Flirting with the Villain's Mother - Chapter 43

Inside the Buddhist hall, a man and a woman were arguing. Shen Su recognized them instantly: the Seventh Uncle and Aunt she had seen during the day.

Now, Seventh Aunt’s eyes were no longer vacant and gray. Her consciousness seemed clear, her eyes brimming with tears as she sat on a prayer cushion, her withered, bark-like hands feebly pounding its edge. “Old man, Xiao Shui is still just a child!”

Seventh Uncle sneered coldly, his eyes filled with malice. “A child? She’s the one who caused all this trouble! She really thought hiding in Goddess Mountain would solve everything? Just wait until the Great One emerges from seclusion—even Goddess Mountain will be trampled flat!”

When Shen Su had escaped Goddess Mountain, the men had told a different story.

They claimed the Lin Family children were the ringleaders, while Seventh Uncle and Aunt now blamed Xiao Shui. Could they all be referring to the same person—the leader of the Little Mountain Bandits?

Shen Su wasn’t in a hurry for answers. The Seventh Uncle and Aunt’s argument continued unabated.

Seventh Aunt lowered her head, her trembling hands covering her face as bitter tears seeped through her fingers. “Old man, Xiao Shui is still our only granddaughter.”

The moment he heard the word “granddaughter,” Seventh Uncle’s face twisted in disgust. “Just a granddaughter! Not a grandson! Her parents never wanted her, always longing for a son. You’re the only one who dotes on her, but does she ever care about you? She ran off with Ruan Tong and took all those children with her! If the Divine Being punishes us for this, what will we do?”

“Don’t forget, we are now the Divine Being’s messengers. We have nothing to do with the Lin family anymore.”

It seemed both the men and Seventh Uncle’s accusations pointed to the same person: the Little Mountain Bandit leader.

Her surname was Lin, her given name Shui. The Little Mountain Bandit’s name must be Lin Shui.

A’Ling had mentioned that they called Lin Shui “Brother” because her family had raised her as a boy from childhood. This aligned perfectly with Seventh Uncle’s disdainful words.

If Lin Shui matched the description, then the dying butterfly must indeed be Ruan Tong.

Yet Shen Su still couldn’t grasp what they wanted.

The Buddhist hall gradually quieted, save for Seventh Aunt’s intermittent sobs. Seventh Uncle clearly held the authority, while Seventh Aunt could only offer weak verbal resistance, too afraid to go further.

“Miss Shen, look at that divine statue.”

Wei Nanyi reminded Shen Su not to focus solely on Seventh Uncle and Aunt. Shen Su’s fox-like eyes tilted upward, landing on the divine statue behind Seventh Aunt.

The statue in the temple wasn’t draped in yellow cloth. Standing approximately seven feet tall, it was positioned before a large incense burner filled with Immortal Fragrance. The thick, fragrant smoke that billowed from the burner carried a faint, refreshing scent, far superior to the incense given to Sister-in-law Lin and the other women.

The statue was a golden sculpture of a young girl, around twelve or thirteen years old. Despite being a mere carving, it radiated a lively charm, her face adorned with a bright, cheerful smile.

She wore a flowing silk robe adorned with fluttering butterflies.

That butterfly!

The statue is that dying butterfly!

Shen Su had expected the temple to enshrine a snake demon, but instead, it enshrined Ruan Tong, whom she had seen in the token.

What’s going on here?

“Seventh Uncle! Seventh Uncle!” A shout suddenly echoed from outside the temple. The Red Fox’s pointed ears twitched slightly as it quickly retreated a few steps, glancing left and right before its gaze settled on the roof.

“Madam, hold on tight.”

After Shen Su gripped the fox fur tightly, the Red Fox, carrying Wei Nanyi, leaped lightly onto the temple roof.

As Shen Su reached the temple roof, two men rushed into the courtyard below.

One was tall and the other short, both with dark skin and the simple, honest faces of farmers. But as soon as they spoke, Shen Su recognized them. The shorter man was the one who had tried to tamper with Sister-in-law Lin’s memories earlier that day, hoping to make her his wife. The taller man was the beast who had wanted to share in the spoils.

Pah! They only look honest! Shen Su cursed inwardly, continuing to observe the temple’s activity.

The two men didn’t enter the Buddha Hall. Instead, they stood in the courtyard, repeatedly calling out for Seventh Uncle.

