Chapter 8: The Man-Demon Accusation

“Big brother, I truly was just passing by; please, just take me for a delivery person!”

Hu Junan was tied up with thick hemp ropes, a yellowish animal hide draped over him, making him look as comical as a slice of pork belly stuffed inside an egg pancake.

“A delivery person?” The burly man’s face was stern, devoid of any hint of a smile, as he replied coldly, “It seems you’ve truly done something wicked, so desperate you’re spouting such strange, nonsensical things.”

“I really didn’t…” Knowing escape was futile, Hu Junan swallowed hard, then timidly asked, “Big brother, if a friend of mine stole and ate someone else’s stored food, how would you deal with him?”

“If he ate someone else’s food, and those people wished to survive, then naturally, they would have to eat him as food.”

“What?!”

The burly man replied impassively, “Just kidding.”

“Cough—” Just then, the burly man unconsciously tightened his grip slightly, sending a surge of pressure directly into Hu Junan’s abdomen, causing him to choke and then cough violently.

“Big brother, a little softer…”

“Got it.”

As they exchanged words, the burly man carried him to the entrance of the village.

A slightly decayed wooden signpost stood by the roadside, bearing crooked symbols written in a strange script. Upon closer inspection, however, those symbols suddenly transformed into characters he recognized.

“This…”

The burly man seemed to sense something amiss. He silently halted at the village entrance, glancing around vigilantly. “This is too strange; there’s not a single soul at the village entrance. Could something have happened?”

The village was exceptionally quiet, a silence so profound it verged on eerie.

Every household’s door stood open, yet not a single person was in sight. It appeared as though all the villagers had hastily dropped whatever they were doing and rushed away.

“Big brother, where is this place?”

“Tianmen Village.”

Tianmen Village nestled in this picturesque, blessed land, boasting nearly a hundred households in total. At the very heart of the settlement stood a house with a courtyard, which was the village chief’s residence.

A short distance further lay a flat public square, where a simple wooden pagoda had been erected.

Atop the pagoda, a bell was mounted, and whenever an emergency arose in the village, the chief would have someone ring it to summon the villagers.

Approximately ten minutes prior, the resonant tolling of the bell had echoed throughout Tianmen Village, drawing the anxious villagers to gather in the square.

With a creaking sound, the clamor of chatter abruptly ceased. An elderly man with temples streaked with gray emerged from the house.

His back was stooped, one hand gripping a walking stick, the other clasped behind his back. Under the villagers’ watchful gaze, he slowly stepped over the threshold, his unsteady gait carrying him towards them.

Following behind him was a young maiden—indeed, the very same ethereal and gentle girl.

“Everyone, listen to me,” he began, standing before the villagers, his brows drawn together in a deep frown, his expression unusually grave.

“Lately, the Shores of Luohai have been restless. The old woodcutter’s two grandsons encountered a strange individual, one with neither a qilin horn nor a qilin tail.

This person is not only elusive but also completely naked, possessing a remarkably fearsome appearance. Their eyes are red as if stained with blood, their teeth are as sharp as awls, and their movements are as agile as a gibbon’s…”

Hearing his rambling description, the murmurs rose once more, and a wave of unease began to spread through the crowd.

The Dream Maiden wore a puzzled expression, and deliberately lowering her voice, she asked, “Village Chief Grandpa, are you perhaps mistaken? I don’t recall describing them quite like that…”

“I certainly didn’t speak carelessly,” the Village Chief retorted with conviction. “Our ancestors recorded that monstrous beasts, appearing deceptively human, frequently roam the Shores of Luohai!”

“Ancestors?!” The villagers ceased their discussions, turning to look at him in unison, then blinked in collective surprise.

“Our ancestors recorded in the ‘Eight Summer Chronicles’ that every two hundred and forty-seven years, there is a day when the seven stars align. On this very day, a bloodthirsty Man-Demon will appear on the Shores of Luohai!”

“A Man-Demon?!” The villagers exclaimed almost in unison.

“The Man-Demon is hairless all over, possesses an exceptionally fearsome appearance, its eyes are red as if stained with blood, its teeth are as sharp as awls, and its movements are as agile as a gibbon’s.”

