The sky was faintly lit, morning mist gently cloaking the land.
It was just past the Grain Full season, when, as the old saying went, "Grain Full, Grain Full, wheat swells but not yet ripe." North of the great river, winter wheat drank deep, kernels fattening but not ready for the sickle—a time the farmers called "Grain Full."
In the Guanzhong Plain, where centuries of war, blood, and clashing steel had scarred the land, only echoes remained, buried in the yellow earth's furrows. Now, the dawn breeze danced through waves of wheat, scattering dewdrops with a gentle rustle.
White Deer Plain, Li Family Village.
In the fields outside the village, two youths walked slowly.
The one behind was lean and capable, dressed in coarse black cloth, short jacket, with leggings wrapped tightly, a long spear with a wooden handle slung over his shoulder.
His skin was dark, and a slight smile revealed a mouth full of big white teeth.
This was the mark of years laboring in the fields.
Farm children, from a young age, followed adults to the fields, coming in wind, going in rain, sweating three pounds under the sun—being tanned was only natural.
The one in front was noticeably taller, with a straight posture, fair skin, and refined features, his hair casually tied in a bun.
Wearing the same black cloth outfit and leggings, he carried a bow on his back and a sword at his waist.
This youth wasn't strikingly handsome, just refined in features, but his eyes were particularly striking.
His eye corners were long and narrow, the standard phoenix eyes, but his dark pupils were like suspended pearls. Meeting his gaze, one could feel a piercing chill, faintly exuding authority.
This was called dragon pupils, also known as dragon eyes. The Classic of Observing People says: "Dragon pupils, their spirit unmatched in the world, their radiance still as a mysterious pearl, serene like the calm of autumn's cold pool water, a marvel among men."
Phoenix eyes with dragon pupils were an even rarer trait.
The youth was named Li Yan, not a person of this world.
Walking between the field ridges, he couldn't help but gently stroke the wheat ears, feeling their plump grains. His eyes narrowed, the chilling gleam fading, and a smile curved his lips.
The wheat before him was all planted by his own hands.
Since arriving in this world, Li Yan had initially struggled to adapt, but as the dazzling lights of his past life faded from memory, he grew accustomed to this life.
The earth could embrace all things.
Rising with the sun, resting at sunset, the restlessness and impatience of his past life had been buried by this yellow earth, washed away by the joy of each harvest.
"Brother Yan," the dark, lean youth behind him broke his thoughts, looking around and saying, "Blind Third might've run off already. Let's head back."
Li Yan glanced back, "Coward, not avenging Second Lass?"
"What kinda talk is that!" The dark youth, as if his tail was stepped on, flushed red, stiffening his neck. "Second Lass is my sister. If I don't avenge this grudge, I, Black Egg, will pluck a hair from my balls and strangle myself!"
"It's just, 'chickens roost, wolves eat kids; noon comes, wolves revel.' We don't go out at night, don't roam at noon—how're we supposed to find it this early?"
"Spouting fancy words, you planning to test for scholar or what?" Li Yan cursed, looking toward the distant mountains, shaking his head. "Blind Third ain't your average wolf…"
In Guanzhong, wolf troubles had persisted since ancient times.
Especially these past two years, something stirred in the Qinling Mountains. Fierce wolves emerged, descending to the plains to wreak havoc.
These wolves were larger, fiercer, and more cunning than before.
They didn't just harm livestock; they preferred eating children.
"Chickens roost" meant dusk, "noon comes" meant midday.
"Chickens roost, wolves eat kids; noon comes, wolves revel" meant wolves were most active at these times.
Some might wonder, nighttime makes sense, but why would wolves dare enter villages at noon?
They didn't know that farmers, laboring from dawn to dusk, avoided the midday heat. Wolves took advantage, striking then.
These wolves were cunning, sneaking in while adults napped, quietly snatching children from the middle, called "pulling garlic shoots."
They'd even hide in wheat fields, whimpering like crying babies. Curious children entering the fields would be snatched away.
"Blind Third" was one such wolf from the Qinling Mountains.
It was a size larger than others.
These two years, villages in White Deer Plain set traps to fend off wolves. Blind Third, new to the area, fell into a trap, blinded in one eye, and bore a grudge, targeting Li Family Village.
Multiple hunts failed to catch it.
Thus, the name "Blind Third" spread.
Some said this wolf, unlike others, grew up in Zhongnan Mountain, gaining spiritual energy and some mystical prowess.
Others, in fear, even proposed building a shrine to appease it, stopped only by the Li clan leader.
In short, "Blind Third" had become a terror in Li Family Village.
Every summer harvest, wolf troubles peaked.
Second Lass, Black Egg's sister, was just two years old. Her parents, fearing it unsafe to leave her home while working the fields, carried her along.
