I Need To Find A Way To Make Her Love Me Again - Chapter 12

Wang Fu’s behavior indeed seemed out of the ordinary. Yan Xingyu watched the man walk over, helpless and sighing. He said, “Daoist Masters, you see, this is the situation. My wife used to have a gentle nature. She wouldn’t shout like this, and she certainly wouldn’t mistake the village head for my father-in-law.”

“When she was a bit better before, she would just be forgetful. Now, she not only forgets things but can’t even recognize people. I beg the Daoist Masters to save my wife.”

“If this continues, she won’t survive either.”

Yan Xingyu nodded upon hearing this and turned to ask Guan Fei, “Is there any way to alleviate the condition of this woman?”

Guan Fei thought for a moment and asked the man, “During the time when your wife’s memory first started to become blurred, did she come into contact with anyone or do anything specific?”

Wang Datou recalled, “We don’t do much staying deep in these mountains. However, a month ago was my father-in-law’s death anniversary, and she offered some sacrifices. Normally, we just work from sunrise to sunset and rest.”

Guan Fei roughly understood the situation. She said, “Among the households that currently have this condition, which one shows the least severe symptoms?”

Wang Datou replied, “That would be the Ma family in the west of the village.”

Guan Fei said, “Please take us to see them.”

With that, the group moved to another location. Yan Xingyu followed behind and asked, “Guan Fei, do you know what’s going on?”

Liu Ruoni interjected, “It’s a Grumpy Eared Monkey (Chen’er Hou).”

Guan Fei then explained, “Miss Liu is right. This little demon doesn’t have much offensive power, but it’s quite troublesome. It likes to follow people with rich emotions and feed on their memories.”

Yan Xingyu said, “This little demon has very unique tastes. What’s so good about other people’s memories?”

Guan Fei continued, “Miss Yan, memory is produced by a person’s shen (divine essence/spirit) taking form. A person has shen and thus has ling (spirit/soul), and with ling, they flourish. So, what that little demon is eating is not just people’s memories, but their shen.”

Yan Xingyu connected this to something she had heard. She said, “So, the demon ate the people’s shen, which is why they become unconscious and lose their spirit.”

Guan Fei, seeing that the other party understood, responded, “Exactly.”

Yan Xingyu thought that this little demon was indeed quite troublesome. She asked, “So how can we catch it?”

Guan Fei replied, “Guard the person it has just set its sights on. It will come.”

The fifth person the Grumpy Eared Monkey targeted was the Ma family’s little sister, a girl in her teens with a round head and round eyes. Seeing many people coming to her house, she smiled, “Why are all the uncles and aunties here?”

Mother Ma waved her hands for Little Ma to go back inside when she saw the village head and others in the courtyard. Walking over to Yan Xingyu and her group, she asked, “Village Head, who are these people?”

The old man said, “These are the Daoist Masters who have come to save your daughter. Hurry up and greet them.”

Upon hearing this, Mother Ma’s expression suddenly changed. She immediately bowed, tearfully saying, “Daoist Masters, please, I beg you to save my daughter. She is still so young, she cannot be harmed by a demon.”

Guan Fei said, “Don’t worry, Auntie. We will do our best. Do you happen to have an extra room we can borrow so we can stay here for the night?”

Mother Ma replied, “Yes, yes, as long as the Daoist Masters don’t mind our humble abode.”

“We don’t mind.” Guan Fei then turned to the others and said, “Everyone, please go back for now. Gathering here is useless. We will do our best to catch the demon, and we will inform you when we have news.”

Wang Datou, hearing the Daoist Master say this, loudly said, “Then everyone disperse. We will await the Daoist Masters’ good news.”

The crowd gradually dispersed. Mother Ma said, “Daoist Masters, please come in. I’ll go prepare a meal.”

Yan Xingyu said, “Auntie, just prepare something simple. We won’t be able to eat too much.”

Guan Fei lowered her head and asked the little one who had been sleeping in her arms, “Is there anything you want to eat?”

Jiaoyu wagged her drooping tail and said, “Spiritual Elixir.”

