Book 5: Chapter 50: The truth gradually surfaces, (2)


    The chief wasnt in a hurry to talk about what happened ten days after the wedding. Instead, he started talking about the past again. The topics jumped back and forth without any regrity. However, from what he spoke about the viges past, from hisment over the peace the powerful yet kind Witch Doctor Ah Bai maintained for fifteen years, and from the various hints in his words, Ruan Zhan slowly understood Ah Yas past.


    It turns out that after Ah Ya and Ah Wu were epted as apprentices by Ah Bai, they werent trained for very long. Not three years had passed when Ah Bai disappeared mysteriously. However, Ah Yas powers ofprehension were very high. His master seemed to have unleashed his talent. The moment he understood his own powers, he seemed to be teaching himself. His powers grew stronger and stronger. Although he wasnt as extraordinary as Ah Bai, he was able to handle many matters for the vige when he was only eighteen. The older he got the more people revered him. At such a young age, he became the most outstanding sorcerer in these mountains.


    However he wasnt as kindhearted as Ah Bai. He would charge for his services, yet no ones powers came close to his. Matters others couldnt resolve were easily handled by him. His prices were also reasonable so the vigers didnt mind.


    As for Ah Wu, although they trained under the same master, and she also remained in the octagonal building after Ah Bai disappeared, studying witchcraft with Ah Ya until they became of age, her powers were much weaker than his. Despite this, she was still the most powerful witch in the area.


    This meant that since Ah Wu made a mistake and was severely punished, she must have offended Ah Ya. Apart from him, no one else was powerful enough to make Ah Wu not dare return to the vige and live like a savage in the woods.


    Furthermore, Huang Bo Heng had personally said Ah Wu wont have any good oue after offending him. Since he was just a puppet, his thoughts were those of his puppet master. When he said me, it was actually the mastermind speaking. His actions were actually those of the puppet master. This mastermind was most likely Ah Ya.


    Yet how did she offend him? What mistake did she make? Was it because they came from the same master, or did she mess up one of his ns?


    Based on Huang Shi Tous¹ past and the feeling Ruan Zhan got when they exchanged blows, Ruan Zhan felt he must have personally created many Gu techniques and spells. Witch Doctor Ah Bai had been so kind, she definitely didnt know how to make such vileness, let alone have the time to teach him.


    Did Ah Bai intentionally mention taking on apprentices in her vision to Xiao Xia? How was Si Ma Nan rted to all this?


    If you guys can find my cousin Ah Wu, see if you can help her. The chiefs sigh interrupted their thoughts. I know shes hiding after offending Ah Ya, but I dont know what she did. Seeing her live in the woods like a savage, unable to return home, my heart.although she has divine power and ages more slowly, shes still almost seventy.


    Dont worry, well definitely help her. Ruan Zhan promised.


    The chief nodded gratefully. Speaking of which, Ive recalled something. When Ah Wangs dad passed away, cousin Ah Wu made a trip back. She stood within the trees and seemed like she wanted to say something. I had her go back at the time. Apart from me, no one else knows shes still alive. I dont want anything else to happen to her. Who knows whether Ah Ya is still alive? Ever since those twenty-something vigers disappeared, he disappeared as well. However, since cousin Ah Wu is still very afraid, he must still be alive.


    How did so many people disappear? It cant be without a trace, right? Wan Li asked.


    It was precisely without a trace. The chief muttered. He rolled up another pipe of tobo before he started talking about that matter.


    A few days after the wedding, Ah Ya sat outside the bamboo building staring into space. He would re at anyone walking past, making others feel afraid. However, he would roam around in the wilderness at night. No one knew what he was up to, but everyone felt more and more afraid. It seemed something big was about to happen. On the tenth night, he suddenly remained home and lit all the oilmps. That night was especially dark, without any moonlight. It was pitch ck everywhere. Only his house was brightly lit. It looked like antern in the distance.


    People were already too scared to sleep to begin with. Even the dogs hid in their houses, not daring toe out. I, as the vige chief, and a few elders were the only exceptions. We holed up over in the Liang familys house. Their house was across from Ah Yas and was also more elevated. We could spy on the situation clearly from there.


