At daybreak, Xu Yuan got up, pulled on his loose, ragged coarse cloth short shirt, and checked the almanac before heading out to work:
Today was Imperial Ming Xingyou Year 9—the ninth day of the seventh month.
Auspicious: traveling, cleaning, moving house, acquiring livestock.
Inauspicious: breaking ground, buying a house, digging a well.
Forbidden: Cold Food, river proximity, traveling at night!
Xu Yuan committed it to memory.
The first two categories, "Auspicious" and "Inauspicious," were only guidelines. But the final one, "Forbidden," could cost you your life if you broke it!
These taboos were woven into the daily lives of every subject of Imperial Ming. The habit of checking the almanac as soon as you woke up was etched into their bones.
"Cold Food is forbidden, so I can't eat anything raw or cold. I'll have to go into the mountains, gather firewood, and make a fire."
"River proximity is forbidden, so I can't go near any mountain stream or river."
"What a shame. I can't go to Plum Moon Pond today and peep at those Water Ghost Sister Flowers bathing." Xu Yuan sighed. "Juren Master was right after all. A lustful heart brings a knife to your head."
Xu Yuan was a menial worker in the inn's back courtyard. After getting up, he did odd jobs like brushing horses and unloading goods. Once he'd eaten his morning meal, he planned to go into the mountains to chop firewood.
Someone in his position only got two meals a day.
Xu Yuan tucked his axe into the grass rope around his waist, then slung a coil of coarse hemp rope over his shoulder. Just as he was about to set off, three people came around from the front courtyard.
The boy leading them was an apprentice of Mr. Liu, the bookkeeper. He wore a white sleeveless jacket, and a black gauze cloth wrapped around the hair on his head.
As soon as he saw Xu Yuan, he raised a hand and called, "Hey!" Then, unable to recall Xu Yuan's name, he simply said, "These two gentlemen are going to Wangxiang Village to buy mountain goods. You're going that way, so take them as their guide."
The two merchants were around thirty. The burly one had a full beard, and the tip of his left little finger was missing.
The short, stout one had Big-and-Small Eyes, but he kept smiling, seeming quite amiable.
The burly man was straightforward. "Get us there, and you'll get a handsome reward."
Xu Yuan blocked the doorway and didn't move. "Gentlemen, there are a few things we should settle beforehand. It's not about how much you'll pay me..."
Big-and-Small Eyes nodded. "We know the rules. Once we're in the mountains, we'll do as you say. If we don't listen and end up angering something, just run for your life. Don't let us drag you down."
Xu Yuan gave him a thumbs-up, then turned and headed out. "You two know the ropes. Follow me."
Ghost Witch Mountain was crawling with evil spirits, and strange horrors lurked everywhere.
But Ghost Witch Mountain also had all kinds of rare specialties worth their weight in gold. Merchants often came into the mountains to buy them. Xu Yuan had been here for over half a month, and this was already the fifth group he'd led into the mountains.
The villages in the mountains were no ordinary places, especially their Mountain Runners. Without a few tricks up their sleeves, who would dare make a living in Ghost Witch Mountain?
Every time, Xu Yuan escorted people to a village entrance and never went inside.
Half a li beyond the town stood an earthen embankment about a zhang high. A river ran on the other side.
Big-and-Small Eyes suddenly heard someone call, "Husband~"
The voice was gentle and lilting, as though a slender white hand were softly tickling the inside of his ear.
Unable to resist, Big-and-Small Eyes turned toward the sound. A Beauty Head appeared above the embankment, its eyes rippling with tenderness as it gazed at him.
"Husband~" the beauty called again. Big-and-Small Eyes immediately felt that she was the perfect match for him in this life. Without realizing it, he started walking toward her.
The burly man sensed something was wrong and hurried after him to grab him. Then he, too, heard an impassioned call: "Husband~"
Another Beauty Head appeared above the embankment. Delicate brows, almond-shaped eyes, a palm-sized oval face, fair skin, and a fragile, pitiful air—every feature matched the burly man's tastes perfectly.
The burly man forgot everything, too, and reached out as he walked toward her. "Little lady, have you run into some trouble..."
Two ropes sailed through the air and landed precisely around their necks. A sharp tug dragged them backward.
The two men snapped out of it, their backs turning icy cold. "What kind of monster is this?"
Xu Yuan plugged his ears with bits of cloth he'd prepared beforehand, then gestured for the two men to do the same.
Once their ears were stuffed, they could no longer hear the soul-stealing calls of "Husband."
The two Beauty Heads above the embankment flew into a rage. Their faces twisted, revealing mouths full of sharp fangs as they cursed, "Damn you! You've ruined our plans again!"
A rustling rose from the embankment. A neat row of beautiful heads popped up, packed tightly together, every one of them hurling abuse at Xu Yuan.
As they cursed, they couldn't help charging down—but behind them, rows of enormous, pitch-black snail shells came into view!
