Witch God Abyss (Lily) - Chapter 19

Jingzhou, governing sixteen counties.

Shen Yuan arrived at Jingzhou’s Xiajiang County at dawn, finding a high vantage point—the top of a seven-story pagoda in a temple.

She sat atop the pagoda, flipping through the records in the booklet.

The Xiajiang County governor reported that in recent months, children had been mysteriously disappearing.

Five cases occurred, involving children aged three to seven.

The Jingzhou prefect ordered a curfew across the sixteen counties and increased nighttime patrols by guards, but no culprits were caught.

Children still vanished.

Rumors claimed a demon was kept at Huailan Temple in the northern suburbs, sneaking out at night to steal children.

Shen Yuan found it laughable.

Such acts, damaging yin virtue and shortening life, couldn’t be done by true cultivators.

If so, they must be practicing some demonic method…

Shen Yuan tucked away the booklet, stood, stretched, and looked around.

From dawn to noon, the temple had only a dozen visitors offering incense, with meager donations.

She thought, “This temple’s incense offerings are pathetic.”

The temple’s location was elevated, and from the seven-story pagoda, the city was almost entirely visible.

Shen Yuan calculated it was just past noon—too early to gather news at taverns or brothels. Where to go?

By the river stood a four-story stilted building, striking in its prominence.

A large wooden sign on top bore three red-painted characters: “Wenxi Bathhouse.”

“Perfect. A bathhouse!”

Shen Yuan pulled out the loose silver she’d exchanged earlier, weighing it.

“Just right for a bath, a change of clothes, and some inquiries about the missing children.”

“Demon spawn!”

A shout startled Shen Yuan, nearly making her fall from the tower.

“I’m human, human!”

Shen Yuan hadn’t heard anyone approach.

She slowly turned to see an old monk in a gray-green robe standing on the upturned eaves.

“A cultivator? Yet reeking of demonic aura? Take my palm!”

“Hey, Master, why so unreasonable?”

Shen Yuan dodged one palm strike, but the second came swiftly.

She formed a seal with her hands, chanting, “I’m out, can’t afford this fight!”

She leaped from the tower, vanishing midair.

A four-story stilted building by the Xiajiang River, painted bright red and blue, stood out.

Most nearby taverns and eateries were two stories, even the tallest brothel in the red-light district only three.

Common houses were single-story, gray-white.

At the “Wenxi Bathhouse” entrance, Shen Yuan looked up at the blue-roofed, red-pillared structure—so grand, even Zhongdu Hengjing lacked such a bathhouse.

Bathhouses like this were busiest morning and evening.

At midday, few customers came. Behind the counter, a plump old woman dozed, head lowered.

Shen Yuan said, “Granny?”

“Hm.”

The old woman, without looking up, raised a hand, pointing to wooden plaques hanging on a board behind her.

“Which one?”

Shen Yuan looked at the colorful plaques, each marked with prices—cheapest at ten wen, most expensive at five hundred.

Shen Yuan placed a tael of silver on the counter.

“The priciest one.”

The old woman sniffed, muttering, “Demonic aura?”

She glanced at Shen Yuan through half-closed eyes, slowly pulled a small scale from under the counter, weighed the silver, and handed back a string of copper coins.

As Shen Yuan took the coins, the old woman grabbed her wrist, her drooping eyes suddenly wide, staring.

Shen Yuan, startled, thought, “Black shop?”

But she sensed no hostility or killing intent. What could a slow-moving old woman do?

Shen Yuan dropped the coins, her gripped hand on guard, thumb pressing her ring finger, forming a water seal.

She said calmly, “Granny, what’s this about?”

The old woman suddenly let go, forcing a smile from her wrinkled face—so terrifying, she’d be better off not smiling.

“Left, Right, serve the guest!”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

Shen Yuan was puzzled.

“Left, Right? Is this a courtroom?”

From behind a curtain, two women emerged, dressed in white shirts and blue pants, sleeves rolled above elbows.

Same height, same build, nearly identical faces.

One had her hair braided on the left, flung over her right shoulder.

The other, the opposite—braided on the right, flung over her left.

One said, “I’m Left.”

The other said, “I’m Right.”

Shen Yuan nearly laughed. “Are you two each other’s mirror?”

The old woman and Left and Right stayed silent.

Shen Yuan asked, “Twins?”

