Monster in the Wall

The Wei family should be quite wealthy in this city.

At least they used to be.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be over twenty people in the family.

As for their house, it's located in the central part of Danxun County.

The county town isn't large; it's only a short walk.

After eating dinner and walking over, coupled with the misty rain, the sky was gradually growing dim. This caused Wei Yuanzhong's fear to increase with every step he took.

He knew that this Demonic Ghost only hit people and didn't injure them, but how many people could endure it without fear?

Getting hit still hurt.

"We're here, we're here."

"Creak..."

Wei Yuanzhong pushed open his family's door and, trembling, gestured for Lin Jue to enter.

"Young Master, please come in."

"You're too kind."

Lin Jue had long understood that harboring fear when encountering a Demonic Ghost was useless. He also understood that many Demonic Ghosts weren't as terrifying as he imagined. Regardless of reason or circumstance, whether intentional or not, he naturally wouldn't show his fear at this moment. Thus, he strode inside.

At the same time, he turned his head and looked around.

The Wei family's residence could house over a dozen people, making it much larger than ordinary homes. Upon entering, there was a small courtyard.

However, houses in this area tend to be compact and exquisite, not as spacious as quadrangle courtyards. Coupled with the precious land in the city, this courtyard wasn't actually very large.

Small as it was, it wasn't lacking in elegance.

The moss and mottled appearance at the base of the walls indicated its age. The decorative bricks embedded in the walls were carved with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, and evergreen pines. Generally, such courtyards would have a tree planted in them. Whether in Heng Village or Shu Village, the residences of wealthy families were designed this way to add to the scenery. With the shade of a tree, even on a sunny day, it would be tranquil inside.

It was just a pity that the tree in this courtyard had been cut down not long ago, leaving only a tree stump.

There were still some green plants, which managed to add a touch of life.

Lin Jue's younger cousin often talked about building a large house and a spacious courtyard in the future. It should look something like this, capable of housing twenty or so people, with a tree planted in the courtyard. Once grown, it would reach for the sun over the courtyard walls and could witness the passing of several generations.

Just then, his footsteps suddenly stopped.

He had just felt a pang of regret and turned to look at the tree stump. But his vision blurred, as if he saw a faint luster and shadow flowing on the stump, similar to when he meditated and circulated his breath.

"?"

Lin Jue couldn't help but frown.

He didn't say anything more for the moment, crossed the courtyard, and entered the house.

The room was cool, with faint light filtering in from the central opening.

"Young Master..."

"Lord Wei, please don't look at me. I'm not a Taoist priest, I don't know how to find Demonic Ghosts, nor do I know how to get rid of them. I only promised Lord Wei I'd sleep here for a night, and it might not even be useful," Lin Jue said. "We'll just have to see if it comes out tonight and if I get hit too."

"Yes, yes, yes! Alright, alright!"

Wei Yuanzhong quickly led him to a room with two beds.

In recent days, no one in their family had dared to stay in this house. The room had been locked, and they had to take out bedding from the cupboard. By the time they finished making the beds, it was completely dark. So, they found an oil lamp and lit it.

Wei Yuanzhong was extremely frightened, seeing ghosts in every shadow. Every rustle of leaves made him suspect a Monster. Lin Jue, on the other hand, appeared calm, as if he were staying at a friend's house. He calmly found water to rinse his mouth and wash his face.

As for why he was like this? Half of it was not being afraid, and half of it was not allowing himself to be afraid. But neither alone was enough to constitute half. It required the two to combine. He used his composure to act, and his composure helped him cultivate his courage, telling himself he truly wasn't afraid. Only when the two combined could he achieve this complete lack of fear.

"Lord Wei, you sleep on this bed. I'll take the one by the door."

"Okay, okay, okay..."

"Lord Wei, don't be so nervous. Haven't you heard that Demonic Ghosts also bully the weak and fear the strong? That being timid actually attracts Demonic Ghosts?"

"Ah? This..."

Wei Yuanzhong became even more frightened.

"Haha..."

Lin Jue chuckled twice and lay down on the bed, placing his cleaver under the pillow. In the lamplight, he opened his eyes and changed the subject, chatting with Wei Yuanzhong:

"I heard you mention at the inn that a very powerful Taoist priest came to the vicinity recently. He even eliminated powerful demonic fiends from the neighboring county. You even went to find him, is that true?"

"We did go to find him, and it's true."

"Who did you hear it from?"

"Merchants traveling between the two places..."

"What did that Taoist priest look like?"

"They said he was an old Taoist priest."

"Didn't you mention that he used Taoist magic to eliminate the fiends?"

"Of course! Why else would everyone say that old Taoist priest was powerful? It was his demon-slaying magic! It was like the abilities of Immortals."

"He's from the next county?"

"Yes, Qiu Ru County."

"Where is he going?"

"Who knows..."

"..."

Lin Jue chatted with him idly while he thought.

He was already tired after the bath, and after eating and drinking his fill, he felt so comfortable that he fell asleep not long after.

The oil lamp was still placed in the center of the room, with plenty of oil. However, as the wick burned shorter and shorter, the light grew dimmer and dimmer.

As the light faded, it grew redder.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared on the wall.

"Slap!"

