Mythology

Chapter 493 Deep-fried Living Person, Yang He Sees a Ghost

sizzle.

Oil splattered.

One moment the market was bustling with life, the next it became eerie and strange, as the middle-aged man willingly sank into a vat of boiling oil in front of everyone.

Ahhh! ! !
The screams were like those of a rooster being choked, and the skin quickly turned golden in the hot oil.

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) turned pale with fright and immediately wanted to get away from the market.

"Hurry, hurry! This godforsaken place is absolutely unfit for human habitation!!"

They dared not delay and pushed through the crowd toward the city gate.

Seeing that Yang He remained unmoved, the head镖师 gritted his teeth and grabbed Yang He's sleeve. "Master Yang, I knew there couldn't be a town of this size deep in the mountains. Let's find another way before dark!"

The market was still bustling with people, and the cries of vendors rose and fell, as if the meat being fried in the oil was just ordinary chunks of meat, and no one paid any attention to the outsiders.

"Master Yang!"

The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) showed no fear upon seeing Yang He; instead, he strode quickly toward the fried food stall.

"Boss Song, this man has probably gone mad. Let's just leave him alone."

"Alas, it's a pity about Master Yang. He helped us with a lot of trouble on the journey. Take care."

Boss Song and his bodyguards turned and left. The crowd parted to make way for them, and the people went about their business. Before long, they had left the Kingdom of Women.

Yang He noticed that there were other outsiders at the market.

At the livestock trading area, a man was tending to a horse. You could see a large patch of skin and flesh on its back with stitches on it, as if the human skin had been peeled off and then sewn back onto the horse skin, yet the horse was still alive.

After the man noticed Yang He looking at him, he avoided eye contact and didn't dare to look up.

Yang He frowned, his sharp eyes unable to detect anything unusual. Even though he was inexplicably restricted and could only scan most of the market, all the people within his sight appeared to be ordinary mortals.

He strode towards the oil fryer. If it weren't for the scene of frying people alive, it would just be a fried food stall selling simple fried dough snacks.

"Second Girl, it's ready!"

The mother and daughter stall owners worked together skillfully, with the daughter using long chopsticks to stir the 'ingredients' in the oil pan.

The two men were both overweight, but it didn't seem like they had been gaining weight over the years. Their swollen limbs suggested that it was due to overeating in a short period of time.

With a nimble flick of her wrist, Er Ya Tou lifted the middle-aged man into a pre-prepared basket, and then Yan Niang Zi poured the talisman water left over from the burning of the yellow talisman into his mouth.

The middle-aged man's skin was golden and crispy, and he could only remain motionless because his skin had hardened.

Yang He noticed that the stall owner controlled the oil temperature very subtly. The middle-aged man's internal organs were not seriously injured, and he was barely able to stay alive.

The peddler next door couldn't help but show his admiration, cupping his hands and saying, "Lady Yan, you are truly a kind person! You've taken in a stranger for no reason. When the Ministry of Agriculture comes to collect taxes, I'm afraid..."

Lady Yan carefully covered the middle-aged man with a white cloth, then instructed Er Yatou to move him to a shady spot.

“I saw that he hadn’t found any work in three days. It’s better to live a miserable life than to die.”

"Sigh." The peddler said no more and carried his goods away from the stall where Lady Yan was.

Lady Yan looked at Yang He and said in a calm tone, "Daoist, if you also want to find work, you can ask Sister You who sells candles."

Second Sister chimed in, "Mother, he's too skinny; he can't render three pounds of oil."

Yang He carefully examined the mother and daughter. There was no obvious malice; on the contrary, their tone was sincere, but what they said was chilling.

"My Taoist name is Wanhua. I am indeed a wandering Taoist from another place. However, I have just arrived in the Women's Kingdom and am not yet familiar with the rules here. I am truly sorry."

"You...you just arrived. Are you with those bodyguards?"

Lady Yan was full of surprise. The customs of the Women's Kingdom were unusual, and any outsider would be terrified. Yet the Taoist priest in front of her could accept them so easily.

"Yes, I am new to your place and do not know the rules. Please forgive me."

Yang He noticed that the middle-aged man's breathing had slowed down and his life force had stabilized, which should be due to the effects of Yan Niangzi's elixir.

Lady Yan realized that Yang He was likely a capable Taoist priest, so she quickly brought over a wooden stool.

"Please sit down, Taoist priest. If you don't mind, you can also try some freshly fried food."

"No need. It's getting late, so I plan to find an inn to stay in first."

Er Yatou couldn't help but ask, "Taoist, don't you want to leave the Women's Kingdom? There are no soldiers in the city who will stop you; it's only a few steps away."

"Second daughter, how dare you be so rude!"

"fine."

“I think if he could have left, he wouldn’t have jumped into the boiling oil.”

