Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Recklessness Part 2

Several young men were novices, each looking nervous, but they still strictly maintained their positions and covered the Mo residence with talismans. The servant, Ah Tong, had been carried into the main hall. Lan Sizhui held his wrist to take his pulse with his left hand while pressing on Mrs. Mo’s back with his right, both to no avail. Just as they were overwhelmed, Ah Tong suddenly rose from the ground.

Ah Ding exclaimed, "Ah Tong, you're awake!"

Before she could even show a smile of relief, Ah Tong raised his left hand and grabbed his own throat.

Seeing this, Lan Sizhui struck several pressure points on Ah Tong. Wei Wuxian knew that although the people from the Lan family looked gentle, their arm strength was anything but. With such a strike, anyone would be immobilized instantly, but Ah Tong was unaffected, tightening his grip on his own throat, his expression becoming increasingly painful and distorted. Lan Jingyi tried to pry open Ah Tong’s left hand, but it was like trying to move a block of iron; it didn’t budge. After a short while, a "crack" sound was heard, and Ah Tong’s head drooped, his hand finally loosening. But his neck had already been broken.

In front of everyone, Ah Tong had strangled himself to death!

Seeing this, Ah Ding trembled and said, "...A ghost! There's an invisible ghost here that made Ah Tong strangle himself!"

Her voice was sharp and shrill, sending chills down everyone's spine, and they suddenly believed her. However, Wei Wuxian’s judgment was the opposite: it wasn’t a malevolent spirit.

He had observed the talismans chosen by these young men; they were all of the exorcism variety, and the east hall had been plastered so thoroughly that if it were a malevolent spirit, the talismans would have automatically ignited with green flames upon the ghost’s entry. Yet, there had been complete silence.

It wasn’t that these kids were slow to react; it was that the entity was extremely vicious. The Daoist sects had strict standards for what constituted a malevolent spirit—killing one person a month and continuing to haunt for three months would classify it as a malevolent spirit. This standard had been set by Wei Wuxian and was probably still in use. He was most adept at dealing with such things. In his opinion, a malevolent spirit that kills someone every seven days is already considered highly active. This entity, however, had killed three people in such a short span of time, something even renowned cultivators would struggle to handle, let alone these novice young men.

As he pondered this, the flames flickered, and a cold, eerie wind swept through. All the lanterns and candles in the yard and east hall were extinguished.

In the moment the lights went out, screams erupted, and men and women began pushing and shoving, falling and fleeing. Lan Jingyi shouted, "Stay where you are, don’t run! I’ll grab anyone who tries to escape!"

This wasn’t an idle threat. Causing chaos in the dark and taking advantage of the confusion was the nature of evil spirits. The more people cried and ran, the more likely they were to attract danger without realizing it. In times like these, being alone or causing a panic was extremely dangerous. But with everyone frightened out of their wits, how could they possibly listen or understand? In no time, the east hall fell silent, with only faint breathing and soft sobbing remaining. There probably weren’t many people left.

In the darkness, a flame suddenly lit up—Lan Sizhui had ignited a flame talisman.

The flame of the flame talisman couldn’t be extinguished by the eerie wind carrying evil energy. He used this talisman to relight the candles, while the remaining young men calmed the others. By the light of the flame, Wei Wuxian glanced at his wrist and saw another scar had healed.

Upon this observation, he suddenly realized that the number of scars was incorrect.

Originally, he had two scars on each wrist. When Mo Ziyuan died, one healed; when Mo Ziyuan’s father died, another healed; and when the servant Ah Tong died, another scar healed. By this reckoning, three scars should have healed, leaving only the last one, which was the deepest and carried the most resentment.

But now, his wrists were bare, with not a single scar remaining.

Wei Wuxian was certain that Mrs. Mo must have been one of Mo Xuanyu’s targets for revenge. The longest and deepest scar had been for her. Yet it had disappeared.

Could it be that Mo Xuanyu had suddenly let go of his resentment? That was impossible. His soul had already been offered as the price to summon Wei Wuxian. For the wound to heal, Mrs. Mo would have to be dead.

His gaze slowly shifted to Mrs. Mo, who had just woken up and was being surrounded by the crowd, her face pale as a sheet.

Unless she was already a dead person.

Wei Wuxian was certain that something had attached to Mrs. Mo. If it wasn’t a soul, then what could it be?

