Volume 1, Chapter 36: I Am a Malevolent Entity, Do Not Believe My Words

Leaving Zhang Yunling’s courtyard behind, Luo Bin silently reflected on his own perseverance. Perhaps his departure had been somewhat abrupt, swift, and lacking in gentlemanly grace, but Zhang Yunling’s appearance—like a lotus rising from the water—was simply too difficult to refuse. When she had mentioned chopping firewood in that seemingly offhand manner, any normal man would have jumped to do the chore immediately. However, Luo Bin had serious matters to attend to; he could not afford to "succumb."

The sunlight felt like a gentle iron, and the mountain breeze carried a faint chill. After some time, he regained his composure. He had no intention of heading home just yet, but he couldn't find the shaman woman’s residence either. After a moment’s thought, he headed in a specific direction.

Before long, he reached the edge of a bamboo grove. The wind rustled through the leaves with a soft, sibilant sound. The gate of the fenced courtyard was tightly shut, and the door to the main room inside was wide open, revealing an empty space.

"Zhang Li!" Luo Bin called out.

He certainly couldn't approach the shaman woman directly, nor could he go through the village chief. The other villagers shunned him, and Luo Feng was against him helping outsiders. Therefore, Zhang Li remained his best option. Zhang Li was a man with a shred of intelligence, though not much. Even if Zhang Li was averse to him, the fact that Gu Yiren was in danger meant he might listen to reason. It was impossible for him to convince the village chief to release her, but if he could locate the shaman’s house and relay the information, Luo Bin could continue to devise a plan. Luo Bin had an idea that would surely change Zhong Zhicheng’s perspective, but he could only determine if it were feasible after seeing Gu Yiren.

The doors to the various rooms remained silent; Zhang Li did not emerge. "Zhang Li?" Luo Bin called again. Still, there was no response. Was it really necessary to be this petty, refusing even a single word?

Luo Bin pushed open the fence gate and entered the courtyard. He knocked on every door, but received no reply. Zhang Li was not at home. Helpless, Luo Bin wondered if Zhang Li had already gone to find Zhong Zhicheng. The man seemed refined, but in reality, he was far too reckless. Frowning, Luo Bin had no choice but to turn back toward home.

As he passed that small alleyway, he stopped at the spot where he had previously found the sack. Zhu Qianqian had passed through here before her death. There was nothing special about it; this alley was the inevitable route from the bamboo grove to the upper village.

Just on the other side of a door, Chen Xianxian stood biting her long hair, which was braided into a ponytail, struggling to bind Zhang Li’s hands and feet. Zhang Li was unconscious, blood seeping steadily from his forehead, and a hammer lay on the floor. A faint clattering sound drifted from the inner room, accompanied by the muffled, giggling laughter of a woman.

Chen Xianxian’s beautiful eyes narrowed, her brows knitting together in an elegant arc. She crept toward the room door, but the door was so tightly fitted that there was no crack to peer through. She stood perfectly still, listening intently. She heard footsteps approaching and then gradually fading away. She gently opened the door just a sliver. At the end of the alley, Luo Bin was walking away. She closed the door again.

*Luo Bin... what was he doing here?*

Glancing at Zhang Li on the floor, Chen Xianxian seemed lost in thought, her eyes brightening slightly. Then, she dragged Zhang Li into the inner room. For a petite girl, a grown man like Zhang Li was incredibly heavy and dead-weight. It took her a long time to haul him into the cellar.

On the side against the wall, another woman, identical to her, watched her with a cold, mocking smile. There was a great deal of blood on the floor, and the woman’s hands, face, and mouth were stained even more heavily. Under normal circumstances, whenever Chen Xianxian fed her sister, she would clean up the mess the following day while the sister slept. But with the disposal of the body this morning, the village affairs, and the task of luring Zhang Li back, she had run out of time. Furthermore, because Luo Bin had passed by and awakened her sister, cleaning the bloodstains had become impossible.

"Sister, this is a companion of that woman from yesterday. I haven't disappointed you these past two days, have I?" Chen Xianxian asked. "There’s someone else in the village who is quite extraordinary. I know you love extraordinary men the most. I will definitely lure him to you in the next couple of days." She promised with earnest sincerity.

