Chapter 30: Volume I: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 30: The Bait

Volume I: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 30: The Bait

His long robe was soaked through with the foul-smelling blood of demons. Zhao Chan wrinkled his nose and walked slowly toward Xiaoshi Village.

Having killed demons all along the way, he did not feel he was particularly formidable, nor did he care that his cultivation had reached the Upper Grade Body Refining Realm. What truly concerned him was that the situation outside Youju Town was far from optimistic.

Crossing the deep trench and the wooden fence, Zhao Chan's mood remained heavy. Even when Zhou Niu, Sun Dagou, and the others crowded around to give him thumbs-ups and praise, the young man only offered a perfunctory smile.

"Brother Zhao, would you like to come to my house to wash up?" Zhou Niu asked cautiously.

Having seen with his own eyes how Zhao Chan slaughtered four demons as if they were chickens, this incomparable shock would likely stay with Zhou Niu for the rest of his life.

Zhao Chan said softly that he would.

Sun Dagou followed closely behind him.

In the past, when he was gathering herbs in the mountains and ran into Zhao Chan gathering lacquer, he would crack a few jokes, but now that Zhao Chan had become a Demon Slayer and could kill demons without the slightest effort, Sun Dagou felt intimidated and dared not speak a word.

Zhou Niu poured all the hot water in his house into a crude wooden tub, added some cold water, tested it with his hand, and said to Zhao Chan, "The temperature is just right."

Zhao Chan took off his long robe, stepped into the tub, squatted down, and closed his eyes to think.

"Brother Zhao, are you unhappy?" Zhou Niu asked tentatively.

"There are too many demons, and the Demon Slaying Division is short-handed. What will happen to the villages outside Youju Town?" Zhao Chan said with distress.

"Aren't there Demon Slayers like Warrior Wang and Shao Hua?" Sun Dagou called out, emboldening himself.

Zhao Chan shook his head slowly: "Brother Shao Hua and the others have likely all died in battle. Now, there are only Brother Wang and me left as Demon Slayers."

"What?!"

This news made Zhou Niu and Sun Dagou jump up: "They died at the hands of demons?"

"Yes. I came to Xiaoshi Village for two reasons: first, to inspect the number of demons near Youju Town, and second, to pick up Sister Wu to help me bury Lao Liu," Zhao Chan said truthfully.

Zhou Niu jumped up and down in anxiety: "The Demon Slaying Division... Sigh! Things have come to this, what on earth should we do!"

"Notify the villagers and follow me to Youju Town," Zhao Chan decided.

"That's right. If we reach Youju Town, you and Warrior Wang can do your best to protect everyone," Zhou Niu felt this idea was practical for the current reality.

He did not know that Zhao Chan had another layer of concern.

Many outsiders had come to Youju Town; they could not have come to the town for sightseeing and must have other motives. If... the outsiders were targeting the commoners, his decision to have the villagers of Xiaoshi Village take refuge in Youju Town might instead lead them into a trap.

If he did not make this decision, Xiaoshi Village would sooner or later be littered with corpses due to the endless stream of demons.

He was a Demon Slayer now.

He needed to purge demons and protect the commoners from demonic harassment.

After wiping his body clean and putting on the short shirt and trousers brought by Zhou Niu, Zhao Chan tucked a peach branch into his belt and strapped the Green Snake Sword to his back. Although the wine gourd given to him by Old Man Zhou of the wine shop was already empty, he still hung it at his waist.

"Brother Zhou, Brother Sun, I must trouble you to organize the villagers," Zhao Chan said, cupping his hands to them.

"Brother Zhao, you are too polite. This is what we should do."

Without delay, the two hurried to notify every household.

Zhao Chan walked to Wu Ting's house.

Wu Ting lived in the middle of Xiaoshi Village; she saw Zhao Chan standing on the steps in front of her door.

"Sister Wu."

"I heard you killed four demons at the entrance of the village?" Wu Ting ran quickly to Zhao Chan's side and grabbed his arm to ask.

He nodded and replied: "Just four insignificant demon beasts. For me now, there is no danger."

