Volume 1: Red Rain at the Third Watch
Chapter 1: Nan Ke
As the setting sun gradually sank, the evening glow, like a blossoming crimson flame, ignited the treetops outside the bridal chamber window into orange-red torches.
Li Nan Ke sat leisurely in an old armchair facing away from the window, his gaze fixed on the young woman on the bed.
To be precise, the young woman was tied to the bed.
The young woman's name was Lin Jiao Yue, just past her prime, and the apple of Landlord Lin's eye.
As a renowned landlord and wealthy gentleman in Dongqi County, Landlord Lin not only possessed enviable wealth but also a concubine as beautiful as a celestial being.
And this daughter was born to him and his concubine—the former top courtesan of Xiang Hua House, Mei Xing Er.
Having inherited her mother's looks, she was naturally stunning.
Even more captivating than her mother, her enchanting eyes, with a single glance, could send one's soul soaring.
Li Nan Ke had heard of this young woman's beauty when he first arrived in Dongqi County.
Today, upon seeing her, she truly was a celestial being.
And so,
She was tied to the bed.
"Awake yet..."
In the quiet bridal chamber, the man's voice was somewhat low.
Gazing at the man in the dim shadows, his presence exuding a chilling pressure, the young woman's delicate body trembled uncontrollably. Her captivating almond eyes, wide with tears, and her delicate face were pale with fear.
However, because her mouth was gagged with a red cloth, she could only make muffled "wu wu" sounds.
She didn't understand why she was here when she woke up.
Even less did she know who the man in front of her was, or how he had captured her.
After all, since that incident, she had been staying at home, not daring to step out of the courtyard, and her father had even spent a fortune to hire two Divine Fist Sect cultivators to guard the house.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a good person anyway."
Li Nan Ke picked up the slightly cold tea and gently comforted the frightened young woman.
Dressed in a bright red groom's outfit, he was like a silhouette frozen in the glow of the setting sun through the window, appearing particularly unreal.
"I apologize for inviting you here in this manner. Oh right, let me introduce myself first..."
The man took a sip of tea and said seriously, "My name is Yan Shuang Ying."
Yan Shuang Ying?
The young woman was naturally unfamiliar with this name. Seeing the man suddenly get up and walk towards her, her heart tightened, and she struggled with all her might in fear.
But she didn't know what kind of rope technique he had used to bind her; except for her head, even moving her limbs was difficult.
This strange way of being tied made her feel particularly ashamed.
"Of course, you don't know what this name represents."
Li Nan Ke slowly walked to the bedside, gazing closely at the panicked and terrified beautiful young woman, a gentle smile on his lips.
The man was very handsome.
At least in Lin Jiao Yue's eyes, he was a very, very handsome man.
Tall and slender, he was strikingly handsome.
Under the candlelight, his well-defined face seemed to be bathed in a faint, hazy, and radiant glow, exuding an air of mystery.
The young woman couldn't help but feel a ripple in her heart.
But when she thought of her current predicament, the blush that had surfaced on her cheeks was immediately replaced by paleness. Her gentle eyes welled up with tears as she looked pleadingly at him.
She only hoped that this handsome man was merely after wealth, not her virtue.
But if he insisted on taking her virtue, then she could only resign herself to fate.
The only thing that gave her a little comfort was that the bandit who was robbing her was not the kind of ugly, pockmarked man described in the novels.
At least psychologically, the resistance wouldn't be too great.
"What if I said... I'm saving you, would you believe me?"
Li Nan Ke spoke as he pulled out a delicate flintlock pistol from his bosom and placed it on the table beside him.
The pistol still retained a slight residual warmth.
This flintlock pistol, manufactured by the Divine Mechanism Sect, had been modified with Cold Flame Iron, giving it extremely strong killing power. Not only could it fire three shots in succession, but it also abandoned the conventional round lead bullets in favor of pointed copper bullets with explosive power.
Saving me?
The young woman was startled, her eyes filled with suspicion.
If it had been earlier, she wouldn't have believed it at all. But now, seeing his handsome appearance, her heart wavered a little.
After all, good looks equaled justice!
Seeing the man sit down on the bed, the young woman's delicate body suddenly tensed up.
Fortunately, he didn't make any excessive moves, and Lin Jiao Yue's heart settled slightly. But inadvertently catching sight of the red wedding dress on her body, she couldn't help but wonder who had put it on her.
If it was this man beside her, then wouldn't that mean—
The young woman's milky white cheeks gradually turned crimson, her heart filled with a mixture of fear and shyness, and tears unconsciously overflowed from her eyes.
This pitiful appearance would make anyone's heart ache.
"Before we consummate the marriage, let's talk about business first."
Li Nan Ke began in a low voice.
"Four days ago, on the fourth of August, you went to the Dustless Temple with Shopkeeper Wan's daughter, Wan Ying Ying, from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, and Scholar Wen's younger sister, Wen Jin Er, to offer incense and pray. The three of you have always had a good relationship, practically bosom friends... uh, that is, good sisters.”
