The sky was clear and vast.
Yun Que woke up early to pack his things, strapping on two bamboo rain hats and hoisting his bundle, which contained the wolf pelt of the three-eyed blood wolf.
This item could not be sold in Cangshi Town; he needed to reach a large town to fetch a good price for it.
Baiyu City was Yun Que's destination.
After eating breakfast at a steamed bun stall, Yun Que made another trip to the market.
He walked all around, but returned empty-handed.
There were neither snake eggs nor bird eggs in the market.
Knowing that this was simply Yun Que's habit, Mu Qingyao did not ask too many questions.
Afterward, the two of them left the town through the southern gate.
Mu Qingyao was still wearing Yun Que's old clothes without any deliberate dressing up, yet her pure and exquisite features remained breathtakingly peerless.
Near the entrance of the town stood a crooked tree, with a few swallows resting on its branches.
The other swallows were all chirping noisily, flying off and returning by turns, except for one special swallow that stood motionless on a tree fork.
This swallow was red.
Its bright little eyes turned slowly, staring at the two young people stepping out of Cangshi Town.
When Yun Que and Mu Qingyao walked far away, the red swallow fluttered its wings and flew toward the south.
"Red swallows flying south, a disaster of bloodshed—not a good sign."
Walking along the rugged dirt road, Yun Que glanced at the sky and said.
Prompted by Yun Que, Mu Qingyao raised her gaze.
High above, a tiny red swallow was passing over the two of them, flying toward the road ahead.
With Mu Qingyao's intellect, she immediately guessed that this peculiar red swallow was a scout.
A scout keeping watch on Princess Lingyun!
Mu Qingyao smiled bitterly.
Cangshi Town was a myriad of mountains and rivers away from the Imperial City—at least a two-to-three-month journey. To be monitored the moment they stepped out of the small town made the prospect of returning to the Imperial City alive as difficult as ascending to heaven.
After walking about a mile, a grove of trees appeared ahead, flanked by fork roads.
Mu Qingyao had heard Yun Que say that after leaving the southern gate of Cangshi Town, turning left led to Wuji Town, and turning right led to Baiyu City. Both roads eventually led to Tianqi.
The little princess instinctively wanted to turn right, but Yun Que grabbed her and pulled her into the grove, hiding behind a tall, ancient tree among the trees.
"Change clothes, put on the rain hats, and let's split up."
Yun Que scanned the canopy above, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's.
Understanding instantly, Mu Qingyao handed her gray long robe to Yun Que and put on Yun Que's black clothes instead.
The two of them exchanged outer garments and adjusted their rain hats.
"That red swallow is no ordinary bird. Escaping its sight will likely be very difficult," Mu Qingyao said.
"No matter how unusual it is, it's still just a dumb beast. Ever heard of the term 'stupid bird'?"
Yun Que smiled and said, "It takes two days to travel from Cangshi Town to Baiyu City, with a few villages along the way where we can rest. In a moment, you go right, and I'll go left. If that stupid bird follows you, after walking a hundred paces, turn into the woods and we'll switch back. If the stupid bird follows me, keep walking and wait for me at the second village along the way. Remember, the first is Big Stone Village, and the second is Small Stone Village. Don't get them wrong; you can spend the night at Small Stone Village, but not at Big Stone Village."
Mu Qingyao nodded to commit it to memory, and the two parted ways right then and there.
Yun Que went left, and Mu Qingyao went right.
At the treetop on one side of the fork, the red swallow rolled its little eyes, staring at the two separating figures.
The red swallow looked left and right, then without the slightest hesitation, flew toward the left.
This swallow was indeed very clever, able to remember the gray clothes worn by its target. Even with the rain hats shielding them, it could continue tracking.
However, a swallow's cleverness had its limits; just as Yun Que had said, it was nothing more than a stupid bird.
Mu Qingyao walked swiftly, hurrying along.
As she walked, she cautiously watched the sky above.
Until she confirmed that the red swallow was not tracking her, Mu Qingyao breathed a sigh of relief.
Yun Que's method seemed simple, yet it was extremely practical, effortlessly shaking off the scout.
Otherwise, given the swallow's flight altitude, people on the ground would have been utterly helpless against it.
