Chapter 48

The eccentric old man in the tree, with his unreasonable demands.

Reluctantly, Shimei let Baisha drag her into the woods, following the eerie sound of knocking on wood deep into the dense forest.

As they walked closely together, the sound grew clearer and more distinct – a "thud, thud, thud" that could only be made by wood striking wood.

"Baisha," Shimei whispered, holding onto him, "are we going to get lost by going in like this?"

Baisha shook his head, "This forest isn’t too thick, and the trees aren’t tall. Don’t worry, I’m familiar with the terrain of Dayu Mountain."

While Shi Mei felt somewhat reassured, the eerie atmosphere, especially in the dark and quiet of the night with its strange noises, still unnerved her.

As they approached the source of the sound, they stopped to search the area. They saw neither people nor birds, and the noise had ceased.

Feeling a chill down her spine, Shi Mei clung to Bai She's arm and asked, “Why did the sound stop?”

Bai She whispered, “It probably saw us.”

Shi Mei shivered, feeling a sense of dread even though she knew Bai She might just be trying to scare her.

Bai She tapped on a nearby large tree and listened intently. After tapping again, he seemed to notice something odd. As he pondered, suddenly...

“Ah!”

Shi Mei's scream, startling and loud, echoed right next to Bai She's ear, causing the birds resting in the tree above to scatter in a flurry.

Bai She, with ringing in his ears, widened his eyes in shock and looked at Shi Mei, who was close by. Her face had turned pale, as if she had been terrified by something.

“What’s wrong?” Bai She, noticing Shi Mei's distress, reached out to steady her, asking with concern.

“Someone’s grabbing my foot... my foot!” Shi Mei’s voice trembled with panic. Bai She frowned, looking down to see Shi Mei’s right foot near the tree, where a hand, resembling dry kindling, emerged from a dark hole in the tree roots, gripping her ankle.

“What is it?!” Shi Mei, too scared to move, asked, “Is it warm?”

Hearing her mention warmth, Bai She deduced it must be a living hand. He crouched down for a closer look, deftly pressing an acupoint on the wrist of the hand.

The hand relaxed its grip, and Shi Mei quickly retreated behind Bai She, peeking at the hole. The hand withdrew back into the darkness.

They exchanged a glance, then looked down to see half a face emerging from the shadowy hole, a pair of dull yellow eyes unblinkingly staring at them.

“Ah…” Shi Mei gasped, her breath hitching, “Hic…”

Bai She turned to her, and Shi Mei covered her mouth, “Hic... hiccups…”

Whether from the shock or inhaling the cool air, Shi Mei started hiccuping.

In the ominous forest, the emergence of a spectral figure from the tree hole was terrifying enough, but the sudden onset of Shi Mei’s hiccups unexpectedly dispelled the fear, lightening the mood.

Bai She gently patted Shi Mei's back, but she wasn’t feeling any better.

“...Do you have vinegar?” Shi Mei, in discomfort and feeling embarrassed with her face flushed red, thought of drinking vinegar, which often cures persistent hiccups.

Bai She shook his head, offering her a water flask, guessing a sip of water might help.

But even after two sips, Shi Mei’s hiccups didn’t stop.

Just then, a creepy, cackling laughter echoed from the cave, resembling the call of an old owl.

Both paused, peering into the tree hole, only to see the creature inside laughing. It looked sinisterly at Shi Mei and Bai She, its eyes rolling grotesquely from left to right and back again, hinting at malevolent intentions.

For a moment, Shi Mei and Bai She were too stunned to react, just staring at it. Suddenly, Bai She asked Shi Mei, “Stopped hiccuping?”

Shi Mei, surprised, realized her hiccups had indeed stopped!

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Bai She abruptly drew his sword and with a swift motion, slashed at the tree trunk.

With a "crack," a tree suddenly split in half, revealing a hollow trunk leading to a small underground hole. The creature that had made the noise had vanished, apparently having slipped into the hole.

Baisha listened intently to the sounds coming from below, cautiously stepping back, prompting Shimei to also step back when suddenly a "puff" sound came from the ground.

