Forcing the Aloof Master to Madness - Chapter 48

The night sky was like a gigantic black curtain. Apart from the faint, unreal moon hanging upon it, everything else seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, concealed within the pitch black.

The Black Water surged even at night. The moon in the sky seemed to be dyed black as well.

Shen Lezhi and the others stopped on the lush branches, submerged by the darkness. Only a focused gaze could hint at their location.

The Grey-robed Elder had set a trap for the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon. The monster loved medicinal pills, especially the Grain-Abstaining Pills made with Flocculent Vine.

The taste was sweet. Let alone the monster, even cultivators who hadn’t mastered grain-abstention loved them.

When Yanyan was a child, the little demon almost got caught by the village aunties trying to steal a few Grain-Abstaining Pills.

The villagers had set traps for it before, and it would come every time, but it always managed to escape.

That creature was very clever. It knew it was a trap, so it would always create some other disturbance to distract people’s attention when it came.

But this time, it had damaged the village’s white-robed figurine, so they were determined to catch it tonight and not let the little demon escape again.

A cool breeze blew. The group waited on the tree for a long time before finally spotting a vague silhouette.

A shadow the height of a five-year-old child suddenly appeared.

The night in Fengdu Village was pitch black, as if the world was painted with the thickest ink. The wind at night was sharp and piercing. Shen Lezhi gripped the small white sword, and a strong sense of unease rose in her heart.

She wouldn’t have a chance to act in this situation. Senior Sister Yunsha, Hua Man, and the Crying Soul Thread were protecting her at all times.

But watching Senior Sister Yunsha’s profile, that sense of unease refused to subside.

The little demon walked into the trap. This trap was set by the Grey-robed Elder, who had also temporarily asked Senior Sister Yunsha to lay down a formation to ensure nothing went wrong.

As the little demon stepped into the trap, it had already entered a net of heaven and earth. Although its height was similar to a five-year-old child’s, it was an animal, not walking upright like a human.

It moved on four paws. The strength in its hind legs was clearly greater than its forelimbs, yet it made no sound when it touched the ground. No wonder it was so good at stealing.

Using the extremely faint moonlight, Shen Lezhi finally got a clear look at the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon.

Its three tails were large and fat, almost bigger than its body when standing up. Its body was covered in thick fur, and its face resembled a mink. But four eyes were vertically arranged on its face, which were a bizarre reddish-brown. Perhaps it was injured during its fight with the white-robed figurine earlier, as a reddish pulp flowed from one eye.

It was utterly grotesque and terrifying. Shen Lezhi frowned, unwilling to look any further. In contrast, the Grey-robed Elder’s expression was extremely relaxed. Although she stared at the little monster, her gaze was calm, without a hint of worry, as if she was absolutely confident she would catch the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon.

As the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon cautiously retrieved the medicinal pill in the trap, the net of heaven and earth was triggered instantly.

A faint light suddenly illuminated the Grey-robed Elder’s staff. It was the most dazzling light in the pitch-black night.

As the strong light suddenly burst before Shen Lezhi’s eyes, she subconsciously clenched the small white sword in her hand. Everything before her was too bright for her to bear.

Her eyes felt stimulated, everything turned white, and she couldn’t see anything clearly.

Until Senior Sister Yunsha’s gentle voice sounded in her ear. The other party called her softly, the gentle tone being the only warmth in this icy night.

“Lezhi, what are you spacing out for? The little demon has been caught.” Senior Sister Yunsha looked at her with some concern and raised her hand, intending to touch her pale face. Shen Lezhi suddenly paused, realized something, and immediately dodged.

Her evasive action was too obvious, causing Senior Sister Yunsha to freeze. Her hand hovered in mid-air, looking at Shen Lezhi, unable to speak for a moment.

Shen Lezhi frowned, knowing she had overreacted, but…

In the original book, Senior Sister Yunsha was the person the original protagonist liked. Shen Lezhi had always wanted to avoid excessive contact. Although she now had some connection with Senior Sister Yunsha, Shen Lezhi was still reluctant to have intimate physical contact with the other party.

After all, Shen Lezhi was intimate with Wang Xi every night in her dreams…

It wasn’t that she was trying to remain faithful to that person or anything. She was only intimate with the other party in dreams, but Shen Lezhi just felt awkward interacting with Senior Sister Yunsha.

