ENG
In shadows deep, the bat guai lies,
Far from clamor, under the skies.
In moonlit hues, blood it sips,
As through yellow wind, it slips.
After the harvest, the rentman arrived in the village. The villagers cleaned a long-abandoned manor for his stay and treated him to a sumptuous feast. Full from food and drink, the village chief spoke directly, "The rent is a heavy burden on us. Is there any possibility to reduce it?" The rent collector replied, "The rent has been determined by your lord. I'm but a paid man tasked with taking what is due. I have no power to change it."
The talk turned into an unending argument. As dusk approached, the villagers hastily left. An old widower lingered, offering a suggestion to the rentman, "Our village offers little amusement, but on that hill, there's a pavilion fine for moon gazing. Should you grow weary, 'tis a place to ease your mind." With these words, he too departed.
That night, the rentman, lantern in hand, pondered his ledgers and the days of disputes ahead. Seeking solace, he walked toward the pavilion. But as he stepped into the courtyard, a figure descended with wings of flesh, claws for hands, and a maw of pointed teeth. Terrified, he fled, only to be ambushed by a similar creature lurking in the trees. The bat guais squabbled over him for the first bite, chittering and chattering. Seeing them locked in a stalemate, the rentman drew a blade from his belt and beheaded one. The other sprang, fangs bared towards him, but he dodged it with a struggled roll. That night, the rentman and the bat dogfought, fangs and blade clashed until dawn.
Come morning, villagers come to the manor to prepare the rentman his morning meal, only to find him sitting by the door, a blade at his side, pinning two headless bat corpses to the earth. In the days that followed, they paid their full rent and hosted another rich feast, sending the rentman back to the town with due respect.
A rent collector arrives in a rural village after the harvest. The villagers clean an old manor and give him a big meal. The village chief asks him if the lord can lower the heavy rent. The rentman replies that he only collects what the lord set and has no authority to change it. The discussion turns into a heated, unresolved argument and the villagers leave at dusk.
An old widower stays behind and tells the rentman about a pavilion on a nearby hill where people go to watch the moon, suggesting it as a place to relax. The rentman, worried about his ledgers and the disputes ahead, walks there that night with a lantern to clear his mind.
At the pavilion he is attacked. Two bat guai—described as winged, flesh-covered creatures with claws and pointed teeth that drink blood—drop down. They fight over attacking him. When they get locked in a struggle, the rentman pulls a blade, beheads one, and then fights the other. The two of them battle through the night in a brutal, close-quarters fight until dawn.
In the morning the villagers come to prepare the rentman’s food and find him by the door with his blade and two headless bat corpses pinned to the ground. After seeing what he did, the villagers pay their full rent in the following days, give another rich feast, and send the rentman back to town with respect.
The core conflict remains the same: the villagers wanted relief from heavy rent, and the rentman says he cannot change it. What changes is the villagers’ reaction after they witness the rentman survive and kill the bat guai. He gains their respect and they comply with payment, but there is no indication the rent itself was reduced. The episode also reveals a dangerous, supernatural threat living near the village.