That was Yu Xiu, but not the one we used to follow, with eyes perpetually hollow.
The Yu Xiu beside us was probably seventeen or eighteen, but this Yu Xiu, at most, looked like a fifteen or sixteen-year-old.
The ice in her eyes and the resentment were particularly abundant, as if they were tangible.
Is this another part of Yu Xiu's soul?
Those bearers were the villagers who had forced Yu Xiu to marry?
I was concerned that Yu Xiu might enter on her own, controlled by a self filled with malevolence, but now it appears she is still safe.
If we were to... cleanse the other parts of Yu Xiu's soul and the malevolent thoughts within, would she then not be affected?
Thoughts are just thoughts, and it's nearly impossible to implement in front of us.
Unlike the idea of doing away with the Red Demon.
The Red Demon could be eradicated and suppressed with every means at our disposal.
As for the rest of Yu Xiu's soul, we can only catch it and try not to harm it. The power requirement is not comparable to the other scenario.
The sedan carriage stopped outside the courtyard for about a minute before slowly departing.
Fan Jie wiped his forehead and felt as though he were near collapse.
Fan Jie wiped the sweat from his forehead, his entire body looking exhausted. "Wait here first, until something else happens," I said hoarsely.
"What... what kind of movement?" Fan Jie stammered.
"The movements of the two Daoists outside the village who are engaged here. But I am not sure where the Red Demon is. Is it inside the village, or in the mountain behind?"
"They are here to cleanse either the Eight Wretched Widows or the Red Demon."
Although Lao Qin brought out Yu Xiu, he left behind the soul fragment with the malevolent thoughts.
This means that the Eighth Failure Widow has been residing here for the villagers of Red Demon Village.
If those two Daoists are going to make a move on the Eighth Failure Widow, we will have no choice but to step in.
The best scenario would be if they confront the Red Demon directly.
"To be honest... they might be planning to take it all down in one fell swoop," Fan Jie said carefully. "But Xiu Xiu isn't easy to deal with; she might end up consuming the rest of herself."
I was momentarily confused, but then I understood: it was because of the talismans.
The previous Yu Xiu might not be the match for these malevolent thoughts, but with the talisman, it's another story.
As I pondered, my gaze fell on Qiu Ying, and I remained silent.
"Manifestation... what are you thinking?" Qiu Ying's expression tightened slightly. "Just say it directly."
"If the Red Demon is in the village, and the two Daoists directly confront it, everyone will be delighted."
"After they have dealt with the Red Demon, we can make a surprise attack to force them to leave the village. If they encounter Xiu Xiu, their plans will be disrupted."
"To ensure absolute safety, I need to go up the mountain here. I'll leave Old Gong with you. Mr. Fan's previous move was sufficient; we can rely on a surprise attack when needed."
"If there is no Red Demon on the mountain, I will come down immediately."
"Qiu Ying's expression changed slightly, and she remained silent for a moment."
My judgment was precise, Old Gong's arm vomited out by Wei Youming could even match up with the old Daoist, and Mr. Fan's previous move could definitely wound Liu Ziyu.
They can watch from behind and help us achieve our goals.
"Sir... isn't that a bit too much... My move was effective, but it's quite soul-damaging. I even spat out blood just now; the Daoist was too tough, and the backlash was fierce. Moreover, attacking a Daoist with the surname Liu repeatedly will make us suffer severe pursuit." Van Jie spoke cautiously.
"Mr. Fan, you must have White Glue of Zhongshan on your body. If you retreat at this stage, you won't gain any opportunities, and you will still be pursued by others." My tone was indifferent.
"Th-This..." Fan Jie's forehead was once again covered with fine beads of sweat, and his eyes suddenly darkened with determination.
"I'll go," Qiu Ying pursed her lips and said, "Icicle Rat can better distinguish between malevolent spirits and is faster than you."
"The village is relatively safe, don't say any more," I interrupted Qiu Ying's words and glanced at the door.
"Don't break this talisman. When there are any movements in the village, all things should be attracted there, and then you can go out with Icicle Rat safely. If there is danger, retreat back. If the Red Demon is also in the village, use Icicle Rat to quickly find me and notify me to return."
I've basically covered all the things we need to be mindful of.
I untied the night potty from my waist and handed it to Qiu Ying.
Qiu Ying secured it around her waist, bit her lip, and said, "Be careful."
I nodded in agreement, and my gaze fell back on Fan Jie. I took out two talismans.
Before leaving the Qiu family, I had also drawn exorcism talismans.
"Are these..." Fan Jie licked his lips, and the excited look in his eyes slightly faltered.
"Casting Ghost Talismans," I replied.
"Uh... Lord, do you have any more powerful talismans? This one is good for dealing with small ghosts and corpses, but it's not enough for defense." Fan Jie's expression was awkward.
His eyes then brightened slightly, "Right, that mirror! Miss Qiu Ying and Old Gong are well protected with it. Give that mirror to me for defense, and it should be more than enough."
"There are no talismans, and there is no bronze mirror," I directly dispelled Fan Jie's idea.
Fan Jie's expression turned into a frown of discontent.
As I was about to put away the casting ghost talismans, Fan Jie was quick and reached out to intercept it.
"It's better to have than not to have..." Fan Jie muttered quietly.
I didn't pay attention to these and said a few words of caution to Qiu Ying before pushing the door to leave.
"If the Red Demon is on the mountain... I reckon from a geomancy perspective, he must be at the middle section of the mountain, and there's definitely a temple there."
"Sir, be gentle with your hands. If you encounter female corpses, don't touch them."
I of course understood Fan Jie's meaning. He had suffered heavy losses, relying on the women who died over the years after the Red Demon to replenish his strength.
I nodded and pushed the door to step out of the courtyard.
Glancing around, the mist was not the kind of thick fog that covers the sky, but rather clusters and patches that interfered with visibility on the village paths, though it did not completely obscure them.
From a distance, it looked like no other movement had occurred after the carriage passed.
There was a sense of an impending storm on the right, but it wasn't actual clouds but rather the mountain.
The mountain was extremely dark, and a pale moon hung in the night sky, but it seemed that the moon was nearly on par with the mountain's peak.
I walked along the village path, almost with eyes on all sides and ears open to all directions, heading towards the direction of the mountain.
Suddenly, a sense of being grabbed was felt, and a natural urge to turn in another direction emerged.
I knew it was the influence of that part of the soul from Yu Xiu within me.
Suppressing the unsettling sensation, I quickened my pace.
This village of the Red Demon is not large, and in a flash, I have reached the end of the village path.
Of course, just the end of this direction.
Before my eyes was a nearly vertical slope, with some root systems entangled on it, and many vines and other plants climbing up.
Below the slope are two rural courtyard houses.
My eyelids twitched slightly, but I didn't change my direction.
The Red Demon Village surrounds this mountain, and there must be normal paths to climb the mountain at other locations. If I take too many detours, it will take up too much time, and the probability of encountering problems will increase.
I quickly walked to the bottom of the slope and was about to climb up using the vines.
"Brother... There are ghosts on the mountain, and they have killed many people. You will die."
The voice was as delicate as a child, suddenly appearing from behind.
It was as if someone was standing behind me.
It was as if... there was someone right behind me!