He said it lightly, but Wu Ting understood that fighting cold-blooded and cruel demons was an extremely dangerous task. She originally wanted to persuade Zhao Chan not to put himself in danger, but the words died on her lips. After all, the young man was already a Demon Slayer, and a Demon Slayer should have the responsibilities of a Demon Slayer.

"Are you here to pick me up to bury Lao Liu?" Wu Ting sighed.

"And to see what the situation is with the demonic infestation outside Youju Town."

Wu Ting asked: "Has Youju Town suffered from the demonic infestation?"

"It has. Three demons broke into the town."

"No one died, right?"

Zhao Chan was silent for a moment. Ma Lan from Xiao Hua Xiang, who often spread rumors about Sister Cui Cui, had died in the mouth of a demon. He said: "They died."

"Since we are burying Lao Liu today, let's go." Wu Ting went home and took out mourning clothes sewn from white cloth. "Actually, in the current situation, the burial could be delayed."

Zhao Chan stared into her eyes and asked a question that left her bewildered: "I am sorry, Sister Wu."

"Ah? What are you sorry to me for? Isn't it just burying Lao Liu?" Wu Ting was confused.

Zhao Chan explained: "I originally wanted to wait until this period of demonic rampancy passed before burying Lao Liu, but... since I have become a Demon Slayer, some things must be done..."

Wu Ting's body shook, and she instantly realized.

She heard him say apologetically: "Compared to men, women are more attractive to certain demon beasts that only know the taste of flesh and blood. I... I want to use Sister Wu as bait."

"You are right. Whenever there is a demonic infestation, more women die in the mouths of demons than men."

"Sister Wu, I am sorry," Zhao Chan continued immediately. "I will definitely protect you well. If you are in danger, I will certainly die before you."

"Zhao Chan, you weren't like this before. You used to be... a bit cowardly and afraid of death."

She did not know that the reason the previous Zhao Chan was so timid and cherished his life was, on one hand, because his parents had instructed him to live well when they passed away, and on the other, because Lao Liu had suppressed his nature, not letting him know no fear of death.

In fact, with both his parents dead, how could Zhao Chan not have the despair of seeing death as life?

It was precisely this despair that made him choose the most arduous profession of lacquer gathering. Late that night, the day he made the decision, little Zhao Chan sat in the courtyard, enduring the mockery of Sun He squatting on the wall. He thought, his parents told him to live well, and being a lacquer gatherer was also for the sake of living. If he unfortunately ran into a demon in the mountains and died under its claws, he could just happen to accompany his parents.

"People grow up."

"You grew up too fast. In the blink of an eye, it's like you've become a different person."

"Sister Wu, my parents died early. If I hadn't been growing up all the time, I wouldn't have survived."

"..."

On the other side, Zhou Niu saw Wu Ting, and his face turned red in an instant. His voice became gentle: "Brother Zhao, the villagers trust you. They are packing their things, and we can head to Youju Town in a while."

"Thank you for your hard work, Brother Zhou."

"What are you saying? You are the one who is truly working hard."

After about an hour, the villagers of Xiaoshi Village gathered at the entrance of the village.

Zhao Chan explained loudly for a while, then led the crowd toward Youju Town.

There were not many villagers in Xiaoshi Village. Zhao Chan stood in the middle of the line so he could take care of the front and the back. If any demons rushed over, he could arrive in time.

Sun Dagou quietly came to his side and said aggrievedly: "You lied to me last time! You killed a tiger demon on Erniu Mountain, and after coming down the mountain, you tricked me into thinking there were no demons on Erniu Mountain!"

At that time, after Zhao Chan killed the tiger demon, he guessed that the demons had run down from Eren Mountain, until Wang Huan confirmed his conjecture.

"It was my negligence. If I had prepared earlier..."

Zhou Niu happened to come over. "Based on my understanding of the villagers, if they didn't see the demons with their own eyes, no matter how realistic you made it sound, they wouldn't believe it. Brother Zhao, you did the right thing."

It wasn't as if demonic infestations hadn't happened before. If they worried about demons appearing every moment, how could they live their lives?

