Bai Wei had been hungry for an unknown period of time, speaking incoherently as if he hadn’t had a proper rest in a long time. Shi Jingzhi didn’t rush to ask him questions but instead let him sleep for a while.
Out of old acquaintanceship, Yan Qing tidied up the courtyard and the house, making it finally look like a place where people lived.
Perhaps not having seen his own kind for many days, Bai Wei slept deeply when he finally got the chance to rest. It wasn’t until the sun was setting that he woke up again. This time he had some appetite and managed to eat a little.
After eating and sleeping well, Bai Wei still looked like a skeleton, but the light in his eyes was brighter. Yin Ci recognized that it wasn’t the radiance of survival. When a person was overwhelmed by despair and only clung to a single thread of obsession, their gaze became like this.
“This matter started from a year ago.”
Bai Wei was skilled at storytelling, but when it came to his own story, his tone became dry.
“My father fell ill, so I went up the mountain to find medicine. That’s when I encountered A’Lu… She was playing in the forest, and I had never seen such a beautiful girl before. I thought I had encountered a mountain spirit.”
As one of the few literate people in the village, Bai Wei had a sense of arrogance deep down and some unrealistic romantic feelings in his heart. When he saw that extraordinary girl, he didn’t run away but instead approached her.
After chatting for a while, Bai Wei could see the girl’s personality. A’Lu was sensitive and pure-hearted, with a charm that was lacking in the village girls.
Bai Wei himself was good-looking and skilled in storytelling, and he also had a sense of reason. The two of them, with their talents and appearance, developed an affection for each other after a long period of secret meetings. They eventually became a couple, just like in those fantasy novels.
But this union wasn’t easy.
Even after becoming a couple, Bai Wei still didn’t know where A’Lu came from. A’Lu remained evasive about it and only urged Bai Wei to go with her. However, Bai Wei’s elderly father was still alive and deeply attached to Xizhuang. He was unwilling to die as a guest elsewhere and strongly opposed it.
Just by insisting on marrying A’Lu, whose origins were unclear, Bai Wei had already greatly offended his father. He didn’t dare say a word against his father’s wishes.
“So we made a promise to endure for a while. Once my father passes away, I will go with her.”
Bai Wei said this, revealing a smile that seemed like crying.
Yan Qing was somewhat puzzled. “Leaving aside the fact that women usually marry into their husband’s family, if you’re willing to go with her, just wait a few years, then how…”
How could there be such a big event that made the village disappear…
“You still don’t know, do you? Well, of course the Goddess won’t tell you now. Those who become members of Yuanxian Village can indeed learn the means to come and go freely. But if you leave Yuanxian Village for more than three days, you will… you will lose consciousness and fall into a coma.”
He insisted on not using terms like “death” or “ascending to immortality.”
“Since my father didn’t want to leave Xizhuang, A’Lu could only stay at home for two days and then disappear into the mountains for a day. That’s how we managed to get by. When she was doing well, she would occasionally bring back some gold and jade from the mountains to support the family. I didn’t want to burden her, so I worked hard and saved up, fearing that in the future, when I follow A’Lu to the ‘immortal realm’, others will look down on her.”
“For the people of Xizhuang, I told them she was a maiden* who had descended to the mortal realm. Humans and gods shouldn’t be together, so she has to return to the heavens every other day.”
*Fairy, Fairy Maiden, Female Celestial/Immortal (仙女)
Even Yan Qing didn’t inquire further this time.
He and Su Si were born in Xizhuang, so they knew the nature of the villagers very well. The people of Xizhuang weren’t heinous criminals; they were just ordinary poor people—with both commendable simplicity and the matching viciousness that came from being born in ignorance.
According to Bai Wei’s account, the reality wasn’t far off from their speculations.
The young men in the village were the first to develop twisted ideas.
Bai Wei had a decent appearance and could read, making him already an exception in the village. Now that he had married a wife who seemed like a celestial being, and they were getting along so well and their household was visibly improving, it made others jealous.
Yet the guy surname Bai wasn’t lazy; on the contrary, he even worked harder, truly not knowing how to appreciate his good fortune.
Since Bai Wei was able to find a celestial wife on the mountain, it was only natural that they could as well. Bai Wei was just a bit bolder and luckier. As for women, they had long hair but shortsightedness. As long as they could be found, they could surely be married.
