Chapter 38: Demon (Part Four)

However, this outward explanation is unlikely to have any effect; the Wang Clan already knows.

Three years ago, the Wang Clan's missing caravan of horsemen was said to have been intercepted by demons, but the Wang Clan actually knows what really happened.

Or rather, they have always been skeptical of the claim that "the caravan was robbed by demons."

And this time Wang Wu directly brought the silver they lost, which further confirmed their doubts.

After all, thinking about it, the demons in this area were exterminated by the court decades ago; how could they have reappeared in less than a hundred years and dare to ambush a caravan guarded by cultivators?

Demons aren't like chives; cut a batch this year and another batch will grow back next year.

Moreover, Dead Bone Forest isn't a good place even for demons. Even for demons, it's not a place they like to have certain things as neighbors.

Si Hun Shan Shan also has demons, but those demons rarely come out. Even when they do, they are only in the deepest part of Dead Bone Forest, the area that connects to Si Hun Shan Shan.

And those demons, rather than being called demons, are more like…

Demons.

Wang Wu's dwelling is deep within Dead Bone Forest, though not the deepest part, but it isn't far from there.

Starting from Wang Wu's Dog Cave, at his speed it takes about three hours to reach the forest at the foot of Si Hun Shan Shan, the deepest part of Dead Bone Forest.

Yes, Wang Wu's cave used to belong to a dog demon, but that dog demon long ago entered the belly of someone from either He Dong or He Xi Xian. Later it changed owners to a tiger demon, which also died; the basket is probably still soaking in some household's wine jar.

Demons eat people, and people naturally eat demons.

When a shape‑shifting demon dies, it reveals its true form; as long as it isn't a half‑human, half‑beast type, it's just a large animal, which can of course be eaten.

And unlike the unpalatable taste of humans inside a demon's mouth, demons are actually delicious; even demons themselves love to eat demons.

The disappearance of the Wang Clan's caravan is inevitably linked to their own kin, while the demons are merely the scapegoated side, though not entirely blameless.

After all, Zhu San Niang did indeed kill those who robbed the Wang Clan's caravan back then.

But those boxes were certainly not moved by Zhu San Niang, and when Wang Wu was looking for clothes in the Shi Keng, he didn't notice any particularly unusual bones.

Perhaps he truly didn't notice at the time, but if the cultivators hired by the Wang Clan also died there, Zhu San Niang could not have missed it.

As a demon, she obviously could not have overlooked a cultivator who possessed a human pill.

Human pills are precious; even the Zhu San Niang who once roamed freely had never tasted them. If she had, given her temperament, she would have flaunted it.

The whole affair reeks of something off; even without Wang Wu bringing the silver, the Wang Clan has been investigating for years. Unfortunately, until Wang Wu arrived, they hadn't uncovered anything.

The cultivators vanished, yet the goods appeared in the pit. That is obviously absurd.

Considering cost, some goods would certainly not be entrusted to cultivators, nor shipped with spatial equipment.

But such goods are small to begin with; even a few boxes of silver ingots don't take much space. Simply having a cultivator pack them into a Qiankun Sleeve, plus a few bodyguards, allows a light and covert departure.

After Wang Wu delivered the news of the silver in that pit, the Wang Clan quickly drew a conclusion:

That cultivator was a traitor.

Even Wang Wu could guess that, let alone the Wang Clan.

"I heard the cultivator who was in charge of escorting the goods back then was Miss Wang's friend?" While on the way to the Shi Keng, Wang Wu nudged his horse toward Li Yuan and asked.

"Yes, the two were sworn sisters under Yie Jin Lan." Li Yuan replied, his tone rather sentimental:

"Back then, before she became a cultivator, the two were already sisters, growing up together, with a very close relationship."

"Her parents were once servants of the Wang Clan, later left the clan and opened a shop in the city; the Wang Clan has looked after them over the years."

"But later, that woman— I can't recall her name— her parents fell ill with a serious disease, about fourteen years ago, and died quickly; since then she became an orphan."

"Nevertheless, the Wang Clan has always supported her, so she never lacked food or clothing. Later she showed talent, and with the Wang Clan's help, she entered the Profound Azure Gate and became a cultivator."

"Miss Wang couldn't cultivate the True Dao; she isn't from a True Realm lineage like the Young Hero, only able to practice Gang Qi martial path. Still, the two's relationship remained very good, like siblings."

"Until three years ago?" Wang Wu asked.

