Chapter Nine: The Terrifying Stone Demon

“Wait, hold on, before anything else, let’s fill our bellies first,” said the Stone Demon, pulling out the Hungry Ghost Jade and thrusting a finger into it, rummaging inside. “This Hungry Ghost Jade really is incredibly handy—it can suck a human’s soul straight out of their body.” As he spoke, he yanked out a writhing white object from within the jade. “Back in the day, whenever I wanted to eat, I had to butcher a person, tear open their body just to get at the soul inside. The flesh was not only unbearably disgusting, but if I didn’t get it over with quickly, it would cause a huge commotion and make things much harder next time. In comparison, the Hungry Ghost Jade is not only convenient but also means I don’t have to worry about disposing of any corpses.” Staring at the squirming soul in his hand, the Stone Demon drooled. “From now on, I can devour the young, fresh souls of children to my heart’s content.”

What?! Hearing the Stone Demon mention children, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly recalled the child who’d collapsed in the street earlier—the little one who’d lost consciousness among the crowd. At this thought, Qin Xiaochuan shouted at the Stone Demon, “Hey, is that the soul of the kid who fainted just now in your hand?”

“Oh, you’re quite sharp. That’s exactly right.” The Stone Demon didn’t bother to deny it. He placed the writhing soul onto his outstretched tongue and, with a gulp, swallowed it whole. “Children’s souls are best eaten raw, heh heh. They wriggle around inside your belly.”

“You bastard!” Watching the Stone Demon swallow a child’s soul alive, Qin Xiaochuan’s blood rushed to his head. With a burst of anger, he lunged forward, delivering a fierce uppercut to the Stone Demon’s stomach. The force of the blow seemed immense—the soul the demon had just swallowed was forced out again. “Spit it out!” As the child’s soul emerged from the demon’s mouth, Qin Xiaochuan followed up with a powerful right hook, sending the Stone Demon sprawling onto the grass.

Watching the child’s soul float free in the air, Qin Xiaochuan wiped the cold sweat from his brow and let out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness it hadn’t been devoured.

“Hmph, for all your bluster, you’re a disappointment.” Looking down at the Stone Demon, felled by his own two punches, Qin Xiaochuan couldn’t help feeling a bit proud. Maybe this demon wasn’t as terrifying as he'd thought.

Suddenly, a sense of danger flashed through Qin Xiaochuan’s mind, and he instinctively leapt away. Unbeknownst to him, the Stone Demon had reappeared behind where he’d just been standing, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. Clearly, Qin Xiaochuan’s punches had done some damage.

“For a human, you’re pretty strong.”

Hearing the demon’s words, Qin Xiaochuan tried to bluff. “Hey, don’t push your luck. I didn’t hold back just now. You shouldn’t even be able to stand after that.”

Watching the Stone Demon lick the blood from his lips, Qin Xiaochuan felt a wave of anxiety. He’d used all his strength in that punch, but it seemed the demon was only lightly injured. Damn it, if this really turned into a fight, based on his years of street brawling, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Hmph!” With a snort, the Stone Demon clenched his fists. Suddenly, his upper garments burst apart as bulging muscles swelled beneath his skin, coarse hair sprouting all over his body. His skin turned from white to a stony gray-black, becoming hard as rock. The once human-like face twisted into a monstrous visage, fangs protruding from his mouth, accentuating his terrifying appearance. The illusionary horns on his forehead grew and arched upward with a roar. The Stone Demon had transformed.

Staring at the demon’s new form, Qin Xiaochuan was dumbstruck. My god, is this the legendary ogre? This is terrifying!

Just as the thought flashed through his mind, the Stone Demon vanished from his sight. Qin Xiaochuan’s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively leapt backward, narrowly dodging the demon’s lethal swipe, though his cheek and clothing were still grazed by the wind of the demon’s claws, leaving several cuts. Even though he’d avoided being caught, the demon’s left hand crashed into the massive tree behind him, splitting it clean in two. The trunk, so thick it would take two people to encircle it, fell to the ground in two pieces.

“You’ve got to be kidding me—how can I beat a monster like this? Our strength isn’t even in the same league.” Glancing at the shattered tree, Qin Xiaochuan touched the wound on his face. “How is victory even possible?”

Seeing Qin Xiaochuan lying on the ground, the Stone Demon tossed aside the wood chips from his hands and dusted them off. “You’re pretty quick, kid!”

