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Evil As Humans - Chapter 111

Published at 16th of May 2023 08:44:42 AM


Chapter 111

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Chapter 111: Ancestral Hall

The mountains in Haigu were different from those in Gengsheng Town. They lay on the outskirts of the city and were dangerous and steep. The cliffs were sharp like knives, and the teeth of the mountains were jagged. Many areas prohibited tourists from entering, saving the time to even find their bones.

The Fu family lived on such a mountain.

The Fu family mansion had been passed down for hundreds of years and was considered a cultural relic. The Fu family had lived here for generations, and the original residence had expanded, similar to the ant’s nest. They were embedded in the strange peaks and stones, forming a scene of their own.

In the wide courtyard, from time to time, old giant trees twisted their branches, casting large shadows. The chirping of the cicadas from the tree trunks sounded so loud that it gave people headaches. Fortunately, the mountains were much cooler than the city center, so at least the environment wasn’t as irritable.

After his older sister notified him, Fu Xingchuan finally got permission to enter the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was at the very center of the entire complex.

The topography of that place was particularly weird, like a depression in the gap squeezed out by several mountains. It was shaped like an inverted bell, and the bottom was always filled with endless mist. To enter the ancestral hall, he had to walk down a spiral of wooden steps.

Of course, after the Fu family entered the new era, the wooden steps were all reinforced with alloy materials, and solid handrails were installed so people wouldn’t die when trying to meet their ancestors.

The body of the “ancestor” was very fragile. Before seeing the “ancestor” the less impurities on his body, the better, so it was best not to meet anyone before.

Fu Xingchuan went to an empty room alone to bathe, shave, and burn incense. He cleaned himself up from head to toe and put on a red tunic smoked with fragrant wood. Even the tassel earring he was wearing was also specially treated.

After taking care of himself, he dipped a willow branch into the cold mountain spring water and walked towards the deepest part of the courtyard.

There were corridors leading to the ancestral halls in different regions. The above-mentioned stone and wood materials were repaired, and they were all painted in bright red colors. Fu Xingchuan walked on the promenade, waving the willow branch lightly and sprinkling water beads in front of him from time to time.

Oddly enough, the water on the willow branch was endless. Even though Fu Xingchuan had swung it multiple times, the jade-like willow leaves were still stained with dew.

Birds chirped and cicadas buzzed along the corridor, while the shrubs rustled in the wind, casting their shadows in the corridor. On occasion, a few cats would run across the promenade. One black cat stared at Fu Xingchuan curiously for a while. In its clear eyes, the red figure moved forward intently without raising his head.

The black cat shook its tail, jumped lightly on the beam of the room, and followed after its companion.

The deeper he ventured into the complex, the lower the surrounding temperature. When he walked in front of the “ancestral hall pit”, a thin mist overflowed from around the mountain pit and spread against the turf.

Fu Xingchuan chanted a few times silently, and the water droplets on the willow branch dispersed. The willow branch stood straight up, and a cluster of spherical blue flames ignited at the end. The mist dissipated as soon as it was touched, forking a path.

On the rock wall of the pit, countless statues of gods were carved, and bright murals were painted in places where it was inconvenient to carve. Compared with the cold air of the ant’s nest, the murals here were quite charming. Those statues also had different expressions and were upright and awe-inspiring.

It was just that they had a new and old look, and some seemed as if they were moved from elsewhere.

They were all things that Fu Xingchuan had seen since he was a child, and they carried the spiritual substance of the Fu family for thousands of years. Although other families would enshrine this person, after thousands of years, only the Fu family maintained an almost old-fashioned fear.

Portraits, stone statues, and the theme were all about the “Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi”.

Among them, the “big and round waist” style was the most popular. There were also some thin and long “xianweng*” models. Some of these images held nine-ring knives, while others were holding elegant long knives. His facial features and clothes were all different, so it was hard to say that they were the same person.

*(仙翁) Depiction of an immortal (god) in the form of an old man.

What had always remained the same was the unrighteous aura.

…Hehe, the unrighteous aura.

As Fu Xingchuan held the wicker, his facial features wrinkled into a chrysanthemum.

He hoped that the ancestor worshipped Zhong Yi only for some kind of “righteous spirit”. Otherwise, if the old man knew the truth, he would not know how disillusioned he would be.

