Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 14 The Demoness Suppressed by a Talisman

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the strange laughter did not reappear, nor did the eerie green light reappear.

Zhou Ning then closed the window and sat down on the bed.

The mandrill is testing the waters.

It was observing whether there was a "master" in the village.

If it were an ordinary person, upon hearing this strange laughter, they would either hide in fear or rashly go out to investigate.

Both of these reactions would reveal one's true intentions and true intentions.

Zhou Ning was not fooled.

He knew that since the mandrill had come to test him, it meant that it had sensed his presence.

A fierce battle is inevitable when we go up the mountain tomorrow.

-

The next morning, as dawn broke, Zhou Ning got up.

He changed into a light and practical outfit, slung the wooden sword across his back, hung a talisman pouch at his waist, and carefully put the jade talisman containing his master's sword energy close to his body.

With everything ready, he pushed open the door and went out.

Master Wang and the three elders were already waiting in the courtyard, their faces solemn.

"Young Master Zhou, are you sure you don't need anyone to accompany you?" Master Wang asked again.

"No need," Zhou Ning said.

"Wait for news in the village. If I haven't returned by noon, go look for me in the mountains."

He spoke calmly, but everyone could hear the weight in his words.

Li Lizheng walked forward shakily and handed a copper coin to Zhou Ning:

"Young man, this is an old item from the village. It's said to ward off evil spirits. Take it with you; it might be useful."

Zhou Ning took the copper coin; it felt heavy in his hand. The coin was engraved with some ancient runes and faintly emitted a spiritual light.

Although it's not a particularly powerful ritual implement, one can still feel the power of incense and prayers contained within it.

"Thank you, sir." Zhou Ning carefully put away the copper coins and bowed to the crowd.

"Farewell, everyone."

He turned around and strode towards Black Wind Stronghold.

-

The mountain road was rugged and overgrown with thorns.

The higher you go up the mountain, the denser the trees become, and the less sunlight there is.

The dense canopy blocked out the sky, making the forest dark and damp, filled with a putrid smell.

Zhou Ning slowed his pace, observing his surroundings as he walked.

He noticed that the closer he got to the top of the mountain, the stranger the shapes of the trees became.

Some tree trunks are twisted like snakes, some branches stretch out like ghost claws, and some bark is covered with tumor-like bumps, making them look ferocious and terrifying.

This isn't right.

Normal trees don't grow like this.

Zhou Ning stopped, closed his eyes, circulated his inner energy to his eyes, and then opened them again.

This is the "Spiritual Eye Technique" that Yan Chixia taught him. Although it cannot truly see demonic energy, it can sense the abnormal flow of spiritual energy around him.

Sure enough, in his eyes, those strange trees were all shrouded in a thin layer of black mist.

The mist, like wisps of silk, rose from the tree roots, spread along the trunk, and finally converged towards the mountaintop.

"Such a strong demonic aura."

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine and quickened his pace, climbing towards the summit along the direction of the black mist.

After walking for about half an hour, an open space appeared ahead.

In the center of the open space, there was a huge dead tree.

The tree trunk was so thick that it would take five or six people to encircle it. The bark was as black as ink, and there wasn't a single leaf. Only bare branches stretched towards the sky, like countless withered arms.

There is a huge hole in the tree trunk.

The tree hollow was pitch black, and the depth was indiscernible. Only a faint green light could be seen flickering inside.

Around the withered tree, many white bones were scattered.

There are human bones and animal bones.

Some of them have weathered and turned yellow, while others still bear dried bloodstains, indicating that they were left recently.

Zhou Ning's heart sank.

This is the mandrill's lair.

He slowly drew the wooden sword, infused it with his inner energy, and a faint blue light shone from the blade.

"Come out," he said in a deep voice.

"I know you're in there."

silence.

Only the sound of the wind and the rustling of withered leaves could be heard.

Zhou Ning didn't move, just stood there quietly, his eyes fixed on the tree hole.

After a long while, a rustling sound came from the tree hole.

Then, a pale hand reached out from the darkness.

The hand was slender and long, with nails as black as ink, each three inches long, which looked particularly eerie under the glow of the eerie green light.

Immediately afterwards, a figure slowly crawled out of the tree hole.

It looked like a woman.

No, it can't be called "woman".

Her skin was as white as paper, without a trace of blood.

Although his features were exquisite, they were stiff like a mask, with a strange smile on his lips.

Its eyes were a ghostly green, with upright pupils, like those of a snake.

