Chapter 52: The Well

“Brother Chu, what are you looking for?” Guo Ming asked, puzzled as he watched Chu Danqing’s gaze follow the shadow of the Cold Spring Sniper Rifle darting wildly through Nanshan Temple.

“Eliminate evil thoroughly—I’m still missing one chang ghost.” Chu Danqing made no secret of it; the natives couldn’t see treasure chests anyway, so there was no harm in telling him.

After a moment’s thought, Guo Ming said, “Could the one you’re missing be the Yinke Chan Master tied to your waist?”

He didn’t know why Chu Danqing thought one was missing, but they’d searched twice and found nothing—Yinke Chan Master fit perfectly.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing froze, then wore an embarrassed smile: “Da Bao, come back—I found it.”

This was what they called riding a donkey while searching for a donkey.

Da Bao returned swiftly, glanced around, and asked, “Where?”

“Here.” Chu Danqing unfastened the human skin from his waist and spread it open: “It’s this.”

Chu Danqing lifted Yinke Chan Master’s skin, then took out candles, lard, and clean water from his storage space.

As he smeared lard onto Yinke Chan Master’s skin, he asked, “Zhanji Tiger is dead, the three corpses are dead—now you can tell us what’s at the bottom of the well.”

He would never forget the man’s earlier promise.

“This is a long story, sigh.” Yinke Chan Master sighed, then continued, “Master, don’t act yet—I’ll tell you.”

“We have all the time in the world—you can talk until tomorrow.” Chu Danqing didn’t believe a word.

“I assume you’ve both heard of Nanshan Temple’s reputation for granting children?” Yinke Chan Master began with the reason, then went on: “This story starts with…”

Chu Danqing finished coating the skin with lard, lit the candle, and gave Guo Ming a look.

The two began roasting the skin while sprinkling water on it, utterly ignoring Yinke Chan Master’s tale of cause and effect.

He knew the truth behind child-seeking: the temple monks were carrying burdens they shouldn’t.

But only a limited number of people could afford to seek children, and the monks weren’t willing to carry just anyone.

Later, they became addicted to the taste and couldn’t quit—luckily, beneath the withered well in the temple’s back courtyard lay a hidden cave.

So they kidnapped a group of beautiful women and imprisoned them below.

At first, they took only common folk’s daughters; later, they grew bold enough to target women from wealthy households.

As time passed, more women died. At first, their bodies were carried out and buried; later, they were disposed of on-site.

Then Zhanji Tiger was implanted with San Shi · Zhi, and used the snowstorm to enter Nanshan Temple.

The grievous spirits of the corpses at the bottom of the well transformed into ghostly demons; Zhanji Tiger, already a spirit and in the form of a tiger, excelled at subduing such entities and turning them to his service.

He devoured the monks, feeding their skull bones daily to the ghostly demons below, and in seventy-seven days, they would reach full maturity.

As for how Zhanji Tiger knew all this—it was because of the hidden teachings passed down by the Ren Gong Dao Shi.

Once Zhanji Tiger’s San Shi · Zhi was complete, he could swallow the ghostly demon and advance further, cutting it down to feed back its essence and strengthen his foundation.

Zhanji Tiger did this; so must the Unicorn Jiao and the Human Demon have similar arrangements.

“Gentlemen, the truth is this—can you grant this old monk a swift end?” Yinke Chan Master asked.

“Swift? Hah. Your deeds are no different from beasts—do you still expect mercy?” Guo Ming’s tone brimmed with anger; his face had been grim since Yinke Chan Master began speaking.

Chu Danqing’s face was grim too, but he didn’t strike immediately: “How do we quell the ghostly demon’s grievous energy and let it rest?”

The thing at the bottom of the well had become an unstable bomb.

Had he never encountered it—or been unaware—he could’ve simply left.

But now that he had, he had to find a way to deal with it.

He couldn’t save the refugees suffering under the snowstorm, but at least he wouldn’t let this calamity explode and make things worse.

Yinke Chan Master remained silent—he had no idea.

Chu Danqing’s gaze turned to Guo Ming.

“Can’t be calmed. To make it rest, only death will do.” Guo Ming’s grim expression stemmed from this: the victim still had to suffer unjustly.

Chu Danqing heard this and didn’t forcefully argue for another solution.

There must be one—but he didn’t know it, and arguing would be useless.

“How many skulls are still missing?” Chu Danqing asked.

“Only this old monk’s skull remains.” Yinke Chan Master confessed: “If you send this old monk to rebirth, the ghostly demon will not reach full maturity.”

“It won’t emerge from the well for thirty to fifty days—just have a high master seal the well. Over years, it will dissipate on its own.”

Chu Danqing didn’t believe Yinke Chan Master—he turned to Guo Ming: “What do you think?”

He’d only been in this trial world a few days—he couldn’t possibly know such details.

“His words aren’t false, but incomplete maturity means it’s still choking on its rage.” Guo Ming hesitated: “Sealing the well might backfire.”

“Better to complete its obsession—let Da Bao kill it. That’s more beneficial.”

“This bald monk speaks few truths.” Guo Ming shifted tone: “There must be other dangers beneath the well.”

“If mere grievous energy and many dead could produce such a ghostly demon, then every mass grave would be forbidden to the living.”

“Eight or nine out of ten, there’s unknown peril below.”

Chu Danqing thought briefly. He wasn’t afraid of danger—risk and reward being equal usually held true, unless it was a scam.

“Where is your skull?” Chu Danqing decided to follow Guo Ming’s advice.

He wouldn’t listen to an enemy—was he stupid?

Yinke Chan Master’s face darkened, and he reluctantly revealed the location of his skull.

Da Bao hurried off and soon returned with a long-rotted skull.

“Brother Chu, think carefully,” Guo Ming quickly said. “The ghostly demon isn’t as strong as Zhanji Tiger, but I have no talisman to aid me now.”

Zhanji Tiger had won so easily because Guo Ming’s talisman had been key.

“I know. So I’ll rest a bit before acting.” Chu Danqing pulled out a weak healing potion and a steamer basket of medicinal dumplings for Da Bao to consume, while waiting for the Shenji Camp’s repeating crossbow token’s cooldown.

To raise his rating, he needed a rich and dazzling record.

If he could earn another A-rank evaluation, plus the *White Crane Immortal’s Notebook · Volume One*, he was certain he could raise both his basic skills to Level 10.

Combined with the three thousand-year Bai Xu Ginsengs he held, he could definitely activate Da Bao’s skill to amplify bleeding damage, boosting his combat power further.

After speaking, Chu Danqing lit Yinke Chan Master’s skin with the candle.

Yinke Chan Master screamed as he turned to ash, leaving behind a Common-grade treasure chest that Chu Danqing collected into his storage space.

“Watch Da Bao for me—I’m going to take a leak,” Chu Danqing said, then broke into a run.

He wasn’t going to relieve himself—he was finding a secluded spot to open the two treasure chests he’d acquired.

With Guo Ming around, he couldn’t open them safely.

(End of Chapter)

(End of Chapter)