Chapter 1: The Haunted Forest of Demons (Part 1)

  The sky had darkened, and a thick fog was spreading in the depths of the dense forest. The quiet mountains made any sound crystal clear. The faint moonlight struggled to squeeze through the dense branches and leaves, but it didn't illuminate anything. As they ventured deeper, visibility grew lower.

  "It's really eerie here, it seems like there aren't even any birds or beasts." Xia Xianyao said in a low voice.

  "Naturally, a tree with human face would be introverted in character. If it had any, it would probably have been eaten or driven away by it," said Ding Lingxiu.

  "Shouldn't we hurry up? If we go on like this, it will be completely dark soon. What are we going to do?" Xia Xianyao seemed a bit anxious.

  "Haste makes waste, no need to rush. Eh? What? You actually didn't even think about what to do when it gets dark and yet you dare to come in and catch demons?" Ding Ling Xiu looked at Xia Xian Yao with a strange expression, really getting a headache from her recklessness.

  "Hehe, I came in during the day and got lost later. I thought using the demon-tracking bead would help me find the human-faced tree, but I didn't expect the demonic energy to be so scattered and had no idea which way to go. I could only wait by the tree stump for a rabbit to come to me, and unexpectedly ran into you." Xia Xianyao's silly expression looked very cute in the swaying shadows of the trees, making one feel both annoyed and helpless.

  "Ah... alright, never mind. I brought two flashlights, that should be enough."

  "Ah? Won't he discover us then?"

  "That's alright, isn't it better if it takes the initiative to find us? As long as we don't expose our spiritual power to it."

  Ding Lingxiu had just finished speaking when he suddenly realized something and looked at Xia Xianyao with a start.

  "You... your spiritual power, hasn't it already been exposed?" Ding Lingyu said, although he was very nervous, but still lowered his voice.

  "You're also underestimating me, after all, I'm a demon hunter. Don't you see the Hanfu I'm wearing? This is a garment that can hide my spiritual power, and I can freely draw out the hidden spiritual power from it at any time." Xia Xianyao pointed to her clothes, dispelling Ding Lingshu's doubts.

  "Hmm..."

  Ding Lingxiu let out a long sigh, the human-faced tree was cunning by nature, he had gone to great lengths to find its trail, if at this moment he were to fall short of success, it would truly be a painful thing for him.

  Ding Lingxiu took another close look at Xia Xianyao's red Hanfu, and indeed it was no ordinary thing. In this tangled mess of branches, her clothes seemed to flow like water, completely unimpeded by the twigs or scratched, as if a cloud. No wonder she could easily catch up with him just now.

  The two of them didn't say another word, and cautiously made their way forward in this eerie mountain forest. Before long, they arrived at a place that was slightly easier to walk through. This should have once been a mountain road, although like other old roads it was also overgrown with weeds, but the faint traces of ruts left by years of cart tracks could still be seen.

  "Let's go this way, it's easier to walk and the lighting is good too." Xia Xianyao pointed to this road.

  "Xianyao, little sister, you look like a meticulous girl, but you're also too impulsive. Did you notice the dense forest we just navigated through? The direction of all the trees is regular, and our subconscious was guided by their shape, which led us here."

  "Ah! Could this be a trap?"

  "That's right, I saw that they didn't set up the ghost wall effect, so I pretended not to know and came here." Ding Lingxiu lowered his voice and made a silencing gesture to Xia Xianyao.

  "Oh dear, what shall we do next?"

  "Flush them out here."

  "Ah? Forcing them out? Human-faced tree?"

  Xia Xianyao was shocked, thinking that this was absolutely impossible. With the cunning nature of Renmian Shu, it was even more impossible for him to take risks at a critical moment when he was about to become a father.

  "What are you thinking of? Of course it's under his command, speak softly." Ding Lingxiu said while putting down her backpack and rummaging through the things inside.

  The leaves on the small road rustled in the shade of the wind, as if beckoning them.

  A dark cloud floating in the sky blocked out the moonlight, and a faint cry was heard again, coming from the direction of that small road.

  "Hehe...... come on...... over here......"

  "It's time to eat, I'm starving." Ding Lingxiu pretended not to know that there was a monster inside and said loudly, while taking out a can of gasoline and a lighter from his backpack.

  There was no response from the depths of the alley, only the swaying of the branches became more intense.

  "Xianyao sister, let's go get some branches and prepare to make a fire." Ding Lingxiu stood up and went to the side to find dry twigs.

  "Am...are we really going to eat?"

  Ding Lingxiu smiled but didn't speak, and winked at her instead.

  The two of them soon found a pile of withered branches and rotten wood, which Ding Lingxiu piled up under a lush tree. He opened the gasoline canister and poured it all over the top, then lit the lighter.

