Chapter 4:The Ruthlessness of the Five Poisons—Part 3

As night fell upon the Five Poisons Forest, a terrifying aura surged, reaching unprecedented levels of horror.

The demonic energy in this place seemed to grow stronger day by day.

Yesterday, Jiang Xuehe and Ti Ying entered the Five Poisons Forest for the first time, and there were not as many demons during the night. However, tonight, with no rain or clouds, the entire forest was filled with eerie shadows emerging from the darkness.

They carried blood-stained red bridal gowns in their hands and draped them over those who intruded into the forest.

A sedan chair was also stationed among the overgrown grass, carried on the shoulders of the demons patrolling around.

These demons were like dim shadows with empty eye sockets, walking on the ground as if on stilts.

They sang a haunting song:

“Red embroidered shoes, blood-stained bridal gown, crying for their parents. Riding the sedan chair, swaying back and forth, the mountain path is rugged and the night is long; the new bride must not look back…”

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Mk Zkdt pvyale yv vblx kd bsaasa.

Fbl oyp cswde cu vbl cakeyz tsod eayrle shla bla, wdyczl vs xshl qsa y obkzl.

Gde vbl vyzkpxyd pbl oyhle vswnble vbl qsalblyep sq vbl elxsdp, ktdkvkdt y qykdv czwl qzyxl. Mbl savbsesm Myskpv prlzz elhswale plhlayz elxsdp okvb y zswe asya. Tsolhla, vbl svbla zlppla elxsdp pllxle sczkhkswp, pvkzz nyaaukdt tsodp yde lxcaskelale pbslp yde rwpbkdt Mk Zkdt kd vbl ekalnvksd sq vbl pleyd nbyka.

Mk Zkdt’p qynl vwadle ryzl.

Jwv obld pbl zsolale bla lulzypblp, pbl pweeldzu dsvknle vbl poyukdt yde ekpvsavle pbyesop sd vbl taswde—vblpl olal dsv tbspvp, fwpv elxsdp.

Gp zsdt yp vblu olald’v tbspvp, Mk Zkdt oyp dsv yqayke.

Mbl cakeyz tsod cswde Mk Zkdt, yde pbl pvawttzle vs calyj qall. Gp pbl iwknjzu nbydvle y prlzz, y ekx vyzkpxyd pbsv vsoyaep vbl yrrasynbkdt elxsd, ldtwzqkdt kv kd y ekx czwl qzyxl. Mbl tkaz lmlavle qsanl, jknjkdt yoyu vbl elxsdp vaukdt vs vswnb bla qllv yde xyjl bla olya vbl lxcaskelale pbslp.

Gqvla tlvvkdt wr qasx vbl taswde, bla qynl yde nzsvblp olal nshlale kd olv xwe. Fbl zssjle esod yv vbl czsse-ale cakeyz tsod nshlakdt bla yde vbl xspp-nshlale lxcaskelale pbslp blze cu vbl elxsdp.

Ti Ying: “Ugh, disgusting!”

—

While Ti Ying fought against the demons, a young man stumbled through the forest.

The demons chased after him.

This man was named Chen Da, a hunter from the foothills.

Chen Da ran through the dense forest full of ghostly lights, terrified by the eerie laughter of those creatures.

He was tripped by a vine and fell to the ground. As the demons closed in, Chen Da screamed for help: “Help, help, help—”

The human-shaped demons with vacant eyes were about to catch Chen Da when a swirling blue light swiftly hooked through the air.

The blue light, like a silent sword, pierced through the chests of the demons. The pursuing demons were immobilized, then exploded in the air, turning into smoke and disappearing.

Wide-eyed, Chen Da saw a slender figure standing between him and the demons.

The person had his back turned, and his hood floated gently in the night breeze, completely wrapping him.

Chen Da could only see the person’s hand drawing something in the air, killing all the demons.

The person’s movements were fast and graceful; undoubtedly, he was a disciple of a rumored immortal sect.

Chen Da speculated in his mind, and suddenly, the person in the hood turned his head toward him, seemingly evaluating him.

Chen Da swallowed nervously: “Immortal…”

However, the young man in the hood raised his gaze, looking in the direction of the deep forest—

Jiang Xuehe saw the sudden explosion of demonic energy in the dark night, like ghostly fires attracting everything sinister from the shadows.

His little junior sister is over there.

Before Chen Da could finish his words, he was lifted up by the man wearing the hood.

