Chapter 14: Birth (Part 9)

The sedan chair of the Yuzhen Changshi stopped under the plaque of the residence.

Four bearers and house attendants, who were armed with swords, stood by in their straw hats and raincoats, which were wet with rain, causing the two cold white lanterns to shine brightly.

The two bearers in front exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of frustration.

At this time of year, having to go out at night was already difficult enough, and now Lady Yuzhen was dragging her feet. After only a few steps, she stopped the sedan and decided to go back to change her clothes.

This wait brought the rain, and everyone had to put on their raincoats, which were thick and stifling. Moreover, the roads were slippery and muddy due to the rain.

If she hadn’t been so fussy, they would have reached the foot of the mountain by now.

With such frustration in mind, when Lady Yuzhen returned to the sedan chair with her two maidservants a moment later, the bearers felt the sedan was heavier than usual. Suspecting that the bearers in the back were also resentful and slacking off, they deliberately exerted more effort in the front, causing the sedan to sway.

Inside the sedan, Lady Yuzhen silently endured. Because she was not favored, her temperament had always been good—too good, to the point of being cautious. It was the attending maid who shouted, “What’s with the swaying? Be steadier.”

The bearers restrained themselves, but the sedan was still heavy. As they walked to the foot of the mountain, sweat broke out on their foreheads.

The rain created a layer of gray-white mist in the mountains, and the air was filled with the dampness of leaves in the darkness. Besides the shadows of the mountains being darker and the surroundings quieter, everything seemed normal. There was a moon in the sky, and cicadas could still be heard on the ground.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, one of the bearers prepared to lower the sedan.

Just then, the light suddenly dimmed as the bright moon was obscured. A chilling, rotten stench mixed with the scent of blood surged forth, and suddenly, from behind came a chorus of screams, the sounds of swords being drawn resonating one after another. Someone shouted, “That thing is coming,” instantly terrifying everyone, causing many to drop their swords.

In the bearers’ wide-open eyes, a black mist reflected back at them. In the chaos, they lost control of the sedan, which crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

The crowd instantly fled. Two maidservants, like fish jumping out of a pocket, darted out from behind the sedan’s curtains. Yet a wave of golden light surged forward, flashing past, and all sounds vanished into thin air, including the panicked people running across the mountains.

The shroud of black mist slowly descended, forming a slender shadow about two people tall, with a curved back, a very small head, and long, thin arms. The black mist coiled around it, resembling a giant stick insect standing upright. The creature’s head turned halfway around, seemingly in confusion.

Just moments ago, many people had disappeared in an instant.

All that remained on the ground was a solitary, fallen sedan chair, its frame scattered, along with swords that had fallen everywhere, their thin blades reflecting the bright moonlight. The surroundings were silent enough to hear the wind.

The wind blew against the blue sedan curtains embroidered with eight-petal lotus flowers, causing them to shrink inward, faintly outlining a small, raised area.

This sedan was hiding something.

Lady Yuzhen had not managed to exit the sedan and was still seated inside.

The creature was extremely excited, immediately bending its body to poke its head through the gap in the sedan curtain. It was already formed of black mist, and at that moment, it became even more fluid, as if its entire body had turned liquid, smoothly sliding into the sedan.

At this time, the wind stopped, and the sedan curtains fell calmly. Inside, the scene must have been horrendous.

However, moments later, suddenly, the sedan curtains began to bulge violently. Then, a surge of black mist burst through the curtains as if in a panic, trying to escape. Just as half of it escaped, it seemed to be pulled back by an enormous force, inch by inch, dragged back into the sedan.

It turns out that demons can also make sounds: that voice sounded like a person who had been rendered mute by poison, desperately trying to shout, hoarse and terrifying. The black mist trembled violently, struggling as if it were horrifying. Moments later, the black mist was pulled back entirely into the sedan chair, and the curtain fell again.

Before long, a thin wisp of black mist oozed out from the sedan, resembling a broken limb, barely alive. It desperately escaped, managing to get half of its body out, but a pale white hand reached out from the sedan curtain and grabbed it.

The fingers of that hand were slender, the skin like white porcelain, appearing rather cold under the moonlight. This wisp of black mist seemed to be caught by its tail and couldn’t break free, shaking its head and tail wildly in a frenzy.

