Chapter Seventeen: Abetting the Wicked

Because of the tiger’s roar just now, many people believed a tiger had come. Everyone reached for their weapons. These were people accustomed to traversing the mountains and forests year-round; some wielded machetes, others held long spears, so they were not defenseless. Even Lin Yi gripped a steel blade in his hand. In Lin Changsheng’s memories, this blade had been bought at a hefty price. It might not cut through iron like mud, but it certainly could hack through brambles with ease. Yet, trapped within this illusion, his powers sealed and with no guidance from the Scripture of Severing the Gods, Lin Yi could not tell if this blade was real or not.

Xiao Yezi had also drawn a metal knife, made of iron and looking quite hefty. He wielded it without difficulty, though his hands trembled with nerves. Outside the cave, footsteps grew louder. Soon, a pale-faced, lanky young man entered, carrying a shoulder pole. Both baskets were already blanketed with thick snow. Once inside, he quickly shook off the snow, revealing fox pelts inside.

A man and woman, disciples from some sect, had already stood up, their swords drawn. Upon seeing Er Wa enter, they let out a few cold grunts and leapt toward him. The old leader hurriedly called out, “Don’t attack! That’s Er Wa, he’s one of ours.” At his words, the young man sheathed his sword, and together with the woman returned to the fire.

Er Wa’s face remained deathly pale as he entered. The actions of the man and woman had frightened him so much he collapsed to the ground. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Er Wa shuddered and glanced at the group. “I just saw a mighty tiger—at least five meters long! As big as a water buffalo, terrifying. I ran as soon as I spotted it, but for some reason, after following me a few steps, it stopped and vanished into the forest. If it hadn’t, I’d be dead by now. My legs went numb with fear, but knowing you were all here gave me strength to keep moving. Quick, give me something to eat, please…”

The others bustled about, fetching water and dry rations for Er Wa, who devoured them hungrily. Seeing that he had survived, the tension in the group eased, some even patting their chests in relief.

“Lucky the tiger ran off, otherwise we’d truly be in danger this time.”

“That’s right… Er Wa, you must have heaven’s favor. Now that you’re back, we can stop worrying!”

After eating and drinking his fill, Er Wa belched loudly. His gaze flickered over Lin Yi, Xiao Yezi, and the two young sect disciples. Finally, he beckoned the old leader and some others over, lowering his voice.

“Uncle, brothers, while running over from the mountainside, I spotted a trove of medicinal herbs! We could make a fortune if we go together and gather them all. Let’s find a few people and fetch those herbs—then we’ll all be rich…”

Though he kept his voice down, Lin Yi heard every word clearly. Even Xiao Yezi caught it and exchanged a glance with Lin Changsheng. The two young sect disciples, sharp of ear and eye, had certainly overheard as well. From their earlier leap, which had covered several meters, it was obvious their skills far surpassed Xiao Yezi’s. Now, exchanging glances, joy flickered in their eyes.

Soon, the old leader took out some food and generously offered some to Lin Yi. Though it was just dry rations, the presence of cured meat made the meal surprisingly tasty. Of course, he didn’t forget the sect disciples, either. Xiao Yezi ate first, while Lin Yi feigned disdain and refused.

The old leader and the others exchanged strange, knowing glances at this, a faint sneer curling at their lips. Once everyone had eaten, they prepared to sleep. Night truly descended.

In the deep hours, Er Wa and several others quietly rose and slipped out the cave entrance. Once they’d gone, Lin Yi suddenly sat up, staring intently at the spot Er Wa had occupied. There, the soil seemed damp. Before Lin Yi could act, the two sect disciples stood up as well, drew their swords, and slipped out along the cave wall.

After they departed, and once Lin Yi sensed that the old leader, the others, and Xiao Yezi were all asleep, he listened carefully. After confirming their breathing, he tiptoed over to where Er Wa had been sitting. Taking a stick from beside the fire, he poked at the damp earth.

With that, a smile tugged at Lin Yi’s lips. Though Er Wa had eaten and drunk heartily, beneath the surface, the chewed food lay untouched in a pile. What did this mean? Er Wa had never truly eaten the food! The water and wine had only been pretended at. He had chewed, but nothing had gone to his stomach—all of it had fallen to the ground.

Even more, Lin Yi recalled that Er Wa seemed to have a wound on his belly, with little blood, and it almost looked as if food had leaked from it. Er Wa was nothing but a shell. His organs had vanished.

Only in this way could Lin Yi explain how the food slipped from his wound instead of reaching his stomach. That Er Wa was not normal! The real Er Wa must have been left behind, devoured by the tiger.

Lin Changsheng’s memories held tales of the Tiger Ghost. This Er Wa had become one. But what was a Tiger Ghost? According to ancient lore, the reason tigers were compared to dragons—“dragons ride the clouds, tigers ride the wind”—was because among mountain spirits, the tiger was one of the most powerful, nearly on par with dragons. Tigers possessed a special soul-controlling technique. When a tiger devoured a human, it could use this to control the person’s soul, turning them into a ghostly servant.

The ghost would then aid the tiger in luring and devouring more humans—a willing accomplice, thus the saying, “to act as a tiger’s minion.” This kind of ghost was called a Tiger Ghost—the lowest rank, for their souls were tainted, incomplete, and their intelligence limited. Their actions were essentially the tiger’s bidding. In truth, a Tiger Ghost was nothing but a puppet, a tool, a spy for the tiger’s eyes.

Er Wa had indeed become a Tiger Ghost. The evidence was all there. Yet this one was almost amusing, taking care to hide his uneaten food beneath the dirt. Lin Yi could scarcely hold back a laugh.

“So, Er Wa is the key to breaking this illusion… Soon, I’ll find a chance to destroy his soul, shatter the illusion, and regain my powers!”

“Chief Scripture, I’ve observed closely enough this time, haven’t I? I discovered Er Wa’s true nature. If I stay put, I’ll be safe and pass this trial. If I go out, greedy for those herbs, the illusion won’t break, and I’ll face deadly danger—am I right?”

“And as for the real Lin Changsheng, his memories hold no cause of death, but I suspect it was because he failed to realize Er Wa had become a Tiger Ghost. Greed led him to gather herbs, and so he died!”

Lin Yi pondered in his heart. But the Scripture of Severing the Gods offered no response.

At that moment, screams erupted outside.

“Ah… ah…”

Cries sounded one after another, then gradually faded away. Everyone in the cave awoke in alarm. Xiao Yezi, seeing Lin Yi by Er Wa’s former spot, rushed over protectively, scrambling on hands and knees. The old leader and the others were pale as death.

Soon, the mountain echoed again with the tiger’s chilling roar. Coupled with the screams just heard, everyone understood: the tiger had returned to hunt.

The old leader was frantic. “This is bad. The tiger’s come back, and there are screams—could something have happened to Er Wa and the others?”

“Wait, why did those two young sect disciples go out too?”

“It’s over, what if the tiger bursts in here?”

The group was as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Before long, the tiger’s roars and the screams faded into nothingness.

Shortly after, the beautiful young woman reappeared, her face streaked with blood, rushing in panic into the cave.

“It’s terrible! We ran into the tiger—my senior managed to lure it into a trap, and I came to get help. The tiger’s fallen in, please, everyone, come help us kill it…”

Her face was stricken with anxiety. “Hurry, please, help us…” In the end, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, washing away some of the blood on her face.

By the flickering firelight, Lin Yi narrowed his eyes. He saw her face was as deathly pale and bloodless as Er Wa’s had been moments before.