Chapter 122: Settling Down

Wang Erjun’s expression was as grave as his tone.

I nodded in agreement.

Clenching his fists tightly, Wang Erjun said fiercely, "We have to get rid of that ghost thing beneath Baihu Village. If it weren't for its presence down there, Liu of the Funerals wouldn't have been so difficult to deal with back then. Without that heavy yin energy, perhaps many things would never have happened at all."

I glanced at Zhang Chang, but his expression remained unchanged at the mention of Liu of the Funerals.

Li Cangshui spoke in a calm voice, "In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, yet you are still alive."

Zhang Chang smiled and replied, "With no descendants to follow, I am not so easily killed. I have fulfilled my end of the bargain with you without the slightest hesitation. Yet, you have not completed what you promised me. Do you intend to simply wash your hands of it?"

It dawned on me instantly that Zhang Chang was referring to Liu of the Funerals. Back then, Li Cangshui had promised him that he would bring Liu back, or at the very least, bring back his bloodline.

However, Li Cangshui had only brought me along with Li Yue.

Zhang Chang had once helped extend Li Yue's life and had given her something.

In truth, I didn't know what that was. Even now, Li Yue had never brought it out or mentioned it.

"If I intended to wash my hands of it, why would I be here? The apprentice I have taken in now hails from the very place you are headed."

"Your affairs are matters in which I, too, have a karmic connection," Li Cangshui said.

He paused, then began to walk forward.

Wang Erjun immediately started clearing the yellow paper and brushes from his stall, ignoring the table and chairs, and patted me on the shoulder. "Let's go, Xie Yuan! Later, I'll treat you to a good meal!"

He patted his waist, which was bulging; I couldn't help but smile, knowing it was filled with the money he had just made selling talismans.

Li Yue followed closely by Li Cangshui's side, with Zhang Chang walking on the other.

She turned back and winked at me.

Wang Erjun smacked his lips and chuckled, "Not bad, Xie Yuan. Did you manage to win this little lady over?"

I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. "Don't overthink it. Li Yue and I have just been traveling together for a while. We have a good relationship, but it's not what you think."

Wang Erjun said, "Really, Xie Yuan? Even though this little lady is a bit sharp-tongued, she’s quite docile toward you. Aren't you tempted?"

Just then, a sudden chill crept across my wrist.

Wang Erjun shivered, looked around wildly, and scratched the back of his neck. "Strange. It's broad daylight. Why do I feel this icy chill, as if I'm being watched by something?"

"Stop talking nonsense, or watch out—Li Yue might seal your mouth again."

I distracted Wang Erjun and followed Li Cangshui and the others forward.

"She wouldn't dare! I'm not that fat loser anymore. My master says I'm a natural talent at talismans. It's only been a few days, and I've already learned many. She used a silence talisman on me before, but she can't do that now."

Wang Erjun kept mumbling to himself.

I was genuinely surprised; I hadn't expected him to have such potential that Li Cangshui would be full of praise for him.

About six or seven minutes later, we entered an inn in town.

Rather than a modern hotel, it was more like a traditional hostel.

Because this was a border region between Yun and Chuan, it incorporated many ethnic customs and styles.

Once inside the hostel, Li Cangshui paused and told Wang Erjun to book three more rooms.

Wang Erjun scurried off and soon returned with three keys.

Zhang Chang looked at me, his lips curling slightly. "Xie Yuan, the dagger is inside. I only helped you dig out the Yin Monkey. You handled the rest yourself. I have things to discuss with an old friend, but you should be able to help your little brother here."

As he spoke, Zhang Chang removed the bundle from his back and handed it to me.

I nodded.

Wang Erjun opened his mouth to speak, but Li Cangshui nodded and said, "Then it is settled. Xiao Yue, go with Xie Yuan to Erjun's room and help out."

Wang Erjun clearly swallowed the words he had been about to say.

The hostel had two floors. Aside from the main building facing the street, there was a courtyard in the back.

It was a square-shaped courtyard, with the restaurant facing the street and the rooms for guests located in the back.