Fu Xingchuan couldn’t help but think about what happened not long ago—

The matter of Gengsheng Town came to an end, and the first thing he did when he rushed back to Shian was to retrieve all relevant information about Zhong Yi. No one had investigated this Great Celestial Master thousands of years ago in detail before, so it took considerable effort to gather the statistical data.

The conclusion was shocking.

In the metaphysical world, everyone knew Zhong Yi’s name, but he couldn’t find any information that could be regarded as official records. Most of Zhong Yi’s records were specious unofficial histories and legends, or vague descriptions.

The only “true record” left by the Great Celestial Master was <The Book of Exorcism>, which recorded a large amount of information about evil things and countless exquisite spells.

This had been the case for thousands of years, and this had almost become the customary status quo. No one thought carefully about the hidden logic behind it.

To obtain such detailed information to compile <The Book of Exorcism>, Huajisi must’ve had contact with Zhong Yi himself.

Huajisi regarded this information as their life, so even if the emperor asked to destroy the records, they would always keep the truth. Unless Huajisi themselves wanted to deliberately conceal it…

If Zhong Yi was really a talented and cynical hero, what was there to hide?

Fu Xingchuan knew Shian and Sunken Society better than anyone else. It was impossible for such a special evil to exist that could make Sunken Society study it for more than a thousand years, yet Shian didn’t get a whiff of it?

A terrible conjecture gradually took shape.

Could it be that the man in red who commanded ten thousand ghosts was Zhong Yi?

And Yin Ren, who hinted and guided them all the way, exposed his terrifying strength in front of Qi Xin…

“Reasonable.” Facing Fu Xingchuan’s stumbling narration, Li Nian concluded with this word.

Perhaps this was the benefit of a science post, Fu Xingchuan thought sadly.

To them, “Zhong Yi” was the same as the “God of Nature, Balakabra”, who was worshiped by the indigenous people of the next hemisphere. It was just a cultural entry without the slightest impact of the collapse of faith.

When Fu Xingchuan thought of the pious pilgrimage in front of the statue of Zhong Yi before, his mood turned sour.

He almost had a heart attack.

“Based on what you said, Zhong Yi is the evil in red, and Yin Ren is most likely Zhong Yi himself.”

Li Nian ignored his partner’s distorted face. “When he first came to Shian, Yin Ren’s tone had characteristics of the ancient language of the Gong Dynasty. And if the evil qi vibration that night was caused by Zhong Yi himself, who sealed six Evil Spirits, such an exaggerated value would make sense… The abnormality that you and I observed in the cafeteria was also that kid teasing us.”

Professor Li tightened his grip on the thermos cup, but his face was calm.

“I have studied literature and materials related to Zhong Yi. Assuming that this inference is true, many contradictions can be explained.”

“You said that when Yin Ren fought Qi Xin, he was wearing a red outfit that was decorated with many seals and spirit weapons. In Zhong Yi’s record, there is a record that shows ‘walking alone, elusive’.”

“There are many unofficial legends and folk histories, but there’s no similar story of ‘encountering an evil thing and being rescued by Zhong Yi in person’. This is a classic routine of encountering strange people in ancient times, but there is no such record for the Great Celestial Master.”

Fu Xingchuan’s face was pale. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Are you trying to say…”

“Whether Zhong Yi is a human or a ghost, he should be surrounded by heavy evil qi, or even Evil Force. He self-sealed himself with spirit weapons and stayed away from the masses, which is why he rarely made contact with people.”

“However, there should be people who can see him from a distance. Sunken Society, who would risk people’s lives, would definitely find a way to meet him.”

As Li Nian spoke, he used a tablet to bring up a few pictures.

It was a very old ancestral hall mural, painted with a tall young man in red clothing with blurred facial features. His red clothes were adorned with armor-like things. There was another simple painting of him in a scarlet cloak. Zhong Yi wore a mask and was wrapped in the cloak, so only a part of the golden armor on his chest was exposed.

The Zhong Yi of the two paintings wasn’t burly, and his body shape was closer to that of ordinary people.

“This was the earliest portrait of Zhong Yi, something like a ‘painting of God’. Latecomers often use their impressions to make up for the omissions of the former and finally change their appearance.”

Li Nian moved his fingers, and countless portraits of Zhong Yi were arranged in chronological order.

