The exchange left Bu Quegan somewhat unnerved. He exclaimed in shock, “So I was the only one who didn’t notice anything at all?”
Jinshu was utterly exasperated by this naive fool.
Yan Lin, unfazed as usual, remarked, “I knew you couldn’t be relied on. There are still three days until the fifteenth. Since the village chief seems suspicious, we probably won’t learn much from him. Let’s split into two groups: one to gather information from the villagers, and the other to investigate what this sacrificial ritual is really about.”
Everyone agreed and set off without delay.
The village chief’s residence was not far from the ancestral hall. Following the lively sounds, Jinshu and Chen Fuzhou had no trouble finding it. Meanwhile, Bu Quegan and the other two went to interview the victims.
By then, the participants of the ritual had already gathered orderly in the courtyard. Jinshu and Chen Fuzhou peered inside from outside the gate. The ancestral hall was spacious: beyond the main gate lay a courtyard with a well on each side. Further in was a grand hall, above which hung a large plaque inscribed with “Spring Tide Hall,” inspired by the phrase, “Orchids and jade trees fill the air with fragrance; descendants multiply like spring tides.” Genealogical records adorned the walls on either side of the hall, and tall ancestral tablets stood at the center. Before them, an incense burner held several sticks of incense.
“All men,” Jinshu whispered, nudging Chen Fuzhou beside her with her elbow.
“…” Chen Fuzhou had no explanation either.
Yang Dafu swaggered out from one side of the courtyard. Gone was the amiable expression he had shown Jinshu and the others earlier. Now stern-faced, he stood before the villagers and cleared his throat loudly.
Once all eyes were on him, he took the incense handed to him by an attendant and announced in a booming voice, “This year’s ritual has the same purpose as always: to pray to the heavens for the prosperity and flourishing descendants of Yanjian Village!”
The crowd responded with approval.
“But… Village Chief, isn’t that demon here to take revenge on us? This ritual…” A timid man voiced his doubt hesitantly, but before he could finish, Yang Dafu shot him a fierce glare, causing the man to immediately lower his head and fall silent.
“Yang Gang, what do you mean by that? Since the ritual before last, you’ve repeatedly caused trouble. If that’s the case, take your two worthless burdens and get out of Yanjian Village! Don’t linger here and offend everyone’s eyes!”
The man named Yang Gang hurriedly stepped forward from the crowd, bowing to Yang Dafu in panic. “Village Chief, I was wrong. It was all my wild imagination, all my nonsense.”
Yang Dafu snorted coldly and ignored him. Turning around, he entered the main hall, inserted the lit incense into the burner, then knelt before the ancestral tablets. Muttering something under his breath, he respectfully kowtowed three times. The men in the courtyard followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing. For a moment, the only sound in the courtyard was Yang Dafu’s indistinct murmuring.
Jinshu and Chen Fuzhou exchanged suspicious glances, both feeling utterly bewildered.
“This place has already lost so many lives, yet they’re still praying for offspring? Why did Yang Gang say the demon is here for revenge? What exactly have they done?”
Chen Fuzhou frowned deeply. “This doesn’t seem like a ritual. It feels more like some sinister ceremony.”
The sacrificial ceremony was about to end, and people in the courtyard began rising to leave. Jinshu grabbed Chen Fuzhou’s arm and pulled him aside. She glanced at Yang Gang, who looked dejected after being scolded and was preparing to leave, then nudged Chen Fuzhou with her chin and said, “This Yang Gang seems rather honest. Let’s not waste effort randomly investigating. Probably everyone in this village is in on it together—they definitely won’t tell the truth. We might as well ask Yang Gang directly and get a clear answer.”
The two stealthily followed Yang Gang as he walked alone on the road, clearly lost in thought. Along the way, he detoured to a pastry shop and bought some of the cheapest sugar cakes. When the shopkeeper greeted him, he only managed a forced smile.
Yang Gang’s home was on the outermost edge of Yanjian Village. When Jinshu and Chen Fuzhou arrived, they were both astonished. Even in the impoverished Yanjian Village, this place could be described as utterly dilapidated.
The wooden fence was full of gaps, serving little more than a decorative purpose, leaving everything in the yard completely exposed. A small house stood in the yard, its roof tiles even incomplete in places.
Yang Gang stood at the entrance to the yard, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door with trepidation. The old wooden door creaked and tilted sideways. Yang Gang hurriedly fumbled to prop it back up.
Hearing the commotion outside, a girl about Yang Lan’s age cautiously peeked out from inside the house. Recognizing the visitor, she joyfully rushed over and cooed, “Daddy, you’re finally back! We’ve been waiting for you for so long.”
Yang Gang hugged the girl and forced a smile. “You silly girl… Where are your mother and sister?”
The girl, oblivious to Yang Gang’s unease, replied innocently, “Mother and sister are both fine and inside the house.”
Somewhat reassured, Yang Gang carried the sugar cakes and walked with the girl into the small house. Inside the humble dwelling, his wife sat on the bed, cradling a swaddled baby in her arms. She gently rocked the bundle, her gaze fixed tenderly on the child within.
Seeing his wife’s frail figure, weary expression, and sallow complexion, Yang Gang sighed with heartache.
The moment his wife looked up, he quickly composed himself and handed her the sugar cakes with a bright smile. The woman accepted them in pleasant surprise. “Why did you buy these?”
“I remembered you love them.”
Shaking her head disapprovingly, the woman said, “You and Zhenzhen haven’t had new clothes in so long. How could I indulge in these treats?”
Yang Gang sat by the bed, took his wife’s hand, and patted it reassuringly. “A Cui, you’re still weak and should eat something nourishing. It’s my fault for not being capable enough to afford better—I can only offer you these humble treats. New clothes will come. I’ll work hard so all four of us can wear new garments.”
