Xiao Tao hurried back and forth. The more familiar faces she encountered, the more terrified she grew. In the memories of these people, Baling Commandery had never possessed a resident named Li Guangzhi, and the place she currently lived was not the so-called prefect’s mansion, but merely an ordinary courtyard.
As for the lively and mischievous children she brought along, their memories were even vaguer. They only knew she had picked them up; everything else was a complete blank.
This bizarre phenomenon was not confined to Xiao Tao’s household. Two days later, when Xiao Tao went to buy rice at Aunt Zhang’s next door, she discovered that Aunt Zhang’s eldest daughter had not appeared for several days either. Xiao Tao hurriedly grabbed Aunt Zhang’s hand to inquire.
Yet Aunt Zhang wore a dazed expression, actually telling Xiao Tao that she had never given birth to a daughter.
Xiao Tao’s face turned pale instantly. In the days that followed, she discovered repeatedly that eligible young women of Baling Commandery went missing without a trace after visiting the Marriage Temple. At the same time, all memories concerning them seemed to have been wiped away together. No one remembered their existence, not even their biological parents.
All of this indicated just how monstrous and evil the master of the Marriage Temple in Mount Chan was. Their strength and cultivation were certainly nothing Xiao Tao could handle. Still, she took the risk of making a trip to the Marriage Temple, but before even crossing the threshold, she felt a powerful wave of evil energy rushing toward her, as if attempting to tear her limb from limb. A demon’s instinct warned her not to linger, and she could only hurry back in a panic.
Frightened out of her wits, Xiao Tao did not dare step outside for several consecutive days, and she strictly prohibited the rest of the children from going out, especially to the Marriage Temple.
Yet the reputation of the Marriage Temple grew increasingly widespread, drawing countless people who came seeking a name. Moreover, every single person who returned managed to marry an ideal, pampered bride. This filled Xiao Tao with immense anxiety, terrified that one day Xiangxiang would also be wished away and married off in such a manner.
From then on, she kept watch at the city gates all day long, doing her utmost to keep outsiders staying at the Li residence. When night fell and they were fast asleep, she would use her demonic power to wipe away their memories of wanting to visit the Marriage Temple, letting them go safely the next morning.
Though this action was like trying to put out a blazing cart of firewood with a cup of water, it at least gave Xiao Tao a glimmer of hope. That was until a few cultivators arrived over the past couple of days, seeking the spirit spring of the Guishui Palace and happening upon this temple while passing through Mount Chan.
Sensing that something was amiss, those few cultivators decided to stay an extra day, intending to wait until nightfall when fewer people were about to eliminate the specter. Hearing of this, Xiao Tao groped her way over in the dead of night, hiding in the nearby grass to observe the situation.
However, what she never expected was that a malevolent entity emerging from the Marriage Temple would turn out to be a gigantic monster with a sheep’s body and a human face, black skin and four legs, sporting a maw of sharp tiger teeth. The moment it stepped out of the gates, it swallowed all three Golden Core stage cultivators alive in a single bite, skin, bones, and all.
Crunch, crunch. The crushing sounds drilled into Xiao Tao’s ears, accompanied by an unimaginably foul and sickening stench of blood that instantly turned her legs weak and powerless, leaving her shivering uncontrollably without ever noticing when the monster had departed. It was not until the eastern sky grew pale that she trembled and fled Mount Chan in a panic.
With a sorrowful expression, Xiao Tao said, “Blame me for being incompetent, not daring to step forward to fight the master of the Marriage Temple and having to watch them…”
Pei Zizhuo’s pale eyes shifted slightly, and he said flatly, “You mean that monster is the master of the Marriage Temple?”
Prompted by Pei Zizhuo, Xiao Tao pondered for a moment before saying with some hesitation, “People in the city say that the master of the Marriage Temple possesses a beautiful countenance that defies gender, but judging by his attire, he is male, which indeed differs vastly from the monster I saw.” Yet no one else had emerged from the temple that day besides the monster; could that monster truly be the true form of the Marriage Temple’s master?