Shimei felt the ground beneath her shift as something pushed up, then felt a tight grip around her ankle. Startled, she thought, "Not again?!"

Someone had grabbed her foot and was pulling her downward.

With a loud "boom," a large pit appeared in the ground, and Shimei was pulled down into it.

"Ah..."

She fell into a pitch-black, deep hole, followed by Baisha who jumped in after her.

Landing on a pile of soft hay with a "thud," Shimei was cushioned from the hard ground, but the fall still left her quite shaken.

"Ouch..." Shimei reached to rub her back, dazed from the fall.

Then, a white figure landed beside her – Baisha had followed her down, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Shimei shook her head, only then noticing the area was surprisingly illuminated, lit by lamps.

Seeing Shimei unharmed, Baisha helped her stand up. Looking ahead, they found themselves in a dimly lit cave, facing a gaunt old crone who was only about waist-high.

Baisha had encountered many odd-looking individuals, including those who had deformed themselves through extreme martial arts training. However, this old crone, seemingly very aged, had an appearance reminiscent of a tree demon, which was quite unsettling.

Shimei too wondered if they had come across an ancient witch, given her bizarre appearance.

The old crone scrutinized them both, then let out a strange laugh, opening her mouth to speak, “Hmm… good.”

Shimei heard her voice, raspy and hoarse, and almost gasped in shock, covering her mouth to compose herself.

Baisha inquired, “Who are you?”

“It's been… a long time since I spoke,” the old woman coughed with a hoarse voice, taking a while to steady it, then continued, “It's been a long time since anyone came here.”

Shimei wondered if she was just an old woman living in the mountains.

Baisha remained on guard, suspecting the old woman was no ordinary person. Considering how she had effortlessly emerged from the ground and pulled Shimei down, her martial skills and internal strength must be formidable. He began to recall if there was such a character known in the martial world.

"Do you live in the mountains?" Shimei asked, "How should we address you, old lady?"

The old crone glanced at Shimei, examining her closely, then pinched her own loose facial skin and said cheerfully, “What a pretty young girl you are, so young and beautiful… I’d like to trade with you, my dear. My skin is too old; let me borrow yours for a while.”

Shimei’s eyes widened in shock, and she hid behind Baisha, thinking, "She's a witch who skins people!"

"Ha ha ha." The old crone laughed loudly, seeing Shimei’s fright.

Baisha, not one to believe in ghosts and goblins, and seeing the woman as just an old hermit, didn’t wish to disturb her further and said to Shimei, "Let’s go."

"Hold on," the old crone stopped them, "Child, easy to come, hard to go. Leave this tender young girl with me. It's been a long time since I've had meat."

Shimei furrowed her brows in alarm, wondering if the old woman truly intended to skin her and now even talked of eating meat.

Baisha's expression turned cold as he looked at the old woman, "No."

Shimei nodded in agreement, thinking, 'Right, no way!'

The old woman chuckled, though her smile was more grotesque than her cry, "Alright, if she can't stay, then you stay!"

Shimei quickly shook her head, thinking to herself, 'That's not okay either!'

"Heh heh," the old woman spoke chillingly, "I’ve seen all sorts of beauties in the palace, but rarely a handsome man like you. I like you; you should stay."

Shimei, gripping Baisha's arm, thought, 'This old woman must be out of her mind, a toad lusting after a swan!'

Baisha found Shimei's protective stance rather amusing.

"Anyway, whether a man or a woman, one of you must stay with me for the rest of my life," the old woman said somberly.

Baisha's brow furrowed slightly; what did the old woman mean by 'palace'? Her manner and attitude seemed to suggest some significant background.

Shimei muttered softly, "The rest of your life?..."

"…You cheeky girl, slap yourself!" the old woman ordered.

Annoyed, Shimei thought, 'What right does she have to act high and mighty here in the middle of nowhere?'

"Ah, the youth these days have no manners," the old woman mumbled to herself, turning to an imaginary figure, "Your Majesty, do you like this girl? If you do, let's keep her. Look at her, slim waist, round hips, surely fertile. Let’s just take her. Alas, our own misfortune, failing to bear a dragon seed, we wouldn’t have lost the kingdom..." she lamented, her voice trailing off into sobs.

