Chapter 348: Gu Xianniang

Xu Yuan’s pupils dilated sharply, then quickly returned to normal.

In these past few months, Master Xu has grown quite adept at concealing his thoughts.

He immediately realized that Gao Guanzi’s “Gu Xianniang” was likely some kind of malevolent spirit.

“Is it unsafe here at night?” Xu Yuan frowned. “If it’s unsafe, why did you bring me here?”

When Xu Yuan spent nights in the mountains, his last resort was to bring Ni Mian and huddle somewhere, pretending to be nothing.

Gao Guanzi hurriedly said, “It’s perfectly safe. Gu Xianniang doesn’t come every night.”

He scratched his head and smiled bitterly. “It all goes back to the old Qidou Village. That village… fierce and warlike, the only ones bold enough to live so close to Guanghuo Street.”

Their mountain runners had no ‘hats’—our mountain term meaning that with enough effort, one’s ability can keep rising. Unlike us two, who, by the standards of the outside world, would’ve been capped at sixth or fifth tier long ago.

It’s said their mountain runners carved these stone niches into the cliffs to cultivate their abilities.

Half the year, he lived inside these niches. Each niche was a trial.

This one is the safest.

The other niches—the Sword Wall Niche, the Peeling Star Niche, and others—are far more dangerous.”

Bai Laoyan continued: “Gu Xianniang is a mountain serpent yin. It takes the form of a beautiful woman and enters dreams, conjuring scenes of pure delight.”

It lures people into indulgence, causing them to fall into endless sleep and dull their awareness of real-world dangers.

At that moment, its serpent body emerges and swallows the person whole.

But Gu Xianniang is actually very timid—it fears swallowing something too large and bursting its own body.

So before swallowing anyone, it stretches its body out straight to compare lengths with its intended prey.

If its body is longer, it means the prey can be safely swallowed, and then it begins to consume them.”

Xu Yuan nodded. So that’s how they measure length.

I thought…

Bah, I just assumed that—no other misunderstanding.

Gao Guanzi added: “In the Divine Lady Niche, if you block the entrance with the big stone, no other malevolent spirits can get in.”

You only need to guard against Gu Xianniang.”

The three of us can take turns keeping watch tonight… How about I take the first half, and Bai Laoyan the second?”

You just rest well, my lord.”

Xu Yuan waved his hand. “Let’s all take turns resting.”

Bai Laoyan nodded. “Gu Xianniang is invisible. When it measures a person’s length, the sign is that someone asleep suddenly lies perfectly straight—that means Gu Xianniang is comparing lengths. When you’re on watch, if you see either of us suddenly lying straight, wake us up immediately.”

As soon as a person wakes, Gu Xianniang will retreat automatically.”

Xu Yuan nodded. “Good.”

The niche was far too cramped to prepare dinner; everyone simply ate some dried rations.

The mountain runners’ rations… Xu Yuan didn’t even want to look, just ate his own.

While eating, Xu Yuan thought of those men earlier.

“What were those men doing at Zhu Jiao Rock?”

Both mountain runners shook their heads—they simply couldn’t guess.

Xu Yuan couldn’t help but think again of Qidou Village—that claw print had turned into a lake!

That meant the claw print was huge and deep.

What malevolent spirit could have destroyed that village back then?

Could it have been as powerful as Ruan Tianye or the River Dragon King?

How did they offend such a being?

After finishing the rations, Gao Guanzi said, “You rest first, Bai Laoyan takes the first watch, I’ll take the second.”

“Fine,” Xu Yuan replied, then lay down holding Da Fu.

The “Divine Lady Niche” had been carved straight out of the cliff face; the entrance tunnel was only half a man’s height.

Inside was a single small chamber.

Barely seven feet square.

Gao Guanzi stacked three square stones at the entrance to block it.

But Da Fu resisted, not liking to be held.

Last night, because the wolf-skin rug was comfortable, he’d reluctantly squeezed in with Fan Zhe.

Now it’s hard stone slabs—who wants to sleep with you?

Da Fu wriggled out of Xu Yuan’s arms, staggered outside into the cave, and curled up, falling asleep almost instantly.

Xu Yuan first pulled out his folded report.

Jiao had replied:

Tomorrow morning, seven li west of Zhu Jiao Rock, meet beyond Feng Ling.

Xu Yuan tucked the report away and slept soundly.

Gao Guanzi also slept; Bai Laoyan took the first watch.

Everyone slept curled up.

After they were all asleep, Bai Laoyan took off his glasses and wiped them.

His eyeballs glowed faintly green in the dark, like a wolf’s.

After wiping his glasses, he took down his firewood axe and carefully polished its blade.

Bai Laoyan was full of energy.

Spending nights in the mountains was routine for them.

If needed, they could stay awake for days on end.

Strange sounds from the mountains outside seeped through the stone cracks.

Bored, Bai Laoyan listened closely, identifying which malevolent spirits made each sound.

This was how he passed the time during mountain nights.

Listening, listening—he suddenly lowered his head and fell asleep, wrapped in his feathered cloak!

The two veteran mountain runners made a mistake: they had never spent a night in the Divine Lady Niche before.

Their knowledge of Qidou Village and the Divine Lady Niche came from what their elders told them.

And their elders had heard it from even earlier elders.

None of them had ever spent a night here.

This place was too close to Guanghuo Street—few came, let alone stayed overnight.

For Qidou Village’s mountain runners, the true test of the Divine Lady Niche lay in the dreams.

So Gu Xianniang had another ability: it could seep through the stone cracks and exhale a puff of “sleeping qi.”

Inside the niche, all three slept deeply.

Even Gao Guanzi, who usually slept lightly, was now utterly unconscious under the sleeping qi.

Moments later, something seemed to slip in; a faint ripple stirred the air.

Da Fu slept in the cave entrance.

The thing passed by Da Fu first—and somehow, as if startled, the air’s ripple surged violently.

Then everything calmed.

After waiting a long while and seeing no reaction from Da Fu, the thing cautiously slipped past him.

There were three people in the niche.

Gu Xianniang easily chose—Xu Yuan.

The day wasn’t over yet; Xu Yuan’s tortoise-shell divination effect still held—today was auspicious.

In his dream, Master Xu’s face wore a joyful smile.

Then his body shifted, smoothly stretching out straight.

But immediately after, a rope silently emerged.

Beneath Xu Yuan’s body, it began to lengthen.

The rope seemed one with Xu Yuan himself.

The invisible Gu Xianniang stretched itself to its utmost length.

But the rope was longer.

Gu Xianniang refused to accept it, stretching further.

The rope extended slightly too—still longer.

Gu Xianniang strained, pulling its head and tail taut, straightening its body completely.

But the rope easily surpassed its length.

Gu Xianniang tried again—then measured against the rope, and collapsed in despair: still shorter!

(End of Chapter)