Chapter 7: Not to Let the Truth Be Known

Another morning arrived, and from the other side of the village came the piercing wail of a suona, faintly mingled with the wailing of women.

Li Lin sat in his home, slowly sipping clear tea to dispel the greasiness.

He didn’t need to attend Xiu Niang’s funeral; as a Spirit Hunter, his blood qi was too strong, and following the coffin might disturb the deceased.

At this moment, he was pondering who had killed Xiu Niang.

If Xiu Niang had merely been devoured by a wraith, the matter would hold no special significance.

This world always had unlucky souls who ventured out and failed to return to the village or town in time, spending the night in the wild and becoming prey to wraiths.

But the problem lay in the technique known as the “Wangliang Embryo Secret Rite.”

It was a vile art—even Li Lin, a novice Spirit Hunter, had heard of its infamous name.

Utterly malevolent, and inhumanly cruel.

The Tree Immortal Lady had drawn twelve breaths of his essence before uttering just one word: “Placenta!”

Though he now had a clue, Li Lin felt it was worthless.

Just one word—no context, no direction—how was he supposed to investigate?

Then again, the Tree Immortal Lady’s voice, though cold, was truly pleasant to hear.

He sipped a few more mouthfuls of tea, waited another half-hour, then fastened the White Jade Tablet to his belt and prepared to head to the county seat to meet Wang Tianyou.

Almost everyone in the village was busy with Xiu Niang’s funeral rites; the village was empty.

When Li Lin reached the village gate, he unexpectedly found Zhao Xiaohu sitting beneath a large tree, looking utterly desolate.

“Why didn’t you go to see Xiu Niang off?” Li Lin asked curiously.

“Brother Lin…” Zhao Xiaohu first responded, then muttered: “They wouldn’t let me go.”

“Why not?”

“Because Sister Xiu Niang was actually my betrothed. They said there were taboos—I don’t quite understand.”

Ah!

Li Lin had never known this.

He’d only been in the village for a little over half a year, and most of his time was spent cultivating; he rarely chatted with the villagers, so he knew little about village affairs.

Zhao Xiaohu stood up, dejectedly saying: “I was supposed to marry Sister Xiu Niang when I turned fifteen. She’s three years older than me. My father said, ‘A wife three years older brings golden bricks.’ Sister Xiu Niang always treated me well. I never expected…”

“Condolences.”

Li Lin patted his shoulder; he understood well how hard it was to find a suitable bride in these rural areas.

Besides, weren’t they childhood sweethearts?

It was just that Zhao Xiaohu looked too mature—but paired with a girl three years his senior, such maturity didn’t seem out of place.

But… it was all over now.

She was gone. What more could be said?

“Brother Lin.” Zhao Xiaohu suddenly stared fixedly at Li Lin: “Was Sister Xiu Niang murdered?”

“No… why would you think that!”

“Because Sister Xiu Niang wasn’t that kind of person. She was sensible, obedient, and never wandered off.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Li Lin patted his shoulder again. “People make mistakes sometimes.”

He would not tell the villagers that someone had murdered Xiu Niang.

Ordinary villagers simply couldn’t bear the consequences of knowing the truth.

Zhao Xiaohu lowered his head.

Leaving the village, Li Lin took over half an hour to reach the county seat, then headed straight for the government office.

Upon arrival, he found Wang Tianyou already waiting, along with two middle-aged men.

Li Lin recognized both of them.

He walked over, clasped his fists, and smiled: “Senior Zhou, Senior Su, good to see you again.”

Zhou Yutong returned the gesture, his tone neutral: “Brother Li, greetings.”

But Su Huafang stepped forward warmly, clapping Li Lin on the shoulder: “Good. Your physique has improved greatly since last time. Looks like the blood rice really does nourish you.”

Su Huafang was Li Lin’s patron.

He was the one who discovered Li Lin’s potential as a Spirit Hunter, taught him the basics by hand, and even gifted him the “Spring Revival Heart Method.”

Li Lin replied gratefully: “Senior Su, how have you been lately?”

“Fine, though I’ve been traveling everywhere eliminating demons. Over time, my body’s worn down—I’m getting old. A few more years, and I’ll retire.”

At that moment, Wang Tianyou stepped forward and smiled: “Senior Su looks every bit a man in his prime. Retirement is still too soon.”

Su Huafang stroked his beard and laughed heartily; his main cultivation was the Spring Revival Nourishing Art, and though he was over fifty, he looked barely thirty.

This was his greatest pride.

Then two more arrived, a man and a woman.

Li Lin had never seen them before.

Wang Tianyou quickly introduced them, and soon everyone knew one another.

“So this is the ‘yang object’ you found?”

The woman was a young matron, her face ordinary, but her figure decent enough.

She stared at Li Lin with surprise, clicking her tongue.

Li Lin frowned: “Calling me a ‘yang object’ sounds rather crude, Senior Ding the Spirit Patrol.”

Ding Fengchun burst out laughing: “Your yang qi is indeed robust. I’m just stating facts. If it offends you, go ahead and curse me—how about I give you a red envelope after this is done?”

Others chuckled at this, eyeing Li Lin with a touch of envy.

Li Lin was stunned—he didn’t understand what she meant.

Su Huafang stroked his beard and said: “Senior Ding, let’s drop it. Brother Li still relies entirely on this yang qi to sustain his blood qi.”

“Then maybe later,” Ding Fengchun said with regret.

Wang Tianyou interjected: “It’s getting late. Let’s eat some food and drink first—tonight we’ll need our strength.”

Naturally, no one objected.

Wang Tianyou took them to the county’s finest tavern.

They ate and chatted.

These were all seasoned veterans of the Spirit Hunter trade; their gossip was fascinating.

Li Lin, as a novice, learned a great deal.

…………

Three hours later, the group rode out of the county seat to a small town several kilometers away.

There stood an abandoned Tudimiao.

Wang Tianyou pointed at the temple entrance from horseback: “The wraith is inside. It will emerge at midnight.”

Ding Fengchun dismounted: “I’ll set up the defensive barrier first—otherwise other wraiths might interfere.”

“Thank you, Senior Ding,” Wang Tianyou bowed.

Ding Fengchun smiled, pulled a white porcelain bottle from her sash, uncorked it, and walked forward as she scattered powder.

The powder settled into a pale blue hue, glowing faintly in the dimness—strangely eerie, like ghostly fire tracing a prison on the ground.

Li Lin was deeply curious.

Su Huafang walked over and whispered: “Senior Ding is from the Ding family of Guicheng. Her alchemy skills are inherited and formidable—she can nourish the body and craft talismans. This powder is her alchemical barrier dust; only three families know how to make it. But don’t get too close to her—the Ding family has a dual-cultivation art… allegedly learned from a gowned apparition, capable of draining a person’s marrow dry.”

So powerful!

Li Lin instinctively thought of the Tree Immortal Lady back in the village.

“What does ‘red envelope’ mean?”

Su Huafang looked at him with a strange expression: “You really don’t know?”

(End of Chapter)