Chapter Five: The Mountain Witch’s Cave

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It was quite surprising to find two ghosts in such a small place, something Li Xia had not expected. No, the ghost encountered last night was newly transformed. Even so... the number of ghosts was beyond what he had imagined. Li Xia fixed his deep gaze on the boatman—how should he deal with this man? The boatman’s eyes showed unease; clutching his bamboo hat, he held a bundle of hemp rope, baffled as to why Li Xia was still standing. What about those scars on his body? How many battles, how fierce must they have been to leave such marks? Was this man a warrior? He was tall, much taller than any warrior Li Xia had met before. He looked terrifying! And what was with that axe? Surely it meant death—definitely death! What should he do? Should he run? Li Xia slightly loosened his grip on the handle, then tightened it again, making the rough axe handle fit more snugly in his palm. Taking a deep breath, he fixed his eyes on the boatman’s neck. One and a half meters... a bit short, not the ideal position. With the experience from before, this time he must not swing off target... No, his gaze shifted slightly. Murata fell to the ground, helpless and unable to move. He still had to find out what drug the boatman had administered and how to treat it. Li Xia took two steps forward, trying to keep his body steady—the boat was small, and too much movement might tip it over. Yet those two steps seemed to break the boatman’s defense. With a splash, the boatman knelt down. Weeping bitterly, he cried out, “I’m sorry! I was forced into this too!” Li Xia: ........ The wise man knows the times—this was very Japanese. After tightly binding the boatman, Li Xia sat facing him and pointed toward Murata. Before he spoke, the boatman obediently knelt down again in a deep bow. “It’s mushrooms. I found a kind of mushroom that makes people lose all strength. Just feed them licorice powder to counteract it.” Li Xia found the licorice prepared by the boatman in the cabin and administered it with water into Murata’s mouth. Soon, Murata’s fingers twitched weakly. He barely managed to prop himself against the side of the boat, first sincerely thanking Li Xia, then angrily questioning the boatman: “We’re from the same village—why would you do this?” “I... I didn’t want to, but that monster... that monster said if I didn’t, it would eat me and my family... I didn’t want to...” “How many times?” Li Xia asked abruptly. The boatman shuddered and suddenly fell silent. Thud! The axe struck the boat’s floorboard with a dull sound. “The... first...” Thud! Thud! “The ninth!” That meant at least a dozen people had been eaten... Li Xia rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The newly transformed ghosts had no reason, only endless hunger; only by eating enough people could they regain their senses.

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A ghost that knew how to coerce humans into hunting for it was definitely a rational ghost. Murata’s eyes widened, about to shout, but Li Xia’s gaze silenced him. He could only glare at the boatman in anger. This scoundrel had already done it nine times! Whether he was a villain or not didn’t concern Li Xia much; he couldn’t empathize. But he wanted to know the details. Once the boatman began talking, the story spilled out like beans from a bamboo tube. Once, while sailing, they encountered a monster that looked human but was incredibly fast and strong. Everyone else was killed. The monster ate the corpses in front of the boatman and then threatened him: if he didn’t bring people, it would eat him and his family. Frightened, the boatman followed the monster’s orders, using poisonous mushrooms to paralyze passengers, then tying them up and delivering them. “I... I didn’t want to harm my own village, but I had no choice. There have been no merchants from other places these days, and the deadline was approaching...” The boatman wept bitterly, pleading, “Please spare me. I won’t dare again.” Li Xia was not convinced and continued questioning, “Where did you send those people?” “There’s a tributary ahead, and at its end is a cave. I left the people there each time...” “The Mountain Witch’s Cave?!” Murata shouted in shock, then urgently whispered to Li Xia, “Long ago, when food was scarce, people abandoned their elderly parents in caves to save supplies. This cave is said to be the place where old folks were left behind. Legend has it that the resentment of the abandoned elders became the Mountain Witch, who sharpens her blades day and night, venting her bitterness. No one dares enter that cave.” Li Xia nodded, dismissing the idea of confronting the ghost. A ghost clever enough to coerce the boatman, avoid the risk of being eaten, and use legends to hide its lair was very cunning. He was powerless to deal with it now. Perhaps he should inform the Demon Slayer Corps? He just didn’t know if there would be any reward for that... “M-Master, are we going to the Mountain Witch’s Cave?” [Loyalty -1] Li Xia snapped out of his thoughts. Loyalty dropped already? But seeing Murata’s terrified face, swallowing nervously and trembling, he thought, Well... such fear only cost a little loyalty. I misjudged you. Li Xia looked at the scorching noon sun, pondering for a moment: “Go. Stay out in the sunlight and observe from a distance.” This could very well be a side quest. At least he had to see if there was a chance. The sunlight was his best protection. Murata sighed in relief, then glanced at the boatman and quietly asked, “Master, what about him?” Li Xia countered, “How do you want to handle it?” Murata hesitated, “I... I think if what he says is true, then the boatman was forced too. But letting him go just feels unsatisfying.”

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The boat gradually approached the tributary. Murata clumsily turned the boat and sailed into the smaller stream. “Murata, remember the blood on me?” Li Xia stood and walked toward the boatman. “Of course!” Murata looked embarrassed. He had always thought Li Xia was a villain, that following him meant joining a gang and likely never returning. He had paid five gold dragons as a bribe, but now he felt his master might not be so bad. “The monster in the Mountain Witch’s Cave is a ghost. They cannot live in sunlight, they love to eat people, are very strong and fast, and can quickly regenerate even if their arms are cut off.” Li Xia looked at the cave on the cliff growing nearer, then grabbed the boatman. “The blood on me is from fighting a ghost.” The boatman gaped, stunned. Even Murata stopped rowing, utterly shocked. “Ghosts don’t dare to kill and eat people recklessly because demon hunters would come for them. But some humans are worse than ghosts.” Li Xia turned to look at the delicate silk lining beneath the boatman’s coarse clothes. The first time may have been under duress, but after that... “Murata, hasn’t the boatman’s family suddenly become prosperous?” Murata nodded in confusion. “Yes, Master. The boatman’s family suddenly started renovating their home, and his wife bought many new clothes. We thought...” Murata’s voice trailed off, his knuckles whitening from gripping the oar too tightly. It seemed he already understood. Once the boatman realized this brought in money faster, he was no longer coerced. Li Xia sighed regretfully, staring into the seemingly bottomless cave. He had hoped to find a way to use sunlight to kill the ghost. If he guessed right, this was a side quest... but the ghost was quite cunning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the boatman writhing quietly. Suddenly, the man screamed hoarsely toward the cave entrance: “Master! Save me! I’ve brought the provisions as you ordered! Please save me, Master!” Murata’s face turned pale. He looked around in panic, as if the terrifying monster could appear at any moment. In the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened. Li Xia, bathed in sunlight, calmly drew his axe. Amid the boatman’s desperate cries, he slowly raised it. … This time, he did not miss. The prompt abruptly appeared: [Side Quest: Ghost Ship Completed] [Completion Rating: Satisfactory] [Gained: 4% Chance of Transcendence] [Obtained: Exquisite Treasure Chest (White)] [Murata’s Loyalty +5] The rewards... not bad?