Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
They turned and looked up at the building, which had high red walls and a spacious courtyard. The bricks, stones, and wooden tiles appeared somewhat worn, resembling an old city god temple. In this day and age, city god temples were rarely seen; most places were Daoist temples or monasteries. The large gate had no name inscribed above it, leaving them uncertain about what kind of temple it was. They could only enter to find out.
He Guannan pushed open the heavy door, which creaked as it swung inward, the sound echoing between the doorposts. This noise sent shivers down Pei Huaizhi's spine, making him involuntarily shudder; he could hardly bear it, feeling uncomfortable all over.
Behind the door was a large courtyard, covered in fallen leaves. In the center stood a round stone incense burner. On either side of the courtyard were two large trees with lush branches, adorned with many red ribbons and wooden plaques. Weathered by wind and sun, the plaques and ribbons had become dusty. Pei Huaizhi casually picked up a ribbon that bore words resembling wishes. As he reached for one of the wooden plaques, a sudden gust of wind swept through, swirling the leaves on the ground wildly while a jingling sound followed closely behind. He looked up to find that golden bells hanging from the tree were swaying in the breeze.
Noticing that Fu Sang and He Guannan had reached the front gate, he followed them and stood behind Fu Sang. He Guannan glanced at the black wristband he wore—this was the Locator Xie Wanjun had given them before they entered the mountains. It displayed three red dots, positioned closely together; two of them were nearly overlapping—those represented He Guannan and Xie Wanjun—while the remaining dot indicated Xie Wanjun was ahead of them. He said, "Xie Wanjun is inside."
Fu Sang stepped forward; the front door was closed but not locked, and with a push, it opened. A strange odor wafted out to greet them.
It wasn’t the musty smell of a long-abandoned place but rather a faint stench of decay that was quite unpleasant.
Fu Sang entered first to explore while He Guannan followed closely behind him. He focused on following the red dot on his Locator as Pei Huaizhi stepped inside and immediately spotted a statue. Without taking a closer look at the temple's interior, he followed He Guannan toward the back hall while Fu Sang remained in the main hall to inspect her surroundings.
At the back of the hall was a door leading to another room. They passed through one by one and followed the red dot through a narrow corridor until they reached a room's entrance. Pushing open the door, they were greeted by a faint fragrance; inside was nothing but a bed, on which Xie Wanjun lay perfectly still like a corpse.
In the main hall, Fu Sang had just lit some remnants of candles, illuminating what had been a dim room. She conjured flames in her palm to illuminate every detail of the statue before examining the wall murals and finally turning toward the back hall.
As she turned around, Fu Sang noticed several dark figures standing against the wall. Upon closer inspection, she realized they were mummified corpses—the solitary stench emanated from them, yet there was an odd hint of fragrance mixed in.
Suddenly, she sensed an additional shadow on the ground and felt an unusual yet familiar presence behind her. She quickly turned to see a corner of clothing swiftly brush past the doorframe; following that presence instinctively, she gave chase.
During her pursuit, Fu Sang used her Heavenly Eye to look ahead at a figure not far away—it was a person whose shape and attire matched Pei Huaizhi's perfectly. The aura radiating from him felt identical to Pei Huaizhi’s; overall, he appeared to be Pei Huaizhi himself.
If he truly was Pei Huaizhi, why would he run? At that moment, Fu Sang considered two possibilities: either he was indeed himself but under some spell causing these strange behaviors or he was transformed by an Evil Spirit.
However, Fu Sang leaned more toward the second option. If he were truly an Evil Spirit in disguise with such advanced transformation skills that even she found it hard to distinguish him from Pei Huaizhi, then he must possess at least four hundred years of cultivation. Yet before coming here, Fu Sang had investigated both inside and outside the mountain and concluded that he had only about one hundred years of cultivation—transforming into human form would be difficult without fortuitously obtaining Azure Wind Pearl.
But now she couldn’t ascertain who this person she was chasing really was; she just felt an unsettling familiarity about him.
The two moved swiftly through the forest.
Inside the temple, He Guannan saw Xie Wanjun lying on the bed like a corpse and suddenly turned pale with fear, hesitating to approach. Meanwhile, Pei Huaizhi noticed Xie Wanjun lying motionless there and worried whether she was truly dead or not; they needed to verify if she was alive or not. He stepped forward and reached out to check her neck; finding her alive, he explained, "She’s not dead; she’s just asleep."
Upon hearing that she was not dead, He Guannan finally relaxed his anxious heart. He stepped forward and patted Xie Wanjun on the shoulder, calling out, "Xie Wanjun, wake up, wake up."
As he shouted, Pei Huaizhi inadvertently glanced at her face and suddenly noticed a smile at the corner of her mouth, which seemed somewhat eerie. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, only to find her expression completely calm. Perhaps he had misjudged her.
With the persistent slapping, she gradually regained consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she vaguely saw a face swaying in front of her. Unable to make out the features clearly due to the proximity, she instinctively pushed He Guannan away and said with disgust, "Get away."
