Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 102: Chapter 1: The Fleeting Era (2 in 1)

“The D**** train from Cangzhou West Station to Beijing South Station is about to arrive, please hurry and check your tickets…”

“Comrade, could you please check where I board the train with this ticket? I can’t recognize anything after the expansion.”

The ticket inspector looked up and couldn’t help but blink.

In front of her was a tall, slender man around one meter eighty, well-proportioned, wearing a black sweater, his cheeks gaunt, his eyes so piercing that she felt a chill down her spine.

He looked a bit like a movie star, like… Zhang Zhen.

“Comrade?”

“Ah, go right, at the blue sign, platform number 2.”

“Alright, thank you.”

The man walked in the direction she pointed, pressing his phone to his ear, with an ancient-looking copper coin hanging brightly on his chest.

“I’m just getting on the train now, yes, by myself.”

A man’s voice came through from the other end of the phone.

“Yan Zi, how come I’m hearing rumors in the village, someone even said something about you buying a wife and bringing her back? You’re a decent catch, and our area isn’t that bad.”

“Don’t spout nonsense, that’s not true.”

“Not true? Wasn’t it you who had Jiyong sort out an ID card? I’m telling you, you’re wilder than me. If Second Uncle learns about this, he’ll chase you down the street with his cane, believe it or not. Hey, give me the lowdown, where did you get her from? Green Finch or Gaogou?”

“You believe anything that comes out of Jiyong’s mouth.”

The man glanced left and right before continuing.

“Don’t try to scare me with my aunt’s husband; I walk straight, you wipe your own ass clean first.

Which of us would Second Uncle believe if we poke around him, do you have any doubt in your heart?

Hey, are you almost at Kun’s place?”

“Almost there, you hurry up too. Alright, I’m going to hang up now, we’ll chat when we meet.”

A busy tone came through the phone.

Li Yan pocketed his phone, touched the six-coin copper money on his neck, as the steel train roared by at the end of the white line.

On the phone was Li Yan’s cousin, Guo Zijian, nicknamed Er’luo.

Together with Zhang Jiyong and Chen Kun, the four of them were childhood friends, but Li Yan went to Guangdong when he was young, and only returned north after his father died. While Zhang Jiyong was still in touch, Guo Zijian and the eldest of the group, Chen Kun, hadn’t seen each other for almost five or six years.

After midnight tomorrow, another two months will have passed, meaning Li Yan will face his third Yan Fu event.

It’s off-season now, so there weren’t many people in the carriage. Li Yan found a seat, touched the copper money with his thumb, and whispered, “This will do.”

He looked up, and the She Mountain Woman, no, Lady Dan was sitting opposite him.

“General, you seem really anxious.”

“Just call me Li Yan.”

Li Yan rubbed his face and asked, “Is it that obvious?”

Lady Dan nodded.

“Saw some old friends today, reported that I’m safe, now I have to go again.”

“To Ming Country?”

“No, somewhere else, it’s also dangerous.”

“Will you take me?”

“Not necessarily.”

Li Yan hesitated for a moment: “If you want, you can stay in this world. It’s not necessary to stay by my side, you learn things quickly, and your spectral body isn’t much different from regular people. You can survive on your own now.”

Lady Dan touched the copper coin on Li Yan’s chest with her finger.

“You didn’t have this before.”

“Hmm.”

“Did you get it for me?”

“Not really.”

“Even though you don’t want me to leave, why do you say things like that?”

“I’m afraid you’ll be unhappy.”

“General, ah, Li Yan.”

Lady Dan pulled up the hair on her cheeks, her eyes sharp in their black and white clarity as she stared at Li Yan, the corner of her mouth quirking up.

“I think, in your heart, there was originally a girl.”

Li Yan’s eyes flickered, and he nodded with a smile.

“Right. But whether I can live to see her again is uncertain.”

A tinny train flashed by outside the car window. Sunlight spilled over the two of them.

“If you have to fight somewhere else, I might be able to help you out a bit.”

“…Thank you.”

Time flies with company, but crawls when alone. Skipping over the joyful reunion with several childhood friends, two months passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Yan was about to face his third Yan Fu event.

…

“Esteemed Walker, you are about to initiate a Yan Fu event!”

“The Blood Dip of the Gu Huo Bird is permanently enhanced; please check for details after entering the event.”

…

Inside the nine and outside the seven imperial cities, with nine gates and eight ceremonies, rings but one bell.

The city walls, the alleyways, the Drum Tower, the opera gardens, the big drums, the white legs under qipaos.

Factories, chemical smog, the red demolition characters circled, military coats, and homemade iron rings.

The duck from Cheap House, lion’s head meatballs from Dongxing Building, the boiled tripe from Jinshenglong,

Dreadlocks, guitars, motorcycle engines, the youths crowding Shu Village.

An era that passes in a flash, stories that vanish just as quickly.

A thousand years of changing face, will all boil over at midnight!

Be smart, walk the path of Infernal Yan Fu.

