Chapter 162: Exorcising the Haunt
Chapter 162: Exorcising the Haunt
Deep in the mountains, Chen Chuan held a machete in his hand, with the Xuejun Blade strapped to his back and a bulging backpack. He was making his way up the mountain alone.
It was almost July, and the mountains were teeming with venomous snakes, insects, and ants during this season. However, he had prepared well, bringing along plenty of insect repellent, applying ointments, and wearing a protective smock to guard against scratches. He had essentially taken full-body precautions.
Even if his second self were to sustain injuries, he had done his best to protect himself, especially in areas where he could manage on his own. After all, his second self needed to be utilized in the most appropriate and critical situations.
The mountain paths hadn't been used by anyone for many years, and they were now indistinguishable.
Fortunately, after walking for over half an hour, he discovered a dilapidated mountain path paved with stone steps. Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be from the old era, possibly from the same time as the mountain god temple. This made his search easier. He hacked through the thorny bushes with his machete, clearing a path as he went, which would also facilitate his descent later.
The mountain wasn't very tall, only about five to six hundred meters, but some areas had steep slopes. However, this didn't hinder him. After finding a passage, he climbed up in one go without even breaking a sweat.
Despite it being June or July, the mountain forest was cool, and the temperature had dropped significantly at the summit, making him feel as if he had returned to winter.
He didn't feel cold, though; instead, he felt quite comfortable.
Finally, he caught sight of the mountain god temple. In front of the temple were two stone lamp stands with bulging eyes and pointed chins, resembling demons. The wind and rain had worn down their edges, leaving only vague traces of their original menacing appearance.
In front of the temple was a mountain gate, with both sides of the walls already collapsed, leaving only half of the front wall standing. Vines and various plants grew among the scattered rubble.
Beyond the mountain gate, a clearing appeared, along with a winding mountain path leading upwards. Here, he could already see the eaves of the temple above.
However, as he reached this point, all the insect and bird sounds that had filled the mountain earlier had disappeared. Everything became eerily quiet, except for the occasional gust of wind.
Upon reaching this spot, he took out a water cup, drank some water, and then continued along the mountain path. Soon, he arrived in front of the temple. The two large doors had already collapsed and were damaged. Stepping over the threshold, he saw that the temple wasn't very spacious, probably only about a hundred square meters. Dust and broken bricks were everywhere, with broken beams lying horizontally across the floor. The roof had mostly caved in, except for a barely intact canopy over the altar.
As he approached, he found that the altar, which was supposed to hold a deity statue, was empty.
His expression remained calm.
According to the previous information, this haunt roamed the nearby mountain peaks, and to encounter it in the temple, one would need an offering.
He set down his backpack and took out a bamboo basket containing a large white goose that had been prepared beforehand and was now unconscious. He then retrieved an incense burner, a thick cushion, and a can of old tea leaves.
Some of these items were obtained from Cheng Zitong, while others were collected by Ren Su from various sources based on the descriptions in the archives.
To deal with this haunt, he had put in a lot of effort, more than he had for any previous haunt.
He took some tea leaves from the old tea can and placed them in a transparent glass cup he had brought along, then poured hot water from his thermos to brew the tea. However, he didn't drink it but set it aside.
Next, he lit the incense burner, allowing the fragrance to permeate the temple's interior. He then carried the bamboo basket with the goose to the altar and sacrificed it on the offering table.
After that, he returned and sat cross-legged with the knife across his knees.
Based on previous experiences, this haunt required offerings and repeatedly asked for them, indicating that its activities were related to the offerings. This was very similar to the flying head monster, so it was highly likely that using the same method could exhaust and eliminate it.
However, this was just a hypothesis. The situation with this haunt was somewhat complex, and it was difficult to investigate and determine its true nature beforehand. His plan for this encounter was to deal with it if he could, and if not, he would retreat and discuss other options with Cheng Zitong later without being overly stubborn.
He waited patiently, but there was no movement around him. He didn't waste time, though; instead, he guided his breathing and silently encouraged the growth of his altered tissue. Occasionally, he added fresh incense to the burner.
As the sky outside gradually darkened, he lit a few torches and placed them around him, then returned to his original position.
After a while, he thought he heard chewing sounds in his ear. His heart stirred, and he looked up to see that the large white goose on the offering table had disappeared.
The sound wasn't coming from the front but from behind him.
His eyes flickered, and he exerted a slight force with his legs, slowly rising from his seated position without moving his upper body. As he turned around, the chewing sound also stopped, and outside the temple gate, a dark mass seemed to have appeared.
