At the mountain gate, Gao Yang once again saw the two demon spirits waiting in silence.
The steward raised a hand, and the massive gate creaked open by itself.
Beyond it stood a dark horse-drawn carriage.
With careful formality, the steward placed a small wooden stool on the ground and gestured with a smile. "Please, Immortal Attendants."
Seventh Senior Sister stepped lightly onto the stool and disappeared into the carriage.
Gao Yang hesitated for only a moment.
The steward's calm, almost fatherly smile did little to comfort him. "Go on."
He climbed aboard.
The steward retrieved the stool, seated himself at the reins, and snapped the whip. The horses set off at a steady trot, hooves clattering along the narrow path—da, da, da, echoing through the fog-thick forest.
Inside, Seventh Senior Sister sat perfectly composed, eyes fixed on him with an unsettling half-smile. Gao Yang took the seat opposite, his back stiff, his palms damp. It felt like sitting in a trap.
"You haven't heard yet, have you?" she asked, voice soft and teasing. "Your servant has escaped."
Gao Yang froze for half a heartbeat before replying evenly, "She ran off. What of it?"
Her smile widened, slow and knowing. "They say she went to Chai Village."
A flicker of panic brushed his chest. His fists tightened, nails digging into flesh. "Is that so? Why would she go there?"
"You're better off not knowing," she said lightly, turning to lift the curtain. Pale light flickered through the window, catching in her furred arms. She fell silent.
Through the narrow gap, Gao Yang saw the forest slide by—an endless sea of black trunks and shadowed undergrowth. Faces emerged between the trees, pallid and drooling, staring hungrily at the carriage as it passed.
Thud.
Something landed above them.
Gao Yang's head jerked upward.
Seventh Senior Sister didn't even blink. "Ignore it."
Another thud—this one sharper. A plank on the roof split, and a pair of glowing green eyes peered through the crack.
Her brow furrowed. "Get lost!"
The hairs along her arms shivered, then came alive—fine, dark strands wriggling free like snakes. They darted upward through the gap.
A piercing shriek tore through the air.
Outside, half of the watching faces vanished into the dark.
The carriage fell silent again—so still that Gao Yang could hear his own heartbeat.
After a while, her voice came, calm and faintly amused. "You're worried about your servant, aren't you?"
He shook his head. "No. I was only thinking… once we reach Chai Village, how should I face those people? Master said we must sever all mortal attachments. How does one look into familiar eyes after that?"
Seventh Senior Sister chuckled, covering her mouth. The sound was almost pretty, if not for the bristling fur on her face. "Thirteen, don't worry yourself. I heard something happened in Chai Village a month ago. A demon attack. Second Senior Brother dealt with it—slayed a red-furred corpse from a Gao family household."
She gave a mock gasp. "Oh my. Weren't you once surnamed Gao too, Thirteen? You don't suppose you knew them?"
Gao Yang's stomach turned to ice.
Pain surged in his chest.
There was only one Gao family in Chai Village.
He clenched his fists until blood welled in his palms, breathing slowly to hold his expression steady—but he could feel his face draining of color.
Seventh Senior Sister tilted her head, feigned concern flickering over her mocking eyes. "Thirteen, are you unwell?"
Blood seeped between his fingers.
He didn't even know who the Gao family were. The grief burning through him belonged not to his mind, but to this body's lingering soul.
He forced a weak smile. "Senior Sister, I think I'm just a bit dizzy from the ride. May we stop for a moment?"
She called out, "Steward, Thirteen isn't feeling well. Stop the carriage."
The horses slowed, hooves grinding to a halt.
Gao Yang stumbled down and crouched beside the road, retching dryly.
The curtain lifted. "Thirteen," her voice came, falsely sweet, "be careful. This forest crawls with spirits."
At that instant, the Seven Fiends ignited of their own accord. A surge of qi exploded inside him, hot and wild.
"What… is happening?"
His blood roared. His face flushed red as he dropped cross-legged to the ground, struggling to contain the violent flow.
The thick, metallic scent of his own blood drifted outward, heavy enough to choke.
From the shadows, dozens of demon spirits stirred.
Seventh Senior Sister's face blanched. "Steward!"
The steward's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Immortal Attendant, we must leave—now."
Spirits despised the daylight; they hid deep in the forest, feeding on shade. But Gao Yang's blood called to them like incense.
The steward had no idea what caused this sudden upheaval—only that its scent was irresistible.
Seventh Senior Sister grabbed Gao Yang, shoving him back into the carriage. "I don't know what Master was thinking, sending you here! The Immortal Pill in your body is pure nourishment to them! They've caught your scent—they're coming!"
Even as she spoke, something slammed against the carriage. The horses screamed, bolting forward.
Bang!
The carriage skidded wildly, then flipped. The horses fell, ropes appearing around their limbs—tightening, tightening—before hoisting the beasts into the air, strangling them against a leafless old tree.
Gao Yang and Seventh Senior Sister tumbled from the wreck.
The steward stepped between them and the tree, bowing low. "Senior, these two are disciples of the Azure Mountain Sect. Please, allow us to pass."
Gao Yang lifted his gaze—and froze.
The tree's branches were hung with bodies. Countless corpses, gently swaying though no wind stirred.
A wet creak rolled through the air as the tree moved.
The steward's voice hardened. "Impossible. He is the Immortal Mistress's chosen disciple. Harm him, and she will burn you to ash."
The corpses twitched violently, rattling their bones in reply.
Suddenly, something coiled around Gao Yang's legs and dragged him backward.
He hit the ground hard, pulled several meters before he could react.
"Seven Fiends Night Prowl!"
The shadows erupted.
Seven spectral figures burst forth, tearing at the cords around his ankles until they snapped.
Freed, Gao Yang pointed toward the tree. The phantoms surged forward.
The branches quivered, flinging two bodies into the air. They collided with the spirits, devouring them whole.
Gao Yang staggered back, pain blooming through his arms.
He murmured the Bai Family incantation, guiding his qi to heal the damage.
The wind rose—a low, mournful wail.
The forest darkened as the steward and Seventh Senior Sister joined forces, facing the cursed tree together.