Guan Fei reached out and stroked the little head, saying, “Then we’ll eat together later.”

Yan Xingyu watched Guan Fei start coaxing the little fox again, looking completely uninterested. She turned and saw Liu Ruoni walking calmly ahead, entering the room and sitting down without ceremony. She said, “Isn’t this near your Green Cauldron Mountain? Why hasn’t anyone from your side come to deal with this?”

Liu Ruoni replied, “If we hadn’t happened to pass by, no one would really be willing to come here. It’s too remote, and the people here might not be able to afford the reward.”

Yan Xingyu walked over and sat down, pulling out a chair for Guan Fei, and continued, “Isn’t vanquishing demons and eliminating evil what you are supposed to do?”

Liu Ruoni showed a flicker of surprise in her eyes upon hearing this. She said, “There is no effort in the world that is given for free.”

Yan Xingyu remembered the other party’s greedy appearance. She let out an “Oh” and said, “Alright.”

After Guan Fei sat down, she felt someone staring at her from behind. She heard Mother Ma tell her daughter to pour tea for the elder sisters. The child then softly tiptoed closer to them.

“Elder sisters, have some tea.”

Yan Xingyu observed that the little girl’s behavior was completely normal. It was a wonder that the mother could notice something amiss. She took the teacup and chatted with the girl, “Little sister, is it just you and your mother at home?”

Little Ma replied, “My father and brother went outside to find a doctor for me.”

Yan Xingyu asked, “Are you sick?”

Little Ma said, “I don’t think I’m sick, but Mother says I am.”

Yan Xingyu guessed it was due to the Grumpy Eared Monkey. She smiled and stroked the girl’s head, seeing her eyes fixed on the little fox. She asked, “Would you like to pet her?”

Little Ma’s eyes brightened upon hearing this. Jiaoyu, however, stood up alertly, turned her head away when she saw the child’s round, bright eyes.

She jumped directly out of the person’s arms. Guan Fei sensed it and asked, “What is it, where do you want to go?”

Jiaoyu didn’t want to speak in front of the child, turned around, and was about to leave. Guan Fei frowned. She gathered spiritual power and transformed it into a field of white plum blossoms that flew out in front.

Jiaoyu felt something flying onto her body as she walked. She turned around and saw the woman smiling at her with her lips curved. She said, “Yuyu, your strength hasn’t recovered yet. I put a spiritual guide on you, don’t let it fall off. If you encounter danger outside, I will be able to sense it and come over to help you as quickly as possible.”

Jiaoyu felt a slight ripple in her heart upon hearing this, but she suppressed it and walked away, ignoring her and running out on her own.

Yan Xingyu found the little creature’s arrogant departure amusing. She turned to the girl in front of her and said, “The little fox is gone. It seems she doesn’t want to be petted.”

Little Ma blinked and said, “It’s okay. Even if I don’t pet her, I still like her.”

Liu Ruoni observed the small movements Guan Fei made from the side and smiled, saying, “Being cute can indeed make one popular.”

While the few were chatting, the night gradually darkened the light and shadows in the room. Guan Fei told Mother Ma and her daughter to rest normally. She lit a form incense (Xing Xiang) in Little Ma’s room. This incense stick was short but cast a long shadow, which extended directly out of the room.

They kept watch in the next room. If the shadow of the form-incense moved, it meant the Grumpy-Eared Monkey had arrived.

Since they didn’t know when the little demon would come, Yan Xingyu suggested they take turns keeping watch instead of all staring together. So, she was the first to stand guard.

As the night deepened, the chirping of insects outside grew louder, gradually drowning out their breathing inside the room. She lay on the bed, occasionally glancing at the shadow on the floor. Time passed little by little, but it hadn’t moved at all.

Yan Xingyu gazed at the shadow on the ground, somewhat lost in thought. Many images flashed through her mind: those of her past life, those here, and those of a certain person.

She raised her hand and placed it near her chest, closing her eyes, feeling the beat beneath her ribcage. After a while, she opened her eyes.

This person’s heart was beating very slowly.

Yan Xingyu suddenly found her conclusion quite funny. She was truly bored.