  In an instant, flames shot up into the sky, and the withered wood, still damp, crackled and popped loudly, as thick black smoke billowed upwards.

  "Good heavens, I was going to roast some game, how did it catch fire? The person who called us earlier, come and help us quickly, it's going to be a big fire!" Ding Lingxiu shouted urgently, but he himself calmly took out two strings of marinated chicken legs from his backpack and started roasting them at the edge of the fierce flames.

  "Really? You're actually eating?" Xia Xianyao looked at Ding Lingyu in astonishment, who was savoring his food with relish.

  "You think so? Just right, one for each of us. Let you taste my craftsmanship." Ding Lingxiu flipped the chicken leg in his hand back and forth, staring at the flames.

  The flames spread rapidly, and the entire tree was ablaze, emitting a variety of strange insect sounds that intertwined with each other. The fire grew larger, and the trunk of the tree seemed to be wrapped in a crimson cloak, as if the flames were dancing like a dancer, shaking and swaying, with an overwhelming passion that seemed to devour everything.

  The eerie laughter had stopped coming from the small path, but Ding Lingyu had already sensed that something was walking out of the path and his anger was soaring.

  "Hey... Ding Lingxiu, something's coming out from inside." Xia Xianyao pulled out a red-handled sword and shook Ding Lingxiu, who was still roasting chicken legs.

  "Ah, I know, don't panic, or you'll mess it up."

  Xia Xianyao's hair was a mess of black threads, and she was so angry that she wanted to push Ding Lingyu into the fire.

  The dark shadows in the distance kept getting closer, and the fog was lit up by the flames, looking like a red cloth. These shadows walked faster and faster, and would soon be coming over.

  "Detestable humans, how dare you ignite fire here!" A shrill cry, the first monster to rush over appeared before the two.

  This is a middle-aged tree spirit, with a wrinkled and aged face that looks gloomy in the firelight. Its emerald green body has patterns like tree bark, and its roots move on the ground like an octopus's tentacles. It swings its branch-like arms vigorously.

  One after another, more than a dozen tree spirits over two meters tall gathered around, their eyes fixed on the soaring flames, both fearful and furious.

  "Ding Lingxiu, they have appeared."

  Xia Xianyao stood with her sword at the ready, quickly entering a state of combat. Her lovely face turned icy cold once again, and her dark eyes seemed like deep, ancient wells, gazing calmly at the dozen or so tree spirits before her.

  "Oh, I see, it's scalding hot."

  Ding Lingxiu replied casually at the same time, and his hand was scalded by the splashing oil stars on the chicken leg.

  "Y...ou..." Xia Xianyao's eyes widened in shock, and just then, the tree spirits' claws reached out towards her.

  Xia Xianyao danced with her sword, welcoming the enemy. Her treasured sword moved smoothly and fluently under her dance-like movements, her fingers and waist were elegant and unmatched. The snowflakes swirled back in the wind, as if a startled swan. The way she fought was like an exquisite dance.

  Where her treasured sword reached, sap splashed, and a wisp of eerie energy rose from the wound.

  "Beware, this treasure sword can expel evil."

  "My goodness, they can't be Taoist priests, can they?"

  The tree spirits were attacking wildly on one side and shouting in surprise on the other, already in a state of complete chaos, and the dazzling flames made them even more anxious.

  The flames made the air unbearably hot, dispersing the mist. Xia Xianyao had the upper hand, but the sweltering air still made it hard for her to bear. Her sweat dripped onto the sandy ground and was instantly evaporated without a trace.

  After several rounds of offense and defense, although several tree spirits were beaten by her until they were bruised and battered, Xia Xianyao herself also felt a bit tired. The high temperature of the scorching sun was making her start to lose focus. A tree spirit took advantage of the opportunity to sneak up behind her and suddenly launched an attack. By the time she realized it, it was already too late. The sturdy claws were about to grab her.

  At this time, Ding Lingxiu pulled her away and ran wildly towards where they came from.

  "What...what are you doing?" Xia Xianyao rebuked.

  "Save you!" Ding Lingxiu bit into a chicken leg and sprinted off.

  "What are you doing? We lured them out to defeat them and get a clue about the Human-Faced Tree, why are you running?"

  "Heh heh, you'll know soon enough. First, try this roasted chicken leg I made, it's up to a star-rated chef's standards." Ding Lingyu smiled as he handed over the chicken leg in his hand, and at the same time stopped in his tracks.

  "I'm really impressed by you, super foodie! Xia Xianyao couldn't help but laugh and cry as she took over the fragrant roasted chicken leg."

  Turning back, she found an unexpected scene, the tree spirits didn't chase after her.