Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 13 Stepping the Dipper and Treading the Stars

Zhou Ning walked much slower than usual down the mountain.

Master Wang led his servants ahead, the sound of mules and horses' hooves creating a crisp rhythm on the bluestone slabs.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the pines and cypresses on both sides of the mountain road, like silent giants, cast eerie shadows in the hazy light.

As Zhou Ning walked, he silently considered the possible situations that Black Wind Stronghold might encounter.

Mandrill...

He had read about such spirits in ancient books; they were formed from old trees in the mountains that were nourished by the essence of the sun and moon and took shape over a hundred years.

Skilled in illusion, he could mimic human voices to lure passersby astray, ultimately leading to their deaths in the deep mountains and forests.

"Young Master Zhou." Master Wang rode up beside him, interrupting his thoughts:

"There's a bluestone pavement ahead. Let's rest there, eat some dry rations, and continue our journey."

Zhou Ning nodded, but his gaze fell on a dark mountain peak in the distance.

The mountain was shaped like a crouching tiger, and its summit was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, giving it an indescribable eeriness even on a bright, sunny morning.

"Is that Black Wind Stronghold?" he asked.

Following his gaze, Master Wang's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his voice, saying:

"That's right. That mountain was originally called Green Tiger Ridge, but ever since a monster appeared there, everyone has changed its name to Black Wind Stronghold."

"Brother Zhou, how about we stay overnight at Li Family Village at the foot of the mountain, and then head up the mountain tomorrow?"

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and nodded:

"Alright. I don't know much about the mandrill yet. I'll ask the villagers when we get to the village."

The group continued their journey and arrived at Lijia Village around noon.

This is a small village with only twenty or thirty households, built against the mountain. At the entrance of the village stands a mottled stone tablet with the three characters "Li Family Village" engraved on it.

Although the village is not large, the fields are neat and the houses are well-arranged, showing that it was once a prosperous place.

However, at this moment, the village exudes an air of desolation.

Many houses had their doors and windows tightly closed, the yards were overgrown with weeds, and there were no farmers to be seen working in the fields.

Occasionally a few villagers would pass by, but they all seemed to be in a hurry and looked fearful.

The wealthy man, surnamed Wang, had a villa in the village. Although he hadn't lived there for a long time, it was still quite tidy.

He ordered his servants to clean up the mess and then sent someone to invite several elders from the village over, saying that he wanted to discuss the matter of exorcising the demon.

Before long, the three old men arrived at the villa.

The leader was the village head, surnamed Li, about seventy years old, with white hair and beard, leaning on a cane, walking with a limp.

The other two were also elderly people in their sixties or seventies, with sallow complexions and sunken eyes, clearly indicating that they hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

"Master Wang, you've finally arrived." Li Lizheng bowed tremblingly, his eyes reddening.

"The village has really... really been unable to hold on for the past few months."

Master Wang quickly helped him up, pointing at Zhou Ning and saying:

"This is Brother Zhou, a highly accomplished disciple of Master Yan from the mountain. He came down the mountain this time to help us exorcise the demon."

The three elders all looked at Zhou Ning, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt.

Clearly, they hadn't expected that the so-called "master" was actually a young scholar who looked to be only in his early twenties.

Zhou Ning noticed their doubts, but without offering any further explanation, he simply cupped his hands slightly and said:

"Gentlemen, could you please tell me more about Black Wind Stronghold? When do the mountain demons appear? How do they harm people? What are their patterns?"

Li Lizheng sighed and slowly began to speak.

It turns out that the strange events at Black Wind Village began more than half a year ago.

At first, only livestock went missing; a cow would go missing every three to five days, and several sheep would go missing every seven or eight days.

The villagers assumed it was the work of wild animals in the mountains and didn't pay much attention, only tightening their guard.

But gradually, the situation became more and more serious.

First, Old Zhang from the east end of the village went up the mountain to collect herbs and never returned.

His family searched for two days before finding his body in a ravine.

