Chapter 126: The Women’s Village

Inside the Mountain God Temple.

Grandfather held the shrub branch, studying it with a solemn expression.

"Grandfather, what have you found?" I asked immediately. My grandfather rarely wore such an expression, so he must have discovered something.

After a moment, Grandfather sighed softly and said, "It is a form of dark, malevolent sorcery. This type of sorcery generates baleful energy, and it is this baleful energy that harms people, draining away their life force. The shrub you brought back has had its life force stolen by this very energy, which is why it has withered like this."

"Among the various arts of the Daoist sects, there are indeed such sinister techniques. For instance, among the Three Mao techniques of the Maoshan Sect or the Ten Forbidden Arts of the Dao, there exist methods for draining life force. However, to execute such a technique requires an incredibly deep foundation of cultivation and a sufficient supply of primordial energy. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for a child like Er Pang to be in such a situation."

Grandfather paused, seemingly contemplating something, before continuing: "If there is no cultivation foundation and no innate primordial spirit, then there can only be one other explanation!"

"What is that?" I asked.

Grandfather stated bluntly, "Someone has given him an immense amount of malevolent, baleful energy. For an ordinary person, the foundation of using Daoist arts lies in their own primordial energy. But for him, the foundation of his sorcery lies in the sheer volume of baleful energy within his body. As long as he has enough of that baleful energy, his techniques will become terrifying."

What Grandfather said seemed clear, but this explanation still failed to resolve my confusion.

So, I asked further: "Grandfather, what exactly does this mean?"

Grandfather looked at me and said, "It means that the boy, Er Pang, has already strayed onto a crooked path. He is using baleful energy as his foundation. Since ancient times, there has only been one race that uses such a method: the Demon Race. As the baleful energy within him increases, Er Pang will gradually be controlled by it, completely losing his sense of self and turning into a demon."

"What?"

I was utterly shocked. Hadn't the Little King of Hell said that everything had changed and that things regarding Er Pang would develop in a positive direction? Why would it turn out like this? Could there still be variables in this matter?

As Grandfather mentioned the Demon Race, I was reminded of when Hua Yuyan and I had just returned to the Mountain God Temple. We couldn't find Daoist Li or Niu Dahuang, and when I asked Grandfather about their whereabouts, he mentioned they had gone to Cangmang Town to investigate and resolve the reports of Demon Race activity there.

Grandfather had said at the time that it was just some remnants of the Demon Race and that it was nothing major; he estimated the matter would be resolved before long. Yet, several days had passed, and there was no news from them.

I asked Grandfather about this. He admitted that, logically, they should have returned by now.

Given that even Er Pang might be embroiled in the affairs of the Demon Race, and that the situation in Cangmang Town was difficult to resolve, my intuition told me that the strange occurrences there were far more complex than a simple uprising of demon remnants. Since Daoist Li and Niu Dahuang had yet to return, it was clear that the situation was not as easy to handle as imagined.

I looked at my grandfather. He hesitated for a moment, appearing to weigh his words, but finally said, "Child, you are injured. Remember to act in the shadows and protect yourself."

"No problem," I said.

The place where Er Pang disappeared was on the road to East Marsh Village. However, Hua Yuyan and I had gone there and found no leads. There were no clues in East Marsh Village either. It seemed that to make a breakthrough, we would inevitably have to visit Cangmang Town, where the strange demon incidents were occurring.

Cangmang Town was quite far from us, located to the south on the edge of the Miao territory. The climate was humid and hot, and the town was surrounded by various villages, mostly inhabited by the Raw Miao people.

***

Hua Yuyan and I arrived in Cangmang Town on the evening of the second day.

Given the rumors of Demon Race activity, I had expected the place to be as chaotic as the wild immortals causing trouble outside the Great Wall. To my surprise, when we arrived, the town appeared very peaceful. There were pedestrians and merchants; everything seemed no different from any ordinary town.

However, I wondered if there were hidden undercurrents beneath this calm exterior.

Aside from the demon rumors, this region was within the Miao territory, home to many Raw Miao villages, and thus rife with legends of witchcraft and gu poison. It was said that in these villages, if a woman took a fancy to a man, she would secretly plant a "love gu" to bind his heart. Women worried about unfaithful husbands would also obtain gu from a "gu grandmother" to plant in them. Some who held grudges might even use lethal poison gu to take lives.