"Until you, Young Hero, arrived and informed us about the Shi Keng." Li Yuan said.

"That Miss and the Wang Family's Second Young Master had a marriage contract; the Second Young Master, Miss Wang, and she grew up together, and the Second Young Master was even her childhood sweetheart."

"After that incident three years ago, the Second Young Master stopped eating and drinking, stayed in bed for a long time, almost committing suicide."

"Fortunately he still doesn't know the news you, Young Hero, brought." Li Yuan sighed, "Otherwise he might fall ill again."

Listening, Wang Wu's peripheral vision suddenly caught Wang Lan's hand trembling.

"Did you cast the sound‑dampening technique?" Wang Wu then looked at Li Yuan and asked.

"It's broken!" Li Yuan exclaimed in surprise.

Fortunately, Wang Lan, as a martial practitioner, still has a strong inner core. Well, probably, as one would expect.

In short, this is just a minor interlude.

Soon it was noon; the party ate a little on horseback, rested briefly, then the horse convoy set off again, increasing its speed.

The steeds beneath their thighs began to gallop, the speed rising from an initial fifteen kilometers per hour to twenty‑five kilometers per hour, and still climbing.

"Almost there!!"

Soon, when Wang Wu saw the familiar forest, he shouted, and the convoy began to accelerate.

At this moment it was noon, the peak of yang energy in the day, also roughly the safest time.

So far, everything is proceeding according to the established plan, with no deviation.

Wang Wu's horse convoy arrived at the target location at the height of midday yang, and next, after Li Yuan finishes his technique, a group will enter Dead Bone Forest, head to the Shi Keng to retrieve the Wang Clan's lost assets.

"Something's off."

Only when the group stopped, began to set up, and Li Yuan took out various tools to prepare talismans, Wang Wu suddenly spoke.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"What's wrong, Young Hero?" Wang Lan rode up to Wang Wu's side and asked. But Wang Wu ignored him, his gaze fixed on the forest ahead, as if something was there.

The others followed his gaze into the forest.

Even under the bright noon, Dead Bone Forest still exuded a chilling yin aura; faint white human silhouettes could be seen wandering among the trees.

Some drift aimlessly, others stand beneath trees; though their faces are unseen, one can feel they are watching this side.

Li Yuan also stared at that side for a while, simultaneously using his law eye, but apart from some wandering souls and corpse shadows, there was nothing there.

There were no demons, nor devils, nor ghosts and monsters.

So he withdrew his gaze, looked at the increasingly solemn Wang Wu, and smiled, "Just some wandering souls, Brother Wang, you need not be like this…"

At that moment, Wang Wu's complexion changed instantly, becoming terrified, and immediately he shouted loudly, "Fuck!! Retreat fast!!! Retreat!!!! Fast!!!!!!!"

"Fast!!!! What the fuck are you standing still for!!?? Move quickly!!!!"

After speaking, Wang Wu gave no further explanation, directly gripping the horse's flank and kicking the horses of Wang Lan and Li Yuan on both sides, "Go!!!"

The three horses they rode neighed in alarm, instantly breaking from the herd and galloping toward the distance.

Eek—

Hee hee hee, haha, eek—

At that moment, shortly after Wang Wu's warning, everyone heard another voice besides Wang Wu's urging:

It was a sound that was half laugh, half cry.

"Don't look back! Everyone, don't look back!! Run fast!!!!"

Wang Wu tugged a strand of the horse's mane; the horse beneath him winced, immediately spurred forward, charging toward the direction the crowd had come from.

Immediately after, everyone present, upon hearing that voice, reacted at once. No one was a novice, so they naturally knew what to do.

The crowd hurriedly urged their mounts, accelerating to the limit, and together with Wang Wu charged toward He Dong Xian.

And behind them, about two kilometers away, a gigantic human head slowly floated out of Wang Gu Lin.

The head's face resembled a paper‑mâché doll, bright red and white, making one's heart race with panic.

But it also had a pair of human eyes; its upper and lower eyelids were violently peeled back, revealing whole eyeballs inside.

The eyeballs were pitch black, yet upon close inspection, one could seem to see something moving inside.

It emerged beyond the forest; the two black eyeballs swivelled left and right, then quickly locked onto the horse herd that was galloping along Guan Dao.

Heh… eek— hee hee, hahaha…

It laughed, and flew toward that side.

Yao Mo Gui Gui, this is a ghost.

(End of chapter)