"You're relying too much on brute strength," said the elder.
“Ugh… ngh…” the one on the ground groaned.
"Your skills are still not enough for your first mission," the elder continued.
"This isn’t what was promised! Why is the guild making me do this?" the younger one demanded.
"Promised? Those foxes never keep their word. From the moment you joined, your fate was sealed—you were destined to be their pawn." The elder extended his hand and pulled the younger one to his feet.
On a night where the full moon hung high, willows lined the edge of a garden pond, their fluffy seeds drifting through the air with the breeze. Within a small pavilion nestled among the trees, three scholar-officials were enjoying wine and merriment.
“Like the willows rising with the wind…” mused one of them, dressed in a green collared robe and wearing a square-shaped kerchief on his head. “I was born in Lingnan, and before taking this post, I’d never seen a sight like this. I used to think that phrase referred to willow leaves dancing in the wind.”
“You’ve served here in Jin (Shanxi) for some time now. You must be used to the environment by now, right?” said another man, also wearing a square kerchief and dressed in a white right-fastening robe.
“There are still things I can’t get used to,” replied the man in green. “Like that dispute caused by the Luoyang guild—there was no easy way to settle it.”
“You argued about it with your legal advisor for quite a while, didn’t you?” added the third, clad in a blue collared robe. “The Luoyang merchants have too much power. Offending them is a real hassle.”
“Well, they tried to forcibly buy a huge tract of land to build a brick kiln. That’s far too domineering. It would crush the livelihoods of the existing brickmakers…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a loud commotion erupted in the distance. Guards rushed toward the source of the noise. The officials turned their eyes toward the disturbance.
Under the moonlight, they saw it clearly—two figures leapt clean over the courtyard wall. The scholar-officials stared in stunned silence as the intruders sprinted straight toward them.
No… these weren’t ordinary men.
Though they had the form of humans, the closer they came, the more distinct their heads became—wolf heads, not human.
One of the attackers threw a disc-like object attached to a rope—it looked like a wide-brimmed hat. The weapon wrapped around the head of the official in white. With a sharp pull of the rope, the official’s skull was crushed inside the brim. Blood gushed out.
Panic erupted.
The disc was retracted back into the hand of the hulking man with the wolf face. The other assailant, younger and similarly wolf-like, arrived moments later and aimed a crossbow at the remaining men. His first shot embedded itself in a nearby pillar. He quickly reloaded and fired again, this time striking the forehead of the man in blue.
The green-robed official tried to flee, but after only a few steps, the wolf-faced brute caught him, twisted his leg until it broke, and left him writhing on the ground in agony.
Then the brute released him, letting the man collapse on the ground.
“Do it,” he said to the younger crossbow wielder.
The boy hesitated for a few seconds.
Then, with a trembling hand—a hand marked with a fox tattoo on the wrist—he pulled the trigger.
CHIANG, SHUN-JEN felt, even in his sleep, that someone was carrying him and running.
Then the footsteps gradually slowed and came to a stop. He thought he could hear the person carrying him speaking to someone else. He felt something slide into the sleeve of his robe. Then he was laid down.
The floor beneath him swayed gently.
But he still couldn’t wake up.
He kept repeating to himself—wake up, wake up—trying to will his body into consciousness.
Little by little, his eyelids lifted. He saw a sail above him. Beneath the sail, a ship cabin. Sitting beside him, watching him intently, was LI, SHIH-LIANG.
“Thank goodness, you’re finally awake, YUNG-JEN,” LI said.
CHIANG glanced around. It looked like they were aboard a ship. He reached toward his sleeve and asked, “Why are we here…? Wait, where is my silver?”
LI replied, “We’ve escaped the pursuers. We’re now aboard a canal cargo ship, heading north. As for your money… I’m sorry. Since you weren’t waking up, I took the liberty of using it to buy our passage.”
A faint irritation stirred in CHIANG’s heart—his money had been used without his permission. But after thinking about it, he realized LI must have had no choice.
“It’s fine,” CHIANG said.
LI smiled gratefully. “I only had enough to get us as far as Jining Prefecture in Shandong. After that, we’ll have to disembark. YUNG-JEN, do you have any other money?”
“Let me check,” CHIANG said. “Where’s my bag?”
LI’s face darkened. He pointed to the side.
The bag sat next to a disc-shaped object—it looked like the weapon LI had snatched from their pursuers earlier. The bag was completely torn apart.
Panic rising, CHIANG frantically searched its contents. Aside from a few books and personal items, everything else was gone.
LI looked troubled. “The bag got damaged during the ambush. That’s why it’s like that now.”
CHIANG’s hands trembled. He reached into his sleeve and managed to retrieve a few pieces of silver. He then searched the ruined bag again, looking for the note needed to redeem silver at a ticket hall—but it was nowhere to be found.
Now all he had left were the Four Books with commentaries and a handful of belongings.
It wasn’t enough for both of them to reach the capital.
The two sat in silence for a while.
Then LI said, “I’ll try talking to the shipmaster. Maybe he’ll let me work to earn our fare.”
But CHIANG stopped him.
