Chapter 2: Both Good and Evil Are Gui

[Essence -1]

[Essence -1]

[Essence -1]

Each time a crimson glow was licked out of Li Lin’s arm, the muscles on his face twitched slightly.

It was not because it was uncomfortable.

Rather, it felt extremely pleasant.

This was also the terrifying aspect of the gui before him. When she fed on the essence of living people, she could make her victims feel pleasure. If one’s will was not strong enough and one allowed her to do as she pleased, then being drained of essence until death was the only possible outcome.

After the gui had taken more than twenty mouthfuls, Li Lin withdrew his arm.

Although the palace-robed gui wore a leather mask over her face, her disappointed expression could still be seen through her dull gray eyes.

“If I let you keep feeding, I’ll end up getting sick.”

Li Lin shook his arm.

His left arm already felt somewhat cold.

The gui reluctantly released his hand.

Her tongue unconsciously swept across her lips once more.

She clearly had not had enough.

Li Lin looked at the sky and said, “Alright, I need to go home as well. The village’s safety is in your hands now.”

The palace-robed gui neither spoke nor moved.

Li Lin took that as agreement.

He waved to her and turned to leave.

The palace-robed gui remained floating above the altar, motionless, watching the man’s departing figure.

Li Lin returned home and placed the sack of rice he carried in his right hand beside the wall.

There was another identical sack there.

However, there was obviously much less rice left in that one.

Lighting an oil lamp, Li Lin scooped out bright red grains from the other sack of rice, rinsed them twice with water from the well in the courtyard, put them into a pot, and began cooking over a wood fire.

By this point, night had completely fallen.

The firewood burned in the earthen stove, occasionally producing Pop, pop, pop.

The entire village was so quiet that it was frightening.

There seemed to be neither wind nor insect sounds.

Only the crackling firewood and the metallic sounds of the pot lid being pushed up by steam could be heard.

In such an environment, everything felt strangely eerie.

Li Lin, however, was already accustomed to it.

He sat nearby reading a book, his expression completely natural.

Not long afterward, the rice was nearly cooked.

A strip of cured meat hung from a beam overhead.

Li Lin cut off two chunks with a kitchen knife, sliced them into thin strips on a chopping board, and tossed them into the rice pot to simmer.

After another half stick of incense’s worth of time, the firewood had burned out, leaving only faint wisps of greenish smoke.

Li Lin lifted the lid and looked at the rice inside, red as fresh blood.

He nodded in satisfaction, carried the entire pot into the main room, placed it on the table, and began eating large spoonful after large spoonful.

Before long, he had finished an entire pot of blood rice along with the cured meat.

Yet his stomach showed no sign of swelling.

He returned the pot to the kitchen.

At that moment, a woman’s crying drifted in from outside the courtyard.

It came intermittently, seeming alternately near and far, and gradually turned into mournful sobbing.

“Xiaohu, Xiaohu, where are you?”

The woman’s shrill voice echoed through the village.

It seemed to come from the distance, yet also from right beside his ear.

Li Lin walked to the window.

His house stood on relatively high ground within the village.

Looking out through the window, he saw a white phantom drifting outside the village.

The voice was coming from there.

He shook his head, closed the window, extinguished the oil lamp, and made his way through the darkness to his bed.

There, he sat cross-legged.

As his mind entered a meditative state, another stream of information began appearing in the lower right corner of his vision.

[Vitality +1]

[Vitality +1]

[Vitality +1]

The blood rice was rapidly being converted.

Earlier, after being fed upon by the palace-robed gui, his face had become somewhat pale.

Now, however, healthy color was returning to his complexion.

While in meditation, the sounds outside seemed to grow fainter and fainter.

Eventually, they disappeared entirely.

By the time Li Lin emerged from meditation, dawn had already arrived.

Stretching lazily, he opened the window again.

The first thing he saw was Zhao Xiaohu standing outside the courtyard fence.

Li Lin walked out and noticed that Xiaohu’s face was pale.

The moment he saw Li Lin, he hurried over with a frightened expression.

“Brother Lin, last night...”

“I know.”

Li Lin nodded.

“No need to panic. Come inside and have breakfast first?”

“No.”

Zhao Xiaohu shook his head, his face deathly pale.

