his heart, feeling incredibly relieved.

Time flew by, and the five boys gathered their herds and returned to Wild Forest Town, all enthusiastic about the plan for the evening. No one proposed a more specific plan, just as Xiaoqiu had said, "It's that simple."

As they walked out of the forest and reached the small bridge on the east side of Wild Forest Town, their enthusiasm faced its first setback.

Erlian sat on the bridge railing, boasting and playing with his friends all afternoon, waiting for the first battle of his life to establish his authority and status: today he would prove that he was the leader of the boys aged ten to fifteen in Wild Forest Town.

Seeing the cattle and horses coming out of the forest path, Erlian jumped to the ground, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly, "Hey, Xiaoqiu, your wife is going to marry my brother tomorrow. Are you coming to the wedding?"

This sentence had been on Erlian's mind all day, and shouting it out loud made him feel incredibly relieved.

These were two completely different groups of boys.

The five herd boys were surrounded by herds of pigs, cattle, horses, and sheep. They wore straw hats without tops, with their sleeves and pants rolled up, their bare feet covered in mud, and their skin tanned by the sun. The six boys on the bridge, though dressed in rough cloth, were clean. They had spent a lazy day and were eager to find some fun before nightfall.

"Let's ignore him," Dalang didn't want to engage with Erlian's provocation. He was hungry and just wanted to go home and eat, "We'll cross the river by a different route."

Thinking about the plan for the evening, Xiaoqiu almost agreed with Dalang's suggestion, but the laughter from the boys on the bridge changed his mind.

Xiaoqiu walked at the front, followed by a dozen horses, with Dalang and the others trailing not too far behind. They were still a bit afraid of Erlian.

Erlian was the second son of the Shen family, not at all foolish, tall and strong, with narrow eyes that always warned others: he was not to be messed with.

Xiaoqiu's acceptance of the challenge delighted Erlian. He stood in the middle of the bridge with his hands on his hips, his five companions lined up on either side, completely blocking the path.

"You're blocking the way," Xiaoqiu said gruffly. Behind him, the gentle horses stopped, patiently waiting for the problem to resolve itself.

Erlian had been waiting for this moment for a long time and said with a smile, "I'm here to deliver an invitation. Your wife is going to be my sister-in-law tomorrow. Come over and say some nice words, and my father will give you a few copper coins. Oh, where's the invitation? It was just here."

Erlian pretended to search his body, and his companions laughed loudly. Lengzi, who was a bit shorter but equally strong, chimed in, "Xiaoqiu might have received an invitation from Mr. Qin. After all, Fangfang is his wife."

The boys on the bridge laughed so hard they couldn't stand up straight. The youngest, Tuzi, who had just been allowed to join the group, eager to show off, pointed at Xiaoqiu and said, "Your wife... your wife is going to call someone else her husband, ha ha, Xiaoqiu..."

Xiaoqiu had heard enough. He slapped the chestnut horse next to him, and the horse, startled, took a big step forward.

For the narrow bridge and the boys of Wild Forest Town, the chestnut horse was a giant. The boys blocking the way panicked and scattered, their neatly lined-up formation breaking apart.

"Xiaoqiu, that's our horse! How dare you..." Erlian was furious.

The chestnut horse, unaware of who the true owner was, galloped off the bridge in a few steps, followed closely by the other horses. The boys could only cling to the bridge railing, watching helplessly as they passed.

Erlian would not let his carefully planned battle end so easily. With the last two horses still on the bridge, he was less afraid and found an opening, leaping to tackle Xiaoqiu.

The two boys wrestled on the bridge. The dozen horses on the shore turned around, looked at the scene for a moment, then lost interest and began to graze on the roadside grass.

Erlian was taller and looked stronger, but he did not have the upper hand in the fight. Even with his companions cheering him on, he could not immediately overpower his opponent.

With a splash, the two boys fell over the bridge railing into the river.

The water was not deep, just reaching their waists, but Erlian, the bridge bully, lost his confidence as soon as he got wet. Xiaoqiu, agile like a fish in the water, took the lead.

Erlian's companions shouted threats from the bridge, but none of them dared to jump in to help.

"Ring..."

A sound that none of the boys had ever heard before rang in their ears, so sharp it seemed to pierce their eardrums. They turned to see a strange adult standing on the shore a dozen steps downstream.

The strange man wore a blue robe with a front opening, his hair tied in a high bun with a long pin, and a few strands of beard hanging from his chin. He carried a long sword on his back. Even the most critical eye would find him "ethereal and otherworldly," but in the remote Wild Forest Town, his appearance was just strange.

The strange man shook a fist-sized brass bell in his left hand, producing a piercing sound that seemed out of proportion to its size.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Wild Forest Town?" Erlian asked, trembling in the river. He had never been afraid of any stranger, even an adult, but for some reason, the bell sound seemed to hollow out his heart.

Xiaoqiu stood next to Erlian, silent, focusing all his energy on resisting the bell sound.

The strange man put down the bell and took out a dull copper mirror with his right hand, slowly waving it in front of the boys, finally pointing it at the two wet boys, and asked, "Are you hot?"

He seemed to have not spoken for a long time, and his voice was rough and hoarse, as strange as the old copper mirror in his hand.

Xiaoqiu and Erlian involuntarily took a step back. They were not afraid of the strange man or his voice, but of the dull copper mirror, a small object of five or six inches that seemed to block the entire sky, dimming the sunlight. They both shook their heads; they were not hot at all, and even felt a chill.

The strange man lowered his arm, and in the blink of an eye, the copper mirror and the bell had disappeared. His expression relaxed slightly, but he looked more tired. "Stay away from demons," he said, his eyes darting around, as if listening for something, as if demons were hiding nearby. "Stay away from demons," he repeated.

The boys were terrified, even Xiaoqiu felt uneasy. They scrambled to climb out of the river, hearts pounding, the sun suddenly feeling scorching, and their wet clothes sticking uncomfortably to their bodies. They didn't care about any of this; they just wanted to get away from the strange man as quickly as possible.

The battle between the two groups of boys ended anticlimactically, and they hurriedly ran to the town to tell the adults that a madman had come to Wild Forest Town.

Erlian's group, unencumbered by livestock, ran faster and quickly disappeared. The five herd boys herded their animals all the way to the edge of the town, turned to look back at where the strange man had stood, but he was gone. No one knew how he had disappeared or where he had gone.

"See you tonight," Xiaoqiu was the first to shake off the influence of the strange man. He still intended to carry out his plan to save Fangfang.

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