“Mere spirit-rejection arts, but why does this monster sound like…” Jian Tianwang furrowed his brows, stopping short of finishing his sentence.
A sheep’s body and a human face, tiger teeth and human claws, vicious in appearance and fond of eating humans, this was the exact description of a Taotie. Shen Shu was inwardly startled. If it truly was a Taotie, this matter was far from being a simple spirit-rejection or soul-bewitching trick; it very likely involved the resurrection of the Four Evils.
Shen Shu glanced sideways at Pei Zizhuo, and seeing that he wore a similarly contemplative expression, he pulled Xiao Tao along and said, “We already understand the situation. Xiao Tao, set your mind at ease; first thing tomorrow morning, we will head up the mountain to inspect the situation.”
Xiao Tao expressed her gratitude with a nod. “If the immortals require any assistance, Xiao Tao will gladly die to help. The night is deep; please follow me to the guest rooms to rest, immortals.”
Jian Tianwang possessed plenty of self-awareness. Folding his arms with a frosty, haughty air, he declared on his own accord, “I am certainly not staying here.”
Pei Zizhuo let out a scoff. “As if anyone cares about you.” With that, he strode forward without looking back.
“You!” Jian Tianwang’s face turned a mottled shade of greenish-white as he glared fiercely at Pei Zizhuo’s retreating back.
Better to avoid unnecessary trouble, especially with the conditions on Mount Chan still unknown; this was no time to make enemies. Stepping forward to smooth things over, Shen Shu said, “I wonder if the fellow daoist has arranged lodgings?”
Jian Tianwang flicked his sleeve. “What business is it of yours!”
Seeing his chubby cheeks puffed up in anger, looking like a little adult playing tough, Shen Shu could not help but smile. “Daoist friend possesses peerless deportment and cultivation; you must surely have invitations from many prestigious sects. I wonder if you would be willing to accompany us into Mount Chan tomorrow.”
Flattered by the high praise, Jian Tianwang’s expression softened considerably, though his tone remained stiff. “Who is going with you? Catching demons requires no helpers; don’t drag me down.”
Having been rebuffed a few times, Shen Shu no longer pressed the invitation. He cupped his fists in salute to take his leave.
“Hey, wait a moment.”
Hearing the call, Shen Shu turned around to see Jian Tianwang pull a plain white medicine bottle from his bodice. Giving a light cough, the boy said, “This is healing medicine. Take it.”
It was only belatedly that Shen Shu raised his palm, where old injuries compounded by fresh ones looked truly horrifying. Lifting his gaze with a smile, he replied, “Many thanks to the daoist friend, but these mere surface wounds are not worth mentioning.”
A flush of red flashed across Jian Tianwang’s cheeks as he blurted out anxiously, “Why wouldn’t you want it? Your cultivation is lacking and you cannot heal yourself. If you don’t use spirit medicine to repair the damage, it will only get worse. I certainly don’t want you holding me responsible for it.”
Shen Shu, whose cultivation was deemed lacking, thought to himself, “…”
Descending to the mortal realm to cultivate was truly a test of one’s temperament. Taking a deep breath, Shen Shu accepted the medicine bottle and maintained as much polite decorum as he could muster. “Thank you.”
“Um, what is your name?” Jian Tianwang asked with feigned casualness. “I’m just asking. If you don’t want to say it, forget it.”
After a brief moment of silence, Shen Shu cupped his fists. “If we are fated, we shall meet again. Daoist friend, please help yourself.”
Seeing him walk away so cleanly without a second thought, and feeling too embarrassed to give chase, Jian Tianwang could only shout after him, “My name is Jian Tianwang! If your wound doesn’t heal properly, remember to look for me!”
Putting wind at his heels, Shen Shu quickened his pace even further.
The east guest room faced the full moon directly, casting a glow that looked as though a handful of shimmering frost had been scattered across the courtyard. Shen Shu took two or three quick steps to catch up, nearly crashing straight into Pei Zizhuo as he turned a corner.
Shen Shu hurriedly stepped back two paces, wondering why the path wasn’t narrow at all, yet the man insisted on standing flat against the wall.
