Chapter 9: Chapter 9: affair

Yet, a meticulous investigation and thorough analysis revealed the situation to be far from what was initially presumed.

There was no evidence of robbery, no sexual assault, and even the possibility of a revenge killing had been ruled out, leaving no discernible clues about the perpetrator.

This entity, it seemed, delighted in torture; the victims’ final struggles indicated that their faces had been gruesomely peeled away while they were still alive, a scene of unspeakable cruelty.

In the ensuing period, several more victims were progressively discovered, and without exception, their cause of death was attributed to agonizing pain, effectively tortured to death.

The assailant’s targets were unequivocally clear: only beautiful, young women were chosen.

Unable to apprehend the killer, the authorities dispatched personnel to provide heightened protection for these potential victims.

Yet, their efforts proved futile.

The killer could silently infiltrate heavily guarded residences, commit murder using the identical gruesome method, and then vanish without a trace.

This phenomenon transcended the bounds of common understanding.

Was this entity human or spectral?

Why did it brutally slaughter young women, and what compelled it to strip them of their faces?

Panic gripped Huai City.

The local authorities, powerless to quell the burgeoning public outcry, reported the grim situation to the imperial court.

Upon receiving word, the Demon Suppressing Department (TL Note: An organization responsible for combating supernatural threats) immediately dispatched an Undercover Envoy (TL Note: A special agent from the Demon Suppressing Department tasked with discreet investigations), sending them overnight to commence an investigation.

****

“What if the killer’s modus operandi is simply remarkably ingenious?” the little snake demon mused. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a demon or a ghost, does it?”

Had it been the same little snake demon who had witnessed the Hungry Ghost (TL Note: A type of malevolent spirit driven by insatiable hunger) previously, they would undoubtedly have shrieked in terror.

However, the unsettling nature of this current situation seemed, comparatively, less severe than the last.

‘So what if faces are being peeled?’ she thought. ‘What’s there to be afraid of? The killer won’t target me… will they… target… me?’

A soft hiss escaped her lips.

“You are correct,” Du Xuan affirmed, her gaze settling on the beautiful girl curled into a ball, her expression somewhat stiff. “However, one of the primary duties of the Demon Suppressing Department is to eliminate the possibility of malevolent spirits causing harm.

Indeed, the Undercover Hall (TL Note: A branch within the Demon Suppressing Department specializing in covert investigations) is largely dedicated to such tasks.”

If it were confirmed that evil spirits were at play, they would simply dispatch the burly men from the Evil Eradication Hall (TL Note: A branch within the Demon Suppressing Department focused on direct combat with supernatural entities), making a lengthy journey to investigate unnecessary.

Nevertheless, the Demon Suppressing Department seemed uncertain about the full extent of the incident, opting not to send more personnel.

Instead, they dispatched only a single new recruit, a woman as beautiful as a blossoming flower, who—no, that’s not right—who, if she were to resume her female attire, could quite effectively lure the killer.

Du Xuan consumed half a pancake in small, delicate bites, offering a few more words of thanks before her expression turned hesitant, as if burdened by an unspoken difficulty.

“What’s wrong?” the little snake demon inquired, her curiosity piqued. “It’s not… the call of nature, is it?

Well, yes, if you’re eating, then it stands to reason you’d eventually need to…”

“Cough, cough,” Du Xuan interjected, cutting off the snake demon’s rather crude remark, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. “My lady, might I trouble you to turn your back?

I… I wish to dry my soaked clothes…”

The early spring night was piercingly cold, and even with a robust constitution, wearing soaked garments would inevitably lead to discomfort.

“It’s quite alright,” Yin Luan replied. “Go ahead and take them off; I don’t mind in the slightest.”

The little snake demon had no intention of turning away, instead fixing Du Xuan with the wide-eyed gaze of an inquisitive child.

“My lady…”

The ‘scholar’ cleared her throat, offering a gentle reminder.

“What is there to be shy about?” Yin Luan retorted. “I, a blooming young woman, don’t mind.

Do you feel disadvantaged by being watched?

Perhaps I should show you first?”

As she spoke, her hand drifted to her waist sash.

“My lady! Please have some decorum!” Du Xuan exclaimed, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Forget it, I shall simply keep them on!”

“Hehe,” the little snake demon giggled, covering her eyes with both hands as she turned away. “I was only teasing you.

