[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit":3,"chapter-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-6":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","There Is a Malevolent Spirit",{"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},2263112,4416,"Chapter 6: 5、Li Xiamei","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-6",6,"\u003Cp>5、Li Xiamei\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three men make a tiger; many mouths can melt gold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A rumor repeated a thousand times can truly become fact…” Zhou Chang’s gaze was distant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right,” Zhou Sanji replied, hesitating with a faint smile. “How come my youngest grandson speaks so formally? You’re not like this at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, lowering his voice further: “Your fiancée… she probably isn’t a Xiang Mo right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If she were a Xiang Mo now, this act couldn’t go on—once a Xiang Mo shows itself, someone must die, just like Li Xiamei… Usually, the living can’t see them as rational or reasonable, just like you wouldn’t talk to a pig about to be slaughtered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiang Mo have no reason?” Zhou Chang frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji shook his head. “They say they kill just to preserve their own sanity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But when they’re sane, they’re indistinguishable from ordinary beings—you’d never guess they’re Xiang Mo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the ‘paper face’ isn’t a Xiang Mo right now, but we can’t rule out the possibility entirely…” Zhou Chang understood Zhou Sanji’s meaning. He was about to ask more about Li Xiamei and Xiang Mo when a commotion erupted behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lay on Zhou Sanji’s back as the old man turned around and saw Sun Yanshun and his two apprentices abandoning the coffin, scattering in panic—only the thinner apprentice remained standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The apprentice gripped a long, slender cord, head tilted upward, mouth agape as he stared at the treetop canopy. He screamed, but no coherent word emerged; his body trembled like a sieve, revealing his terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long cord, in the dark, showed only a faint reddish hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, viscous fluid coated the young man’s palms, trailing along the cord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji unhooked the horse lantern from his waist and thrust it forward—Zhou Chang saw fat, yellowish-white tissue clinging to the cord, stretching all the way up to the thin apprentice’s treetop canopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hanging from the canopy was a swaying ‘person’!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That cord—the intestine—had slid out from inside that person’s abdomen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark red blood continued dripping from the corpse’s hollow cavity, plop… plop… splattering the thin man’s face and head, staining his entire visage crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Ah—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His belly’s empty except for his intestines!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something tore out his organs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone who saw the corpse hanging from the tree screamed in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin man still clutched the slippery intestine, utterly paralyzed—he didn’t know what to do. His body shook violently, and the intestine trembled in his grip, causing the male corpse above to sway uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Branches quivered; bloodstained leaves rained down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang stared at the hollowed-out male corpse, its matted hair obscuring its face—he couldn’t make out its features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His pupils dilated; he drew a sharp breath and turned his gaze to Zhou Sanji—the old man’s body trembled slightly, his inner turmoil far from calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa,” Zhou Chang controlled his breathing, keeping his voice steady and soft. “Grandpa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even hearing his voice, Zhou Sanji remained frozen, offering no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandpa,” Zhou Chang raised his tone slightly, gently shaking the banner in his hand. “Are we just going to stand here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hss—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhou Sanji sharply inhaled, snapping back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint haze still clouded the old man’s face, but he was no longer standing motionless—Zhou Chang’s lowered voice crept into his ears, guiding his gaze to the target: “Grandpa, that thin boy has a knife at his waist…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Use it. Cut the intestine from his hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Put down the lantern…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t see it, you’ll fear it less.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji muttered an agreement, obeying—he reattached the lantern to his waist, then strode toward the thin apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one noticed what Zhou Chang and Zhou Sanji had whispered; they only saw the old shaman nodding, suddenly retracting the lantern, striding forward, yanking the knife from the thin man’s waist, and slashing several times to sever the intestine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene in the treetop became a dark blur to everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intestine still dangled midair, but no longer clutched in the thin man’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stood stunned, barely hearing a low, young voice: “Grandpa, wake him up…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How?” The old man’s voice was hollow, still dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slap him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji raised his voice sharply, one hand supporting Zhou Chang’s body, the other raised high—he slapped the thin man across the face with a loud crack. “Damn your ghost mother!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haven’t you seen dead bodies before? Acting like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll wipe your earwax off with my palm—wake up, you little bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin man staggered under the two slaps, collapsing onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, his incoherent mutterings finally formed broken words: “Heaven—Heavenly Lord—I—I don’t know what happened. I tripped, grabbed the vine beside me—I thought it was a vine—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—I can’t breathe!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t breathe, go lie in your ancestors’ graves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s cool air there—you’ll catch your breath!” Zhou Sanji cursed him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This blunt cursing stirred a sliver of life back into the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone shakily gathered around Zhou Sanji and his grandson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone, help him up!” Zhou Sanji barked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But several men, seeing the thin man’s blood-smeared hands and face, dared not touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang spoke, his voice deep: “You’re escorting Zhong Kui the Great Lord’s bride. Are you dawdling here, trying to ruin his wedding? Do you really think Zhong Kui is so kind he’ll help you anytime?