The person inside the sedan seemed to murmur something, and then the hand relaxed slightly, causing the black mist to dart away like an arrow into the forest, forgetting the golden mark the size of a peanut on its tail, shaped like a petal.

Then, the sedan curtain was pushed aside, and the person inside bent down to get out.

“Lady Yuzhen,” dressed entirely in white, her face hidden beneath a veil, walked slowly to the bushes at the foot of the mountain, reaching out to part the damp leaves.

A shadow appeared—no, many shadows—illuminated by the golden mark on the tail of the fleeing black mist, trembling together like worms. As the light brightened, they finally noticed and panicked, hastily scurrying into the dense forest.

Just as they spoke, suddenly a flash of golden light appeared, and many figures emerged around them, crying out and fleeing in a panic.

The servants who had come with the sedan had just been caught in a large net at the moment they were running away. Now released, they were even more frantic, tripping over each other as they rushed downhill.

The demon hunters shouted for them to encircle the area, surprised and exchanging glances: “What’s going on?”

Some quick-witted individuals called out to stop the others while chasing after them, turning back to shout, “Let’s follow and ask; you stay here and wait for Xiao Yi!”

The remaining fat man responded with an “oh.”

Amidst the chaos, when he turned around, he suddenly spotted a white figure under the moonlight. Tall and dressed in white gauze, her face covered, she stood there motionless, exuding a chilling aura like frost and snow.

“Lady Yuzhen? You…”

The fat man scratched his head.

So, you weren’t eaten.

But not being eaten likely left her stunned.

Otherwise, why would she stand by the sedan, not knowing to run, remaining silent?

“Y-You don’t need to be afraid. I’m a demon hunter from Nanling City. Since you’re alright, that’s great.” He showed Lady Yuzhen his badge and magical tools, explained his identity, and scrambled to clarify the events.

“My other brothers are resting in a temple halfway up the mountain. You see, the sedan is broken, the bearers have run away, and it’s still raining outside. Why not come with me to the temple for a rest? We can wait for my brothers to bring your family back, and then you can go home?”

Of course, the suggestion to rest was a pretext; the real plan was to use her as bait to lure the demon. Demons like to eat children and women, especially young, pure, and solitary ones. This Lady Yuzhen looked perfect for that, no wonder she was attacked as soon as she left home.

After planning for so long, the demon hunters were unwilling to let this opportunity slip away. They couldn’t let this fat duck return easily.

Lady Yuzhen pondered for a moment and replied gently, “That sounds good.”

The fat man nodded with a smile, making a gesture to invite her in, thinking to himself that Lady Yuzhen was really easy to deceive.

Lady Yuzhen lifted her skirt and stepped up the stairs. The fat man followed behind her, burning talismans and using magical tools. In a short while, he collected a bag full of demon remnants, mostly severed limbs, but it was still a successful haul.

He couldn’t help but show a look of surprise; how did he become so powerful tonight? When it came time to reward them, he would earn a fortune.

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The Niangniang temple was small, its muddy interior resembling a swallow’s nest.

The dilapidated lotus platform was high, separated from a small offering table by a piece of gauze, on which crookedly placed candles and offerings were already stained with red tears dripping onto the floor. A stone statue of a Bodhisattva sat behind the gauze, its features indistinguishable.

Xu Qianyu had been sitting there for a while, feeling a bit troubled.

Earlier, that fox had stuffed a Bodhi fruit into her left hand and placed a jade vase in her right. It then brought over a bucket of mud, intending to smear it on her face and body, which she resisted vehemently. It was ridiculous; after spending so much time on the Bodhisattva makeup, she wasn’t about to let it be covered up. Besides, her face couldn’t even be touched unless her hands were clean, let alone smeared with mud.

“Miss,” the fox coaxed patiently, “we need to apply some mud to transform into a stone Bodhisattva. Otherwise, even the grandest illusion won’t work. Moreover, this mud is very clean; I specially sought out white clay for it. Just smell it, it’s fragrant!”
Xu Qianyu sniffed; the soil was fine and indeed carried a faint scent of food, reminiscent of the pancakes made at home, making her feel a bit hungry.

Reluctantly, she agreed to let it smear a thin layer on her body and neck, but she firmly refused to have any on her face or head. After it was done, she sat cross-legged, arranged her posture, and the fox blew a breath of mystical energy. To the mortals, this was a clay statue of a Bodhisattva, completely devoid of any signs of a living person.

