Chapter 1680 - 851: Land of Fiends and Demons (Part 2)

"What’s the ritual?" Shangzhao asked.

The old farmer’s gaze shifted evasively, and finally he muttered, "It’s...it’s a child under seven from the family... Granny says, children are pure, the gods like them the most... After the sacrifice, the child can enjoy happiness in the Divine Country, and the family can be blessed..."

As he spoke, he even tried to force a smile.

It seemed like he was comforting himself, yet also like he was trying to persuade outsiders.

The crowd felt a chill run through their hearts.

Voluntarily sacrificing one’s own flesh and blood for an elusive "blessing".

Leaving this suffocating village, they continued along the mountain path.

The trail grew increasingly rugged and desolate, the trees on both sides were ominous.

At noon, as they passed the remnants of a long-abandoned tea hut, an abrupt change occurred.

A gust of Yin Wind, reeking of blood, suddenly swept out from the dense forest, rushing straight towards Ah Shi, the weakest-looking member of the team.

The Yin Wind howled, swirling black smoke and leaves.

Wang Daoxuan immediately formed a mantra with his fingers, his eyes flickering with a faint light, using his Eye Divine Power.

He could see the vague silhouette of a woman in the wind.

Dressed in rags, her abdomen swelled grotesquely.

But behind her neck, astonishingly, was a blurred mouth that opened and closed, drooling continuously!

"It’s the Two-Mouthed Woman!"

The old Taoist had long been briefed on the evil spirits from Japan. He shouted lowly and reacted swiftly, forming a mantra and hurling a Yellow Talisman.

Bang!

A cluster of Yang Fire ignited in the air, temporarily repelling the Yin Wind.

This thing could also be considered a fierce ghost, but the group had long been accustomed to fighting such ghosts.

"Hold on!"

Just as they were about to strike, Wang Daoxuan stopped them.

The old Taoist took a few steps forward, holding a mantra in his hand, chanting the "Supreme Cave Mysterious Relief Suffering and Sinful Skill Scripture".

The clear chanting voice carried a soothing soul-calming power, spreading out.

The strange wind quickly subsided, within came intermittent sobs:

"Hungry... the child is hungry... my child... I ate him... so hungry..."

Upon hearing this, the group immediately frowned.

The grievance of this "Two-Mouthed Woman" was extremely pure and intense, a classic transformation of a mother on the brink of starvation during a famine, having killed and devoured her own child, her resentment entangled, unable to be relieved.

It sounded pitiful, but what really made them frown wasn’t just this.

This place was not far from the village, and for an evil spirit to attack people in broad daylight was unprecedented in Divine State.

Li Yan pondered, turning his gaze towards the distant village.

"This ’Two-Mouthed Woman’ is likely attracted by the village’s evil energy. In Divine State, there are City Gods and Lands to guard, but here the entire place worships ghosts, evil spirits gather in large numbers, and can only use more blood sacrifices, the situation is likely to worsen."

"Everyone, stay vigilant on this journey."

......

Following the path seemed it had entered into an increasingly chaotic region.

From time to time, abandoned farms could be seen on either side of the mountain path, even traces of recently burned villages.

Based on the intelligence and maps acquired earlier, this area should be within the influence of Mouri Hideyoshi’s power.

But clearly, the control was extremely weak.

The mountain roads had totally become a haven for wanderers, escaped soldiers, bankrupt commoners, and even demon ghosts.

The next evening, the group passed a vast, desolate valley, exposed with dark red rock and gray-white mining residue.

At the entrance of the valley stood a half-decayed wooden sign, blurred with the words "Iwami Silver Mountain Old Pit".

Shangzhao thought deeply, took a pamphlet from a wooden box, opened it, looked at it for a while, and explained, "This should be one of the many mine pits exhausted and abandoned due to Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s ’Taikou’s Land Survey’ and over-exploitation."

"This is known as ’Chuyun Country’, we should first head to Tottori, then from Tanba Country proceed to the Capital City."

Inside the valley, not a single plant grew, deathly silent, only the sound of the wind passing through the mine tunnels producing a weeping sound, like ghost cries.

Sha Lifei muttered, "These pirates sure are ambitious, their own country is in turmoil, yet they dare have such grand aspirations."

"Kill!"

As the words fell, an attack came from all directions.

Facing these bandits, the group had long been accustomed.

On this journey, they had already encountered several times, bandits were as numerous as cows’ hairs.

Moreover, Eagle Falcon Lidong had already detected them before.

But this time, it was somewhat different.

Each of the bandits had a pale face and vacant eyes, evidently losing their spiritual defense.

