Chapter 2: Chapter 1 – As the sun disappeared the screaming began.

“Ai, come help me with the supplies, we still have a lot more to do today!”.

“Sorry, Sorry, I’m here now,” I said, grabbing the handles of the cart.

“Ready?” Asked Jing looking at me struggling to hold the cart.

“Yes…I hope at least.” I said pushing forward with all my strength to move the cart toward the entrance of the village.

Traveling caravans was the life I had found myself after my father's death six years ago and honestly…I enjoyed doing this job. I could travel all over Zhongguo and see all five kingdoms and various villages. Although back-breaking work it was, it made me quite strong…although this cart is taking a certain amount of energy out of me.

“What’s in this cart, Jing? I know all the other ones are for the markets and farmers but what is this one for?” I asked right before taking one large deep breath then moving forward even more.

“I think…hm…I think it might be weapons. Some collector that lives in the village collects ancient weapons.” Said Jing looking behind her at all the other workers as she spoke.

“Hm, wonder if there is any used war weaponry in there?” I said to myself.

Within ten minutes of bearable suffering, the doors of the village opened to all of us. The large doors may have been made of wood but the walls were made of red stone. Villages in today's times were either mini cities or small places in the middle of nowhere with only a few people living in them. Guess this place was the former.

For a few minutes, I got to take everything in. The sight of the men and women working at the marketplace stalls, the children running around, and various people practicing qigong near a small area surrounded by trees. And yet surprisingly the first place on our list was the collectors home. Their home stood tall yet not too tall as its structure was made of old wood. People would easily mistake this home to be abandoned on the outside if it weren’t for the fact it was near many of the homes in the village.

Then again, maybe it was just old, not abandoned…too early to judge.

“Alright Ai, time to go inside one of these homes and tell the person living here there large supply of weapons here. And that’s one thing off our carriages…Donghai! I swear to the heavens stop flirting with girls you have no chance with!” Said Jing distracted by the other caravan workers.

As I walked towards the door of the home a strange sense of uneasiness came over me. A feeling that I shouldn’t enter this strange-looking home…

“Eh…fuck it,” I said knocking on the door only for it to open slowly.

“Hello? Anyone home?” I said walking inside the dark and decrepit-looking home.

The furniture filled with cobwebs with the kitchen even being covered in mold. The smell reeked of something old and forgotten with a hint of rotting meat. The only light visible was the sunlight coming from the open door. And the more I looked around the home the more I could tell there was no one else around. This house really was abandoned!

“Was this really some kind of stupid JOKE!?! Are you kidding me!” I said ready to storm off right before…

SLAM!

…the door shut.

“Hey! This isn’t funny! If your going to be playing a sick joke on me at least show me your face!” I said shouting at the top of my lungs as I raised my fist.

“Well aren’t you annoying one.” Said the voice of an older-sounding woman coming from some direction I couldn’t see.

“Excuse me! Show yourself Old hag!” I said looking everywhere around me for any kind of sign that someone was there yet all I could hear was a voice with nobody in the darkness.

“Ai Yang, you surely have a long way to go don’t you? Many things will happen, many things will be taken and many achievements shall be cultivated.”

“What is this nonsense you speak of?” I said now punching in every direction yet I felt nothing but the air on my fist with every strike.

“But know this Ai Yang, for your beginning journey now, the only way you can succeed in your goals is if you let people in. Let them into your life and hold tight, for you see…the world can be cruel.” Said the old woman's voice as the door opened again to the outside.

“Don’t keep that bastard Lixin waiting…and make him suffer!” Said the old woman's voice as it slowly faded away.

As I left the house the door slammed shut the moment my full body was outside the door. 

“What In the heavens was that all about?” I said right before noticing that someone was right next to me.

“Are you here to deliver the weapons from the caravan?” Said a short old man wearing green robes with no hair besides white facial hair.

“Yeah…but…I…” I said right before being cut off by the old man.

“Splendid! My home is right next to this abandoned one here. Let me show you the way.” Said the old man as he grabbed my hand leading me to his home.

“Your…home…what?” I said more confused than at any other time in my life.

“Yes, my home. Did you think my home was that abandoned one back there young one?” Said the old man stopping right at the front of a well-kept home that was only a few steps from that old home.

“I must have…have been confused…sorry Elder,” I said right as the old man let go of my hand.

“Well then, now that you know where I live you can deliver my goods.”

“Will do…will do.” 

What was that all about? And how did that person know my name? Why did…you know what… it's better I don’t know.

…

“And that should be all Elder, all your weapons have been stored in the room you told me to deliver to,” I said wiping the sweat off my forehead.

It may not have been a particularly hot day today but with the moving of heavy weapons the job had been done. Now I could go back to Jing and finally move on to the rest of the delivery for today.