This terrible world had long since made the commoners somewhat "coarse and careless."

Huangfu Changqiu and Xun Lan stood not far away, watching the procession formed by the villagers.

Among this group, including Zhao Chan, no one noticed them; the two seemed like a puff of air.

"I only now know why Fairy Bai returned to Youju Town. It turns out she had long guessed that Zhao Chan would have the villagers in the village go to the town to take refuge," Huangfu Changqiu said.

Xun Lan's gaze fell on Wu Ting: "A good seedling. A bit old, but it doesn't matter."

"Senior Sister Xun, don't look anymore. She belongs to Baoyu Studio," Huangfu Changqiu said happily.

Xun Lan said slowly: "She is on par with that girl in the town. If you calculate it carefully, her temperament is more suitable for cultivation."

Huangfu Changqiu said happily: "Content with being ordinary yet not following the crowd. With such a temperament, Baoyu Studio is even more suitable for her than Hengwu Pavilion. If she went to Hengwu Pavilion with you, just the temperament hurdle alone would take a lot of time."

"Indeed, you have picked up a merit."

"Ha, Senior Sister Xun thinks too highly of Baoyu Studio. What can this little merit be exchanged for!" Although Huangfu Changqiu said she didn't care, she was actually smiling with her eyes squinted.

Xun Lan changed the subject. She said: "Fairy Bai is likely going to destroy a Mountain Sect on this trip, and that Mountain Sect once snatched a wisp of Fairy Bai's aura. Once she exposes her aura and makes a big move, she will be immediately detected.

When Fairy Bai fought me, she constantly erased and scattered her own aura. It works for a short time, but if it lasts too long, she will definitely be exposed. This is also why she dared not clean up those cultivators.

I am now curious about which Mountain Sect it is? This sect actually possesses a Dharma treasure that can track a cultivator's aura!"

"Hmph, the Demon Slaying Division is truly too overbearing!" Huangfu Changqiu's face suddenly turned cold. "Just from what I know, the Demon Slaying Division has already destroyed twenty-four Mountain Sects. The explanation they gave is that these Mountain Sects colluded with demons to harm the human world. Heh, we are all cultivators; aren't demon cultivators also cultivators? The Demon Slaying Division has the Baize Hall. As long as a demon leaves its name in the 'Baize Jade Record', it is a member of the Baize Hall and becomes a member of the Demon Slaying Division, yet they do not allow our Mountain Sects to associate with demon cultivators."

"Huangfu Changqiu, on this matter, I stand with the Demon Slaying Division. They do this indeed for the sake of ordinary commoners. Heh, you are still a person who chants scriptures and prays to Buddha in Baoyu Studio, with eyes only for the golden body of the Bodhisattva sitting high in the hall, yet you don't lower your head to take a good look at the common people."

"Senior Sister Xun, that's too harsh! Our Baoyu Studio only leans toward Buddhist cultivation; it's not really a nunnery." Huangfu Changqiu laughed instantly, not minding Xun Lan's sarcasm at all.

"Not really a nunnery, yet you once said Baoyu Studio extinguishes desires?"

"It's all a means of cultivation, a means! Oh my, I can't win an argument with you!" Huangfu Changqiu said with a smile. "I guess Fairy Bai's trip is to cooperate with the Demon Slaying Division to destroy a Mountain Sect in the Xitang Kingdom. I have heard of three sects that possess Dharma treasures for tracking cultivator auras."

Xun Lan smiled: "Let's not mention her. Anyway, it has nothing to do with us."

"Sooner or later, the mountains and plains of the Xitang Kingdom will all become the Demon Slaying Division's one-man show!" Huangfu Changqiu said.

Xun Lan glanced at her slowly: "Refining the aura of the Xitang Kingdom for a year, and you are actually this happy?"

"Haha... of course I am happy. I found that the barrier blocking me has loosened!"

Bai Youjun asked Bai Yuqing aggrievedly: "Elder Sister, you already fought that person, why didn't you kill those outsider cultivators?"

"What do you know? Xun Lan of Hengwu Pavilion has a very high cultivation level, and her aura happens to be able to cover mine," Bai Yuqing sneered.