“After leaving the temple that day, the three of you went to Cuihong Mountain to play. Unfortunately, you encountered a demonic creature. This demonic creature appeared in Yun City half a month ago and has not been caught by the Night Patrol..."
Hearing the man suddenly bring up this matter, Lin Jiao Yue's face was filled with bewilderment.
Immediately afterward, the memories she least wanted to recall in her life, like a swarm of bees, stung her heart, and her face turned pale again.
Li Nan Ke continued, "The ferocious demonic creature wanted to violate you. At that time, you were in a remote mountain area, and there was no one else to save you. The three of you fled in panic, and in the process, Wen Jin Er was unfortunately caught and killed on the spot.”
“You and Wan Ying Ying, in extreme fear, blindly fled to a cliff. Facing the pursuing demonic creature, the two of you had no way out and had to jump off the cliff.”
“You were lucky. You were caught by a branch when you fell and only injured your leg.”
“But Wan Ying Ying wasn't so lucky. Although she survived, her spine was severely fractured, and she could only lie paralyzed in bed... and has been unconscious ever since."
The young woman's slender body trembled even more violently, her delicate fists clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Hot tears dripped onto the bedsheets.
In her tear-filled eyes, there was both fear and hatred for the demonic creature, and also guilt towards her friends.
If she had insisted on not going to Cuihong Mountain after praying at the temple, the nightmare that followed would not have happened.
"I have some bad news for you."
Li Nan Ke suddenly leaned down, his cheek almost touching hers, his deep, magnetic voice gently vibrating against her thin, almost translucent ear.
"Last night, Wan Ying Ying died, killed by the demonic creature."
Lin Jiao Yue's eyes widened in shock, staring blankly at the man.
It seemed she was completely stunned by the news, to the point that she didn't even react when Li Nan Ke removed the red cloth gagging her mouth.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you this."
Li Nan Ke sighed.
"Based on past cases, it's very likely that the demonic creature has fixated on you. You might be its next target."
"Me!?"
The young woman's body shook violently, her head buzzing.
The man's words undoubtedly dragged her into an endless darkness, enveloped by boundless fear and coldness.
She hated the terrifying demonic creature and felt guilty for her friends.
But she was even more afraid of death.
Li Nan Ke gently stroked the modified flintlock pistol and said calmly,
"That's why I'm here. If I'm not mistaken, the demonic creature will come for you tonight. Whether you live to see tomorrow depends on whether I can successfully repel it."
The man's statement, coupled with his good looks, was very convincing.
But what the young woman didn't understand was, if you're here to save me, why tie me up in this strange place?
And dress me in a wedding gown?
Seemingly sensing Lin Jiao Yue's confusion, Li Nan Ke smiled.
"Since ancient times, rescuing a damsel in distress has never been easy, especially when dealing with a demonic creature. If I fail to save you, we'll both become ghost mandarin ducks tonight. If I risk my life to save you, it's only right that you pledge yourself to me, isn't it?"
"You... you're overbearing!"
Lin Jiao Yue's cheeks flushed red, a mixture of shame and anger, her heart pounding.
What kind of rescue was this, forcibly demanding a reward?
But thinking that if a ferocious demonic creature really came to take her life, could this seemingly not very strong mysterious man withstand it?
"Since you can't pledge yourself to me, what benefit can I get?"
Li Nan Ke shook his head.
"Money, I'm not interested in for now. Power, your Lin family can't give me that either. So besides you, the great beauty Lin, what else is worth me risking my life for?"
Faced with the man's 'blatant confession,' Lin Jiao Yue lowered her charming almond eyes, her long, thick, black eyelashes fluttering like fans.
There were many young talents pursuing her, but none were as overbearing as this man in front of her.
This gave her a sense of novelty.
If he was truly willing to risk his life to save her, it wouldn't be impossible to...
No, no! What am I thinking!
The young woman felt ashamed of her 'shameless' thoughts. After all, she couldn't be sure if what he said was true or false; perhaps it was just a lie to win her favor?
While her thoughts were in turmoil, a shrill scream suddenly came from outside the door!
The abrupt sound was like the roar of a vengeful ghost, instantly shattering the silence. The sky outside the window, dyed by the sunset, also darkened in an instant.
The young woman froze, her delicate body stiff, her face pale, instinctively looking towards Li Nan Ke.
Had the demonic creature really come?
Unlike the young woman's fear, Li Nan Ke seemed not to have heard the ghostly scream outside. He remained calm and collected, even closing his eyes.
The shrill cry drifted through the door and window, penetrating to the bone, making Lin Jiao Yue shiver uncontrollably.
Bang!
The door was slammed open, shattering the '囍' character pasted on it.
[TL/N: The '囍' character symbolizes double happiness and is commonly used in Chinese weddings.]
The young woman looked over in terror and saw a dark figure standing at the door, shrouded in black mist, emitting waves of eerie and sinister ghostly energy.
