Yin Ci was startled for a moment.
He had actually heard of the term “Cuckoo Calamity”. Cuckoo birds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and the hatched chicks then become the dominant ones, snatching food from the other nestlings.
The legend of the “Cuckoo Calamity” was only prevalent in remote areas—where unknown monsters impregnate women who give birth to children who are remarkably beautiful and look drastically different from their parents and siblings. Such children often possess astonishing talents and have a much larger appetite than ordinary people.
According to Yan Qing’s account, this “A’Si” completely matched the description.
A’Si was born in the Su Family in Xizhuang. His real name was Su Sigou. He was born with exquisite facial features and delicate skin.
However, in this impoverished and remote village, the Su family could easily be considered ugly. The Su couple looked like a pair of broad-shouldered and stout brothers, with naturally dark skin and eyebrows thicker than thumbs. Their group of children also had crooked lips and misaligned teeth—none of them pleasing to the eye.
And amidst them was Su Sigou, like a white dove among a flock of quails, which was extremely eye-catching.
If a child like him was born in the city, the parents would only consider him to be exceptionally gifted. Even if there were suspicions, they would be limited to questioning the mother’s fidelity and not considering the doings of a monster.
But in the Su family, the fourth son was not much different from a monster—the village was closed-off, everyone knew each other well, and each child was witnessed being born by the villagers, so there was no room for falsehood.
As Su Sigou grew day by day, he became even more delicate. He possessed naturally strong hands and had an appetite that could rival that of an adult. Due to the poverty of the Su family and their aversion to this child of unknown origin, they simply let him roam freely, finding his own food in the mountains.
The other villagers also believed that this child brought misfortune and didn’t treat Su Sigou kindly.
However, Su Sigou was born lacking common sense and was particularly adept at sticking his hot face against a cold butt*, even finding joy in doing so. He spent his days running around, using his strange strength to hunt for food in the mountains, living a somewhat comfortable life.
*Idiom used to describe someone who’s willing to endure humiliation or seek connection with someone who doesn’t treat them well. It conveys the idea of seeking warmth and acceptance from others who are indifferent or even hostile towards them.
He even took a friend for himself—
Yan Qing’s father wasn’t a kind man and only knew how to boss his son around. When Yan Qing was just beginning to understand things, he worked and earned money while also having to serve his father. He was busy all day long, unable to eat a full meal, and ended up skinnier and smaller than a wild cat.
As fellow unfortunate individuals in the village, Su Sigou was particularly curious about Yan Qing. He secretly observed the Yan family’s courtyard for two days and became so enraged that he directly captured Yan Qing to be his friend.
Having grown accustomed to the wilderness in the mountains, Su Sigou was skilled at finding food. Yan Qing relied on him to eat meat and not be burdened by his unreliable father, who could have easily caused his early demise.
“Afterward, there was trouble in my family, so we decided to escape together. Thanks to A’Si’s familiarity with the mountain paths, I wouldn’t have been able to get out on my own.”
Yan Qing finished his breakfast with a heavy heart and gently put down his chopsticks. “We relied on each other to survive for several years before getting separated ten years ago. Only he knows that I buried the mountain ghost coin, and only he would leave a note hidden in my house’s window.”
“I see. So that Su Si… cough, are there any other peculiarities that A’Si has?”
Shi Jingzhi’s eyes brightened, seemingly quite interested in the story of the “Cuckoo Calamity”.
Yan Qing was somewhat surprised. “None. Besides having a good-looking face, he has strong hands. As for his mind… Well, let’s just say A’Si is the type who wouldn’t turn back even if he bumped into a wall*. But he has an excellent character and would never actively provoke others.”
*Metaphor for someone who’s stubborn and unwilling to listen to different opinions.
Shi Jingzhi was too preoccupied with inquiring about A’Si to notice the deepening gaze of his disciple.
The determination of the “Cuckoo Calamity” was inherently ambiguous, with few folk records. Yin Ci had once investigated it but ended with inconclusive results. It had no relation to the region, constellations, or solar terms, and its appearance followed no discernible pattern.
However, through his investigation, he unexpectedly discovered a certain fact.