“I’ll negotiate with the shipmaster. I’m a tribute student—perhaps my status will persuade him more easily.”
CHIANG, SHUN-JEN walked into the ship’s main cabin. There were only a few passengers inside; most of the space was packed with large burlap sacks filled with cargo.
He approached a sailor and said, “I am a tribute student. May I see the shipmaster?”
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The sailor led him over and explained his status to the shipmaster.
CHIANG immediately knelt down and said, “Please, allow my companion and me to work. We need to reach the capital and are in desperate need of travel funds.”
The shipmaster was startled by CHIANG’s sudden gesture. He quickly helped him up and said, “As it happens, I’ve been troubled lately by the lack of labor. There’s too much cotton cargo to move. Why don’t I let your companion help?”
Looking into CHIANG’s sincere expression, the shipmaster gave a carefree smile and asked, “Can you do calculations?”
Over the next few days, CHIANG and LI began working aboard the ship in exchange for wages.
LI, SHIH-LIANG helped carry the cargo, while CHIANG assisted with bookkeeping—recording the goods, number of passengers, and their associated transport fees each day.
One day, when the ship docked at a market town, CHIANG disembarked from the cabin. LI was unloading bags of cotton and carrying up large wooden crates—each requiring two people to lift. Sleeves rolled up, LI worked hard.
At one point, CHIANG happened to glimpse something on LI’s wrist—a tattoo he hadn’t noticed before. It resembled the mark of a beast.
What kind of symbol was that?
More and more questions had been building up in CHIANG’s mind. He thought, I still don’t understand why we were being chased by those armed men. Even if LI had escaped from some landlord’s estate, would they really send such heavily armed people to recapture a servant?
And why had the entire street, himself included, fallen unconscious? He didn’t recall any unusual scent or substance that could have caused such a thing. The weapons their pursuers used—he had never seen anything like them. LI had managed to seize one… did that mean he knew how to use it?
Most disturbing of all—he remembered clearly that the man chasing them had the head of a fox and claws like a beast’s paw. It was something out of a tale of demons and spirits…
And LI himself—his strength far exceeded that of an ordinary person. Could it be…?
CHIANG decided he had to ask LI directly.
That night, after dinner, he approached the corner where LI sat and said, “Let’s talk outside.”
They walked to the stern of the ship. The river’s calm surface reflected the moonlight, casting a tranquil glow. The peacefulness of it all made one feel like they could speak from the heart.
CHIANG wasn’t sure how to begin.
So he started with, “Did you know? The sailors on this canal cargo ship mainly make a living by transporting goods. Merchants ship raw materials from their place of origin to market towns. For example, that batch of goods we saw earlier—that cotton came from Shanghai. The merchants pay the shipmaster to have it transported to town, where it’s made into cloth and sold. Isn’t that interesting?”
LI’s expression grew serious.
“You didn’t bring me out here just to talk about cotton shipments, did you?”
CHIANG’s face turned solemn. “I noticed something tattooed on your wrist.”
LI quickly grabbed his wrist and said, “It’s nothing.”
CHIANG continued, “I want to know what you are. You’re not just an ordinary person, are you? And the ones who were chasing us… they weren’t human, right?”
Then he added, “I need to know, or else I can’t keep going to the capital with you.”
LI, SHIH-LIANG replied, “I understand. Then once we disembark, we’ll part ways.”
He turned to leave, but CHIANG quickly grabbed his hand.
“Please… be honest with me. I can share your burden,” CHIANG said, his gaze earnest and unwavering.
LI looked as though he wanted to say something, but he hesitated, then said, “This isn’t something a scholar like you should have to bear.”
“I don’t mind,” CHIANG replied with firm resolve.
Seeing no hesitation in CHIANG’s eyes, LI finally relented. “I’ll tell you everything I know. After you hear it, I won’t blame you if you want nothing more to do with me.”
“Go ahead,” CHIANG said.
LI slowly loosened his grip on his wrist and revealed a tattoo—it was the image of a fox.
He then took off his cap, and his long hair spilled down. CHIANG’s eyes widened in shock when he saw the pair of beast-like ears atop LI’s head…
“My ancestors were the result of a group of alchemists from the Han Dynasty. Obsessed with achieving immortality through elixirs, they used herbs from the southern regions to refine a type of medicine that made people stronger and more resilient.
They sold this medicine to the people of the county, unaware of its dreadful side effects. Those who took it gradually transformed into monsters—becoming like wolves, with humanoid bodies. Their traits were passed down to the next generation. Though they eventually learned how to revert their bodies to human form, they could never hide the prominent animal ears atop their heads.
Because of this, my ancestors were seen as monsters.
As chaos spread at the end of the Han Dynasty, they fled persecution and migrated far to the north, to the remote forests of Changbai Mountain. There, they built a fortified village and lived in isolation. Over the generations, they began calling themselves ‘werewolves,’ and named their village Kenuang, or ‘the village of good hounds.’
Outsiders can’t find our village easily, and we rarely make contact with the outside world.
Until the fox spirits arrived.
They’re an ancient race capable of transforming into foxes and enchanting humans—but their magic doesn’t work on werewolves. They found us and established a trade partnership. They brought in goods and news from the outside world. In return, we gave them ginseng and other mountain products.