“Gulp—” The villagers collectively swallowed hard.

“Upon encountering livestock, it tears out their throats and drains their fresh blood. Upon encountering humans, it brutally rips them apart, devouring their flesh, blood, and organs.

Furthermore, the ‘Eight Summer Chronicles’ explicitly state that the Man-Demon particularly relishes thin-skinned, tender children—precisely matching the description of the strange individual who appeared on the Shores of Luohai…”

“This, this, this…”

“If the Man-Demon comes, won’t it devour us all?”

“We must report this to the authorities at once!”

“Yes, yes, yes, go report to the Yamen in Mòxuān and have Lord Sizhen dispatch constables to apprehend the Man-Demon!”

At that moment, a young man with a sharp, monkey-like face stepped forward, shouting at the top of his lungs,

“What good is reporting to the authorities? We might just be dismissed as lunatics! If you ask me, everyone should quickly pack their valuables and flee! As long as the green mountains remain, there’ll always be firewood to burn!”

“Exactly, exactly!”

The villagers’ anxious chatter grew, and panic, like a plague, rapidly spread through the crowd.

“Quiet!” The Village Chief struck the ground several times with his walking stick.

“The ‘Eight Summer Chronicles’ record that a legendary, highly skilled swordsman once successfully slew a Man-Demon, dividing its corpse into several parts and burying them across the four seas and eight wildernesses, to the ends of the earth within Huángxià, thereby preventing its resurrection through corporeal possession.”

Just then, a familiar voice drifted from behind the crowd. “Village Chief, you’re not suggesting we invite a swordsman to subdue the Man-Demon, are you?”

No sooner had the words faded than the villagers collectively turned, scrutinizing the burly man with astonished gazes.

Immediately after, their eyes unanimously fixed upon Hu Junan. A mere five seconds later, the villagers’ expressions visibly transformed…

“M-m-man-demon! A Man-Demon has entered the village to kill! Run, run, run, run, run—!!!”

As the shrill cries pierced the sky, the villagers shrieked and scattered in disarray, and the scene instantly spiraled into chaos.

In the blink of an eye, the square was deserted, its occupants vanished without a trace, leaving only the grim-faced Village Chief and the composed Dream Maiden.

The burly man furrowed his brow slightly, muttering in utter bewilderment, “Do I look that terrifying today?”

“Father, why have you returned to the village so early? Weren’t you going hunting?” she asked, stepping lightly towards them, her gaze briefly resting on Hu Junan.

In that fleeting moment, their eyes chanced to meet, and he felt as if his mind had been infected by a virus, his thoughts a chaotic jumble, like a brain full of paste.

“It’s a long story. This fellow clearly has something to hide; he took one look at me and bolted.

I suspect he’s committed some heinous deed, so I tied him up and brought him back to the village for the chief to interrogate properly.”

As he spoke, the burly man gently placed Hu Junan, who resembled a sushi roll, onto the ground, then wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Hello.” The Dream Maiden crouched down, greeting him with a smile.

“Hello…”

At this point, the Village Chief stumbled backward repeatedly, pointing a finger at Hu Junan. “M-m-man-demon! The Man-Demon has truly appeared!”

“A Man-Demon?” The burly man’s face registered utter skepticism. “This fellow is so weak! If he’s a Man-Demon, then I must be the Human Emperor!”

While the burly man was preoccupied with the Village Chief, the Dream Maiden personally began untying Hu Junan, even apologizing to him. “I’m sorry, Father can be a bit rough. I hope you weren’t hurt?”

“Not rough at all, actually… I’m fine…”

Hu Junan had never dreamed that the lotus, which he had previously only been able to admire from afar, was now within arm’s reach.

“Hmm,” for some reason, the Dream Maiden paused, blinking. “Why don’t you have a qilin horn?”

The Village Chief’s voice trembled with urgency. “Girl, you absolutely cannot release him! Once the Man-Demon regains its freedom, it will unleash a massacre—!”

The burly man ignored the Village Chief, instead looking down at her to explain, “This fellow has neither a qilin horn nor a qilin tail. He claims to be from some ‘Donghua Country,’ making him an utter foreigner.”