Left and Right answered together, “Sisters.”

Left said, “She’s a year older.”

Right said, “She’s a year younger.”

Shen Yuan laughed.

“Five hundred wen, well worth it!”

Left and Right said, “This way.”

The old woman watched them lead Shen Yuan to the back hall, then beckoned two errand boys at the door.

“Xiaofu, go to the Lin family mansion, tell the Fourth Aunt the person’s here.”

“Yes.”

“Xiaoxi, quietly clear out all other guests. We might have to act soon.”

“Yes.”

In the first room, Left and Right helped Shen Yuan change and undo her hair.

Upstairs, pools of varying temperatures, wooden tubs, bath beans, and spices were all available.

Left and Right led Shen Yuan to a small window-side room with a steaming large tub, positioned to view the Xiajiang River.

The river’s surface was clear, reflecting sky clouds.

Boats passed, rippling waves, swaying cloud shadows.

“So beautiful.”

Shen Yuan leaned on the tub’s edge, the steam carrying a rich herbal scent.

“A medicinal bath for just five hundred wen? What a deal.”

Left and Right combed her hair meticulously with a comb, then washed it with herb-infused soap.

After days of travel from Wujian to Jingzhou, Shen Yuan felt utterly exhausted, drifting into sleep, forgetting her purpose of inquiring about the missing children…

When Shen Yuan awoke, she couldn’t move, her eyelids too heavy to open, her body seemingly pinned by something…

She thought, “Trouble—definitely a black shop!”

She tried forming a seal, but her fingers wouldn’t budge.

She tried chanting, but her mouth wouldn’t open.

“Cursed? Something heavy and wet is pressing on me… Am I… buried alive? But I can breathe…”

Shen Yuan, skilled in external martial arts, strained, feeling the weight on her crack.

Right said, “The lady’s awake?”

Right slowly lifted the wet, hot mud from Shen Yuan’s face.

“You slept over an hour. We were wondering whether to wake you.”

Shen Yuan realized her body was covered in black medicinal mud, lying on a warm stone slab.

The outer mud had dried, forming a hard shell, pinning her down…

Left said, “Wait, I’ll pour hot water to soften the mud.”

Shen Yuan relaxed, no longer struggling, her stomach growling.

Left said, “We have food. Abuchi… Guest, want some?”

Shen Yuan stared. “What did you just say?”

Left turned, scooped a ladle of hot water, poured it on the mud, and said nothing.

Shen Yuan said, “No trouble needed.”

Skilled in water control, she chanted, and water from a nearby pool cascaded like a waterfall, washing off the mud.

Shen Yuan stood, noticing the room held only the three of them—no other guests.

She grabbed Left, now splashed with muddy water.

“Something’s been off since I arrived. You know me, don’t you?”

Right said, “We won’t harm you.”

Shen Yuan thought, “True, they had a chance to act earlier.”

She released Left, whose wrist bore four purple-red finger marks.

Left didn’t flinch or glance at her wrist, wiping her face with a waist towel.

“I’ll have the kitchen prepare dishes and cook noodles.”

Shen Yuan turned to Right.

“This four-story riverside stilted building—big rooms aside, there must be a dozen small window-side ones. These spices, soaps, maybe dozens of kinds. From the moment you brought me to that window spot, the medicinal bath, mud, even the tortoiseshell comb, the loofah for scrubbing—everything’s exactly what I like. Don’t tell me it’s all coincidence.”

Right fetched a silk cloth to wipe Shen Yuan’s body, draping her in a bathrobe.

“Put this on. Let’s go next door, I’ll dry your hair.”

Shen Yuan dressed, picking up the silk cloth used earlier.

“And this silk cloth.”

Right said, “How could coarse silk match your delicate skin?”

“And the way you talk… it’s like…”

Shen Yuan’s head throbbed.

“Like what? Why does it feel so familiar, yet I can’t recall…”

Right stopped, staring at her.

“Like what? Can you remember?”

Shen Yuan felt her head would explode, a stabbing pain in her back like a knife wound.

Her eyes bloodshot, she suddenly raged, grabbing Right’s neck.

“Who are you?!”

A woman at the door said, “The family head still has that fiery temper. Let her go, I’ll tell you.”

The woman, thin with pinned-up hair, had blue eyes like Shen Yuan’s.