    All the doors of his house were wide open. Ah Ya sat next to the fire pit. He had surrounded himself with oilmps in addition to the fire within the pit. He seemed to sense us watching him. He actually turned and smiled towards the Liang familys house. This smile scared our souls into almost leaving our bodies. We saw clearly that his eyeballs werent normal. The pupils had mixed with the whites of his eyes and they gleamed coldly like two silver balls.


    He just sat there, asionally throwing some strange objects into the fire pit. Looking closely, they were all unknown nts or the limbs and furs of some animal. Whenever those things were thrown in, the fire would fizzle and shoot up over a foot. However, those mes chilled our hearts. Not only were they weirdly green, the shape was like a hand reaching out, trying to grab something. It made me recall the appearance of his parents corpses!


    Furthermore, when those strange things burned, they gave off an indescribable smell. It was kind of sweet and slightly burnt. It could be called fragrant, but there was also a smell of manure. The smell made us drowsy. I knew Ah Ya was nning on doing something detrimental to the vige and tried desperately to stay awake. I burned my own hand with my tobo pipe, but my eyelids were still heavy. All the others had fallen asleep.


    At that moment, Ah Ya suddenly stood up. He had grabbed a ck cat from somewhere and hung a small bell around its neck. Then, he said something to the cat and it obediently left the house and ran towards the vige. This wasnt a big deal, but the strange thing was that the smoke from the fire pit hadnt dispersed. It hung over the pit like a lid. The moment the cat left, it became like a ball of thread that was being pulled on one end by the cat and dragged towards the vige. Within the darkness, a white thread was being pulled by the cat, seeming to extend endlessly.


    I knew he was about to begin. Afraid he would harm too many people due to his state of mind, I shook off the drowsiness and mustered my courage. I ran into the courtyard of the Liang familys house and called towards him: Daoist Lord Huang, be magnanimous. No one wanted this to happen! I beg you on behalf of your fellow vigers, calm your fury!


    He probably didnt expect anyone to dare stop him. He turned to look at me. I thought he would definitely do something to me. Unexpectedly, he stood still for a while and said to me: It seems my powers are trulycking. Someone is still awake. Since thats the case, Ill let you see the oue of those who offend me. They will repay what they owe. I will create a Gu that has never been created before. It needs the help of humans. Since they owe me, they will be the ones to help! Dont worry, I wont ughter the innocent. However, I wont forgive those who let me down! You must never speak of this matter. Otherwise, I will consign you to eternal damnation.


    He red at me with those pupil-less eyes, his face the same green color as the mes in the fire pit. I was terrified. I couldnt even move let alone speak, though I was no longer drowsy. I hadnt noticed at the time, but although I had shouted my words from the courtyard, his voice sounded right by my ears despite him merely moving his mouth. Furthermore, I wasnt frozen in fear. I was truly frozen in ce, as if I was a tree he had nted inside the courtyard.


    After many tobo pipes worth of time had passed, probably around midnight, the strange smoke finally extinguished. At the same time, the tinkling of a bell sounded from the distance. Although my body was frozen, I could still move my head. I turned to see the ck cat had already returned. Although it no longer trailed the white smoke, there were several dark figures that were following it. Looking carefully, they were over a dozen people dressed in the attire of Najin vigers. Although I didnt know that brides family personally, our viges still had dealings with each other and I recognized several of the people. They stood in a row, holding the shoulders of the people next to them. Their eyes were shut and they took a step whenever the bell around the cats neck rang.


    I wanted to shout but wasnt able to. I saw Ah Ya walking out from the wooden building, a small drum tied around his waist. He beat a strange rhythm on it as he walked. I saw several more people walk out from the vige, their condition the same as the people from Najin vige. They seemed to be sleepwalking. Altogether, there were over twenty living people in identical states. The grass rustled beneath their feet but no one spoke. The entire vige was as silent as a grave, with only the tinkling of the bell. Looking closely, I realized these people were all involved in the matter of Ah Yas wedding, with more of them being from Najin vige.


    Ah Ya beat rhythmically on the drum and the group of people followed him obediently, me included. I felt that my body was frozen but my legs werent listening to me at all. The sound of the drum was like a whip that made me involuntarily move forwards. Everyone else in the vige was fast asleep and no one came out to help. Actually, even if they were awake, who would be willing to provoke the unreasonable Ah Ya? His powers were so great!


