9. Beauty by My Side

Inside the chamber of bones, all those pale skeletons turned to look at him in unison, ghostly flames flickering in their hollow eye sockets, exuding a chilling intent that made one’s scalp prickle.

Third Uncle Chen immediately lowered his head and began to speak in a hushed tone.

Lin Guichen couldn’t make out what he was saying; all he could do was wait where he stood.

It was then that he noticed a familiar, petite figure coming to stand beside Third Uncle Chen, tilting her head to scrutinize the ancestor spirits within the bone house.

It was none other than the little Daoist child.

“Hm?”

Lin Guichen felt a sudden jolt of anxiety.

What if these ancestor spirits discovered the presence of the little Daoist child?

But his worries proved unnecessary.

None of the skeletons within the bone house stirred; none seemed to notice her at all.

The little Daoist child, gazing at the skeletal remains, suddenly snorted and muttered, “A bunch of evil spirits and false gods—it’s no wonder there are so many fiends and heretics in this place…”

She then turned back to Lin Guichen with a bewitching smile and said, “Among these ghostly gods, a few have barely grasped the doorway to the path. If you can sever the incense worship of any one of them, you’ll be qualified to seek an audience with the Patriarch Dao Ancestor…”

What?

Lin Guichen was taken aback.

There’s actually a Dao Ancestor?

He’d always thought that in this sect, there was only the Daoist child and the Daoist priest, and that the Dao Ancestor was merely a revered figure, little more than legend.

He hadn’t expected such a being to truly exist…

So, if he could sever the incense offerings received by a few of these ancestor spirits, he’d be qualified to meet the Dao Ancestor? Was there some great benefit to that?

But with the Chen clan being so powerful, he’d had to ambush just to kill Chen Zhonghai; let alone severing the incense offerings of their ancestral spirits—wouldn’t that be courting death?

Moreover, he had no idea how one would even go about severing the incense worship of these ghostly gods. He couldn’t exactly ask Third Uncle Chen—

“How would I go about severing the incense of your family’s ancestor gods?”

That would get him killed on the spot.

Best to focus on finding a chance to escape this marriage first.

At this moment, Lin Guichen saw that Third Uncle Chen, still kneeling at the front, had risen, apparently finished.

One of the skeletons within the bone house suddenly lifted its bony hand, seized a section of rib from its chest, and with a forceful snap broke off a small piece at the end.

Then, the skeleton tossed this small piece of rib out of the chamber.

Third Uncle Chen bent to pick up the rib, holding it respectfully in both hands as he slowly backed away.

Within the chamber, the skeletons resumed their deathly stillness.

“It is done,” Third Uncle Chen said, turning to Lin Guichen. He handed him the fragment of rib, saying, “Keep this bone with you at all times. As long as you don’t stray more than ten feet from it, you shouldn’t encounter much danger within the ancestral home.”

“Shouldn’t? Much?” Lin Guichen caught those critical words at once. “So there is still a chance of danger?”

“There’s nothing to be done,” Third Uncle Chen sighed helplessly. “Most of the ancestors don’t favor you. Only the one who watches over the eastern wing of the ancestral residence is willing to help. As long as you have this fragment of ancestor’s rib, no wandering fiends or malevolent spirits in the eastern wing will come near you at night. But elsewhere, there are no guarantees.”

“Wandering fiends? Malevolent spirits?” Lin Guichen pressed, “So if I just stay in the eastern wing at night?”

“That’s fine, of course,” Third Uncle Chen replied, shaking his head. “But sometimes, a wandering fiend or spirit from another part of the residence might stray into the eastern wing. It can’t be helped.”

Lin Guichen frowned.

He had the sense that Third Uncle Chen was being deliberate—afraid he might try to escape at night, so he was making sure Lin could only stay in the eastern wing after dark.

“Why are there wandering fiends and malevolent spirits in the Chen ancestral home?” Lin Guichen couldn’t help but ask.

“The reasons are complicated,” Third Uncle Chen replied, shaking his head. “You needn’t concern yourself with such matters.”

Lin Guichen sighed. “And if, at night, a fiend or spirit from another area does come for me, what should I do?”

“No need to worry,” Third Uncle Chen said calmly. “I can give you something. If you’re troubled by a wandering fiend or malevolent spirit from another wing, just kill them.”

