Free Web NovelChapter 120: Chapter 118: Nine-Eyed Duo Luo
"Later, the technical department sent people to conduct a survey, and they indeed found the cave, along with the drawing board and daily necessities that the three had brought into the mountain."
"However, no people or bodies were found. After investigation, it was discovered that the cave’s internal structure was extremely complex. The entrance was unremarkable, but there were numerous branching paths inside. A moment’s inattention could result in getting lost. The technical department’s personnel also detected hazardous gases inside the cave, which could damage the respiratory system and affect consciousness."
"They also discovered a dubious signal with the detectors. The signal wasn’t very clear, but according to the on-site commander’s judgment, there was a high possibility that something existed in the depths of the cave."
"A special task force was commissioned to deal with the situation. To clarify the specific conditions within the cave, they first sent in three scouts, equipped with the necessary gear, to venture deep into the cave, but unfortunately, all three went missing."
"Even more frightening was that these three seemed to have awoken something deep within the cave. The technical department’s detector readings kept climbing, raising concerns of triggering an unknown paranormal event and causing uncontrollable harm. The on-site commander made the decisive order to blow up the tunnel the scouts had used and sealed the cave entrance, leading the personnel to evacuate."
"Several days later, when they returned, the detector showed that the entity had fallen back into slumber. After analyzing the situation on site and considering several cases, the technical department concluded that the entity inside the cave was of a high-level ’Resentful Eye’, with a correspondingly high lethality. The difficulty in containing it was significant, and they proposed to abandon containment efforts in favor of the ’Seal Preservation Method’."
"The so-called ’Seal Preservation Method’ involves isolating the ’Resentful Eye’ in a space inaccessible to ordinary people and setting up a buffer zone nearby, guarded by personnel. This method is usually employed for Resentful Eyes that are too dangerous to contain, rarely used in populous areas, but very effective in remote locations."
"After deliberation, they sealed the entrance of Yin Soldiers’ Cave, and, using its entrance as the center, established a wildfire prevention station. A buffer zone was created within the range that might be affected by the Resentful Eye, and personnel were stationed to monitor, periodically re-checking to see if there were any signs of the Resentful Eye awakening."
Zhuge Zhijie enlarged a spreadsheet full of entries showing long-term monitoring. Initially, checks were conducted weekly, but had recently shifted to every three months, indicative of no resurgence of the Resentful Eye.
This kind of data was quite detailed, yet even after going through all fifteen pages, Yang Xiao found no mention of rumors related to the Xiba Ghost Bodhisattva. "What about the Xiba Ghost Bodhisattva?"
Zhuge Zhijie adjusted his glasses and looked at everyone, "This is all the information provided by the technical department. To understand it in more detail, you need to personally visit Dragon Head Mountain."
"The department has already alerted Xi Mountain Town, you can go straight to the Town Annals Hall there, where someone will receive you. If time allows, you should also visit the area around Dragon Head Mountain Yin Soldiers’ Cave."
Zhuge Zhijie handled these matters with great proficiency, indicating that he was not just responsible for writing mission reports, but also took on the important role of communicating with the technical department.
Each member of the team had a specific role, and except for Xi Menxiu’s less visible professional skills, everyone else was capable of handling their own field independently.
"Da Xiong, you and I will accompany Yu Shu, while the chief, you take Xi Menxiu and Zhuge Zhijie to stay back at the department and ensure logistical support," Beibei, with much more experience as a team leader than Yang Xiao, made the decision on the spot.
"I’m going too. I’m not of much use staying here, and it’s always better to have one more person to gather information," Yang Xiao insisted.
Perhaps thinking of Yang Xiao’s performance in several missions, Beibei nodded, "Alright, then you’ll come with us, and Da Xiong will stay behind."
"Okay," Da Xiong responded, his expertise lay in operating various equipment, and his presence would not offer much help on this mission.
This was a nightmare mission brought about by a ghost script, and other than Yu Shu herself, no one could interfere. Everyone could only do their best to gather as many clues as possible for her before she entered the Nightmare World. freeweɓnøvel.com
The journey was not short. Beibei drove, and the three set off in the morning, arriving at Xi Mountain Town at 4 p.m. This was a relatively remote town that still retained some ancient architecture. It wasn’t the tourist season, so there weren’t many visitors, with the entire town immersed in a tranquil atmosphere.
Following the navigation, they parked the car in front of a three-story antique building. Beibei made a phone call, and within two minutes, an elderly man dressed in ethnic attire hurried out. He immediately came forward to greet Yang Xiao and the others, "Welcome, leaders. I am Tang Yin Zhi, the director of Xi Mountain Town’s Town Annals Hall. I received a message from the town leaders this morning and have been waiting here for you. Please, come in!"
After a brief greeting, the manager of the archive, Tang, invited the three visitors in. They tread upon creaky wooden stairs that led straight to the second floor, the aging stairs making such a racket it was quite vexing to the ear.
Upon reaching a black double door on the second floor, Manager Tang pushed it open, revealing a sizeable room arrayed with rows of bookshelves, each towering over three meters high and exuding a sense of oppression. Not far off, a woman balanced on a ladder, clutching a book in her hands as if searching for information.