In the silence, a sudden whipping sound rang out. Just hearing it, one could tell the force behind it was considerable.

Who would dare to use a thick blanket in the summer? Wei Yuanzhong couldn't stand it and immediately opened his eyes, letting out a loud wail.

"Ouch!"

His wail held a hint of terror.

Lin Jue also woke up instantly.

Opening his eyes, he immediately sat up, the cleaver already in his hand. The sense of security from its thickness and weight was something a small knife could never provide.

He scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes.

He saw nothing.

Yet, there was an indescribable feeling in the room. This feeling did not come from his five senses, but from his experience cultivating in mountain streams and valleys, absorbing the Five Qi of heaven and earth. It was profound and elusive.

This feeling pointed to the wall on his left.

This was the second floor, and the doors and walls were made of wood.

Lin Jue turned his head to look. In a trance, his vision blurred, and he seemed to see faint, indistinct light flowing within the wall.

He knew at once--

This being was hiding here.

He also guessed that this being had probably been hiding inside that tree stump this very evening, absorbing the Essence of heaven and earth.

So, Lin Jue put on his shoes but remained seated on the bed, indicating his restraint. He tightly gripped the cleaver, facing the wooden wall. Although he had no idea what kind of Demonic Ghost this was or what methods it used, his voice and demeanor showed no hesitation or fear. He opened his mouth and asked:

"Why are you hiding within the wall panel, sir?"

As soon as he spoke, Wei Yuanzhong was startled.

He was closest to the wall panel. After a brief pause, he scrambled down and scurried away to the side, crying "Ouch, ouch" non-stop.

The light on the wall continued to shift silently, moving from the wall to Lin Jue's left to the wall to his right.

Lin Jue's gaze followed it intently.

He kept his eyes fixed on it.

At the same time, his mind was racing.

Something was amiss with this situation.

"You have been causing trouble here for a month, yet you have never killed anyone. When you appeared just now and caused trouble again, you only struck the person beside me, not me... I heard that Lord Wei went to the City God temple to invite a statue, but it only worked for a few days before it became useless. Is there some other connection to this?"

The light shifted again, silently, to the side.

Lin Jue frowned, his eyes flickering.

"Where are you trying to hide?"

The shifting light paused its flow of Vital Energy and finally stopped.

A moment later, a voice came from within the wall:

"What village bumpkin are you? This family took me to court at the City God's temple and still lost their case. Even the City God permitted me to whip them. What business is it of yours?"

The voice was filled with resentment.

Wei Yuanzhong was startled by this.

Lin Jue, however, breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn't guessed wrong. It seemed tonight would truly be without danger for him.

This being was actually reasonable!

As for going to the City God to sue, and the City God permitting a whipping? What kind of strange affair was this?

Lin Jue couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Beside him, Wei Yuanzhong was terrified and dared not speak. He repeatedly clasped his hands together towards Lin Jue, treating him like a life-saving straw.

Lin Jue naturally saw them and, with surprise and curiosity, asked, "It seems you have some connection with the Wei family. Would you mind telling me about it?"

"What business is it of yours?"

As soon as the voice finished, several objects flew out from the wall.

Lin Jue was alert, and since the objects weren't thrown with much force and weren't moving fast, he instinctively ducked, dodging two. He then subconsciously swung his cleaver, batting away another.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The objects fell to the ground – a few wooden lumps.

"I observe that your Five Qi are not mixed and your spirit is pure and clear. You don't seem like someone who has done bad deeds, and I know you only caused harm on the road today. Therefore, I don't wish to make things difficult for you. Why don't you leave quickly!"

The voice continued to come from within the wall.

Lin Jue knew that the other party had no intention of hurting him, nor any desire to harm him, so he wasn't angry. After some thought, he said:

"You are a reasonable person. If you could win a lawsuit at the City God's temple, you must have had the right on your side. Now that this connection has arisen, if things continue like this, it will only make the Wei family afraid to return home and constantly devise ways to deal with you. Who knows, you might even invite some fierce spirits or burn down the house one day. What's the point of all this?"

"Who's afraid?"

"Why not discuss a resolution?"

"What's there to discuss?" the voice from the wall continued.

"You're right! Young Master, you're absolutely right! What did our Wei family ever do to you? Tell us! If you don't tell us, we don't know, and we can't even apologize. Tell us so we can discuss and resolve it!" Wei Yuanzhong, seeing a glimmer of hope, immediately chimed in, nodding vigorously.

"Lord Wei speaks wisely. Even those convicted in the mortal world are told their crime. Your actions are truly baffling," Lin Jue said sincerely. "Although I was invited by Lord Wei, I was only asked to stay here for one night. Regardless, I will leave tomorrow morning and will not take sides. However, in my opinion, this is an excellent opportunity to persuade you. What do you think?"

"You sound like an upright person!"

"I dare not accept the compliment."

"..."

The wall fell silent for a moment.

However, the light and shadow had not disappeared.

The silent atmosphere was the most unsettling. Wei Yuanzhong couldn't help but turn his head repeatedly to look at Lin Jue.

Lin Jue, on the other hand, was completely relaxed. He even had the leisure to ponder what kind of Demonic Ghost this was and what kind of sorcery it used to hide within the wooden wall. It felt quite magical, and he wondered if he could learn it.