July Ninth, Forbidden River Proximity

As dawn broke, Xu Yuan rose. He donned his loose, ragged coarse cloth tunic and, before heading out to work, glanced at the almanac:

Today is Imperial Ming Xingyou Year 9—the ninth day of the seventh month.

Suitable for: Travel, Cleaning, Moving, Acquiring Livestock.

Avoid: Breaking Ground, Buying Property, Digging Wells.

Forbidden: Cold Food, River Proximity, Night Travel!

Xu Yuan carefully memorized it.

The first two "suitable" and "avoid" entries were merely references, but the last item, "forbidden," could cost one their life if violated!

These taboos were deeply ingrained in the lives of every citizen of Huangming; the habit of checking the almanac upon waking was etched into their very bones.

"Forbidden Cold Food means no raw or cold meals; I'll have to go into the mountains to gather firewood and start a fire."

"Forbidden River Proximity means I can't go near any mountain streams or rivers."

"What a shame. I can't go to Plum Moon Pond today to sneak a peek at those two Water Ghost Sister Flowers bathing," Xu Yuan mused, then praised, "Juren Master was right, lust is a sharp blade above one's head."

Xu Yuan was a handyman at the inn's backyard. After waking, he finished some chores like brushing horses and unloading goods. After his morning meal, he prepared to head into the mountains to chop wood.

Given his status, he could only eat two meals a day.

Xu Yuan tucked his axe into the grass rope belt at his waist and slung a bundle of coarse hemp rope over his shoulder. Just as he was about to leave, three people suddenly emerged from the front courtyard.

The young boy in front was the apprentice of Mr. Liu from the accounting office, wearing a white bib and a black cloth wrapped around his topknot.

Upon seeing Xu Yuan, he immediately raised his hand and called out, "Hey!" Then, forgetting Xu Yuan's name, he directly said, "These two guests are going to Wangxiang Village to collect mountain goods. You happen to be going that way, so you can guide them."

The two merchants were around thirty. The burly one had a full beard and was missing the little finger on his left hand.

The short, fat one had Big-and-Small Eyes but was smiling amiably, seeming easy to get along with.

The burly man was very straightforward: "Take us to the place, and your reward won't be lacking."

Xu Yuan blocked the doorway, not moving. "Sirs, some things must be clarified beforehand. It's not just about the reward money..."

The Big-and-Small Eyes nodded. "We understand the rules. Once we're in the mountains, we'll listen to you. If we disobey and provoke something, you can just run for your own safety; don't be implicated by us."

Xu Yuan gave a thumbs-up, then turned and walked out. "You two are knowledgeable. Please follow me."

Ghost Witch Mountain was rife with evil spirits and endless oddities.

However, Ghost Witch Mountain also held various specialties worth more than pure gold, and merchants often entered the mountains to collect goods. In the half-month Xu Yuan had been here, this was already the fifth group he had guided into the mountains.

The villages in the mountains were not simple places, especially the Mountain Runners within them. Without some real skill, who would dare make a living in Ghost Witch Mountain?

Every time, Xu Yuan would only escort people to the village entrance, never entering the village itself.

About half a li outside the town was an earthen dam about ten feet high. Beyond the dam lay a river.

Suddenly, the Big-and-Small Eyes heard a call: "Husband~"

The voice was gentle and melodious, like a delicate white hand gently scratching inside his ear.

The Big-and-Small Eyes couldn't help but look towards the sound. On the dam, a beautiful head emerged, her eyes like autumn pools, gazing at him with deep affection.

"Husband~" the beauty called again, and the Big-and-Small Eyes immediately felt that this woman was the destined partner of his life. He unconsciously walked towards her.

The burly man sensed something was wrong and quickly followed to pull him back, only to hear a devoted call: "Husband~"

Another beautiful head appeared on the dam, with delicate eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a palm-sized oval face, and fair skin, exuding a fragile aura that evoked pity—she was truly everything the burly man found aesthetically pleasing.

The burly man forgot everything and instinctively reached out towards her. "Little lady, have you encountered some difficulty...?"

Two rope loops flew out, accurately landing around their necks and pulling them back with a yank.

The two men suddenly sobered up, their backs turning cold. "What kind of anomaly is this?"

Xu Yuan plugged his ears with the rags he had prepared earlier and gestured for the two to do the same.

Once their ears were plugged, they could no longer hear the soul-stirring "Husband" calls.

The two beautiful heads on the dam erupted in fury. Their faces contorted, revealing rows of fangs, and they cursed, "Damn things, ruining our good deeds again and again!"

A rustling sound echoed from the dam as a row of beautiful heads emerged in unison, packed tightly together. Each one cursed at Xu Yuan.

As they cursed, they couldn't resist charging down, revealing large, black snail shells behind them!

The snail shells were as tall as a person, with beautiful heads sporting sharp teeth emerging from within. For some reason, they dared not leave the dam.