Mid-work, for convenience, they placed her at the field's edge.
The edge was near the main road, with villagers passing by, thought to be safe.
But in a blink, Blind Third darted out, snatched Second Lass, and fled.
Li Family Village folks chased miles with sickles and hoes, but when they found her, only a tattered, bloody bundle remained.
Black Egg's mother wept inconsolably; his father, hot-tempered, rallied clansmen to search the mountains for days, finding nothing.
Some advised, since it was a girl and harvest was busy, to let it go.
But Black Egg couldn't forget, seeking Li Yan's help.
Li Yan, determined to end the menace, devised a plan.
He figured Blind Third was cunning, perhaps not striking at dusk or noon but at dawn when people slept deepest. So, these past days, he and Black Egg rose two hours early to search.
Yet, after days, not a single wolf hair was found.
This made Li Yan doubt his judgment.
As they spoke, the horizon showed a fish-belly white, the winding mountains dark against it, and smoke rose from Li Family Village.
"Let's go," Li Yan said, gripping his sword hilt, shaking his head. "We'll try again tomorrow."
Black Egg, though disappointed, nodded.
Guanzhong kids had a stubborn streak. He'd decided: until Blind Third was killed, this wasn't over.
They avoided the main road, heading to the village via the hillside.
Black Egg had snuck out, needing to slip back over the village's back wall before his parents noticed, or he'd be grounded.
The closer to the village, the quieter Black Egg grew.
Li Yan glanced at him. "What's up?"
Black Egg mumbled, "In a few days, Dad's taking me to be a wheat reaper."
Li Yan frowned. "Your family's fields aren't enough? Why go out?"
Black Egg said, "Dad says last year, Tianjin and Jiangnan opened factories. Young folks left for money, so the plains are short-handed."
"This year, big bosses promised good pay. Dad wants me to join, save money for a wife."
Wheat reapers were an old trade.
In Guanzhong, due to climate, wheat ripened from south to north, west to east.
"Three wheat harvests don't match one autumn; three autumns don't match one wheat rush." When Grain in Ear came, reaping wheat was like waging war.
Though Guanzhong's climate was dry and hot with little rain, the Dragon King might sneeze.
Wheat feared rain; wet grains sprouted or molded.
A saying went: "Reaping wheat is like fighting fire, snatching grain from the dragon's mouth."
So, every harvest, people roamed Guanzhong, reaping wheat for food or pay, called wheat reapers.
In the past, pay was low. Generous bosses fed them white flour buns, earning gratitude.
In bad years, even coarse cakes were scarce, let alone wages.
Still, wheat reapers never stopped.
Simple reason: eating others' grain saved their own.
Life was hard; selling strength was nothing.
Li Yan knew Black Egg didn't fear work. He feared that after the harvest, Blind Third would flee elsewhere or back to Qinling, leaving the matter unresolved.
Patting Black Egg's shoulder, Li Yan said earnestly, "Don't worry. It took your chicken, like taking a deposit. Blind Third's done for, I swear."
"Brother Yan, I trust you!" Black Egg nodded seriously.
In Guanzhong's eight hundred miles of Qin Plain, the spirit of wandering heroes ran deep.
Even now, Guanzhong swordsmen kept their word.
Li Yan's father was a famed swordsman in Guanzhong.
Many in the village believed Li Yan would follow his path.
As if relieved, Black Egg looked to the distant mountains, eyes gleaming with longing. "Heard last year's apprentices sent money home…"
"Brother Yan, what's beyond those mountains?"
Li Yan scoffed, "What else? More mountains, more people."
Before he finished, his face shifted. He pressed Black Egg down, sniffed the air, and whispered, "Black Egg, smell anything?"
Black Egg sniffed, puzzled. "Nope."
Li Yan said no more, his face growing grim.
In the fields, strange tales abounded: "ghost blinding," "spirit encounters," "tiger granny."
The village had little entertainment. Only during festivals or temple fairs would the clan hire Chang'an theater troupes, drawing crowds from miles around.
On ordinary evenings, under old trees, elders' tales were children's pastime, passed down generations.
Those stories included lords and generals but were often wild and bizarre.
Some swore by them, claiming such things happened in some village, though never seen firsthand.
Others laughed them off as nonsense.
But Li Yan vaguely felt some might be true.
A year ago, his sense of smell changed, becoming unnaturally sharp, catching scents others couldn't.
Like the village's Earth God temple, even without incense, he smelled a faint burning.
Or Widow Wang's house, where he caught incense mixed with a foul stench…
Now, he smelled something else.
Foul, cold, tinged with blood.
He'd smelled this stench when they found Second Lass's remains…