CHAPTER 281: THE DEAD-FISH-EYED OLD WOMAN, THE PRAYER BEADS

Luzhu’s face flushed crimson as her sisters teased her, and the pale skin of her cheeks were tinged with shyness.

She couldn’t help but spit back at them, “You hussies, mind your tongues! Careful, or I’ll go tell Madam on you!”

Inside the room, Li Yanchu’s senses were keen; every word reached his ears. He only smiled faintly and paid it no mind.

The meal was not extravagant, but it was refined and delicious, carrying the simple flavors of a mountain village. The Zhao family’s fengshui had clearly been evaluated by someone before, as they had prosperous descendants and peace within the household.

For once, Li Yanchu allowed himself to relax. This was no ghost village or cursed dwelling; he had already verified that much with his Clearheart Jade Pendant and the Qi Sight.

After finishing his meal and taking a short rest, he went out into the courtyard to practice the Divine Astral Hands. This martial art was fierce and domineering, suiting his temperament perfectly. After Divine Astral Hands came Primordial Chaos Technique and the Six Yang Saber Art.

His martial progress advanced rapidly; his sinews, bones, skin, and flesh grew ever sturdier, his vital energy richer and more abundant.

When night deepened, he sat cross-legged to meditate, beginning his study of the Longhu Golden Alchemy Method.

This alchemical method followed the path of the internal alchemy[1], untouched by evil, immune to all spells.

Even with Li Yanchu’s extraordinary talent, cultivating it was no simple feat. As of now, he had yet to condense the seed of the Golden Alchemy Method. If his old Daoist teacher knew this, he would surely flick him on the forehead!

That teacher had only succeeded in cultivation at the age of thirty, representing Mount Longhu as he roamed the world, slaying demons and sharpening his Dao heart. It wasn’t until the age of thirty-three that he comprehended this Golden Alchemy Method method.

Yet Li Yanchu, after such a short time, already aimed to master it. To outsiders, it would sound like sheer delusion. He sat upright on the bed in a Five Hearts Facing Heaven posture, gazing inward at his dantian’s sea of qi.

There, a pure current of spirit qi had formed a vortex, constantly drawing in Divine Dao aura and lightning aura from without. His Longhu Golden Alchemy Method method had already reached its first threshold! Such talent would move even the great Daoist spiritual masters of Mount Longhu.

Besides this, each day he also cultivated the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram Visualization Method, strengthening his divine soul.

Just as Li Yanchu was in practice, his primordial spirit suddenly sensed a faint demonic aura. This was thanks to the Taiji visualization, as it made his perception keener than usual.

He withdrew his spellwork and opened his eyes. With a gaze as deep as an abyss, he turned toward one part of the Zhao family residence.

Old Master Zhao had died early, and the affairs of the household were now all in the hands of the Old Madam Zhao. Although she was already in her sixties, her eyes showed no trace of cloudiness, and her mind remained remarkably clear. She was a lay devotee who practiced at home; she was vegetarian in diet, and she recited sutras daily. What was rare was that she treated both monks and Daoists with equal courtesy and respect.

Old Madam Zhao’s residence was attended by two handmaidens who slept in the outer room. One was named Caixia[2], the other was Luzhu, whom Li Yanchu had seen earlier that day.

Caixia had long since fallen into a deep sleep, but Luzhu’s mind was restless, and her cheeks were faintly flushed. She couldn’t drive from her thoughts the handsome features and upright figure of Li Yanchu. The teasing of the other maids during the day had not been wrong, as Luzhu truly had developed feelings.

On most nights she would already be asleep by this hour, but tonight she tossed and turned.

The Zhao family was the wealthiest household in Jingou Official Village, and Old Master Zhao had once been a county magistrate. Yet never before had Luzhu seen such a young, handsome Daoist priest as Li Yanchu.

As the saying went, A young girl’s heart is quick to stir. How could Luzhu not be moved?

Suddenly, she heard faint noises in the courtyard. At first she thought it might be a stray cat or dog. But listening more carefully, she realized the sound, though soft, was clearly that of human footsteps. Yet those steps seemed somewhat unsteady.

Luzhu’s heart jolted, her eyes widening. Could it be a thief!?

