The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 54 Red-Haired and Red-Faced

Chapter 54: Chapter 54 Red-Haired and Red-Faced

"The red-haired blood-faced ghost?"

Upon hearing this, Sha Lifei chuckled, "Isn’t that just something to scare kids?"

Even Li Yan frowned slightly when he heard it.

Throughout the Divine State, there were always some strange tales in every countryside, such as shadows behind you at night, hands in latrines, faces on windows, Tiger Auntie...

The red-haired blood-faced ghost was one of them.

It was said to be dressed in a large green robe, with a head full of red hair and a face covered in blood, often appearing at dusk. If any children were still playing at this time, it would lure them away.

This creature reportedly appeared around old trees. The elders would swear that if the children from a certain village went to play on the mountain, they would encounter this red-haired blood-faced ghost.

The other children would flee in terror. If they looked back, they would see the terrifying silhouette in the green robe and red face under the twilight tree, staring at them coldly. When they returned, they would become seriously ill, some even losing their souls out of fright.

Some elders even said that at one time, a child didn’t come back and disappeared. Later, they invited a master from Chang’an City to perform rituals and found the child’s bones three feet below that tree.

They also discovered a coffin, but the master didn’t allow it to be opened and had it burned to ashes under the blazing sun.

In short, it had all the appearances of a credible tale.

After learning about the existence of the Mystical Sect, Li Yan believed in zombies and Chi Mei Wang Liang, but he always felt that such a thing was a story concocted by the elders to scare children into going home early for dinner.

Hearing it again now, it seemed somewhat absurd.

Who knew that Wang Daoxuan’s expression would turn solemn, "When did this happen?"

The attendant quickly replied, "Just in the past few years. Even an invited master went up the mountain to check but found nothing. Oh, and those who went up the mountain to gather herbs would often encounter it in the woods, and later, no one dared to go up the mountain..."

Leaving the inn, Wang Daoxuan still looked puzzled.

Seeing him like this, Sha Lifei felt a bit uneasy, "Daoist, could it be that the red-haired blood-faced ghost really exists?"

Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly, "Let’s talk about it outside. Zhao Brother would know more about this than I do."

...

The Hidden Treasure Man, Zhao Lvzi, did not enter the city but waited at the foot of the mountain.

No one found it strange, as they had already mentioned the reason on the way.

There was an unwritten rule in the treasure-hunting trade:

"The sky for a blanket, the ground for a bed, respect the gods and spirits. Three sticks of incense for entering the mountain or going underwater, a lit lamp for exploring tombs. Can’t enter a yang house."

Zhao Lvzi even explained the reason to them.

With the sky as one rod, the earth as another, and humans in between, it forms the character "Wu," signifying that treasure hunters do not forget their roots and is related to the time when Fang Xian Dao was exterminated by the court.

Wu worshipped the spirituality in all things, and naturally, it was necessary to respect gods and spirits. For the Mountain Rushing and Sea Exploring Lineages, entering the mountain or going underwater required offering three sticks of incense first.

The Xun You Lineage, which drilled ancient tombs and old caves, had to light a "guiding light," not only for illumination but also as an omen. If the tomb’s occupant became angry, they had to leave immediately.

As for not entering yang houses, there were two reasons.

First, they often roamed ancient tombs in the wilderness and inevitably attracted bad luck. Entering someone’s home at will would bring disaster, and if the household worshipped a potent Mortal God, it would lead to conflict.

Second, it was related to the time of Fang Xian Dao. It was said that one branch of the treasure-seeking lineage served the Emperor Qin by risking their lives to search for the Immortal Elixir on mountains and seas. Yet, they, along with Fang Xian Dao, were later purged, giving rise to this ancestral commandment.

"The red-haired blood-faced ghost?"

Zhao Lvzi scratched his head, "I’ve heard of it."

"My father mentioned it. It was a technique used by Fang Xian Dao in ancient times, performed near some royal tombs. They would find places where Yin Evil Qi gathered and seal a person who died tragically in a coffin, planting a tree on top."

"Over time, this would form a Ghost Wall, making the ancient tomb in the mountain undetectable. During the Qin and Han periods, it was popular for a time, but because it was cruel and against natural harmony, it was banned. Yet secretly, some aristocratic families still hired people to perform it."

"As time passed, when the coffin’s seal broke, the wronged souls of those who died tragically would transform into the red-haired blood-faced ghost, but they would have fused with the old tree and could only be trapped in place."

"Wherever there is a red-haired blood-faced ghost, there must be a great tomb nearby. The Xun You Lineage used this as a clue to find the large Qin and Han tombs. The Guanzhong area was home to many Qin and Han royal and aristocratic tombs, so this legend spread."

Sha Lifei’s eyes brightened, "Is there a royal tomb in the mountain?"

Zhao Lvzi shook his head, "Even if there were, my Mountain Rushing Lineage would never enter a tomb. Besides, when I was here before, I didn’t find any red-haired blood-faced ghosts."

"As for why it appeared in recent years, I already guessed the reason."

"A few years ago, a group of bandits hiding from the court secretly took refuge in the mountains. It’s likely they were pretending to be gods and acting like devils to prevent the villagers from going up the mountain and discovering their stronghold. These guys are fierce, and I can’t handle them alone, so I need help."

Li Yan frowned, "Bandits, do they have a name?"

Zhao Lvzi thought for a moment and said, "I overheard them mention that their leader is called Yan Laojiu."

