Chapter 11: Die a Wretched Death

Wu Haishan stepped forward, examining all the traces: “That boy ran into Ghost Witch Mountain—I’ll find a guide right away.”

“We didn’t know him before, but now we know every detail—he’s just a low-tier Alchemy Cultivator. The moment we find him, it’s his death.”

Wu Haishan spoke with full confidence, but the solution he came up with was still using his own potion—to control a villager as a guide and then enter the mountains to track him.

Zhao’s Leather Shop was the Pingtian Society’s outpost in town; Zhao Yong and his men sat inside, buying pelts from anyone who brought them, and ignoring anyone who didn’t.

They never risked entering the mountains, nor did they need to, so they knew nothing about Ghost Witch Mountain.

But they knew the town well. Wu Haishan asked: “Who in town knows Ghost Witch Mountain best?” Someone answered: “Liu Laoguan’s senior disciple, Aguang.”

Liu Laoguan was the proprietor of “Liu’s Village Wine” across from the leather shop; his crude, strong liquor was popular throughout the town and surrounding villages.

The mountain villagers always carried a gourd of Liu family wine whenever they entered the mountains.

Aguang often delivered goods to the villages.

Wu Haishan led his men into “Liu’s Village Wine.”

When the bronze cannon exploded, everyone in town was startled and locked their doors, hiding inside their homes.

Wu Haishan went to Liu’s Village Wine to seize Aguang, causing another uproar of chaos.

Liu Laoguan and his wife had no children and had raised their senior disciple like a son; they knelt on the ground, weeping and pleading desperately, but Wu Haishan and his men, hard-hearted as stone, kicked them down, pried open Aguang’s mouth, and poured in the potion—Aguang became dazed and numb, then followed them away.

The old couple wept behind them, tears streaked with blood: “You’ve lost all conscience—you’ll die a wretched death…”

The Holy Maiden had been waiting beneath Meiren Dam all along.

Those field-snail beauties, for some reason, were born with a fear of the Holy Maiden and dared not appear to cause trouble.

The Holy Maiden suddenly remembered: “Where’s Chang Xunbei?”

Chang Xunbei was an eighth-tier Spell Cultivator, the strongest among the subordinates she brought along.

He should’ve returned long ago—this was only a ten-mile official road.

…

Xu Yuan didn’t go far after entering the mountains.

This wasn’t a firewood-collecting path, and Xu Yuan wasn’t very familiar with it.

Chang Xunbei’s spell had truly been unexpected—he somehow swapped their positions, leaving himself directly in the ambush.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan’s expression turned strange: “So it really was a swap of fates…”

Earlier, Xu Yuan had fled, running along the official road back toward the county.

He hadn’t expected to run straight into Elder Qiao!

Elder Qiao usually traveled by carriage, but this time he walked alone, with two talisman slips tied to each leg, inscribed: “Ride the Clouds,” “Ride the Wind.”

He strode forward with his hands behind his back, his feet hovering three to five feet above the ground, each step covering ten zhang, his robes fluttering—truly an immortal bearing.

But his face looked grim.

Seeing Xu Yuan, his face grew even darker: “Where are you running to…?”

Xu Yuan leapt off the official road and plunged into Ghost Witch Mountain.

Elder Qiao chased after him without pause.

Xu Yuan quickly realized: Elder Qiao seemed even more familiar with Ghost Witch Mountain than he was!

“Ungrateful wretch!” Elder Qiao shouted from behind, then gritted his teeth and swiftly wrote a “receipt.”

“Capture Xu Yuan alive, present this receipt, and claim ten blood rations.”

Elder Qiao tossed the “receipt” into the air—no one knew who he was showing it to.

Xu Yuan was trapped.

Before him, the earth churned as a giant mole cricket burst from the ground, its upper body rising three zhang high!

Its entire body was clad in tattered armor, but its head was a massive Buddha statue.

To the left lay a ghostly stream; childish laughter rang out as dozens of pale, hairy infant heads surfaced, eyes blood-red, fangs protruding from their lips, staring fixedly at Xu Yuan.

On the right slope stood a massive rock shaped vaguely like a tiger; it suddenly trembled, then opened its eyes, tore its enormous body from the mountain, and stepped forward, closing in on Xu Yuan!

In the sky, a flock of bone-faced vultures descended, circling endlessly above Xu Yuan like carrion crows.

