Strange Tales: The Seventy-Two Arts of the Earthly Fiends

Chapter 98 True and False Demon Souls Devouring Corpse Spirits

A shy, beautiful woman walks gracefully towards him.

Song Quyou's eyes turned icy, and a murderous intent surged within him. His right hand reached for the long sword at his waist.

suddenly.

The woman moved slowly, still some distance from Song Quyou, but she had already pressed herself against him softly, her arms wrapped around his neck like snakes, one hand slowly lowering to gently stroke his right hand holding the sword, her breath sweet as orchids:

"Young Master Song...please stay tonight."

Song Quyou's knuckles turned slightly white from the force he exerted, and he tried to draw his sword, but it was pressed down.

The woman's warm breath brushed against her neck, carrying a strong scent of rouge and a rich floral fragrance.

"My wife is so kind; how could I refuse?"

He loosened his grip on the sword hilt, then covered that soft hand with his other hand. The touch was cool and smooth. He wrapped his arm around her slender, boneless waist, his eyes flashing with lightning.

The woman's eyes were also filled with tears, shimmering with a misty pink glow, as she looked at Song Quyou with deep affection.

"Song..."

Before he could finish speaking, a bolt of bluish-white lightning suddenly erupted from Song Quyou's body.

The woman screamed and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a table and shattering wine pots and porcelain cups on the ground.

She lay on the ground, her once snow-white body now charred and grotesque, her once beautiful face half-collapsed, with no flesh beneath the skin, only wisps of pale pink mist.

"Song Lang has such a cruel heart."

Her voice was still soft and melodious, but there was a strange flavor to it, a hint of reproach and a test.

Song Quyou stood with his hands behind his back, the lightning around him still lingering, wisps of bluish-white electric arcs dancing between his robes, making a soft crackling sound.

The woman lying on the ground slowly got up. On her half-damaged face, the pink mist under her skin surged and visibly reformed.

The charred flesh peeled away piece by piece, revealing the newly grown, fair skin underneath. In just a few breaths, her beautiful and incomparable face was restored to its original state.

Song Quyou looked at the sight of her body being reconstructed and sighed helplessly.

Ordinary spirits struck by lightning are either killed or injured, but this Demon Soul Devouring Corpse Spirit has recovered its body so quickly. It is indeed worthy of being a spirit recorded in the "Supreme Pure Golden Palace Jade Flower Immortal Book Eight Extremes Divine Chapter Three Emperors' Inner Secret Text". It is difficult to kill or die, and it wreaks havoc on the Xuanfeng. It can make cultivators unwell.

He made a sword incantation with his left hand, and the flying sword in the sword box behind him hummed and vibrated, with clear light overflowing from the seams of the box.

"You've put on quite a show, now it's time to tell the truth."

The woman tilted her head, smoothed her disheveled hair, and said innocently, "Everything I said is true, why don't you believe me, Song Lang?"

"Hengniang is not your real name."

"Song Lang, you truly lack romantic understanding. Although Heng Niang is not my real name, my body is the real one..."

The woman's eyes sparkled with a captivating light as she stared intently at Song Quyou.

Song Quyou remained unmoved. With a wave of his left hand, a beam of clear light shot out from the sword box behind him, piercing through the woman's brow and leaving a hole the size of a finger. Pink mist swirled around the edge of the hole, and it healed completely in a few breaths.

She reached up and touched her brow, her pupils slightly contracting as she looked at Song Quyou's unaffected gaze. Then, she smiled sweetly, turning into pink mist that caused the surrounding houses to disappear and dissipate.

Song Quyou stood there with his hands behind his back. The pink mist around him dissipated, and the wooden house, brocade quilt, and leftover tea all turned into withered branches and decaying leaves.

A soft voice came from the surrounding mountains and forests: "Song Lang, I am tired today. Go to the underworld and report the name 'Heng Niang' and you will receive a reward."

The pink mist swirled through the forest, then, with a soft laugh that sounded both reproachful and resentful, it receded into the deepest part of the locust grove.

Song Quyou sheathed his sword and did not leave. He looked around and saw a solitary grave not far away with a hole in it from which smoke was rising.

The grave mound was low, covered with withered leaves, and the tombstone in front of it was broken and leaning.

Song Quyou walked to the lonely grave, squatted down, and reached out to brush away the thick layer of dead leaves on the stone slab, revealing the true face of the tombstone.

There are characters on it, but they have been scratched and are difficult to decipher. Only the radical "艹" can be vaguely seen.

At this moment, the smoke rising from the cave became increasingly thick, and the rising heat vaguely condensed into a human figure, wearing a moth-shaped crown, with a red face and lips, resembling a young woman of sixteen or seventeen.

As the woman took shape, a purple hair, an inch long, appeared between her left eyebrows, which was quite conspicuous.

Song Quyou frowned and muttered, "A young girl of sixteen, with a purple hair on her left eyebrow, is exactly the same as the description of the Demon Soul Devouring Corpse Spirit in the book."

If this woman is a demonic soul that devours corpses, then who was the person from before?

Song Quyou gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze falling on the inch-long purple hair between the woman's left eyebrows.