Every year, there would always be some extraordinary children born—beautiful and exceptionally talented. These individuals were rare, with approximately one in a million people falling into this category. The ratio was interesting, similar to the probability of other species giving birth to monsters.
Yin Ci decided to call these people “monster material*”.
*Clarity: As in potential (not in a physical sense). For example: He’s leadership material, i.e. he’s born to be a leader. In this case, he has material to become a monster [yao] (妖.)
Yin Ci was an orphan and didn’t know if his face was a gift from his parents or something forcibly bestowed upon him by the heavens. But judging by Shi Jingzhi’s reaction, his handsome master was most likely one of those “monster material”.
Apart from individuals like Yin Ci, whose appearances stood out, ordinary people were oblivious to the concept of “monster material”, so it was normal to be curious. Seeing Shi Jingzhi becoming intrigued by the mystery, Yin Ci had no intention of stopping him.
An anomaly in Xizhuang, a one-in-a-million monster material—the simultaneous occurrence of these two phenomena meant that there must be something intriguing about this place.
The three members of the Kushan Sect wandered around the village for another hour but found no new clues. They then shifted their search to the outskirts of the village.
The stray cats and rats from last night had disappeared, and the village had returned to its silent state, raising some uneasy feelings in Yin Ci.
As one grew older, premonitions tended to be more accurate, for the worse. Sure enough, just as they reached the edge of Xizhuang, they spotted two figures in the distance.
With sunrise approaching and no snowfall, their vision was still relatively clear.
A girl of about ten years old stood in the snow. She wore a brand-new red coat and had two pointed pigtails on top of her head, appearing lovely and cute. However, the thing she held in her hand had nothing to do with “cute” no matter how he looked at it.
At a glance, that thing resembled a small foal. Only when the three approached closer did they realize its true identity—
A strangely shaped black dog.
The black dog was extremely tall and had slender and muscular limbs covered in shiny fur. That, in itself, was ordinary. What was strange was its head. The dog had no eyes; its skin on the face was the same as the nose, with dozens of nostril-like holes evenly distributed. Its mouth was large and long, almost splitting its skull in two.
At the moment, it was exhaling white vapor, revealing sharp teeth.
Yin Ci saw Shi Jingzhi’s eyes go from blinking to rubbing, and from rubbing to wanting to pluck out his eyeballs, so he decisively grabbed his master’s wrist.
“Shizun, I’ve seen this kind of thing in the mountains. It’s definitely a monster, and from the looks of it, it’s probably a dog demon.”
“A’Ci, the books say that monsters are the most beautiful among their kind*—”
*Clarity: Remember, there’s a difference between [yao] (妖) and [mo] (魔). Yao/monsters can look divine and pretty like (for example the nine tails demon fox), while mo/demons take on an “evil nature”. This dog demon is a [yao], which is why Shi Jingzhi says this.
Having lived for hundreds of years, Yin Ci had never seen a monster that met human standards of “beauty”. “A dog’s aesthetics of its own kind should be compared to… a dog.”
Shi Jingzhi fell silent. He slowly turned his head, making an effort to ignore the strange-looking black dog.
This time, Yan Qing stepped forward first. His face was pale as he half-squatted down. “Little sister*, do you know where the people here have gone?”
*[Meimei] (妹妹).
“Yes, I know. They’re in Yuanxian Village!” The little girl said softly and delicately. “I’ve come to take you to Yuanxian Village.”
“They just left like that? Without taking anything?”
The little girl blinked her eyes, seeming to not understand the question. “Yuanxian Village has everything. Why would they need to bring extra things? Brother, your eyes are so beautiful. You seem to have immortal potential.”
Yan Qing patted the little girl’s head and stepped back. “I’ve never heard of Yuanxian Village. If there’s a village nearby, A’Si couldn’t possibly be unaware of it.”
He didn’t dare speak openly in front of the girl. Fortunately, both the master and disciple were quick-witted and could sense the hidden meaning.
If “Yuanxian Village” truly was a good place, A’Si wouldn’t have left a blood-written message.
