Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1530 - 948: Nothing More Than That (Part 2)

Aunt Wu was initially taken aback, but swiftly erupted in a torrent of curses: "Who are you calling a scourge? I say *you* are the scourge! Your entire family are scourges! If it weren't for you, how would my girl Shu end up hurt like this?!"

Old Daoist Huang let out a forceful cold snort, declaring, "You ignorant mortal! What do you comprehend! This woman's origins are unknown, her identity a mystery. That water calamity last night was orchestrated by her! Do you comprehend why this Daoist insisted on specifically naming her to accompany the sacrifice to the River God?"

Aunt Wu’s face was etched with utter contempt. "Isn't it simply because you saw my girl is as pretty as a flower and harbored wicked intentions?"

"Utter nonsense!" Old Daoist Huang flew into a furious rage. "Such benighted ignorance, truly incurable! Do you know this woman converses in ghost language? It was she who colluded with that resentful female ghost in the water, deliberately luring us into the river to annihilate us all in a single stroke! Fortunately, this Daoist already harbored suspicions about her. After several attempts to approach her, I indeed sensed demonic energy concealed upon her person."

"Last night was but my probing. Who knew it would lead you to form such filthy, mistaken judgments! If not for this Daoist's prior preparations, engaging in combat with Sorcery against this demonic woman for forty-nine rounds before severely wounding and subduing her, how else would you all still be alive?!"

Aunt Wu found her own words to be feather-light in contrast to his god-like pronouncements, and as if he spoke with irrefutable reason and evidence, she couldn't help but feel chastised into a state of bewildered silence.

The surrounding villagers immediately pressed closer, all condemning Aunt Wu for her disrespect. "Aunt Wu, what you just uttered was truly a grave disrespect towards the old Immortal." "If it were not for the old Immortal casting spells and setting up formations, how would our village have these peaceful days? He is a man of cultivation, possessing a clear and upright bone; how could he be the lecherous old pervert greedy for beauty that you describe?!"

Old Daoist Huang's face twitched sharply. He gave a slight cough and once again assumed the airs of a lofty master, remaining silent.

Another villager stepped forward and interjected, "Everyone must have witnessed the scene last night. This brook is not particularly wide; normally, it takes but an hour to walk along its banks, yet last night it proved so perilous." "You claim there are no ghosts in that riverbed, I refuse to believe it! However... this girl Shu... is she truly some unclean demonic entity?"

Old Daoist Huang let out another cold snort and queried, "When you discovered the remaining five women, did you note what distinguished them from this woman?"

The woman who spoke hesitated for a moment on her face, then replied, "Those women merely swallowed a bellyful of river water and fainted completely, and bore no external wounds on their bodies..."

"Precisely!" Old Daoist Huang nodded, his face stern. "When this Daoist was in the river carrying out Demon Suppression and Ghost-slaying, I employed Exorcising Vajra talismans and left the Fierce Ghost severely injured. Any Evil Spirit would be harmed by this Daoist's mighty, upright Vajra qi. The other women simply fell into the water and lost consciousness; only this one was covered in blood from head to toe. That was my talismanic arts inflicting injury upon her. If she were a mortal, how could she fear this Daoist's Vajra qi?!"

The expressions of everyone present shifted instantly. Their faces twisted with horror and apprehension as they cast their gazes upon Shu Ci, lying unconscious on the ground.

"I was just pondering that young master from the Baili Family—such a fine, proper-looking individual. How is it that he appears every day as if his yang energy is depleted, burdened by an old sickness? It turns out there is such a scourge hiding by his side." "Auntie Zhao speaks the absolute truth. I found this girl Shu peculiar from the very beginning. In this humble, remote backwater of ours, what decent family's daughter would possess such a seductive, 妖里妖气 countenance?"

"I would venture to say only those Mountain Spirits and monsters from the deep hills would adopt such an appearance. Speaking of which, that young master of the Baili Family is truly pitiable. At a single glance, one can tell he is a young lord from a prestigious household." "Those Evil Spirits and ghosts simply adore cozying up to such fair-skinned, pure little lords. They possess noble qi upon them, and it is highly nourishing."

"That's precisely what I thought! This girl's age suggests she could already be that young master's mother. With the two of them appearing so mismatched, how could they possibly be husband and wife? I'd wager he has been bewitched by this Banshee's Sorcery."

The speaker was a comely young widow from the village, and her words were clearly laced with personal resentment.

Baili An possessed a handsome and refined appearance, a sight that ignited jealousy and resentment in countless village girls directed towards Shu Ci.

This comely widow had long harbored desires for Baili An. Now that she had discovered Shu Ci’s vulnerability, she seized the opportunity to inflict further pain.

