Chapter 54: Crimson Hair Bloody Face
“Crimson Hair Bloody Face?” The moment those words were spoken, Sha Lifei burst out laughing. “Isn’t that just a story used to scare children?”
Even Li Yan frowned slightly. Rural villages across the Divine Continent always had strange folktales; everything from shadows behind someone at night and hands reaching out from latrines to faces appearing outside windows and tiger crones...
The Crimson Hair Bloody Face was one of those stories. According to the legends, the creature wore a large green robe, had a head full of red hair, and a face drenched in blood. It often appeared at dusk and lure away any child still playing outside at that hour.
The thing was said to appear near ancient trees. Elders would swear up and down that children from some nearby village once went into the mountains to play and encountered the Crimson Hair Bloody Face.
The children had then fled in terror. When they turned back to look, they could still see that horrifying green-robed, red-faced figure beneath the twilight trees, coldly staring at them. After returning home, the children would fall gravely ill, and some were even said to have lost their souls from fright.
Some old people also claimed that one child had never returned at all. Later, a master from Chang’an had been invited to perform rituals, and found the child’s bones beneath the tree, three feet underground. Alongside them, they also discovered a coffin. But the master refused to let anyone open it, instead burning it to ashes beneath the blazing sun.
In any case, the stories were detailed enough to sound utterly convincing. After learning of the existence of the mystic path, Li Yan could now believe in zombies, demons, and wandering spirits. But no matter how he thought about it, it still sounded like a fabricated tale old folks used to scare children into coming home for dinner early.
Hearing it brought up again now felt rather absurd.
Unexpectedly, Wang Daoxuan’s expression turned grave. “When did this happen?”
The stable worker hurriedly replied, “Just these past few years. Some masters were invited into the mountains to investigate, but none found anything. Oh, right, even herbal gatherers often encounter it in the forests now. Eventually no one dared climb the mountain anymore...”
***
Even after leaving the carriage station, Wang Daoxuan still wore a puzzled expression.
Seeing the look on his face, Sha Lifei felt uneasy. “Don’t tell me this Crimson Hair Bloody Face actually exists?”
Wang Daoxuan shook his head slightly. “Let’s discuss it after we leave town. Brother Zhao likely understands this matter better than I do.”
Treasure-seeker Zhao Luzi had not entered the city. Instead, he had waited at the foot of the mountain. No one found it strange, because he had already explained the reason on the journey.
There existed an unspoken rule within the treasure-hunting trade.
Heaven as a blanket, earth as the bed. Respect gods and honor spirits. Burn three sticks of incense before entering mountains or waters. Light a lamp before entering tombs or caves. Never enter a living household.
Zhao Luzi had even explained the origins behind these customs. The single horizontal stroke above and below with man between them formed the ancient character for “shaman,”[1] symbolizing that treasure-hunters never forgot their roots. It was also related to the extermination and persecution of the early Daoists by the imperial court in ancient times.
Shamans believed all things possessed spirits, so naturally they respected gods and spirits. The mountain foragers and sea explorer branches also always burned three sticks of incense before entering mountains or waters.
As for the hidden seekers branch, which specialized in ancient tombs and caverns, they would light a Pathfinding Lamp. It served both as illumination and as an omen. If the owner within the tomb or cavern became angered, they were expected to leave immediately.
There were two reasons living homes could not be entered.
First, because they spent all year wandering wildernesses and ancient tombs, they inevitably accumulated baleful influences. Entering someone’s home casually could bring disaster upon the household. If the family worshipped some effective folk deity, it could trigger a spiritual conflict.
Second, it again tied back to the early Daoists. Legend claimed that treasure-hunters had once sacrificed themselves in service to the Qin Emperor, searching mountains and seas for immortal elixirs. Yet afterward, they had been purged, leading to the ancestral rule.
“The Crimson Hair Bloody Face?” Zhao Luzi scratched his head. “I’ve heard of it before. My father once said that it was an old Daoist method used around imperial tombs. They would find places where yin and baleful energies converged, seal victims who had been dismembered alive inside coffins, then plant trees above them.
“Over time, it would create ghost walls that prevented people from discovering the ancient tombs hidden in the mountains. This method was popular during the Qin and Han dynasties, but it was later forbidden because it was too cruel and damaged the rules of the heavens. Still, powerful clans secretly hired people to perform it in private.
“With enough time, once the coffin seals broke down, the resentful soul of the dismembered victim would transform into the Crimson Hair Bloody Face. But by then, it would already have fused with the old tree and remain trapped there forever.
“Wherever a Crimson Hair Bloody Face appears, there is usually a great tomb nearby. The hidden seekers branch uses such signs as clues when searching for tombs from the old era. Since the Guanzhong Plains is filled with royal and noble burial sites from those eras, the legend spread widely.”
Sha Lifei’s eyes immediately lit up. “There’s a royal tomb in the mountains?”
Zhao Luzi shook his head. “Even if there is, our branch would never enter them. Besides, I never encountered a Crimson Hair Bloody Face when I came here last. As for why it’s appeared these past two years, I think I’ve already guessed the reason.
“A few years ago, a group of bandits fled into the mountains to escape pursuit from the imperial army. They’re probably pretending to be ghosts and monsters so villagers won’t climb the mountain and discover their hideout. Those people are dangerous. I can’t handle them alone, which is why I needed help.”
Li Yan frowned. “Bandits? Do you know who they are?”
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Luzi replied, “I once overheard them talking. Their leader is called Yan Laojiu.”
The moment Sha Lifei heard the name, his scalp went numb. “The Skinning Yama?!