Fu Xingchuan looked at the red figure with a blurred face. The youthful figure eventually turned into a strong man wearing a helmet and red cloth light armor. As time progressed, the painter’s painting skills gradually improved.

The rough red cloth armor turned into fine gold armor decorated with red lines. The helmet disappeared, revealing the appearance of a fierce general with a leopard head and ring eyes.

In a daze, Fu Xingchuan seemed to see “something” evolving.

…But conjecture wasn’t enough.

Maybe if he checked again, he would find that Yin Ren was just playing tricks!

Otherwise, how could he accept that a legendary figure… was a legendary evil?……

Thinking of the appearance of Yin Ren slumping in the beverage bar, sucking on a soda, he really couldn’t imagine how such a thing could seal six Evil Spirits.

After the painful thought, Fu Xingchuan decided to return home to find a “witness”. Li Nian happened to follow Hao Wenzhe back to the mountain town to investigate the “unidentified” imitation.

At that moment, Fu Xingchuan walked down step by step. The lower the terrain, the older the mural statues around him became. Unlike Shian of the past, this time he experienced a “back to basics”.

The golden armor turned into civilian clothes, and the nine-ring sword melted into a half-length weapon. The domineering face gradually blurred, blending into the pattern of the weird mask.

Click.

Fu Xingchuan’s feet touched the wet bluestone slab.

The ancestral hall was built after the fall of the Gong Dynasty but still retained the typical architectural style of that era. Its shape was close to the tower, and the decoration was full of stone materials with carvings that were simple and atmospheric. The entire tower presented the gray stone itself, and only two gates were painted in dark red.

…If there weren’t any antennas and air conditioners outside the tower, it was almost a sacred and solemn place.

Fu Xingchuan clenched the green willow branch in his right hand, bit a finger in his left hand, and drew a complicated array on the stone gate with his blood.

In the rumble, the huge stone gate slowly moved away.

“Fu Xingchuan?”

An old, hoarse voice sounded from behind the door.

Fu Xingchuan lowered his head politely. “Great Ancestor.”

One of the ancestors of the Fu family, the director of the Huajisi 900 years ago, Fu Wuya.

According to today’s classification, this person should have been considered a powerful “Charon” 900 years ago. However, his ending was probably similar to that of Minister Jiao.

Fu Xingchuan raised his head.

There was no one in front of him; just a willow tree that led directly to the top of the tower.

The branches of the willow tree were green and were softly tangled together, like octopus tentacles. The green branches didn’t have soft willow leaves, but the hairs were the thickness of blood vessels.

The skin on the trunk was unexpectedly smooth, and the soft blue veins protruding from the thick fingers rushed straight to Fu Xingchuan’s side, revealing a human face that could vaguely be seen…

The man’s facial features were of different sizes, distorted and deformed, and scattered all over the trunk of the tree. One eye on the tree was as big as a human head, with an unnaturally large pupil, while the other was half as big as a human eye, barely counting as a “face”.

“It’s really Xingchuan. You’ve grown so big.” The man with long arms opened his mouth and spoke clearly. “What are you doing here?’

“To ask you about ‘Zhong Yi’.”

Fu Xingchuan didn’t look at the giant eye—the giant eye was pitch black and made people feel palpitations and uneasiness.

“Huh?”

Fu Wuya blinked, not hiding the surprise in his tone.

“A few days ago, I found an evil suspect who was ‘Zhong Yi’,” Fu Xingchuan continued respectfully. “That evil can perfectly disguise itself as an adult human. During battle, it was covered with red cloth, decorated with countless sealed spirit weapons, and wore bells on its ankles. It rides on Yellow Millet and can make such a powerful evil thing bow its head, so its strength is unfathomable.”

He decided to omit parts that were too shattering.

Fu Wuya: “……”

Fu Wuya: “My dear grandson. I was in charge of Huajisi 900 years ago. Grand Master Zhong was a figure from more than a thousand years ago. If it were you, do you know what happened in Shian hundreds of years ago?”

Fu Xingchuan: “I thought you would at least have knowledge of…”

“We were very busy back then and didn’t have time to investigate the legend in detail.” Fu Wuya lamented, twisting his deformed face. “I can only tell you one thing—at my time, there were no records of anything relevant to Zhong Yi in Huajisi except for <The Book of Exorcism>. If someone deliberately changed the record, it would definitely be before my generation.”

