[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-cursed-blade-s-walk":3,"chapter-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-8":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Cursed Blade's Walk",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2262313,4415,"Chapter 8: Lying to Ghosts!","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>Failed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan, though unwilling, had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the daytime ritual preparations yesterday, he had vaguely sensed the pattern and guessed the method’s principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In plain terms, it was deceiving ghosts and gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This method has deep roots and many variations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most common folk practice was this: if a boy or girl was born and had violated some taboo, feared they wouldn’t survive, they’d alter the child’s upbringing—raising a boy as a girl, or a girl as a tomboy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method Wang the widow taught was exactly this, and even went further: while the cold altar’s changbing was trapped inside the chicken’s belly, it was burned at noon to avert calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan did not know the deeper principles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But clearly, that thing hadn’t been fooled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the chicken’s innards, churned into pulp, Li Yan felt a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being possessed, it was this terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The substitute spirit statue probably couldn’t withstand many more attempts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not slack off; he immediately burned and buried the rooster, then prepared again according to the method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Wang the widow, this method required two consecutive nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps success would come tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The waiting time always felt long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After enduring until nightfall, when all was silent, Li Yan tied another rooster outside the door, turned back, and slipped into the earth within his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This night’s moonlight was even brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike yesterday, as midnight neared, a cold wind suddenly stirred within Li Family Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind swerved left and right, carrying dust and fallen leaves, entering from the village’s head, avoiding the local earth shrine, swirling toward Li Yan’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Wang the widow’s house, candlelight dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl had awakened but remained within the red circle, holding a fly whisk, making a strange gesture—as if listening intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, fixed on the door, mumbling incessantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang the widow’s face turned instantly pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bad! The child is in danger!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold wind spun, soon reaching Li’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wind swirled on the ground, carrying flying dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary folk seeing it wouldn’t be surprised—such dusty whirlwinds were common when weather suddenly turned windy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the large rooster tied at the door sensed impending danger; its feathers stood on end, wings flapping, hopping wildly to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, struck by the cold wind, it collapsed straight to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the robust rooster suddenly floated upward, as if lifted by an invisible hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Its head and legs twisted grotesquely; the corpse, mixed with droppings, fell to the ground, while the cold wind rose again from the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But its aura was clearly weaker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, having been deceived repeatedly, the cold wind was furious; it spiraled in midair, swept up fallen leaves, and flew toward Li’s home from the side wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, before it could draw near, it was repelled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The plaque hanging at the door, “Hundred Battles, Mighty and Fierce,” emitted a muffled sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This noise was far louder than the previous two nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three consecutive impacts, a new crack appeared on the plaque with a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fissure was deeper; lacquer peeled off in flakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cold wind, evidently weakened, no longer forced entry, instead circling left and right around Li’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark night, the cold wind howled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the earth in the side room, Li Yan held his knife, alert and poised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t hear the sounds outside, but he felt it had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the icy chill on his back grew sharper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s different tonight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It feels… unusual…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he wondered, a voice suddenly reached his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boy, where have you gone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint, weary, unmistakably his grandfather Li Gui’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s hair stood on end, panic flooding his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t been unprepared these two nights; he’d added Fu Shen and Wu Wei Zi to his porridge—herbs to nourish the heart and calm the spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a time, his grandfather had been unwell, plagued by insomnia and nightmares, so he’d followed the physician’s prescription and gathered these herbs; each dose let him sleep soundly till dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though once a fierce soldier in his youth, his father’s death had shattered his spirit, and over the years his health had steadily declined—he couldn’t bear fright at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, he dared not speak of confronting evil spirits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, this very moment, it backfired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li Yan panicked, he suddenly recalled Wang the widow’s warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This method had taboos: no matter what you heard or saw, you must not reveal yourself, or all would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it real or fake?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan forced himself to calm, listening closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he noticed the anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was faint, echoing endlessly in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, if his grandfather woke and found him gone, he’d push open the door and search the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pit he’d dug was obvious—right before the bed, visible at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this voice echoed from all sides, yet no footsteps, no movement. It was fake!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan immediately judged it, and his heart grew cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could this cold altar’s changbing even do this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the voice faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the threshold shook violently again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if something was frantically shaking the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, his grandfather’s voice sounded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Help me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice was agonized, as if beset by misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s forehead broke into sweat; he still couldn’t be sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he dare gamble on this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a flash of insight struck him; he tilted his mouth upward and pushed the bamboo tube used for breathing against his nostrils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, the oilcloth beneath had kept the dust from entering his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the bamboo tube, Li Yan drew a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp—he could detect not only those peculiar things, but even ordinary scents with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The smell of damp earth, the rot of old furniture, the scent of fried meatballs on the table…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each odor was clearly distinguished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distinctive bloody stench of “Blind Old Three” was present too, but faint—clearly, he hadn’t entered the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his grandfather’s scent was not in the courtyard either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan finally relaxed, yet cursed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thing could deceive the mind—truly cunning, chillingly so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not awakened his spiritual root, he’d have been fooled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As voices came and went, Li Yan relied on his extraordinary sense of smell to discern truth, never falling for the trick—but it wore him thin, his spirit drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the voices faded, never returning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an indeterminate time, faint rooster crows drifted in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan exhaled, broke through the earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as his head emerged from the ground,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his heart turned cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was pitch dark; through the paper window seams, he could faintly gauge the sky’s hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though past midnight, it was clearly not yet rooster-call time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was tricked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan was filled with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never expected to be fooled at the last moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a loud crash came from outside the courtyard gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time he heard it clearly—it was no hallucination, but something striking the plaque.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan no longer hesitated; he burst through the ground, sword in hand, and rushed out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Widow Wang, this thing would leave at the end of the Chou hour, just before the first crow of the rooster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time was nearly up; perhaps the substitute spirit statue could hold it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another impact, louder than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the wooden gate of the courtyard trembled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan stood with sword held horizontally, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old saying goes: ghosts fear the wicked. After years of martial training, perhaps the foul aura in his chest could harm this thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the family’s rooster leapt onto the wooden rack, stretched its neck, and let out a loud crow, its sound echoing far and wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pounding outside the door ceased abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, the roosters in neighboring houses began to crow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the crack in the door, Li Yan could smell the stench of “Blind Old Three” rapidly fading away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps from colliding with the “Hundred Battles, Mighty Valor” plaque, “Blind Old Three”’s stench had become extremely faint; wherever it passed, the village dogs bristled and barked wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Li Yan did not move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon did he push open the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the rooster tied at the door was dead again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its state was worse than yesterday’s—clearly, the thing was furious after being fooled repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan’s face was grim, showing no joy at having escaped death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had finally seen just how cunning and terrifying this thing was last night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How should he respond next time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Hundred Battles, Mighty Valor” plaque finally gave way, splitting open a long crack from below, and at the same time, the incense scent rapidly dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan sighed inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the talisman protecting the house was destroyed—truly, when it rains, it pours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, something fell from the crack in the “Hundred Battles, Mighty Valor” plaque, clinking and clattering to the ground—three copper coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yan picked them up one by one and examined them closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coins were round with square holes, but their patterns were entirely unlike those of ordinary currency; one side bore a raised relief of a armored divine general, surrounded by tiny talismanic script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other side bore, respectively, the sun, moon, and stars…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please collect, recommend, vote for monthly tickets, and comment\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1608,"2026-06-19T18:28:32.159Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ae5efaffbde34d0add33d97fac7ecec5503a9f158996741c990bef6f94c1738b","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-9","the-cursed-blade-s-walk-chapter-7",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-cursed-blade-s-walk-cover.jpg"]