When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 40

The elderly woman looked utterly worn out. Her clothes were filthy from kneeling on the ground, and tears streaked her face. Yet, instead of being repulsive, she was deeply heartbreaking.

Zhu Ning couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Ignoring the possibility of a scam, she crouched down and helped the woman to her feet, then pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. “What’s wrong?” Zhu Ning asked. “Are you feeling unwell?” Though not a doctor, she figured only illness could drive an elderly woman to such despair.

But the woman shook her head, pointing fearfully toward the Haunted House from the previous night. “We live in those woods,” she said. “My son has always hunted to support us. We’ve relied on each other for everything. But recently, rotting animal carcasses have been appearing outside our door, and we hear wailing in the middle of the night. It’s been tormenting us for over half a month now. My son is bedridden, and our home… it’s collapsing.”

The elderly woman spoke in fits and starts. Only by piecing together her fragmented words did Zhu Ning understand the situation, and she immediately frowned.

Could this be revenge from the spirit of a descendant her son killed? she wondered. Why else would it cry every night? It’s utterly bizarre.

Zhu Ning voiced her suspicion aloud, but the elderly woman only wept harder. “We hunters know the rules,” she wailed. “We know what to kill and what not to kill. My son didn’t even go hunting that day!”

The elderly woman collapsed to the ground in a fit of despair. Zhu Ning felt a pang of sympathy. She suddenly understood why the original owner of her body had been such a “Holy Mother.” If someone begged you like this when you had the power to help, what would you do?

Feeling herself becoming a “Holy Mother” too, Zhu Ning decided to help the woman. She glanced at Lin Xiayan.

Lin Xiayan seemed to understand. “Let’s go investigate,” she said.

That’s the right thing to do! Zhu Ning nearly hugged Lin Xiayan. They had come down the mountain to help those in need. How could they turn away from such a desperate plea?

The elderly woman, her face brimming with gratitude, wiped away tears with her sleeve and carefully led the way. The inn’s patrons had already gathered on the stairs to watch. As Zhu Ning and Lin Xiayan descended, they quickly scattered. Lin Xiayan glanced up, unconcerned. These people were clearly the type who found joy in others’ misfortunes.

“I don’t know how to address you,” the elderly woman said, her composure now much steadier, her tone polite and respectful. Her manner was so pleasant that Zhu Ning felt immediately comfortable. After a moment’s thought, Zhu Ning decided to introduce herself. To her surprise, the elderly woman reacted with even greater shock, prostrating herself in complete awe.

“Y y y you’re Immortal Venerable Zhu, Sect Leader of Yun Cang Mountain?! Now my son has hope! Waaah…” The woman burst into tears again. Zhu Ning immediately regretted her decision. The original owner’s reputation was far too formidable. If she didn’t handle this properly, wouldn’t the world condemn her?

Lin Xiayan frowned, stepping forward to play the villain. “Don’t get your hopes up too soon,” she said. “Though my Honored Master is the Sect Leader of Yun Cang Mountain, she’s still recovering from injuries. We can’t guarantee anything. We can only promise to try our best.”

Since descending from the mountain, Lin Xiayan had almost always appeared in her adult form. Speaking to the elderly woman with such lofty authority, she successfully intimidated her. The woman dared not cry anymore, wiping her tears and continuing to lead the way.

Yesterday, there had indeed been another house at the edge of the forest. However, Zhu Ning and Lin Xiayan had been so focused on the Haunted House that they hadn’t even considered checking it out. Now, after all their detours, they were finally headed there.

The forest was eerily silent, as dark as night even in broad daylight. The crunch of their boots on the snow seemed deafening, and the elderly woman was so frightened that she saw danger in every rustle of leaves.

After walking for a long time, they finally reached the edge of the forest, where the elderly woman’s house stood. Zhu Ning paused outside to study it, noticing that the layout and furnishings were identical to the Haunted House. This was likely a bad omen. Activating her Yin-Yang Eyes with spiritual energy, she saw black miasma swirling around the house, thickest at the spot where animal corpses were piled before the door. This discovery plunged Zhu Ning into deep thought.

The elderly woman had just said her son was bedridden. Shouldn’t the most concentrated miasma be inside the house, where he lay?

With these questions in mind, Zhu Ning stepped into the house. The courtyard was cluttered with bamboo crafts and empty cages, likely used to hold prey.

Lin Xiayan stood beside her, her long red dress looking utterly out of place yet strikingly conspicuous in the rustic setting. The elderly woman wisely kept quiet, watching as Zhu Ning and Lin Xiayan assessed the courtyard’s layout. While the courtyard itself seemed unremarkable, the intermittent black qi, like ghostly footprints, created an unsettling atmosphere.

“May we go inside?” Zhu Ning asked politely, approaching the main hall’s entrance. The elderly woman nodded eagerly. “As long as you don’t mind catching my son’s illness.”

Zhu Ning smiled faintly, unconcerned. As she pushed open the door, a suffocating atmosphere instantly gripped her heart. Glancing at Lin Xiayan, she noticed her companion’s expression was also strained, realizing she wasn’t alone in feeling this oppressive weight.

