A Core Ship From The Start
Chapter 1371 - 924 Gao’s Village Suffers Serial Calamities, Corpse Unraveled Immortal Dies at Heisong Ridge (Part 1)

Chapter 1371: Chapter 924 Gao’s Village Suffers Serial Calamities, Corpse Unraveled Immortal Dies at Heisong Ridge (Part 1)

Last time, when Duanmu Huai and Sun Wukong were about to take their leave, they suddenly heard the steward wailing as he approached. Listening attentively, they saw the steward collapse to the ground, crying loudly.

"Lady, oh lady, the groom is dead and the young miss has disappeared without a trace!"

Upon hearing this, the Gao Family matriarch’s face turned pale, and she fainted on the spot, frightening everyone around her who rushed to help by pinching and pressing on her, thereby reviving her. Once the lady regained her composure, she asked.

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything!"

"Yes, my lady."

Now standing up, the steward, pale-faced and trembling, began to speak.

"Just now, I was going to wake the groom since it was already afternoon and there were still many things to be done. But no matter how much I knocked, there was no response. So, I ordered the maid to open the door and check, only to see the maid screaming as she entered the room. Something felt wrong, so I hurried in to check as well, and then I saw... I saw the groom..."

"What happened to him, speak up quickly."

Seeing the steward stammer, Mrs. Gao urged him on impatiently. Encouraged by Mrs. Gao’s words, the steward finally spoke.

"The groom... His chest and abdomen were ripped open, and his brain was smashed, he was beyond recognition."

"Ah—————!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gao screamed and fainted once again.

Fortunately, those around her were experienced in dealing with such situations, and they quickly managed to revive her once more. With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Gao turned to Duanmu Huai and Sun Wukong and bowed again.

"The Gao Family has fallen into disaster, surely this is the work of demons. Having heard of your esteemed abilities in subduing demons and devils, I implore you both to save us."

"This........."

Seeing Mrs. Gao’s earnest plea, Duanmu Huai and Sun Wukong exchanged a helpless look, thinking they had after all eaten the family’s banquet and even taken their money...

What else could they do but go and take a look?

"Alright, let us see what has happened, and search for the truth."

With these words, Duanmu Huai asked the steward to lead the way, with himself and Sun Wukong following behind until they reached the bridal chamber. The room looked festive, decorated with bright red celebratory characters on the windows. The door was wide open, and a strong smell of blood wafted out. The steward reached the door and dared not enter, but Duanmu Huai, uninterested in his hesitation, walked straight inside.

There he saw the groom, lying in a spread-eagled position on the bed, his chest and abdomen torn open, his organs scattered all over, his head smashed, and his brain reduced to a pulp.

"Good lord...... this really is........."

Seeing this scene, Duanmu Huai was at a loss for words, wondering if he had somehow wandered onto the set of Judge Bao or Conan. Now seeing this — well, it seemed he was facing a Hannibal scenario.

"Did Journey to the West have such man-eating demons?"

Duanmu Huai remembered that in the novels, it was often mentioned how demons ate humans. He recalled in an episode where Sun Wukong left in anger, there was a demon who ate dead bodies while drinking wine. Yet, for all his reading, the details of how the eating was done were never quite specified.

"Wukong, what do you think?"

Considering Sun Wukong’s vast experience with all manner of gods and demons, he might have some insights. Wukong scratched his head in thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Master? In my opinion, this might not be the work of a demon."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Generally, demons possess a demonic aura. Even if they transform into human form, a simple glance upwards by your humble disciple can reveal if they belong to the demonic clouds. Last night was peaceful, with no trace of demons around here, and no demonic aura either. So, in my view, this doesn’t look like the work of a demon."

"You’re not suggesting a human did this, are you?"

Duanmu Huai pointed at the mutilated corpse, acknowledging the possibility, even though the context didn’t quite fit Journey to the West and certainly not Judge Bao.

"Master, don’t worry, let me inquire further and we shall know," responded Wukong.

Luckily, Sun Wukong’s magical abilities were vast, and in a blink, he disappeared from sight. Duanmu Huai, knowing Wukong’s capabilities, didn’t bother with further useless talk and simply waited by the window. Meanwhile, more servants gathered outside, daring only to peer through the door crack in silence.

After a while, Wukong reappeared beside Duanmu Huai in a flash.

"Master, I have news!"

"What news? You have a child?"

"Of course not, I just spoke with the local land god and investigated with the city god, and I found out something—they all say that Mrs. Gao has a connection with immortals."

"A connection with immortals?"

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Huai was intrigued, recalling the discussions from yesterday’s banquet. Back then, it was mentioned that the men of the Gao Family had died early, and their business had once been precarious. Everyone thought it would end badly, but Mrs. Gao took action, stabilizing and even expanding their fortunes.

At that time, everyone thought it was due to Mrs. Gao’s skillful management, but now it seemed—could she have been involved with immortals?

Reflecting on this, it wasn’t impossible. In the legend of the New White Snake, Bai Suzhen, a snake demon, managed to make Xu Xian’s medical practice extremely successful. If a true immortal was involved, revitalizing a business from the brink of collapse would be effortless. But would an immortal also commit bizarre murders?

Duanmu Huai scratched his head, admittedly not very familiar with the systems of immortal-hero tales, having only watched some Journey to the West, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, The Legend of Jigong, and series like Judge Bao featuring all manners of spirits and oddities. Of course, web novels were filled with tales of ancient times and various others... but it seemed unlikely to find a Shushan Sect or a God Slaying Sword Array in this Journey to the West context.