Aunt Wu observed the crowd, sensing their collective indignation, clearly swayed by Old Daoist Huang’s pronouncements.

Indeed, the rural women in this impoverished region were deeply entrenched in superstition, and Old Daoist Huang’s words, delivered with sharp conviction and apparent evidence, held sway.

The strange occurrences, both past and present, combined to solidify their unwavering belief.

However, Aunt Wu, possessing a kind heart, feared that without concrete proof, her girl Shu would be wrongly branded an Evil Spirit and beaten to death arbitrarily.

Despite immense pressure, she steeled herself to offer what little protection she could.

"Well... while subduing demons and exorcising evil spirits is commendable, she is, after all, a living person. It’s not that this old woman doubts your mastery, Daoist Master, but right now, she appears no different from any ordinary individual."

"If we were to hastily condemn her and end her life, wouldn't that be a terrible sin?"

Old Daoist Huang, with a flourish of his wide Daoist robe sleeves, declared with an air of indifference, "Fear not. Once this old Daoist erects the altar and performs the ritual, we shall see whether the flesh beneath her skin is that of a human or a ghost when subjected to the flames."

The suggestion of immolation sent a jolt of terror through Aunt Wu, causing her face to contort. "That must not happen! Absolutely not! How can you commit such an act upon a living person?!"

Witnessing her repeated obstruction of Old Daoist Huang, the others knit their brows in profound displeasure and moved to intercept her.

"Aunt Wu, Daoist Huang has laid everything out so clearly. Cease causing further disruption."

"If this woman is truly an unclean entity, will you bear responsibility for the lives of those innocent women who perished?!"

"Precisely! And if you anger the esteemed Master Huang, causing him to depart and leave this menace within our village, do you wish for us all to perish?!"

"Furthermore, Daoist Huang's divine arts are of a profound nature. He merely intends to test her with Heavenly Fire. Should she prove her innocence, naturally, the Daoist Master will withdraw his power and incantations, sparing her life."

"We implore the Daoist Master to commence the sacred rite posthaste!"

"We implore the Daoist Master to commence the sacred rite posthaste!"

Amidst the escalating chorus of pleas, a malevolent spark flickered within Old Daoist Huang’s eyes. He emitted a chilling laugh, devoid of any sympathy or gentleness.

He seized Shu Ci’s hair with brutal force, yanking her upright, and then delivered two stinging slaps to her face, one on each side.

A muffled gasp escaped Shu Ci, a trickle of blood emerging from her lips. The sharp pain served to gradually rouse her from her stupor.

The moment her eyes fluttered open, she was met with the sight of the dense crowd encircling her, their gazes filled with suspicion and loathing, their hushed whispers punctuated by pointed fingers.

It was as if an unholy entity had just opened its eyes before them.

Shu Ci felt an agonizing, tearing sensation in her scalp as the old Daoist’s hand clamped down, his veins bulging grotesquely.

Her body felt utterly drained, and inwardly, she marveled at the formidable might of the Demon Lord—a mere wisp of Jun Yan’s breath had been sufficient to push a century-old female ghost’s Soul Power to its absolute limit.

The strength she had painstakingly regained over the preceding days was now entirely depleted, leaving just enough to sustain her own existence.

Now, weakened to the brink of collapse and ensnared by this wizened Daoist, she possessed no residual power to resist.

Her complexion was ashen, her austere features betraying almost no emotion. Her lips were pressed into a firm line, and not a single word was uttered.

Observing her state, the old Daoist’s suspicions were confirmed; he recognized that she was indeed severely injured this time, entirely incapable of any defiance.

His internal complacency deepened. Gazing upon her alluring, enchantingly beautiful face, a visceral hatred welled up within him, making his teeth ache. In a voice low enough for only their ears to catch, he spat out:

"Now, in this weakened condition, you have fallen into this Daoist’s grasp. You never anticipated this, did you? The tides of fate have turned!"

"You intended for this Daoist to be devoured by the Water Ghosts. Today, I shall let you experience the agony of being burned alive and see if fear grips you then?!"

"Fear?" Shu Ci’s eyes shimmered with biting mockery. "Being burned alive is of no consequence whatsoever."For countless millennia, she had known countless agonizing ends: immolation that turned her flesh to ash while her very bones simmered; vicious cleaving by steel and halberd that pierced her soul; searing agony in vats of boiling oil; the fiery torment of flame and broth, and the brutal severing of head by axe and saw. What manner of demise had she not experienced? At some point, the grim realization dawned upon her: she was trapped within an eternal, inescapable Hell. The torturous trials of the eighteen Hells, she had long since subjected herself to every one. Therefore, when faced with such trifling acts of vengeance from mere mortals, how could they possibly stir any dread within her spirit?