Her loud shout startled everyone.
She pushed hard enough to send him sitting on the ground. He Guannan stared blankly for a moment before calmly asking, "Xie Wanjun, do you not recognize us anymore?" He attempted to approach her again but was stopped by Pei Huaizhi. The two stood quietly, watching her.
Xie Wanjun rubbed her head, blinking her eyes open and closed. Her body felt numb and painful, and her mind was heavy as if she had just awoken from a long nightmare. Once the numbness subsided, she suddenly remembered someone had been calling her name earlier. Turning her head, she saw He Guannan and Pei Huaizhi standing across from her. A bit startled, she quickly asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Of course we came to find you," He Guannan joked. "Sleeping here in the middle of the night? Aren't you scared?"
Sleeping here? Confused, she looked around at the peeling white walls covered in dust. The only piece of furniture was a wooden bed, making the situation feel particularly strange. Realizing she had indeed been sleeping there, clarity struck her mind. She hurriedly got off the bed and distanced herself from it. Seeing her actions, He Guannan couldn't help but smile knowingly. When Xie Wanjun caught him smirking, she shot him a glare, prompting him to immediately wipe the smile off his face and adopt a serious demeanor.
Pei Huaizhi asked, "Did you encounter an Evil Spirit?"
Xie Wanjun shook her head, admitting she wasn't quite sure. She explained that she had been waiting outside for them when she saw Pei Huaizhi push open the door and walk inside. She called out his name loudly, but he didn't respond at all; it was as if he were possessed and only focused on moving forward. Sensing something was off, she followed him to the back of the temple and saw him enter this room. When she stepped inside after him, there was no one there—not even under the bed—so when she decided to leave, a sudden fragrance overwhelmed her senses and caused her to faint. After that, everything went blank.
After listening to her recounting of events, Pei Huaizhi denied that it was him she had seen because he had been running through the woods at that time. He Guannan added, "At that moment, Huai Zhi was indeed with me. The person you saw might have been an Evil Spirit in disguise trying to lure you."
"I agree with Guannan on this point," Pei Huaizhi said. "However, if it truly was an Evil Spirit that led you in but didn't harm you afterward, that's quite suspicious."
Suspicion was warranted; after all, most demons and spirits sought to absorb human essence to enhance their own power and achieve immortality or even transcendence. Yet there were also some demons that behaved themselves. But they were dealing with an Evil Spirit that had already killed dozens of people; suggesting it suddenly showed kindness towards Xie Wanjun seemed implausible. Other explanations? Pei Huaizhi couldn't think of any.
The three left the room and headed toward the main hall.
As they entered the hall, what had once been dimly lit transformed into brightness. They turned towards the light source and found candles burning on a wooden frame covered in cobwebs. Pei Huaizhi abruptly extinguished the flames in his palms and continued walking toward the front of the hall. They reached the entrance but did not see Fu Sang anywhere. Pei Huaizhi called out several times for Fu Sang's name but received no response—only echoes returned.
"Your worry for her is unnecessary; you know how capable she is," Xie Wanjun said as she stood before the offering table, casting a sharp gaze over the statue. "Perhaps she's gone elsewhere in the temple looking for the Evil Spirit."
He Guannan chimed in, "Even the Evil Spirit would probably steer clear of her."
Pei Huaizhi certainly understood her prowess; he wasn't worried about her safety but rather about her disappearance.
The dusty statue appeared flushed, with a long beard flowing gracefully and arms crossed, exuding an air of authority. The more Xie Wanjun looked, the more familiar it seemed. She glanced at the statues on either side: the left statue glared fiercely, wielding a large blade; the right statue radiated heroism, holding a golden seal. Combining these three statues in her mind, she suddenly realized this was a Guandi Temple.
He Guannan casually looked around, first circling to the left side of the statue and then to the right, inspecting the entire statue without discovering anything unusual. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of a familiar fragrance. It was the same scent that lingered in the room where Xie Wanjun had slept. He took a slight sniff; the aroma was rich, and upon inhaling deeply again, it turned sweet and cloying, making him feel slightly nauseous. Following the scent, he moved closer to Xie Wanjun, stopping just over a meter behind her. As he took another whiff, the fragrance intensified, forcing him to step back a few paces. He was certain that the scent emanated from Xie Wanjun.
Before their departure, He Guannan had been close to Xie Wanjun and hadn’t noticed any fragrance on her. Yet now, within this temple, she was enveloped in an alluring aroma that raised his suspicions. His gaze kept darting towards her, searching for anything amiss. At that moment, Xie Wanjun turned her head slightly, casting a sidelong glance at him with an icy tone, "What are you looking at?"
Her piercing gaze made him freeze for a moment; after two seconds of hesitation, he managed to force a smile and replied, "Nothing. I was just looking around."
