I secured the traps and retreated back into the house. Tearing off a chicken leg, I tossed it into the pot, preparing to cook it thoroughly for dinner while saving the rest.
As night fell, I divided the half-cooked chicken into several pieces, placing one in front of each trap.
Yet, even by around ten at night, there was no movement from the yellow weasels.
Was Lord Huang afraid?
Thinking this, I felt somewhat smug.
Looking toward the female corpse lying on the bed, I suddenly felt the need to determine once and for all whether she was dead or alive.
The best method, naturally, was to check for a heartbeat.
So once again, I reached my hand inside.
This time, I would not stop until I was sure.
However, before long, a sudden knock at the door sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly withdrew my hand and looked at the door warily.
After half a minute of silence, I cautiously asked, "Who is it?"
There was no response from outside.
I carefully pulled out my coin sword and crept to the door, peering through the crack.
The moonlight was eerie and cold. The doorway was empty—there wasn't a single shadow in sight.
I opened the door and looked down to find seven or eight golden beans scattered at the entrance.
Gold—something of great value.
But I didn't pick them up.
Mountain spirits and creatures hold grudges but also repay kindness. Yellow weasels are no exception. They burrow in the mountains and occasionally stumble upon ancient tombs, hoarding valuable items they find. They use these treasures to repay favors—or to exact revenge.
If I picked these up now, I'd fall into their bewitching spell.
Such a simple trick.
Of course, for the greedy or the unaware, this would not be so foolish.
Ignoring the gold, I took out the cooked chicken leg, deliberately standing at the doorway to eat it.
Since Lord Huang was here for the female corpse, I even pulled back the black cloth covering her face and turned on the room's light, letting him see her clearly.
I had to admit, the woman was truly beautiful.
Especially under the dim yellow light, she looked almost unreal—so much so that I was tempted once more to check her heartbeat.
But I quickly suppressed the thought, cursing myself for being a beast. Was I really that desperate?
Unfortunately, I had no better prospects among the living either.
Sure enough, as soon as I did this, small green lights flickered in the grass outside the door.
I counted—seven or eight pairs of eyes.
It seemed the whole family had come again. Perfect. I could wipe them out all at once.
Now, it was up to Lord Huang to decide—was the chicken more important, or his "wife"?
Closing the door, I turned off the lights and pressed my eyes against the door crack, watching the yard.
Before long, Lord Huang appeared at the gate.
Tonight, he wasn't wearing clothes—only a pair of floral-patterned shorts.
For yellow weasels, the ultimate goal of cultivation was to become human.
In the northeastern villages, people often encountered weasels seeking recognition as humans.
This so-called "recognition ritual" involved a weasel appearing in human form and asking passersby whether it looked human. If the person affirmed, the weasel's transformation was considered successful, and it was said to advance in spiritual cultivation. If denied, the weasel would have to start over.
In the northeast, people revered the "Five Great Immortals"—Fox, Weasel, Hedgehog, Snake, and Rat. Weasels ranked second and were not to be offended.
A successful transformation meant the weasel would also bestow blessings.
But in the south, things were different.
If a yellow weasel blocked someone's path asking for recognition, it would likely be met with stones until it was knocked out, then skinned and dried at home.
Lord Huang dared not seek recognition openly, so he could only pretend.
However, among weasels, he was cautious. He circled the entrance several times before sneaking towards the main hall, sniffing around.
I was pleased.
Beasts were beasts—food always won over everything else.
Yet, just as I thought he was about to fall into the trap, Lord Huang suddenly stopped. With a wave of his paw, a smaller yellow weasel darted forward as a scout.
Behind the door, I clenched my fist.
I had underestimated this creature.
The small weasel eyed the chicken warily. After some careful observation, it nimbly leapt onto the door and window.
Two of them immediately got caught in the traps. As they struggled, the nooses tightened around them. Panicked, they spun in circles. The others, startled, scurried in different directions, only to fall into the traps as well.
I was about to step forward and finish the job when I noticed Lord Huang remained unshaken. Instead, he stepped up to the doorway, opened his mouth, and spewed a green mist through the door crack.
The mist seeped inside.
Reacting quickly, I leaped backward, but I still inhaled some of it. My head spun, my vision turned blood-red, and countless ghostly figures clawed at me.
"Heh heh!" Lord Huang cackled outside. He pushed the door ajar and walked in, mimicking human mannerisms.
Demonic energy.
It disturbed my mind, making the hallucinations increasingly real until I began to lose control.
Just then, a warm sensation surged from my lower abdomen—a stream of energy spread through my body, instantly dispelling the illusions. My mind cleared.
Daoist energy?
I was overjoyed but kept my expression blank, pretending to remain bewitched. I flailed my arms wildly, striking at thin air.
"Kid, you're still too inexperienced to fight me!" Lord Huang chuckled smugly. He ignored his struggling kin, too eager to claim his prize.
He leapt onto the woman's bed, gazing at her like a priceless treasure, his eyes gleaming.
Feigning madness, I crept closer, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
However, Lord Huang suddenly looked sorrowful. "I had planned to take you back to the mountains and slowly drain you… but alas..."
He sighed, seeming unwilling to let go.
Yet, he quickly comforted himself, crossing his legs beside her, muttering, "If I can't have the meat, at least I can sip the broth."
Saying this, he closed his beady eyes and began inhaling deeply.
With each breath, the woman's abdomen subtly rose and fell.
Immediately, the scent of the corpse intensified, saturating the entire room.
I was startled.
So the "corpse fragrance" was indeed "elixir fragrance."
A corpse elixir was an invaluable treasure to spirits, demons, and ghosts.
Keeping it near me would eventually cost me my life.
Thinking this, I edged closer to the bed, occasionally growling and wailing.
Lord Huang, believing his spell had worked, ignored me entirely, savoring his absorption of the elixir's scent.
Seizing my chance, I lunged, one hand gripping his throat, the other clutching his waist.
Feeling my grip tighten, I shouted, "Beast! Let's see where you run now!"
Lord Huang's small eyes filled with panic. He struggled violently.
But his fear quickly turned into sheer terror, his eyes widening to their limits.
I thought he was just afraid of being caught, but when I glanced sideways, I realized he wasn't looking at me.
He was staring at the female corpse's head.
Turning my head, I saw that in my struggle, I had pressed half my body onto her, disheveling the black cloth.
Her delicate face was now fully revealed.
And at that moment—
She had opened her eyes.