She could only look at Senior Sister Yunsha apologetically, but she didn’t explain her obvious behavior.

Senior Sister Yunsha pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, and smiled slightly, then withdrew her fingers and skipped the topic.

The group walked to the location of the trap. The three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon was completely trapped, its crimson eyes wide, glaring hatefully at the group.

It whimpered and arched its body. If not for the three large, fat tails, it genuinely resembled a human child in this position, stirring a hint of pity in people’s hearts.

But an animal was an animal after all. When the Grey-robed Elder took out her staff, preparing to kill it, the monster suddenly bared its fangs and fiercely lunged toward the Grey-robed Elder.

Fortunately, the binding spell made it completely unable to break free. Its current ferocity was nothing more than an empty threat.

“How about sparing its life for now? Let’s see if we can raise this sable demon tomorrow? It’s so good at stealing. Taming it might prove useful,” Yanyan suggested.

Although the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon was like a rat, always stealing pills and being a constant nuisance, it had never taken a human life. Its greatest sin was damaging the white-robed figurine at the village entrance.

Now that the demon had cultivated to this level, developed spiritual consciousness, and was close to taking human form, killing it directly would incur karma, and its crime truly didn’t warrant death.

However, Shen Lezhi looked at it. It was caught so easily. It didn’t look like the clever sable demon, which could always escape pursuit, as described by Yanyan.

Its eyes were blood-red. It was hissing and rolling in the trap that confined it, its flesh rubbing against the restraints until it bled, yet it remained heedless.

It seemed possessed by something evil.

But no sooner had Yanyan spoken than the Grey-robed Elder raised her staff. The tip of the ancient copper staff had a sharp, conical iron point.

She completely ignored Yanyan’s words. Her hand raised the staff and brought it down. The sharp point instantly pierced the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon’s brain.

Blood spurted out immediately, splashing before their eyes.

Shen Lezhi’s eyelids twitched. She saw the thick, crimson blood spray onto her clothes. A few drops even splattered onto her cheek.

The腥臭 (pungent and foul) smell of blood quickly invaded her sense of smell. This was completely different from the metallic smell of human blood. The blood of the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon carried a strong scent of decay.

Senior Sister Yunsha, who had been watching her, immediately cast a cleansing spell on her and led her and Hua Man two steps back to avoid being splashed again.

The three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon’s mournful cries echoed in the dark night. The faint moonlight seemed to grow darker. Everything before them became unclear.

The Grey-robed Elder’s figure was hidden in the darkness. The kind face she wore during the day now looked chilling in the dark.

Shen Lezhi’s heart pounded violently. A primal fear rose in her heart, as if the darkness before her merged with the Black Water River in the distance.

The whimpering of the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon gradually weakened. The Grey-robed Elder was brutally poking its brain with the staff, ending its life one poke at a time.

Shen Lezhi didn’t find this scene merely cruel; she found it bizarre. The ominous look in the Grey-robed Elder’s eyes as she focused on the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon made it impossible for Shen Lezhi to reconcile her with the gentle, smiling old woman from the daytime.

Then, the Grey-robed Elder turned to look at them, staring intently. She was closest to the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon. The most blood had splashed onto her, staining a large area of her clothes crimson.

Shen Lezhi saw her turn to look in their direction. Her face was indistinct in the darkness, with only her wide-open eyes reflecting a cold, sharp light.

“Alright, this thing is dealt with. Let’s go back,” the Grey-robed Elder pulled the staff out of the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon’s head and walked toward the three of them.

Her feet were also stained with the monster’s blood, and a strong putrid smell lingered around her.

She left a bloody print with every step she took. Even in the dim night, it was shocking to behold.

Shen Lezhi took a deep breath. She was gripping the small white sword with all her might. Her instinct told her that danger would appear at any second, but the Grey-robed Elder merely passed by them and walked toward the way home.

The Grey-robed Elder’s face returned to that smiling expression. If it weren’t for her chilling and eerie appearance just moments ago, and the strong scent of decay on her body, along with the lingering bloodstains of the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon, Shen Lezhi truly would have believed her to be a kind old woman.

Shen Lezhi’s breathing became hurried. She looked toward Senior Sister Yunsha. Senior Sister Yunsha also looked back at her, then gently shook her head, signaling not to make a fuss.