Go on and change; I won’t peek.”

‘Are you truly a young lady from a respectable family?’ Du Xuan mused.

Du Xuan muttered a complaint under her breath.

Only after confirming that Yin Luan had indeed turned away did she finally shed her outer garments.

Her smooth, delicate shoulders emerged from the fabric, their flawless curves seemingly radiating the exquisite beauty of youthful femininity.

Her chest was bound by a thick layer of white cloth, which was not heavily soaked, and Du Xuan had no intention of undoing it.

Her two jade-like feet were also freed, slender yet perfectly straight, their flawless lines captivating the gaze of any observer.

Shielding her chest with her inner garment, Du Xuan glanced around the temple’s interior.

She located a fallen roof beam, propped it upright between them, and draped her clothes over it before finally speaking.

“All right, my lady, you may open your eyes now.”

The little snake demon immediately strode over, her hand already reaching out to pull aside the clothing that obstructed her view.

“Wait!” Du Xuan exclaimed, her voice sharp. “I said you could open your eyes, not that you could come over!

Please remain on your side!”

“Hmph…”

‘Truly, I’ve encountered a ghost today…’ Du Xuan mused.

‘To meet such a solitary, enchanting beauty in a desolate temple, and one so… so unrestrained!’

‘Wait, if I were truly a man, wouldn’t this be considered a fortuitous romantic encounter, a good thing?

So, is my luck good or bad, after all?’

Du Xuan’s thoughts drifted, intermittently.

Separated by their makeshift ‘curtain of clothes,’ the two women shared the warmth of the same dwindling bonfire.

Yin Luan, seemingly sulking, ceased to engage her in conversation.

“My lady, I hesitate to speak, but…”

After a moment of careful deliberation, Du Xuan began.

“Young women ought to conduct themselves with decorum.

While the Great Zhou (TL Note: A fictional dynasty) is known for its more open societal norms compared to the ignorant smaller nations bordering us, women still face numerous obstacles in many aspects of life, unable to act as freely as men…”

“For instance, the Demon Suppressing Department.”

“Demonic entities are best suppressed by potent yang energy, which is why the Demon Suppressing Department rarely recruits women, unless they possess exceptionally formidable spiritual power.”

“I am all alone now,” came Yin Luan’s voice from beyond the clothes, tinged with a hint of melancholy.

“I have no family, no friends, not even a single acquaintance.

Would anyone truly care about someone like me?”

Du Xuan’s lips parted slightly as she finally realized the imprudence of her words.

How could a young lady from a respectable household possibly find herself alone in a desolate, ruined temple in the wilderness?

Hadn’t Yin Luan mentioned earlier that her family had suffered a terrible misfortune?

“My apologies,” Du Xuan said with genuine sincerity. “It was thoughtless of me.

Your resilience, my lady, is truly commendable.”

“So, may I come over now?”

Yin Luan’s tone shifted abruptly, a hint of excitement coloring her voice.

“…Absolutely not!”

Du Xuan retorted, her voice tinged with exasperation.

‘This girl truly pushes her luck; I can’t let my guard down for a second!’ Du Xuan thought.

As Du Xuan warmed her hands and feet by the fire, her gaze flickered to the dark silhouette cast upon the makeshift screen of clothes.

The shadow revealed waist-length, flowing hair, a delicately upturned nose, a voluptuous bosom, and a slender waist.

Merely observing the silhouette, one could fully grasp the essence of ‘feminine allure.’

Then she glanced down at herself…

Sometimes, she genuinely wondered what the purpose was of binding herself with layer upon layer of cloth.

“Sigh…”

Du Xuan sighed softly, yet couldn’t resist stealing a few more glances.

To her surprise, she witnessed Yin Luan place something resembling a radish or a bamboo shoot into her mouth and swallow it whole.

She didn’t even chew.

Her slender throat visibly distended, allowing Du Xuan to clearly observe the shape of the food as it slid downwards.

Du Xuan froze, then instinctively rubbed her eyes.

‘I must have seen wrong,’ she thought. ‘What ‘person’ eats like that?’

When she looked again, everything appeared perfectly normal.

‘Yes, that’s it,’ she reassured herself. ‘It must have been my eyes playing tricks on me, or perhaps the angle.

It’s late at night, and we’re in a temple, but surely it can’t be haunted, can it…?’