The little girl was patient, waiting in place. Shi Jingzhi pretended to lead the way, but suddenly, the dog demon let out a loud and fierce bark. Thankfully, after their encounter in the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi remained calm, only stumbling slightly.
Yin Ci took the opportunity to support his master, leaning down to whisper, “Shizun, there are people in the distance.”
While Shi Jingzhi’s attention was focused on the dog demon, he failed to notice several other auras. Besides the girl in the red coat, there were six other auras lingering nearby. Yin Ci caught a glimpse of the nearest one with his peripheral vision—
That person wore a bulky white robe, bound with white ropes and intricate knots. His face was covered by a white mask, and he wore a tall white decorative hat, giving him an eccentric appearance that perfectly blended with the snowy landscape.
The other six people surrounded them, gradually closing in, without uttering a word.
Shi Jingzhi’s felt a bit tongue tied. “Little sister, we have urgent matters, so we won’t be going for now.”
“In that case, I’ll just have A’Huo bite you.” The little girl appeared distressed. “Yuanxian Village is a good place. Only bad people wouldn’t want to go. Right, A’Huo?”
The dog demon barked, showing its approval.
In the next instant, one of the white-robed individuals raised his hand and swiftly struck at Shi Jingzhi.
His attack carried no intent to kill, and it lacked strength. However, the trajectory twisted, as if bones and joints were misplaced. Shi Jingzhi narrowly avoided it, but his mask was knocked off.
Yan Qing and the little girl gasped simultaneously.
During their time in the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi had always worn his mask, and only took it off when sleeping. Yan Qing usually slept early and had never seen the true face of the sect leader.
When the fox revealed his face, the little girl looked even happier. “This brother also has immortal potential! Everyone will surely like you. Come with me quickly.”
Shi Jingzhi glanced at the dog demon and asked straightforwardly, “In your realm, is immortal potential determined by appearance?”
The little girl shook the dog leash in her hand, and the dog demon obediently sat down, drooling profusely from its mouth.
“Yes, the stronger the immortal potential, the more beautiful and powerful a person becomes! Brother, you must be exceptionally powerful.”
Shi Jingzhi: “…” I’m not talented. I just recently got beaten by a fish.
Yin Ci quickly picked out the key point and nudged Yan Qing. “That girl doesn’t seem to be lying. If the fourth son of the Su family is really a ‘Cuckoo Calamity’, there’s a good chance he’s still alive.”
Yan Qing’s spirits lifted.
Shi Jingzhi also gradually calmed down and looked at his disciple and servant. “Yuanxian Village, immortal potential… Do you have immortals in your village?”
“Of course, we have been serving the immortals for generations.”
The little girl pouted, as if Shi Jingzhi had asked a silly question like whether people need to eat.
“No one who comes to the village wants to leave. The outside world is smelly, desolate, and cold—I hate it… Hey, are you ready? With the protection of the village’s immortals and no guide, no one can find Yuanxian Village.”
Yin Ci was particularly sensitive to tales of immortals. Upon hearing this, his interest was thoroughly piqued. Even if Shi Jingzhi was reluctant, he had to bring his master along.
He cleared his throat. “Little sister, my master is in poor health. Do you have any spiritual medicine over there?”
The little girl seemed to have not heard him speak at all, not even giving him a glance.
…The fake face on the ghostskin robe was indeed ordinary, far from the level of having “immortal potential”.
Shi Jingzhi took a few steps, shielding his disciple behind him. Then, he put on his brightest smile. “Do you have any spiritual medicine that can cure all diseases?”
The little girl smiled sweetly. “Yes, we do.”
Shi Jingzhi’s smile became even more charming. “Let’s go then. We’ll visit Yuanxian Village, and maybe we’ll meet your friend, Yan Qing.”
Yin Ci and Yan Qing were eagerly awaiting those words and had no objections.
At sunrise, the three of them set off. Under the brilliant morning sun, Xizhuang lay silently in the snow, like a crushed cicada shell.
The six bulky white-robed figures lined up behind them, leaving two neat rows of footprints. The last white-robed individual seemed injured and walked with an unsteady gait.
His footprints were oozing with pus and blood, as if he had walked not as a living being but as a highly decomposed corpse.