The figure moved like a ghost or an immortal, carrying a person through the forest, and in an instant, they were more than three zhang above the ground.

(T/N: zhang is an old Chinese measure of length equal to 10 chi, or 3.58 meters (11 feet, 9 inches).)

The mysterious and elusive technique of the young man both frightened and excited Chen Da; indeed, he had encountered an immortal!

—

Ti Ying’s spell was truly mediocre, and the effectiveness of her talismans was limited.

The demons, devoid of pain, kept rushing at her. Fueled by her growing anger, Ti Ying fought back with determination.

If they bullied her for being weak, she would knock them all down!

Though she was in a weak position, she valued her life.

Ti Ying unleashed all her artifacts, talismans, and treasures recklessly, facing off against the demons entangling her and insisting on binding her towards the sedan chair.

The more she fought, the more difficult it became, and with endless enemies closing in, Ti Ying, seeing that she was about to be overwhelmed, closed her eyes. Determined to make a last stand, she decided to use her most powerful spell—

“The Vast Dream Spell.”

This was her most potent technique for summoning and controlling spirits, but it was also the one she disliked the most, finding it uncomfortable to use.

On the first day she entered the Five Poisons Forest, she used this spell to save herself and Jiang Xuehe. After casting it, she collapsed in exhaustion and had a blurry dream.

Ti Ying disliked any spells related to ghosts.

But now, with these demons trying to kill her, they shouldn’t expect anything good to come from her.

With a ruthless heart, just as Ti Ying was about to cast the spell and take these demons down with her, a gentle breeze swept in.

A slender, pale finger tapped on Ti Ying’s forehead.

The forest breeze was cold, and a hood fluttered.

The voices singing the song echoed around, and her senior brother’s cold sleeve fell onto her cheek, crisp and swift like falling snow. The snow floated, sometimes thick, sometimes light, disappearing with a single gust of wind

Ti Ying’s mind cleared, and she regained consciousness—

The young man in the hood raised his hand, casting a spell on the surrounding demons. At the same time, he grabbed her hand and, with the other hand holding Chen Da, fled for their lives.

—

Half an hour later, the three of them found a safe cave to rest in.

Ti Ying bit her finger, her face stern, thinking as she drew a talisman that did not require high skill.

The demons still roamed in the mountains, but her talismans were placed around the cave, which should help them survive the night. When daylight came, weakening the demon’s demonic energy, they would have a chance.

Ti Ying finished drawing the talismans and entered the cave.

Jiang Xuehe, sensing her junior sister’s bad mood when she turned around, chose not to disturb her and sat quietly against the cave wall, waiting for her to come in.

Jiang Xuehe remained calm, but the man named Chen Da, whom he brought back, inappropriately approached:

“The little fairy is really powerful; those demons are no match for you at all…”

Before Chen Da could finish praising her, Ti Ying scolded him angrily, “Are you doing it on purpose? Can’t you see I’m useless? It’s all thanks to him that we escaped!”

Chen Da was stunned. “…”

Although this little fairy was covered in dirt and stains after the battle, her delicate appearance, charming demeanor, and snowy complexion made people think that she was a kind-hearted beauty. However, her temper turned out to be so bad.

After the little fairy finished speaking, she glared angrily at Jiang Xuehe.

Jiang Xuehe: “…”

As the fire burned through, behind the hood, he remained calm and collected: ‘I only know how to run away. Junior sister’s grace in fighting is beyond my ability.'”

Ti Ying snorted.

With a stern face, she sat down, hugging her knees.

Jiang Xuehe asked, “Is junior sister cold?”

Ti Ying covered her ears. “I don’t want to listen to your voice, chosen by demons!”

After a moment, a cloak was draped over her shoulders.

Jiang Xuehe asked again, “Is junior sister thirsty?”

Ti Ying remained silent.

He sighed, held her chin, made her lift her face, and fed her water from a pouch.

The little girl with drooping eyebrows and eyes turned red with mist in her eyes. It seemed as if he had done something heinous, which made her extremely aggrieved.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xuehe took out a somewhat crumbled pastry from his storage pouch and said, “I bought it before, junior sister; give it a try.”

Ti Ying looked at the hand he extended.

She noticed that his hands were bony, with pale joints and cracked skin on the back. There were crisscrossing scars extending from the back of his hand to his wrist, like some kind of spell…

She remembered the slender white finger that touched her forehead in the woods, bringing her clarity.

… How could the bark demon dare to imitate his hand?

