Gou in the world of comprehension

Chapter 1455 What exactly is this thing?
At dawn, a milky white mist, like crumpled cotton wool, permeated the sky and earth, enveloping the distant fertile fields and soaking the bluestone roads and gray-tiled eaves of Xihe Town, making them damp and even filling the air with a damp, cold, earthy smell.

Su Fan got up very early, ate the rice porridge that was still warm on the stove and a bunch of leftover multigrain pancakes from last night, then turned around and picked up his adze and started working at the wooden workbench in the corner of the courtyard.

Wood shavings fell softly as the adze rose and fell, turning into fine white fluff in the morning light.

Recently, as his reputation for superb craftsmanship has spread far and wide, from Xihe Town to nearby villages, he has been receiving more and more orders.

Customers who received the wardrobes and tables he made all praised the sturdy mortise and tenon joints and the smooth finish.

He then recommended him to his relatives and friends, and before long, more and more people came to him to customize woodwork. There were even several pieces of wood piled up in his yard waiting to be cut.

Even though the shop's profits had increased somewhat, after deducting the high rent in town and the cost of buying timber, there was barely any money left each month, enough to make ends meet.

Su Fan has been in Xihe Town for almost a year now. His hands are calloused and have developed two layers of calluses. He speaks with a local accent and has completely embraced the identity of a carpenter.

As his craftsmanship became more and more exquisite, his name not only spread in Xihe Town, but also in Lishui County, more than ten miles away, where merchants would ask him to make custom furniture.

So now he has to work from dawn till dusk every day, and his work is almost never stopped.

Su Fan held the plane and worked on it until midday, when a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He then stopped and put the tools away in the wooden box.

Just as he was about to turn around and go to the kitchen to cook, he saw a head peeking in through the gate.

He Song, carrying a cloth bundle, hurried into the courtyard from outside, his shoes still covered in mud.

Su Fan glanced at He Song, his brows furrowing slightly.

To an ordinary person, nothing seemed amiss, but in his eyes, a faint wisp of black energy was swirling around the hem of this man's clothes.

That wisp of yin energy, like a bone-deep infection, had already seeped into his body through his pores.

"Old Su, haven't eaten yet? Let's have a drink together..."

He Song grinned, put the cloth bundle on the stone table, and spoke with a deliberately lighthearted tone.

Su Fan didn't expose the wisp of yin energy. Instead, he quietly moved a wooden table with a missing corner from the corner and wiped the dust off the table with his sleeve.

He Song quickly opened the bundle, inside which was a smoked chicken wrapped in oil paper, various braised dishes cut into pieces, and a plate of golden-fried peanuts.

Finally, he took out a jar of strong liquor with a red paper label, and with a "pop," he broke the mud seal, instantly filling the courtyard with its rich aroma.

Ever since He Song took a solid wood ornament carved with pine and crane symbolizing longevity from Su Fan last time, he has often come to visit the courtyard.

At first, he just stood by and watched Su Fan do woodworking. Later, as they became more familiar, he would always bring some food and invite Su Fan to have a couple of drinks.

"I had some good luck today, made a little money, but also got all sorts of bad luck on me. I was thinking of getting you two brothers to have a drink to cleanse myself of this evil influence..."

He Song poured wine for Su Fan while speaking indistinctly.

Su Fan took the bowl of wine handed to him, tilted his head back and took a sip, the spicy liquid sliding down his throat.

He didn't press him about where the "profits" came from or how he got involved with the "bad luck."

Su Fan knew this guy's personality all too well.

Once this guy has drunk a bowl of wine, he'll spill everything without anyone asking, and he'll even embellish it and brag a bit.

"You know that 'Yuelai Inn' on East Street, right? The one with two strings of red lanterns hanging at the entrance..."

He Song couldn't hold back any longer and put down his wine bowl to speak.

Su Fan nodded, but a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes. Just as he expected, this guy was about to start bragging again.

Seeing Su Fan nod, He Song immediately perked up, lowered his voice, and leaned closer mysteriously.

"This morning, before dawn, I was woken up by the brothers from Yihetang. They said there had been a murder at Yuelai Inn, someone had died..."

After listening to He Song ramble on for a long time, Su Fan finally understood the origin of this guy's "profit".

It turns out that Xihe Town, like the feudal society of the previous life, had imperial power that did not extend to the county level.

In the vast town of Xihe, there were no constables sent by the government; all matters, big and small, were decided by a few gangs, including Yihetang.

