Chapter 5: Both Emotion and Reason Are Valid

Hearing Li Lin’s words, Wu Shu’s face filled with disbelief: “She wandered off on her own? How could she wander off on her own!”

Wu Shen murmured beside him: “No, Xiumang was so well-behaved, so obedient—she never ran off.”

The people around them also whispered among themselves.

The whole village was so small, you could see it all at a glance—where could she possibly have gone?

Besides, nightfall is already coming; if she doesn’t return soon, trouble is certain.

Zhao Shu asked quietly: “Li Xiaolang, are you certain she wandered off on her own?”

“I didn’t sense any eerie presence,” Li Lin thought for a moment and said, “Let’s ask the Tree Immortal Lady—she must know where Xiumang went.”

“Yes, yes, yes!”

The group nodded in agreement.

The Tree Immortal Lady has great powers—she must know what happened to Xiumang.

But ordinary people cannot see eerie entities and cannot speak with them.

Moreover, ordinary people fear eerie entities and dare not interact with them.

Li Lin arrived at the green stone altar, bowed, and asked: “Tree Immortal Lady, do you know where Xiumang went?”

The Gowned Apparition appeared, floating midair.

She made no movement, only stared fixedly at Li Lin’s left hand.

Li Lin smiled: “Women are too greedy—it’s no good!”

The Gowned Apparition’s dull eyes flickered slightly, as if displeased, but she still raised her hand and pointed toward the eastern edge of the village.

“Did she leave on her own, or was she abducted?”

The Gowned Apparition’s lips curled higher, as if sneering, but she had no desire to speak further and vanished instantly.

This eerie entity is capricious—Li Lin had known that long ago.

He shook his head and left the altar; the villagers immediately surrounded him.

“Li Xunshou, where did Xiumang go?”

“What did the Tree Immortal Lady say?”

Li Lin lifted his head slightly, waited until the villagers fell silent, then said: “The Tree Immortal Lady says Xiumang left on her own—she went toward the eastern edge of the village.”

“The eastern edge?”

Everyone exchanged glances; finally, Zhao Shu said: “She probably wants to return to Feirong County.”

The atmosphere fell silent.

Because they all knew Xiumang had originally been from Feirong County; after her family suffered misfortune in childhood, she was sent to live with Wu Shu’s household.

Over these past dozen years, Wu Shu’s family had treated her as their own daughter.

Someone then said: “Night is falling—she can’t make it back to Feirong County; there isn’t enough time.”

Everyone understood how terrifying the wilderness at night could be!

Hearing this, Wu Shen’s eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Wu Shu stood frozen for a long while, then knelt before Li Lin and pounded his head against the ground, silent, pounding again and again.

He hit hard.

Seeing this, no one around spoke.

Everyone watched silently as events unfolded.

Li Lin was about to refuse—he was indeed a Spirit Hunter, but he had no desire to spend the night in the wilds; it was too dangerous.

At that moment, two more men knelt down and joined Wu Shu in pounding their heads.

One was a youth, the other a boy.

Both were Wu family’s children.

The three men were all silent types, saying not a word, only pounding their heads.

Thud-thud-thud—the sound never ceased.

Soon, blood appeared on their foreheads, mixed with dust and dirt, looking painfully raw.

The villagers around them still watched in silence.

No one spoke, for they all understood: each side had its ‘reason.’

The Wu family was desperate to save their loved one; though it seemed coercive, their motive was understandable.

Li Xunshou helping was kindness; refusing was also reasonable—no one could blame him.

But seeing the blood on the three men’s foreheads, Li Lin sighed and said: “Fine, I’ll go after her—but I can’t promise I’ll bring her back safely.”

“Thank you, Li Xunshou. If even you can’t bring her back, then this is her fate,” the old man said, still kneeling, then shouted to the woman beside him: “Wife, stop lying there—go get the donkey and bring it for Li Xunshou to ride!”

…………

Li Lin rode the small donkey along the country path.

The donkey wasn’t faster than Li Lin, but riding saved his strength, and if Xiumang agreed to return, having the donkey carry her would make things easier.

The Wu family had truly staked everything—this little donkey was their greatest asset.

It could pull the mill, haul goods, or even be sold for several silver taels.

To use it for this purpose, without caring whether it would even survive the night, proved the Wu family truly regarded Xiumang as their daughter.

The sky gradually darkened; low clouds hung heavy, and the path ahead was nearly invisible.

The surroundings were unnervingly silent—only the wind rustling through grass and trees broke the quiet.

But Li Lin knew this was merely the calm before the storm.

The donkey walked a little farther; the last sliver of twilight vanished, and the entire world plunged into pitch blackness.

Then, suddenly, the world erupted.

Voices everywhere—human voices.

Along both sides of the road, countless whispers arose, as if countless invisible people stood watching Li Lin, staring, gossiping about him.

Though each voice was faint, the sheer number made it deafening.

He even began to hear hallucinations.

“Li Lin, it’s Wang Shang, your desk partner—we haven’t played League together in ages, come on, let’s go!”

“Li Lin, it’s Liu Ruyan—why didn’t you read my love letter?”

“Li Lin, I brought your food—call me Father…”

These voices flooded straight into his mind.

Li Lin pulled the donkey to a stop and listened quietly in the darkness; then his face grew weary.

He truly wanted to go back too.

This damned world—if he could, he wouldn’t stay a single moment longer.

After listening longer, he felt a bone-deep chill—he knew he couldn’t delay any longer.

He gripped the white jade tablet at his waist.

As his blood flowed into it, the tablet glowed red.

Soon, the surrounding clamor vanished.

Li Lin straightened his resolve and pressed onward.

Not long after, he heard movement ahead—a woman’s laughter.

It sounded familiar—likely Xiumang.

He poured more blood into the white jade tablet; its red glow brightened.

A little farther, he saw a woman sitting in the middle of the road, as if cuddling with something invisible, her cheek pressed to its.

She laughed joyfully, recklessly.

“This is where I belong—this is the life I deserve,” Xiumang swayed, reeking of alcohol: “Qin Lang, you’re so good to me—I’ll give you a whole litter of fat sons.”

“Beauty, your lips are so sweet—let me taste them.”

A rough male voice rang out, but no figure could be seen.

Li Lin walked over and drew Xiumang into the red glow of the white jade tablet; the male voice shrieked and vanished.

Xiumang shuddered and came to her senses.

She stared wildly around her, then stood up, frantically searching for something, shouting.

“Qin Lang, where are you? Where did you go?”

“Where’s my new home? Where are my silks? This dress is ugly—someone, bring me my silks! Hurry!”

“Qin Lang, come out—don’t scare me!”

Li Lin sat on the donkey, watching the woman who seemed utterly mad, and frowned.

“Xiumang, stop pretending—I can tell you’re not insane. Come back with me.”

Xiumang’s body froze instantly.

Then slowly, she turned, fixing Li Lin on the donkey with a look of hatred.

“I don’t need you to care for me!”

She screamed with all her strength.

(End of Chapter)