She reached over to shake Caixia awake, but tonight Caixia slept with unusual heaviness, showing no response. Luzhu furrowed her delicate brows, put on an outer robe, and steeled her courage to approach the door.

Rustle... rustle...

The footsteps in the courtyard seemed to pace back and forth, circling. Holding her breath, Luzhu bent down and peeked through a crack in the door.

The moonlight faintly illuminated the courtyard. There, in the center, a white-haired old crone shuffled about. Her face was lined with deep furrows, her back was hunched, and her frame was frail with age. Her steps were slow and halting.

“Gasp!”

Luzhu couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the cry rising in her throat. At this dead of night, where had such a white-haired old woman come from?

The Zhao household was heavily guarded, and its great gates were locked tight. After dark, Old Madam Zhao’s courtyard was always secured. So how had this old crone gotten inside? Could it be... a ghost!?

A chill spread over Luzhu’s scalp, her hands and feet going cold. She wanted to turn and wake Caixia, but her body felt numb. Against her will, she leaned back toward the crack in the door to peek outside again.

Beyond the door was pitch darkness.

“Huh?” Luzhu’s heart sank, a trace of unease rising.

Just moments ago, there had still been a faint glow outside, how had it turned into such impenetrable blackness in the blink of an eye?

Suddenly, that darkness shifted. The pitch-black scene blinked. It was an eye!

“Ah!” Luzhu let out an involuntary cry, her soft body stumbling backward. Her face blanched with terror. That white-haired old woman had been crouching right at the doorway, staring back at her through the crack in the wood.

Luzhu opened her mouth wide, but found no sound would come out.

Creak!

The door, which had been shut, swung open.

There she was, the old crone with the sallow face, standing in the doorway with a sinister, chilling air.

“What a tender little girl... still awake so late at night?” The old woman fixed her dead-fish eyes[3] on Luzhu, licking her lips.

Luzhu tried to struggle, but her limbs no longer obeyed her. She could only watch helplessly as the dead-fish-eyed crone shuffled closer and closer.

It was like falling into an ice cellar, and terror crushed down on her entire being. She wanted to scream for help, but no sound came out of her throat. She was so desperate she was nearly in tears.

“The heart and liver of a young girl... so tender, so delicious. Truly irresistible.” The old woman’s voice oozed malice. Her withered, icy, rigid hand reached out and caressed Luzhu’s cheek.

Seeing this, Luzhu felt as if the very blood in her body had frozen still.

Whoosh! A sudden gale swept in.

The dead-fish-eyed crone lifted her head sharply, raising a hand to swat aside a string of prayer beads flying through the air. At this time, white smoke hissed from her palm. She bared her teeth in pain, her face twisting into a hideous snarl.

It was Old Madam Zhao! The dignified and kindly old matron now wore a face full of righteous fury as she shouted, “What kind of demon dares to sneak into my household and harm people!?”

She had long been a vegetarian and devoted to Buddhist chanting, and she was steeped in the aura of Buddha, which was why she had awakened.

In her bones there was a natural decisiveness; after managing the household for so many years, she naturally exuded a commanding presence.

“No wonder you are the wife of the great Philanthropist Zhao, you truly have some courage. But unfortunately, those prayer beads of yours are nothing more than incense-soaked trinkets. They cannot be considered a true magical artifact. Otherwise... you might indeed have wounded me!” the dead-fish-eyed crone spoke with venomous hatred.

Though Old Madam Zhao was but a mortal, her eyes shone with spirit, showing no trace of fear.

“Demon, how dare you harm the innocents, do you not know Heaven watches all? Are you not afraid of divine retribution!?”

1. Neidan, or internal alchemy, is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Daoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. ☜

2. 彩霞 (Cǎixiá, “Colorful Clouds at Sunset”) is a poetic name evoking beauty, grace, and natural elegance. 彩 (cǎi, “colorful”) suggests vibrancy and brightness, while 霞 (xiá, “rosy clouds” or “sunset glow”) conveys a sense of fleeting beauty and serenity. ☜

3. Literally, the term 死鱼眼 refers to the eyes of a dead fish. It describes a person whose eyes appear lifeless or protruding and carries a derogatory connotation, someone might say, “Look at those deadfish eyes,” implying disgust or ridicule. Additionally, buses with headlights resembling deadfish eyes are sometimes nicknamed “deadfish” as well. ☜