    We walked for some period of time and reached the cliff of the southern mountain. Ah Ya moved to the side and turned to look at us with his silvery-white eyes. He spoke: You all go ahead. Ill be right behind. Then, he ripped off the small drum and flung it off the cliff. The small drum continued to beat in the air as if someone was still beating it. It caused the ck cat to pounce over without regard for its life. It fell from the cliff, and the people following the sound of the bell also walked off one by one.


    That cliff was a sheer drop that would shatter even a falling feather, let alone a person. I stood at the end of the line and it was going to be my turn soon. I was terrified. Unexpectedly, right as I thought I was done for, I ran into an invisible wall at the edge of the cliff. I couldnt advance but also couldnt retreat, and stood there trembling. I couldnt sense anything around me and even Ah Ya had disappeared. I was both scared and anxious, still unable to make a sound. I stood there until the sun rose before I felt my body loosen and I fell backwards to the floor.


    I ran back to the vige right away. The vigers had all awoken but they only remembered Ah Yas terrifying appearancest night. They recalled nothing else, and merely noticed many people had gone missing. Due to Ah Yas warning, I didnt dare say anything. Around noon, news came from Najin vige that even more people had gone missing over there. After the two viges tallied things up, it became clear that those missing were either involved with the wedding or were friends and rtives of the bride. It must be Ah Yas revenge, so no one dared say anything and the matter waspletely suppressed. They feared things would get even more out of hand if the matter was pursued. Thus, things were left unsettled. Everyone knew what had happened but no one dared to say anything, afraid of inviting trouble. Later, I secretly made a trip to the bottom of the cliff, wanting to at least give those unfortunate souls a proper burial. Who would have thought that before I could get there, I was blocked by a clump of dark purple corpse aura? I fell seriously ill after getting home. Ever since then, Ah Ya vanished. For the sake of the younger generation, the vigers pretended nothing had happened and that he never existed.


    Therefore, if you guys didnt receive that vision from Witch Doctor Ah Bai, no one would have told you anything no matter how you asked. Im guessing Witch Doctor Ah Bai couldnt bear to see her apprentice act this way and is trying to help us bring him back to the right path.


    After the vige chief finished speaking, he sat wearily and sighed. He seemed to have lived through everything once again during his retelling. Ruan Zhan and Wan Li were both a little apprehensive.


    It goes without saying that the tens of people back then had been refined into Ghost Gu by Ah Ya. Huang Bo Heng had told Xiao Xia the refining process of the Ghost Gu. During her game of hide and seek in the forest, she had encountered what seemed to be a gathering of ghostly vigers. Although there seemed to be arger number, it might very well have been due to illusions.


    This meant that he had left the mountains after refining the Ghost Gu, or perhaps remained in seclusion. He only reappeared a decade ago, controlling Huang Bo Heng into bing a prominent figure of the city. Based on their calctions, he should be almost seventy years old. If Huang Bo Heng had been a puppet under his control, all its desires were that of the puppeteer. This meant that Huang Bo Hengs obsession with Xiao Xia was actually Ah Yas.


    Yet he was already so old. Was it possible? Even if Xiao Xia looked exactly the same as the tribal bride back then, it had been so long ago. Was his love and hate still so strong? Furthermore, his attitude towards the raincoat ghost clearly showed he no longer liked her. Why was he still so interested in Xiao Xia?


    The Ghost Gu had to be cast on someone freshly deceased. Yet he hadnt refined the Ghost Gu at that time yet. How did he keep the brides soul around until hepleted it?


    With these doubts in mind, Ruan Zhan idly chatted with the vige chief for a little longer. It was almost noon when the chief left. Before he did, Ruan Zhan once again promised to protect the vige, and gave him a few talismans. Although they werent guarantees, they could at least temporarily protect his family from harm.


    What do you intend to do? Do you have a n? Wan Li asked.


    Xiao Xia was currently fast asleep and wasnt going to be waking any time soon.


    I have no n, only a feeling.


    What do you mean?


    I feel that within three days, we will definitely have our showdown with Ah Ya. Therefore, we need to make preparations in advance.<ol><li>Ah Yas actual name. Ah Ya was the nickname the vigers gave him because they thought him mute.</li></ol>