The whole Nuwa's Forsaken Shade incident had left me depressed for days. Sleeping with a beautiful woman should have been a blessing, yet I'd turned into a fool. To make matters worse, I still couldn't fathom what exactly she was trying to achieve. To force me to accompany Mr. Lam in searching for the secret of immortality, she'd undoubtedly go to any lengths—and last night was likely just the beginning.
If she truly became pregnant with my child and used it as leverage against me... I honestly wouldn't know what to do. The Tang family's fragrance—Grandfather said it was paramount!
For the next few days, we had no new customers. The lot of us did nothing but play mahjong and study the white hairs growing on the little fox's tail. We even had Stein examine them.
Stein confirmed it was genuine white fox fur, identical to what we'd seen on the Fox Fairy maiden that night. As to why it was growing on our little fox's tail—well, that remained a mystery.
I asked the little fox if he'd noticed anything unusual about his body recently, or if he felt any different than before.
The little fox shook his head and said no. However, since growing the additional tail, his demonic power had increased significantly, and his body had become more resilient. No wonder three-tailed foxes would do anything to gain more tails. With higher cultivation levels, their power increased exponentially. After all, for demons, strength meant survival. Weakness would only lead to slaughter by those Erebus profiteers in exchange for coin.
Not all Erebus profiteers were reasonable. Some would kill any demon they encountered, making no distinction between good and evil. So the little fox had done well to find me as a protector—at least he could live in peace without fearing for his life.
After half a day's study, we still couldn't decipher the mystery of the white hairs on the fox's tail. Eventually, we all gave up, hoping it boded well for the little fox. Those white hairs must be connected to the nine-tailed Fox Fairy maiden.
Two days later, Mr. Dai unexpectedly came knocking at my door—Daphne's grandfather. We hadn't seen each other since resolving the Dai family ancestral grave matter and my rejecting their marriage proposal. I wondered what had brought him to me this time.
When Mr. Dai entered, we greeted him warmly. If he'd come seeking Gods and Ghosts Tattoos, it would mean a lucrative job—and wealthy clients' money was always my favorite to earn.
But I guessed wrong. Mr. Dai had come about Daphne, not for tattoos.
"Daphne's had an accident," Mr. Dai said the moment he sat down. "I hope Master Tang can save my granddaughter's life."
I frowned. What could have happened to Daphne that required my intervention? The Dai family had wealth enough to handle any ordinary mishap. They shouldn't need to come to me.
"What... happened to her?" I asked warily. No wonder she hadn't come to make trouble these past few days. Given her temperament, after the insults I'd hurled at her, she should have been relentless until she'd smashed my shop sign to pieces.
Mr. Dai explained that it had started two nights ago. A wild monkey had suddenly broken into the house—thin and small, covered in red fur, with two unusually long fangs. It was extremely agile and fast, slipping past the servants before darting straight into Daphne's room and biting her.
Strangely, after biting Daphne, the monkey let out a shrill scream, collapsed to the ground, and died. Even weirder, its body dissolved into a puddle of water, leaving no trace behind.
The whole incident was so bizarre that Mr. Dai immediately called for a doctor. Yet after a thorough examination, they found nothing wrong with Daphne. The doctor simply administered a rabies vaccine and advised her to rest and drink more water.
But the situation was too sudden and unnatural to dismiss. That very night, something terrifying happened—Daphne's body began sprouting hair uncontrollably, just like that wild monkey's.
No matter how often she shaved, the hair grew back just as thick, making her look like a savage. It was hideous.
Daphne, a natural beauty, couldn't endure such a thing. The Dai family summoned numerous renowned physicians, but none could diagnose the problem—medically, Daphne was perfectly healthy.
The worst part was that despite the obvious affliction, no cause could be found. Combined with the relentless hair growth, it drove Daphne to the brink of madness. An icy beauty like her turning into a shaggy beast? Unthinkable.
Then, out of nowhere, a woman appeared, claiming to be a witch-doctor.
She told Daphne that this was the work of voodoo—someone had enchanted the monkey, sent it to bite her, and cursed her through its attack.
To break the curse, Daphne would have to travel to Mount Zhongnan and find a mystical herb called Polygonatum sibiricum. Only by consuming it could the voodoo be undone.
After delivering this message, the witch-doctor vanished without a trace.
Daphne had never heard of Mount Zhongnan, but Mr. Dai knew of it—a treacherous mountain shrouded in year-round miasma, steeped in countless legends. Some called it a sacred peak where immortals dwelled; others whispered it was a haunted realm teeming with evil spirits, hence the poisonous fog. There were even tales of headless ghosts wandering its slopes. Terrifying, to say the least.
In short, this was no place for ordinary people. Worse yet, it lay far beyond Vervecity—not just another city, but another province entirely. Even by car, the journey would take at least two days.
Given the distance and danger, Mr. Dai was reluctant to let Daphne go. Besides, he had never heard of this so-called Polygonatum sibiricum herb. Why take such a risk for an uncertain remedy?
But this hairy body is too torturous for a girl. Despite Mr. Dai's objections, Daphne sneaks off to that place anyway. For a beautiful woman, becoming ugly is worse than death—she'd rather risk her life than stay this way.
At this point, Mr. Dai sighed. It was all his fault—his negligence, his carelessness. He hadn't kept watch over Daphne at this critical moment. That Mount Zhongnan is far too dangerous, and she only brought two subordinates. If she goes, something terrible will happen.
So… he wants me to go to Mount Zhongnan, protect Daphne, and bring her back safely. As for payment, I can name my price.
After Mr. Dai finished speaking, my mind was in chaos. First of all—Mount Zhongnan. Why does that sound so familiar?
Wait, now I remember. Isn't that the same mountain where Peng Zu entered with the headless ghost soldiers? And wasn't it also the place Mr. Lam mentioned when he talked about searching for the secret of immortality?
Coincidence? No. Too much of a coincidence.
A witch doctor? Bullshit. Now I get it. There's no witch doctor—that's Nuwa's Forsaken Shade.
That bitch is at it again. This time, she's not coming after me or Chloe. She's targeting Daphne instead.
If Daphne goes to Mount Zhongnan, I'll probably have to follow to save her.
But one thing doesn't make sense—why does that thing think I'd even try to save Daphne? Let's be clear: Daphne isn't family. She's not even a friend. Why would I risk my life for her?
And another thing—why did Mr. Dai come to me? Could he be working with Mr. Lam?
Rich people colluding isn't unheard of. And Vervecity is no paradise. I'd better stay sharp.