Senior Sister Yunsha’s presence still gave Shen Lezhi a sliver of security, but she still didn’t sheathe the small white sword, holding it in her hand.

The blade of the small white sword constantly flickered with flashes of water light. Shen Lezhi felt that it might be communicating with her, but unfortunately, she couldn’t quite understand the small white sword’s intent.

She could only lightly run her finger across its blade as a response.

The group walked through Fengdu Village. At this time, there were no signs of human activity in the village apart from them.

Shen Lezhi worried all the way that something might happen, her heart constantly on edge, but nothing occurred until they walked into their respective rooms.

Shen Lezhi entered the room. Once the door closed, she was left alone.

The familiar furnishings in the room brought a slight relaxation to her heart.

But she still refused to put down the small white sword. It was one of the few things she could rely on when facing danger. Although she lacked spiritual power, she still remembered her swordsmanship, which was better than nothing. Perhaps it could save her life in a real crisis.

She didn’t dare to enter meditation. Everything that happened tonight was too bizarre. The scenes kept replaying in her mind: the Black Water River, which seemed to merge with the sky, the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon’s crimson, frantic eyes.

The sharp, mournful cries seemed to still echo in her ears.

No.

They were truly echoing in her ears!

Shen Lezhi abruptly woke up. The mournful sound seemed to be right outside her door!

She subconsciously looked toward the window and saw a shadow the height of a child there!

Shen Lezhi recognized that shadow. The three large, fat tails behind that thing were too deeply imprinted in her memory.

Shen Lezhi’s heart nearly stopped. She called out, trembling, “Little Crybaby.”

“Master, on the window…” Fortunately, the Crying Soul Thread was still there, responding equally nervously.

The three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon was not standing upright like a human in front of the window. The shadow it cast through the window looked like its forelimbs were completely resting on the window.

Shen Lezhi felt increasingly alarmed, but she thought to herself: Why hadn’t Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man heard its mournful cries?

Had they also encountered something bizarre, or were they completely unaware of Shen Lezhi’s situation?

But they lived very close to each other. Shen Lezhi felt that if she spoke a little louder, they should be able to hear each other’s movements.

While Shen Lezhi was still thinking, the monster began to smash the window. It used its head to hit the window frame of Shen Lezhi’s room, again and again.

Shen Lezhi held the small white sword and moved closer to the door.

She couldn’t sit here and wait for death. She knew she had no cultivation or spiritual power now, but she still had some reliance.

The incredibly sharp small white sword, the Crying Soul Thread on her head, and the spirit plants in her spatial ring.

She naturally didn’t think she could defeat the monster outside, which she didn’t know what it was. It had clearly died, yet now it bizarrely appeared outside her house.

But Shen Lezhi also knew clearly that waiting in the house for that thing to break the window and enter would only lead to death. She had to find Senior Sister Yunsha or Hua Man.

Only by finding them would she have a chance of survival.

But the bad feeling in Shen Lezhi’s heart kept pressing on her. With such a commotion in the house, if Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man were present, they should have noticed long ago and wouldn’t have delayed this long without appearing.

But Shen Lezhi didn’t have much time to think.

She fiercely took a breath, told the Crying Soul Thread to prepare for battle, and then reached out and violently pulled the door open!

Outside was a boundless blackness.

Even the slightest bit of moon had vanished from the sky. The entire Fengdu Village was enveloped in darkness.

What was even more bizarre was that the moment Shen Lezhi pulled open the door, the mournful cries that had been echoing in her ears suddenly stopped.

She looked toward the outer window. There was nothing there.

All she saw was the turbulent Black Water River in the distance and the pattering raindrops that had fallen from the sky at some unknown time.

Shen Lezhi’s scalp prickled at this sight. She felt cold to the bone.

It was too bizarre.

Everything that had happened was too bizarre.

She immediately ran toward Senior Sister Yunsha’s room. This situation was beyond her ability to handle.

The three rooms were very close. Shen Lezhi desperately knocked on the doors of Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man, but no matter how hard she knocked, there was no response. Anxiety instantly clouded her heart.

So, she simply used the small white sword to smash the door open.

The door frame clanged loudly as she smashed it. The small white sword was a celestial-grade artifact. Even without Shen Lezhi’s spiritual power, the demon core within the small white sword itself contained a compelling aura.

