Chapter Fifteen: Heretical Paths

“In another seven or eight days, I’ll have completely subdued that jade Buddha.”

Emerging from the secret passage, Qi Xiu brushed the dust from his robes and let out a relieved sigh.

The process of sealing the jade Buddha had gone relatively smoothly. With every newly inscribed ‘Suppress’ talisman, its power waned further, and now there were signs of petrification at the base. Once the entire statue turned to stone, the sealing would be complete.

Meanwhile, Qian Yuze had taken ten thousand taels to Clear Pool Mountain and had yet to return; Qian Yuchuan, likewise, carried a large sum off to Taibao Sect with his senior, and no word had come from him. The entirety of the Qian family now rested in the hands of Qian Yuhai.

“Yet judging by Qian Yuhai’s appearance, it seems his illness has reached a critical stage.”

Qi Xiu recalled the man’s incessant coughing, and pressed his lips together. He had noticed Qian Yuhai’s complexion worsening lately, and had voiced his concern. But Qian Yuhai insisted it was merely exhaustion, nothing serious. Since he had said so himself, Qi Xiu had not pressed further.

With daylight still lingering, Qi Xiu decided not to return to Lu Family Village. Instead, he took a shortcut toward the mountain cave where he usually practiced his martial arts.

He’d grown addicted to training lately, almost obsessed. He felt restless if he missed even a day.

“Who would have thought that a scholar like myself would become so enamored of martial arts? Alas—blame it on the world, so full of injustice.”

He sighed deeply, shook his head, and quickened his pace.

…

Huang Li Mountain, Qi Xiu’s training cave.

Having removed his Taoist robe, the man with the green birthmark, whose body was covered in pustules, reached into a bamboo basket and pulled out a skinning knife, grinning wickedly as he waved it.

“See, Senior Brother? You wouldn’t let me bring my eating tool, but now it’s come in handy.”

“All right, all right, I’ll give you credit for being clever. Hurry up, though. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can depart.”

Wiping the saliva from his mouth, the man with the red birthmark urged him on.

“Got it. Watch me.”

He pressed one knee against the firewood-cutter’s back, twisted the man’s neck up, and aimed the gleaming knife at his skull.

Crash—

Before the knife could descend, the sound of tumbling stones caught both men’s attention.

They looked up simultaneously.

A young scholar, clad in a blue-gray cotton robe, refined and gentle in appearance, stood at the cave entrance, astonished. He had clearly seen everything within.

“You…”

“Hahaha, Senior Brother, our luck’s good today—another one’s come. Perfect, one for each of us, we won’t run out.”

The man with the green birthmark rose, his face lit with a savage grin, stepping menacingly toward the scholar.

“Don’t be afraid, young sir. Stay still. If you annoy me, you’ll suffer for it.”

“Don’t—don’t come any closer…” The scholar’s face was stricken with terror as he retreated in panic.

“Heh heh, don’t be scared. I’m quick, it won’t hurt at all.”

Now only five paces away, the man with the green birthmark reached out, grabbing for the scholar.

“Is that so? Because my strikes hurt quite a bit.”

The look of fear vanished from Qi Xiu’s face; his expression sharpened. He sprang forward.

His Black Sand Palm, at full power, wrapped both hands in translucent waves of energy.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

A storm of iron palms crashed down, terrifying in their force.

All landed squarely on the man with the green birthmark.

The supposed lamb had, in the blink of an eye, become a fierce tiger.

Caught off guard, the man took more than a dozen strikes head-on!

Rip!

The brutal force pierced through his body, tearing his organs to shreds, even shattering the clothes on his back.

With a scream, the man was sent flying, blood spurting from his mouth, collapsing to the ground.

His head lolled—dead.

“Junior Brother!”

Shocked and furious, the man with the red birthmark glared at Qi Xiu, who had just massacred his partner.

“You dare kill my junior brother! Do you know who we are?”

Do you know that villains usually die because they talk too much?

Qi Xiu rolled his eyes at the man’s threats, then used his Swallow’s Flight movement technique. With a single step, he launched himself across the cave.

The red birthmark man’s face tightened as Qi Xiu charged without a word. His neck swelled suddenly, and dark red smoke billowed from his throat.

What is this?

He knows sorcery?

Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes, dodging the incoming red fog.

But the mist was dense and sinister. When Qi Xiu evaded, it pursued him like a living thing.

Zzzzzz—

The red mist swept over the firewood-cutter’s corpse, emitting a hair-raising gnawing sound.

Qi Xiu looked closely.

That ethereal, crimson fog was actually a swarm of meat-eating insects shaped like maggots with mosquito wings.

“A mere martial artist dares to challenge our sorcery!” The man with the red birthmark let out a shrill whistle.

The carnivorous insect cloud, having stripped the firewood-cutter to bare bones, surged toward Qi Xiu again.

“Demonic filth deserves death.”

Qi Xiu cursed, his gaze chilling, murderous intent intensifying.

His martial training had deepened his capacity for violence. Two months ago, he wouldn’t have acted so decisively.

Once a man gains strength, his latent brutality awakens.

He reached into his chest and pulled out a stack of ‘Suppress’ talismans.

Whirr—

He scattered them skyward; the talismans shone with golden light.

Bathed in gold, the insect cloud emitted a piercing, shrill cry.

Countless carnivorous bugs dropped dead.

Like rain, they piled thickly upon the floor, forming a layer of insect corpses.

“Hiss! What is this?! Talismans?!”

The man with the red birthmark looked aghast, quickly unfastening his robe.

His bloated belly, covered in pustules, burst open, fluid splattering as more carnivorous bugs poured out, replenishing the insect cloud.

Inside the vast cave, red and gold mists clashed wildly.

As countless insects died, the talismans' glow was gradually worn away.

With two-thirds of his pustules ruptured, the man was now gaunt, his cheeks deeply sunken.

“Heh heh, you’re out of talismans now.”

A twisted smile appeared on his lips, his eyes venomous.

That damned scholar had cost him so many spirit insects.

Once he captured Qi Xiu, he would make him suffer the agony of a thousand bites.

As the man gloated, Qi Xiu silently pulled another stack of ‘Suppress’ talismans from his belt.

“What was that you said about running out?”

“I…”

Eyes bulging, the man nearly spat blood in fury.

Did you buy these talismans wholesale? How do you still have so many?

As Qi Xiu approached, radiating oppressive force, the man’s eyes flickered.

He suddenly grabbed the bundle he’d been carrying on his back.

Shaking it open, he revealed an ancient, battered white mask, riddled with cracks and pits, marked only by the outline of a mouth.

His face twisted with pain as he pressed the mask to his chest.

Gulp, gulp.

A nauseating swallowing sound rang out, his face rapidly turning ghostly pale.

The next instant—

The mask came alive, its painted mouth opening wide; a fierce, savage demon face appeared on its once-colorless surface.

His lips twitching, the man took the mask and pressed it onto his own face.

The moment the bizarre mask touched his skin, it fused with him amid a chorus of unsettling noises.

“Roar…”

His body twisted unnaturally, a guttural growl escaping his lips.

His frame expanded and mutated, skin turning black and sprouting needle-like hairs, sharp bone spikes protruding from his spine. Pus oozed from every sore, dripping dark green fluid.

In the span of a blink, the man with the red birthmark had transformed into a towering, three-meter-tall bone demon.

…