“Thank you young one. But before you leave my home I have a gift for you.” The old man got up from his chair and made his way toward a large box near his wall.

His house wasn’t the largest, in fact, it was quite small except for that room with all the weapons. The walls were made of both wood and stone with various parts of the house painted red and yellow. And yet near one of the walls was the sight of a long and large wooden box. And it was a gift for me?

“As a gift of gratitude, I bestow upon you this.” Said the old man opening the box revealing…revealing…are you serious right now?

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“A sword? Thank you elder but that is quite a large gift for me to take…”

“Nonsense. Take it. It is yours till the day you no longer need it.” Said the old man right before leaving the room with me completely awestruck at this random gift.

Well then again, this man probably gives weapons like money with the amount he collects. So I guess this isn’t too weird…or is it?

Today is just a weird day in general.

But the sword look pretty cool the more I looked out as I walked out of the home. 

A black scabbard with a medium-sized sword with a sliced tip. Not only that but this felt lighter than any of the other weapons I carried today into this old man’s home.

Guess I have no choice but to keep it.

Or sell it.

But then again, I really like it. It feels right in the hands. Almost like it belongs to me.

“Ai! Over here! You done delivering all those weapons?” Said Jing waving to me from the entrance of a random inn.

“Yeah, I am? Where’s the rest of the caravan? Did you really get all of the deliveries done already?” I said walking towards the inn nearby.

“Nearly, all but three packages need to be delivered but everyone was hungry so we came here to eat. Come join us.” Said Jing motioning me to enter the inn.

“I could go for some food right now…and some tea. Those weapons were incredibly heavy.” I said entering the inn next to Jing.

Jing, my boss and a very kind mature woman…as long as she didn’t catch you slacking on the job that was. Her long brown hair often complimented her freckles with her tall imposing figure as she always kept her shoulders upright. Too many people saw her be scary that no man on the caravan ever asked her out. 

I mean I did ask her out a year ago but was met with no but a bizarre no.

“I’m sorry Ai, it’s not that I don’t find you beautiful but…I see you like a niece.”

Heh. At least she wasn’t mad and didn’t fire me.

But still, even If I couldn’t be with her at least I could admire her beauty from afar.

“Everyone! Ai has returned, make room for her.” Said Jing motioning to the men and women of the caravan to make room.

“Ai. Over here. Saved you a seat.” Said Bolin Motioning to me to sit next to Chao and him.

“Thanks, I’m guessing by the looks of you two that you had to deal with the food stock…especially with the smell of meat, you smell like Bolin…Ew,” I said taking a seat right beside both of them.

“Well, Dumb Shit over here didn’t realize that the pig was still leaking blood and now…he smells like shit.” Said Chao taking a sip of his tea.

“Shut Up Chao, last I checked weren’t you the one that spilled all the radishes in front of the farmer when he handed you the package.” Said Bolin giving Chao a grin with a raise of the eyebrow.

“And, that was one and done. At least I don’t smell.” Said Chao finishing his tea.

“Well…that’s…sigh…nevermind…hey, whatcha got there Ai?” Said Bolin looking at the sword near me.

“This…you wouldn’t believe it. Had to deliver what felt like a hundred weapons to this old man who collects them. As a gift, he gave me this…”

“Wow…old man gave you a cultivator’s sword. Hm. Strange. Haven’t seen one of those in years.” Said Chao feeling the scabbard and nodding his head.

“What do you know about Cultivation? Weren’t your parent's farmers?” Said Bolin looking at Chao with a look of intrigue.

“Well, they used to be farmers for a sect, old man even stole some scrolls on how to cultivate. But that all changed when the heavenly reckoning took away people on the earth realms ability of apotheosis. Most if not all immortals stayed in the heavens and haven’t returned. This means people don’t practice cultivation except for a few, because why would they if they couldn’t become immortals.” Said Chao refilling his tea cup.

“So what does that mean for Ai’s little gift here?” Said Bolin poking the sword's handle.

“Just means she got a regular sword. Nothing fancy. Besides? Not like she’ll need it to fight cultivators anytime soon…”

SCREEEEEEEECH!

“ERGH! What is that sound!” I proclaimed putting my hands over my ears.

“Outside…what in the heavens is happening outside!?!” Said Bolin lowering his hand once the screeching stopped.

“Just what the fuck was that…” Said Chao getting up from the seat to look out the window.

“Uhhhhhhh…guys, why is it getting darker In here when it's midday,” I said looking around me to see that it was no longer bright but rather dimly lit red.

As people began to get up from their seats to look outside all I could think to do was grab my sword and look outside. With everyone either crowding around the windows or leaving the inn all of us could see one thing and hear another.

The Sun had been blocked by the moon.

And the only thing we could hear…

…were screams.

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