After several calls, Seventh Uncle emerged slowly from his quarters with Seventh Aunt. He clasped his hands behind his back, feigning profound wisdom as he glanced at them. “Jiang Wu, Jiang Hu, what brings you to the temple so late?”

Jiang Wu, the shorter of the two, glanced at Jiang Hu before answering. “Seventh Uncle, we’re reporting back after our shift. Those little rabbits still haven’t left the mountain. The Great One will be descending in a few days. What should we do?”

Seventh Uncle’s withered, yellow hand curled slightly, his bark-like face deeply wrinkled. He murmured, “That shouldn’t be. They should have finished all the provisions they brought into the mountains. Could there be another exit from Goddess Mountain?”

For someone chosen to guard the temple, Seventh Uncle was surprisingly sharp. His guess hit the mark.

But even if they knew another exit existed, none of them knew where it was.

The thought of divine retribution sent a cold sweat trickling down Seventh Uncle’s forehead. Wiping it away, he forced a calm demeanor and said, “The Full Moon Soul Illumination Day is just a few days away. The Great One will awaken then. She’ll be furious that we lost the Goddess, but she still needs us. She won’t kill us—at most, she’ll punish us.”

“We can’t break the Bewitching Art on Goddess Mountain, but the Great One certainly can. When the time comes, those little rabbits won’t escape.”

Seventh Uncle’s eyes burned with venom. Shen Su had no doubt that if the Little Mountain Bandits were brought before him, they would suffer unspeakable torture. These people, who appeared to be elders of the bandits, were acting with inexplicable cruelty.

Standing to one side, Seventh Aunt shivered violently. “If the Full Moon Soul Illumination Day truly arrives, how many of us in the village will survive?”

Red Fox turned his head, his gaze fixed on the pale-faced woman on her back. “Madam, what is the Full Moon Soul Illumination Day?”

The night wind carried a biting chill, and the temple was permeated with an eerie cold. Wei Nanyi, with her delicate constitution, grew paler by the minute. She coughed lightly, forcing herself to speak. “The Full Moon Soul Illumination Day isn’t a fixed date, but a celestial phenomenon that occurs after a massive accumulation of spiritual energy. Miss Shen, you can think of it as the day the ritual concludes. This method is primarily used by the Demonic Sect. They select someone with a bloodline closely related to a Divine Being, then corrupt their bloodline to transform them into a monster. They manipulate everyone around her to harm, scorn, and condemn her. The pain devours her original kindness, and despair grants her immense power. Once the ritual is complete, they claim the monster’s body, which becomes a new monster. This body bestows upon them extraordinary abilities, perhaps even the power to resurrect the dead.”

“Resurrection…” Wei Nanyi murmured instinctively. “Could it really be Mu Ling?”

Mu Ling was the name of the snake Jiang An loved.

If Mu Ling was truly behind this, she was indeed a perfect match for Jiang An—both were first-rate beasts.

However… Shen Suxin still had other doubts.

“Madam, are there others in this world with bloodlines closely related to the Divine Being?”

Wei Nanyi hummed softly. “Those with bloodlines closely related to the Divine Being are essentially individuals with exceptionally strong spiritual roots. With high innate talent, their path to Cultivation will be smooth and worry-free. Their proximity to the Immortal Path naturally aligns them with the Divine Being’s bloodline. However, such individuals are rare. Most with extraordinary talent enter Immortal Sects at a young age. Moreover, this ritual requires at least a year to complete, and countless unforeseen events could occur within that time.”

Shen Su wholeheartedly agreed with Wei Nanyi’s assessment.

Although this place was remote, there was no guarantee that other cultivators like Shen Su wouldn’t stumble upon it by chance. If they discovered the truth and reported it to their Sect, the entire ritual would be ruined.

The snake demon’s ritual had proceeded so smoothly thus far, which was truly fortunate.

From their vantage point on the rooftop, Shen Su and Wei Nanyi quietly observed the four figures in the courtyard, each reacting differently. Seventh Aunt’s anxious words drew cold snorts from Jiang Hu and Seventh Uncle, while Jiang Wu fearfully shrank his shoulders. “Seventh Uncle,” he pleaded, “when the Great One loses his temper, you’ll have to intercede for us.”

Before Seventh Uncle could reply, Jiang Hu clapped Jiang Wu on the shoulder. “What are you afraid of? We’re men, brimming with yang energy. The Great One favors yin; he won’t devour us. It’ll just be a bit of physical pain. With your current skills, what’s a couple of lashes to fear?”

