Chapter 27: Gong Yang

Hong Xiu gave an awkward smile and stepped back two paces:

“I don’t know any more than Hong Sheng does. Hong Sheng is a scholar, much clearer in thought than I am. It’s better to let Hong Sheng explain to Taoist Master.”

Gong Yang immediately saw through him.

This young man was obviously frightened out of his wits by the Snake Demon.

Inwardly, he felt contempt, but outwardly he kept a calm face as he turned to the other youth:

“In that case, please tell me the situation.”

In Gong Yang’s eyes, the boy called Hong Sheng looked at him very calmly.

Instead of following his lead, he countered:

“Taoist Master, my uncle and elder brother already went to the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring to request aid many days ago. They should be returning soon.”

“Why not let Taoist Master rest in the village for a while? When the Bureau’s reinforcements arrive, Taoist Master can then go up the mountain together with them to capture the demon. How about that?”

This damned brat, why so many words? If he’d just obediently told me about the mountain’s situation, wouldn’t it have been enough?

Wait for the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring to come?

If those people really did arrive, who knows whether the one they would catch would be the Snake Demon… or me?

Gong Yang cursed again in his heart.

If not for the fact that the Great Yin Bone Refinement he cultivated required zombies with strong Dharma-bodies, he would have really wanted to refine this boy into a zombie.

But though Gong Yang cursed in his heart, his face betrayed nothing.

Instead, he put on an expression of grief and indignation:

“My two colleagues have already perished at the hands of the Snake Demon. With no certainty as to when other colleagues may arrive, how could I sit idly in the village, wasting precious time?”

“Moreover, if I do not go up the mountain, the Snake Demon may well harm more travelers and innocents. Thus, capturing this demon cannot be delayed.”

“When my colleagues arrive, you may simply have them head straight up the mountain to assist me.”

When the villagers heard Gong Yang say “the Snake Demon may harm others,” they couldn’t help but stir in agitation:

“Yes, Hong Sheng, Taoist Master is right. Hurry and tell him what you know.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Taoist Master is powerful in magic. He will surely be safe.”

“Didn’t you hear him? If the Snake Demon starts killing again, what about Uncle Sanjiang…”

Under the persuasion of his fellow villagers, Hong Sheng nodded:

“Very well. Since that is the case, I will tell Taoist Master everything I know…”

After listening to Hong Sheng, Gong Yang calculated on his fingers and thought secretly:

“If what this boy says is true, and the Bureau’s people found Hong Mountain and perished within a day, then they likely won’t have time to discover that Dragon Cave.”

“And judging by the time, on the day my zombie was destroyed, Ding Fan and Xu Han had already died.”

“It seems the one who entered the Dragon Cave and destroyed my zombie very well could be that Snake Demon.”

As long as it wasn’t the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring who discovered he was raising zombies, that was the best news for him.

Gong Yang let out a breath of relief, then furrowed his brows again.

Although he hadn’t been exposed by the Bureau, if he left things unchecked, the outcome would still likely be unfavorable.

“According to Hong Sheng, Hong Tianyun and his nephew have been gone to the Bureau for several days. They could return at any time with even stronger demon-catchers.”

“If the Snake Demon just roams the mountain, then fine. The Bureau will catch it and leave, and I can continue raising my zombies.”

“But the troublesome part lies here.”

Ignoring the eager gazes of the villagers, Gong Yang closed his eyes and calculated:

“My original plan was, if some wild demon in the mountain destroyed my zombie and took my Dragon Cave, I would just kill it.”

“But if Bureau people may come at any time, then the situation changes.”

“If I kill the Snake Demon before the Bureau arrives, and they fail to find it, they will definitely scour the place and even use geomancy.”

“Even if they found the Snake Demon’s corpse, they would suspect a stronger beast killed it and still continue searching the mountain.”

“In that case, my place for raising zombies would be exposed.”

“Bah, those Bureau people, their moral sense of duty is far too strong. If only they would just capture the Snake Demon and leave.”

Though Gong Yang thought highly of himself, until his Great Yin Bone Refinement was complete, he had no desire to clash head-on with the Bureau.

They were all lunatics who risked their lives to cut down demons and defend the Way.