Yang He secretly left a trace of yin energy on the bodyguards, and the group of them wandered around the vicinity of the Women's Kingdom. This story was more troublesome than expected.

Otherwise, with Sun Wukong's strength, he would have overthrown the Women's Kingdom long ago.

He carefully recalled the original Women's Kingdom in Journey to the West, the Mother-Child River, and the Abortion Spring.

and many more.

Zimu River?
Yang He remembered that Yang Jian had mentioned that there was a Mother-Child River in the Eighteen Heavens of the Heavenly Realm of Form, which could give birth to 3,400 offspring every day, continuously. It not only nurtured heavenly soldiers and generals, but also human immortals.

He inadvertently opened his countless fiery eyes, but could not detect the slightest trace of aura.

Where is the Mother-Child River in the Kingdom of Women? And what is the Abortion Spring?
"Taoist Master."

Lady Yan poured tea for Yang He, saying, "That's how it is in our Women's Kingdom. All trades are passed down through generations. Don't be fooled by the small size of our fried food stall; it's actually been around for nearly a hundred years."

"Rules? Rules for deep-frying live people?" Yang He asked curiously.

Lady Yan paused for a few breaths: "In the Women's Kingdom, every trade has to go through this process to recruit workers. Sister You sells candles on the west side of the market. The rule for recruiting workers is to bring fat and boil it to make three catties of wax oil."

"The groom sews horse hides, the stable boy removes organs, and the laborer breaks joints..."

Yang He seized on the key point and pressed further: "What would happen if there were no jobs? To be able to force that person into a boiling oil pot, could it be that your Women's Kingdom has some...evil spirit?"

Upon hearing this, Lady Yan was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly, while Er Yatou looked at Yang He with newfound respect.

"The boss will make things difficult for them; if they can't find work for a long time, their property will be confiscated." The "boss" that Yan Niangzi mentioned usually refers to the local inspector, but in such a strange place, he is no ordinary person.

"Is he alright? He probably won't live more than a few days."

Lady Yan said, "He won't lose his life. Tomorrow morning, I will take him to the pharmacy to have a doctor take a look. As long as he can get through tonight, he will be fine."

The second girl interjected, "With one more helper, the tax revenue will increase by 30%. Taoist priest, don't even think about patronizing my stall, there's no way..."

Before she could finish speaking, Er Yatou was slapped hard by Yan Niangzi.

"Master, please excuse my poor appearance."

"It's alright, I just wanted to ask you for directions, where is the Sixi Class?"

Yang He was very curious about the professions mentioned in the character information. The opera troupe apprentice and the strongman in the fire workshop should also be helpers who depend on the two professions.

"I know!"

Er Ya Tou said with a smile, "The Sixi Troupe only opens once a month on the fifteenth. It's located in the west of the city, just two streets away from our market. Taoist priest, the Sixi Troupe rarely hires helpers, so don't even think about it."

Yan Niangzi sent Er Yatou to sort out the accounts and said helplessly, "Daoist, it's easier to find work at the market. Other places have higher requirements. Half a year ago, a group of outsiders entered the Sixi Troupe, but they never came out again. We don't know the specifics."

"Also, you should leave the inns in the city before dawn, otherwise you might run into officials."

"Thank you, Madam Yan." Yang He composed himself, took his leave, and walked through the market to the adjacent street.

If he hadn't witnessed the deep-frying of living people, he would have thought the Kingdom of Women was a paradise on earth, a place of peace and prosperity where everyone was well-fed and clothed.

The population is around two million, and the royal palace is located in the center of the Women's Kingdom, where the yin energy is relatively weak.

After spending most of the hour, Yang He still couldn't find any trace of the four pilgrims, let alone demons or the Zimu River from the original story, where drinking from it would result in pregnancy.

The Sixi Troupe also inspected the theater; the doors and windows were tightly closed, and there was nothing unusual on the surface.

"There's no time to wander around any longer. Let's spend the night at the inn and figure out the current situation in the Women's Kingdom first."

The Kingdom of Women has almost no outsiders, and there is only one inn in the entire city.

The signboard prominently displays the words "Shuangfu Inn".

The mottled wooden door of Yanghe Inn remained unmoved by my spiritual vision, and then a strong musty smell wafted out, as the setting sun illuminated the dim lobby.

The Shuangfu Inn was deserted, with a hunched young man standing behind the counter.

Hearing the noise, he trembled and quickly stepped forward to greet Yang He, "Please come in, sir!"

Yang He's gaze fell on the waiter's bare hand, all ten fingers already severed at the base. "Is severing fingers a rule of Shuangfu Inn?"

The waiter stood there, his mutilated hand unconsciously rubbing against his clothes.

Yang He tossed out a piece of silver, but the shopkeeper recoiled as if burned, saying, "No way! Money from other places can't be used in the Land of Women..."

"Oh?"