Lin Xiayan clenched her fingers, releasing a crimson glow that instantly refreshed the room’s air. Even the man lying ill on the bed in the corner began to cough, showing signs of awakening.

The elderly woman’s face lit up with joy. She stumbled over to the bed, her silver hair brushing the edge as she leaned down, tears streaming down her face. “My son, you’re finally awake… You scared your mother half to death today!” He had been unconscious since morning, and if Zhu Ning had arrived even a few days later, who knows what might have happened?

Lin Xiayan and Zhu Ning exchanged a glance. This was clearly more than just a haunted house. The vengeful spirit was merely an appetizer; the real problem likely involved feng shui.

Zhu Ning’s knowledge of feng shui was superficial at best, while Lin Xiayan, being a demon, had no reason to know anything about it.

“It’s not the work of spirits or demons,” Lin Xiayan declared after examining the situation. As a Fox Demon, she was particularly sensitive to such entities. If this were a case of demonic retaliation, she would have sensed it immediately.

Zhu Ning nodded, recalling the devilishly difficult scenarios from the original novel. She knew their descent from the mountain wouldn’t be easy. Even dealing with the vengeful spirit last night had been excruciatingly difficult. Now, things were even more complicated.

Zhu Ning’s spirits sank. But when she saw the elderly woman kneeling on the ground, her silver hair cascading around her, something soft stirred within her heart.

“No problem. We’ll take it one step at a time. We’re definitely going to help,” Lin Xiayan said, her expression unchanging. Zhu Ning gave her a complicated look. She had never seen Lin Xiayan seem so formidable, nor had she ever felt so uneasy.

Someone who usually couldn’t even win an argument was now about to face ghostly creatures and demons head-on. Zhu Ning’s heart pounded in her chest. She forced herself to sit down, trying to calm down.

“Immortal Venerables, is my son getting better?” the elderly woman asked, her eyes shining with hope. Zhu Ning looked away, unsure how to answer. Lin Xiayan shook her head bluntly.

“That was just a temporary measure to disperse the oppressive resentful energy in the room. It’s not a real solution. We need to address the root of the problem,” Lin Xiayan explained, choosing her words carefully, but still maintaining her usual nonchalant demeanor. Zhu Ning couldn’t stand it any longer and elbowed Lin Xiayan sharply.

The elderly woman didn’t notice their exchange. Her face was etched with worry as she clutched her son’s hand tightly.

Zhu Ning used her Yin-Yang Eyes to examine the young man. His face was covered in dark energy. If they delayed any longer, he might not make it. His complexion was deathly pale, and he looked as weak as a newborn chick, a clear sign of how long the ghostly creature had been tormenting them.

Zhu Ning decided to set up a Magic Array right away. When the corpse was thrown over again that night, they would capture the culprit in one fell swoop.

Lin Xiayan approved of this plan. Zhu Ning immediately pulled a book from her Yellow cloth bag. The book contained detailed instructions for setting up various Arrays. She was now grateful she had brought it; otherwise, they would be completely useless in this situation.

The book provided clear instructions, but the required materials… Zhu Ning frowned, pointed at the book, and asked the Elderly woman, “Do you have things like Black dog blood and Cinnabar?”

The Elderly woman furrowed her brow in thought for a long time before nodding at a few items in the book. “We have these at home. We use them every New Year. The rest… I think we can buy them in town.”

Zhu Ning nodded, wrote down the necessary items on a piece of paper, folded it, and tucked it into her sleeve. She then tugged Lin Xiayan toward town to buy the supplies. Lin Xiayan’s face was full of reluctance. For her, shopping for anything, especially these kinds of evil-repelling items, was far less appealing than lying down for a good nap.

After finally dragging Lin Xiayan to town, Zhu Ning’s heavy mood began to lift. Was this her first time visiting an ancient market?

But it was just a thought. Now that the elderly woman and her companions had suffered such a fate, how could Zhu Ning go shopping? It would be heartless.

Lin Xiayan seemed to read Zhu Ning’s mind. She casually bought her a candied hawthorn skewer. “Other people’s troubles are just that: other people’s troubles. Don’t tell me you’re suddenly going to save the world and become a living Buddha. Besides, he’s not even dead yet. If you worry about everyone, you might as well not live at all.”

Zhu Ning stood frozen, candied hawthorn in hand. Lin Xiayan’s words rang true. Everyone in the world had their own trials to face. Even Zhu Ning herself didn’t know where she was going, yet she was wasting time worrying about others.

She bit into the candied hawthorn, resolving not to let these matters affect her mood so deeply. After buying everything on her list, she also bought a hairpin for Lin Xiayan.

The hairpin was adorned with plump, lustrous pearls. Fortunately, Yun Cang Mountain wasn’t poor. Zhu Ning gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and bought it. Lin Xiayan, waiting outside, never expected it was for her.

Zhu Ning’s eyes sparkled as she stood on tiptoe to fasten the hairpin in Lin Xiayan’s hair, her voice soft. “I noticed you always wear pearl necklaces. I thought you must like pearls.”

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