Finding Wang Yulang's physical body, Qing Wu breathed a sigh of relief for a moment.
As for the yang energy Xiao Chenyan lent her, Qing Wu would get closer to him later, and then have Situ Jing prepare some aphrodisiac medicine for him to take a couple more doses.
However, the Judge's Brush kept clamoring in her mind, "You're messing around again! Messing around again! Using Xiao Chenyan's yang energy to fool the Book of Life and Death, you'll be punished if you're found out!"
Qing Wu: "Punish me then, I'm not afraid anyway."
The Judge's Brush cried, "You're not afraid, but I am! I don't want to be sent to the Karmic Fire Hall for punishment."
"I've already been burned so many times, what's there to be afraid of? I won't die anyway," Qing Wu said indifferently. "I've even been to Avici Hell, the Karmic Fire Hall is nothing."
The Judge's Brush got angry, "I'm not talking to you anymore! Just keep messing around! You've got a tough ghost bone anyway!"
Qing Wu didn't want to argue with this bad writer either, so she simply ignored it.
When she borrowed yang energy from Xiao Chenyan just now, she touched his soul and discovered something else.
Xiao Chenyan's fate had been tampered with!
But now there were too many people around, it wouldn't be too late for Qing Wu to tell him when they were alone.
At this moment, a Black Armored Guard dragged something in.
It was a living Mountain Ghoul.
However, the Mountain Ghoul had arrows in its legs and abdomen, pierced through by arrows. After its skull was removed, it revealed a dwarf-like head resembling an ape, with its tongue and chin actually cut off.
Qing Wu was surprised, "You actually caught a live one?"
This thing's speed was not usually fast.
The Black Armored Guard said proudly, "His Highness shot it, and several others were killed with a single arrow."
Qing Wu looked at Xiao Chenyan, her eyes sparkling.
This man was skilled in archery and horsemanship when he was young, but he wasn't this skilled now.
Unexpectedly, Qing Wu found that Xiao Chenyan had also been looking at her, but this time, his gaze seemed different from before.
It was as if a ten-thousand-year-old ice lake had been chiseled open, revealing the warmth hidden beneath the ice.
"How do you think this thing should be dealt with?"
"Kill it, and burn the bodies. These Mountain Ghouls have done a lot of evil, they've eaten people."
The Black Armored Guards were startled by her words.
Someone said, "I wanted to say earlier, the skulls these Mountain Ghouls wear on their heads are clearly human. Could those skulls be..."
Qing Wu nodded, "Mountain Ghouls like to play tricks on people, and they like to eat children the most."
Everyone's faces turned grim, "No wonder this mountain is called Infant Devouring Mountain."
Xiao Chenyan also frowned, "There are no villages near this mountain."
So the question was, where did these children, eaten by the Mountain Ghouls and their skulls made into masks, come from?
Qing Wu's beautiful eyes flickered, "Unless, someone has been feeding these Mountain Ghouls with children all along."
She thought of the little ghosts in the Ghost Mirror and looked up at the already dilapidated shrine.
"You should know best what happened on this mountain, shouldn't you?"
The sudden question left everyone confused.
"Who is the Princess Consort talking to?" someone nearby asked curiously, subconsciously looking around.
Situ Jing opened his mouth in surprise, could it be...
He also looked towards the shrine.
It was as if a night wind entered the temple, carrying whimpers, like weeping and complaining.
"Has the spiritual consciousness weakened to this extent..." Qing Wu said faintly. She tilted her head and thought, then asked the crowd:
"Does anyone have ingots and incense and candles?"
The Black Armored Guards looked at each other. They were a bunch of rough fellows, more likely to carry swords and spears. Who would carry that for no reason?
"I, I brought some..." a hesitant voice sounded, it was Bai Sui.
Qing Wu smiled.
Bai Sui tasted teasing in her smile, his face turned even redder. Gritting his teeth, he took out two sticks of incense and candles from his embrace.
The other Black Armored Guards around looked at him meaningfully.