The first to charge was a man wielding a rusty, yet bloodthirsty and battlefield-intent Wild Great Sword.

His face was ferocious, with veins bulging on his green-tinted skin.

His bare feet were full of upturned scars and dust, but he felt no pain.

Sword Demon?

Li Yan had a suspicion as soon as he saw it.

If an object gathers wish power, it will turn into a demon over a long period.

But in this world, no matter how strong an object becomes a demon, it cannot transform and can only attach to control humans.

And this guy was just one of them.

Behind him, the bandit’s back was shrouded in black mist, faintly revealing the corpse of a hunched old woman.

Her white hair covered her face, her nails were like hooks, and the bandit let out a cackling laugh like an old woman.

This is the "mountain witch," a type of Corpse Demon.

According to reports, in some villages in Japan, when winter descends, people carry their parents into the mountains to abandon them, saying they will be taken by the Mountain God, but actually to save food, choosing to let the elderly die.

Some can face it calmly, while others harbor resentment and transform into "mountain witches."

More bizarre were some of the bandits who were controlled by worn-out Grass Sandals under their feet.

Another kind of evil creature, called "Grass Sandals Demon."

Upon seeing this, Kong Shangzhao was suddenly enlightened, "So it’s a group of Fusang Gods..."

Fusang Gods, also known as Ninety-nine Gods or Nine Nine Gods, is a term for objects turning into spirits in Japan.

"Ninety-nine" symbolizes long years.

Facing this group of spirit monsters, no one was afraid. Wang Daoxuan even took out a Compass and looked at it, stroking his beard, "There should be a large gathering place of dead souls here, absorbing resentment and Evil Qi over many years, forming this group of ’Fusang Gods.’

As he spoke, these bandits controlled by the spirit monsters had already charged.

Li Yan snorted coldly, raising his right hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

Sizzle~

A dazzling lightning formed at his fingertips, leaping and condensing.

The Thunder Technique is most effective against these creatures formed from resentment and yin energy.

"Five Thunder Fierce Generals, Train General, rise to the sky and lie flat on the ground, drive thunder and chase clouds, lead countless troops, command the Divine Weapon... break!"

With a Thunder Spell, the lightning at Li Yan’s fingertips suddenly expanded.

Crackling, it turned into several electric lights like silver serpents, shooting forward.

Where the electric lights passed, the air exploded with snap sounds.

His Soul-hooking Thunder Rope could automatically accumulate Thunder Astral, released at regular intervals daily, also serving as a form of cultivation, a practice to which everyone was accustomed.

Snap!

The charging Sword Demon was struck by a Thunder Serpent, emitting black smoke from the blade, turning into a Samurai’s face, screaming piercingly.

Then, the entire blade shattered...

The mountain witch’s corpse, along with the bandit it possessed, was charred black, falling to the ground motionless...

The Grass Sandals Demons were directly burnt to black charcoal, sizzling...

To ordinary people, these things were evil and terrifying, but before the Thunder Technique, they couldn’t withstand a single blow.

The thunderbolts dissipated, and for a moment, the valley returned to a dead silence.

A few spirits were all slain, and the bandits they possessed were all but dead, except for a few still breathing.

"Uh..."

A one-eyed Wanderer with a long knife scar on his face slowly regained consciousness.

He looked around in panic, suddenly sprang to his feet, holding a chipped Tachi, and roared at everyone.

Li Yan signaled with a glance, and Kong Shangzhao immediately stepped forward, sternly scolding in Japanese:

"Is this how you face your benefactors?"

"Divine... Divine Officer."

The Wanderer also came to his senses, hurriedly kneeling and kowtowing.

Magicians hold a high status in Japan, and faced with questioning, he didn’t dare to hide anything, saying, "We originally served under Lord Xiao Zaochuan Longjing, having made merits in Korea at Bite Hall and Xingzhou Mountain City! Now... now..."

Saying this, his tone became agitated, carrying resentment, "The war is over, and we cripples are thrown back like wild dogs! No rewards, no land, not even a scrap of food, so we came out to find a livelihood."

No one had heard of "Xiao Zaochuan Longjing," nor did they bother to care.

Li Yan, however, sensed something amiss, his gaze turning cold as he looked around.

"This place is dangerous, no one dares come near, claiming to rob here, do you think we’re easy to deceive?"

He had a mind to kill, so he spoke directly in Divine State language.

But the Wanderer Samurai wasn’t the least bit frightened upon hearing this, instead full of excitement, shivering as he spoke in broken official language:

"Sirs, are you the lords of the Chuyun Shrine that I’ve been waiting for?"