Red Hair, Red Face

"The Red-Haired Blood Face?" At those words, Sha Lifei chuckled. "Isn't that just a story to scare children?" Even Li Yan frowned slightly upon hearing it. Across the rural lands of the Divine Land, strange tales always lingered in the countryside: dark shadows lurking behind people at night, hands reaching from latrine pits, human faces pressed against windowpanes, Aunt Tiger... The Red-Haired Blood Face was one such tale. Rumor had it that this creature wore a flowing green robe, had a shock of red hair, and bore a face smeared with blood. It usually appeared at dusk or twilight; if any child was still outside playing at that hour, it would snatch their soul away. It frequently appeared beside ancient trees. The elders swore up and down that once, when several mischievous boys from a nearby village went up the mountain to play, they ran into the Red-Haired Blood Face. The other children fled in terror. Glancing back over their shoulders, they could still see the terrifying red-faced figure in green robes standing beneath the twilight tree, watching them coldly. Every child fell gravely ill after returning home, and some even had their souls frightened right out of their bodies. Other elders claimed that one of the boys had failed to return, vanished without a trace. Later, a master was summoned from Chang'an to perform a rite, and three feet beneath that tree, the child's bones were found. Discovered along with the bones was a coffin, but the master forbade anyone to open it, having it burned to ashes directly under the blazing sun. In short, the tale was told with vivid detail. After learning of the Xuanmen's existence, Li Yan believed that Jiangshi, demons, and mountain fiends were real, yet he still felt this entity was just an invention of the village elders to scare children into returning home for dinner. Hearing it brought up again struck him as somewhat absurd. Yet to his surprise, Wang Daoxuan's expression grew grave. "When did this happen?" The shop attendant replied hastily, "Just these past few years. Folk have hired geomancers and masters to check the mountain, but they found nothing. Oh, and herb gatherers going up the mountain often ran into it in the woods too. After that, no one dared go up..." Leaving the carriage inn, Wang Daoxuan was still frowning with doubt. Seeing his expression, Sha Lifei felt a slight chill. "Daoist, could this Red-Haired Red Face really exist?" Wang Daoxuan gave a slight shake of his head. "Let's talk once we're outside. Brother Zhao should know far more about this sort of thing than I do." *** The treasure stalker Zhao Lvzi had not entered the town, waiting instead at the foot of the mountain. The others found nothing strange in this, as he had already explained the reasons along the road. The craft of treasure stalking had an established rule: "Heaven as quilt, earth as bed, revere the gods and respect the spirits. Three sticks of incense when entering mountains and diving waters; light a lamp when delving into tombs and exploring caves; never enter the dwellings of the living." Zhao Lvzi had even explained the rationale behind it. A horizontal stroke for heaven above, another for earth below, and man between them—that formed the character "Wu," showing that treasure stalkers never forgot their roots. It was also tied to how Fangxian Dao had once been exterminated and hunted by the imperial court. The Wu believed that all things possessed spirits, so they naturally revered gods and respected spirits. When the mountain-driving and sea-exploring branches ventured into the mountains or waters, they were bound to offer three sticks of incense first. As for the mystery-seeking branch that delved into ancient tombs and forgotten caverns, they had to light a Path-Asking Lamp. It served both as illumination and as an omen; if the master of the tomb grew enraged, they had to depart at once. As for never entering the dwellings of the living, there were two reasons. First, because they spent years in the wilderness and ancient tombs, they inevitably carried sinister bad luck. If they wandered into someone's home, it could bring disaster, and if that household worshipped an efficacious local deity, it would spark direct conflict. Second, it traced back to the Fangxian Dao. Legend had it that the treasure stalkers had risked life and limb for the First Qin Emperor, scouring mountains and oceans for the elixir of immortality, only to be purged alongside the Fangxian Dao in the end. Hence, this ancestral rule was passed down. "The Red-Haired Red Face?" Zhao Lvzi scratched his head. "I have heard of that. "My father once told me that it was a technique of the old Fangxian Dao, used near imperial tombs. They would seek out places where Yin-Sha Qi gathered, seal someone who had been executed by dismemberment inside a coffin, and plant a tree over it. "With time, it would form a ghost-wall barrier, preventing people from discovering the ancient tomb in the mountains. It was popular for a time during the Qin and Han dynasties, but because the method was excessively cruel and offended the harmony of heaven, it was banned. Even so, powerful clans secretly hired people to perform it in private. "As decades and centuries passed, the coffin's seal would erode, and the aggrieved soul of the dismembered person would turn into a Red-Haired Red Face. But having merged with the old tree, it could only remain trapped in place. "Wherever a Red-Haired Red Face appears, there is bound to be a great tomb nearby. The mystery-seeking branch used them as clues to search for Qin and Han tombs. Since Guanzhong has countless tombs of Qin and Han princes and nobles, the legend was passed down here." Sha Lifei's eyes lit up. "There's a prince's tomb in the mountains?" Zhao Lvzi shook his head. "Even if there is, my mountain-driving branch never enters tombs. Besides, when I came here in the past, I never saw any Red-Haired Red Face. "As for why it appeared these past two years, I've already guessed the reason. "Years ago, a band of bandits hid on the mountain to escape the court's pursuit. It must be them playing ghost to keep the villagers from going up and discovering their lair. Those bastards are formidable—I couldn't take them alone, which is why I needed help." Li Yan's brow furrowed. "Bandits? Do they have a name?" Zhao Lvzi thought for a moment before speaking. "I once overheard them talking. They said their chief is called Yan Laojiu." "The Flaying King of Hell?" Hearing this, Sha