At Chen Jianxing's words, everyone exchanged glances. They seemed to find a little more courage.
The road up Luoku Mountain was even harder to travel than they'd imagined: rugged and narrow, it wound off toward an unknown destination.
Every so often, a few chilling roars rang out from the deep forest.
No wonder they needed to come up the mountain to carry the corpse. The Demon Suppressing Division's carriage couldn't make it up here...
Lin Guanhuo glanced around and murmured inwardly.
The mountain trail twisted and turned. The group had been walking all day, yet they still hadn't reached the Ruined temple they'd been told about.
By now, dusk was falling.
"All right."
Just then,
Chen Jianxing, the Demon Suppressing Division's agent at the very front of the group, called out and stopped in front of a relatively open patch of wasteland.
Though weeds grew all around, the area had a fairly clear view.
"It's too late. We're not going any farther. We'll rest here tonight."
After speaking, Chen Jianxing took out his Brocade Bag and gave it a shake.
Then, right before their eyes,
a large bundle of dried beef and two jars of strong liquor appeared on the ground out of nowhere.
He tore off a piece of beef and washed it down with a mouthful of liquor.
"Go ahead and eat."
Chen Jianxing distributed the food and drink among the people there. "Eat and drink your fill. You'll need your strength for the work."
"We leave at the mao hour tomorrow. Follow me and do a good job, and I guarantee you'll earn a pile of gleaming silver."
This...
There was meat...
And liquor??
"Thank you for your generosity, sir!!"
"We thank you, sir!!"
The White Servants beamed with delight and clasped their hands in thanks.
These people hardly ever got to eat meat, even once a year. The dried beef was tough, but it was real meat!
Before long, Lin Guanhuo and the others had a bonfire going.
With a swig of strong liquor, the chill in their bodies eased a little.
With their bellies full and their thirst quenched, night finally swallowed Luoku Mountain.
Chen Jianxing unfastened the long sword at his waist and drove it deep into the earth beside the fire.
He sat cross-legged beside it, his expression solemn. "There is some demonic energy on Luoku Mountain, but you don't need to be afraid. They're all low-level demons, nothing to worry about."
"This sword of mine has slain demons, killed monsters, and drunk the blood of a hundred men. It's steeped in killing intent. As long as it's here, no evil spirit will dare approach within thirty feet."
Hearing this, everyone nodded as they ate and drank.
"However..."
Chen Jianxing paused, then warned the group, "When night grows deep, if you hear anything strange, especially a woman's cries, don't pay any attention. Don't look back."
"The demons on these mountains like to take the form of women to harm people. It's a low trick, but it works especially well on people like you who've never practiced martial arts."
"If anything happens, don't say I didn't warn you."
Everyone nodded. "Understood, Official Chen."
The night grew deeper and deeper.
The wind in the mountains began to blow strangely.
The White Servants huddled together in their threadbare padded coats to keep warm, not daring to sleep.
"Six-Fingered, what's wrong with you?"
Among the White Servants, Li Hu noticed that Six-Fingered was curled up beside the bonfire, trembling all over. Something seemed off about him.
In the dark, Six-Fingered shivered. His face was pale. "N...nothing..."
No one knew how long passed.
Gradually, the surroundings fell quiet, leaving only the crackle of the bonfire.
Just then...
"Waaah... waaah..."
A faint, intermittent wail drifted over on the wind.
It was a baby's cry, thin and pitiful, enough to make their hearts tremble.
It seemed to come from very far away, and yet it also seemed to be right beside them.
"Help... someone, help me..."
Then came a woman's cry for help, as if someone were choking her. Her voice came in broken gasps. "I'm so cold... someone, please help me..."
This...
At that very moment!!
"Did you hear that?"
Six-Fingered had been on edge the whole time. Now his voice trembled. "Someone... someone's calling for help! It's coming from the woods over there!"
"Shut up!" Xu Dadao snapped. "That's a ghost! Official Chen said not to listen!"
Six-Fingered clapped his hands over his ears, his face full of terror!!
The cries were coming from the old site of Wangshan Village!
That night, the thousand people of Wangshan Village had been slaughtered to the last person. Not a single soul survived!!
Back then, he'd followed the County Office workers to bury the bodies. He'd seen the carnage with his own eyes!
Six-Fingered suddenly wondered if he'd picked up some resentment, or something unclean, back then.
Were these ghosts coming to claim his soul??
"Everyone in Wangshan Village died... could they still be here? Are they crying out for justice?"
"Waaah!!!"
The baby's cry suddenly grew shrill, as though it were right beside them.
"Stop crying! Stop crying!"
Six-Fingered suddenly broke down. He leapt to his feet and clawed wildly at his hair with both hands, his eyes bloodshot. "I can't take it anymore! We can't stay here!"
"I'm not earning this silver anymore!! I'm leaving!! I'm leaving!!"
He regretted it now. He shouldn't have come to this cursed place for a single tael of silver!!
He had to leave!!
Right now!
Otherwise, he would die here!!
With that, Six-Fingered dashed off into the darkness down the mountain like a madman.
"Come back!"
Several White Servants shouted after him.
But Six-Fingered acted as though he hadn't heard them.
Just like that, he disappeared into the night.
Meanwhile,
Six-Fingered had no idea how long he'd been running.
He only knew that the crying behind him was growing louder, as if countless vengeful ghosts were chasing him.
He didn't dare look back. He could only run blindly through the fog-shrouded forest, following his instincts.
Suddenly, his foot caught on something, and he crashed hard to the ground.
"Ow!"
Six-Fingered got back to his feet. In the pale moonlight, he looked around—and nearly jumped out of his skin.
How was this the path down the mountain?
This was clearly a Mass Grave!
Graves were packed all around him. Some had no tombstones at all, just a rotting piece of wood stuck in the ground!
Strangely, the old tombstones were all blank. Not a single one bore a name!!
"W-where... where am I..."
Six-Fingered trembled all over. He was about to turn and run when his gaze suddenly fixed on the gravestone in front of him.
Three large characters were written on it in crooked strokes of bright red cinnabar.
Zhang Tie Zhu.
That was... Six-Fingered's real name!
"Ah!!!"
At the sight, Six-Fingered let out a terrified scream.
He completely lost his nerve!!
He regretted it!!
He never should've come to this cursed place for that one tael of silver!!
Just then,
"Heh heh... heh heh..."
A shrill, eerie laugh erupted from behind him, from every direction.
Six-Fingered felt the hair on his scalp stand on end!
He slowly, slowly, slowly turned around...
And saw...
On the mounds behind him, in the dead trees, and among the grass,
hundreds upon hundreds of weasels had appeared without warning.
They stood upright on two legs, just like people.
But the heads beneath their furry coats weren't animal faces.
They were pale human faces, each wearing a faint, eerie smile!
Old people, children, women...
In the next second,
all the Human-faced Weasels raised their two front paws at once.
Then, facing the already petrified Six-Fingered, they bowed in perfect unison!
Their movements were comical, yet they radiated boundless evil.
Ah!!!
A piercing scream rang through the night sky, but lasted only an instant.
Then it cut off abruptly.
Before you continue