"Tap, tap, tap," the sound of the wooden fish being struck echoed, igniting the flames of anger in Li Huowang's heart.
"Li Sui, let's go! Let's see what kind of demon or ghost it is!" Li Huowang pulled out a few swords from under his pillow, and, with Li Sui, they trod across roof tiles rushing toward the source of the noise.
Li Huowang quickly found the origin of the sound. It was a group of monks—or more accurately, monks as thin as skeletons.
These monks sat at the entrance of the village, striking their wooden fish in a relentless rhythm. The refugees nearby seemed to have awoken, but they did not dare to peek, burying their heads deep in the straw, shivering uncontrollably.
The moment Li Huowang appeared, the monks all turned to look at him in unison. Some did not use their eyes but the shaved spots on their heads; some had eye stalks with eyeballs that wriggled in and out like maggots.
"Amitabha, benefactor, this poor monk offers his greetings."