Although she couldn't see clearly, Lin Jiao Yue could sense the creature's cold eyes greedily sizing her up, as if looking at a prey trapped in a desperate situation.
It felt like the next moment it would pounce on her, tear her to shreds, and chew on her flesh with frenzy.
The dark figure let out a cruel laugh, the sound extremely sharp and grating.
"Demon... demonic creature..."
Lin Jiao Yue's delicate body trembled, looking towards the man for help, her heart pounding like a drum.
Li Nan Ke opened his eyes, but only frowned at the maniacally laughing demonic creature, as if pondering something, his expression without a trace of panic.
In the next second, the dark figure suddenly lunged towards the young woman tied to the bed.
Lin Jiao Yue screamed in fear.
Before the dark figure could get close, the thick, foul-smelling black mist touched the young woman's body.
In an instant, Lin Jiao Yue felt as if her soul was being choked by an invisible force. Intense nausea and dizziness surged through her chest, making her want to vomit.
Li Nan Ke, sitting by the bed, remained indifferent, watching the scene.
He seemed to be trying to discern the true face beneath the black mist.
Even more strangely, the dark figure seemed not to have noticed his presence. Its cruel, blood-red eyes were fixed only on the weak and helpless Lin Jiao Yue.
Only when the young woman's life was truly threatened did Li Nan Ke finally move.
He picked up the flintlock pistol from the table.
The engraved handle of the pistol had been meticulously polished with refined beeswax, gleaming brightly in the dim candlelight, as if stained with blood.
"Hey, do you want to make a bet?"
Li Nan Ke pointed the muzzle of the pistol at the demonic creature, a charming curve on his lips complementing his handsome face.
"Bet on whether there's... a bullet in my gun?"
As the man finished speaking, the demonic creature seemed to finally sense that there was someone else in the room.
It let out an angry roar and instinctively turned to pounce on Li Nan Ke, the decaying and foul smell of death wafting towards him like a venomous snake.
Bang!
A scorching white flame erupted from the muzzle, vanishing in an instant.
Accompanied by an ear-piercing scream, a boiling red burst of blood erupted in the black mist, like wine spilling into the air. Then, the nauseating smell of rotting flesh faded away.
The air fell silent.
The ferocious demonic creature from moments ago had vanished.
Only a thumb-sized white bead remained, falling into Li Nan Ke's hand, which he then pocketed.
Hearing the prolonged silence in the room, Lin Jiao Yue, who had long since closed her eyes in fear, finally mustered the courage to slowly open them.
Discovering that the shadowy demonic creature had disappeared, she couldn't help but be astonished.
What happened?
Where was the demonic creature?
"Alright, I've eliminated the demonic creature. Now it's time to move on to the payment phase," Li Nan Ke said, letting out a breath and proceeding to untie the ropes binding the young woman.
"Eh? You've already killed the demonic creature?"
Lin Jiao Yue's beautiful eyes widened in surprise.
Li Nan Ke raised an eyebrow.
"What? Did you want to see me get killed by the demonic creature?"
"No, no... I mean... how is that possible?"
The young woman's mind was still reeling. She couldn't have imagined that the man in front of her was so powerful, eliminating such a terrifying demonic creature in the blink of an eye.
Could it be that this man was a demon slayer from the Night Patrol?
"This wedding dress suits you very well, though the color is a bit too dark."
After removing the ropes, Li Nan Ke took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away the tear stains left by the young woman's fear, saying with a smile,
"If I have the chance, I'll have a new one made for you. At the very least, we can't let down such a beautiful face."
Looking at the man so close to her, Lin Jiao Yue came back to her senses and hurriedly stepped back, her cheeks burning.
"You... you can't really be thinking..."
The young woman hugged her delicate body with her arms, feeling uneasy.
"Are you going back on your word?"
"No, no, I mean, I never agreed to anything!"
Freed from her restraints, Lin Jiao Yue seemed to have regained some of her courage, biting her lip and stubbornly glaring at the man in front of her.
A young woman's chastity was not something to be taken lightly.
Even if he did save her.
The young woman's lovely expression, a mix of resentment and playful anger, made Li Nan Ke chuckle. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright, alright, I'm just teasing you. I'm already married, so naturally I wouldn't philander with other women. Otherwise, my wife would kill me."
"You're already married?"
The man's words made Lin Jiao Yue freeze in place, then she lowered her head, feeling a sense of inexplicable disappointment.
So he was already a married man...
"Oh right, let me give you a flower as a gift for our first and last encounter."
The man said, conjuring a rose-colored flower out of thin air and offering it to the young woman.
The flower had a captivating fragrance, and its vibrant petals had delicate veins, as if covered with a layer of shimmering light, making it breathtakingly beautiful.
"It's so beautiful! What kind of flower is this?"
The young woman's eyes lit up with delight as she carefully held the flower in her hands, its beauty complementing her delicate face.
Li Nan Ke raised the flintlock pistol and smiled faintly.
"A blooming head."
Bang!
He pulled the trigger, and crimson blood exploded from the young woman's forehead.