"The skinning King Yan?"

As soon as Sha Lifei heard this, his scalp tingled, "Why didn’t you say so earlier? If that guy is on the mountain, aren’t we going to our deaths? Plus, if there’s treasure, it’s probably been dug up by him!"

Li Yan shook his head upon hearing this.

There were many bandits in Guanzhong, and those who made a name for themselves in the green forest were not easy to deal with.

Yan Laojiu was originally a butcher in Chang’an City and had practiced excellent Blade Technique, becoming well-known on the street. He also married a beautiful and charming wife, so even though he engaged in a lowly trade, he lived a prosperous life.

Later, his wife had an affair with a young master from an aristocratic family. Yan Laojiu endured silently until one night, when the young master’s guards were absent, he caught the pair and skinned them alive, hanging their skins in the bustling city.

If it was just this, it wouldn’t have been so notable.

But after escaping from Chang’an City and becoming a bandit, whenever he raided, if he caught any young couples, regardless of the situation, he would skin them for fun, gradually earning the infamous title of "The Skinning King Yan."

If it were only Yan Laojiu hiding on the mountain, it would be quite a problem.

"They won’t find it!"

Zhao Lvzi, blushing, quickly said, "That lightning-stricken jujube wood already had spirituality and only appeared at specific times. I am the only one who knows its location."

"The bandit hideout is on the eastern old cliff, and the lightning-stricken jujube wood is in the western Leopard Gully. If we cut the tree at night and throw it into the river, we can leave the mountain, retrieve it downstream, and transport it back to Xianyang."

With that, he took out a sheepskin map for everyone to see.

Li Yan examined it closely and nodded, "There’s a chance, but you better tell us in advance if there’s any danger in Leopard Gully."

Zhao Lvzi replied, "The lightning-stricken jujube wood can ward off evil, and ordinary yin objects dare not approach. However, there are a few ferocious leopards in Leopard Gully that I can’t handle alone."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and said gravely, "Then let’s explore the mountain!"

"Also, Uncle Sha, go back to Chunhua County and prepare some thorny elm seeds."

...

Thorny elm seeds can hurt when pricked, fast and sharp, hence the name.

In the "Chu Ci," thorny elm is called "evil wood," meant to symbolize villains. The image of thorny elm fruits also inspired the pugilistic world’s hidden weapon "thorny elm seeds."

As for flesh-wrapped thorny elm, it was a sinister hunting method, wrapping thorny elm seeds in small pieces of meat and soaking them in pig blood to disguise the smell. Tigers and leopards, unable to tear them apart, would swallow them whole. Once in the stomach, as the intestines moved, the seeds would tear open the abdominal cavity.

Making it wasn’t difficult, and Sha Lifei quickly prepared a large bag. He tied up the sheepskin bag and joined the group heading towards the mountain.

Yetai Mountain wasn’t very tall but covered a large area, with its peaks overlapping and paths winding and twisty.

By the time they entered the mountain, it was already afternoon. It wasn’t long before the sky darkened, the bright moon hanging over the black mountain, and from afar, the howls of wolves and cries of tigers could be heard.

Sha Lifei shivered at the sound, complaining, "It would be better if we came by day. At night, we can’t see a thing."

Zhao Lvzi spoke dourly, "That lightning-stricken jujube wood, having absorbed the mountain’s Gang Qi, formed a small array. Of course, you can’t see it during the day, only at midnight under the moon’s glow."

With that, he moved forward and cleared away dry grass and vines under a rock face, revealing a small shrine.

Inside was an ancient stone-made Divine Statue, with its facial features worn and indistinct, only vaguely showing a man in a Confucian robe.

A tattered clay pot served as an incense burner, with marks of incense and candle burning but clearly left without a recent visitor.

Li Yan activated his Divine Skills with the Yang Jue gesture.

He smelled a faint aroma of incense, heavy in a way, though thinly spread, yet merging seamlessly with the mountain’s breath.

Zhao Lvzi somberly said, "Those who came before, herbalists or hunters, would come here to worship. But that got disrupted because of those bandits’ mischief."

From his backpack, he took out incense, candles, melons, and buns as offerings, performing the rituals with a particular grace, his eyes full of piety.

Observing this, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan also stepped forward to burn incense.

Sha Lifei kowtowed several times, "Mountain God, protect us, and if this journey succeeds, once we leave, I’ll notify the government to uproot these bandits for you!"

After the worship ceremony, they continued up the mountain.

Zhao Lvzi also reiterated the taboos of going up the mountain, such as not calling wild beasts by their true names and avoiding some areas, emphasizing that they should follow his lead.

Li Yan gripped the Guan Mountain Blade tightly, protecting Zhao Lvzi closely.

The Hidden Treasure Man, Zhao Lvzi, had awakened Eye Divine Power, not Yin Yang Eyes, but Qi Observation, allowing him to see as clearly at night as in the day.

Li Yan’s nose granted him Divine Skills to detect any unusual scents within hundreds of meters.

Their collaboration was, indeed, a perfect harmony.

Soon, they reached a fork in the mountain path.

Zhao Lvzi pointed to the east, "The bandit’s lair is that way. If we continue, we’ll encounter their hidden sentries, so let’s avoid them."

Sha Lifei whispered, "Let’s move quickly then, to avoid being discovered."

"Wait!"

However, Li Yan twitched his nose and looked east with a serious expression.

"Such a strong smell of rotting corpses!"