A Cui smiled helplessly and handed the swaddled baby to Yang Gang. “You were out today, and the baby kept crying. She must have missed her daddy. Look, Baobao, Daddy’s back.”
The infant in the swaddle couldn’t understand A Cui’s words. Sucking on her fingers, she stared at her parents with clear, bright eyes, then suddenly giggled, making both husband and wife laugh.
With one arm holding the child and the other clasping his wife’s hand, Yang Gang felt a deep sense of peace. If only things could always stay like this.
“Dad, there’s someone outside looking for you!” Yang Zhen lifted the door curtain and poked her head in, urging, “They’re two incredibly good-looking people, dressed so beautifully, just like immortals descending from heaven.”
Yang Gui was somewhat puzzled but still went outside.
Jinshu and the other had hidden in the shadows to roughly understand Yang Gui’s situation, then directly approached and knocked on his door.
Jinshu first smiled warmly and said, “Uncle Yang, we are cultivators from the Tianxuan Sect. We’ve come to ask you about some matters.”
Upon hearing “cultivator,” Yang Gui startled and took two steps back. Beside him, Yang Zhen curiously asked, “Daddy, what’s a cultivator?”
“Zhen’er, go inside and stay with your mother and sister. Dad has something to attend to now. Can you take care of Mom and Sister for Dad?”
Yang Zhen obediently nodded. After she returned inside, Yang Gui steeled himself and said, “Honored Daoists, let’s speak somewhere else.”
“Uncle Yang, during the sacrifice, what did you mean when you said the demon would take revenge on you?” As soon as the three of them moved to the back of the small courtyard, Jinshu eagerly asked.
“Ah…” Yang Gui’s face showed anxiety: “Daoists, I cannot tell you this.”
Jinshu asked again, “Then can you tell us about the sacrifice?”
Yang Gui shook his head again and refused: “Sorry, I cannot say this either. If I tell you, our family will have no place left in Yanjian Village.”
Jinshu and the other exchanged a glance.
Chen Fuzhou asked, “How much do you know about the demon?”
Yang Gui’s expression grew even more complicated. He struggled for a long time before saying, “You probably know this too—this demon only targets infants. Recently, besides the children who died earlier, the only families in the village with infants are ours and the village chief’s. Because of this, the village chief sent someone to seek your help. On the fifteenth, the village chief will definitely have you all watch over his child. The demon fears you, so it will surely target my child. Our family is just ordinary mortals—how can we resist that demon?”
As he spoke, Yang Gui covered his face and began to weep bitterly: “My wife and daughter still don’t know about this. Her health is poor; she’s often sick and hasn’t left her bed since giving birth. If she finds out, she might be scared to death.”
“I’m a poor man; I don’t earn much money. A Cui has suffered with me all along, and now I can’t even protect our child. What kind of man am I?” Yang Gui grew increasingly emotional and even began slapping his own face.
Jinshu quickly grabbed him, comforting him: “Uncle Yang, don’t get upset. Listen to me—we cultivate immortality precisely to save lives and help the injured. We won’t let the demon take your child.”
Yang Gui wiped his face with his rough hands and immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing to the two: “If the Daoists can save our family, I, Yang Gui, will do anything—even die.”
The two had no choice but to help him up and patiently comfort him again.
As night fell, the five of them returned to the house the village chief had arranged for them. To facilitate discussion, they politely declined the village chief’s invitation. The village chief then sent Yang Lan to prepare a large table of dishes for them.
Jinshu sat at the table, using her chopsticks to poke disdainfully at the bowl of crystal-clear rice. She said listlessly, “The people of Yanjian Village live in such poverty, yet this village chief has the nerve to eat so lavishly!”
Yan Lin also mocked, “People like him never feel the pain until a stone hits their own foot. Naturally, they wouldn’t bother sympathizing with others.”
Before the meal, Jinshu and Chen Fuzhou had already briefly shared the results of their investigation, waiting for the remaining three to report their findings.
Bu Quegan and the other two had returned earlier and had already shared their discoveries. At this point, Li Xingdao summarized, “Our findings are quite similar. Judging from the children’s birthdates, there are no common points, so we can rule out the possibility that the demon is selecting children with special constitutions for cultivation. However, one strange thing is that all the deceased children were male infants. In fact, over the past six months in Yanjian Village, apart from Yang Gui’s family, not a single girl has been born.”
Yan Lin added, “Actually, we didn’t find much useful information. The people here are tight-lipped and unwilling to say more no matter how we ask. But there was one household where the mother went mad after her child died. When I visited, she kept screaming, ‘He’s come back for me,’ ‘He’s come to claim my life as his mother,’ and ‘I’ve wronged him.’ I sensed something was off and wanted to ask more, but they wouldn’t let me in. I couldn’t force my way in, so I had to give up.”
Chen Fuzhou smiled mockingly, “The place isn’t big, but there’s no shortage of dirty secrets. If they’re too afraid to let others know, why bother begging us to come?”
Bu Quegan sighed heavily, “There’s no choice. Since we’ve taken on this hot potato, we can’t just drop it. Since the clues still point to Yang Gui, let’s all visit him together tomorrow.”
Under these circumstances, everyone could only agree. Yet, no one felt at ease in such a situation. A suffocating silence spread through the room. Jinshu looked at the lavish spread of fish and meat on the table, feeling nauseated. She angrily put down her chopsticks, “I can’t eat anymore.”
The meal left everyone feeling uneasy, and the others also expressed difficulty in eating. Thus, the gathering ended unhappily, with everyone returning to their rooms filled with worry.