Just as Xu Yuan was cornered, a loud bang—he was back in Qihe Town!

Though the Holy Maiden had laid a heavenly net, Xu Yuan still escaped.

“Now I can only detour through Ghost Witch Mountain—it’s extremely risky…” Xu Yuan muttered to himself, trying to plan a relatively safe route.

But in the end, he found no route he could be certain of.

Still, Xu Yuan set out decisively—neither the Holy Maiden nor Elder Qiao would spare him; staying near the town meant certain death.

Not long after Xu Yuan left, Wu Haishan and his men arrived at his resting spot.

Wu Haishan asked Aguang: “Which way did that boy go?”

Aguang answered obediently: “This direction—he’s probably heading toward Taitou Valley.”

Wu Haishan: “What’s special about Taitou Valley?”

“First, anything with a human head inside is a malevolent spirit. Second, never step on those stone steps.”

“Chase!”

…

Xu Yuan circled around Taitou Valley, then hid nearby.

Soon, voices came from behind—Pingtian Society’s men caught up.

Xu Yuan waited about fifteen minutes—no screams sounded.

Xu Yuan rose quickly and dashed into the deep mountains.

“Pingtian Society’s men have a guide—they know every dangerous spot in Ghost Witch Mountain.” Xu Yuan confirmed this—so his plan to use the mountain’s malevolent spirits to ambush his pursuers was useless.

Xu Yuan took a distant look and narrowed his eyes: “Their guide is Aguang—this is troublesome.”

Xu Yuan rubbed his chin: “Aguang grew up in town—he knows Ghost Witch Mountain better than I do. What advantage do I have over him…?”

Wu Haishan and his men kept chasing, but soon realized the boy had led them in circles—then suddenly turned around and fled back toward town!

“That little brat’s mocking us! Notify the Holy Maiden—block him in town!”

The Holy Maiden didn’t come—she stayed in town because today, the Society’s brothers would deliver the “bait.”

One of Wu Haishan’s men immediately pulled out a crafted parrot, spoke quickly, then released it—the parrot flew toward town.

Xu Yuan didn’t enter the town—only reached a valley just outside.

Inside the valley was a cave, from which grew a thousand-year-old vine.

Centipedes, scorpions, ticks, giant ants—various poisonous insects crawled out along the ancient vine.

A large rooster with bright feathers stood proudly in the valley.

It ate one whenever one came out.

Especially loved centipedes and scorpions.

Occasionally, a giant “Insect King” would emerge from the cave—a centipede three feet long, a scorpion as big as a wooden basin.

At such moments, the rooster would become wildly excited, flapping its iron-like wings, its comb standing tall, crowing loudly, then swiftly pecking the so-called Insect King to death, snatching it in its beak, flying up to a high branch, and shaking it around to display its trophy!

This was the rooster’s daily hunting ground.

“Ah Hua!”

Xu Yuan called out a few times. The rooster had just killed a large scorpion and was showing it off on the treetop; hearing his voice, it tilted its head and spotted Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan waved urgently—the rooster reluctantly flew down and dropped the scorpion at Xu Yuan’s feet.

Xu Yuan laughed and sighed: “Thanks for your generosity, but I don’t eat this.”

The rooster immediately brightened, gobbled up the scorpion in a few bites.

Xu Yuan pulled out some silver fragments: “I need to buy something from Granny—I need you to bring it back.”

The rooster clucked softly, reluctant to return.

Xu Yuan understood: “I’ll catch insects here for you—I’ll make sure none escape. You go get the things for me.”

The rooster grabbed the silver with its massive claws, tucked it under its feathers, and marched off proudly.

Xu Yuan waited by the cave entrance, broke a few bamboo branches, and skewered each insect that emerged.

Once strung together, he used his “Inner Fire” to roast them.

At first he wasn’t skilled—he burned a few—but soon he could roast each one perfectly, crispy outside, tender inside.

Soon, the rooster Ah Hua returned carrying a bamboo basket; Xu Yuan opened it—it was exactly what he needed.

Xu Yuan grinned and bowed to the rooster: “Thanks.”

Then he took off his outer robe, wrapped the items, returned the basket to Ah Hua, crouched low, and slipped back into Ghost Witch Mountain.

Ah Hua stared at the roasted insects on the bamboo sticks, cautiously tasted one—eh! Surprisingly delicious!

Ah Hua was satisfied—this boy knew how to treat a rooster.

(End of Chapter)