Lifei's scalp tingled with dread. "Why didn't you say so earlier! If that bastard is on the mountain, aren't we courting death by going up? Besides, if there's any treasure, he's probably dug it up already!" Li Yan shook his head as well upon hearing the name. There were plenty of bandits in Guanzhong, and anyone who had made a name for himself in the greenwood was no pushover. This Yan Laojiu had originally been a butcher in Chang'an City. Possessing fine knife skills, he had earned quite a reputation on the streets and married a gorgeous, delicate bride. Though his trade was considered menial, he had lived comfortably and proudly. Later, his wife had an affair with a scion of a prominent family. Yan Laojiu bided his time until one night, when the young noble's guards were absent, he captured the pair, flayed them alive, and hung their skins in the middle of a bustling market street. Had it stopped at that, it might not have been so terrifying. Yet after fleeing Chang'an City and turning outlaw, whenever he rode down the mountain to raid, if he caught a young couple, he would indiscriminately flay them alive for amusement. Gradually, he earned the notorious moniker "Flaying King of Hell." If it was Yan Laojiu hiding on the mountain, things were indeed troublesome. "They won't find it!" Zhao Lvzi's face flushed as he rushed to explain. "That lightning-struck jujube tree has gained spirituality and only reveals itself at a specific time. Only I know the spot. "The bandit lair is at Old Mountain Cliff in the east, while the lightning-struck jujube wood is at Leopard Gully in the west. As long as we chop down the tree under cover of night and toss it into the river, it will drift out of the mountains, and we can dredge it up downstream and transport it back to Xianyang." Saying this, he took out a sheepskin map for them to see. Li Yan examined it carefully, then nodded. "It's not entirely without a chance. What other dangers are in Leopard Gully? Tell us now." Zhao Lvzi said, "Lightning-struck jujube wood wards off evil, so ordinary Yin creatures dare not approach. It's just that there are several leopards in Leopard Gully that are exceptionally ferocious. I can't handle them alone." Li Yan pondered for a moment before speaking in a low, firm voice. "Then we'll go up the mountain and have a look! "Also, Uncle Sha, head back into Chunhua County and prepare some meat caltrops." *** The thorns of a caltrop could pierce flesh with swift sharpness, which gave the plant its name. In the *Songs of Chu*, the caltrop was called a "vile plant," used as a metaphor for petty men. The shape of its spiky fruit was also the inspiration for the martial world's concealed projectile, the caltrop spike. As for meat caltrops, they were an insidious hunting trick. Caltrop spikes were wrapped inside small chunks of meat and soaked in pig's blood to mask their scent. Predators like tigers and leopards could not chew them and would swallow them whole; once inside the belly, the churning of the stomach and intestines would tear open the beast's entrails. Making them was not difficult. Sha Lifei soon prepared a large sackful, tied the sheepskin pouch tight, and rejoined the others to head up the mountain. Yetai Mountain was not particularly tall, but it covered a vast area. Looking out, peaks piled upon peaks, and the mountain paths twisted and turned. It was already afternoon when they entered the mountain, and before they had walked long, the sky darkened. A bright moon illuminated the black mountain, and the faint roars of tigers and howls of wolves echoed from the distance. Sha Lifei shuddered at the sounds, grumbling, "Wouldn't it have been better to come by day? In this dead of night, you can't see a thing." Zhao Lvzi said in a muffled tone, "That lightning-struck jujube wood has absorbed the mountain's gang qi and formed a minor layout. Naturally, you can't see it by day. Only at the midnight Zi hour can it be spotted with the help of moonlight." With that, he stepped forward and brushed aside dead grass and vines beneath a rock wall, revealing a small shrine. The stone idol worshipped within was ancient, its facial features worn indistinct; one could only vaguely tell it depicted a person in scholar's robes. A tattered clay basin served as an incense burner. Though it bore traces of burnt incense and wax, it was obvious that no one had come to offer worship for a long time. Li Yan had already pinched the Yang seal to activate his divine ability. He caught a faint scent of incense offering that carried a heavy, grounded quality. Though sparse, it blended seamlessly with the aura of the entire mountain range. Zhao Lvzi murmured, "In the past, the herb gatherers and hunters heading up would always come to pay their respects. But when that band of bandits started playing their tricks, the incense was cut off." He pulled incense, candles, fruits, and steamed buns from his pack as offerings, lighting the incense and bowing with practiced reverence, his eyes filled with devotion. Seeing this, Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan stepped forward to offer incense as well. Sha Lifei went so far as to knock his head against the ground several times. "Lord Mountain God, please protect us! If this trip goes smoothly, once we leave, I'll report straight to the authorities and root out this den of bandits for you!" After finishing their prayers, they continued up the mountain. Naturally, Zhao Lvzi reiterated the mountain taboos once more: for instance, never to speak the true names of wild beasts, not to step into certain areas lightly, and to obey his directions in everything. Li Yan gripped his Guanshan blade, keeping close to protect Zhao Lvzi. The treasure stalker Zhao Lvzi had awakened a divine visual sense. It was not Yin-Yang Eyes, but the ability to observe qi, allowing him to see in the dark as though it were broad daylight. Li Yan, on the other hand, had his divine olfactory sense, capable of detecting abnormal scents within several hundred paces. The two of them complemented each other brilliantly. Before long, they arrived at a fork in the mountain trail. Zhao Lvzi pointed toward the east. "The bandit lair is over that way. Further ahead, they have hidden lookouts. As long as we steer clear of them, we'll be fine." Sha Lifei whispered, "Then let's hurry along before we're spotted." "Wait!" Li Yan, however, twitched his nose, turning toward the east with a grim expression. "Such a heavy stench of rotting corpses!"