Chapter 285

Xu Yuan said to the Corpse Crow: "Go listen to what those two are saying."

The Corpse Crow normally drooled at the sight of living people, but it knew these two were dangerous—they had followed Ye Zhu Liao silently without being noticed.

It didn't want to eavesdrop: "Where are two people?"

"One man and one dog!" Xu Yuan loosened the beast-tendon rope around its foot, idly playing with the slingshot in his hand.

In truth, whether the beast-tendon rope or the sword pellet, both were far more dangerous to the Corpse Crow than the slingshot.

But the Corpse Crow feared the slingshot most.

It rolled its white eyes hard—though its two dead eyeballs were already pure white.

"Fine, I'm going."

……

The barber and the old black dog took considerable effort to find their way into the mountains.

The reason was this: today, "daydreaming" was forbidden.

The three Dream Moths were all "Fu Daxiong"!

So they dared not leave their residence—any outing would surely bring disaster to the city.

Even Zhang Laoya didn't dare seek them out today.

The three Dream Moths tightly suppressed their yin energy at their dwelling.

The old black dog had found them yesterday but didn't strike, instead shadowing them secretly.

With its keen nose and ears, it overheard the Dream Moths' conversation with Zhang Laoya and learned someone had struck before them, stealing their shipment.

Since the Dream Moths dared not leave today, the two had no such restraint and thus gained a step ahead of the three Dream Moths.

They found a clerk from Rong Lian Hao and directly rifled through his mind.

The Dream Moths entering dreams merely forced the clerk to confess in his dream.

The barber could directly see all the images within the man's memories.

So he saw a grave robber, accompanied by a woman covered in dust, buying Xiang Yu Zhi.

That woman was the grave robber's mistress.

The barber and the old black dog couldn't find the grave robber—the others were all dead.

But they found the mistress.

When the grave robber was in bed, no secret could be kept.

His gang encountered a cold woman, "more beautiful than a celestial," in the Zou Zhu Gou tomb.

She gave them some gold and silver to buy makeup, lip pigment, and eyebrow dye from Chun Zhi Ji.

That cold woman must have smelled the lingering fragrance of Xiang Yu Zhi on the grave robber from his trysts with his mistress.

She must have greatly liked that scent.

After leaving Yu Shan, the grave robber went back to Rong Lian Hao.

The barber and the old black dog were one step behind Xu Yuan and Behind Miao Yu.

When they arrived at Zou Zhu Gou, Ye Zhu Liao had already scowled and led the bridal procession out, carrying the stone coffin.

A crowd of giant rats dared not make a single sound.

Ye Zhu Liao did not immediately devour Xu Yuan and the others.

There was still a whole host of malevolent spirits waiting at home for the feast.

Feeling humiliated, Ye Zhu Liao had a sudden idea: he had the stone coffin carried out, pretending the "bride" was inside.

He strictly ordered the bridal party not to speak.

Once back, he'd claim the bride was unwell today and postpone the wedding ceremony.

But the "Fu Yan" would proceed as planned.

These living people were the main dishes of the Fu Yan.

Moreover, Ye Zhu Liao suspected the one who fled was not Wang Fei's "family."

But it didn't guess the fugitive was a human in disguise.

Only malevolent spirits impersonated humans—Ye Zhu Liao had never seen a human impersonate a malevolent spirit.

Its "pig brain" made a bold guess: could that mud-faced fellow be Wang Fei's lover?

Or perhaps, like me, he's also a suitor to Wang Fei?

Is he bringing these living people today to present to Wang Fei, to win her favor?

Ye Zhu Liao regarded the mud-faced fellow as its "rival."

It thought: if I bring these living people, the fellow might return to snatch them—I'll seize the chance to eliminate my rival!

Whether Ye Zhu Liao's trick would fool the banquet guests remained unknown, but it had already fooled the barber and the old black dog.

The barber and the old black dog followed behind, deeply troubled.

Their team was formed to track down the Cocoon Eaters.

Within the city, they were unbeatable.

Against ordinary malevolent spirits, they weren't the least bit afraid.

But Ye Zhu Liao was too strong.