"Teacher Zhou, come down, the leaders are here," Manager Tang called out to the woman.
Descending the ladder slowly, the woman’s face became visible to Yang Xiao in the dimly lit room: in her early thirties, dressed plainly, sporting black-framed glasses, and adorned with a pearl necklace. She adjusted her glasses and greeted them woodenly, "Good day to all the leaders, I am Zhou Wenjie, the custodian of this archive room on the second floor."
The group found a table nearby to sit down. Manager Tang, clearly world-wise, felt that there were some matters better left unknown. After brewing a pot of hot tea and making sure everyone was comfortable, he excused himself. Before leaving, he advised that they could ask Teacher Zhou any questions they had—despite her young age, she had grown up in the town and there was little she didn’t know about it.
As Manager Tang left, he closed the door to the archive room to avoid disturbances. Yang Xiao got straight to the point, "Teacher Zhou, is there a place near Dragon Head Mountain called Xiba?"
"There used to be, but not anymore," Teacher Zhou replied tentatively while holding her cup of tea, "It’s a matter from hundreds of years ago. Back then, Xi Mountain Town didn’t exist. The terrain around Dragon Head Mountain was treacherous, and the area was inconveniently located, inhabited by mountain people who lived off hunting. Combining all the local villages, there were about a dozen or so, with the two largest settlements being Xi Village and Ba Village. Xiba was just a broader term used by outsiders for the mountain people living near Dragon Head Mountain." freёweɓnovel.com
Yang Xiao’s heart leapt with excitement; it seemed he was on the right track. "Teacher Zhou, did the mountain people who lived here have any distinctive characteristics? Did any strange incidents occur in history?"
Teacher Zhou sighed as she spoke, "The books describe these mountain people as savage and fierce. They often clashed with government officials over the issue of tribute payments. And it was their aggressive disposition that ultimately spelled their doom. Outraged, the Imperial Court sent a large army, which conquered the two largest settlements, Xi Village and Ba Village. Almost the entire population of local mountain people was wiped out."
The content matched what Yu Shu had read in the Ghost script; Yang Xiao knew he had found the right person. "Is it because these mountain people often plundered passing merchant caravans and also attacked the Official Army transporting money and grain, without sparing a single life, isn’t that so?"
Teacher Zhou’s expression turned peculiar and after a long hesitation, she spoke, "Indeed, some ancient texts do record such matters. They say these mountain people had no respect for royal authority, secretly worshipping an evil deity called Nine-Eyed Duo Luo. This foul being had a taste for gold, silver, and jewels and was extremely bloodthirsty. Under the evil deity’s spell, the mountain people became half-human, half-demons. Once the sun set and night descended, they would transform into creatures that were half-human, half-ghost, impervious to blades and spears, killing and feasting on blood, capable of tearing through armor barehanded, and swiftly healing from injuries. Only by decapitating them could they be truly killed."
Seeing Teacher Zhou’s complex look, Yang Xiao felt there was something fishy. "Teacher Zhou, it seems as though... you might be harboring some kind of unspeakable secret?"
"Actually, before you arrived I was reviewing the related materials and discovered several issues. First, the records state that the campaign dispatched 3,000 elite troops, who fought fiercely for four days and nights, destroying sixteen large and small fortresses and beheading over ten thousand, with only about three hundred casualties on our side."
"I’ve checked several books, and the casualty figures are consistent; they should be reliable. First off, I don’t believe in the existence of any Nine-Eyed evil deity, because with such a creature aiding them, the mountain people of Xiba wouldn’t have been utterly defeated so quickly—in just four days, completely annihilated."
"Moreover, the books document the numerous heinous acts committed by the Xiba mountain people, repeatedly plundering passing merchants and slaughtering officials escorting silver. All without leaving survivors. However, according to post-war accounts, even though the victorious Official Army dug three feet into the ground, they couldn’t find the so-called enormous wealth plundered by the bandits. The books claim that these treasures were offered to Nine-Eyed Duo Luo." By the look on Teacher Zhou’s face, she clearly didn’t believe this explanation.
Yang Xiao was skeptical of this explanation too; it sounded very much like a cover-up for a killing spree. "What about the surviving Xiba mountain people, what do they say?"
"They didn’t have a chance to speak. Most of them were slaughtered, their heads chopped off to count as military achievements. It is said that a few escaped into Dragon Head Mountain and then disappeared without a trace."
"The records say that when the officials returned victorious, the convoy included carriages laden with human heads—more than a dozen carts full of men, women, the elderly, and children, with bloodstains all over the wheels."
"However, a few years later, bandits reemerged on Dragon Head Mountain. This time, their methods were even more ruthless than before. Unlike in the past, these bandits did not attack merchant caravans; instead, they only targeted officials, killing anyone in official attire. After the murders, they would decapitate the victims and take the heads with them, but they never touched the valuables. This pattern had never been seen before."
"Some speculated that the remaining mountain people who had fled into Dragon Head Mountain had returned, and this time they were intent on revenge."