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished speaking, two young men hurried to lift the bride’s sedan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Sun Yanshun remained—he sighed helplessly and stepped forward to help the seated apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin man staggered to his feet; a strong stench of urine wafted from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His backside was soaked through; urine still dripped steadily from his pant legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I held it all the way… I couldn’t hold it anymore…” the thin man stammered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared at him, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere was as heavy as iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji had repeatedly warned everyone not to relieve themselves on the road—even holding in farts—but this thin man, terrified by the corpse above, had finally lost control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group resumed walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the earlier incident, no one felt like talking. They trudged silently behind Zhou Sanji and his grandson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t gone far when they emerged from the wild forest along a gentle slope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the slope, a wattle-and-daub courtyard emerged from the mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the fog, other dwellings appeared, lined up like tiles beside the path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang, carried on Zhou Sanji’s back, passed before the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed that Zhou Sanji, who had carried him so easily before, now trembled slightly—as if exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This frail old man had relied on Zhong Kui’s power to carry him this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Sanji’s sudden weakness now filled Zhou Chang with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could speak, Zhou Sanji, in a hushed voice, said: “My youngest grandson, I can’t see clearly. That bastard peed himself—Zhong my lord probably thinks he’s filthy. He’s leaving…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s gaze snapped to Zhou Sanji’s ‘ink eyes’—the red glow painted over the ink-drawn eyes had turned murky and blurred; the black ink base was now visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red light was fading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the white banner in his hand—the painted face on it had become a blurred smear, slowly peeling off the fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get ready to run…” Zhou Sanji whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.” Zhou Chang gripped the banner pole tighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group behind them weren’t fools—they clustered tightly around the grandfather and grandson, refusing to let them out of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The painted face on the banner grew even blurrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang felt the old man beneath him trembling with every step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his lips; transparent threads shielded his entire body. He controlled those threads with his consciousness, manipulating his own body like a marionette—but he didn’t know how long his mind could sustain this control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This courtyard… why is it still here?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Sun Yanshun’s voice, laced with dread, broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone halted, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang followed Sun Yanshun’s gaze to the left of the dirt path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a courtyard with walls woven from branches and a thatched gatehouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside were three or five thatched huts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some wooden doors hung open; others were shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the muddy corner of the yard grew a large jujube tree—this season, its branches were bare, no leaves remaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the tree sat a large ceramic jar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside it stood two large wooden basins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One basin was full of water, steam rising and swirling in the air;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the other was stacked with neatly cut, orderly blocks of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene in the courtyard looked as if the owner had recently slaughtered livestock, butchered the meat, then fled abruptly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>leaving the gate wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang stared at the heart, lungs, and kidneys hanging from the jujube tree’s fork—yet no intestines were to be seen; his pupils shuddered violently, a terrible answer already rising within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the thin man suddenly screamed: “Head! Head! Head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The heartless dead man—his head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the thin man screamed, Zhou Chang’s gaze shifted—and there, among the piles of flesh, he saw the severed head of the corpse that had hung from the tree, split cleanly in two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill rose from his tailbone, racing up his spine, threatening to burst open his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sss—ao—sss—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woof! Woof! Woof!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the thin man screamed, fierce barking erupted from within the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhou Chang saw no dog at all within the fenced yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the barking suddenly rose, a woman with wild, tangled hair appeared among the crowd—her waist-length hair completely obscuring her face; she wore a black satin jacket embroidered with the character for “long life,” her belly swollen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood directly behind the thin man and suddenly raised her hand—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp knife pierced through the back of his neck, its tip emerging from his Adam’s apple!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line of blood sprayed forward along the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold, gleaming knife sliced downward along the thin man’s neck, cleaving his torso cleanly from front to back; gushing blood and bodily fluids soaked his tattered cotton-padded jacket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crow-like cackle issued from “Li Xiamei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pulled the knife free and threw back her head, laughing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold wind scattered her long hair, briefly revealing her mouth—her lips, purple-black, were lined with the sharp fangs of a carnivore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin man, drenched in blood, collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiamei’s figure swayed within the mist, then vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, she stepped past the thin coffin—before it, the “pallbearer” standing frozen suddenly began pouring black blood from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth; his mouth gaped open, emitting a “he-he” sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A straight line of blood traced downward from his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming terror Li Xiamei brought manifested as invisible blades, literally slicing open his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaahhh—! I’ll kill you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another pallbearer behind the coffin screamed, brandishing a crude, simple knife and swinging it straight at Li Xiamei’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiamei did not dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crude knife split downward from her crown—yet it met only empty air, flowing wind; Li Xiamei remained unharmed, her claw-like blackened hand reaching in and tearing out the man’s entrails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She passed by the coffin, her form drifting, invisible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bride seated calmly inside the coffin received not a single glance from Li Xiamei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “paper face” pasted onto the bride’s visage shifted its gaze; she exhaled softly—and the two pallbearers, their torsos hollowed and collapsed, suddenly rose upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their sunken cavities were filled by that breath; their pale skin now gleamed like paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “pallbearers” lifted the coffin once more, drifting slowly forward through the black mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang and the other two, along with Sun Yanshun, had already fled the moment Li Xiamei appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>",1949,"2026-06-19T18:47:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ac9d82ac1e49d59a913ec54c0679e4b4674bd49b5e68ba68253a0862b9efff3b","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-7","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-5",209,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthere-is-a-malevolent-spirit-cover.jpg"]