The woman hissed softly, then beckoned gently, her gaze suggesting she wanted Chen Xianxian to lean closer, as if she had something to say. Chen Xianxian pouted slightly, looking aggrieved. "Sister, why do you still want to eat me? Now that you’ve become an evil spirit, have you truly lost your heart?"

On the floor, Zhang Li’s eyes fluttered open. He had regained consciousness. With a cloth gag stuffed in his mouth, he couldn't speak, but the sight before him, the words he had heard, and the sight of the hammer earlier made him feel as if he had fallen into hell. He struggled violently, his body thrashing as he emitted muffled groans and thuds, terrified to his core.

"Oh, men are certainly different. You’ve woken up much faster than Zhu Qianqian," Chen Xianxian said, crouching down to pinch Zhang Li’s cheek. "It’s a pity my sister is an evil spirit. Otherwise, she would surely have let you experience that Guishan Village isn't entirely terrifying; there is still some gentleness like water. She used to be a Bodhisattva, you know."

"But now, the Bodhisattva no longer saves people. She has to consume some to save herself. You stinking men—having enjoyed her favors, you really ought to pay something back." Chen Xianxian smiled, her eyes crinkling in a playful manner. Zhang Li’s eyes bulged, his muffled cries growing louder.

...

"Xiao Shan, why are you back so soon?" Gu Ya asked, surprised to see the courtyard gate being pushed open.

Luo Bin scratched his head, whispering an explanation: "Sister Ling is taking a bath. I felt it was inappropriate to linger in her courtyard for too long. It is not for the eyes to see."

Gu Ya froze again. On the threshold, Luo Feng looked up, appearing quite satisfied.

"But Xiao Shan, before..." Gu Ya began, trailing off.

"Enough, don't dredge up old, moldy history. Xiao Shan has matured and become sensible—aren't you happy about that?" This time, it was Luo Feng who beamed.

Gu Ya fell silent, merely sighing softly, appearing both amused and frustrated. Luo Bin blinked; Gu Ya didn't seem unhappy, so what was that expression? *I... am the original owner, what did I do before?*

"Go chop some firewood, Xiao Shan. There is still plenty of wood at home. Good strength should be put to use for the family. A family at peace is what truly matters," Luo Feng said.

"Yes, yes." Luo Bin nodded and walked toward the woodshed next to the kitchen. He had been worrying about what to do to avoid appearing suspicious, and Luo Feng had played right into his hands.

*Clack, clack.* The logs were reduced to strips of firewood. His palms were sweating, but the talisman drawn by the shaman woman showed no signs of wear. His heart grew even calmer. There were still many unknowns in this village, such as the shaman woman herself. *Evil spirits—do they really have to be avoided, or can they be dealt with?*

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. Gu Ya prepared dinner and called the father and son to eat. During the meal, Luo Bin and Luo Feng shared a tacit silence. Gu Ya remained quiet as well. Afterward, Luo Bin returned to his room and rummaged for a long time, eventually finding some bottles, jars, and plastic bags.

Locking the door and drawing the curtains, Luo Bin waited for darkness to fall before he began dividing the lamp oil.

At night, the silence was profound. Luo Bin took a small sip as usual, suppressing the urge to avoid light and crave blood.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

A light tapping sound echoed. Luo Bin did not move toward it. Outside the window, it was undoubtedly an evil spirit!

*Knock, knock, knock.* The tapping grew urgent. A faint voice filtered into the room: "The people in this house are not normal. That couple... they are actually two evil spirits. They are extremely dangerous."

"This village is even less normal. You just arrived; there are many things you don't know yet..."

"Open the window quickly, and I will save you."

Luo Bin felt numb. *Xu Kaiguo... he never ends.* But could he not know whether Luo Feng and Gu Ya were problematic?! Yet, what exactly was Xu Kaiguo trying to do? Theoretically, he shouldn't be suspicious either, right?

Luo Bin stood up abruptly, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtain. Xu Kaiguo... was gone. However, on the glass behind the wooden slats, there was a white smudge of breath that was slowly fading. Also rapidly vanishing seemed to be a line of text.

*Tick, tick.* The soft sound of a stopwatch ticking echoed. The needle inadvertently jumped back two seconds. Flashing before Luo Bin’s eyes was the moment he had opened the window. The white mist on the window dissipated rapidly, and the blurred characters vanished along with it. In that split second, Luo Bin had clearly seen the line of text:

"I am an evil spirit. Do not believe what I say."