Smashing a small wooden door was a quick task.

The door lock was quickly smashed by Shen Lezhi, and the small wooden door fell open. The room inside was also pitch-black, with no light to be seen.

Shen Lezhi’s steps, which were about to rush into the room, paused. She stood firm at the door, only peering into the darkness.

The room was small, and a glance revealed everything. Shen Lezhi did not see Senior Sister Yunsha’s figure. The room was empty.

A strong wave of fear suddenly surged into her heart. Her eyes widened, unable to calm down. She immediately used the same method to smash Hua Man’s door open, and Hua Man was nowhere to be found either.

Where did they go?

Shen Lezhi had no idea.

She began to wonder if she was in some kind of dream, such as the three-tailed, four-eyed sable demon that had clearly died but suddenly reappeared; or the way the monster instantly vanished when she pushed the door open.

How could this happen in reality?

Shen Lezhi held the small white sword and cut her finger. Blood instantly flowed out. She felt a sharp pain, but looking ahead, the scenery showed no change whatsoever.

Instead, it was the rainwater pouring down from the sky that made Shen Lezhi realize something was wrong.

The rain was black.

It was like the water from the Black Water River, pouring down.

She looked toward the Black Water River. The sky and the earth were equally dark, almost merging into one, making it impossible for Shen Lezhi to distinguish the gap between heaven and earth.

The black rain in the sky grew heavier and heavier as time passed, like a huge basin of ink being poured from the sky, attempting to dye the entire earth black.

And in this darkness, a figure suddenly came into Shen Lezhi’s sight not far away. It was a hunched figure leaning on a staff, holding a medium-yellow oil-paper umbrella.

The black rain hit the oil-paper umbrella, the fragile surface of the umbrella slapping loudly from the raindrops. Shen Lezhi watched the Grey-robed Elder walk toward her, the wrinkled face under the umbrella devoid of emotion.

“Hurry up, it’s that sable demon back for revenge! I didn’t expect it could borrow the power of the Black Water. Second Miss and the others have already gone to the safe place. You should join them quickly, it’s by the white-robed figurine at the village head,” the Grey-robed Elder got closer and shouted loudly to Shen Lezhi, who was standing under the eaves.

Her aged voice was wrapped in the wind, and it was as chilling as this dark Fengdu Village.

Shen Lezhi would not believe a single word.

Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man knew she had no cultivation now; they would never abandon her and go to a safe place first.

The Grey-robed Elder’s sinister gaze was completely exposed. Shen Lezhi looked at the black rain falling from the sky, then at the Grey-robed Elder with cool eyes, and only said, “Elder, please come closer. I’m injured and can’t walk. Please help me.”

As she spoke, she secretly used the small white sword to cut a wound on her palm and smeared the blood on her clothes and arm, making the Grey-robed Elder believe she was genuinely injured.

The Grey-robed Elder actually believed her words and quickened her pace, walking in front of her.

She squinted and saw the bloodstains on Shen Lezhi’s arm. Just as she was about to reach out, Shen Lezhi suddenly paused and urgently called out to the Crying Soul Thread in her mind.

The Crying Soul Thread immediately understood. Three vines burst out instantly, and Shen Lezhi’s Jadefrost Sword Technique was deployed immediately afterward.

The Grey-robed Elder was caught off guard by her attack. At such a close distance, being struck by this sword emitting water light would be enough to cause trouble.

She was about to raise her hand to block the killing move, unaware that Shen Lezhi’s intention was not to injure her.

Shen Lezhi wanted to seize the oil-paper umbrella in the Grey-robed Elder’s hand!

She had clearly seen a few drops of black rain fall onto the Grey-robed Elder’s fingers just now, and the flesh there instantly exposed white bone.

Shen Lezhi judged that the black rain had a strong corrosive effect. As long as she snatched the umbrella and placed herself in an uncovered area, the Grey-robed Elder would be unable to pursue her.

She couldn’t afford to consider anything else. In this situation, it was a life-or-death gamble, and she could only take this one chance.

After snatching the oil-paper umbrella, Shen Lezhi immediately leaped backward, jumping directly into the midst of the pouring black rain.

She was afraid the black rain on the ground would splash onto her. Not only did she make the Crying Soul Thread firmly hold the umbrella, but she also used the vines to wrap around her feet, avoiding direct contact with the black rain.