“I see…” The Dream Maiden nodded with a smile, her hands never pausing their work.

Seeing that she was about to unbind the ropes, the Village Chief forcefully struck the ground several times with his walking stick, stepping forward aggressively and roaring, “Girl, human lives are at stake! You cannot afford to be soft-hearted!”

The burly man stepped forward, shielding his daughter behind him. “Village Chief, you claim he’s a Man-Demon, but do you have any proof?”

“It’s recorded in our ancestors’ ‘Eight Summer Chronicles’!”

“How do you intend to deal with him?”

“That, too, is recorded! To eliminate a Man-Demon, one must slay him, then dismember his corpse and bury the parts across the four seas and eight wildernesses, to the ends of the earth. Only then can his rebirth be prevented!”

Upon hearing this, Hu Junan’s face turned ashen, and cold sweat beaded on his back.

“Village Chief Grandpa, please look closely. His eyes are as bright as ours, and his teeth are as normal. Where is this ‘Man-Demon’ appearance you speak of?”

“This is his disguise…”

Before the Village Chief could finish his sentence, the burly man abruptly cut him off.

“Village Chief, my daughter is not wrong. He truly bears no resemblance to a Man-Demon. Besides, if this fellow were truly the so-called Man-Demon, would I still be standing here before you unharmed?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the villagers, who had been hiding everywhere, timidly peered out.

Some crouched inside bamboo baskets, others hid behind water vats, and some even lay in animal feed troughs—they had left no conceivable hiding spot unexplored.

“Village Chief Grandpa, this is a human life. Please think twice before acting.” With these words, the Dream Maiden unfastened the ropes, restoring Hu Junan’s freedom.

He clutched the animal hide tightly, rose, and brushed off the dust clinging to his clothes. Then, seizing the opportunity, he quickly defended himself.

“Yes, yes, yes, I’m merely a traveler, harmless to both humans and animals, and environmentally friendly!”

“Too naive! Man-Demons can disguise themselves; he’s merely lulling us into a false sense of security!” the Village Chief declared emphatically.

The Dream Maiden retorted without hesitation, “To condemn someone to death based solely on a village chronicle’s account is utterly preposterous! Are the laws of Huángxià merely decorative?”

Unable to refute her, the Village Chief turned to the others, relentlessly striking the ground with his walking stick. “As the chief of Tianmen Village, I absolutely cannot tolerate a Man-Demon disguised as a normal person continuing to live! Everyone, join me in executing him!”

“This…”

The villagers exchanged uneasy glances; no one stepped forward to support him, and the Village Chief’s authority plummeted instantly.

Enraged, the Village Chief unhesitatingly accused Wǔ Xīyǔ, “Wǔ Xīyǔ, your words clearly demonstrate a disregard for everyone’s safety!

They are utterly absurd! If, one day, this fiend sheds his disguise and reveals his true monstrous form, unleashing a massacre upon my Tianmen Village, can you bear the responsibility?”

Wǔ Xīyǔ had not expected him to attack her directly. Hearing his aggressive words, she was instantly flustered, unsure how to respond.

“A sheltered young lady like you should stay home, learn proper feminine duties, marry into a respectable family, and raise children to bring a smile to your deceased mother in the afterlife.

Don’t go around meddling in affairs that don’t concern you, like some gossiping busybody!”

Under his relentless barrage of criticism, Wǔ Xīyǔ couldn’t help but show a wronged expression, tears glinting in her eyes.

At this point, Hu Junan’s face darkened, and he asked in a low voice, “Hey, old man, what nonsense were you just spouting?”

“What did you call me…?”

“I called you an old man,” Hu Junan retorted, an inexplicable surge of anger burning within his chest, demanding release. “When you can’t reason, you resort to personal attacks. Doesn’t that seem a bit hysterical?”

“What did you say?!”

“Fine, I won’t beat around the bush; I’ll make myself clear…” Hu Junan’s brows furrowed deeply, his expression turning fierce, his eyes filled with a clear threat.

“Old man, if you dare utter another word against her, I’ll curse your ancestors’ graves until smoke rises from them.”