Following the dirt road for half a day, seeing the sun slant westward, Mu Qingyao sat by the roadside to rest a little.
Mu Qingyao calculated that Yun Que should have shaken off the red swallow by now and was likely hurrying toward her.
Having walked continuously, Mu Qingyao was consumed by thirst.
Just by the roadside in the woods was a small stream, the water crystal clear down to the bottom.
Cupping the stream water to her lips, she drank a few sips, immediately feeling a thorough coolness throughout her body, which was immensely refreshing.
Gazing at the water's surface, Mu Qingyao spoke to her own reflection, "As long as I don't give up, I will definitely make it back to the Imperial City alive!"
Washing her face with the stream water, Mu Qingyao stood up.
Then she froze in place, unable to move.
Across the stream, a robust brown bear was also washing its face in the stream, water droplets dripping and sliding down its brown fur.
Seeing Mu Qingyao stand up, the brown bear also slowly straightened up onto its hind legs, towering more than twice Mu Qingyao's height!
Cold sweat broke out on Mu Qingyao's forehead.
In the wild forests, a bear's lethality was terrifyingly extreme!
First the boar, second the bear, third the tiger—this saying was no mere exaggeration.
Mu Qingyao would rather have run into a tiger than face a brown bear.
Tigers were relatively cautious and would not hunt rashly, presenting a chance to scare them off, but bears were different; if these creatures were driven by hunger, they would even bite into rocks.
Maintaining her composure throughout, Mu Qingyao slowly retreated step by step, her eyes fixed entirely on the brown bear.
Dropping back onto all fours, the brown bear also slowly stepped into the stream, following Mu Qingyao unhurriedly and leisurely, much like an old cat toying with a mouse.
Knowing she couldn't shake off the brown bear, Mu Qingyao turned and ran.
The brown bear behind her pursued relentlessly, its speed not the least bit slow.
Though bears appeared clumsy, they certainly ran no slower than humans. Only martial artists with genuine cultivation could outpace a brown bear in speed.
Of course, had she possessed martial artist cultivation, Mu Qingyao wouldn't have needed to run for her life; she could simply have turned around and killed the bear.
Unfortunately, the frail Princess Lingyun was neither a martial artist nor possessed any cultivation, so at this moment, she could only flee for her life with all her might.
Mu Qingyao was very smart.
She chose not to run back to the main road, but instead wove through the forest, using the numerous trees to delay the brown bear's hunt.
Fleeing all the way, Mu Qingyao pushed herself until she was completely exhausted.
Night had already begun to fall.
Mu Qingyao finally escaped the forested area, and a village appeared before her eyes—consisting of over a hundred households, with lights glowing in every single house.
Mu Qingyao had long since lost all sense of direction; she now had no idea whether this place was Small Stone Village or Big Stone Village.
Since there was a village, there was hope of escaping her plight.
Mu Qingyao used her remaining strength to flee into the village.
As she passed the entrance of the village, she saw a half-person-high stone disc, the size of a millstone, carved with numerous marks.
Mu Qingyao had no time to look closer, thinking only of escaping into the village to cry for help.
If any villagers came out, with a crowd of people, dealing with a bear wouldn't be too difficult.
Strangely,
the moment Mu Qingyao fled past the village entrance, the brown bear behind her actually stopped. After pacing near the village entrance for a moment, it turned around and headed back into the forest.
Seeing the brown bear retreat into the distance, Mu Qingyao immediately collapsed limply.
This was a scene of cheating death she had experienced many times along this journey; she thought her heart was strong enough by now, but lingering terror washed over her every single time.
After all, she was still a seventeen-year-old girl, and when facing death, keeping her heart as still as stagnant water was a difficult feat.
"Young lass, an outsider?"
An old, hoarse voice sounded from behind her.
Mu Qingyao turned back to look, seeing a hunchbacked old man with stacked wrinkles, leaving only two teeth, carrying a pale, ghastly white lantern in his hand.
Struggling to stand up, Mu Qingyao said,
"I just ran into a wild beast and lost my way in a panic. May I ask, old sir, is this Small Stone Village?"
The reason she asked if it was Small Stone Village was because of her deduction based on the stone disc at the village entrance.
