Chapter 23: A Shopping Trip Interrupted by a Demonic Encounter

After much persuasion, she remained resolute, leaving her elderly mother to venture out to the market alone.

As the slanting sun painted the end of the thoroughfare, merchants began to half-close their windows.

Qíngyǔ briskly walked past the various shops, each proudly displaying its unique signboard, until she arrived at the town’s sole fabric store.

Looking up, she saw an array of fabrics, vibrant in their differing hues, draped from the high ceilings of the shop, their flowing folds subtly concealing the patrons within.

The shop owner, meanwhile, was hunched over a counter, his fingers tirelessly manipulating the wooden beads of an abacus.

The rhythmic clack-clack of the abacus mingled with the rustling sounds of fabric being handled, creating a constant hum in the air.

“Shopkeeper, how much do you sell blue, white, and black cloth for?”

Qíngyǔ swiftly navigated through the scattering of customers, making her way to the counter.

Without so much as a glance, the shopkeeper continued to clack his abacus beads, his voice muffled as he replied,

“They’re all the same. Hemp cloth is a hundred *wen*, cotton is two hundred. Silk is priced separately. If you’re looking to have clothes tailored, please step further inside.”

“Cotton cloth, I’d like one bolt of each of those three colors.”

The shopkeeper, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, finally looked up at Qíngyǔ before motioning to an attendant to retrieve the cloth.

“It’s not even New Year yet; are you already making new clothes?”

“I’m making a set for a child; their old ones are far too tattered.”

As Qíngyǔ spoke, she drew half a liang of silver from her purse, and at the sight of the gleaming coin, the shopkeeper ceased his questioning.

“Hmm… for a child, eight chi (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of length, approximately one-third of a meter) should suffice, and for you, around nine chi would be appropriate.”

Just as the two were deep in their discussion, Zhang San, the same man who had hurled harsh words at her courtyard yesterday, inexplicably appeared at the shop.

Upon spotting Qíngyǔ purchasing fabric, the fellow could not suppress a smug grin, and immediately began to loudly boast, drawing the attention of every patron in the store.

“I’m here to buy silk for Second Master Qin! I need an entire bolt, no small cuts!”

“You’ll have to wait a moment.”

The shopkeeper frowned, raising his voice to direct an attendant to handle the newcomer, then turned back to Qíngyǔ.

“Young Lady, are you looking for three separate outfits, or is this fabric for a patchwork design?”

“One of each… actually, two sets will be fine.”

Qíngyǔ nodded, a thought sparking that she might as well have a piece made for herself, and thus amended her order.

Observing Qíngyǔ and the shopkeeper still engrossed in their conversation, Zhang San completely disregarded the attendant who was attempting to assist him.

He simply strode forward, bumping into someone with such force that they stumbled.

“In total, it comes to just under two hundred wen.”

“Then let’s make it two qian.”

“Hmm…”

The shopkeeper, realizing he had gained a slight advantage, was about to speak further when the Qin family lackey (TL Note: A derogatory term for a subservient follower or henchman.) began to shout.

“You harbinger of misfortune, what business do you have buying cloth?”

Qíngyǔ, having just handed over her payment while the shopkeeper weighed the silver, turned her head to cast a cold, dismissive glance at Zhang San.

“I’ve already stated that I have no further ties with your Qin family. Why are you still making such a racket here, and what purpose does it serve?”

Realizing he had finally provoked a response, Zhang San puffed up with an air of immense triumph.

He tightened his sash, then spoke with an arrogant swagger.

“You harbinger of misfortune, you’ve already brought ruin upon the Master’s eldest and second sons! How dare you even step foot in this shop to buy cloth? Are you not afraid of bringing harm to these people as well?”

As he spoke, he cast a feigned look of pity around the shop.

“What a shame for such a fine establishment.”

This man was clearly deeply ensnared by a demonic entity, his own inherent nature merely amplifying the influence, which was why he had been drawn here to cause trouble.

Qíngyǔ, however, found herself pondering why the entity chose such a method to probe her.

Observing the increasingly vivid crimson aura clinging to Zhang San, Qíngyǔ simply shook her head.

She turned back to retrieve her change, patiently awaiting the cutting of her fabric.

Hearing Zhang San’s inflammatory words, the shopkeeper’s face clouded over.

He quickly called an attendant over, whispering a few hushed instructions into his ear.

“Are you trying to kick me out?”

As Zhang San watched the attendant approach, the smugness on his face intensified, twisting into an almost eerie expression.

Qíngyǔ could now clearly perceive a dense, malevolent aura suddenly surging around him.

“No… no, it’s not that…”

The attendant, unnerved by Zhang San’s grotesque expression, faltered for a moment.

Yet, recalling the shopkeeper’s stern gaze, he steeled his resolve and stepped forward.

“It’s… it’s to invite the esteemed guest to the back courtyard for a more detailed discussion… This… this bolt of silk is no small sum; we… we ought to discuss it over tea in a quieter place, not casually here amidst the market’s clamor.”

“And what if I insist on conducting our business right here?”

A sudden, sickening stench of blood and decay assailed them.

The man’s features twisted into something grotesque and terrifying.

He seized the attendant beside him, his sharp fangs bared, poised to bite.

“Or are you implying that you look down on me?!”