Watching the demon gloat, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly remembered he still had the Spirit Light Shot up his sleeve. King Yama Jr. had taught him how to use spiritual power—of course! Focusing all his attention on his right index finger, he tried to summon his power and launch the Spirit Light Shot, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. There was no light, no heat. No reaction—right, he could only use it once a day, and he’d already fired it once at school. Damn it…

“Do you know what the most delicious seasoning for a soul is?” Sensing the terror in Qin Xiaochuan’s eyes, the Stone Demon seemed to savor the thrill of the hunt, making no move to kill him just yet. He cracked the knuckles of both hands, the sharp nails making a menacing sound, as if threatening Qin Xiaochuan and stoking his fear. “It’s terror and dread. That’s right—exactly how you look right now…”

Qin Xiaochuan propped himself up on the grass, slowly backing away as he struggled to his feet. He wiped the blood and cold sweat from his face. Damn it, what now? Am I really going to be killed by this monster…?

“How dare you interrupt my meal!” Seeing Qin Xiaochuan stand, the Stone Demon lunged forward. “Let me tear your body to pieces!”

“Aaaah—”

Qin Xiaochuan shielded his chest with his arms as the Stone Demon’s huge body slammed into him, sending him flying backward and leaving a trail in the grass. Impossible—I dodged that, how…? Cough, cough… Blood streamed from a wound on his chest where his right hand pressed, and shock filled his heart.

“Oh, sorry, got a little carried away.” The Stone Demon strolled over, not in any hurry to attack, holding his hands out with a mocking grin. “Humans really are fragile creatures. But I won’t let you die so easily. I want you to taste agony before I kill you.”

Watching Qin Xiaochuan, who was trembling and clinging to a tree for support as he gasped for breath, the Stone Demon grinned wickedly and stepped forward to inflict more pain on the one who’d disrupted his feast. Suddenly, a commotion came from the woods.

“Hey, is someone over there? Let’s check it out! Sounds like people! Do you guys want to camp and have a barbecue with us?”

Hearing people approaching, the Stone Demon was startled.

“Tch, looks like quite a few are coming. You’re one lucky guy.” He shot Qin Xiaochuan a glance, his body slowly fading from view. “Be smart and don’t meddle in our affairs with your puny human strength. You’d better start worrying about your own life, heh heh…”

Watching the Stone Demon vanish before his eyes, Qin Xiaochuan could hold on no longer. He collapsed face-first onto the grass, and just before he lost consciousness, he thought he heard a familiar voice…

The next day, in Qin Xiaochuan’s home—

“Whoa! Where am I? Isn’t this—this is my house!” Snapping awake from his stupor, Qin Xiaochuan still seemed caught in the events of his battle with the Stone Demon. With a jolt, he sat up in bed, realizing from the blanket covering him that he was home.

“Ah, Xiaochuan, you’re awake!” Hearing him stir, Susu hurried from the kitchen to his bedside, giving him a hard knock on the head. Her tone was a mix of tenderness and reproach. “Honestly, did you get into a wrestling match? Your clothes are all torn to shreds! You’ve only just come back to life, do you have to worry me so much again? Boo hoo hoo…”

“I know, I know, stop crying, Mom.” Gently pushing away his mother, who was clinging to him in tears, Qin Xiaochuan suddenly remembered something. That familiar voice before he passed out last night—who was it?

“You’re awake, Xiaochuan. Auntie, may I come in?” At that moment, Xia Dan’s voice sounded at his bedroom door.

Seeing someone enter, Susu wiped her tears away. Turning, she saw Xia Dan, the classmate who had helped Xiaochuan home the previous day. “Xia Dan! Come in, come in. If it weren’t for you yesterday, who knows what would have happened to our Xiaochuan. Sit, sit, you two chat—I’ll go get some fruit.” After ushering Xia Dan into the room, Susu sensibly retreated to the kitchen, clearly understanding that this girl must have something important to say to Xiaochuan.

“You’re awake, Xiaochuan. Yesterday was really dangerous.” Glancing at Aunt Susu’s departing figure, Xia Dan sat down at Xiaochuan’s bedside and whispered, “When I saw the Stone Demon beating you like that, I pretended to be a camper to scare him off.”

“So it was you. No wonder that voice sounded so familiar.” Seeing Xia Dan now in her student guise, Qin Xiaochuan felt a bit embarrassed. “About yesterday… thanks.”