However, the black rain would also corrode the Crying Soul Thread’s vines, though the speed was nowhere near as fast as when Shen Lezhi had seen it immediately expose white bone on the Grey-robed Elder.

Shen Lezhi was unclear about the reason, only able to rely on the Crying Soul Thread to continuously grow vines to help her.

But after running into the black rain, she didn’t know where to go. Shen Lezhi had no idea where Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man were at this moment. She considered whether to just wait here. If Senior Sister Yunsha was safe, she would surely come back to find her.

In any case, the Grey-robed Elder was temporarily trapped under the eaves.

Just as Shen Lezhi was thinking this, she saw the Grey-robed Elder let out a sinister laugh. Shen Lezhi’s eyes narrowed, and she felt a premonition.

A strong sense of foreboding rose in her heart. Sure enough, in the next moment, the hunched figure directly stepped into the black rain.

Shen Lezhi’s breath caught. Within an instant of the Grey-robed Elder stepping into the black rain, she was drenched by the heavy rain, and the flesh on her body quickly dissolved.

White bone was exposed on her face and body, but she did not fall. Instead, she walked toward Shen Lezhi step by step.

Shen Lezhi’s scalp tingled from the sight, and even the Crying Soul Thread trembled in fear.

What could she do?

If the other party played like this, what else could she do?

Shen Lezhi knew deeply that she had no way out.

She completely handed the oil-paper umbrella over to the Crying Soul Thread, stood her ground with her sword, and stared with firm, sharp eyes at the Grey-robed Elder, who was now a complete skeleton.

Even without cultivation, at this moment, she could only fight with her life.

She concentrated all her energy. As the skeleton attacked, she mobilized all the strength in her body to meet the enemy. The small white sword seemed to be infected by her will, and its blade shone with even more intense water light.

Shen Lezhi swung her sword with all her heart, just as she used to. When it collided with the white bone, water splashed everywhere instantly, and the small white sword before her transformed into clear flowing water, enveloping the skeleton.

Shen Lezhi suddenly paused. She clearly felt the water spiritual energy leaping around the small white sword was being controlled by her spiritual power.

When did she get spiritual power?

Shen Lezhi didn’t have time to think carefully. She immediately took on the skeleton’s second move. And when she deliberately checked the meridians in her body, she instantly noticed that the broken Water Spirit Root showed signs of recovery at some unknown time.

She mobilized her spiritual power. It was much less than before, and her meridians still felt a slight pain, but it was clearly much better than when she left Youfang Academy.

Shen Lezhi’s breathing became ragged. Her mind was too chaotic. She was simultaneously thinking about her meridians and fighting the Grey-robed Elder in front of her.

And at this moment, a voice suddenly appeared in her ear.

“Lezhi, wake up.” As the words fell, Shen Lezhi’s vision spun. She was being pulled, forcefully dragged, making her even more confused.

“Wake up.” It was said again. This time, Shen Lezhi knew who the owner of the voice was.

The gentle tone, like fine rain, was Senior Sister Yunsha. Shen Lezhi opened her eyes, and saw Senior Sister Yunsha, as expected.

“Lezhi, you’re finally awake! You fell into a demon’s delusion. No matter how much I called you earlier, you didn’t respond.” Senior Sister Yunsha’s finger was still resting on her brow, suggesting she had used a method to wake her up.

Shen Lezhi scanned the surroundings. This was the house she was staying in. Senior Sister Yunsha and Hua Man were standing beside her.

So, everything that just happened was only a dream?

But Shen Lezhi lowered her head and saw that she was clutching two items: one was the small white sword shining with water light.

The other was that ancient yellow oil-paper umbrella.

Shen Lezhi’s mind was extremely confused. She couldn’t respond to Senior Sister Yunsha’s concern, only shaking her head, her rapid breathing causing her chest to feel tight.

She still needed to confirm one thing at this moment. She raised her finger. She had no mind to deal with the obvious cut on her palm. She looked at her finger, slowly concentrating, and tried to gather spiritual power.

In less than a moment, a small ball of water condensed out of thin air on her fingertip.

Shen Lezhi’s breathing slowed down. She couldn’t distinguish whether she was in a dream or reality at this moment.

She also didn’t know if this sudden return of spiritual power was real.