They could only glare resentfully at the three as they departed, then slowly retreated behind the dam.

A moment later, another merchant caravan passed by. "Husband~" the gentle, charming call sounded once more.

As they walked, Xu Yuan explained, "That place is called 'Beauty Dam.' It was originally built to separate that river; otherwise, the consequences on a 'Forbidden River Proximity' day would be unimaginable. Who knew it would be occupied by a group of evil spirits."

The Big-and-Small Eyes couldn't help but ask, "What would have happened if we had walked over?"

"You two would have lived a wonderful life. The Snail Girl would have built you a house—well, dug a hole for you on that dam. Of course, what you'd see would be a magnificent, spacious tiled house.

Then she would cook you delicious meals every day. Hmm, all made from the rotten mud she dug up from the riverbed.

That mud would ensure you wouldn't feel any pain. They'd eat a little bit of you each day. You two are strong and your flesh is firm, so it would last them... about ten days."

They both felt a chill down the back of their necks. This Ghost Witch Mountain was truly sinister, with such terrifying evil spirits at its foot!

They couldn't help but grumble inwardly, wondering if "tough skin and flesh" was even a compliment.

Big-and-Small Eyes suddenly recalled, "In Huguang Province, there's a saying about a 'Snail Girl' marrying a farmer, cooking, building a house, and serving her husband..."

Xu Yuan lowered his head with a wicked grin, "She has skills and brings property as a bonus? What's in it for her?"

The two merchants shook their heads, deeply agreeing.

They walked a bit further, and a large mound of earth bulged ahead on the ground, with a colorful thing curled up beneath it.

Xu Yuan said, "This is Hat Tomb."

This massive tomb looked like a short, thick mushroom from afar.

"It's said to be the tomb of a princess from a previous dynasty. Because it's in Ghost Witch Mountain, no one dares to rob it."

As they got closer, the two merchants saw clearly:

An old woman wearing a colorful patchwork robe, her face powdered a pale, thick white like a layer of plaster, was squatting on a bamboo-backed chair, holding a brass pipe.

The chair was small, the old woman was fat, and it creaked under her weight, yet stubbornly refused to collapse.

Having learned from their "Beauty Dam" experience, neither dared to act rashly.

Xu Yuan whispered, "That's a Corpse Hag. I'm familiar with the local anomalies. Don't speak, I'll handle it."

Seeing people approaching, the old woman cawed, "Am I beautiful, this Empress?"

If the Burly Man had come alone, he would have cursed, "You're so ugly it's disgusting," and the old woman would have flown into a rage, "Your eyes can't discern beauty or ugliness, what use are they?" and then plucked out his eyes.

If Big-and-Small Eyes had come alone, he might have realized something and replied, "Beautiful, stunningly beautiful," and the old woman would have sneered, "Your tongue only knows how to lie, what use is it but to harm people!" and then ripped out his tongue.

The correct response was...

Xu Yuan took off his worn straw sandals and said to the old woman, "Does this look like the tongue you spat out when you hanged yourself?"

The old woman, furious and guilty, retorted, "This Empress was not bestowed death by a white silk ribbon!"

"You've misremembered, you should go back and check."

The old woman would then curse and retreat into the great tomb to consult the records and figure out how she actually died.

"You little thing must have misremembered!"

"Your brain doesn't remember things. When I find out, I'll dig out your brain and eat it!"

Xu Yuan put on his shoes, beckoned to the two merchants, and said, "Don't make a sound, let's go quickly!"

After passing Hat Tomb and navigating through several more dangerous places, Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, "We're not far from Wangxiang Village."

Big-and-Small Eyes praised with a smile, "We relied entirely on you, little brother, on this journey."

When he smiled, his mouth stretched wide, and Big-and-Small Eyes seemed to slant to one side, as if squinting at people.

They only offered words of thanks, never mentioning any monetary reward.

Xu Yuan: "The people in town know how to get through these outer areas. But it depends on the day. For example, the Corpse Hag. If today is forbidden for 'turning corpses' or 'calling souls,' the Corpse Hag becomes extremely ferocious, eating whatever she sees. No one can escape, and this path becomes impassable."

Big-and-Small Eyes tentatively asked, "We'd like to hire you, little brother, to take us deeper in. We can discuss the price."

Xu Yuan shook his head again, "I can only take you this far. To go any deeper, you'll need one of those Old Mountain Runners from the village. No one else is useful. Even skilled cultivators would get lost in there."

"Then never mind. Little brother, just take us to Wangxiang Village."

The two merchants felt a bit regretful: killing this kid and extracting his soul would only guarantee safe passage through the outer reaches of Ghost Witch Mountain. To go deeper, they still had to find those Old Mountain Runners.

Those old foxes were not easy to deal with, unlike this kid who was simple-minded and easy to trick.

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