“Just like this, very good.”

The fox clapped its paws, praising it as it jumped down from the lotus platform and exaggeratedly bowed a few times below. One was on the platform, and the other below, both laughing uproariously.

However, after bowing cheerfully twice, the fox became serious for the third and fourth bows, turning the pretense into reality. Tears glistened in its slender fox eyes as it quietly said: “Miss, do not blame me. We have known each other for eight years, from your babbling words to growing roots; it’s rare to find a friend as generous as you in this world. But compared to the hundred years I have with Sanniang, eight years still feel a bit short.

That great demon threatened me with Sanniang’s family’s lives and my tail, wanting to take your precious maidenhood. What can I do? Giving you less white clay is the only thing I can do; it’s up to your fortune. This time, I owe you, and if you become a ghost, you can definitely come find me. When I return, I will ensure to burn paper money for you every year.”

After finishing the bows, the fox wiped its tears away with its paw, forcing a smile as it retreated out of the threshold, disappearing into the night, leaving Qianyu alone on the lotus platform.

Xu Qianyu sat for a while, feeling that the places covered in mud were slowly drying. What had been a thin layer of clay now felt like a thick armor, encasing her like a cocoon, making it impossible for her to straighten her bent elbows. Sitting cross-legged like this was too uncomfortable; if the mud completely dried, wouldn’t she be truly sealed like a stone Bodhisattva, unable to change her position even when numb? That wouldn’t do.

Thinking this, she forgot the fox’s warning and started moving her arms and legs, secretly exerting force to contend with the “armor.” The clay actually began to crack with a “crack, crack” sound.

Suddenly, a number of men entered the temple.

Through the curtain, Xu Qianyu heard these men, armed with talismans and weapons, sitting together, chatting casually, their laughter like thunder. Before long, a familiar figure entered.

The men immediately stood up and surrounded him, asking in unison, “Xiao Yi? Where have you been? Why did it take you so long? We thought something had happened to you, that a demon had eaten you on the way.”

With that, another round of hearty laughter erupted.

Hmm? How does Xiao Yi know these people?

Xie Yuzhen, visibly displeased, dusted off his sleeves and forced a smile, saying, “It’s nothing, just got delayed on the road.”

The young lady had dragged him along because the inner city had locked down, and when they reached the entrance, she asked him for a pass. He, of course, didn’t know what a pass was, so he stood there dumbfounded. She immediately scolded him for being useless, saying he hadn’t even prepared a pass but still dared to claim he could take her out.

Fortunately, he realized she wanted to leave the inner city, so he carried her up the city wall. As a result, Xu Qianyu jumped down and disappeared without a trace, parting ways with him. He searched everywhere but couldn’t catch up.

This constant frustration had worn down the demon king’s patience. He smiled with a skin-deep grin, thinking: Just wait; he will respond to this side’s call and then catch her. Once caught, he will immediately devour her, leaving not a trace of her remains.

The group lit a fire in the temple and chatted for a while. Xu Qianyu finally understood one thing.

Xiao Yi was not her male servant. He had infiltrated the group; he was an insider.

She immediately felt an intense anger but could not move, so she tried even harder to stretch her fingers, forcing the dried white clay to crack.

At that moment, more people entered the temple.

A fat man walked to the doorway and shouted that a lady had arrived, then made way for a woman in white attire wearing a veil to enter the temple. The lady had an elegant demeanor, composed and calm, slightly bowing her head to greet everyone, then gracefully took her seat.

Just then, the clay covering Xu Qianyu’s left fist cracked with a “crack.” Her five fingers finally regained their freedom; she sighed, flexed her fingers, and began to press the Bodhi fruit in her palm, squeezing out the restlessness in her heart. The clay fell away like raindrops on a boat canopy. Though the sound was nearly imperceptible from afar, the lady in white suddenly paused her movements and looked up sharply.

She wore a veil, shrouded in white. Xu Qianyu was so frightened that she dared not move, and her palms began to sweat lightly.

Why did it feel like she was looking at her?

Upon entering the temple, Shen Suwei noticed something unusual behind the thin veil next to the offering table. On the lotus platform, there were two ears visible, swaying behind the veil—either a fox or some other creature.

He composed himself, said nothing, and quietly took a seat.