The keys were marked with room numbers.

Li Cangshui led Zhang Chang into one room, and Wang Erjun had already given Zhang Chang his key.

Following that, he distributed the remaining two keys to me and Li Yue, then led us into his room.

"You fat pig... are you a pig in your past life? This place smells like a pigsty!"

As soon as we entered, Li Yue covered her nose, her expression one of utter disgust.

Wang Erjun’s eyes widened. "Those who achieve great things do not sweat the small details! A man should look like a man. Cleaning is a woman’s job. Besides, this is just a hostel; we'll be gone in a few days."

Li Yue stomped her foot in anger. "I'm going to tell Master!"

Wang Erjun shrugged and grinned. "Master only cares about whether I draw my talismans well. He even approved of me selling them on the street."

Li Yue’s face flushed red. She clenched her fists, looked at me, and gritted her teeth. "Xie Yuan, let's leave. Don't bother with this dirty, smelly fat pig."

Wang Erjun draped an arm over my shoulder and chuckled, "Little lady, Xie Yuan and I are brothers of life and death. We grew up wearing the same pair of shorts; how could he possibly listen to you?"

"You!"

Seeing that Li Yue was genuinely furious, I realized she was feeling a sense of imbalance and grievance because of the way Li Cangshui treated Wang Erjun.

I acted as a mediator, telling them to stop arguing. The important thing was to remove the Yin Monkey, as Elder Li would surely have questions for us later.

Li Yue bit her lower lip and used her foot to clear a clean patch of ground, looking disgusted.

Wang Erjun, meanwhile, looked smug.

However, a moment later, he said somewhat unnaturally, "Xie Yuan, are you sure about this? I still think it's better to have an older person handle this; they're more careful."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Brothers of life and death—can't you trust me?"

Wang Erjun’s face stiffened, and Li Yue couldn't help but chuckle.

"Turn around. It's going to hurt quite a bit. You must not lose consciousness, and no matter how much it hurts, you cannot run or move around. Once the Yin Monkey burrows into another part of your body, there will be no chance to get it out again."

My expression was grave, my tone incredibly serious.

Wang Erjun’s face became much more earnest.

He simply lay down on the bed, facing away from me.

I could clearly see the Yin Monkey behind Wang Erjun’s ear; it had grown to the size of two thumbs.

It was twice as big as the one I had dealt with before!

Its tumor-like head had two slits for eyes that looked as if they were about to open.

Its scrawny little body could barely support the weight of its head.

The saying "small but fully formed" was a perfect description of the Yin Monkey.

I took a deep breath and opened the bundle, where the dagger lay.

Taking out the dagger, I said, "It’s starting now. You must hold on."

The moment the words left my lips, I drove the tip of the dagger into the skin behind Wang Erjun’s ear!

Wang Erjun let out a muffled groan and said, "Isn't it just a cut? I—"

Before he could finish, I yanked the blade upward with force.

The entire Yin Monkey, along with a piece of flesh, was pried out by the dagger!

This time, I saw it with absolute clarity!

As the Yin Monkey left the skin behind his ear, its tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open!

Its tiny eyes, like fish eyes, were disproportionately large for that head, enough to make one's scalp crawl.

And beneath its body, it was connected by a thread of blood.

Or rather, it was a tendon!

The Yin Monkey opened its mouth and let out a hiss at me!

It suddenly leaped from the dagger, attempting to burrow back into Wang Erjun’s wound.

My pupils constricted. I thrust my hand out and grabbed the Yin Monkey by the head.

Wang Erjun let out a blood-curdling scream.

"Hold on!"

I growled, pulling the Yin Monkey outward with all my might.

Wang Erjun screamed again, followed by a string of vicious curses.

Of course, he wasn't cursing me, but the thing beneath Baihu Village.

It took a full hour to completely extract the Yin Monkey from Wang Erjun.

It was only thanks to the help of my companion ghost that I succeeded.

Wang Erjun was left completely exhausted, collapsing onto the bed.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

Li Yue went to open it.

A moment later, she said, "Xie Yuan... my master wants to see you."