With such foolish thoughts in mind, they began secretly tracking A’Lu.
A’Lu would return to the immortal realm every other day, and she wouldn’t be the only maiden in the immortal realm. As long as they found the way to the immortal realm, what was there to worry about not being able to find a maiden wife?
At first, A’Lu was very cautious. When she entered the forest, she would ride on a black dog demon. The black dog demon ran incredibly fast and never left any opportunity for people to follow. Later, when A’Lu became pregnant and her belly grew bigger every day, she had to switch to riding a sturdy red leopard.
With a pregnant woman on its back, the red leopard dared not run too fast. Finally, one day, two hunters secretly followed A’Lu all the way until the end.
A day later, A’Lu returned to Xizhuang unknowingly, but the two hunters never came back and disappeared completely.
The families in Xizhuang couldn’t just let it go after losing their sons. They rallied their relatives and gathered in front of Bai Wei’s house, demanding an explanation from A’Lu.
“What maiden? I think she’s just a mountain spirit who deceived my son and ate him!”
“That’s right! Being pregnant, she definitely couldn’t resist eating people.”
“She’s going back into the mountains in a couple of days so she can reveal her true form. Let’s stop her here and see what kind of creature his wife really is—”
People squatted in front of the Bai’s residence, tightly gripping hoes and hatchets. A’Lu could probably guess what had happened, but she was afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods upon her parents and family, so how could she reveal the location of the “immortal realm”.
She could only cry.
Bai Wei knelt outside, his voice hoarse, repeatedly reasoning with the villagers.
A’Lu really didn’t know what had happened, and she really had to go back. His elderly father at home was also in critical condition and needed to see a doctor…
Please, I beg you.
“I gave them all the money I saved over the years, not knowing how many times I knocked my head. I only ask them to let A’Lu go back to the mountains and allow the doctor to come in and treat my father. What does it have to do with me… But even after they took the money, they still demanded that A’Lu be handed over.”
“Those people kept blocking the way outside. A’Lu, who is pregnant, dared not leave the house. The village doctor was afraid of trouble and refused to come in.”
“In the end, my father passed away, and she fell asleep.”
Bai Wei clenched his fists tightly.
After that, things were quite simple.
The Goddess of Yuanxian Village arrived in the village with two children and a cart full of gold. She announced that she had come to retrieve the “sleeping” A’Lu, and the villagers of Xizhuang won.
They had discovered the immortal realm, and they all qualified to ascend to immortality. The hunters who had disappeared earlier were also in the immortal realm, waiting for them.
She distributed gold to the people and spoke in a gentle tone. “I am busy, and time is limited. You don’t need to bring anything, just follow me.”
It was unclear if she used some kind of magic, but the words of the Goddess were terrifyingly convincing.
They no longer questioned if they had offended a divine being in the first place, as the divine being was now rewarding them. After all, there were plenty of such strange fables. Perhaps the immortal realm had its own rules, and they were just fortunate.
In less than half a day, there was no one left in the village. To please the divine being before them, the villagers didn’t take anything, fearing they wouldn’t make it in time to ascend to immortality.
Only Bai Wei didn’t desire the immortal realm.
He silently buried his father and then stood guard by his “sleeping” wife, feeling at a loss. She still had breath and warmth. Perhaps there was still time, and when they returned home, she would wake up, right?
On that day, the villagers of Xizhuang all arrived at Yuanxian Village. The Goddess had instructed in advance that every household in Yuanxian Village should stay indoors and let her lead the villagers into the forbidden area.
The villagers of Xizhuang, upon seeing this paradise-like place, didn’t suspect anything and obediently entered through the tree gate.
They never came out again.
Bai Wei remained by his wife’s side, unwilling to leave. Although they had returned to her hometown, she still slept soundly. A little girl ran to her side, pouting and shaking A’Lu.
“Sister, sister! Why did you ascend to immortality so early? Didn’t we agree to wait until I grow up?”
“Guide her back.” Mian Jie wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “Child… Your name is Bai Wei, right? Let go now. A’Lu is gone.”
“My daughter has already left.”
……
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Bai Wei nervously stared at the four of them. “She clearly still had a heartbeat, so how could she be dead? On the first day, I wanted to go to the forbidden area to find her, but Mian Jie—no, mother—refused to let me go and kept stopping me. Now that the deadline given by the Goddess is approaching, even if she wants to stop me, she won’t be able to.”