Suddenly, Ah Ding cried, "The hand… Ah Tong’s left hand!"

Lan Sizhui moved the flame talisman over Ah Tong’s body. Sure enough, his left hand was also gone.

The left hand!

In a flash, Wei Wuxian’s mind became clear, connecting the malevolent entity and the missing left arm. He suddenly burst out laughing. Lan Jingyi, annoyed, said, "This fool, what’s there to laugh about at a time like this!" But then he thought, since he’s a fool, why bother arguing?

Wei Wuxian, however, grabbed his sleeve and shook his head, saying, "No, no!"

Lan Jingyi, frustrated, tried to pull his sleeve back, saying, "Not a fool? Don’t mess around! None of us have time for you."

Wei Wuxian pointed to the bodies of Mo Ziyuan’s father and Ah Tong on the ground and said, "These aren’t their bodies."

Lan Sizhui stopped Lan Jingyi from flaring up and asked, "When you say 'This is not them,' what do you mean?"

Wei Wuxian said solemnly, "This is not Mo Ziyuan's father, and that is not Ah Tong."

The more solemn he looked on his face caked with powder and paint, the more it gave people the creeps, making them think he truly was sick. But in the eerie candlelight, this statement sent chills down the spine. Lan Sizhui was startled and involuntarily asked, "Why?"

Wei Wuxian said proudly, "Their hands! They weren't left-handed. They always used their right hands to hit me. That, I know."

Lan Jingyi couldn't hold back his contempt and spat, "What are you so proud of?! Acting all smug about it!"

Lan Sizhui broke out in a cold sweat. Thinking back, Ah Tong had used his left hand to strangle himself, and Mo Ziyuan's father had also used his left hand to push his wife.

However, when Mo Xuan Yu had caused a scene in the east hall earlier in the day, these two had been frantically grabbing and shoving people with their right hands. It was unlikely that they had suddenly become left-handed just before they died.

Though he didn't know the exact reason, if they wanted to figure out what was haunting them, they had to start with the "left hand." Lan Sizhui, feeling both shocked and suspicious, glanced at Wei Wuxian and couldn't help but think, "The timing of his words doesn't seem like a coincidence."

Wei Wuxian just grinned shamelessly, knowing the hint was still too deliberate, but he had no choice. Fortunately, Lan Sizhui didn't pursue the matter and thought, "No matter what, since this young master Mo is willing to remind me, he's probably not harboring any ill intentions." He shifted his gaze away from him and swept over Ah Ding, who had just fainted from crying, before finally resting his eyes on Mrs. Mo.

His gaze traveled down from her face to her hands. Her arms hung limply, mostly hidden in her sleeves, with only the tips of her fingers exposed. The fingers of her right hand were snow-white and slender, just like a pampered woman's hand that had never done any labor.

However, the fingers of her left hand were slightly longer and thicker. The joints were hooked, exuding strength.

This wasn't a hand that should belong to a woman—it was clearly a man's hand!

Lan Sizhui shouted, "Hold her down!"

Several young men had already seized Mrs. Mo. Lan Sizhui said, "Pardon me," and flipped his hand to slap a talisman down. But Mrs. Mo's left hand twisted backward at an impossible angle, reaching for his throat.

A living person's arm would have to be broken to twist like that. Her hand moved swiftly, almost grabbing his neck. Just then, Lan Jingyi yelled, "Ah!" and threw himself in front of Lan Sizhui, blocking the attack.

A flash of fire erupted. As soon as Mrs. Mo's hand grabbed Lan Jingyi's shoulder, green flames burst from it, and the hand quickly let go. Lan Sizhui narrowly escaped, and as he was about to thank Lan Jingyi for saving him, he saw that half of Lan Jingyi's robe had already been burned to ashes. Flustered and embarrassed, Lan Jingyi took off the remaining half of his robe while angrily cursing, "Why did you kick me, you madman?! Trying to get me killed?!"

Wei Wuxian ducked and ran, protesting, "I didn't kick you!"

It was him who kicked. The inner lining of the Lan family's robes was embroidered with dense incantations in matching thread, offering protective and life-saving effects. But when faced with something this powerful, the robe could only be used once. In the heat of the moment, Wei Wuxian had no choice but to kick Lan Jingyi, using his body to protect Lan Sizhui's neck. Lan Jingyi was about to continue cursing when Mrs. Mo collapsed, the flesh on her face having been sucked dry, leaving only a skeletal face. The man's arm that didn't belong to her fell off her left shoulder, and the fingers still moved flexibly as if stretching its tendons. The veins and muscles were clearly visible.