Speaking of this, Fu Wuya’s tone became serious.

“The Fu family has ancestral precepts and must not be disrespectful to Grand Master Zhong. No matter whether he’s an evil or a person, if you can verify it, you need to give him 120,000 respects. If that evil thing is messing around with Grand Master Zhong’s name, you must eliminate it.”

“Yes.”

“But since you want to investigate the matter in depth… Xingchuan, some things should be left unsaid. When you don’t need to delve into it, don’t.”

“There are some unnatural things. Since it has become ‘accustomed to’, naturally there’s a reason for it. If you explore too much, be careful not to end up like me.”

Fu Wuya continued in a slow voice as his deformed eyes turned.

“For example?” Fu Xingchuan couldn’t hold back from asking.

“You have memorized <The Book of Exorcism> since you were five years old and can easily recite it. Have you ever thought about the unnaturalness of it?”

Fu Wuya’s eyes, one big and one small, turned at the same time, and his scattered facial features twisted into a ball, looking extraordinarily terrifying.

“No matter how weak or rare an evil thing is, once discovered, it will occupy a separate record. Even if the evil species are countless, Huajisi still counts and classifies them carefully.”

“The six Evil Spirits, regardless of strength, ability, and form, are all different, with only a few commonalities that are general… But they are all classified as ‘Evil Spirits’ and have not been classified separately.”

“The records left by ‘people’ cannot be trusted.”

The “human tree” chuckled, but his voice was chilling.

“People can lie, Fu Xingchuan.”

The air conditioner in the tower was turned to the max, but Fu Xingchuan’s back was drenched in cold sweat.

The person in red controlled thousands of evil beings, and so did that imitation in Gengsheng Town. No matter how he looked at it, it should be this kind of “special evil” that commands all ghosts.

So who moved the title of “Ghost King”, the commander of those ghosts, to Evil Spirit?

There must be hidden secrets behind “Zhong Yi”.

“If you really don’t have a clue, I have a solution. Why don’t I do a divination to see how long you will live?”

Seeing that Fu Xingchuan seemed to have some understanding, Fu Wuya shook his branches.

Fu Xingchuan knew the subtext of his ancestor.

“Zhong Yi” reappeared in the world with thousands of mysteries. If there was a huge conspiracy behind him, his remaining lifespan could be used as a side reference.

Fu Wuya: “But you have to think about it. Knowing your lifespan isn’t a good thing…”

“Thank you.”

Fu Wuya was silent for a moment.

A wicker brushed against the back of Fu Xingchuan’s hand violently, leaving a light bloodstain. A few drops of blood stained the willow branches and were absorbed in an instant.

In the giant eyes, the dark pupils suddenly shrank.

“Fi…” Fu Wuya’s voice trembled a little.

Fu Xingchuan held his breath.

Five years? …Or five days?

“Fifty-three years,” Fu Wuya murmured. “This isn’t reasonable. As far as your physical condition is concerned, how can this be possible?”

Fu Xingchuan: “……”

Fu Xingchuan: “Goodbye, Great Ancestor.”

Fu Wuya clicked his tongue and waved the willow branches.

“Leave as soon as you can. I can’t stand the breath of the living.” Fu Wuya half-closed his eyes. “…Oh, before you go, remember to help me tighten the cable on the TV screen. The screen has been cutting in and out for the past two days.”

Fu Xingchuan was speechless.

With such a comparison, Yin Ren was probably, not so strange… Perhaps longevity could really change a person’s character.

……

Haigu, afternoon.

Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo got in a taxi. Yin Ren’s face was no longer gloomy as he looked around curiously, finally stopping his gaze on Zhong Chengshuo’s face.

Zhong Chengshuo was looking at him.

“No angry anymore?” Comrade Xiao Zhong asked solemnly.

“Nn, I’m not angry anymore,” Yin Ren replied confidently.

Zhong Chengshuo took a deep breath. “Okay, then I decided to start being difficult.”

“?” The smile on Yin Ren’s face froze at the corner of his mouth.

“I care a little about what you just said, and I decided to show it.” Zhong Chengshuo was sitting upright. “Are you ready?”

Kinky Thoughts:

LMAO, all these evil spirits just want to be salted fish. 

Just to clarify again, the term “evil” when used to describe these ghosts and monsters is not necessarily because they are inherently evil but it’s simply describing a supernatural being.





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