Sensing her absent gaze, Jiang Xuehe quickly withdrew his hand, leaving the pastry in her embrace.

Ti Ying blinks foolishly. “You have pastries; why didn’t you give them to me earlier?”

Jiang Xuehe patiently explained, “I thought we could leave the Five Poisons Forest today. That kind of crude pastry, I was afraid junior sister wouldn’t like it.”

Ti Ying pouted, “So now you think I’m not skilled enough, and we won’t be able to leave the Five Poisons Forest tomorrow.”

She became unhappy again, and Jiang Xuehe, perceptive to her words and mood, spoke gently, “Of course, with junior sister’s abilities, maybe we can leave tomorrow. Then, senior brother will apologize to junior sister in town.”

Ti Ying said, “I want to eat sweet dumplings,Flower Rice Cakes, Crispy Jade Leaves, Dripping Crispy Abalones, Crystal Ball…”

She opened her mouth wide, listing all the pastries that her former master was reluctant to buy for her.

Jiang Xuehe, for the first time in his life, learned about so many pastries with different names. He was somewhat surprised, but thought it was good.

Finally, Ti Ying’s complexion became completely pleasing.

The young girl, with curved eyebrows, black pupils, and red lips, was no longer fierce but rather charming and lively.

Beside them, Chen Da looked dumbfounded—this young man was really good at coaxing people.

Ti Ying felt comfortable being taken care of, so she didn’t mind Jiang Xuehe’s previous behavior of acting like a useless person and relying on her to pave the way.

Initially, she was very angry—clearly, he knew spells and wasn’t slow when escaping with her, but he relied on her to fight all the way.

But Ti Ying was not angry now; maybe he was just outwardly looking like a person of skill but without any actual profound talent or knowledge

She cautiously probed Jiang Xuehe, “Actually, the talismans I draw, my spells, are quite rare, right?”

Jiang Xuehe thought her skills were lacking, not understanding how their master had taught her.

But he praised her: “Junior sister, at such a young age, having such skills, I’ve rarely seen it in my life.”

Ti Ying laughed.

She tightened the cloak around her, covered her mouth with a yawn, and, with a small self-praise hidden in her satisfaction, said, “Hmph, you’re so strange. Actually, I’m not that powerful…”

Jiang Xuehe was amiable. “I have never seen a junior sister so skilled before.”

He spoke sincerely, and even if Ti Ying knew he praised her because he hadn’t seen much, she was still very happy.

Ti Ying, like a little lady, said, “Senior brother, follow me, and we’ll definitely enter the Yujing sect. After we get in, I’ll cover for you.”

Jiang Xuehe remained silent.

Ti Ying was suspicious. “Don’t you want to?”

Jiang Xuehe said, “I want to.”

Ti Ying bloomed with joy.

She was arrogant and capricious. Even her former master couldn’t tolerate her when she was angry and leaving her alone. However, this new senior brother was so considerate, making her happy all the way.

In a good mood, she became generous.

Well, although his voice was unpleasant, he probably had an unattractive appearance under that hood, his hands were full of scars, and his body was probably not a pleasant sight… She would still help him get out of the Five Poisons Forest.

Thoughtful Ti Ying remembered the jade tablet given to her by the Yujing sect before leaving, which recorded information about the demons in the forest.

—

Ti Ying lit a dim light, holding the jade tablet.

“Without branch or impurities, eyes devoid of pupils,bitterness turns into resentment with death, adept at controlling demons to cause trouble, its roar is… is… when seen, it will… After death, resentment will not dissipate, and it will be trapped in the Five Poisons Forest…”

Chen Da was a mortal and had never heard of “impurity.” Ti Ying, coming from the countryside, was also a bit of a bumpkin and had never heard of “impurity.”

Only Jiang Xuehe seemed to be deep in thought.

But as Jiang Xuehe listened to Tiying’s recitation—

Her voice was clear and tender, but she found it difficult, stumbling over the words.

Jiang Xuehe smiled.

Ti Ying, with a stern face, raised her head.

Jiang Xuehe remained silent.

Chen Da, who didn’t understand, scratched his head. “Why did you stop reading?”

Ti Ying naturally didn’t want to read it because it was embarrassing.

But how could she let others laugh at her?

Pointing her finger at Chen Da, she scolded him, “I stopped reading because I have something to ask you! Tell me, who are you! What’s a mortal like you doing in the Five Poisons Forest? Are you colluding with the demons to harm us?”