That stone disc wasn't large, and no matter how one looked at it, it didn't match the grand name of Big Stone Village.
"Correct, this is Small Stone Village."
The hunchbacked old man parted his mouth into an ugly smile, pointing to the house beside him and saying, "This is my home. Come inside to rest your feet and have a sip of water. Don't be afraid, I am the village head here."
Mu Qingyao felt relieved. After expressing her thanks, she followed the old man into his home.
Earlier, Yun Que had mentioned that Big Stone Village was no place to spend the night. Mu Qingyao hadn't had time to ask why, but she trusted Yun Que's words—there was definitely a reason why one couldn't stay the night in Big Stone Village.
Since this was Small Stone Village, Mu Qingyao stopped worrying and intended to wait here for Yun Que.
As soon as she stepped into the house, Mu Qingyao's expression shifted slightly.
An oil lamp was lit inside the room.
A square table held meals that had already gone cold.
Three empty bowls and three pairs of chopsticks.
Yet this household was inhabited solely by the hunchbacked old man.
Stopping at the threshold, Mu Qingyao naturally swept her gaze over the table and chairs, saying with a hint of apology,
"I've disturbed you, old sir, but I suddenly remembered I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
With that, Mu Qingyao turned to leave.
"It's already dark. No matter how urgent, you must eat a meal before leaving. After all this trouble, our family is finally reunited." The hunchbacked old man's voice carried a bizarre undertone.
Mu Qingyao's foot, which was about to step out of the doorway, froze in place.
Outside the house, a group of villagers had gathered at some point. One by one, they were as withered and thin as firewood, with weak auras, yet their eyes were exceptionally bright, glowing in the dark night like the eyes of wolves.
Silently, the villagers stood outside the door, sealing off the little princess's retreat.
Mu Qingyao's heart gradually sank.
Having just escaped the jaws of a bear, she had now walked right into a wolf's den!
Maintaining her composure, Mu Qingyao slowly sat down in the seat pointed out by the hunchbacked old man, the seats on either side of her completely vacant.
"My son left many years ago and has never had a wife. Ah, as his parents, we simply couldn't bear it, so we thought about scouting one out for him, but alas, we could never find a suitable match."
The hunchbacked old man scooped out four bowls of food and rambled on,
"The moment I saw you today, I knew my son's destiny had arrived! You two are truly a match made in heaven, and his mother also feels you are the most suitable. Lass, stay and become my family's daughter-in-law. Today, our whole family is reunited!"
The old village head gazed at her with ardent eyes, the corners of his mouth upturned as he spoke these bizarre words.
Clearly, there were only two people in the room, yet he spoke as if four people were dining together.
Chapter 15: I Live on Qinghu Mountain
The hunchbacked old man's hospitality carried a spine-chilling creepiness.
Mu Qingyao sat steadily in her original seat, her gaze cold and detached.
What others could not see, she could see!
In the small room, there were more than two people.
To be precise, there were also two ghostly entities, sitting respectively on Mu Qingyao's left and right sides.
The one on the left was a young man with a green face and sharp fangs, while the one on the right was an old hag, her aged face crawling with maggots.
"This place is not Small Stone Village."
Mu Qingyao said calmly.
She finally knew what kind of place this was; without a doubt, it was Big Stone Village.
No wonder Yun Que had said that Big Stone Village was no place to spend the night—it turned out the people here raised ghosts!
"What does a village name matter? It's just a name after all."
The hunchbacked old man laughed bizarrely. "You probably don't know the origin of names like Big Stone Village and Small Stone Village. A dozen years ago, there was an earthquake here; the rocks from the mountain peak nearby were all shaken down, some gravel falling into Small Stone Village, while the massive boulders landed right here in our Big Stone Village. In that natural disaster, half the village was crushed to death. Both my old woman and my son were pounded into flesh and mud right before our eyes."
"The dead are gone, but the living must go on. Why force what cannot be?" Mu Qingyao said.
"What kind of talk is that! A family being complete and together is what makes a home. Without them, what meaning is there in my living alone? Fortunately, back then, a celestial maiden passed through this place and pointed out a way for us wretched souls, allowing our family members to stay."
The hunchbacked old man's emotions shifted from anger to gratitude, changing as naturally as it was creepy.
