They lingered in the dim hush of the inn's corner for only a heartbeat before rising again. The traveler's tale dripped in exaggeration and horror, yet how easily this evil could ran rampant in border villages was shocking to say the least.
Leng Yue threw a glance toward the window, where the night's wind stirred rotting leaves across the street. Shadows darted through the periphery, as though spying on them.
Li Wei touched the coin still in his palm, feeling its weight. He stepped lightly to the door, pressing it closed softly behind them. "Let us go for a walk," he whispered. "Better to see with our own eyes then listen to hearsay."
They slipped into the street. The inn's lantern glowed behind them, faint and flickering. The cold air seemed sharper now, as though it carried half‑heard sighs. The village slept soundly, but this was not the case for the entire populace.