They’re from different settings after all.

Though it is true that Journey to the West features immortals who eat humans, those are demons disguised as immortals. Legitimate immortals usually have some principles... well, perhaps not entirely.

Thinking of the two Arhats guarding the gates in Western Paradise who demanded bribes, Duanmu Huai hummed lightly.

Wouldn’t it be funny if this trip to Western Paradise unearthed a bunch of dark histories?

"In any case, asking Mrs. Gao will give us the answers."

Duanmu Huai was decisive, making his decision and then stepping out of the bridal room to enter the side room where he saw Lady Gao lying on the couch, looking as if her days were numbered. Upon seeing Duanmu Huai and Sun Wukong, she hurriedly forced herself to sit up with energy.

"May I ask if the two elders have found anything?"

"There isn’t exactly a discovery to speak of."

Duanmu Huai stepped forward, staring intently at Lady Gao.

"I have heard, though... that Lady Gao might have some divine connection... could I perhaps inquire further?"

Upon hearing Duanmu Huai’s words, Lady Gao’s expression changed slightly, then she quickly dismissed everyone around her. After the others left the room, she collapsed back onto the couch.

"Ah, this is what I feared..."

Lady Gao tearfully spoke in a low voice.

"To tell the truth, it is not I who have a divine connection, but the Gao’s Family."

"Oh? How so?"

"Please have a look."

At this, Lady Gao also stood up and walked to the shrine, opening it to reveal that inside was neither a portrait of the Three Pure Ones or Tathagata, nor of Guanyin or the City God, but a painting of a scholar in white robes holding a scroll in one hand and looking up at the sky, appearing quite like a fine painting.

"This is...?"

"The Gao’s Family has been in the fabric trading business for generations, enjoying a modest reputation thanks to everyone’s support. During my great-grandfather’s time, he went out to deliver goods one day, and unexpectedly, a great flood struck the mountain, trapping the entire caravan, facing imminent death. That night, in a dream, my great-grandfather met a scholar in white robes, who identified himself as the Heavenly Flowing Cloud Star Messenger, claiming to share a destined connection with my great-grandfather and thus had descended to save him.

They agreed on three demands and the Star Messenger said he could fulfill Gao’s Family’s three wishes with a compensation in return. At that time, my great-grandfather begged him for salvation..."

At this point, Lady Gao sighed.

"According to my great-grandfather, when he awoke, he found this painting next to him, and the flood and heavy rain had stopped without anyone knowing when. So, my great-grandfather happily led the caravan to deliver the goods, earning a fortune since fabrics were scarce everywhere due to the weather. However, upon his return home, he was told that on the day he had left the mountain, his grandmother had suddenly fallen ill and passed away. My great-grandfather was heartbroken and wept bitterly. In his blurry vision, the scholar in white appeared again, saying that his payment had been received, and reminded my great-grandfather to take care of himself."

"Oh... heh..."

Listening to this, Duanmu Huai snorted slightly. He found this pattern all too familiar.

"My great-grandfather suspected that it was an Evil Deity, but was unable to defeat it. He considered burning or throwing away the painting, yet no matter what, the painting would reappear. Hence, my great-grandfather could only lock it up in a storage room, only revealing this affair to his descendants before his death. That white-robed scholar indeed granted wishes, but took the dearest person as compensation..."

"Hmm? So, your husband..."

Duanmu Huai seemed to understand something, and Lady Gao nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, as the Holy Monk suspected, by my time, the Gao’s family business had begun to decline. My husband, though married into the family, tried his hardest, but to no avail. Once when we received a large order which we couldn’t fulfill due to being sabotaged by a scoundrel, my husband became so furious that he fainted. Thinking about the century-old groundwork of the Gao’s Family, I couldn’t let it collapse in my hands, so..."

"So you turned to that painting?"

"Yes..."

Lady Gao bowed her head, nodding.

"I took that painting out of the storage, lit incense and prayed before it, then went into a deep sleep. In my dream, I also saw that white-robed scholar, who said he would fulfill my wish. When I woke up, the previously empty warehouse was filled with high-quality fabric, thanks to the blessing of that white-robed scholar, allowing the Gao’s Family to complete the trade in time..."

"I must say, this is way too strange."

At this moment, Sun Wukong scratched his head and asked curiously.

"Such a thing, anyone could do, why do you have to do it yourself? Why not find someone unmarried and see how he handles it?"

"I tried that, found people from Gao’s Family, including stewards and servants to kneel and pray, but it yielded no result. Only a family head from the direct Gao line has the ability..."

"Hmm... I see."

Hearing this, Duanmu Huai nodded, thinking that indeed this was quite the plot development of a drama.

Hmm? But wait, that’s not right?

"So according to you, how come the groom got killed last night?"

"This..."

Faced with Duanmu Huai’s question, Lady Gao fell silent, a hint of panic surfacing in her expression.

Hmm?

Seeing this, Duanmu Huai was taken aback.

Then he thoughtfully sized up the widow before him. Though she had aged, she still possessed an undiminished grace. And as the popular saying goes, "Thirty as a tiger, forty as a wolf"...

"I have the audacity to ask, who was that groom?"

"This... he was originally a servant of my family who took care of the plants..."

".........."

Keywords: Gardener, Widow, Wealthy household.

Good Lord, this plot just sprang right up.

Duanmu Huai almost guessed what was going on here.