Shen Su secretly channeled spiritual power into her eyes. As expected, Jiang Hu and Jiang Wu, like Seventh Uncle, were enveloped in a dark mist.

It seemed these people had willingly sold their lives to the snake demon.

Though somewhat reassured, Jiang Wu remained apprehensive. He had always been a man of bold ideas but timid actions, which explained why he had lusted after Sister-in-law Lin for so long, yet only dared to indulge in verbal fantasies. He glanced nervously at the Buddhist hall and whispered, “Seventh Uncle, if you ask me, we should cut off the Goddess’s incense offerings. Once that’s done, her power might vanish too. Without power to share with those Little Rabbits, many of whom are already crippled, they won’t be able to stay on Goddess Mountain.”

Hearing Jiang Wu’s foolish suggestion, Seventh Uncle glared at him furiously. “Idiot! If her incense offerings cease, her flesh and bl00d will become useless! How will we achieve immortality then?”

Jiang Hu, who appeared to be the bolder of the two, draped an arm around Jiang Wu’s shoulder and chuckled. “Lao Wu, Seventh Uncle’s right. Only by maintaining her incense offerings can we gain longevity and power by consuming her flesh. If the offerings stop, everything will be for naught.”

Shen Su realized the Goddess they spoke of was Ruan Tong.

No wonder A’Ling said the villains would devour the Goddess. These men were truly plotting to consume Ruan Tong’s flesh and bl00d.

Wait, they might have already done it.

Shen Su remembered hearing the men say that A’Ling had leaked the information. She also recalled A’Ling saying her father had become terrifying. It was highly likely that A’Ling had witnessed her father consuming Ruan Tong’s flesh and bl00d, then told Lin Shui and the others, leading them to flee into Goddess Mountain with Ruan Tong.

Considering Ruan Tong’s frail condition, this scenario seemed highly plausible.

Wei Nanyi had mentioned that the condition for the sacrifice was to have someone of the Divine Being’s bloodline constantly harmed by those around her, forcing her to endure endless torment in darkness. Being devoured by the uncles and elders of her village would undoubtedly constitute such despair.

Yet, according to their words, it seemed Ruan Tong, a living person, was consuming Incense Power. She could draw strength from this power and distribute it to the children, which explained why the Little Mountain Bandits—none of whom were cultivators except for Lin Shui—could still use certain techniques.

But why could a living person absorb Incense Power?

Following her principle of asking when confused, Shen Su immediately turned to the more knowledgeable Wei Nanyi. “Madam, can a living person absorb Incense Power?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Wei Nanyi replied, shaking her head in rare bewilderment. She was also pondering these strange occurrences. “And it’s not just that. I’ve never heard of a person being able to share their spiritual power with others. Demons, on the other hand, can.”

The original story was told from the male lead’s perspective, and since he was human, the book’s descriptions of demons were limited.

Shen Su asked, her voice tinged with curiosity, “Madam, are you saying demons can share their power?”

Wei Nanyi nodded gently, facing the wind. “Most demons don’t join sects, but their individual strength is limited. That’s why they often live in groups. Weaker demons revere stronger ones as divine beings, elevating them to leadership in hopes of protection. The powerful demons, in turn, share their power with trusted followers through blessings, safeguarding their kin without diminishing their own cultivation. This power-sharing method only depletes their spiritual power, which replenishes with abundant spiritual Qi. However, the amount of power they can bestow is finite, though the stronger the demon, the greater the blessings they can grant.”

“Wild Goose Jade Mountain has eight Great Demon Kings who distribute their power to their subordinates,” Wei Nanyi paused briefly. “Come to think of it, Miss Guiyan told me all this. The lesser demons on the mountain largely follow the Eight Great Demon Kings’ orders, while the Demon Kings themselves obey Miss Guiyan. However, many of the Demon Kings surpass Miss Guiyan in strength, so she has never blessed them. I wonder if this might have been why the fox demon and Tiger Demon ambushed her years ago.”

The two demons who attacked Wei Nanyi back then were both among the Eight Great Demon Kings. The fox demon perished under Mirror Quilt’s innate ability, while the Tiger Demon escaped with severe injuries, its fate on Wild Goose Jade Mountain remaining unknown.

Ever since Wei Nanyi single-handedly breached Wild Goose Jade Mountain’s formidable defenses, the mountain had maintained a tight guard against her.