“I can kill them?” Lin Guichen was surprised. “I thought the Chen family kept them around as guardians or something.”

“Of course not,” Third Uncle Chen shook his head, offering no further explanation. “Come, it’s getting dark. I’ll take you to your quarters in the ancestral home.”

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Lin Guichen asked in puzzlement, “Aren’t we supposed to visit Chen Linyu’s father and plead with the ancestor spirit above Chen Zhonghai?”

“It’s already night,” Third Uncle Chen replied. “I didn’t expect that, among the five guardian ancestor gods of the north, south, east, west, and center, only one would agree to protect you. You’ll have to wait until morning.”

…

By the time they left the so-called Celestial Hall and returned to the ancestral home, night had fully fallen.

As soon as darkness descended, Lin Guichen could tangibly sense the strangeness pervading the estate.

Perhaps because his spiritual aperture had been opened, his perception of such unclean things had grown much keener.

In the depths of night, in shadows unlit by lanterns, he felt as though countless sinister, wicked eyes were watching him, their gaze alone sending chills down his spine.

From the flowerbeds nearby, he heard rustlings, as if something was slithering through, accompanied by heavy breathing.

Occasionally, as he passed beneath trees, a shadow would flit swiftly behind the trunk.

Catching a glimpse by the cold moonlight, he was startled to realize it was a headless human figure.

All along the way back to the ancestral home, he encountered so many furtive, uncanny things that his scalp tingled and his back ran cold.

Were it not for Third Uncle Chen leading the way, he doubted he’d have made it alive to the eastern wing.

What secrets did the Chen ancestral home conceal, that it could allow such fiends to linger in the residence, and still let its members sleep soundly?

This made Lin Guichen temporarily abandon any plans of escaping under cover of night.

Despite the unnerving journey, he finally arrived at the eastern wing.

The moment he stepped into this area, the sensation of being watched and the bizarre noises vanished as though they had never existed, leaving him to wonder if they had been illusions.

He unconsciously reached into his pocket to feel the small piece of white bone.

Previously, he’d found it unnerving to carry a dead man’s bone, but now he dared not let it out of his sight.

True to his word, Third Uncle Chen had arranged a private courtyard for him, with a servant residing in an adjacent room—treatment reserved for only the highest members of the Chen family.

“You should rest well tonight. Don’t sleep just yet—soon Zichu will bring you something for self-defense.”

Third Uncle Chen offered little more, then left.

Not long after, Su Zichu arrived with three sticks of incense and a small pouch of fine white ash, enough for a couple of handfuls.

“These three sticks of incense will keep evil spirits from invading your dreams. If a fiend or ghostly spirit comes near, the scent will change and wake you—just light them before you sleep.

“Remember, don’t extinguish the incense with your breath; wave it out with your hand. When you wake, snuff it out.

“This bag of ash—you must use it with care. It’s taken from the bottom of the Sun Furnace and is highly lethal to fiends and spirits. Keep it close at night; if you sense one coming for you, grab a handful and scatter it at them.

“But don’t worry too much. The ancestor gods make pacts with the fiends and spirits here at intervals, so most of them won’t cause trouble—only new arrivals might not follow the rules.

“It’s a rare occurrence.

“Use the incense and ash sparingly. If you run out, ask Third Uncle for more.

“Lastly, the maid assigned to attend you is only for your daily needs—nothing else. You must not lose your vital yang essence.

“That’s all Third Uncle asked me to tell you—rest well.”

Su Zichu repeated Third Uncle’s instructions in detail, then left the side room of the little courtyard.

In the chilly, empty room, Lin Guichen was left alone, the candlelight flickering faintly.

“Not even a lightbulb…”

He sighed, glancing around. Aside from a few dull, tattered books, there was nothing to pass the time.

He found himself longing for the days when he could lie in bed and watch videos on his phone.

Such backward times—what boredom…

“Other than sleep, there’s nothing to do—and I have to sleep alone…”

Sitting in the emptiness, Lin Guichen felt the unfamiliarity and loneliness all the more keenly. No wonder the ancients rose at dawn and slept at dusk—there was nothing to stay up for at night…

“Oh, right.”

He suddenly turned to the little Daoist child crouched not far away and asked, “How often will you give me the elixir now?”