"Sir, the innkeeper said there is a room on the third floor reserved for out-of-towners."

Yang He did not detect the presence of a second living person at Shuangfu Inn. "I am not used to paying on credit. Where is your manager? Why don't you draw some yellow talismans for your inn?"

The waiter looked out the window at the darkening sky, his expression one of utter terror. He didn't even hear what Yang He was saying, and muttered to himself, "It's time to close up shop."

He quickly began to close the doors and windows one by one using wooden planks, but because he was missing fingers, he was slow and clumsy. It was much smoother with Yang He's help.

The inn's door creaked shut, just as it was about to close.

rustling.

A sticky, wriggling sensation came from the street corner.

Yang He peered through the crack in the door and saw a giant face, three or four meters wide, crawling along the bluestone path, emanating an indescribable aura.

As a Great Immortal, he actually sensed a threat from the giant face.

It should be understood that even with eighty-one tribulations, the number of demons capable of threatening a Great Luo Golden Immortal should be very limited, and the Women's Kingdom could easily encounter them.

It was already late, but there were still a few people scattered in the streets and alleys.

The giant face ignored the people of the Women's Kingdom, merely wandering through the streets. Whenever a shop was not closed, its upper and lower jaws would open, revealing a spiral of gums, each tooth retracting and extending.

boom.

The gate closed completely, and the giant face circled the inn for a moment before quietly disappearing.

"It's an official... an official!!" The waiter collapsed to the ground, his severed hand tightly covering his mouth.

Yang He looked somewhat tempted. Since he wasn't a regular character anyway, he might as well test the waters with the officials. Compared to deciphering the mystery, getting closer to the truth through direct confrontation would be much simpler.

“The regular characters are all fearless, so why should the ordinary characters be timid?”

Yang He kicked open the inn window, sending wood chips flying.

He leaped out, his robes fluttering in the night wind.

Behind him came the desperate sobs of his colleague: "It's all over, everything's over..."

Yang He went outside. His spiritual vision remained lukewarm, but the three tribulations he had not yet overcome seemed to be loosening slightly, as if the opportunity to overcome the human tribulation was just around the corner.

"The speed is not fast."

The official's crawling marks were clearly visible on the bluestone slab, and the viscous yellow liquid corroded deep grooves, emitting the stench of rotting internal organs.

Yang He took three steps at a time and caught up with the writhing giant face in the blink of an eye.

The official suddenly stopped, his face twisted 180 degrees, his swollen left eye burst open, splattering countless tiny teeth, while his right eye shrank to the size of a pinhead, staring intently at Yang He.

Its words were indistinct, "Outsider, why...?"

"Noisy."

Yang He's right arm suddenly transformed into a divine form, its skin covered in scarlet hair, and its nails extending into purplish-black claws. The doors and windows of the houses on both sides shattered with a loud crash.

He appeared before the official in an instant, who was caught off guard and stood frozen in place.

puff!

The corpse's arm swelled up, its five fingers piercing directly into the official's forehead.

The giant face instantly turned a liverish color, with veins twisting under the skin like earthworms, and the skull made a sound of being unable to bear the weight, with black brain matter seeping from the cracks.

The official's brows were furrowed with fear, and he mumbled a plea for mercy.

boom.

The official's head exploded, his headless body twitched twice, and he fell backward to the ground.

Yang He shook the putrid liquid off his hands, his brows furrowed slightly, and a sudden stinging pain shot through his temples. Then, it seemed that someone had heard the commotion and was rushing over.

In a daze, the hideous, grotesque giant-faced corpse vanished without a trace.

"What the hell?"

Instead, there was a mortal corpse with its head crushed, dressed in the clothes of a yamen runner, whose facial features vaguely resembled the giant face.

The memories in Yang He's mind changed, and the terrifying image of the official was replaced by an old constable.

“Murder!!!”

"A stranger has committed murder!!!"

A dozen or so constables, holding torches high, screamed in terror upon seeing the blood-soaked ground, while Yang He had already escaped their patrol area under the cover of darkness.

Yang He quickly returned to the inn.

The waiter looked at Yang He, still in shock, who was carrying a corpse on his shoulder. Accompanied by the noise of a large number of constables, he was clearly the culprit behind the chaos in the city.

"Is this official a human or a ghost?!"

"I...I don't know, they say it's a person, we say it's a ghost!!!"

Yang He recalled his encounter with the official. From afar, he thought the official was a powerful, unparalleled demon, but upon contact, he found himself powerless to resist.

Could it really be a mortal, but my perception has been affected?

impossible.

With his discerning eyes and divine vision, how could he possibly deceive me unless he were a saint?

The man clutched his head, collapsing in despair, and said, "It's all hysteria, it's all hysteria. If you don't find a job, the hysteria will only get worse."

He came to his senses and saw Yang He examining the official's headless corpse.

(End of this chapter)