The shells stood taller than a man, with beautiful heads bristling with sharp teeth stretching out from within. Yet for some reason, they didn't dare leave the embankment.
All they could do was glare furiously after the three men as they walked away, then slowly withdraw behind the embankment.
A moment later, another caravan passed by, and the gentle, coquettish call rang out again. "Husband~"
As they walked, Xu Yuan explained, "That place is called Beauty Dam. The dam was built to keep the river at bay. Otherwise, when a day of 'Forbidden River Proximity' came around, the consequences would've been unthinkable. No one expected a pack of evil spirits to take it over."
Big-and-Small Eyes couldn't help asking, "What would've happened if we'd walked over there?"
"You two would've had a wonderful time. Snail Girl would build you a house—well, she'd dig a hole for you in the embankment. Of course, what you saw would've been a grand, spacious mansion.
"Then she'd cook you delicious, fragrant meals every day. Well, they'd all be rotten mud she dug up from the riverbed.
"That mud would make sure you felt no pain. They'd eat a little of you each day. You're both strong and sturdy, with firm flesh, so you'd probably last them...ten days."
The two men felt a chill creep up the backs of their necks. Ghost Witch Mountain was truly sinister. Such a terrifying evil spirit lurked right at its foot!
They couldn't help wondering, too: was "firm flesh" really a compliment?
Big-and-Small Eyes suddenly recalled, "In Huguang Province, there's a story about Snail Girl marrying a farmer, cooking for him, building him a house, and taking care of her husband..."
Xu Yuan lowered his head with a sly grin. "She's got skills and brings a house with her as a dowry. What's she after?"
The two men shook their heads, deeply convinced.
They walked on a little farther. A large mound rose from the ground ahead, with something colorful curled up beneath it.
"That's Hat Tomb," Xu Yuan said.
From a distance, the enormous burial mound looked like a stubby mushroom.
"They say it's the tomb of a princess from the previous dynasty. Since it's in Ghost Witch Mountain, no one dares rob it."
When they got closer, the two merchants saw clearly:
An Old Woman in a multicolored patchwork robe sat hunched over in a bamboo armchair, a brass pipe in her mouth. Her face was caked in thick, deathly pale powder, like a layer of wall putty.
The chair was small and the old woman was fat. It creaked under her weight, but stubbornly refused to fall apart.
After their encounter at Beauty Dam, neither man dared make a move.
Xu Yuan whispered, "That's a Corpse Hag. I know the local monsters well. Don't say anything. I'll handle her."
Seeing people on the road, the old woman croaked like a crow, "Am I beautiful?"
If the burly man had come alone, he would surely have cursed, "You're so ugly, you make people sick." The old woman would have flown into a rage. "Those eyes of yours can't tell beauty from ugliness. They're no use to you anymore!" Then she'd pluck them out.
If Big-and-Small Eyes had come alone, he might have realized something was off and played along. "Beautiful. A peerless beauty." The old woman would have sneered. "That tongue of yours only knows how to lie. All it does is harm people!" Then she'd yank it out.
The right way to deal with her was...
Xu Yuan took off his tattered straw sandal and asked the old woman, "Doesn't this look just like the tongue that came out of your mouth when you hanged yourself?"
The old woman flared up, then defensively argued, "I wasn't executed with a white silk cord!"
"You've got it wrong. Go back and check."
The old woman would then curse and shuffle back into the great tomb to look through the records, determined to find out how she had died.
"You little brat, you've got it wrong!"
"You can't remember anything, either. Once I've figured it out, I'll dig out your brain and eat it!"
Xu Yuan put his sandal back on, then beckoned the two merchants over. Don't make a sound. Move quickly!
After passing Hat Tomb and sneaking through several more dangerous places, Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. "We're not far from Wangxiang Village now."
Big-and-Small Eyes smiled at him. "We owe it all to you, young fellow."
When he smiled, his mouth stretched wide. As it did, his eyes slanted to one side, making him look as though he were squinting at people.
He offered thanks, but never mentioned the silver reward.
Xu Yuan said, "Everyone in town knows how to get through these outer areas. But it depends on the day. For instance, if 'Corpse Turning' or 'Calling Souls' is forbidden today, the Corpse Hag becomes an absolute menace. She'll eat anything she sees, and no one can escape. Then this road is impassable."
Big-and-Small Eyes cautiously asked again, "We'd like to hire you to take us farther into the mountains, young brother. We can negotiate the price."
Xu Yuan shook his head again. "I can only take you this far. If you want to go deeper, you'll have to find one of the few Old Mountain Runners in the village. No one else will do. Even an accomplished cultivator would be swallowed up in there."
"Then forget it. Just get us to Wangxiang Village, young fellow."
The two merchants were a little disappointed. Even if they killed this kid and extracted his soul, all that would guarantee was safe passage through the outskirts of Ghost Witch Mountain. To go deeper, they'd still have to find those Old Mountain Runners.
Those Old Foxes weren't easy to deal with. This kid, on the other hand, was simple-minded and easy to scheme against.
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