This morning, a businessman from out of town died in a guest room on the second floor of the Yuelai Inn. The innkeeper was afraid that the news would get out and affect the business, so he secretly gave He Song a sum of money and asked him to help cover it up.

Upon hearing this, Su Fan paused, his hand holding the wine bowl still, and his brows furrowed again.

"Have you figured out the cause of death for that person in the inn...?"

Upon hearing this, He Song quickly moved forward, lowering his voice even further, almost touching Su Fan's ear.

“I glanced at the inn this morning and knew his death was suspicious. I didn’t dare go in and immediately sent a brother to the Anti-Demon Bureau in the county town to report it. The Anti-Demon Bureau people have just arrived, wrapped the man’s body in a black cloth, and secretly took it away…”

After he finished speaking, he turned his head warily to look outside the courtyard, and saw that no one was passing by.

"You absolutely mustn't tell anyone else about this. Cases handled by the Anti-Magic Division are no small matter; getting involved could easily get you into trouble..."

Taking advantage of the moment when he turned his head, Su Fan flicked his finger slightly, and a wisp of yang energy, invisible to the naked eye, shot out from his fingertip and silently fell into He Song's wine bowl, where it mixed with the wine.

He Song didn't notice anything amiss and took a big gulp of wine from his bowl.

As soon as he swallowed, he felt a warm current slide down his throat and spread to his limbs and bones. The chill that had been clinging to him earlier dissipated by more than half.

He let out a comfortable burp, smacked his lips, and assumed it was just the strong liquor, without thinking anything of it.

But as soon as he put the wine bowl on the table, He Song suddenly frowned, clutched his stomach and cried out "Ouch!" He got up and ran towards the outhouse in the corner of the yard, his steps unsteady.

Su Fan watched He Song's hurried departure and raised his hand to make a grasping motion in his direction.

A wisp of black energy drifted out from He Song's back, which he grasped in his palm and condensed into a small cloud of black mist.

He gripped the ball of yin energy tightly, brought it close to his eyes to examine it closely, and his gaze gradually darkened.

Just then, the black mist in the palm suddenly began to struggle violently, hissing and emitting black smoke, and transformed into a ghost head the size of a palm.

The hideous ghost head had two black holes in its eyes, and its mouth, full of sharp teeth, opened wide, letting out a piercing hiss at Su Fan, as if it were about to pounce on him and bite him.

Seeing this hideous ghost head, Su Fan frowned even more deeply.

What the hell is this?

He had seen far too many ghostly beings. Sister Zhen and Yaksha, the two ghost servants, had countless ghostly soldiers and generals under their command, but he had never seen anything like this before.

This thing is neither an ordinary ghost nor a demon from the Netherworld. It exudes a strange and evil aura, and it looks quite peculiar.

Su Fan condensed a golden light at his fingertips and gently touched the ghost's head. A pale golden seal wrapped around it, suppressing the ghost's struggles.

He raised his hand and patted the Yin-Gathering Secret Realm at his waist. A dark figure instantly appeared in the courtyard—it was Yaksha. "Take this thing to Old Wang and let him see what it is..."

Yaksha took the ghost head, bowed respectfully, and then turned into a wisp of black smoke, disappearing into the Yin Gathering Secret Realm.

About fifteen minutes later, He Song emerged from the outhouse, clutching his stomach and walking unsteadily, his face showing a hint of relief after exhaustion.

"Oh my god... that last bit really made me feel so pent up, but I feel so much better now..."

He plopped down on the stone bench, picked up the wine bowl, and took another big gulp, completely unaware that the yin energy that had been clinging to him had been completely cleared away by Su Fan.

That yin energy had already seeped into his body. If he hadn't encountered Su Fan, he would have been half-dead, if not dead.

"Old He, do you think... the person who died at Yuelai Inn was tainted by something evil..."

Upon hearing this, He Song quickly put down his wine bowl, his eyes filled with lingering fear. He then turned to look outside the courtyard, and only after confirming that no one was there did he lean his head closer.

"I bet that person encountered something evil or strange..."

He Song lowered his voice and spoke with certainty, as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

Upon hearing the words "evil spirits and strange phenomena," Su Fan's brows immediately furrowed.

He had cultivated for so many years, traveled to many places, and seen countless evil spirits and demons, but this was the first time he had ever heard of this term.

"Old He, this is eerie and strange... what exactly is it..."

"I can't quite explain what it is, but I've heard older members of Yihetang mention it before..."

He Song grabbed a peanut, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.

"It is said that if the corpse of a person or animal is tainted by the aura of evil spirits, it will become a malevolent and eerie creature that specifically harms people and drains their yang energy..."