Li Yan opened his eyes, clad in a worker’s uniform from the 1980s and 1990s, he turned to look around him.

Beneath the hazy darkness of night, the tarred road, telephone poles, the uneven red-brick and black-roofed houses before his eyes, the distant chimneys towering high, spewing dense orange smoke with a punk-magical flair, the rolling clouds of smoke before Li Yan’s disbelieving stare, started to form writing.

Time: 1998

Location: Yan Capital, East 40 degrees, North 115 degrees.

[This Yan Fu event is a free hunt. A total of 164 Esteemed Walkers are released.]

[When any Esteemed Walker dies, all Walkers will be notified.]

[There is a 20% chance of obtaining the heritage on an Esteemed Walker when they are killed under any circumstances.]

[Each Walker will receive information dispatched by the Infernal Faction at 11:30 pm.]

[The information will contain a designated location, a set time, and rough information about one Walker.]

[Each Walker must arrive at the designated location before midnight, those who are late will have 5000 Yan Fu points deducted and lose 10% of the Awakening Degree of all inheritances.]

[One is certain to obtain the Yan Fu Heritage on the designated Walker if they are killed within the set time.]

[Condition for return: Kill more than six Esteemed Walkers.]

There was a red timestamp at the edge of Li Yan’s retina.

11:59 PM

The arrival time would be after 11:30 PM, which meant there was almost an entire day as a buffer.

Li Yan mulled over it in his mind.

“Yan Capital? Is it another name for Beijing in another reality?”

Li Yan looked up, the tall chimney in the distance was unfamiliar, but the thing before his eyes seemed strangely familiar.

Four pillars, three compartments, seven stories high, a hipped gable roof, golden, purple, and green glazed tiles with decorative edges, arched doorways carved with a variety of exquisite ornaments, and big characters written on the red pillars against a blue background that read “Eternal Imperial Prosperity.”

The night was deep, the streetlights were still on, a bright red “Demolition” character was particularly eye-catching at the entrance of the alley.

The sounds of barking dogs and crying children moaned in Li Yan’s ears, along with the operation of a sewing machine, the rumble of distant factories, and the whispers of a young couple in secret conversation.

A tinkle of a bicycle bell rang out, Li Yan glanced over to see a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, wearing a liberation hat, the kind Zhao Benshan wore in his performances, his arms covered with sleeve protectors.

Li Yan waved his hand, and the man braked, dragging his bike a few meters before stopping right in front of Li Yan. When the man spoke, Li Yan found his voice oddly familiar.

“Hey, young comrade. Why aren’t you home yet at this late hour?”

“Uncle, I need to find something out. Is there a hotel nearby that doesn’t require an ID card?”

Li Yan felt the half pack of “Da Lian He” cigarettes in his pocket and casually offered one to the man. The man didn’t hesitate, pulling out his lighter from his pants pocket to light up, but accidentally dragged out two paper bills with it.

Li Yan found the two bills unfamiliar, they did not resemble the old currency of his time. The man was on the bus. Seizing the opportunity, Li Yan bent down to pick them up for him.

“Thank you, young comrade.”

“Hey, no problem.”

The red time indicator before Li Yan’s eyes jumped, changing from 11:59 to midnight.

All was silent…

“Whoosh!”

Li Yan’s ankles exploded with astonishing speed, sending him leaping back at least four or five meters.

He was holding two blue paper bills in his hand when he abruptly looked up, only to find that the middle-aged man had vanished into thin air!

“Ding-ling~ Ding-ling~”

The old-fashioned bicycle was still standing there, its black bell echoing in the desolate street, with the dim yellow glow of the streetlight spreading in rings, casting an eerie vibe.

[Tianjin Red Flag Bicycle (Night)]

Threat level: Light Red

Li Yan snorted with laughter. A bicycle that posed a threat to him sounded somewhat comical.

“Your Hook Star status bonus has been reduced to 200%!”

“Your ability to judge gold-based objects has been disabled!”

“Your state [Fierce!] has been suppressed!”

Li Yan was startled but quickly regained his composure, frowning as he turned to look towards the Dong Yue Archway behind him.

[Dong Yue Archway (Night)]

Suppresses all items or abilities classified as “evil” within its range!

All creatures with (Night) attributes within the range cannot inflict damage on flesh and blood beings who have not fallen asleep at midnight.

Leaving the vicinity of the Dong Yue Archway will lift the suppression.

The three tall arches still stood tall, adding a touch of sternness to the night.

“Ding-ling…”

The old bike took a turn on its own, heading in the opposite direction from Li Yan.

Li Yan pondered for a moment, then shed his relatively bulky work clothes, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, and stepped out of the archway’s range.

There was no doubt that for ordinary people, staying under the protection of the Dong Yue Archway was a safe choice. However, Li Yan wasn’t there to play a survival game like Silent Hill; he was there to fight a deadly duel with another fierce Infernal Walker like himself.

The archway had a nearly 50% suppression effect on the Gu Huo Bird Spirit, which Li Yan couldn’t accept.