She eyed him, clicking her tongue with playful amusement. “Quieter than before, but you’ll have to wait twenty days.”

“Twenty days?” Lin Guichen was puzzled, holding up the fragment of rib. “Didn’t you say the fiends and spirits in the east wing won’t bother me, and those from other wings are only a rare occurrence? Is it really so dangerous?”

The little Daoist child only smiled enigmatically, offering no answer.

“Secrets of heaven can’t be revealed, huh? Fine, I’ll just sleep.”

Unable to figure it out, and feeling drowsy, Lin Guichen lit the three sticks of incense from Third Uncle, tucked the pouch of white ash into his pocket, and lay down to sleep.

—

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Before long, he fell into a deep slumber.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

In the fog of sleep, he heard a strange rustling, and suddenly caught a peculiar, stimulating scent drifting to his nose. He snapped his eyes open and looked around the room.

It was still empty and silent, the only light a small flame on the table’s candlestick.

Lin Guichen let out a breath.

Nothing there… But why did his body feel so heavy?

Then he became aware of faint breathing by his ear. Instinctively, he turned his head.

By the dim candlelight, he saw an enchanting and beautiful face lying beside his on the pillow, her eyes closed. She seemed like a longtime companion, and when she opened her eyes in annoyance at being disturbed, she pouted, “Husband, why are you awake so soon?”

Who are you, lady? Lin Guichen was still dazed.

But he remembered there had only been one pillow on the bed, and now she was lying on it—so what had he been using as a pillow?

Strange, so soft…

Glancing down, Lin Guichen felt as though plunged into an icy abyss, instantly wide awake.

He didn’t see the graceful body of the woman he expected, but instead, a preternaturally long neck, like a python, ran right under his own neck, serving as his pillow.

Below that, a serpent’s body covered in white scales was tightly coiled around his torso and limbs!

A human head, snake body?

A fiend? A malevolent spirit?

He had no idea what kind of creature she was, nor how she had managed to slip into his bed.

All he knew was that her body was incredibly supple, and her tail was rubbing against a rather sensitive spot.

If this went on, he might earn himself a new title as a hero of the wilds.

“Husband, let’s enjoy ourselves…”

She suddenly raised her head, elongating her slender neck, winding it around his own, her alluring face hovering above his, lips parting to reveal a tongue as red and slender as a snake’s.

Her tongue slowly traced his cheek, leaving a trail of sticky moisture.

The scent from her saliva had some peculiar effect, making him feel feverish, his blood surging, his body hardening like iron.

Her supple serpent’s body coiled ever tighter around him.

“Alright,” Lin Guichen licked his lips. “You’re so beautiful, who could refuse? So… will you take the lead?”

Surprise flickered in the enchanting woman’s eyes, but then her tail slithered down, sensing his reaction, and she laughed with delight, wrapping herself tighter.

“As you wish, husband—let me serve you~”

Smiling, she gazed at the youth’s burning eyes, loosening her grip, preparing to move and quickly drain his vital essence, then his energy and life, so she could return and report.

With such a frail body, he probably wouldn’t last a moment…

But just then—

Lin Guichen suddenly wrenched himself free from her relaxing coils, reached into his pocket, and smeared a handful of fine white ash across her beautiful face.

“A pity you’re not quite pretty enough—let me powder your face a bit.”

The moment the ash touched her skin, it sizzled as if boiling oil had been poured on her, white smoke billowing forth.

Her alluring face instantly began to char and blacken, turning hideous and grotesque.

“Aaaahhh!!”

She convulsed, contorted in agony, her mouth opening wide in a screech of pain.

Feeling her grip loosen, Lin Guichen didn’t hesitate—he grabbed another handful of ash and flung it into her gaping mouth.

Smoke poured from her throat; this time, she couldn’t even scream, only writhed in anguished silence, releasing him completely, tumbling off the bed, overturning furniture, curling herself tightly and rolling across the floor.

Lin Guichen rolled off the bed and crouched nearby, ready, the last handful of ash still in his grasp.

If the creature tried to flee, he’d throw the rest.

Soon enough, the snake-bodied, human-headed monster ceased all movement, its form engulfed in white smoke.

When the smoke cleared, all that remained was a pile of ash on the floor.