They were walking on Caiyan Street in the town.

Chen Xianggu should have gone to the pharmacy, as she was carrying four bags of herbs.

"Your love rival," Bai Yuqing said with a smile, raising her eyebrows.

Bai Youjun gritted her teeth angrily: "I said it! I am the most suitable for the young master!"

She was truly angry. In the past, her words were filled with playfulness, but in this sentence, anger was spreading.

Bai Yuqing said: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Why don't you go and test her abilities?"

"Test it then! Could I be afraid of her?" Bai Youjun let go of her elder sister's arm.

She lifted her light green skirt and trotted to stop Chen Xianggu: "Miss, do you know Zhao Chan?"

Chen Xianggu looked at Bai Youjun vigilantly, and after thinking it over, nodded gently.

Bai Youjun didn't know where she got the courage, and immediately asked: "Do you like him?"

At this, Chen Xianggu stopped talking and timidly moved her steps toward Taoli Lane.

"I am not a bad person!" Bai Youjun said stiffly.

Chen Xianggu hurriedly avoided her and ran quickly into Taoli Lane.

Bai Yuqing watched this scene and laughed out loud.

Bai Youjun stomped her feet in anger: "Elder Sister is still laughing at me!"

"Qing, how can you talk to people like that?"

"Then how should I say it?"

"Of course, throw her a bag of Mountain Ghost Flower Money and persuade her not to pay attention to your young master from now on."

Bai Youjun clapped her hands: "Elder Sister is right! The young master is not a greedy person, but that doesn't mean she isn't."

Bai Yuqing gave her that bag of Mountain Ghost Flower Money: "Go and try again."

Just after turning around, Bai Youjun pouted and returned the Mountain Ghost Flower Money to Bai Yuqing.

"What's wrong?"

"Forget it," Bai Youjun said with her head lowered. "If the young master finds out, he will definitely be angry with me."

Bai Yuqing's gaze gradually condensed. Qing thinks of Zhao Chan in everything. If Zhao Chan rejects Qing's feelings, the consequences will be unpredictable.

She once judged that Zhang Cuicui died in the love barrier, and she didn't want Qing to die in the love barrier as well.

The procession of Xiaoshi Village villagers was safe all the way.

After Zhao Chan confirmed that there were no demons nearby, he returned to Youju Town one step ahead to find Wang Huan and explain the reason.

Wang Huan shook his head and sighed: "The villagers of Xiaoshi Village have come to Youju Town, but what about the other villages?"

"I will continue to call them."

"Sigh, you also know that many outsiders have come to the town. Aren't you afraid that they will lose their minds and attack the commoners?"

"I am afraid," Zhao Chan was still honest. "I want to ask Brother Wang, if they kill so many people, how will the Yang County Demon Slaying Division deal with it?"

"An eye for an eye, blood for blood!"

"Later, I will bury Lao Liu with Sister Wu Ting. Once this is done, why not let me go to the Yang County Demon Slaying Division to bring reinforcements, while Brother Wang stays here to hold the fort."

Wang Huan pointed outside the town: "There are demons there! There are Mountain Ghosts! If you die, how should I explain it to your parents?"

"If we do nothing, we can only wait for death," Zhao Chan said calmly. "If we fight, perhaps there is still a way to survive."

Wang Huan sighed deeply: "Tell me about the situation outside."

He told the whole story of killing an outsider cultivator, demons, and so on.

After hearing this, Wang Huan's mood hit rock bottom.

"Brother Wang, now is not the time to fall out with the outsiders."

"Fine, I agree to let you go to the Yang County Demon Slaying Division for help."

Wang Huan suddenly said: "Little Toad, you are not a reckless person. I have already told you that the demons come from Eren Mountain, yet you still insist on burying Lao Liu and dragged Wu Ting along. Are you trying to use her as bait to attract the demons, and then you will slaughter them one by one?"

Zhao Chan laughed heartily: "Brother Wang, I feel that I have already reached the Upper Grade Body Refining Realm."

"???" ===== CHAPTER 31 =====