He considered one of the rules in the event content: leading the Infernal Walker to a designated place for a duel, a rule that seemed more troublesome than he had imagined.

After turning two full streets, he passed by low electric poles, grocery stores, alleys, drum towers, and the red brick and green tiles teeming with old Beijing’s style. There were no voices to be heard, though the smokestacks of distant factories were still emitting red smoke; Li Yan encountered no special domains like the Dong Yue Archway.

It seemed eerie, though not particularly dangerous…

“Ha ha, hahaha…”

As he thought this, a raggedy black ball rolled towards Li Yan, followed by a staggering little boy with flailing arms chasing after it. Both the ball and the boy were engulfed in shadows, with their elongated, twisted shadows stretching under the streetlamp.

“Haha, hahaha…”

The boy’s running posture was ludicrous, hopping and jumping in a striding motion, his arms raised and bent into a ‘Z’ shape, his slender fingers stretched out as far as they could.

“Hahahaha…”

The little boy finally came into view under the streetlamp – his yellow children’s shirt smeared with blood, a duck stamp imprinted on his chest. His eyelids had been cut off, revealing eyes that covered half his face, his eardrums trembling with strands of blood, resembling two dead, pale salted duck eggs!

Li Yan’s face showed no emotion as he heard a raspy, metal-scraping voice by his ear.

“Attention all Walkers, an Infernal Walker has died.”

The first one…

The “ball” rolled and struck the side of Li Yan’s leather shoe. The head was matted with dark hair, the face stark white and gaunt, one eyeball falling out of its socket as the boy kicked at it. The lips, a blur of flesh and blood, parted and closed.

Without a doubt, it was a woman’s severed head.

“Brother. Hahaha… teach, teach me to play soccer…” The little boy stretched out his arms towards Li Yan.

Li Yan remained silent, slowly placing his foot on the twitching woman’s face and pressing down hard.

“Pfft…”

Red mixed with white splattered into a large puddle, and under the semi-dark light, Li Yan’s teeth were eerily white!

“You little brat, still kicking the ball?”

Meanwhile, outside the Yonghe Palace in Yan Capital.

“Attention all Esteemed Walkers, a Yan Fu Esteemed Walker has perished.”

The man’s face twisted in disgust as he looked at the red walls and green tiles around him, and once again lowered his head to look into the well.

Branches, eaves, pale and panicked faces.

Definitely not my face…

The man lit a cigarette, but the face in the well stared straight at him.

The man blew out a ring of smoke.

“What the hell are you looking at!”

Water splashed as that face in the well surged out violently!

…

Shuanghe Sheng Five-star Brewery’s malt sugar room’s ruins.

“The freshest beer I had ever drunk was Taishan draft, but today I changed my mind.”

The man’s fingers gripping the cup were thick at the joints, and he sat back-to-back with an old man wearing a red-star military cap inside the brewery.

“Attention all Esteemed Walkers, a Yan Fu Esteemed Walker has perished.”

“Whoa, someone’s dead already? Hey old man, is there any more of this booze?”

“Yes, I’ll get you some.”

The old man got up shakily, stirring up a lot of dust with each step.

The factory’s equipment was long decayed, a rat shattered a spider’s web and scurried away swiftly with its legs tucked beneath.

“Thanks, old man, then shall we…”

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the man’s bluish stubbly chin.

“Let’s drink before fighting.”

…

North New Bridge Ancient Well on Dongzhimen Streetn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Little girl, the Dragon King has sent a great flood, hurry up, I’ll hold it back…”

The girl reached out her hand and grasped a dragon-patterned large saber, over two meters long and yet she instinctively took several steps back.

The girl seemed to be just fifteen or sixteen years old, about a middle schooler’s age, not even two-thirds as tall as the saber.

Murky yellow water churned incessantly in the well, a wide iron chain covered in red rust stretched straight out from the well, pulled by a man in ragged clothes with a tiger’s build and bear’s waist, his voice trembling as he hauled on the chain, muscles bulging all over as he strained against it.

“Better to mind my own business…”

The girl pondered leaving, turning around only to find herself facing the same well, the same man, and the same phrase.

“Little girl, the Dragon King has sent a great flood, hurry up, I’ll hold it back…”

The woman turned around again with a dark face.

“Little girl, the Dragon King has sent a great flood…”

The girl thought for a moment, put away the dragon-patterned saber, and approached the sweating man. Her delicate palm grasped the chain.

“Old man, at your age you can’t even pull up an iron chain, go home and eat shit. Move over.”

Her slender arm lifted, and the chain rattled rapidly, lightning split the red smog, and the clear cry of a dragon resounded through the heavens.

…

Shuanghe Sheng Five-star Brewery’s malt sugar room

North New Bridge Ancient Well on Dongzhimen Street

No. 81 Chaonei Hutong

Xisi North Street National Protection Double Guan Di Temple Houses

And those weren’t the only places…

Red smoke scorched the night sky, and from time to time, fierce howls pierced the silence of the tranquil Yan Capital City.