The purple hair trembled slightly, gleaming with an eerie luster as if it were alive.

The woman slowly opened her eyes. Although her eyes no longer held the shimmering pink light of the previous one, they were still clear and captivating.

The woman, holding up her emerald-green dress, jumped down from the grave and bowed to Song Quyou: "Thank you, young master, for driving away that evil spirit."

Song Quyou gripped the long sword at his waist, warily asking, "What kind of ghost are you?"

Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice trembled with sobs: "I was originally a fox, and this tomb was my home. I don't know why, but one day I fell into this place along with the grave, and I was even oppressed by ghosts."

Song Quyou did not loosen his grip on the sword, but instead stared at the long purple hair between the woman's left eyebrows.

"You're saying it's an evil spirit?"

The woman lowered her head and wiped away her tears. Half of her jade-like sleeve slipped down, revealing her wrist, which was almost transparently white. "Yes, as soon as that evil spirit came here, she pinned me down in the house. Seeing her ferocious appearance, I dared not resist..."

Song Quyou, no longer wanting to deal with the nagging, weeping woman, asked directly, "Do you know where the wandering soul that vanished in the forest went?"

The woman's sleeve trembled slightly as she wiped away her tears. She glanced at Song Quyou and said in a panic, "Those wandering souls... were killed by that evil spirit and stuffed into my cave."

"The clothing of those wandering spirits still remains in my cave; I can lead you to see it."

At this point, her voice choked with emotion, her face filled with anxiety. Cui Lan covered her face with her sleeve, her shoulders trembling.

Song Quyou's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not respond.

Seeing his silence, the woman grew even more anxious. Sobbing, she lifted her skirt and walked behind the grave: "Young master, come with me. The clothes are all piled up deep inside the cave."

She walked around the grave mound, parted a clump of withered grass, and revealed a hole about half a person's height. The soil around the edge of the hole was loose and messy, and the marks looked like they were left by dragging something. As she got closer, she could smell a faint sweetness.

"Please lead the way."

The woman responded and bent down to crawl into the hole.

Song Quyou followed closely behind. The cave sloped downwards, its walls damp and studded with fragments of white bones. The deeper they went, the stronger the sweet fragrance became. Unlike the rouge scent of the white-clad woman earlier, this scent was more fishy and thick, like the smell of flesh and blood covered with copious amounts of spices.

A dark glint appeared in Song Quyou's eyes as he sized up the woman in front of him. He saw that the woman had transformed into a fox, with glossy white fur and three tails that kept swaying.

After walking about twenty steps, the cave passage suddenly opened up, and a magnificent mansion appeared before them.

The magnificent mansion was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, its vermilion doors half-closed, the copper nails on the doors polished to a gleaming shine, and two yellow gauze lanterns hung under the eaves, their flickering light giving it an air of worldly wealth and luxury.

But in Song Quyou's eyes, the vermilion gate was a pile of withered bones, the painted beams were tangled tree roots, and the yellow gauze lanterns were clearly two balls of phosphorescent light suspended in the air, faintly glowing green.

"Please, young master." The fox spirit pushed open the vermilion door, turned around and invited him, his three white tails swaying gently behind him.

Song Quyou stood still.

The fox spirit entered the room, and seeing that he didn't follow, she swayed her three white tails even more seductively: "Why don't you come in, young master? The clothes of those wandering spirits are inside."

Song Quyou's gaze passed over her and landed deep inside the house.

In his eyes, the magnificent hall was nothing more than a messy pile of bones deep in the tomb, with scattered fragments of soul cores and piles of not-yet-completely-rotten flesh on the side, and white maggots crawling and wriggling around.

"Girl, in this underworld, only evil ghosts possess soul cores. These evil ghosts do not know how to cultivate, yet they can obtain considerable strength and even magical power. The reason is that when these ghosts were still ordinary ghosts, they ate their own kind, turning other souls into food. Because their soul bodies rejected the food and could not digest it, a soul core was naturally generated. That soul core became the basis for them to digest other souls and obtain power or magical power in the future."

For other evil spirits, the soul core is a vital source of power. They would devour it after killing it, so why would they just leave it here?

The fox spirit stiffened slightly, and its three white tails stopped swaying.

In an instant, she reverted to her pitiful appearance, bowing her head and saying:

"Young master, you are unaware of this. That evil spirit is cruel by nature. After killing the wandering souls and taking their souls, it casually tossed the soul cores into my cave. I am but a lowly fox spirit, how could I dare to ask any questions?"

Song Quyou stood with his hands behind his back, withdrew his gaze, and said calmly, "Since it was the work of that evil spirit, then I ask you, how did that evil spirit harm those wandering souls?"

The fox spirit rolled her eyes and said timidly, "In the forest, whenever wandering souls pass by, the evil spirits transform into beautiful women to bewitch them and devour the remaining souls from those wandering souls, causing them to dissipate. The stronger ones will leave behind these stones."

Whenever these stones are found, the evil spirit throws them into my house.

"I have been oppressed by her for so long, and dared not resist. I have been hiding in this tomb all day long. If it weren't for your arrival, young master, I don't know how long I would have been bullied by her."