This thing was the evil entity summoned by the Zhaoyin Flags.

Dismemberment is a classic form of a gruesome death, only slightly more dignified than Wei Wuxian's own death, but not by much. Unlike being reduced to dust, the limbs retained some of the dead's resentment, yearning to return to the rest of the body. If it found the other parts, it might finally rest in peace, or it might haunt even more fiercely. If it couldn't find them, the limb would have to settle for something else.

And what was that second-best option? To make do with a living person's body.

Just like this left hand: it would eat the left hand of a living person and take its place, draining the person's vitality and flesh. Once it had consumed everything, it would abandon the body and continue searching for the next host until it found all the other parts of its own body.

After being summoned, it first possessed Mo Ziyuan. The second host was Mo Ziyuan's father. When Mrs. Mo told her husband to get out, he had uncharacteristically pushed her back. Wei Wuxian had originally thought it was because he was heartbroken over his son's death and tired of his wife's tyranny. But now, thinking back, that wasn't the numbness of a grieving father—it was deathly silence, the silence of the dead.

The third host was Ah Tong. The fourth host was Mrs. Mo. During the chaos when the lights went out, the ghost hand had already transferred to her. When Mrs. Mo died, the last scar on Wei Wuxian's wrist vanished.

The Lan family's young men, seeing that the talismans were useless, threw their outer robes over the left hand, wrapping it in layers of white like a thick cocoon. After a while, the white clothing burst into flames, and green flames shot up ominously. Although it worked for the time being, once the robes burned out, the hand would break free from the ashes. Seizing the moment when no one was paying attention, Wei Wuxian dashed straight for the west courtyard.

The walking corpses, held by the young men, stood silently in the courtyard, about ten of them. A sealing spell was drawn on the ground. Wei Wuxian kicked one of the characters, breaking the entire formation, and clapped his hands twice. The corpses trembled, their eyes rolling up as if jolted awake by a thunderclap.

Wei Wuxian said, "Get up. Time to work!"

He didn't need complex spells or incantations to control corpses—just simple, straightforward commands would do. The corpse in front trembled and shuffled a few steps, but as soon as it got close to Wei Wuxian, it seemed to lose its nerve and collapsed to the ground as if its legs had given out.

Wei Wuxian, both amused and frustrated, clapped his hands again, this time more gently. But these corpses, probably born and died in the Mo family estate without seeing much of the world, were instinctively obeying the summoner's commands while also inexplicably terrified of the one giving the orders. They lay on the ground, whimpering and unwilling to get up.

The more ferocious and evil the entity, the better Wei Wuxian could control it. These walking corpses hadn't been trained by him and couldn't withstand his direct control. He didn't have the materials to make any temporary tools to help, not even something makeshift. As the green flames in the east courtyard gradually dimmed, a sudden realization struck Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian muttered to himself, "Why go out looking for a dead person with an extremely heavy grudge and viciousness? There’s one in the east hall, and more than just one!"

He dashed back to the east hall. As Lan Sizhui’s strategy was exhausted, he devised another plan. The group drew their long swords, planting them into the ground to form a barrier. The ghostly hand was crashing against the sword barrier, and they pressed down on the hilts with all their strength to keep it from breaking through. However, they were too occupied to notice anyone coming in or out. Wei Wuxian entered the east hall, grabbed the bodies of Mrs. Mo and Mo Ziyuan, and whispered harshly, "Wake up!"

With that command, the two corpses immediately returned to life.

In an instant, Mrs. Mo and Mo Ziyuan’s eyes rolled back, letting out the sharp howls characteristic of vengeful spirits returning from the dead.

Amidst the high and low howls, another corpse trembled to its feet and let out a weak cry—it was Mrs. Mo’s husband.

The cries were deafening, filled with intense resentment. Wei Wuxian smiled in satisfaction and asked, "Do you recognize that hand outside?"

He commanded, "Tear it apart."

The three members of the Mo family rushed out like black winds.

The left arm shattered a sword and was about to break through the barrier. Just as it emerged, the three armless corpses lunged at it.