"I understand your grievances, but I cannot stay."
Mu Qingyao slowly extended her hands toward the empty seats on either side. As her mind stirred, an abstruse and profound power emerged.
The ghostly entities on both sides transitioned from fierce and terrifying to gradually peaceful, shifting from a hovering state to a sitting posture, as if they had been tamed.
The ability of the psychic physique—communicating with ghost entities!
"They agree to let me leave." Mu Qingyao said with a solemn expression, staring directly at the hunchbacked old man opposite her.
"Impossible! You used evil arts to control my son and his mother! You aren't leaving today! You must marry my son!"
Glancing left and right at the two ghostly entities, the hunchbacked village head pushed the door open angrily and shouted to the villagers in the courtyard, "Quickly, go light the stone platform! Summon our loved ones back!"
Several villagers immediately ran to the entrance of the village and lit red candles on top of the millstone-shaped stone.
As one red candle after another flared to life, a layer of gray mist drifted across Big Stone Village, and countless soft whispers echoed within the mist, resembling the descent of a nether realm.
Mu Qingyao noticed that the ghostly entities on her left and right were gradually growing agitated, quickly slipping out of her control and becoming impossible to communicate with.
"Soul-nurturing platforms... To think you actually built such evil abominations."
Mu Qingyao said with astonishment.
It turned out that the stone platform at the entrance of the village was a type of divine nether altar used to feed and raise wandering souls and ghost entities. It was usually crafted from extremely yin materials and nourished with incense night after night, taking many years to finally form.
The soul-nurturing platform was the ultimate destination for wandering souls; by day they inhabited the stone platform, and by night they returned to various homes to reunite with their loved ones.
The nether souls in Big Stone Village had long since fused with the soul-nurturing platform, rendering Mu Qingyao's psychic abilities incapable of controlling such spirit entities tied to a soul altar.
Rummaging through a cabinet, the hunchbacked village head pulled out a set of phoenix coronet and ceremonial robes, and walked toward Mu Qingyao with a bizarre smile.
"Lass, put these on. Tonight is a good day, come bow before the ancestors with my son and get married!"
Mu Qingyao said in a cold voice,
"I am Princess Lingyun, of imperial blood and royal kin. If you dare lay a finger on me, His Majesty will surely fly into a rage, and your entire village will be buried with me."
"Being buried with you is wonderful! We've lived long enough anyway—death comes sooner or later, what difference does it make! My son has great luck indeed, being able to marry a princess of the realm. Even if I die for it, it's worth it, hehehehe!"
Reaching out his withered hands, the hunchbacked village head grabbed toward Mu Qingyao.
Driven to a dead end, Mu Qingyao was completely trapped in a mortal peril.
Even if she could escape this room, she wouldn't be able to escape the dozens of villagers waiting outside.
The hunchbacked village head had made up his mind to take her as his daughter-in-law.
Just then, the door was pushed open.
A cold-looking youth walked in, carrying a large bundle and with a saber slung across his back.
"Yun Que!"
Mu Qingyao let out a surprised, low cry.
Without a word, Yun Que walked into the house, sat down directly beside Mu Qingyao, picked up a bowl, and began to eat heartily.
Within a short moment, all three bowls of rice were completely devoured.
Staring at the bowl of white rice in front of Mu Qingyao, Yun Que asked, "Are you eating this?"
Mu Qingyao shook her head, her eyes filled with utter astonishment.
To think someone could relish eating food meant for the dead with such gusto.
"If you aren't eating it, I will. I've been running all day, I'm starved."
Lifting the bowl that had been in front of Mu Qingyao, Yun Que polished it off in a few bites and let out a hearty burp.
The hunchbacked village head stood in a daze for a long while before finally snapping back to his senses, raging,
"Where did this punk come from! Just how many lives do you think you have to dare run wild in our Big Stone Village?"
Glancing sideways at him, Yun Que said, "I just ate a meal of yours, what's with all the shouting and hollering? It's not like I'm not paying."
With a crash.
A handful of copper coins was tossed onto the table.
Yun Que grabbed Mu Qingyao and turned to leave.
"Stop them!"