She spoke with such sincerity that tears rolled down her cheeks again, and Cuilan wiped them with her sleeves until they were wet, then wiped them again.

"The soul is the spirit of essence, and it loves to eat essence. I do know a spirit, a fox named the Soul-Devouring Corpse Spirit, who is very good at using her beauty to attract prey and devour their essence."

As he spoke, Song Quyou looked coldly at the woman before him and continued:

"That demonic soul that devours corpses resembles a young woman of sixteen or seventeen, with a purple hair about an inch long between her left eyebrows. I wonder if you, young lady, recognize such a spirit?"

Upon hearing this, the fox spirit's three white tails suddenly stiffened, and the pitiful look in her eyes receded like a tide, replaced by a cold and sharp glint.

"I had planned to spend a few more days with you, young master, enjoying the freedom of nature, but since you insist on breaking the ice, we can't continue playing together."

Song Quyou remained expressionless and continued:

"Was that woman in white just now also one of you in disguise?"

"It is not me, and I do not know that woman either."

Why does my lord think of other women? My beauty is no less than hers, or perhaps I could transform into the white-clad woman for your pleasure.

Before the words were finished, the fox spirit's body was enveloped in a burst of white mist, and its three white tails pierced the air like spears, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

Song Quyou spun around and barely dodged the attack. His right hand had already drawn his longsword, the blade leaving a blue mark as it struck the tip of the oncoming tail.

With a clang, metal clashed.

The fox tail was as hard as iron, and the sword blade left a shallow white mark on it.

The fox spirit cried out in pain, and its three tails retracted simultaneously, enveloping its body in mist.

"Young master, how cruel you are! How could you lay a hand on someone as beautiful as me?" Her voice was still soft and charming, but her tone was chilling.

Song Quyou remained silent, his left hand forming a hand seal, and a clear light suddenly emanated from the sword box behind him.

"Zheng—"

Before the sword box's light even arrived, the three fox tails, like white pythons turning over, swept across the area with a foul stench.

Song Quyou neither dodged nor evaded, and a turbulent stream appeared out of thin air. The stream was only ten feet wide, and the water was clear. It hung in front of Song Quyou, blocking the three white tails from the river surface.

The fox tail struck the water curtain, creating ripples, but could not advance any further.

A hint of surprise flashed in the fox spirit's eyes, followed by a cold laugh: "Since you recognize me, young master, you should know that I am a spirit rejected by heaven and earth. I advise you to submit to me. With such a beautiful appearance, I can't bear to ruin me after just one time."

Before the fox spirit finished speaking, the white mist around her body exploded and surged, accompanied by a rich, cloying fragrance, slowly surging towards Song Quyou.

Upon smelling the fragrance, Song Quyou's surroundings suddenly changed. He saw magnificent palaces and beautiful women of all kinds, dancing gracefully, embracing him with tenderness and allure, captivating and enchanting him.

Song Quyou took out a Heart-Cleansing Talisman from his sleeve. It ignited upon contact with Qi, turning into a wisp of smoke that entered his spiritual platform. All sorts of beautiful and enchanting scenes transformed into a misty white fog, flowing and surging.

Upon seeing the white mist, Song Quyou's eyes shone brightly, and the white mist around him quietly dissipated, revealing the scene of the three-tailed fox fighting with the flying sword.

Song Quyou did not rush into a fight, but instead looked around, searching for clues to the spirit's true name.

Unfortunately, there was no trace of her in the tomb except for the place where her remains were placed.

After a moment of contemplation, the blurry words on the tombstone flashed before Song Quyou's eyes, and then he remembered the name "Hengniang" that the woman in white had told him about.

He tentatively called out, "Hengniang!"

As soon as the voice fell, the surrounding scenery collapsed instantly, revealing the woman in the green dress.

The woman's eyes flickered, her expression complex. As if remembering something, she hurriedly transformed into a white light and disappeared into the cave.

Seeing the woman flee, Song Quyou frowned slightly, muttering in surprise, "That woman didn't lie to me after all..."

Song Quyou retrieved the Gluttonous Flying Sword that had seized the Soul Core, slowly walked out of the cave, and came to the broken tombstone. After thinking for a moment, he took out the unused yellow paper and cinnabar, and made a rubbing of the blurred stone tablet. He then left the forest and hurried towards Qin Gu Fang.

The sky was gray.

Song Quyou skillfully arrived at the Gongcao Division.

Inside the Gongcao Division, several young janitors were squatting in a corner playing cards. When they saw someone enter, they hurriedly hid their cards behind their backs. But when they saw that it was Song Quyou, they breathed a sigh of relief and continued to draw cards with a grin.

The same tall, thin ghost was still sitting behind the counter, writing and drawing and organizing the account books.

Seeing a flash of light at the door, he looked up: "Mr. Song, have you returned from the Corpse Demon Forest?"

Song Quyou walked to the counter, took out the yellow paper with the inscription on it from his sleeve, and spread it on the counter.

"This is the inscription on the tombstone of the Demon Soul Devouring Corpse Spirit. Although it was destroyed, I figured out her real name, 'Heng Niang'."