Seeing that the shadow on the ground still hadn’t moved, she looked up and saw that the moonlight outside the window was shining through, illuminating half the room. She got up, intending to pour a cup of tea.

As soon as the tea was down her throat, she turned to go back to the bed, but saw that something else was next to her shadow on the ground.

Seeing the creature with long, upright ears, a round monkey face, and long arms standing behind her, Yan Xingyu immediately held her breath and concentrated. She pretended that nothing was wrong and walked a few more steps forward, and the figure followed her for a few steps.

She walked, it moved. She stopped, and it also stopped. Yan Xingyu watched as she got closer and closer to Guan Fei, deliberately stomping her foot to make a sound, then gripping the silver knife in her hand and turning to strike backward.

She clearly saw the thing that had been following her: a creature with rabbit ears and a monkey face. Yan Xingyu realized this was the Grumpy-Eared Monkey. She swiftly moved forward to catch it.

Guan Fei woke up when she heard the noise. Sensing an anomaly had entered the room, she asked, “Xingyu, what’s wrong?”

“Guan Fei, hurry and help me, it’s the Grumpy-Eared Monkey.”

Hearing this, Guan Fei formed a spiritual command with her fingertips, activating the Heaven’s Net she had set up here, sealing off the room immediately.

Liu Ruoni also woke up and saw Yan Xingyu struggling with the Grumpy Eared Monkey, noticing something was slightly off.

Why were Yan Xingyu’s movements so light and airy, as if she were sleepwalking?

She quickly flew forward and saw that the Grumpy Eared Monkey was indeed holding a clump of something in its hand. This little beast was truly quick to act.

Liu Ruoni reached out and touched the person’s brow center, seeing Yan Xingyu come back to her senses. She said, “Wake up, don’t let it hypnotize you.”

After speaking, she summoned the Blood Swallow to try and catch the Grumpy Eared Monkey. The little demon wanted to escape but found itself trapped and let out a strange cry.

This cry completely woke Yan Xingyu up. She saw Liu Ruoni trying to catch the Grumpy Eared Monkey. The little demon was jumping up and down, throwing clumps of what she didn’t know at them.

Liu Ruoni said, “Dodge the things it throws out. Those are the memories of others that it ate. You will get trapped in them.”

Yan Xingyu nodded to show she understood.

The two coordinated their efforts, skillfully dodging the Grumpy Eared Monkey’s attacks and trying to find a way to catch it. Guan Fei suddenly spoke, “Gather.”

A net emerged from beneath the Grumpy Eared Monkey’s feet, trapping it.

Seeing the little demon struggling and wailing on the ground, Yan Xingyu was overjoyed to see Guan Fei catch the Grumpy Eared Monkey with just one move. She praised, “Guan Fei, you are truly amazing. You caught such a tricky fellow in one go.”

She walked over and picked up the Grumpy Eared Monkey, adding, “You were so capable just now, little fellow. Let’s see how you run now.”

Guan Fei reminded her, “Miss Yan, it is best not to get close to it for now.”

Yan Xingyu turned to ask, “Why?”

“Because this kind of little demon has many small tricks. Knocking it out is the most…”

Before Guan Fei could finish her sentence, she heard a “pop” sound next to her ear. Liu Ruoni saw the Grumpy Eared Monkey, seizing the moment when the person wasn’t paying attention, spit out a bubble that sprayed Yan Xingyu, and the person immediately fell straight down.

Liu Ruoni rushed forward and quickly knocked out the Grumpy-Eared Monkey. Seeing Yan Xingyu also passed out on the side, a trace of amusement flashed in her eyes. She said, “Miss Guan, you were a step too slow. She’s already been hit.”

Guan Fei said helplessly, “I forgot to remind Xingyu beforehand to guard against this little demon. Miss Liu, please help me carry her back to bed.”

Liu Ruoni said, “Alright. Do you want to take this Grumpy-Eared Monkey?”

Guan Fei said, “No need, Miss Liu, you handle it.”

“Okay. But Miss Yan won’t have any problems. She’ll just have a dream, that’s all. I wonder whose dream she has entered now.”