His whole body was shriveled up, as if something had sucked all his blood out.

Then there was Li Ergou from the west end of the village. He went to the outhouse at night and never came back.

The next morning, his family found him by the old well at the entrance of the village, and his death was exactly the same as Old Zhang's.

Later, more and more people went missing.

Some went up the mountain to chop firewood during the day, some went out to run errands at night, and some simply disappeared in their own yards.

They were nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

"In the past six months, seven people have died in the village, and five have gone missing." Li, the village head, wept uncontrollably.

"If this continues, our Li Family Village is doomed."

Zhou Ning frowned:

Has the mandrill ever appeared? Has anyone seen what it looks like?

Li Lizheng shook his head:

"No one has ever seen it. Every time it happens, it's at night or on a foggy day. Some people say they've heard strange laughter, some say they've seen a dark shadow, but no one can say for sure what it looks like."

Zhou Ning pondered for a moment, then asked:

"It only operates around Black Wind Stronghold? Has it ever been to the village?"

Li Lizheng said:

"At first it was only on the mountain, but then it gradually moved closer to the village. In the past month, three people have had accidents in the village. We've asked Taoist priests and Buddhist monks for help, but it didn't work. One Taoist priest went up the mountain to catch it, but he didn't even come back himself."

Zhou Ning understood.

This mandrill was far more cunning than he had anticipated.

It doesn't easily reveal itself, nor does it engage in direct conflict; instead, it launches sneak attacks, gradually eroding the lives of the villagers.

These kinds of spirits are often more difficult to deal with than those fierce and powerful demons.

"I understand." Zhou Ning stood up and said to Master Wang:

"I'll rest in the village today and prepare some things. I'll go up the mountain early tomorrow morning to take a look."

Master Wang hurriedly said:

"Brother Zhou, should we bring a few more people? Just in case..."

"No need." Zhou Ning shook his head.

"Too many people will only get in the way. It's easier for me to go alone."

The three old men looked at each other, their eyes filled with both expectation and worry.

-

As night fell, Zhou Ning sat alone in his guest room, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The internal energy circulated slowly, filling the whole body with warmth.

After these days of practice, his mastery of "Innate Qi" has become much more proficient than when he first learned it. Although he still cannot control it freely, at least he no longer experiences sluggishness in its circulation.

He opened his eyes, took out talisman paper, cinnabar, and a brush from his bag, and began to draw talismans.

Five "Exorcising Talismans", five "Exorcising Talismans", and three "Purifying Talismans".

This is what he prepared for going up the mountain tomorrow.

Drawing talismans requires concentration and cannot tolerate the slightest distraction.

Zhou Ning carefully and meticulously poured his inner energy into each and every stroke.

The first "Exorcising Talisman" was successful.

The aura isn't particularly strong, but it's at least stable.

The second attempt failed.

Uneven infusion of spiritual energy caused the talisman to spontaneously combust.

The third one, success.

The fourth attempt failed.

……

After working for nearly an hour, he finally finished drawing all the necessary talismans.

Although the success rate is still not high, it is a world of difference compared to when I first started learning.

Zhou Ning carefully put away the talisman, placing it close to his body, and then continued to meditate, preparing for tomorrow's battle.

Late at night.

All sounds are silent.

Suddenly, a faint, eerie laugh came from afar.

The sound was sharp and piercing, like someone scratching glass with their fingernails, or like a baby crying; it sounded particularly eerie in the quiet night.

Zhou Ning suddenly opened his eyes, rolled out of bed, and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the moonlight was dim and pale.

The village was deathly silent; not even a dog barked.

The strange laughter rang out a few more times before disappearing.

Zhou Ning frowned and was about to close the window when he suddenly saw a faint green light flickering in the darkness on the distant mountain road, like a will-o'-the-wisp.

The light flickered a few times before disappearing into the night.

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine.

Mandrill.

Here it comes.

He did not act immediately, but stood quietly by the window and continued to observe.