Shimei, listening intently, had a sudden realization. The current emperor was young; she couldn’t be from his era. Could she be from the previous dynasty? But even that would make her quite old. Or even from an earlier dynasty? If she truly was a concubine, how did she end up here?

Baisha seemed about to speak, but Shimei suddenly pulled him and winked, signaling – she had a plan!

Baisha nodded, quietly waiting to see how Shimei would handle the situation.

Leaning forward, Shimei inquired, "Your Highness, are you well?"

The old woman turned her face towards Shimei, somewhat bewildered, "Do you recognize me? Who are you?"

Seeing her approach working, Shimei said with a smile, "I'm Xiaomei, your former palace maid. Have you forgotten me, Your Highness?"

"Xiaomei?" The old woman pondered for a moment and then seemed to remember, "Are you the Xiaomei from our hometown who entered the palace with me?"

Thinking to herself that most palace maids were named after flowers, Shimei played along, "Yes, Your Highness. And the emperor?"

"The emperor..." The old woman glanced at the empty stool beside her and sighed, "He’s not here anymore. He went out to find a treasure and never returned, saying it could restore our dynasty."

Shimei raised her eyebrows at Baisha, as if to say, 'Look, she really is a concubine of some former emperor, though I'm not sure from which minor kingdom or previous dynasty. Quite a story here!'

Seeing Shimei’s convinced demeanor, Baisha shook his head, pinching her chin, "Silly girl, the old woman is just teasing you."

……

Shimei was startled when the old woman suddenly burst into raucous laughter, laughing so hard it seemed she might fall apart.

Realizing she'd been tricked, Shimei felt embarrassed, especially since Baisha knew and didn't warn her, making her a laughingstock.

Noticing Shimei’s displeasure, Baisha coughed and asked the old woman, "Are you trying to tell us that you know the secret of the treasure from those days?"

The old woman nodded, "Indeed, they say a foolish wife matches a handsome thief well. It’s true."

Shimei blushed, feeling insulted and not pleased at being called foolish.

"You must have been guided here by a wise person or seen some map?" the old woman said leisurely. "Many have come to these mountains, but none have reached the end, including that dead emperor. However, young man, your skills are the best I've seen. Perhaps you have a way, so... I can tell you where it is, but you need to help me with something."

Baisha pondered before asking, "What kind of help?"

"This girl..."

"Out of the question." Baisha interrupted the old woman without waiting for her to finish. The idea of giving up Shimei was absolutely impossible!

"Heh heh." The old woman chuckled mischievously, "You misunderstood. I don't want her skin. Even if I could tear it off, I wouldn't be able to wear it."

Shimei asked, "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Simple." The old woman glanced at Shimei and then at Baisha, "How about you two kiss for me to see?"

Shimei nearly hiccuped in shock, staring at her in disbelief, "What?!"

"Didn't you hear?" The old woman smiled, "Appetite and desire are natural, you know. I was quite a charmer in my younger days. Now, trapped in these mountains for years, I've grown lonely and bored. My skin's all wrinkled, so there's no point troubling the young man to kiss me. How about it? You two kiss for an old lady's amusement. Won't you?"

"Okay."

"No way!"

Baisha and Shimei spoke at the same time, then glanced at each other. Shimei's face turned bright red, looking suspiciously at Baisha, "...Is this your setup?"

Baisha chuckled and shook his head.

"You old flirt!" Shimei muttered under her breath.

The old woman, seeing Shimei's embarrassment, raised her eyebrows, "Don't complain, girl. It’s not like you're losing out."

Shimei glanced at Baisha.

White initially had no intention of negotiating with the old woman, but this time, he couldn't help but feel he owed it to himself to agree. With a slight smile, he pulled Shi Mei close and leaned down...

Shi Mei wasn't as nervous as she had been before; this time, she felt the kiss was quite genuine and, with reddened ears, tried to maintain a semblance of composure.

This kiss was more lingering than the previous ones, seemingly satisfying the old woman, who smiled even more frightfully.