I was the youngest son of a farming family. I helped with the fields and went out to harvest ginseng. Later, I worked as a page at the only scholarly household in the village. By sorting their books, I learned to read and came to understand stories from the outside world.
The outside world is vast, ever-changing, and dazzling. I grew increasingly curious and yearned to see it for myself.
Eventually, the fox spirits—who had formed the Luoyang Guild—began recruiting workers from our village. The elders warned us not to go. But I ignored them and accepted their offer.
That was the worst mistake of my life.
The man I mentioned before—Lord Zhang—is a powerful landlord in Luoyang and the head of the Luoyang Guild. He and his people lied to me. They used my werewolf abilities and forced me to become an assassin. They trained me to wield strange weapons—like this hat-shaped weapon called a blade disk. I was sent on missions with other mysterious werewolves to eliminate their enemies.
My hands became soaked in blood.
Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. One night, I escaped from the Luoyang Guild’s headquarters.”
The surface of the canal shimmered with moonlight, but it no longer felt peaceful. Instead, it seemed to conceal dark and terrifying secrets.
CHIANG, SHUN-JEN listened silently.
Then, without a word, he turned and walked back to the cabin.
That night, CHIANG sat alone in the cabin at the bow of the ship, working on the account books. The shipmaster approached and said, “Business has been good lately. Some merchants regularly ship indigo from Lingnan in large wooden crates to Jining. We’ve carried quite a lot…”
He paused mid-sentence and looked closely at CHIANG’s face.
“Maybe I could give you two a little bonus… What’s wrong? You don’t look well,” the shipmaster asked.
—
Who am I?
Am I a righteous man or a hypocrite?
Who am I?
Who am I?
When I took in that wolf boy, was it out of kindness, or just a way to prove to myself that I’m a good person?
Back in my hometown, oppression was always present. Commoners became tenant farmers after their parents gave up land to the gentry to avoid taxes. The gentry’s servants abused them, and the scholars—so learned in morals and virtue—turned a blind eye.
I hated them for it.
But as the son of a feckless gentryman, I didn’t dare speak up.
Was that filial piety?
Or cowardice?
Am I a good man, or do I just want to appear as one?
Have I only ever done good to show others?
Is this wolf boy a trial sent to test whether I’m truly good?
Now that I’ve encountered something so strange and monstrous—what should I do?
Am I really willing to step into a world of demons and beasts, all just to help one wolf child who wishes to abandon his path of violence?
Who am I?
A righteous man?
Or a fraud?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I?
Who am I...
The next morning, before the sun had risen, LI, SHIH-LIANG stood at the stern of the boat, staring out at the river, pondering how he might return to his village on his own. The water was dark and cold, sending chills down his spine.
CHIANG, SHUN-JEN stepped out from the cabin and placed a hand on LI’s shoulder.
“You’re up early. Why not sleep a little longer?” he asked.
“I couldn’t sleep,” LI replied.
“I didn’t sleep well either.”
“Yesterday,” CHIANG began, “why did you say, ‘If you choose to leave me after knowing all this, I won’t blame you,’ instead of just telling me to leave?”
LI remained silent.
“I think… it’s because deep down, you wanted someone to stay by your side,” CHIANG said softly. “I need you. And I think you need me too.”
Yes. We need each other, don’t we?
You need me to provide food and shelter.
And I need you… to prove that my kindness is real—not just something I do for appearances.
CHIANG thought silently.
“I want to visit the Temple of Confucius in Qufu after we reach Jining. Would you mind continuing to carry my things?” CHIANG asked.
LI turned and looked at him.
His eyes slowly softened.
Finally, he smiled.
At that moment, the sun rose and bathed the river in golden light.
“Then I’ll be counting on you to keep making that thick congee for me,” LI said.
The two smiled at each other, then returned to the cabin.
As LI looked at the crates piled beside them, curiosity got the better of him. He pried one open.
Inside were heaps of red leaves.
LI’s expression turned serious.
“CHIANG, YUNG-JEN, what are these?” he asked.
“That’s indigo, used for dyeing clothes,” CHIANG replied.
“I don’t think so. I’ve seen this plant in books back home. It’s red smartweed—Polygonum orientale,” LI said.
“What is that?” CHIANG asked.
“It’s a rare plant. It can be used for blue dye, yes—but it’s also the key ingredient for the elixir,” LI said.
“The one that turns people into werewolves.”
LI continued, “You mentioned merchants use shipping routes to move cotton to processing towns. Well, back in my village, they still refine that elixir. The raw materials are supplied by the Luoyang Guild. They buy it back after processing.”
“Think about it—this plant is nearly unknown to the public. Who else would be buying it in such massive quantities?”
CHIANG’s heart sank.
“The goods are being sent to Jining… You think the Luoyang people will be waiting for them there?”
The two stared at each other.
Neither said a word.
Finally, CHIANG spoke.
“Looks like we’ll need to get off this boat early.”
References
- Ministry of Education, Republic of China (Taiwan). Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary. (). Accessed March 27, 2025.
- Wikipedia.