Although he had a thick beard and eyes as large as brass bells, making him look like a fierce warrior, in reality he was only an ordinary boy.

Living in a world like this, it was only natural for him to be afraid.

“Then let’s solve your problem first.”

Li Lin smiled.

“Thank you, Brother Lin.”

Li Lin brought Zhao Xiaohu to the blue stone altar in the center of the village.

Many villagers were already gathered there.

The moment they saw Li Lin, they crowded around him.

At the front were Uncle Zhao and a woman.

That woman was Aunt Hua, Uncle Zhao’s wife and Xiaohu’s mother.

“Young Master Li, we’ll have to trouble you this time.”

Uncle Zhao clasped his hands gratefully.

Li Lin smiled.

“It’s only right. It’s part of my duty. Besides, if Uncle Zhao hadn’t taken me in and given me food back then, I would have died long ago. Xiaohu is my brother. His business is my business.”

“No matter what, we still have to thank you.”

Uncle Zhao visibly relaxed.

Many of the surrounding villagers also breathed sighs of relief after hearing Li Lin say that.

The villagers then stepped aside and opened a path.

Li Lin led Xiaohu to the altar.

A brass incense burner had already been placed atop it.

Incense sticks had already been inserted, and fruits and vegetables were arranged below.

As a result, the altar was shrouded in misty smoke that lingered without dispersing.

“Kneel before the altar.”

Li Lin’s expression turned serious.

Zhao Xiaohu immediately stepped forward and knelt.

At that moment, the bluish smoke seemed to gain a degree of substance.

It vaguely gathered into the shape of a human figure.

Whether it was merely an illusion or not, no one could tell.

Moreover, the villagers felt the area growing colder and colder.

Unable to help themselves, they rubbed their arms and stepped farther back.

But in Li Lin’s eyes, it was no illusion.

Looking at the palace-robed gui floating above the altar, he smiled and said, “You watched Xiaohu grow up too. Help him out, will you?”

As soon as he said this, the surrounding villagers looked at him with admiration.

Only a Spirit Hunter would dare speak to a gui in such a manner.

In truth, even among Spirit Hunters, someone as informal as Li Lin was extremely rare.

The palace-robed woman continued floating silently.

Li Lin lowered his head and said, “Xiaohu, three kowtows and nine bows.”

Zhao Xiaohu immediately began bowing and kowtowing.

Every movement was precise.

One look was enough to see how sincere he was.

“You’ve received the rites, and you’ve received the offerings as well. What more do you want?”

Li Lin asked calmly.

The palace-robed gui pointed at Li Lin’s left arm.

Li Lin frowned.

“Next time I’ll let you take five more mouthfuls.”

Only then did the palace-robed gui nod in satisfaction.

She floated above Zhao Xiaohu and extended her right hand.

Her phantom hand swept through Zhao Xiaohu’s body and pulled out a twisted black thread.

The black thread writhed from side to side as though it were alive.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohu felt an icy chill spread through his entire body.

He began trembling, and his face turned even paler.

Uncle Zhao and Aunt Hua watched nervously.

Li Lin smiled.

“Tree Immortal Lady has already acted. Xiaohu will be fine. Take him home, give him a bowl of ginger soup, and let him rest for a couple of days. He’ll be lively and energetic again.”

“Thank you, Young Master Li.”

Uncle Zhao first saluted Li Lin.

Then he pulled Aunt Hua down beside Zhao Xiaohu.

The two knelt and performed three kowtows and nine bows as well.

At the same time, they said:

“Many thanks to Tree Immortal Lady for saving our useless son. From now on, our Zhao family will make offerings every day and never forget this kindness.”

After speaking, the two took Zhao Xiaohu home.

They needed to help him recover.

Seeing that the matter was settled, many of the villagers also bowed toward the altar.

Whether they needed help or not, it was always good to maintain a bit of incense affinity with a “Lady” who might help them in the future.

Li Lin also prepared to go home.

He still had not eaten breakfast.

At that moment, an elderly man called out to him.

“Patrol Hunter Li, please wait. This old man has an important matter he wishes to discuss with you.”

Li Lin stopped.

Leaning on a cane, the old man walked over to him and asked, “Patrol Hunter Li, do you happen to know any Spirit Hunters well?”