At the hunchbacked village head's shout, the villagers in the courtyard swarmed closer, staring fixedly at Yun Que and Mu Qingyao.
"This is Big Stone Village! I call the shots here! You aren't leaving today!"
The hunchbacked village head's gaze filled with killing intent as he shouted coldly, "Old hag, the troublemaker is yours! Since he dares to obstruct our son's wedding, don't let him leave here alive today!"
Following the hunchbacked village head's shout, the old hag's ghost entity inside the room—its aged face crawling with maggots—instantly shrieked and lunged toward Yun Que.
Yun Que didn't even move.
He merely gave a faint scoff, and the lunging ghost entity of the old hag instantly shattered into a ball of gray mist, dissolving into nothingness.
Clearly able to sense the dissolution of the old hag's ghost entity, the hunchbacked village head asked in great shock and alarm,
"Who—who on earth are you?!"
"I live on Qinghu Mountain."
Yun Que said indifferently.
At those words—"I live on Qinghu Mountain"—the hunchbacked village head and the villagers in the courtyard alike sucked in a sharp breath of cold air in unison, their footsteps instinctively retreating.
Both Big Stone Village and Small Stone Village belonged to the territory of Zhiyuan County.
In Zhiyuan County, people might not know the magistrate's full name, but there was no one who hadn't heard of Qinghu Mountain.
Especially the person who lived on Qinghu Mountain; he was revered as a deity by the common folk of many villages and towns!
"You're a monster hunter from Qinghu Mountain!"
After his initial terror, the hunchbacked village head's aged face once again twisted into a ferocious expression. "So what if you're a monster hunter! We are human, ordinary common folk! Go hunt your monsters, and stop sticking your nose into other people's business here!"
The common folk of Big Stone Village in the courtyard closed in again, and some even picked up mattocks and iron shovels.
"You think I wouldn't dare kill you?" Yun Que sneered.
"I am a living person! If you dare kill, you pay with your life!"
The hunchbacked old man said with absolute impunity, "My son is getting married today; if you want to stop it, kill me then! Carry a murder charge and you'll be hunted by the government! If you have the guts, slaughter our whole village and see how you ever manage to establish yourself in the Jin State!"
Mu Qingyao locked her delicate brows together and rebuked angrily,
"Since you clearly know you are living people and subjects of Dajin, yet you still carry out such tyrannical acts, how are you any different from lawless mountain bandits and brigands! Forcibly detaining me leaves you with a crime punishable by death all the same!"
The hunchbacked village head burst into loud laughter:
"I've long since had no use for this old life of mine! As long as my son can get married today, even if the Emperor were to chop off my head tomorrow, I'd gladly accept it! Hahaha!"
Mu Qingyao's pretty face sank bit by bit.
Her wits were sharp enough to maneuver through the various factions in the imperial court, yet she was utterly powerless when facing someone like the hunchbacked village head who feared neither death nor shame.
Just as Mu Qingyao was struggling to think of a way to escape and feeling troubled, she heard a sound.
Crack!
Thud!
The little princess looked up and saw that the head of the hunchbacked old man opposite her had already rolled to the ground.
Unflustered, Yun Que retrieved his saber and said,
"I didn't come to cut you down despite your years of raising ghosts, yet you still dare to clamor. You truly have no idea who you're dealing with."
With that, he pulled Mu Qingyao along and walked outward.
Everyone in the courtyard froze in place, none daring to move.
The people of Big Stone Village finally realized that monster hunters didn't just kill monsters—they killed humans too!
"Make way. Whoever blocks my way dies. Don't think your status as commoners will save you; daring to abduct a princess is a capital offense in its own right."
Yun Que said coldly, and the villagers immediately cleared a path.
Reaching the village entrance, Yun Que drew his saber once more.
With a single slash, he cleaved the soul-nurturing platform apart!
As the stone platform split, numerous wailing sounds echoed in the air, and the candles upon it flickered out one by one.
Mu Qingyao looked back to see that in every household of Big Stone Village, soul entities were floating up into mid-air.
Once the soul-nurturing platform was broken, the ghosts in Big Stone Village lost their anchoring place and dissipated one after another.
Leaving Big Stone Village behind, the two of them stepped onto the imperial highway, hurrying toward the next village to rest for the night.