Chapter 112: Twin Demonic Flowers, Two Blooms on a Single Stem!

The two-headed monster approached with ferocious momentum, not only capable of clouding human nerves with its scent but also possessing formidable physical strength. With bloodshot eyes, it vanished rapidly into the darkness, using the surrounding debris as cover without making a sound.

"Careful, it hasn't left yet..." The apprehension in Xuanxuan's eyes grew, her focus entirely fixed on the slightest movement in the shadows.

"This thing... it's just too strange. Is it a ghost? Or something else?" Though he didn't know where Xuanxuan had been or why she had suddenly appeared, her presence provided Qi Yan with a shred of psychological comfort.

"It's not a ghost; if it were, we would have sensed it long ago. It must be a demon."

"A demon?!" Qi Yan was struck with immense shock at the word. No one was unfamiliar with the concept of a "demon"—even children knew what they were—but they were considered far more illusory than ghosts. To the average person, they were creatures that existed only in myths and legends. In everyday life, people often used the term metaphorically, but encountering a real "demon" was far rarer than seeing a ghost.

Growing up watching series like *Journey to the West*, everyone found the myriad of demons, monsters, and ghosts fascinating. They were ever-changing, unpredictable, and diverse. While ghosts were once human, demons were different; they could manifest from almost anything. In China, the most famous demons were foxes, snakes, spiders, and the like. It was inconceivable that in this small, mountain-hemmed village, not only were there ghosts, but now, a demon?

"What kind of demon is it?"

Xuanxuan moved her fingers, tying her bodhi bead bracelet into a complex knot. She held it before her, rotating her body slowly to guard against any angle from which the creature might strike.

"If it were an ordinary demon, we would have sensed it sooner. Those two women you saw at dusk... those were them, weren't they?"

Qi Yan nodded firmly. "Yes, before you arrived, I saw those two faces in the moonlight. It can't be a coincidence... This monster uses tentacle-like whips to attack, and that scent definitely radiates from its body. That much is certain!"

As he spoke, Xuanxuan noticed a thin object left on the ground. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a maple leaf, about the size of a palm, yet deep green in color.

"That confirms it. I caught a glimpse of its form earlier. I wasn't sure what kind of demon it was, but combining these traits—the vine-like tentacles, the scent, the illusions, the charm, and now this leaf..."

"It’s a plant demon!"

Gripping his steel rod, Qi Yan stood back-to-back with Xuanxuan, wary of the surroundings. He exclaimed, "A plant? I’ve heard of trees becoming demons, like the Grandmother in *A Chinese Ghost Story*, but can something like a vine actually become a demon?"

This alone made it far more exotic than the average demon. Usually, when people thought of demons, they envisioned spiritual animals or insects; plants were rare, extremely rare.

Xuanxuan’s analysis was cautious but likely correct. "According to Taoist tradition, all things possess spirits, and once that spirit is awakened, they can become demons. It is incredibly difficult for plants, but don't forget—while they may lack complex consciousness, their life force is unrivaled by most animals."

"Over endless time, mutations are inevitable. The odds of a plant becoming a demon are minuscule, but if they succeed, they are far more troublesome than foxes, weasels, or snakes. Everything matches now: the hallucinogenic scent, the 'mountain fragrance,' and the plant roots I saw on Ding Lingzi's back. I even saw its true form; it’s almost certainly a plant demon."

"The reason Old Yan, Ding Lingzi, and I couldn't sense it earlier is because its aura is too unique. As a plant, it is closer to nature than animals. Hidden deep in these mountains, its aura is masked—or rather, assimilated—by the surroundings."

"Ding Lingzi’s perception is sharp, but she focused on humans, ghosts, and animals. She sensed no human or ghostly aura because this monster simply isn't any of those things."

Qi Yan asked the crucial question: "From your professional perspective, how powerful is this thing?"

Unlike Li Ruoke, Xuanxuan was a genuine practitioner of black magic and curses, not a novice charlatan selling charms. Her understanding of supernatural entities was rigorous and accurate.

"Honestly, we are sorcerers; we can cast curses on ordinary people or control minor spirits, but demons... that's a bit out of our league. People like to lump all supernatural entities together, but they are different matters. If a Taoist proficient in the Zhengyi school were here, it might be simpler."

"But even so, just seeing how agile and free it is, we know it's no pushover."

Xuanxuan shook her head solemnly. It was only now that she realized the true identity of their enemy. Even Old Yan had initially mistaken it for a ghost. It wasn't surprising, though; such entities were far rarer in modern society than ghosts or zombies.

There is a popular, mocking saying in China: "No animal is allowed to attain enlightenment after the founding of the nation." While it sounds like a joke, it reflects a reality. China has a long history and a vast land; many strange things exist here, but they remain hidden from the eyes of the ordinary.

Perhaps in the chaotic years of war, such encounters were more common. But after the founding of the new nation, people's beliefs shifted dramatically. This change in ideology had profound consequences. Especially during the decade of turmoil, most public metaphysical institutions were destroyed. This overwhelming tide of secular reform was unstoppable. Even the most powerful demons of the past had to retreat, and the few that remained could only hide in these remote, backward places to survive.

Times have changed. People no longer fear the power of gods and ghosts as they did in the feudal era. This age of the decline of magic has fostered a society obsessed with scientific rationalism, effectively sealing the fate of those unspeakable things that dwell in the shadows.