“If she’s alive, what will you do then?” Shi Jingzhi asked calmly and flatly.
He wasn’t immersed in the tragedy like Yan Qing, nor was he silent like Yin Ci and Su Si. As soon as Bai Wei finished speaking, Shi Jingzhi smoothly continued.
Yin Ci was somewhat surprised. He had expected that with Shi Jingzhi’s sensitive nature, there would be no shortage of tears and runny nose at this moment. Who would have thought that Shi Jingzhi was incredibly calm, almost to the point of being ruthless.
Bai Wei hadn’t expected Shi Jingzhi’s reaction either, and for a moment, he couldn’t respond. “Wh-What?”
“You’re behaving like someone who can’t find a way to survive and can’t seek death, clamoring to accumulate immortal potential. Even if the Goddess sends you to some mysterious place, just being able to see the forbidden area will be enough… Whether or not you can see your wife, even if she remains asleep all alone. Are you implying that making one trip will fulfill your wish?”
Bai Wei: “I…”
“Actually, you also believe that she’s dead, don’t you?” Shi Jingzhi said expressionlessly.
He did have an unrealistically handsome appearance, and when he didn’t show any expression on his face, it gave off a sense of terror like something “otherworldly.”
As if it was some kind of evil wearing beautifully crafted human skin.
Bai Wei stared intently into Shi Jingzhi’s eyes and couldn’t help but take a half step back.
“What else can I do?” His voice was hoarse. “I have no other options.”
“I don’t understand. You’re reckless enough to gamble with your life, but too weak to let go and fight again.”
“It’s easy for you to say! If it were you—”
“If it were me, the first thing I would do is figure out why the Goddess appeared only after A’Lu’s ‘death’. If she cares so much for her subjects, to the extent of being willing to destroy the entire Xizhuang village, why didn’t she take action earlier? The Goddess had captured the Xizhuang people who came to spy on her before, and when A’Lu didn’t return on time, wouldn’t she have guessed A’Lu’s situation?”
Bai Wei was stunned on the spot. He had indeed never considered this question.
The Goddess had been in power in the village for over fifty years, with the appearance of a young woman and the presence of a mountain itself. It was difficult for people to harbor doubts when standing in front of such a figure.
“The Goddess… she might have other reasons…” Bai Wei said as if in a daze.
Shi Jingzhi pressed on, step by step. “Do you really want to see your wife or not?”
Bai Wei’s scattered gaze finally gradually cleared, and he stared at Shi Jingzhi for a moment before performing a deep bow. “I have learned my lesson.”
“That’s right.”
Shi Jingzhi seemed quite satisfied. He patted Bai Wei’s shoulder, and there was a hint of a sinister aura in his tone. “If my loved one is taken away, even if the other side is truly a god, I will do everything in my power to teach them a lesson.”
Yin Ci furrowed his brow slightly.
Shi Jingzhi wasn’t making empty boasts. That hint of madness quietly emerged between his words, only to be forcefully suppressed by his cheap master.
“Please help me,” Bai Wei said, gulping down the hotcakes. “Help me find out what happened to A’Lu—help me find her body… I want to live. If she’s alive, I’ll rescue her. If she’s dead, I’ll give her a proper burial and offer daily worship.”
“In exchange, I, Bai Wei, will be your servant and do whatever you command.”
Su Si also dropped his carefree appearance. He frowned, “If you want to find your wife, you’ll have to spend a considerable amount of time in the forbidden area, right? We only stayed inside for how long when we infiltrated the funeral procession? Half an hour? One hour? Is that enough time to search for someone?”
Shi Jingzhi smiled faintly. “Brother Bai still wants to ‘accumulate immortal potential’, but doesn’t actually accumulate it.”
Bai Wei was a bit confused, choking on the hotcakes in his mouth. “What do you mean?”
“There are three possibilities beneath the forbidden area. One is as Mian Jie said, there’s another small world inside. The second possibility is that the people of Xizhuang are all imprisoned at the bottom of the forbidden area… To be honest, neither possibility is very likely. Xizhuang’s environment is already harsh, and the former is just adding unnecessary details. If the latter is true, someone would have to deliver food to the forbidden area.”
Shi Jingzhi stroked his chin.