Hearing He Song say that, Su Fan sneered inwardly.

This is utter nonsense; the formation of yin entities is not that simple.

"Have any evil spirits or strange occurrences ever appeared in our Lishui County before...?"

Su Fan asked again, wanting to learn more about this "evil and strange" thing.

Upon hearing this, He Song quickly shook his head, his tone tinged with relief.

"I haven't heard of Lishui County, but other counties have had a few similar incidents before. However, when something evil or strange happens, the Anti-Demon Bureau immediately blocks the news and seals off the area where the incident occurred, forbidding anyone from approaching. So, no one knows the specifics..."

Upon hearing this, Su Fan's lips curled into a faint smile.

He suddenly found this "evil and bizarre" thing quite interesting, since it was the first time he had ever seen such a thing.

"By the way, Lao He, you're a martial artist, right...?"

Su Fan abruptly changed the subject and asked a question.

He Song paused for a moment, then puffed out his chest and nodded with a hint of pride.

"Of course... I'm a Bone Forging Realm martial artist now. There aren't many in Xihe Town who can beat me..."

Seeing him nod, Su Fan asked again, "Then, can you martial artists deal with evil spirits and strange creatures...?"

Upon hearing this, He Song shook his head vigorously, his pride vanishing instantly, replaced by a hint of apprehension.

"I'm no match for evil spirits and strange creatures. I'm only at the Bone Forging Realm, far from enough. To deal with evil spirits and strange creatures, one needs to be at least a martial artist at the Innate Realm..."

Hearing him say that, Su Fan asked a few more questions before he finally understood the martial arts realms in this mortal world.

From low to high, they are divided into the Flesh Refining Realm, Bone Forging Realm, Blood Exchange Realm, Meridian Opening Realm, and above that are the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm. The gap between each realm is like an insurmountable chasm.

The two drank and chatted until the sun went down.

As darkness fell, He Songcai, still tipsy, stood up, swayed unsteadily, and took his leave.

As Su Fan interacted with He Song more often, and considering that the guy loved to boast when he drank and would tell everyone everything, Su Fan figured out pretty much everything about him.

He Song was originally a farmer from Hejia Village near Xihe Town. His father was a skilled stonemason who was conscripted by the government a few years ago to repair river embankments in other places. As a result, he contracted a sudden illness and died far from home.

With the breadwinner gone, only the mother and daughter remained, and the family's life quickly deteriorated, with even food becoming a problem.

Fortunately, He Song was tall and strong, and he was born with superhuman strength. Later, he went to the dock in Xihe Town to work as a porter and earn some hard-earned money.

But at that time he was not a martial artist yet, and was often bullied by the local thugs and ruffians, and his life was very frustrating.

Then one day, he was bullied so badly by some thugs that he lost his temper, grabbed a carrying pole from the side, and fought them to the death, beating the thugs black and blue.

The head of Yihetang happened to see this and thought that he was born with superhuman strength and had the potential to learn martial arts, so he took him on as a disciple and taught him martial arts.

After becoming a martial artist, the first thing He Song did was to beat up all the thugs and ruffians in Xihe Town who had bullied him before, which finally vented his anger.

Su Fan had just finished clearing the table and put the dishes into the pot, intending to wash them tomorrow, when a thought suddenly came from the Evil Buddha Wang De in his mind.

"Kid, where did you get this weirdo from the evil spirit realm? This thing is no ordinary object; getting involved with it will cause trouble!"

The voice of the evil Buddha Wang De carried a hint of solemnity, unlike his usual playful demeanor.

Upon hearing the words "Evil Spirit Realm," Su Fan raised an eyebrow and became more concerned.

"The Realm of Evil Spirits... what kind of place is that..."

"It's similar to the 'Netherworld' you've encountered before, but it appears much less frequently. This strange thing you gave me is probably related to some cult in the mortal world..."

Hearing what Lao Wang said, Su Fan finally understood.

This hideous ghost head must have been summoned from the realm of evil spirits by a cult through blood sacrifice.

"Kid, let me tell you, if you encounter any more strange things from the evil spirit realm, don't be careless! This realm is full of all sorts of evil and heretical things, and you can easily get into trouble if you're not careful..."

Wang De added another instruction, his tone full of solemnity.

"Well...I know..."

Su Fan didn't take it too seriously; it was probably just a coincidence.

Not to mention the mortal world, cults like this are not uncommon in the cultivation world, but they generally can't cause much of a stir.

(End of this chapter)