“You, you, you…”

“Oh, you’re agitated, aren’t you? Tsk, tsk, tsk, so easily provoked,” Hu Junan sneered in a mocking tone. “So old, yet so narrow-minded. Have you lived all these years for nothing?”

“Cough, cough, cough—”

“He truly is a Man-Demon; he’s even made the Village Chief cough from anger…” The villagers began to whisper again.

“Grandpa!!!”

Just then, a burly young man pushed aside the sharp-faced youth and rushed towards the Village Chief, gently patting his back while glaring furiously at Hu Junan.

“You *expletive* *expletive*, try saying that again! See if I won’t tear your mouth to shreds!”

Wǔ Xīyǔ stepped forward, shielding Hu Junan. “Yao Tian, let this matter drop. Please help Village Chief Grandpa go back and rest. My father and I will take him home.”

“Take him home?” Yao Tian clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. “What kind of joke is this? For the safety of the entire village, the Man-Demon should be executed on the spot!”

“So, after all this commotion, I’m still not clear where this Man-Demon is from?” The burly man shrugged, utterly unimpressed.

“Village Chief, could it be that the ‘Man-Demon’ is merely a figment of your own inner demons, born of your rigid insistence on right and wrong… more so than any actual Man-Demon?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yao Tian immediately retorted, “Everyone here heard it with their own ears! The Man-Demon tried to anger my grandpa to death! Don’t you think he should be executed immediately?!”

“He should!”

The sharp-faced youth waved his fist, shouting like he was rallying a crowd, “Absolutely he should!” Then, changing tack, he turned to scold the Village Chief,

“Saying so many harsh words to an unmarried girl—you deserve to cough from anger!”

Everyone froze, scrutinizing him with strange looks.

“Lǐ Chún, it’s you again! You truly have a foul mouth!” Yao Tian glared at him, gritting his teeth, wishing he could beat him up right then and there.

Far from being afraid, Lǐ Chún puffed out his chest. “Justice resides in the hearts of the people. Everyone knows what kind of person Xīyǔ is; I don’t need to introduce her, do I?”

“That’s right, that’s right…”

“Xīyǔ is a good girl…”

“The Village Chief’s words were indeed a bit harsh…”

“Otherwise, for the sake of the Wǔ father and daughter, let’s just drop it…”

“But what if he really is a Man-Demon…”

“Releasing him isn’t right, but killing him isn’t either. What should we do…”

The villagers exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves, still unable to make up their minds.

At this point, the burly man offered a suggestion. “Since everyone feels so uneasy, I’ll take this person home and keep an eye on him. If he truly turns out to be problematic, I can immediately deal with him. How about that?”

Wǔ Xīyǔ nodded upon hearing his words. “If everyone trusts my father, then let’s arrange it this way.”

“No!” Yao Tian was furious, relentlessly pointing a finger at Hu Junan’s nose and roaring, “The Man-Demon must die!”

The burly man countered, “Why?”

“This is no small matter; it could lead to bloodshed at any moment! Why should my grandpa entrust the lives of the entire village to you two, father and daughter?”

“Heh…” The burly man scoffed.

“Wǔ Língfēng, don’t think you’re someone important just because you have some martial arts skill! If you want to protect this Man-Demon, then you two, father and daughter, must… take him and get out of our Tianmen Village!”

“Fine.”

To Yao Tian’s astonishment, Wǔ Língfēng agreed to his unreasonable demand almost without hesitation, shocking Hu Junan, whose eyes widened.

“I have another house by the forest anyway. I can clean it up and move in right away; I won’t waste another moment in this village.”

“You…”

“A person can live without a good house, but they cannot be ignorant of right and wrong; otherwise, they cease to be human.” With these words, Wǔ Língfēng turned and strode away, swaggering. “Xīyǔ, let’s go. There’s no need to return.”

Wǔ Xīyǔ likewise showed no hesitation, accompanying him as they left. Hu Junan glared at Yao Tian, then followed them.

“Fine, truly fine! Don’t you dare ever come back if you have the guts!” Watching the three depart, Yao Tian was blinded by rage. “Don’t you *expletive* move back here for the rest of your lives—!!!”