He picked up a flashlight from beside him, took up the Xuejun Blade, and walked towards the gate. When he shone the light, he saw a hunched figure standing there, its back turned to him.
It was more of a demon statue than a god statue, with fingers almost touching the ground and a large upper body but a slender lower half. It appeared to be squatting.
He slowly walked around to the front and, upon seeing it clearly, his expression froze.
To his surprise, it was a headless mountain demon statue!
His mind raced with thoughts. He hadn't known about this situation before, which meant that his previous plan to deal with the haunt might have to be completely reconsidered.
In the face of a haunting tale, where a once-complete narrative has now become fragmented, the correct approach is to seek out the missing pieces.
In this case, Shan Gui wasn't after an offering; it was seeking its own lost head! Otherwise, there would be no resolution.
This wasn't something that could be resolved hastily, so he immediately decided to retreat. He didn't even bother taking anything from the temple, and without hesitation, he began to back away.
But after taking only a few steps, he heard a noise behind him, and at the same time, his second self exhibited a wave-like distortion, causing him to pause momentarily.
Looking up, he saw the Shan Gui statue move, shedding paint and dust as it did so.
After a moment's hesitation, he stood firm.
While he could easily leave, if the Shan Gui wasn't satisfied with the offering, it might go after the nearby villagers. Although the villagers had experience dealing with it, he couldn't just let it be.
He glanced at the Shan Gui statue, tightening his grip on the Xuejun Blade. Since he couldn't leave just yet, he decided to stay.
The Shan Gui statue had already straightened up, and from a distance of about two to three meters, it leaped straight towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan sidestepped, and the statue crashed to the ground with a thud, sending up a cloud of dust.
After missing its first strike, it quickly followed with a second and a third...
Chen Chuan dodged repeatedly, and he was certain that the Shan Gui statue's speed wasn't overly exaggerated. He could easily keep up with it.
But this was only because he was standing there; hauntings like this didn't rely on direct attacks. Instead, they invaded invisibly.
The version of the haunting he faced was a powerful one!
As he dodged, his second self exhibited intense distortion, and the mutated tissue within his body was subjected to an extremely strong stimulus. This was no less than facing a late-stage Flying Head Demon, and he had to both dodge and use his breathing to guide the process.
However, as he evaded, he noticed the invasion of his second self was intensifying rapidly. He had initially planned to endure until daybreak, as hauntings typically didn't appear during the day. But at this rate, he might not make it until his second self disappeared.
He had no choice but to find a solution.
After dodging another attack, he retreated into the temple, where the scent of incense enveloped him, slightly reducing the distortion on his body.
He picked up a cleaver and waited for a moment. As the statue leaped and landed, he sidestepped, and with a swing of the cleaver, he struck the statue, shattering a large chunk of it.
But the distortion on his body intensified, and within a few breaths, the shattered pieces seemed to vanish, as if the blow had never landed.
He realized that any contact with the statue would intensify the invasion, even through objects. It couldn't be stopped by force.
He wondered where the statue's head was.
He suspected it might be the work of the Flying Head Sect, as they had once smashed the heads of various worshipped statues. If so, the head was likely destroyed, making it impossible to recover, leaving a dead end.
But at that moment, he recalled a detail from the Three Mountains Legend: "The Shan Gui eats with its belly, and it tastes like candy."
That's right, it eats with its belly!
He had an idea and quickly turned his attention to the statue's abdomen.
He decided to take a risk.
After dodging another attack, he grabbed a thermos and drank the water inside. Taking a deep breath, he activated the mutated tissue within his body.
He picked up the cup of tea, which now contained wriggling black worms instead of tea leaves. As the statue leaped and landed again, he poured the contents onto it.
The worms crawled into the statue's body, creating small holes in its surface, and the Shan Gui's movements slowed.
Seizing the moment, Chen Chuan rushed forward, thrusting his hand into the statue's abdomen. It felt like he was breaking through a layer of tough cowhide.
Upon contact, the distortion on his second self deepened, becoming more erratic, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
Unfazed, he reached into the statue and felt around. Suddenly, he grabbed something, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he yanked it out. It was a green-faced, fanged head!
"It's here!"
The head hadn't been taken; it was inside the Shan Gui's belly all along!
Without hesitation, he placed the head on the broken neck stump and pressed down firmly. The statue trembled and struggled, but after a while, it became still.
Chen Chuan saw blood seeping from the broken neck, slowly trickling down. After a while, he heard the sound of shattering, and the statue began to crack, eventually breaking into countless pieces of dust that fell to the ground.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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