Xie Wanjun turned back and walked towards another part of the hall. He Guannan sighed in relief at her departure. Although he had not known Xie Wanjun for long, he could recognize a person's gaze; just moments ago, her look had been laced with murderous intent. At that instant, he concluded that something was off with Xie Wanjun and hurried over to Pei Huaizhi.
Pei Huaizhi was currently examining a mural on the wall depicting two figures: one holding a sword and the other wielding a large knife. A figure with exposed arms sat calmly playing chess while another figure brandished a small knife toward the arm. Seeing this scene reminded him of the phrase "scraping bones to cure poison," referring to Guan Er Ye. The mural illustrated various themes related to the statues worshipped in the temple; it seemed this temple honored Guan Yu.
He Guannan patted Pei Huaizhi on the shoulder and recounted what had just transpired while sharing his suspicions: perhaps Xie Wanjun had already died and what they were seeing now was an Evil Spirit impersonating her; or maybe she was still herself but under the control of an Evil Spirit.
Although Pei Huaizhi hadn't witnessed any abnormalities firsthand, he could indeed sense that peculiar fragrance lingering in the hall. Coupled with He Guannan's unwavering certainty and previous doubts, he found both theories plausible.
However, proving either theory would not be simple.
Evil Spirits were known for their shapeshifting abilities; they could take on countless forms at will. To possess such power, they needed "human skin." But what exactly was human skin?
Here lies an important concept: Spirit Masters referred to all malevolent entities as Evil Spirits, which included demons and monsters.
Only Evil Spirits who had cultivated enough power could transform into humans (most Evil Spirits required around two hundred years to achieve human form). The human form they attained came with a piece of human skin draped over them; since ghosts were originally transformed from deceased humans, they inherently possessed human skin and thus bypassed that step.
For high-level Evil Spirits, human skin could be infinitely variable; however, for lower-level Evil Spirits, it was not so flexible. The lower their cultivation level, the shorter time they could maintain their transformed appearance—like one moment they might change shape only to revert back immediately or even return directly to their original form. Therefore, most Evil Spirits presented themselves in their true forms.
If Xie Wanjun were indeed transformed by an Evil Spirit and possessed an Azure Wind Pearl that provided continuous spiritual energy, she could maintain her guise indefinitely. As they deliberated on how to verify Xie Wanjun's authenticity, Pei Huaizhi finally suggested testing her with a Talisman of the Southern Flame.
Southern Flame is the nemesis of the Evil Spirit; even a slight touch from the Evil Spirit ignites its entire being. The Talisman of the Southern Flame, once touched by the Evil Spirit, will automatically ignite.
Pei Huaizhi folded the Talisman of the Southern Flame into a small triangle and handed it to He Guannan, urging him to test it. Initially reluctant, He Guannan ultimately accepted the task under Pei Huaizhi's insistence.
He held the talisman tightly in his palm and walked naturally towards Xie Wanjun, who was staring at the statue of Guan Er Ye with a disdainful smirk on her lips.
Hearing his footsteps, Xie Wanjun glanced at him, noticing his left hand clenched tightly before returning her gaze to the statue.
"After staring for so long, have you figured anything out?" He Guannan asked casually as he stopped beside her and looked at the statue. "I just walked around and realized this temple is dedicated to Guan Er Ye."
"Who it's dedicated to doesn’t matter; it’s still just a dilapidated temple," she replied dismissively. Turning to face him, she continued calmly, "People are like that. When they worship you, they elevate you to the heavens with endless incense offerings. When they stop, they hurl insults and let dust settle in your courtyard." Noticing his silence, she pressed on, "Am I wrong?"
She wasn’t wrong; her words made sense. However, what occupied his mind was whether this person before him was real or not. As she turned away, he extended his hand with the talisman toward her. Suddenly, she spun around and asked, "Do you know where the Evil Spirit is?"
His hand quickly retracted. At that moment, he felt extremely nervous; sweat formed in his palm as he forced a smile. "No idea. Do you know where the Evil Spirit is?"
"Of course." She turned her head back, a smirk playing on her lips as her gaze sharpened. "Because I am the Evil Spirit."
In an instant, she seized He Guannan's left wrist and twisted it forcefully. Their fingers slowly pried apart as she had been standing there watching them whispering secrets. With a slight use of her powers, she had eavesdropped on their conversation; after all, this temple was her territory, and listening in was child's play.
A short blade danced across her body, grazing her wrist. Seizing the opportunity, He Guannan broke free from her grip and hurled the Talisman of the Southern Flame at her. The moment the talisman touched her, it ignited instantly, engulfing her in flames. Her face contorted in agony as she screamed; she rolled on the ground like a silkworm cocoon. They thought the Evil Spirit would be reduced to ashes by this fire, but soon enough, the flames surrounding her body extinguished abruptly. The wounds and scars on her body healed rapidly; the entire process took only a few seconds.
The speed of her healing left He Guannan in disbelief. Once fully restored, what stood before them was an entirely different person.
Comment 0 Comment Count