Chapter 114: The Skeleton Beneath the Earth Pit

When she first arrived at the village, the innkeeper, who acted as her guide, did not provide a detailed introduction to the mountain's name. However, the entire village nestled right against its base, and having once suffered from a landslide, it was surely the place most familiar to the locals.

Xuanxuan headed straight up the mountain from the old village, following a narrow path worn down by countless footsteps. There had been no rain recently, so although the terrain was earthy, the ground was not overly soft. No matter how the path twisted and turned, the general direction remained southeast. Here, there was not only the scent of lush vegetation but also a faint, lingering odor in the air. Just by catching this scent, Xuanxuan knew she was on the right track.

She felt little fear. People like her, who had long dealt with supernatural powers and beings, possessed a deep understanding of such things. Often, the reason ghosts and monsters evoke terror is largely due to their mystery. Fear stems from the unknown, but once one has a concrete understanding and proper psychological preparation, that fear diminishes significantly. She even kept three small spirits at home, one of which was currently following at her side. Even if the entity she faced was a demon, it was not enough to make Xuanxuan afraid. Her primary concern was for Hao Dalong, whose whereabouts remained unknown.

The two-headed demon had retreated back into the shadows, lurking in some obscure corner, watching like a venomous snake lying in wait for its prey. It would not give up; it was certainly waiting for the right moment.

There were indeed footprints on the ground, but not just one or two. Perhaps some villagers used this path to reach the mountain during the day? However, Xuanxuan noticed traces made only recently. For instance, the weeds and leaves along the road were broken, and there was a faint, barely perceptible trail. When she shone her flashlight carefully, it looked as if something had been dragged along.

Walking a mountain path alone in the dead of night was extremely dangerous. She had to be cautious, so she did not move quickly. It would be embarrassing to trip and fall before the demon even had a chance to strike.

Though it was autumn, the vegetation in these high mountains remained quite green. Yet, along the entire way, she had not seen a single wild flower. Not one. The Kuman Thong spirit walked ahead, scouting the path. Even for a creature as inherently spectral as it was, this place felt unsettling. Although it could not speak, the little chubby figure acted just like an ordinary, terrified child, trembling and hesitant to venture any deeper.

The narrow path seemed to come to an end as the surrounding brush and weeds grew increasingly dense. Xuanxuan took a small switchblade from her bag to clear away any stinging thorns. She was now about halfway up the mountain—which itself was not very tall—and finally, she found a clue on a stray branch: a strip of fabric. If the branch hadn't been blocking her way, it would have been difficult to spot.

Xuanxuan shone her flashlight on it, hoping to determine if the fabric belonged to Hao Dalong. The moment the light hit, a serene and beautiful face appeared, lying perfectly still within a cluster of dense leaves behind the branch. Xuanxuan locked eyes with it for a second. The skin of that face instantly shifted from fair to a sickly, iron-blue, and it opened its cherry-red lips to exhale a burst of heavy fragrance.

The sudden spray caught her off guard, causing Xuanxuan to stagger instinctively. Her first reaction was to close her eyes, but her hand, still gripping the knife, moved by defensive reflex. The sharp blade struck down, piercing directly into the face just a foot away, landing squarely in the forehead.

Before Xuanxuan could even open her eyes, she heard a non-human shriek. The dense grass and branches in front of her began to thrash violently, as if something were lunging within them. Where the blade had pierced the forehead, it did not bleed bright red blood; instead, a thick, dark green slime oozed out. It lacked the intoxicating fragrance, reeking instead of a nauseating, fishy rot.

From the surrounding grass and bushes, six or seven vines shot out. The tips of these tentacle-like vines had split into four segments, resembling the maws of snakes, and lunged to bite her. These tentacles were as fast as lightning, making them difficult to defend against in such overgrown terrain. However, they seemed to recoil in fear of something Xuanxuan carried; mid-air, they faltered and retreated in defeat.

The demon’s true form—those two beautiful heads—fled into the grass in pain. This time, Xuanxuan was not alone. The Kuman Thong reacted even faster, diving into the bushes after it. For a moment, there was only a rhythmic rustling, and the flashlight was knocked away into the darkness.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Having inhaled the powder, Xuanxuan lost her footing and tumbled forward. It turned out that the dense thicket had been laid out like a hunter’s pitfall trap from ancient times; there was no path ahead, only a wide, deep earthen pit.

Landing on her backside, she slid down the steep embankment. She thrust her small knife into the earth wall to slow her descent, but the soil was loose, offering little resistance, and she ultimately fell to the bottom. Fortunately, the pit was not very deep and the floor was thick with soft soil; she suffered only a few minor scratches rather than a serious injury.

However, as she slid down, her arm struck a long, hard object. She didn't know if it was stone or something else, but it caused a sharp pain. A large heap of loose dirt cascaded down on top of her, and she was forced to inhale several mouthfuls of dust.

Xuanxuan shook her head and looked upward, but everything was pitch black; she could not gauge the depth of the pit. Her hand inadvertently brushed against the hard object again. With a casual probe, based on the contours, shape, and texture, she quickly realized what it was.

It was… human bone.

At nearly the same moment, Qi Yan had returned safely to the inn. It was not far, and he had jogged most of the way, so his return was swift. He did not expect that less than an hour after he and Xuanxuan had left, Ding Lingzi’s condition would have improved so much. Though she remained weak, she was at least no longer moaning or convulsing.

Seeing Qi Yan return alone and covered in grime, Elder Yan asked, "Eh? Where is Xuanxuan? Why are you back alone? Didn't you find Dalong?"

Out of breath, Qi Yan waved his hand. "You… you had better listen to me first. This matter… I fear it is far more severe than we imagined."