Qing Wu: "Pfft—" She knew this kid was afraid of ghosts. Was he preparing offerings to appease them at all times?
Bai Sui was too embarrassed to stay, he put down the incense and candles and turned to run outside.
Situ Jing quickly took the incense and candles and eagerly handed them to Qing Wu. His lackey-like demeanor drew sideways glances again.
Even Xiao Chenyan gave him a meaningful look.
"Xiao Chenyan, light candles for this mountain," Qing Wu said softly. "Help it."
"Okay." Xiao Chenyan took the incense and candles. He didn't believe in ghosts and gods, but this time, he was willing to make an exception.
The candle wick was lit, and the incense and candles were placed before the shrine.
There was a crackling of sparks.
Vaguely, everyone felt a sense of mystery. In terms of physical sensation, the wind on the mountain seemed less chilling.
The temple seemed to have gained warmth.
The candlelight illuminated the broken clay statue, as if it had gained some divinity.
Vaguely, Xiao Chenyan seemed to hear a faint voice whisper in his ear:
"Thank you..."
His eyes flickered.
Then he heard Qing Wu say, "The mountain has a spirit, benefiting the common people. This mountain was not originally called Infant Devouring Mountain."
"A group of people raised Mountain Ghouls here, making this place a mess."
"Gradually, this mountain became known as Infant Devouring Mountain. The words 'infant devouring' were like shackles. The more people called it that, the more people feared it, and the more the mountain spirit's power was weakened."
"Then, its divinity was stolen, its divine radiance lost. The mountain spirit could no longer suppress the rampaging Mountain Ghouls and its temple was destroyed."
The woman's voice was distant and ethereal, as if telling a story, or revealing a truth.
Everyone listened with a dazed expression.
Situ Jing came back to his senses and suddenly realized, "Could it be that the mountain spirit of this mountain is what was hidden under the shrine by Wang Yulang?"
He had wondered before how such a small child as Wang Yulang could have evaded the Mountain Ghouls on the mountain and survived until now without being eaten.
Qing Wu nodded.
Xiao Chenyan's eyes flickered, "Are there still any Mountain Ghouls on this mountain that haven't been eliminated?"
"Even if there are, they've probably already fled by now," Qing Wu pouted. "However, we could go and destroy the lair of these beasts. It's not good to leave the corpses of those children who died unjustly on the mountain; it might attract more mountain spirits and monsters."
Xiao Chenyan nodded, and a Black Armored Guard was about to receive the order.
"Wait."
Qing Wu stopped them and said, "Those who are going to search for the bones, come here first. I'll mark you. These Mountain Ghouls are only good at bewitching people and running fast. As long as you're not bewitched, you can kill them with one sword."
The Black Armored Guards who had followed Xiao Chenyan up the mountain hadn't moved yet. The Black Armored Guards who had witnessed Qing Wu's abilities before rushed forward one by one.
"Princess Consort, me, me, me! I'll go first!"
"Me too!"
A vein throbbed on Xiao Chenyan's forehead, "Noisy!"
The group of Black Armored Guards immediately quieted down.
Half an hour later, a group of old men looked at each other, unable to smile at the 'beauty marks' on their dark faces.
Xiao Chenyan couldn't bear to look at these guys.
What an embarrassing sight.
Some of the Black Armored Guards remained on the mountain to clean up, while the rest followed Xiao Chenyan and Qing Wu down the mountain.
The mountain path was difficult to navigate at night, and even with torches, it was hard to see clearly.
Qing Wu was slightly distracted and bumped into the man's back.
Xiao Chenyan stopped in his tracks and looked back at her.
Qing Wu rubbed her slightly sore nose, "You're too tall and blocking the light!"
The shadow suddenly shortened. Qing Wu looked at the man squatting down, her eyes wide.
Xiao Chenyan tilted his head, his profile sharp and incredibly handsome in the firelight.
"Come up."
His tone was originally cold and stern, but upon meeting her stunned gaze, the man clearly paused, turned his head, and his tone softened imperceptibly, "I'll carry you down the mountain."
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