The demonic Zhang San (TL Note: Referring to the possessed Zhang San, emphasizing his current corrupted state.) grinned savagely, increasing the force of his grip, directly pushing the attendant’s head towards his gaping maw.

“Alright, quiet down now.”

At Qíngyǔ’s words, his laughter only grew more maniacal.

‘That Daoist Feng was indeed correct,’ he roared internally.

‘This harbinger of misfortune truly consorts only with evil demons and heretics.

Just look at this shop: a mere imp and a chang gui (TL Note: A mythical ghost of a person killed by a tiger, who then serves the tiger by luring new victims to it.).’

‘And they’re even engaged in human skin trade! It’s truly time for a great hero like myself to dispense justice.’

Witnessing Zhang San, now completely bereft of his senses, clearly a puppet manipulated by some unseen force, Qíngyǔ could only shake her head.

She extended a hand, conjuring an immobilization spell that settled upon him from a distance.

“Stop? You dare command me to stop?!”

The demonic entity continued its uproarious laughter, completely submerged in the delirious joy of its perceived dominance, utterly oblivious to the fact that it could no longer move.

The sudden, horrifying transformation had thoroughly terrified everyone present.

Several of the early customers, abandoning all pretense of dignity, scrambled and crawled their way out of the shop.

The shopkeeper, by this point, was plastered against the wall behind him, utterly paralyzed by fear, while the scattered contents of his counter lay strewn across the floor.

The attendant, meanwhile, was flushed crimson, tears and snot streaming down his face, on the verge of crying out for his parents.

“Actually, I could save you.”

Qíngyǔ, moving against the panicked tide of people, walked unhurriedly towards the utterly distorted demonic entity.

Upon closer inspection, the manipulator behind the entity proved to be quite cautious; sensing the unfavorable turn of events, they had swiftly severed their connection to this place.

“You…”

The demonic entity, seeing Qíngyǔ present herself so readily, was overjoyed.

It attempted to reach out and crush the harbinger of misfortune.

Only then did it realize its limbs felt as if they were burdened with a thousand jun (TL Note: A traditional Chinese unit of weight, roughly 30 catties or 15 kilograms, implying immense heaviness.), rendering it utterly immobile.

“Since Little Girl isn’t here, I suppose I can be a bit more heavy-handed.”

As Qíngyǔ spoke, she instinctively considered obliterating the demonic entity, body and spirit, just as she would have in her previous life.

However, recalling the inevitable complications of explaining such an act to the authorities, she decided to restrain her power.

The demonic entity, in its deluded state, perceived not a mere harbinger of misfortune before it, but the very wealth and prosperity it had coveted its entire existence.

It fantasized, imagining itself beginning as a common thief, then ‘washing its hands in a golden basin’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning to retire from a life of crime.) to enter the Qin household.

From there, it would prove indispensable in averting misfortunes, rising to the position of steward, and eventually usurping the Qin family’s leadership to become its patriarch.

***

Ultimately, it envisioned itself adorned in a magnificent red nine-dragon robe, standing proudly in the resplendent imperial court, with even the emperor bowing his head in deference.

“Mine! All mine! You… you all must revere…”

The demonic entity roared, as if in a final, defiant surge of life, yet its cries ceased abruptly, cut short by a single, clear and chilling voice.

“Having lived a lifetime steeped in unrepentant malice, I decree your soul to be scattered, leaving behind a complete corpse, and forever denying you the chance of rebirth.”

As the onlookers slowly began to recover from their shock, the shopkeeper and attendant watched in stunned silence as Qíngyǔ merely raised her hand and gently poked the air.

In response, the grotesque monster instantly collapsed.

The twisted corpse hit the ground, then, as if pulled by an unseen spiritual force, it rolled straight down the steps, tumbling and kicking up a trail of dust as it went.

This spectacle, in turn, sent those who hadn’t yet fled, and those who had lingered out of morbid curiosity, scattering in sheer terror.

“My cloth, please have it cut quickly.”

Qíngyǔ pinched her nose, her finely arched brows slightly furrowed, and waved a hand before her face to dispel the lingering stench.

She could only hope that not all demonic entities in this world were as odorous as this particular one, or she might truly find herself unable to bear it.

Still, the ‘Judgment of Sin’ she had just conjured hadn’t felt rusty in the slightest.

It marked a fitting and complete conclusion to her very first act of demon-extermination since arriving in this world.

“Good… good, of course!” the shopkeeper stammered, scrambling back to his feet.

He immediately instructed an attendant to quickly cut the cloth and deliver it to Qíngyǔ, even attempting to return the two *qian* of silver she had just given him.

“Please, Young Lady… no, Immortal, accept this money back.”

“I am no immortal, and the transaction is complete. I cannot accept such a favor.”

Qíngyǔ shook her head, accepting only the bolts of fabric and declining the returned silver.

With a graceful, unhurried air, she departed, leaving the chaotic aftermath for the local authorities of this world to handle.

It was not until she had drifted far into the distance that the ordinary mortals around them finally regained their wits.

“Quick, quickly report to the authorities! What are you all staring at?!”

The shopkeeper, seeing everyone still frozen in stunned silence, stamped his foot and bellowed.

At this, the crowd finally dispersed like startled birds, some fleeing, others rushing to report the incident to the officials.