Not only did they obey Wei Wuxian’s commands, but the Mo family also harbored intense hatred for the thing that killed them, venting their rage on the ghostly hand. Mrs. Mo led the attack. Female corpses that turned fierce were especially brutal. Her hair was wild, her eyes bloodshot, her nails grown several times longer, and her screams were so piercing they nearly shattered the roof, driven by an insane fury. Mo Ziyuan closely followed his mother, biting and clawing alongside her. His father followed behind, filling in the gaps in their attacks. The few young cultivators of the Lan family, who had been struggling to hold the barrier, were stunned.

They had only heard of such fierce corpse battles in miscellaneous books and legends. Witnessing such a bloody scene for the first time, they were so captivated that they couldn’t look away, finding it… spectacular!

As the three corpses and the hand fought fiercely, Mo Ziyuan suddenly dodged to the side, screaming. His abdomen had been ripped open, revealing a few sections of his intestines. Mrs. Mo roared and protected her son, her attacks growing even more ferocious. Her nails sliced through the air with the force of steel blades. However, Wei Wuxian could see that she was beginning to falter.

Even the combined strength of three newly dead fierce corpses couldn’t suppress this single arm!

Wei Wuxian watched the battle intently, his tongue curling slightly as he held back a sharp whistle. If he blew it, he could incite greater ferocity in the corpses he controlled, possibly turning the tide of the battle. But then, it would be hard to hide that he was behind it. In the blink of an eye, the hand moved like lightning, swiftly and accurately breaking Mrs. Mo’s neck.

As the Mo family was pushed back, Wei Wuxian was about to blow the whistle he had been holding back when, from afar, two clear string notes rang out.

These notes seemed to be plucked casually by someone, sounding ethereal and clear, carrying a chill of cold pine wind. The group of demons and monsters fighting in the yard froze for a moment.

The Lan family disciples’ spirits lifted as if they had been reborn. Lan Sizhui wiped the blood from his face and looked up, shouting joyfully, "Lan Wangji!"

Upon hearing the guqin notes, Wei Wuxian turned to flee.

Another note rang out, this time slightly higher, cutting through the clouds with a hint of cold killing intent. The three fierce corpses retreated, covering their ears with their right hands. However, the Lan family’s barrier-breaking sound wasn’t so easily resisted. After taking only a few steps back, soft cracking sounds came from their heads.

The left arm, having just endured a fierce battle, dropped to the ground upon hearing the string notes. Although the fingers still moved, the arm remained still.

After a moment of stunned silence, the young cultivators erupted into cheers, their voices filled with the exhilaration of surviving a nightmare. They had endured a terrifying night, and now, finally, their clan’s reinforcements had arrived.

Waving at the moon, Lan Sizhui suddenly realized someone was missing. He turned to Lan Jingyi and asked, "Where’s that Mo family son?"

Lan Jingyi, still excited, asked, "Who? Which one?"

Lan Sizhui said, "That Mr. Mo."

Lan Jingyi replied, "Huh? Why are you looking for that madman? Who knows where he ran off to, afraid I’d hit him again."

Lan Sizhui knew Lan Jingyi was straightforward and impulsive, never one to think things through carefully. He decided to wait until Lan Wangji arrived and report the incident all at once.

The Mo family estate lay eerily quiet, though it was hard to tell if it was truly asleep or merely pretending to be. Even with the fierce corpse battle and blood flying in the east and west yards, no one would wake up in the middle of the night to watch. Some spectacles, especially those with blood and screams, were better left unseen.

Wei Wuxian quickly erased all traces of the spirit-summoning array in Mo Xuan Yu’s room and dashed out the door. He thought to himself, what a coincidence that it was someone from the Lan family who arrived, and of all people, it had to be Lan Wangji, someone who had dealt with him before and even fought him. He needed to leave immediately. He hurriedly looked for a mount, passing by a yard where there was a large millstone with a spotted donkey munching away. Seeing Wei Wuxian rushing over, the donkey looked surprised and, like a living creature, glanced at him with some disdain. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but chuckle at the donkey’s disdainful glance.

He went up, grabbed the rope, and dragged the donkey out. The flower donkey complained loudly, but Wei Wuxian coaxed and dragged it until he managed to trick it onto the road. As dawn broke, they trotted onto the main road.