Pei Zizhuo lowered his gaze to inspect the blood-soaked palm, frowning. “I wouldn’t have expected the great Danxiao Sanren to harbor a penchant for self-mutilation.”
Shen Shu was thoroughly insensitive to the pain of external wounds, and since the injuries inflicted by Immortal Lord Wuling’s wrongful strike could not be healed by his own power, he simply had not thought to bandage them.
Although he knew Pei Zizhuo was showing concern, the words sounded utterly ice-cold. Shen Shu offered a brief rebuttal: “I do not.”
He wanted to explain further, but today’s tumultuous events had left him thoroughly exhausted, sapping any desire to speak at length.
Knowing that a barrier existed between himself and Pei Zizhuo, and terrified of generating any fresh rifts, he turned away, pulled out Jian Tianwang’s medicine bottle, and prepared to pour it directly onto his hand without even looking.
Yet the ill-fated medicine bottle barely made an appearance before Pei Zizhuo snatched it away, tossing it aside without a glance as well. Seizing the opportunity, Pei Zizhuo grabbed Shen Shu’s wrist, and upon seeing the bowl-sized wound marring the fair skin, his brows locked into a deep frown.
Fearing that the other man was about to scold him again, Shen Shu tried to pull his hand back. “It’s nothing serious.”
“Don’t move,” Pei Zizhuo said, his slightly cool fingertips resting against the meridians of Shen Shu’s wrist bone as he murmured, “Take a deep breath.”
“Huh?” Before Shen Shu could react, he felt a surge of forceful energy channeled directly into his meridians, compelling the spiritual qi within his dantian to rush straight toward his palm.
The technique was remarkably ingenious, borrowing his own spiritual power to regenerate flesh and blood from within. However, because it forcibly tugged at his meridians, the sour, aching pain felt akin to stretching taut tendons. Unable to bear the agony, Shen Shu let out a wince, tears welling up in his eyes instantly.
Pei Zizhuo released his grip at once. Seeing Shen Shu’s reddened eye rims and the exceptionally genuine expression of pain on his face, he could not help but wonder if he had somehow misused the Shanhai Palace’s mental cultivation methods.
Yet, noticing that the wound on the palm had indeed closed by more than half, he hesitated and asked, “Does it hurt that much?”
Shen Shu looked up at him, a pair of peach blossom eyes shimmering with unshed tears, looking wronged and pitiful all at once, nodding his head like a pestle pounding garlic.
Just let this injury stay as it is, Shen Shu thought, silently begging Pei Zizhuo not to bother with him anymore, as he had lost all desire to be healed.
Pei Zizhuo sighed. Seeing that the wound no longer looked so terrifying, he tore a long strip of cloth from his sleeve and carefully bandaged Shen Shu’s hand.
If anyone else had done such a thing, Shen Shu would undoubtedly have despised them for making a mountain out of a molehill. But with the person being Pei Zizhuo, it was entirely different; it signaled that their relationship was showing signs of easing. Seizing the opportunity, Shen Shu sniffled and spoke in a cautious, kitten-like tone, “You are truly kind. Thank you.”
Pei Zizhuo glanced at him, remarkably refraining from scoffing. Gathering his composure, he said, “Let’s go.”
Xiao Tao had been waiting outside the guest room for quite some time. Seeing them arrive together, she pushed open the door and addressed them with utmost propriety from the threshold, “This courtyard is quiet and secluded. May the immortals rest well tonight.”
Shen Shu responded with a smile, “Thank you, Xiao Tao.”
Pei Zizhuo also nodded in acknowledgment and followed Shen Shu through the doorway.
A single guest room contained only one soft couch. Even though this couch was by no means small, sharing it hardly befitted the treatment of honored guests. Xiao Tao fished out a second key, and just as she was turning around to guide them, she was cut short by a chilly, peremptory dismissal: “It is late. Xiao Tao, you may retire.”
The door slammed shut with resounding finality, leaving no time for a reply.
Dangling the key from her fingers, Xiao Tao stood frozen in a daze, wondering how two grown men were supposed to sleep in the same bed.