Chapter 27: True Form

The few little urchins were visibly panicked, huddling together in bewilderment. Their mothers had always been gentle and loving; why was this one so ferocious?

"Qiangzi! So you're the one who's been playing around instead of coming home! How can you be so unruly? See if I don't tan your hide!"

Xia Wulei reached out, grabbed the smallest urchin by the ear, and glared at him with a murderous expression. Qiangzi shuddered all over. As the bamboo switch landed on his backside, he immediately let out a loud howl. "I was wrong, Mother! I'll never dare do it again, please stop hitting me..."

The other three boys were too terrified to make a sound, trembling in fear lest the switch fall on them next. Chu Wei watched, dumbfounded. "Is... is this the plan you mentioned?"

It was true that children feared their mothers. The bamboo switch in Xia Wulei's hand had been borrowed from Qiangzi's mother. Qiangzi was a mischievous monkey; despite his young age, he was constantly jumping around and causing trouble, and he had been on the receiving end of many beatings at home. This had become a source of great distress for his mother, who, after Qiangzi met his fate, often reflected on whether she had been too harsh on him.

Xia Wulei panted, breathless. The child was as tough as nails; her hand was tired from the exertion. She turned back and offered a smile. "Apologies, just disciplining the children."

Yu Huaiyu had also regained consciousness at some point and watched the scene in silence. While initially shocked, she soon realized who she was dealing with and felt relieved. Xia Wulei gave them a wink, and they immediately understood, dashing toward the doorway.

Seeing the offerings attempting to flee, the children began to wail again, which unsettled the two women so much they nearly turned back.

"What are you crying for! Shut up, all of you!"

At Xia Wulei’s sharp rebuke, the children froze. *Wait, does this woman have no maternal instinct at all?*

The statue of Jiuying on the altar suddenly began to writhe, and in a moment, it transformed into a sturdy little boy. Xia Wulei narrowed her eyes. The last one had finally appeared.

The little boy looked impatient. "What's going on? It took so long. Where are our people?"

Xia Wulei smiled. "Your mother is right here."

...

"Brother, this old zombie is finished!"

Seeing the zombie curled up on the ground, Zhu Chen turned to Hong Qi excitedly. To his shock, Hong Qi was already lying on the ground, unconscious, while several burly villagers looked at him with wicked grins.

"You!"

Zhu Chen was furious. They had been fighting the zombie to help these villagers, and not only did the villagers offer no assistance, but they had also attacked them from the shadows.

"Where should we bury these two?"

"Just beat them to death and drag them out to feed the dogs; saves us the trouble of digging a hole."

Zhu Chen’s hands trembled. He had used up most of his sword energy fighting the zombie and was nearing his limit. With Hong Qi’s life hanging in the balance, what were they to do?

"Hurry it up, you lot. Lord Mountain God is about to finish enjoying the offerings." The village chief shouted toward them. Estimating the time, he stepped forward and pushed open the doors of the Mountain God Temple. "Let us welcome the grace of Lord Mountain God... eh?"

The others looked up, only to see a pitch-black, emaciated monster shrieking as it rushed out of the temple, diving into the village chief’s arms and trembling uncontrollably.

"W-what is that?!"

Xia Wulei walked slowly out of the temple. "This is your Lord Mountain God."

"How can that be?"

"Lord Mountain God... is a monster?!"

The village chief stood frozen, not daring to move. The village chief’s wife ran forward, looking distressed. "Guodong, what’s happened to you? Who beat you into such a state?" In her eyes, her chubby boy, Li Guodong, was covered in red welts, and tears the size of beans streamed down his face, looking utterly pitiful. However, to the other villagers, the sight of the chief’s wife petting and coddling that monster was bizarre beyond words.

"That woman hit me! That woman hit me! I don't want her to be my mother!"

Hearing this, the chief’s wife glared at Xia Wulei, gnashing her teeth. "How dare you hit my son! I see you have a death wish!"

Xia Wulei sneered. "Your son couldn't do anything to me, what could you possibly do?"

The chief’s wife suddenly looked wary. She knew what her son had become, and she realized this woman might truly have some tricks up her sleeve.

"Village Chief, say something!"

The villagers felt the situation was absurd, but then more monsters began pouring out of the temple, rushing toward them. The monsters ran joyfully toward their parents, only to be met not with welcome or affection, but with fear and abuse.

"Ahhh, stay away!"

"Go away! Get away from me!"

"Kill this monster!"

Fifteen years had passed; the children still recognized their parents, but the parents no longer recognized their own children. *Why don't you want me? Why don't you love me? Why did you push me away?*

The black monsters stopped, and in unison, they tilted their heads and let out a long, mournful howl toward the sky.

"Mother, I... I can't control it anymore..."

As Li Guodong stammered these words, something seemed to surge beneath his skin. In a moment, his body dissolved into a pile of rotting flesh, collapsing to the ground. The village chief was splattered with blood and gore, his legs trembling so violently he nearly wet himself. In contrast, the chief’s wife began to wail at the sight of her son’s gruesome end. "Guodong, my son, where have you gone..."

One after another, the monsters began to explode, frightening the nearby villagers. Xia Wulei and the others quickly regrouped with Zhu Chen to check on Hong Qi. Chu Wei felt his neck and let out a sigh of relief. "He’s just unconscious, thank goodness."

Zhu Chen was anxious. "Why did those monsters suddenly explode? Does this mean we're safe?"

Chu Wei shook her head. "Only an hour has passed. This dungeon won't let us go so easily."

Sure enough, the mounds of flesh began to writhe, slowly converging and standing upright until they formed a massive shape.

"That is... Jiuying!"

The nine-headed monster fully revealed its true form. Its body was covered in fine black scales, and its nine necks were long and slender. It was neither snake nor beast, and in the center of its torso, a single, vertical golden eye split open—a chilling sight. Standing over two meters tall, the Jiuying lashed out with its spiked tail, and the Mountain God Temple collapsed instantly!

"Mountain God... Lord Mountain God!" The villagers knelt in piety at the sight of the Jiuying.

But the Jiuying showed no favor to its devotees; it opened its wide maws and spewed black flames across the sky.

"Run!" Xia Wulei shouted. She and Zhu Chen grabbed Hong Qi, one on each side, and bolted toward the village. Behind them, the screams of the villagers rang out. Yu Huaiyu pulled Auntie Wang along, not daring to look back.

Auntie Wang was dazed. "What is that... those villagers..."

"That is their Mountain God. We can barely save ourselves; we can't worry about them!" Xia Wulei said, then turned to Yu Huaiyu. "Does that book of yours mention the weaknesses of the Jiuying?"

Yu Huaiyu replied quickly, "I remember it says the Jiuying is immortal as long as one head remains, but it’s so tall, and we don't have bows or arrows. What are we going to do..."

Hearing this, Xia Wulei suddenly slammed on the brakes.

"What is it, Sister?" Zhu Chen, following closely behind, crashed into her back, his nose stinging as tears welled up.

"I know how to kill it!"