They could only shadow Ye Zhu Liao secretly—if discovered, the barber would abandon the mission, leap onto the old black dog, and flee in panic.

The Corpse Crow flew to a nearby tree and hid among the branches.

The barber whispered to the old black dog: "Should we go in?"

"The one who stole the shipment… is very likely Wang Fei. She's inside that stone coffin—we must seize it."

The old black dog twitched its nose, sniffing the scent drifting from Tian Peng Jian.

Complained: "What a stench. These piglets are so filthy."

It discerned carefully: "... Seems they are preparing a banquet."

The old black dog looked at the barber: "How much of that medicine do you have left?"

The barber pulled open a small drawer on his carrying pole: "Enough for all."

"Give them all to me. I'll drug them and snatch Wang Fei out."

The barber hesitated: "That wild boar... I'm not confident I can drug it."

"As long as it's poisoned, the two of us working together can take it down."

"Good." The barber hesitated no more: "Superiors sent us to handle this matter. If we fail to find those Cocoon Eaters, we won't have a good outcome either."

So the barber wrapped the medicine from the small drawer into a bundle. The old black dog swallowed it whole, then, sniffing the scent, quietly slipped into Tianpeng Ravine.

The Corpse-Sparrow heard this, clapped its wings, and flew away.

Xu Yuan heard the Corpse-Sparrow's word-for-word retelling and understood: "These are the people the merchant sent."

"Most likely the ones Miao Yu once told me about, who used the 'Head-Retention Method' to kill Wu Qingzhao."

Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then climbed the slope again, using the Life-Gazing technique to look into Tianpeng Ravine.

That single "human life" of the old black dog stood out starkly amidst the eerie atmosphere filling the entire ravine.

The old black dog carefully avoided most of the evil spirits.

It carried no human scent; even if it occasionally failed to avoid them and those evil spirits saw it, they would only think it was an ordinary wild dog in the mountains.

They would shout and curse a few times to drive it off.

Some, wanting a snack before the banquet began, the old black dog could also escape from quite cleverly.

Xu Yuan observed the surrounding terrain and, at maximum speed, circled around to the cliff behind Tianpeng Ravine.

From here, looking down, everything in the ravine below lay fully within view.

A scene of foul smoke and noxious miasma.

Hundreds of evil spirits, large and small, wreathed in yin qi.

And hundreds of wild boars, lying in the rotting mud by the water's edge; they were likely all "descendants" of the Wild Boar Demon.

The stench permeating the surroundings came precisely from these wild boars.

There were also some evil spirits subdued by the Wild Boar Demon, working alongside the giant rats to prepare the banquet of calamity.

This batch of blood offerings was the "main dish" at the banquet of calamity.

Naturally, they would be served last.

In front were various mountain foods; Xu Yuan fixed his gaze on the old black dog's life thread.

At this moment, the old black dog had used some method to conceal its form.

This method must have a time limit, so it did not employ it when slipping in.

The old black dog had slipped the medicine into the food and drink.

Xu Yuan watched as those dishes were carried up and the evil spirits devoured them heartily.

The Wild Boar Demon returned, carrying a stone sarcophagus, and drilled into the cave beneath the cliff.

Among the evil spirits, one mocked: "The bride is not very convenient today, Wild Boar Demon. Are you so impatient you want to consummate the marriage right here?"

The Wild Boar Demon offered no response; the old rat personally carried the food and drink inside.

Xu Yuan beckoned the Corpse-Sparrow, handed it the Skin Pill and the Sinew Pill, and gave instructions, thus and so, thus and so.

The Corpse-Sparrow went, very unwillingly.

Flying in mid-air.

The old rat carried another portion of food and drink to the Wild Boar Demon; Xu Yuan drew his slingshot atop the cliff.

Snap!

A stone struck the old rat on the head.

The old rat flew into a rage: "Who dares to tease me!"

Today it was Fu Daxiong; besides the Wild Boar Demon, it truly feared no other evil spirits.

It set down the food and drink, its pair of small eyes flashing with ferocity as it searched everywhere; the evil spirits were all eating heartily and kept their distance.

Seizing this opportunity, the Corpse-Sparrow loosened its claws, and two pills fell into the food and drink.

(End of this chapter)