When I arrived at the village chief's house, everyone was standing outside in fear. The crowd was less than half of what it was earlier, with only a few children's parents remaining.
As soon as I stepped through the courtyard gate, one of the older women grabbed me. Rural women usually worked in the fields, and while not exactly burly, they were quite strong. Picking me up, an eighteen-year-old young man, was like playing a game.
"My heavens, Qingyun, you're finally here! Hurry inside and take a look. They... they've turned into monsters! They're growing hair and making squeaking noises..."
You didn't need her to tell me. As soon as I got close to the window, I heard squeaking sounds from inside. Unlike Huang San's cunning noises, these sounds were rapid and somewhat strange, sounding a bit like baby rats waiting to be fed.
Through the windowpane, I saw the three people lying on the kang. Their faces had begun to grow some gray down. However, this down was very short and almost invisible under the lamplight unless one looked closely. At the same time, a chill emanated from them, floating in the air.
Gou Danzi was the worst. The gray fur on his face was almost two fingers long, and two front teeth, like a rat's, had already protruded from his mouth. If I had been any later, Gou Danzi would have become a demon.
I rushed in and immediately opened the medicine bottle in my hand, pouring out a piece of Huang San's excrement. Pinching Gou Danzi's nose, I forced it down his throat. The kid tried to bite me.
"Damn it, are you trying to defy heaven?" I gathered a wisp of Xuan Yang True Qi in my right hand and flicked his forehead. Instantly, he fell silent.
Perhaps it was the potency of the "medicine" or the overwhelming taste, but Gou Danzi thrashed his hands and kicked his legs a few times before becoming still. I quickly placed my finger in front of his nose. Fortunately, he was still breathing, albeit weakly.
Just then, Grandma Liu, supported by Zhang Sao, also returned. Seeing me treating Gou Danzi from outside the window, her face turned ashen. Without even catching her breath, she rushed into the house.
"Qingyun, what medicine did you give Gou Danzi? How did this person... how did he jump up like that?"
I didn't dare tell them the truth. If I told them it was weasel droppings, how could they let their men eat it? Just thinking about it made me sick. How would they live their lives afterward? Eating from the same pot would be nauseating.
"Grandma Liu, Gou Danzi has been possessed by evil spirits for too long. Look, he's growing fur. Didn't the fur recede after taking the medicine? Look, because you delayed, the village chief and Brother Zhang have also started growing fur."
They looked, and indeed, the gray fur on Gou Danzi's face was receding at a visible rate. In contrast, the gray fur on the village chief and Brother Zhang's faces was continuously growing. Although the speed wasn't fast, their faces were becoming indistinguishable.
"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry and give them the medicine!"
Alright!
Seeing that all three of them had stabilized on the kang, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I also began to understand why Huang San had given me his droppings.
Weasels are natural rat hunters and are natural enemies of rats. Although they are both powerful wild immortals, weasels still dislike rats, much like foxes dislike rats and weasels. They always want to take a bite when they see them. Simply put, they have a relationship of mutual restraint, unless the strength of the two sides is unequal, in which case it might be reversed.
Within minutes of taking the medicine, all three men reacted. Their bodies convulsed, accompanied by sounds of retching. I knew the "medicine" was working, and they were preparing to expel the Yin energy left by the rat demons.
Immediately, a foul odor spread throughout the room, driving everyone out. I was the first to run out, fearing I would be overwhelmed by the smell.
When the retching sounds ceased, I arranged for them to be carried out of the house. Huang San's droppings were toxic, and staying in the room for too long could lead to poisoning. After they came out, I braced myself against the stench and rushed back in, igniting yellow talismans with Xuan Yang True Qi to burn away all the yellow liquid they had vomited.
The poison was gone, but the faint lingering smell in the room could not be eliminated. There was nothing that could be done about it; it would have to disappear with time.
There weren't many people left in the courtyard. Besides the village chief and his wife, there were the parents of the other three children. Including Gou Danzi and myself, there were fourteen people in total. All eyes were on Gou Danzi.
Although no one spoke, their gazes made Gou Danzi exceptionally fearful. Except for me, everyone else's eyes seemed to want to devour him. If it weren't for him wanting to become a spirit medium and causing this mess, how could everyone have ended up in such a state?
Logically, this kind of matter should not have involved the village chief and the others, as it pertained to the underworld professions. However, they were the victims, and the village chief had the authority to decide whether Gou Danzi could remain in the village. After much deliberation, it was decided to clarify the matter at the village chief's house.
I was mainly concerned about how Gou Danzi had gotten involved with the corpse demon. The rat soul that had escaped from him was, at a glance, the soul of the corpse demon from the mountain hollow east of the village.
Our village was just an ordinary small village. Even if there were evil spirits, it was unlikely to have a life-threatening corpse demon. This was completely contrary to common sense. Moreover, judging from Gou Danzi's connection to the corpse demon, he had even sworn allegiance, which completely violated the rules of the Yin and Yang professions.
As the atmosphere reached its peak of oppression, the village chief coughed and spoke first, "Shi Sheng, I watched you grow up. How did you become like this? My Liu family only has this one descendant, and you still want to take him away. Has your heart been eaten by dogs? Cough, cough..."
"Old man, don't get agitated. Your health is important."
"The village chief is right. Earlier, when I saw you could cure my child, I was planning to go home and cook for you so that Brother Zhang and you could have a good drink. It seems even feeding this to dogs would be too good for you. Bah..." Zhang Sao, the second most shrewish woman in the village, was a master of scolding. However, because the village chief was present, she did not display her shrewish side, or else the donkeys in the village would have started braying along.
As everyone chimed in with their accusations, Gou Danzi did not offer any defense or rebuttal. He simply lowered his head, appearing to be sincerely admitting his fault.
This made me frown. I had seen Gou Danzi many times in the ten years I had been here. He was always someone who would fight for his own interests. If Zhang Sao was the second shrewish woman in the village, then Gou Danzi was definitely the first shrewish man.
I stopped everyone from continuing their accusations and said seriously, "Uncle Gou, which wild immortal do you worship? Is it the Grey Immortal that came out of you?"
Gou Danzi slowly raised his head. His face was still somewhat pale, but his bloodshot eyes had mostly recovered, though they still had traces of red. A slight smile curved his lips, and he chuckled.
"Grey Immortal? What Grey Immortal? I don't understand what you're talking about. I want to go home and drink. Stop your nonsense here; it's annoying to listen to."