“In that case, I only have three options.”

“One, drive the Snake Demon out of the Dragon Cave, then guide it before the Bureau. After they capture it and leave, I can continue raising zombies.”

“Two, kill the Snake Demon but conceal its corpse, letting the Bureau search in vain, and afterward, I resume raising zombies.”

“Three, change location, seek another Earth Vein Dragon Cave, and start raising zombies anew.”

Almost without hesitation, Gong Yang gritted his teeth and discarded the third option.

Only he knew how difficult it was to find even one suitable place to raise zombies without the Bureau discovering it.

To abandon such a perfect site over such a small matter—he would never agree to it.

As for the first two choices:

“Either way, I have to wait for the Bureau’s people. I might as well hide in the shadows, let them capture the demon, and leave.”

“If I kill the Snake Demon myself, it would be satisfying, but who knows if those fellows would later come to investigate again and again? That would be fatal.”

Having decided, Gong Yang opened his eyes—only to be startled by the dozens of shining eyes surrounding him.

He realized he had been lost in thought for too long and had forgotten about these villagers.

“Ahem.”

Gong Yang cleared his throat and said to the villagers of Hongjia Village:

“Everyone, I now understand the general situation. Don’t be anxious. Go back to your homes and don’t wander about.”

“I will go up the mountain immediately to see the situation.”

Upon hearing this, the villagers who had been tense at once let out sighs of relief:

“With a Taoist Master from the Bureau here, we can rest easy.”

“Yes, yes, these days I haven’t dared to sleep, afraid the Snake Demon would break in and eat my children.”

“Even just now, when Taoist Master knocked, I thought it was the Snake Demon pretending to be human again.”

But some villagers still raised doubts:

“The last two Taoist Masters who went up the mountain died in the Snake Demon’s hands. This time only one Taoist comes… is it reliable? Will he die too?”

Such doubts of course stirred no waves:

“You fool. The previous two Taoists were so young, but this one is steady and composed. If he dares to go alone, he must be powerful.”

“That’s right. Let’s stop worrying and let Taoist Master focus on catching the demon.”

As the villagers gradually dispersed, Gong Yang also carried a faint smile as he slowly ascended the mountain.

Although he knew with eighty to ninety percent certainty that it was this newly appeared Snake Demon that destroyed his zombie, he still had to take a look.

If the Snake Demon was not occupying the Dragon Cave, that would be best—he could immediately resume raising zombies.

......

Having finished with the zombie, Mo Lin coiled up within the Dragon Cave, happily absorbing the Earth Vein’s spiritual energy.

“Just as I expected, the spiritual energy of the Earth Vein can also be absorbed by my Devour ability. My Demonic Power has broken through 1000, and I have also completed my twelfth Shedding.”

Mo Lin opened his eyes.

Beside him lay his twelfth shed snakeskin.

【Mo Lin】

【Strength: 1175】

【Speed: 1149】

【Agility: 1201】

【Defense: 1278】

【Demonic Power: 1084】

【Abilities: Devour, Shedding, Poison Resistance, Snake Venom, Demon Transformation, Corpse Poison】

If he could lie in the Earth Vein’s energy every day, his strength would improve even while simply resting.

Why would Mo Lin need to painstakingly hunt for food as before?

Thinking back to every past improvement, all bought with life-and-death risks, Mo Lin almost wanted to cry.

Those bitter days were gone.

From now on, he was Mo Lin who could sit and eat his fill in peace!

Just then, Mo Lin’s expression changed.

Though he secluded himself in the Dragon Cave, oblivious to the outside world, in truth he had long since used Corpse Poison to control two rabbits, leaving them near the cave as scouts.

The moment they detected any disturbance, he would immediately be alerted and respond.

Just like now—one rabbit’s red eyes reflected the image of a middle-aged man in Taoist robes, walking slowly through the forest.

No beast could hinder him.

Whether it was a wild boar charging at him or a honey badger that attacked anything it saw, both were subdued with a casual wave of his hand.

Mo Lin lifted his body, focusing his attention on the corpse rabbits:

“Is it someone from the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring? Or a Taoist with other purposes? Did he come to capture me? Or for the Dragon Cave?”

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