She was wearing a tattered red wedding dress, the hem of which dragged on the ground, stained with mud and blood.

"whee……"

She let out a sharp laugh, tilted her head, and looked at Zhou Ning as if she were looking at an interesting toy.

"Another one sent to their death."

Zhou Ning gripped the wooden sword tightly and said in a deep voice:

"Are you the mountain demon of these mountains?"

"A mandrill?" She scoffed.

"That's the name those mortals gave me. I've cultivated for three hundred years, long since shed my animal form and transformed into a demon immortal. You, a mere human cultivator, dare to come here to die?"

She raised her hand, and a ball of eerie green light condensed at her fingertips, emitting a nauseating stench.

"Very well, I happen to be in need of a cultivator's heart. Since you've delivered it to my doorstep, I won't stand on ceremony."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly threw the ball of light in her hand at Zhou Ning!

The ball of light was extremely fast, leaving a green trail in the air as it hurtled towards Zhou Ning's face with a piercing shriek.

Zhou Ning was prepared and dodged the ball of light with a swift movement.

"boom!"

The ball of light struck a large tree behind him, instantly shattering the trunk and sending splinters flying, leaving a charred hole.

Such powerful force.

Zhou Ning's heart tightened, and he dared not be negligent. He swung his wooden sword repeatedly, and three cyan sword energies shot out from the air, heading straight for the demoness.

The demoness moved with uncanny speed, dodging left and right like a ghost, causing all three sword strikes to miss their mark.

"Hehe, is that all you've got?"

She waved her hands repeatedly, and dozens of green orbs of light rained down on Zhou Ning like a storm.

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth and channeled his inner energy to create a semi-transparent wall of energy in front of him.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

The ball of light slammed into the air wall, producing a dull thud.

The air wall trembled violently, Zhou Ning's hand went numb from the shock, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

It won't last long.

Without hesitation, he pulled out an "evil-repelling talisman" from his waist and threw it at the demoness.

"disease!"

The talisman burned in the air, turning into a golden light that pierced the demoness like a sharp sword.

A hint of surprise flashed in the demoness's eyes, and she retreated hastily, but the golden light was too fast and still grazed her shoulder.

"what!"

The demoness let out a scream as a charred wound appeared on her shoulder, scorched by golden light, from which wisps of black smoke rose.

She clutched her wound, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.

"You...you dare to hurt me."

Zhou Ning, panting heavily, pulled out another "Exorcising Talisman" and said coldly:

"If you dare to harm someone again, next time it won't be as simple as just hurting you."

The enchantress grinned maliciously:

"You think you can scare me with a broken talisman?"

She suddenly opened her mouth and let out a sharp scream.

The sound was like being cut by a thousand knives, piercing Zhou Ning's eardrums and making him dizzy.

This is... a sonic attack.

Zhou Ning quickly covered his ears, but the sound was everywhere, piercing straight into his mind.

He felt his consciousness begin to blur, and the scene before him began to distort and deform.

No... I can't faint.

He bit his tongue hard, the sharp pain bringing him back to his senses. He quickly pulled out a "purification talisman" from his waist and slapped it on his forehead.

A cool breeze wafted in from the talisman, dispelling the chaos in my mind.

Zhou Ning took a deep breath, steadied himself, and looked at the demoness again.

When the demoness saw that he had regained consciousness so quickly, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which then became even more ferocious.

"She does have some skill. However..."

She formed a mudra with her hands and chanted incantations.

The ground began to tremble, and countless withered bones crawled out of the soil, coalescing into a huge skeletal monster that opened its blood-red maw and pounced on Zhou Ning.

It's that same trick again.

Zhou Ning's heart sank. The evil Taoist priest had used a similar spell last time, which had caused him a lot of suffering.

But this time, he was no longer that rookie who only knew how to fight head-on.

Zhou Ning retreated quickly, simultaneously drawing an "exorcism talisman" from his waist and throwing it at the skeleton.

"disease!"

The talisman transformed into a golden light and struck the skull.

The skeleton let out a roar, and a crack appeared on its skull, but it did not shatter.

Zhou Ning threw out another "Exorcism Talisman," which this time struck the crack precisely.

"boom!"

The skull exploded, and the entire body collapsed, turning into a pile of broken bones.

Upon seeing this, the demoness's expression finally changed.

She never expected that this seemingly young human cultivator would possess such abilities.

"Who...who exactly are you?" she asked sharply.

Zhou Ning gripped the wooden sword tightly and walked towards her step by step.

"An ordinary person who doesn't want to see innocent people die in vain."