Chapter 127: Early Morning

That tiny worm had already crawled into his ear; who knew what it was doing in there…

During this process, Haolong’s expression changed several times. At first, he wore a lecherous grin, then his face twitched repeatedly… After several minutes, although he had been limp on the ground, he suddenly let out a loud yell, as if provoked by some stimulus, and abruptly sat up straight with a scraping sound. Meanwhile, the centipede fell to the ground again, but its body was no longer dark red—it had turned a glossy black.

Haolong awoke, startled from his sleep, gasping heavily, sweat instantly pouring down his forehead.

“W-what… me?” His emotions were highly agitated. His wide eyes expressed not so much hesitation as sheer terror.

Qi Yan lightly touched him, but he recoiled like a frightened bird. “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me…” Only then did he confirm that the three standing by were his companions. He relaxed a little but still showed signs of lingering fright.

“Let me think, just let me think…”

No one pressed him; they patiently waited for him to regain his senses.

“Oh my god, oh dear… it was terrifying.”

After Xuanxuan saw that he was finally okay, she slapped him on the head. “Say it! What exactly happened to you? You disappeared all of a sudden and made us search for you all this time…”

“Search… search for me?” Haolong’s eyes darted around as he tried to recall what had happened. Then, with Qi Yan’s support, he staggered to his feet.

“Oh, I remember now… there were two beautiful women, and they… they seduced me!”

Yan Bo waved him off. “Enough, enough. We roughly understand the situation. This desolate wilderness isn’t a place to linger. Let’s hurry back and deal with this later.”

Though the mountain path was rough, retracing their steps downhill was relatively straightforward.

Along the way, Yan Bo casually picked a handful of wild spinach sprouts, telling Xuanxuan and Haolong to chew and swallow them raw. After all, everyone had at least some exposure to the flower demon’s pollen and fragrance; it was best to be cautious. With dawn approaching, once back at the inn, they would quickly get cleaned up. When they reached the county hospital, everyone would undergo a thorough medical examination.

That night in the small mountain village of western Hunan saw too many events unfold.

First, Ding Lingzi grew strange growths on her body; Haolong was abducted by the flower demon; Xuanxuan fell into a pit; Qi Yan was forcibly kissed by a monster—twice; and Yan Bo engaged in a direct fight with the flower demon.

Although everyone sustained varying degrees of injury and hardship, the consolation was that these incidents led to the discovery of a long-buried corpse holding the fourth Yin Palace talisman, which they successfully retrieved.

While the specifics of this Yin talisman remained unclear and required careful future study, at least it was now in their possession.

Together with the talismans of Qi Yan and Ding Lingzi, they now held three of the seven Yin talismans. If this were a competition, they could claim a slight advantage for the time being.

The return journey was still shrouded in darkness.

Their minds were filled with questions, especially about the twin flower demons, prompting a lively discussion.

It was confirmed that the wild spinach sprouts had a certain restraining effect on the demons. The local villagers, who regularly consumed the sprouts, were spared from their attacks.

He Yulong was found in the demon’s lair, which suggested he did not die from the backlash of the Yin talisman or any other accident. Being an outsider, it was unlikely he consumed the wild spinach sprouts.

However, since he did not perish by his own Yin talisman, the fourth Yin Palace talisman was not truly “ownerless”—causality remained intact.

The flower demon was no fool; it surely did not want to reveal its existence to the locals, which explained its cautious survival in the mountains over the years.

Yet, if outsiders lingered too long, the demon was likely to consider them “prey.”

At first, it released pollen, creating an elusive floral scent that permeated the body and even affected the nervous system.

According to the innkeeper and Yan Bo, the phenomenon where roots sprouted directly from the back, as in Ding Lingzi’s case, occurred only in young women; no males had experienced this.

That explained why Qi Yan and Haolong smelled the floral fragrance but were not parasitized.

At this point, Qi Yan pointed to Xuanxuan and asked, “Xuanxuan is a woman too, so why didn’t anything grow on her?”

Yan Bo shook his head slightly. “Xuanxuan isn’t an ordinary person. She bears sacred tattoos on her skin, inked by a high monk in a Thai temple, and she possesses some magical power. She also carries several talismans, naturally granting her strong immunity against demonic sorcery.

“Ding Lingzi, on the other hand, is just an ordinary girl apart from her Yin talisman spirit, which doesn’t offer robust protection. Her constitution is weak, so her rapid symptoms are understandable.”

Haolong asked puzzled, “What about men? Qi Yan and I have both experienced its illusions. Why did it only immerse us in that dreamlike intoxication and not just kill us outright?”

“From what I gather… the flower demon treats men and women differently. It uses the female body as a vessel and incubator for reproduction. But men, with their strong yang energy, are drained of their life force as nourishment for the demon’s cultivation.”

“You two were lucky. Do you think it’s just a springtime dream? If you don’t wake quickly from the illusion, it drains you in your sleep until only a shriveled corpse remains. Just look at He Yulong—he must have died that way.”

Yan Bo’s analysis seemed the most reasonable explanation so far, though he still found the ease with which they had killed the demon somewhat perplexing. Given its strength and remarkable regenerative abilities, its swift demise felt both fortunate and bewildering.

For now, everyone was mentally and physically exhausted. The final steps of resolution would have to wait until they returned.

By the time the group reached the village inn, it was already four in the morning. The innkeeper and his wife had not dared to sleep, fearing for their safety. Seeing them return, they were shocked—each looked as if they had just escaped a prisoner-of-war camp; without closer inspection, one might have thought they were living corpses.

Yan Bo, smooth of tongue, concocted vague excuses to deflect their concerns.

Ding Lingzi’s condition had greatly improved; the roots beneath her skin had vanished completely, leaving only slight swelling.

Moreover, Yan Bo had gathered a large pack of wild spinach sprouts on the mountain and urged everyone to eat plenty—more was better, to prevent further trouble.

At this point, they no longer cared whether the water was cold or hot. They hurried to wash themselves and properly treat their wounds. They definitely needed clean clothes; in their current state, going out might frighten the villagers.

Once everyone had rested and refreshed, dawn finally broke.

Though the sun had yet to rise over the overlapping mountain ridges, the sky had turned a clear, pale blue. The early morning air and dew seemed to cleanse away the horrors and dangers of the night.

Unable to wait for a proper breakfast, they hastily packed some cooked food. After checking out, Yan Bo led them to catch the earliest vehicle back to the county.

Though it appeared the ordeal was over, they could not take any chances. Relying solely on wild vegetables for safety was insufficient; a thorough medical examination at a formal hospital was essential.