Wei Nanyi hadn’t set foot on Wild Goose Jade Mountain for an exceedingly long time.

Shen Su understood Wei Nanyi’s implication.

Is she suggesting these children might all be demons? How could that be possible?

Demonic creatures reveal their true forms when threatened. Yet, despite suffering the backlash from those long blades, none of the children had shown any demonic traits.

They bore no demonic features whatsoever, and their parents were ordinary, living humans. How could they possibly be demons?

This hypothesis seemed untenable.

Upon hearing the words “devouring flesh and bl00d,” Seventh Aunt’s face paled further. “You’ll be punished! You’ll be punished!” she shrieked.

Her words drew a displeased frown from Seventh Uncle. He roughly pulled her aside, and as his hand touched her arm, a wisp of green mist surged into her eyes. Seventh Aunt fell silent.

Her gaze turned vacant and lifeless, devoid of even the slightest focus. No longer standing in the courtyard, she turned and shuffled toward the Buddhist hall, mechanically adding sticks of Immortal Fragrance to the incense burner.

Seventh Aunt had lost all conscious awareness.

Jiang Hu, observing the scene, asked Seventh Uncle curiously, “Seventh Uncle, I don’t understand. Why do you periodically restore Seventh Aunt’s consciousness instead of completely altering her memories? It’s not helping our plans at all.”

Seventh Uncle chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Only consciousness can feel pain. If I want her to suffer, I must keep her awake.”

His narrow eyes were filled with calculation, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen with venom. “It’s her fault for not giving me more sons! The only one she bore was utterly useless. After all these years, she only produced that dead girl, A’Shui! The Lin family’s lineage is on the verge of extinction! She dotes on A’Shui, does she? Then she’ll watch A’Shui become the Great One’s puppet!”

Shen Su recalled the Seventh Uncle and Aunt’s arguments. It became clear that Seventh Uncle wasn’t worried about being dragged down by Lin Shui; he feared that if Seventh Aunt died, he would lose his means of tormenting her.

Shen Su’s fox paw pried open a few roof tiles, allowing her to peer down at Seventh Aunt in the ancestral hall.

Sister-in-law Lin wasn’t the only pitiable woman in this village.

Shen Su and Wei Nanyi struggled to comprehend how someone could hate their wife for such a reason. Wei Nanyi couldn’t help but remark, “Miss Shen, they’re both your children. What does it matter if they’re boys or girls?”

“I don’t know,” Shen Su replied.

She wasn’t Seventh Uncle, so she couldn’t possibly understand his twisted logic.

But Jiang Hu and Jiang Wu clearly empathized with Seventh Uncle. Jiang Hu chuckled darkly, his tone ingratiating, “Seventh Uncle, once we all gain the power of eternal life, I’ll make sure Old Lin gives you plenty of grandsons!”

Seventh Uncle snorted coldly, his face contorted with disgust. “Hmph! Once I’m young again, what use will I have for him?”

Hearing this, Jiang Hu quickly nudged Jiang Wu.

Jiang Wu, who had been trembling with fear moments before, now understood Jiang Hu’s meaning. A sudden spark of excitement lit up his face. “Seventh Uncle’s right! Once we’re young again, what do we need Old Lin for? Seventh Uncle, I’ve been thinking Widow Lin isn’t bad. She’s got a curvy figure and a big butt—she looks like she’d be good at bearing children.”

Shen Su suddenly realized this might be their true motive for coming here.

The Little Mountain Bandits had been fleeing into Goddess Mountain for quite some time, and the fact that they couldn’t capture them wasn’t a new development. Even if they came, they would still have to wait for the Great One to emerge from seclusion. Reporting this news in the dead of night was entirely unnecessary.

Their true target was Sister-in-law Lin.

Seventh Uncle clearly held greater authority among them. During the Great One’s seclusion, he was likely the one controlling the Immortal Fragrance. Therefore, to obtain Widow Lin, they needed Seventh Uncle’s consent. Upon discovering that Seventh Uncle still harbored lustful desires, they devised a plan to implicate him in their scheme.

Sister-in-law Lin was truly cursed by fate.

