PD -Chapter 38 The Monster’s Trap

I cursed and immediately rushed forward. The Spirit-Subduing Ruler in my hand lashed out like a whip toward the Yin creature. The moment it came into contact with the ruler, it vanished into thin air.

Monkey, who had been strangled unconscious by it, immediately collapsed to the ground. I bent down to help him up, but at that very moment, a nearby window suddenly shattered with a loud crash.

The broken glass sprayed toward me like buckshot from a shotgun. I instinctively dodged backward. At that instant, a black shadow shot through the window with lightning speed, instantly dragging Monkey out through the opening before leaping down outside.

My expression changed dramatically. Ignoring the flying glass, I rushed to the window and looked out.

Beyond the house lay a vast forest.

Even with our powerful flashlights aimed into the darkness, the dense branches and leaves prevented us from seeing through it.

Gritting my teeth, I climbed out the window. Standing in the clearing before the woods, all I could hear were rustling sounds coming from within the forest. Yet the noise was growing more distant by the second, making it nearly impossible to track.

“Monkey!” Li Zi and Er Leng shouted as they jumped out the window as well.

The only response was the chirping of insects within the silent night forest.

“Wh-what… what kind of monster was that?” Li Zi asked, trembling.

“I didn’t get a clear look at it, but all the vengeful spirits in that house died at its hands. And that officer’s wife seems to have been using people to raise and feed it.”

I stared into the depths of the forest. Then I recalled the gathering of wronged spirits in the basement, and my thoughts became a tangled mess.

“N-no… We can’t let that monster eat Monkey! We have to save him!”

Panting heavily, Li Zi grabbed Er Leng and ran into the woods.

I hesitated no longer. A human life was at stake. Although Monkey’s chances of surviving in the jaws of that man-eating monster were practically zero, we couldn’t simply give up without even trying.

What I admired was Li Zi and Er Leng.

They were ordinary people. Everything that had happened tonight was enough to scare a normal person into losing their mind.

Yet not only had they endured it, but despite facing the constant possibility of death, they were still thinking about rescuing their brother.

That was genuine loyalty.

That was true brotherhood.

“Look! These drag marks must have been left by that thing!” Li Zi pointed at a long trail in the forest. “Monkey might still be alive! The monster’s been dragging him!”

Looking at the obvious trail, I couldn’t understand why the monster hadn’t simply eaten Monkey on the spot.

Still, the fact that Monkey might be alive was excellent news.

Following the drag marks through the forest, we soon found several clear claw prints on nearby trees.

Yet the more I looked, the more uneasy I became.

“Wait a second!”

I stopped abruptly and grabbed both Li Zi and Er Leng.

“Big Bro, hurry up! We’ve got to save Monkey from that monster!” Li Zi urged, pointing ahead.

Ignoring him, I studied the claw marks on the tree.

“Don’t you think something’s strange? These traces are far too obvious. They’re so clear that even you two—with no experience and no tracking training whatsoever—can easily follow them. But judging from how that thing burst through the window and launched a surprise attack, it’s definitely not some low-intelligence creature.”

“B-Bro… what are you saying?” Er Leng asked nervously.

I was about to answer when suddenly Er Leng, who had just spoken to me, rolled his eyes back and began making choking sounds.

“Khk! Khk!”

A withered vine-like hand had wrapped itself around his neck.

Li Zi and I instinctively took a step back.

When our flashlight beams swept over him, we saw the qipao-clad Yin creature that had strangled Monkey inside the haunted house.

This time, however, its target was Er Leng.

Just as I suspected.

This was a trap set by the monster.

I wasted no time. Seizing the opportunity, I immediately ignited Demon-Burning Flames upon the Spirit-Subduing Ruler and lashed it toward the qipao-clad Yin creature.

The creature moved with astonishing speed. Dragging Er Leng behind it, it dodged behind a tree.

Grinding my teeth, I charged after it and swung the ruler again.

But at that exact moment, a deafening roar erupted behind me.

My heart sank.

I instantly realized what was happening and spun around.

Li Zi was gone.

A black shadow was rapidly retreating into the darkness, dragging a human figure behind it.

Rage exploded within me.

I had never expected the monster and the qipao-clad Yin creature to work together, using a classic diversion tactic to lure the tiger away from the mountain.

Seeing that the monster had succeeded, the qipao-clad Yin creature immediately stopped fighting. It released Er Leng, transformed into a stream of black smoke, and chased after the monster.

I hurried over to Er Leng and checked his injuries.

Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously hurt.

Channeling spiritual energy into him, I quickly woke him up.

Then I handed him several talismans infused with my spiritual power and told him to find the car and leave immediately.

This place was far too dangerous for him.

If one more person got captured, I truly wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore.

Even if I wanted to save them, I wouldn’t be capable of doing so.

Yet this stubborn fool refused to leave.

Determined to rescue his two brothers, he insisted on following me.

I had no time to argue. Ordering him to stay close, I infused spiritual energy into my eyes and activated my Heavenly Eye.

Carefully examining the lingering traces left behind in the forest, I soon found what I was looking for.

Earlier, I had placed spiritual-energy talismans on Li Zi and the others’ ears to protect their hearing.

Now that my Heavenly Eye was active, I could clearly sense the traces of my own spiritual energy.

The monster had apparently dragged Li Zi through the back side of the forest toward the nearby Headless Mountain.

Without further hesitation, I took Er Leng with me and sprinted toward the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain stood a ruined military barracks.

Most of it had already collapsed.

The monster clearly wasn’t hiding there.

My spiritual perception continued tracking the talismans’ location.

Both Li Zi and Monkey were now inside an abandoned mine beneath the mountain.

Staring at the half-collapsed entrance of the mine, I knew this place was probably the creature’s nest.

I held out my hand to Er Leng.

He immediately passed me several cold flares.

Snapping them to activate them, I watched flames burst forth from their tips before hurling them deep into the mine.

Yet the moment they entered, the light went out.

“Get back!”

A strange gust of wind suddenly rushed toward us.

I immediately shoved Er Leng aside.

The next instant, a shadow shot out from the dark entrance and lunged straight at me.

“Damn it!”

I threw every remaining cold flare in my hand toward the figure.

The creature immediately halted its charge and landed on the ground.

At last, illuminated by the flares’ glow, I finally saw its true appearance.

It was a naked monster with bluish-green skin.

Its body was humanoid, but it moved on all fours with a hunched posture. Its entire body was hairless, and its head was disproportionately large.

Its facial features resembled those of a human, yet it had no eyebrows and was hideously ugly.

Its teeth were sharp like those of a shark.

The moment it opened its mouth, a foul, fishy stench washed over me.

The monster raised an arm to block the flares I had thrown and then charged toward me with explosive speed.

I showed no fear.

With a flick of my hand, a Demon-Trapping Talisman shot forth like a bullet, hurtling straight toward the creature.