"Hehe, transporting and hiding blood offerings is no easy task," the old shopkeeper muttered, his eyes scanning the seven or eight yellowish, dusty bags.
His voice dropped to a whisper, "But for you, the Altar Sect, it's a simple matter, isn't it?"
"It's just a matter of using human skin bags, isn't it?" he continued.
"Kill a few people, skin them, refine the skins using your sinister Altar Sect methods, and sew them into bags. That way, the scent of the blood offerings won't leak out. Am I right?"
The colorful-robed figures standing beside the Ninth Elder stiffened at the shopkeeper's words, their eyes locked on him, but they dared not respond.
The Ninth Elder, however, seemed unfazed.
He chuckled softly, "You guessed that we left the blood offerings here, and you even figured out how we hid them. But why have you waited so patiently for us to return? Ah, of course, you don't know how to 'sweep the door,' do you? You couldn't find them, could you?"
The shopkeeper's expression remained cold.
"I may not know your 'sweeping the door' technique, but I can guess where you hid them. This village is close to the Old Yin Mountain. Even with the Red Lantern Lady's lanterns hanging here, evil spirits still roam. Yet, this small area has remained strangely quiet. Did you think I wouldn't notice something was off?"
The porters, dazed and unaware of what was happening, stood motionless.
The colorful-robed figures, however, grew uneasy, their eyes darting around, fearing an ambush from the Red Lantern Society.
Only the Ninth Elder remained calm.
He leisurely adjusted the ropes digging into his shoulders, his ear twitching slightly as if listening for something.
Suddenly, he let out a low chuckle, his face filled with smug satisfaction.
"Old Wu, you're clever, but don't underestimate our Altar Auntie. We knew you were lurking around as soon as we arrived. We called back our people and prepared to extinguish the lanterns. What can you and your little girl do to us now?"
As his words fell, the sound of footsteps echoed in the darkness.
Shadows moved, and seven or eight more figures emerged.
Some were dressed as peddlers, others as street performers, but each carried a large jar in their arms.
They had been summoned earlier, and their arrival confirmed that there were no Red Lantern Society ambushes nearby.
The Altar Sect's numbers had now multiplied.
The large black dog lowered its back, growling low, ready to pounce.
But to everyone's surprise, the shopkeeper reached out and placed a hand on the dog's back, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"I know you sensed my presence, but I also knew you'd show up tonight. You can't wait any longer. The human skin bags won't hold much longer, and the blood scent will leak. But I didn't come here to stop you. Take the blood offerings. I've already taken the blame for this. But..."
He paused, his voice heavy as he looked up at the Ninth Elder.
"I beg you, spare my daughter. She's still young. She still has a life to live."
The moment these words left his mouth, the entire area fell silent, as if even the wind had stopped.
The black dog froze, turning its head to look at the shopkeeper.
"I mean every word," the shopkeeper continued, his voice trembling.
"If you spare my daughter, I swear... I'll even kneel before you!" And with that, he dropped to his knees, bowing his head to the Ninth Elder.
"Dad!" The black dog's snout split open, and a young girl's head emerged from within the dog's skin.
Tears streamed down her face as she tugged at the shopkeeper's sleeve.
"Get up! You said we came here for revenge! Why are you kneeling to them?"
"Revenge doesn't matter anymore," the shopkeeper said softly, his hand gently touching her tear-streaked face.
"What matters is that you live."
The scene left the Altar Sect members stunned.
The Ninth Elder was the first to recover, clapping his hands slowly.
"Old Wu, if only you had listened to us last year. If you had joined us and consumed the blood offerings, we'd all be living comfortably in the Old Yin Mountain by now. Your daughter might even be married. There'd be no need for her to wear this dog skin."
"Yes, yes," the shopkeeper nodded, his voice filled with regret.
"I was disrespectful to the Altar Auntie. I underestimated her methods. Now I know better. Please, help my daughter. Remove this curse from her."
"Simple," the Ninth Elder said with a smirk.
