For ten years I practiced Gu poison in Southeast Asia; all living beings revered me as a deity.

There are too many threats in the mountains and forests. The old folks say that when you walk in the mountains and forests at night, many things will come on the wind, such as tree ghosts living in the trees and man-eating mountain spirits like Ai Yongyou.

In addition, the smoke from the crematorium attracts wandering ghosts, the miasma of the swamp, the venomous breath of snakes and insects, and the pollen and spores of poisonous flowers and mushrooms, all of which are carried by the wind. Travelers will inexplicably collapse while simply walking in the mountains.

In the mountains of northern Thailand, there are many things that like to play tricks on people. If you hear someone calling your name on a mountain road, never turn around.

If you are being chased by something you can't see clearly, quickly cut off your hair and throw it behind you to get rid of the danger.

The hungry ghosts of the Sacrifice Forest can also possess people. People tormented by these ghosts can never be full no matter how much they eat. They will gradually weaken and starve to death. The elders say that when such people die, their stomachs are completely sunken, and the shape of their organs is exposed through their skin.

"Ati" had heard too many stories like this, and since childhood he had been filled with fear of this mountain forest. He usually dared not get too close. However, tonight Luo Feng had to go to the Black Sheep Cave and pass through the Sacrifice Forest.

Because he wanted to find the Ajarn master named Saina.

According to Ati's memory, Master Sena was a mysterious wizard who followed the Lanna wizards and the Rushi of the Northeast to learn various spells. He was alone and lurked in the treacherous Black Sheep Cave, seemingly practicing a secret method called "Sacrifice to Win".

—She is a tiger.

"Sheying" is the name given to tiger demons in northern Thailand.

This tiger demon can command the spirits of those who have died in its jaws; it is also known as the Ten-Faced Demon. The legend of the Ten-Faced Demon Tiger originated in Myanmar and Laos, likely stemming from Chinese folklore about tigers acting as their henchmen.

In folk tales, the ferocious tiger She Shi Mian creates a "ghost wall" to trap travelers in the mountains and hunt them. It also sends out the spirits of the dead who have become accomplices to lure travelers into the trap.

The She Shi Mian tiger is not only skilled in magic and highly intelligent, making it difficult to hunt, but it also has thick skin and is almost impervious to swords and spears.

Legend has it that many hunters die every time they hunt the ferocious tiger She Shi Mian.

Another theory suggests that these tigers are actually a form created by human shamans through cultivation.

It is said that shamans from Laos would hunt tigers and extract their oil for rituals. By day, the tigers would appear as humans, but by night they would transform into tigers.

Of course, there are also evildoers among them. They can transform into tigers, appearing and disappearing like ghosts. They not only eat people, but also rob and plunder property everywhere.

Just as the old hunter Uncle Cha said, the tiger spirit is a tiger that has eaten too many people and gradually turned into a tiger demon, and can even transform into human form; while the Sheying method in northern Thailand is a method to transform humans into tigers.

These two are also referred to as "Hot Tiger" and "Cold Tiger" respectively. Hot Tiger is a tiger that has been possessed by the vengeful spirit of a victim and has gained the power of illusion. Its essence is "an evil spirit dominated by bestiality".

Conversely, the Cold Tiger, also known as the Sheying Method, is a technique used by trained sorcerers to create special oils through studying spells such as the "Tiger Transformation Mantra."

Cold Tiger can retain human thinking, but its emotions are difficult to control. Some cultivators are influenced by the mindset of this beast and will actively attack people.

Master Saina, who secluded himself in the Black Cave, was a practitioner of the "Sheying Method" because many black-clad Ajarns practiced dark magic and often dealt with ghosts and demons.

If their own power is insufficient, it will be difficult to suppress those evil creatures. After successfully cultivating the Sheying Method, the wizard's magical power will naturally increase greatly. Moreover, ferocious tigers like Sheshimian have the ability to control changgui.

After completing the Sacrifice Method, the Ajarn masters' spirit control abilities will greatly improve, making it easy for them to suppress the demons and ghosts under their command.

...That sounds pretty impressive. Hopefully, finding this Master Saimei will actually give me a way to deal with that demon dancer.

As Luo Feng sorted through his memories, he walked quickly forward.

According to his investigation in reality, it is now the early years of the Republic of China, 1918 in the Gregorian calendar.

He searched for historical traces in northern Thailand but couldn't find his own location.

"It should be in Chiang Rai province... but unfortunately the exact location is unclear. For example, this black hole, there are practically no traces left. This happened a hundred years ago, and Thais don't record history like the Chinese do, so many clues are untraceable..."

It may not be entirely impossible to find out, but you definitely won't find the answer by relying on online searches or Wikipedia.

He sighed inwardly.

"Right now... it seems like this is the only thing I can rely on."

The amulet given to him by Ati's "mother" is now worn around his neck, and the crescent-shaped comb is hidden on his person.

This amulet features the image of the Thai Yaksha King "Tao Wei Suwan," which is actually the "Vai Sin Wang" (King of the Sea) familiar to many Chinese. Of course, his name and mythology may differ in different regions.

In Thai legend, Thao Wei Suwan is a protector of Buddhism and one of the four ghost kings of the underworld. One of its jobs is to be in charge of matters related to ghosts in the human world.

Tao Wei Suwan also has two forms: one is a terrifying Yaksha appearance, and the other is a benevolent human face. When it reveals its ferocious side as a Yaksha, it is undoubtedly a fierce and malevolent deity.

When it appears in human form, its power is to bestow good fortune, opportunities, and wealth, as this deity is also a famous god of wealth.

Right now, he has no protection whatsoever, not even a candle to light his way in the dark. Besides clutching this amulet tightly, he is filled with anxiety.

Luo Feng walked through the forest, along the winding path. He felt that he was going deeper and deeper, and the scenery around him completely changed into a lush and dark forest. The overlapping canopies of trees blocked the moonlight, painting the depths of the forest with an endless layer of black.

"...I don't know how much longer we have to walk."

The mountain path was difficult to walk at night, and Luo Feng had been walking for most of the day, gradually becoming breathless.

In Ati's memory, he had only been to the Forest of Sacrifice once, before the Loy Krathong Festival, when he and his mother brought some food and drink to Ajarn Saina, who was living in seclusion in the Black Sheep Cave.

Master Saina was a black-clad Ajarn, someone most people would avoid. However, the villagers, who made their living near the mountains and forests, often encountered strange things and, when faced with problems, couldn't go to temples too far away, so they had no choice but to seek help from this Ajarn.

Fortunately, this Ajarn was also skilled in medicine and could dispel curses and exorcise evil spirits. Apart from asking for some food, he did not harm the villagers in any way and had no bad deeds. The villagers also knew that he had profound magical powers and dared not offend him. For many years, the two sides have lived in peace.

"However, that ghost dancer called 'Pita Girl' seems quite powerful... I wonder if this Ajarn master would be willing to help?"

Luo Feng was also muttering to himself.

In his memory, the ghost dancer was a dreaded evil spirit among the villagers in the surrounding villages. It was said that people had sought out some high monks and shamans to exorcise it, but to no avail. Instead, several monks and shamans died tragically. Gradually, even when people spent a lot of money to hire someone to help exorcise the evil spirit, no one dared to come.

As Luo Feng ran, he couldn't help but stop and catch his breath.

He felt he had been running for forty minutes when suddenly, just as he stopped, a familiar voice came from the mountain path behind him.

"Atti Atti...where are you running off to?"

It was an old man's voice.

A chill ran through Luo Feng's body, instantly raising goosebumps and causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

That voice clearly belonged to Uncle Cha, the old hunter.