“The third possibility is that the so-called ‘accumulation of immortal potential’ actually means dying beneath the forbidden area. The Goddess, with her appearance, doesn’t seem like someone who would do it herself. Most likely, she would let the white-robed monsters do it for her or simply throw people to their deaths.”
Bai Wei: “…” Just a moment ago, this person was encouraging him, and now he was asking him to go die?
“It would be troublesome if traces were discovered during the funeral procession in Xizhuang. Even if she were to take action, she wouldn’t do it above the forbidden area. At this point, Bai Wei needs our help.”
Shi Jingzhi turned to Bai Wei.
“We will provide you with the tools to climb the rock walls. If she tries to throw you to your death or let the white-robed monsters take you down to kill you, you have to escape halfway and hang on the rock wall for a while. Once you receive our signal, you can climb back up and search for your wife’s stone chamber.”
“If she personally takes you to the very bottom of the forbidden area, you have to plead with her and try to get her to leave first, while you ‘fend for yourself’. Once she’s out of the forbidden area, you can climb up the rocks to find her… When you come up, we’ll be waiting at the exit. Then you can lay low for a while, and we’ll find an opportunity to escape together.”
“So you’re saying I won’t be in any danger?”
“No.” Shi Jingzhi raised an eyebrow. “In case you don’t escape in time or if the situation exceeds expectations, you might end up with blood splattered on the spot. But with our help, you at least have a fifty percent chance of surviving and slowly finding your wife.”
Bai Wei remained silent for a moment.
Then he took a deep breath and said calmly, “By helping me, what do you gain?”
“I’m curious about the situation in Yuanxian Village and want to understand it. As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you won’t be defeated in a hundred battles*.”
*Quote from The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Full quote is: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
Yan Qing nodded in agreement, while Su Si looked elsewhere, lost in thought. When he noticed Yin Ci’s gaze, he suddenly snapped back and put on a carefree smile.
For the remaining time, everyone busied themselves with preparing the tools.
To avoid arousing suspicion from the Goddess, Bai Wei couldn’t bring too many things. Shi Jingzhi gave him a small bottle of pills to enhance his strength and stimulated several acupoints to ensure Bai Wei’s joints remained flexible and he wouldn’t accidentally harm himself.
Finally, Shi Jingzhi dug out a small bottle from the bottom of the medicine kit and poured out two withered little things—
“These are acacia beans, born from demonic plants, usually used to perceive the condition of patients. Soak them in your blood, and each of us will take one.”
Shi Jingzhi explained to Bai Wei.
“The two beans are connected. If we burn this one with fire, your bean will heat up as well. At that time, it will serve as a signal, and you will know that the Goddess has indeed left. If you die down there, the beans on this side will turn to dust, and we’ll know something happened to you and won’t wait outside any longer.”
Bai Wei solemnly took the beans. “I understand. Sect Master Shi, I will certainly not casually abandon my life.”
Afterward, Bai Wei rested for two more days and practiced using the iron claws to hook onto the rock walls. After eating Yin Ci’s specially made meals for two days, his cheeks finally regained fullness and no longer looked skeletal.
The madness in his eyes lost its sharpness and transformed into unwavering determination.
Yin Ci was somewhat envious of Bai Wei. If it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi keeping a close eye on him, he would have loved to go down and take a look himself.
Unfortunately, Yuanxian Village was extremely peculiar, and Shi Jingzhi was on high alert. He could even count how many times Yin Ci turned over in bed at night. Even when Yin Ci claimed to use the bathroom, Shi Jingzhi would sit up vigilantly, afraid that his disciple would be captured by some unknown monster.
Yin Ci couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated.
The road to finding the Shirou was long and arduous, and Shi Jingzhi was still necessary as a shield. He couldn’t reveal his identity yet. Yin Ci had to obediently stay by Shi Jingzhi’s side and play the role of a normal person with a strong desire to survive.
If the heavens granted him a reasonable excuse to venture into the forbidden area, he would be the first to go.
But Yin Ci didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon.
The author has something to say:
Demonic Lord Yin, if you think a fox is really a soft fox, you’ll eventually be exposed.
Oh, it’s destined to be exposed, well, that’s fine (…
Yin Ci: Constantly testing the boundaries of self-destruction.jpg
Shi Jingzhi: No, you don’t want to.jpg