"Our Altar Auntie can put the dog skin on her, and she can take it off too. Here's the deal: step aside, let us take the blood offerings, and in three days, we'll come back and cure her. How about that?"
"I can't wait that long," the shopkeeper said, his voice firm.
"Cure her now. I swear on my life, if you cure her, I won't stop you from taking the blood offerings."
The Ninth Elder's eyes flickered, and he smiled slowly.
"But we don't have the tools with us right now. We can't cure her on the spot."
"Then tell me how to do it," the shopkeeper said, his voice low.
"I'll do it myself."
The Ninth Elder stared at the shopkeeper for a long moment, then suddenly smiled.
"Alright, but this is our secret method. No one else can hear it. Come closer, and I'll tell you."
As he spoke, he tilted his body slightly, turning the large jar behind him toward the shopkeeper.
The girl's head, still protruding from the dog's skin, shook violently, but the shopkeeper took a deep breath and said, "Alright."
He stood up, dusted off his knees, and walked over to the Ninth Elder.
He reached out his left hand toward the jar, but before he could touch it, there was a sickening crack.
His arm snapped, and a chunk of flesh disappeared.
The jar behind the Ninth Elder made a chewing sound.
The shopkeeper grunted in pain, stepping back, his left arm hanging limply at his side.
But he forced himself to remain calm, his voice steady.
"Offering a piece of my flesh to the Altar Auntie is only right. But now... will you tell me the method?"
The Ninth Elder burst into laughter, and the colorful-robed figures joined in.
Even the porters, their faces stiff, began to laugh mechanically.
The laughter was mingled with strange, eerie sounds, as if the things inside the jars were laughing too.
"Old Wu, you pride yourself on being clever, but now you're talking nonsense," the Ninth Elder sneered.
"It's easy to turn a person into an animal, but turning them back into a human? Once the human skin is off, do you think it can be put back on?"
Amid the mocking laughter, only the shopkeeper remained silent.
His face was tight with despair.
"So... there's really no way? Not even you, who did this, have a solution?"
The Ninth Elder laughed, his eyes fixed on the shopkeeper.
"You know how to kill, but do you know how to bring the dead back to life?"
The shopkeeper let out a low sigh, the sound filled with hopelessness.
But then, he suddenly looked up, his eyes dark and bloodshot.
"If that's the case... then you won't be wearing your skins either!"
With that, he lunged forward, his right hand reaching into the bag behind him and pulling out an iron whip.
He swung it with terrifying speed, aiming for the jar behind the Ninth Elder.
As a third-level Shousui, his movements were swift and ruthless.
The whip cut through the air with a whistling sound, crashing toward the jar.
"You dare attack us?" the Ninth Elder and his followers shouted in unison.
They raised their jars, and a chilling wind swept through the area.
The shopkeeper's right arm, the whip, and even his legs were suddenly entangled by the eerie wind.
In an instant, he was immobilized.
"Chii! Chii! Chii!"
Blood sprayed from his right arm and legs as chunks of flesh were torn away, as if being devoured by something unseen.
Yet, the shopkeeper showed no sign of pain.
His cold eyes flicked forward, and he suddenly twisted his body, his left arm shooting out to punch the Ninth Elder in the chest.
He followed up with a kick to the Ninth Elder's left shoulder, sending him spinning.
The jar behind him wobbled, and the shopkeeper kicked it with all his might.
"Crack!"
The jar split, and a pained screech came from within.
The Altar Sect members were stunned.
They hadn't expected the shopkeeper to strike back so fiercely, and now their Ninth Elder was injured.
Before they could react, the black dog let out a low growl.
The girl's head disappeared back into the dog's skin, and the beast lunged at them.
"You..."
The Ninth Elder, coughing up blood, scrambled to his feet, his face twisted in rage.
"You found a substitute?"
"Dealing with scum like you requires some tricks," the shopkeeper said coldly, his face twisted with fury.
"Daughter, let's finish them. Once we avenge your brothers, we'll take the blood offerings and leave this place for good."
(End of Chapter)