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?! If that bastard’s hiding in the mountains, aren’t we just walking into death? And if there really was treasure, he’s probably dug it all out already!”
Even Li Yan shook his head. There were countless bandits throughout the Guanzhong Plains, and none who had made a name for themselves in the outlaw world were easy to deal with.
Yan Laojiu had originally been a butcher in Chang’an. He possessed exceptional blade skills and was well known throughout the streets. He had also married a beautiful wife, so despite working a lowly profession, he lived quite comfortably.
Later, his wife secretly slept with the son of a wealthy family. Yan Laojiu endured silently until one night, when the young noble’s guards were absent. He captured the pair, skinned them alive, and hung their skins in the middle of the marketplace.
If that were all, it would not have been too extraordinary. But after escaping Chang’an and becoming an outlaw, every time he descended the mountains to rob travelers, whenever he caught a young couple, he would skin them alive for amusement without asking any questions. Gradually, he earned the infamous title of the “Skinning Yama.”
If Yan Laojiu truly occupied the mountain, things would become extremely troublesome.
“They can’t find it!” Zhao Luzi’s face reddened as he hurriedly explained. “The Thunderstruck Jujube Tree has already developed spirituality. It only appears at specific times, and only I know the location.
“The bandit camp is on the eastern cliffside, while the Thunderstruck Jujube Tree is in Leopard Ravine to the west. As long as we cut the tree during the night and toss it into the river, we can leave the mountain and recover it downstream before transporting it back to Xianyang.”
As he spoke, he produced a sheepskin map for everyone to examine.
Li Yan studied it carefully before nodding. “It’s not impossible. What other dangers are in Leopard Ravine?”
Zhao Luzi replied, “Thunderstruck Jujube Wood suppresses evil, so ordinary yin entities won’t approach it. But there are several leopards in Leopard Ravine that are extremely fierce. I can’t handle them alone.”
Li Yan pondered briefly before saying firmly, “Then we’ll head up the mountain and investigate. Uncle Sha, prepare some flesh caltrops.”
These caltrops were actually made from tribulus thorns, so they could wound people upon contact, hence they were called “caltrops.”
In the Songs of Chu, the tribulus was referred to as an evil wood, symbolizing petty villains. The fruit of the tribulus plant also inspired the jianghu hidden weapon known as the caltrop seed.
As for flesh caltrops, they were a vicious hunting method. Caltrops were wrapped inside chunks of meat and soaked in pig’s blood to mask the scent. Tigers and leopards could not chew them apart and would swallow them whole. Once inside the stomach, the spikes would tear open the intestines as the organs contracted.
The item was not difficult to make. Sha Lifei quickly prepared a large sack of them, tied it securely to his waist, and rejoined the group as they headed into the mountains.
Yetai Mountain was not particularly tall, but it was rather wide. Looking around, they saw overlapping peaks and winding mountain paths all over the mountain range. By the time they entered the mountains, it was already afternoon. It didn’t take long for darkness to fall. Moonlight illuminated the black mountains while distant howls of wolves and roars of tigers echoed faintly through the night.
Sha Lifei shivered at the sounds and complained, “Wouldn’t it have been better to come during the day? We can’t see a damn thing at night.”
Zhao Luzi answered in a muffled voice, “The Thunderstruck Jujube Tree has absorbed the mountain’s astral qi and formed a small spiritual formation. It can’t be seen during the day. Only at midnight, under moonlight, can it reveal itself.”
After speaking, he stepped forward and pulled aside withered grass and vines beneath a rock wall to reveal a tiny shrine hidden inside. The stone statue enshrined within was ancient. Its facial features had long since worn away, though one could vaguely make out the figure of a man wearing a scholar’s robes.
A battered clay basin served as an incense burner. Though traces of incense and candle offerings remained, it was obvious no one had worshipped the deity within for a long time.
Li Yan had already activated his divine ability earlier. He could smell a faint scent of incense carrying an ancient, heavy feeling. Though weak, it had fused together with the aura of the entire mountain range.
Zhao Luzi spoke softly, “In the past, herb gatherers and hunters always came here to worship. But after those bandits started spreading fear, the incense offerings stopped.”
He took out incense sticks, candles, fruits, and steamed buns from his pack as offerings. Every movement he made carried a certain rhythm, his eyes filled with sincere reverence.
Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan also stepped forward to burn incense.
Sha Lifei even kowtowed several times with loud bangs. “Mountain God Lord, please bless us! If this trip succeeds, once we leave, we’ll definitely report those bandits to the authorities and uproot them for you!”
After leaving their offerings, the group continued climbing the mountain.
Naturally, Zhao Luzi reminded them of the mountain taboos. He covered everything from never calling wild beasts by their true names to certain places that must not be entered casually. Finally, he insisted that they should follow his instructions to the letter.
Li Yan gripped his Guanshan blade tightly and stayed beside Zhao Luzi.
Treasure-hunter Zhao Luzi possessed a vision-type divine ability. It was not yin-yang sight, but the ability to observe qi and see through the darkness as though it were daylight. With Li Yan’s divine ability allowing him to detect abnormal scents within several hundred meters, the two complemented each other perfectly.
Not long afterward, the group arrived at a fork in the mountain path. Zhao Luzi pointed eastward. “The bandit hideout is over there. If we keep going, we’ll reach their hidden sentries. As long as we avoid them, we’ll be fine.”
Sha Lifei whispered, “Then let’s hurry and go before they spot us.”
“Wait!” Li Yan’s nose twitched suddenly, his expression turning grave as he looked toward the east. “What a strong stench of corpses!”
1. 巫 ☜