Regardless, these legends sounded incredibly eerie.

Mentioning gu insects naturally reminded me of the Southern Gu King, Luo Jinhong, the culprit who had killed the Luoshen Guardian. Grandfather’s investigation had revealed that Luo Jinhong had been to Cangmang Town recently.

Before we left, Grandfather had specifically instructed us to be extra careful, especially regarding the local food and water. Truthfully, his warning sounded a bit alarmist, making Hua Yuyan and me hesitant to eat or drink anything after arriving. But we couldn't starve ourselves just because of the rumors.

Finally, we found a larger, more reputable-looking restaurant to get a meal.

Because of the humid heat, we sat near the entrance. Hua Yuyan kept her belongings in a satchel placed on the chair beside her. In the dim light, a person dressed in black suddenly grabbed the bag and bolted. He moved with incredible speed, clearly someone skilled. Hua Yuyan and I chased after him immediately.

The restaurant owner was stunned to see us running and rushed out to chase us as well. "You haven't paid for the meal yet!"

He probably thought we were trying to skip out on the bill, but the situation was urgent, and I had no time to explain.

The alleyways the black-clad figure fled through were very secluded. Because the incident happened so suddenly, I hadn't paid close attention, but now, looking closely, I noticed the person was wearing a black robe. I couldn't help but think to myself, "He's from the Demon Race!"

Seeing this, Hua Yuyan and I pursued even more aggressively. However, we were unfamiliar with the layout, and after several twists and turns through the labyrinthine alleys, we lost him.

Hua Yuyan was frustrated and ashamed, as the bag contained her most private belongings. The thief didn't seem like an ordinary pickpocket; his agility was exceptional. If it had been a regular person, we would have subdued them within a few steps.

As the night grew darker and the depth of the alleys turned pitch black, the path became difficult to discern. Hua Yuyan was deeply troubled, but there was nothing we could do. We had to make our way out of the alleys by following our instincts.

Up ahead, we saw a courtyard with a light on.

The dim, yellowish light illuminated the path ahead. As we passed the courtyard, the gate was open, and I saw several coffins inside. There were finished ones painted with lacquer and unfinished ones that were not. It appeared to be a coffin shop.

Looking closer, I noticed a person sitting in the courtyard. I was stunned when I saw who it was.

The man was wearing a black robe, and in his hand was the very bag stolen from Hua Yuyan. Seeing this, we did not hesitate and walked straight into the courtyard.

Hua Yuyan walked over and snatched the bag back. The man remained seated, making no move to stop her. I stared at him, already suspecting his intentions, and asked, "Who are you? Why did you lure us here?"

He stood up, took off the black robe, tossed it onto a coffin, and turned to face us. He was a middle-aged man, very thin—almost skin and bones.

He smiled, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Li Qi. People in town call me 'Coffin Li.' Let's be friends!" As he spoke, he reached out a hand.

I didn't shake it, asking directly, "Are you from the Demon Race?"

He glanced at the black robe, chuckled, and said, "It seems you two came to Cangmang Town specifically because of the Demon Race. But tell me, do I look like one?"

The Demon Race had disappeared for over a thousand years, and even my grandfather didn't know their current characteristics, so I couldn't be certain. However, if he were truly a demon, he probably wouldn't have led us to his own shop.

Seeing my silence, Coffin Li said, "I saw that you both carry mage swords, so you must be from the Daoist sects. To be honest, I enjoy making friends with Daoist practitioners. I apologize if my method of inviting you here was inappropriate."

Generally, the owner of a coffin shop would know a thing or two about the supernatural. Since he had mentioned the Demon Race, he might know something. I asked him what was actually happening that led to the rumors of demons causing trouble in Cangmang Town.

Coffin Li explained that the incidents were actually a series of bizarre deaths; most of the victims had been drained of their life force. However, when linked to what the victims had been doing before they died, it became quite strange.

As he spoke, Coffin Li set up a tea tray on a coffin and poured us tea. He took a sip himself, smiled slightly, and gestured for us to drink. "Those victims all shared one important characteristic," he said.

"What characteristic?" Hua Yuyan asked. Naturally, neither of us touched the tea.

Coffin Li glanced at me, a strange smile appearing on his face. "The victims were all young men, just like you. And they had all visited a specific Raw Miao village."

"Which village?"

"Everyone in Cangmang Town knows it," he replied. "The Women's Village."