“Lao Wu, your horizons are too narrow. Stop fixating on the women in the village. Besides, she’s a close relative of the Goddess by bloodline. You should at least show some respect,” Seventh Uncle said, his narrow eyes gleaming with cunning. “You haven’t heard, have you? Ruan Yao brought back a beautiful young girl, barely seventeen or eighteen. Her features are delicate, her skin smooth and tender—so soft you could pinch her and water would well up. She’s nothing like Ruan Yao.”

The name “Ruan Yao” slipped from Seventh Uncle’s lips, finally confirming to Shen Su that this was Sister-in-law Lin’s original name. The Goddess Ruan Tong they spoke of was likely Sister-in-law Lin’s daughter. They had forced Sister-in-law Lin to forget her name and her daughter, worshiping the Demon who had harmed her child as a Divine Being.

How cruel.

Just as Shen Su had finished saying Sister-in-law Lin was unlucky, the misfortune had shifted to her. The irony was almost comical.

The Red Fox, bristling with anger, tilted its head back and swiped its front paws at the air, itching to pounce and snap the old man’s neck.

Wei Nanyi stroked the fox’s fur, soothing its fury.

Seventh Uncle’s eyes lit up at the mention of Shen Su, but Jiang Wu, timid and risk-averse, immediately panicked. Instead of imagining how beautiful Shen Su might be, he asked in a terrified voice, “Seventh Uncle, are there outsiders in the village?”

Jiang Hu glared at him, disgusted by his cowardice. “She’s just a girl. What are you afraid of?”

Jiang Wu swallowed nervously. “What if she’s a Cultivator?”

Seventh Uncle clapped Jiang Wu on the back. “Don’t worry. If she were a Cultivator, the Great One would have sensed it. He’d tell us to take care of her. Have you forgotten we’ve killed Cultivators before? She’s just an ordinary girl passing through. Her only remarkable trait is her beauty—she’s as fresh and radiant as dew!”

So it wasn’t that the Demon had been lucky enough to avoid encountering Cultivators; rather, those Cultivators had already fallen victim to Seventh Uncle and his group.

How many arrogant Cultivators, convinced of their own superiority, would bother to guard against ordinary humans?

Jiang Wu’s lust finally overcame his fear. He licked his lips eagerly. “Seventh Uncle, is that young woman really as good as you say?”

Jiang Hu looked at Seventh Uncle with skepticism. Seventh Uncle waved his wrinkled hand dismissively. “Come on, I’ll take you to see for yourselves.”

Damn it! They’re going after her!

If they discovered she was gone and turned their attention to Sister-in-law Lin, that would be disastrous.

Sister-in-law Lin was under the influence of the Immortal Fragrance. Even if they tried something, her chances of resisting would be virtually zero.

Although Seventh Uncle claimed Sister-in-law Lin was a relative of the Goddess’s bloodline and they should show her some respect, who knew how much that “some respect” would amount to? One lecherous man was terrifying enough; now there were three of them together.

Shen Su didn’t wait to hear any more.

The moment Seventh Uncle and the others moved to leave, she rushed out ahead of them. “Madam, we have to leave the village! We need to take Sister-in-law Lin with us!”

Wei Nanyi saw through Shen Su’s plan immediately. “Miss Shen, are you planning to return to Goddess Mountain?”

“Yes, we need to find those Little Mountain Bandits.”

During her visit to the Divine Temple, Shen Su hadn’t found any trace of the snake demon, but she had managed to piece together some of the truth and understand the village’s situation.

The village was divided into three types of people: those whose memories had been altered by the Immortal Fragrance, those who willingly served as slaves to the demons, and those who had been devoured by demons but whose souls still lingered here.

None of these three groups would reveal the full truth to Shen Su.

The only ones who could tell her the truth were the children who had fled into Goddess Mountain, the ones who remained conscious.

Although she didn’t know why the Little Mountain Bandits hadn’t made a deal with the demons or been affected by the Immortal Fragrance, their desperation for food had led them to consider robbing Shen Su. They weren’t truly evil, and they were fiercely protecting the greatest victim of this ritual—Goddess Ruan Tong.

A’Ling had said that she and Ruan Tong were the same: both Goddesses, both offerings.

Shen Su understood why these terms were used to describe Ruan Tong, but why would A’Ling apply them to her?

Wearing the Jade Pendant that concealed her aura, Shen Su should appear as an ordinary person to these villagers. Although Lin Shui had discovered she was a cultivator during their confrontation, that didn’t mean she was a Goddess and an offering like Ruan Tong.

Once she found Ruan Tong, she would demand answers!