Chapter 19: A Horde of Demons in Wild Dance 12

As Shi Xianyu listened to the prayers, she felt an intense obsession, stronger than Shen Xiao’s desire to go to Mount Ling! It was so powerful that this woman, though dead for many years, had accumulated resentment that refused to disperse, eventually coexisting with the mycelium. Lin Yuan could sense no trace of demonic energy, for neither the woman nor the mycelium were demons at all—they were manifestations of deep resentment intertwined with the primal urge of plant growth.

Shi Xianyu felt as if countless hands were grasping her, countless voices chanting in her ears, “The child… must find the child… Find Aji…” The suffocating pressure threatened to crush her consciousness under the weight of the resentment. All around her was a blinding white, and though she wished to open her eyes and escape, her eyelids were impossibly heavy.

When the pain grew unbearable, air suddenly returned to her lungs—Lin Yuan hauled her out from the mycelium, forcing her mouth open. His fingers reached in, pressing against her soft tongue, and with rough movements, he pinched and pulled out several threads of invading mycelium.

She gasped for breath, feeling as if she had come back to life. The area of contact with the mycelium had been large; her arms were numb and limp without her realizing, her upper body had sunk into the fungus. Had Lin Yuan not pulled her out in time, she feared she would have ended up like the woman.

Mycelium still clung to her tongue, and Shi Xianyu spat out several times, feeling utterly drained.

Lin Yuan steadied her, saying, “Use fire. Burn it.”

Shi Xianyu opened her eyes and gazed at the swath of white threads before her, shaking her head slowly. “It’s a type of fungus that paralyzes passing insects and animals to absorb nutrients. Whether it was the spider or the scorpion, they had died long ago—their shells filled entirely by mycelium. Yet the mycelia also carried resentment, driven by this force to march endlessly toward the village.”

Without the resentment, they would simply be plants.

Thinking back, she realized neither spider nor scorpion ever truly killed; their actions were merely to capture villagers for feeding, displaying the behavior of reptiles. Why was this?

Could it be that the woman, after occupying the bodies of such creatures, forgot she was once human?

Indeed, she could not even recall her child’s name, endlessly calling “child, child.” If Shi Xianyu hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have known the child was named “Aji.”

“We must find a way to dispel the resentment. If we only burn them, it’s just the mycelium that dies.”

Shi Xianyu looked upward. The white fungus covered not only the ground, but also the trunks and branches overhead. Beneath the moon’s gentle light, tiny glowing spores drifted down.

Her heart sank. “…These are the spores of the white fungus—ready to migrate elsewhere in the forest at any time.”

Like wild grass, even if burned away, it would return next year.

Lin Yuan felt troubled as well; he could fight monsters, but had no idea how to dispel resentment.

Shi Xianyu thought for a moment, then grabbed Lin Yuan’s sleeve. “Why don’t we bring Wan Ji here? Perhaps, if she sees her son, the resentment will naturally dissolve?”

She wasn’t confident, for the mycelium held only remnants of obsession—mere echoes from life, like a recorded farewell, possibly incapable of communication.

Still, she wished to try. There seemed no better method.

Lin Yuan picked up Shi Xianyu, and under the night sky, they swept away as a black shadow, vanishing into the endless forest.

…

By the time they returned to the village, dawn was breaking.

Early-rising farmers had discovered the giant scorpion at the village entrance, gathering around to speculate. They believed it was Shen Daochang’s powerful magic that had slain the creature.

Shi Xianyu and Lin Yuan passed by without explanation, hurrying straight to the village chief’s house and knocking on Wan Ji’s door.

Wan Ji, dressed for the day, saw them and said immediately, “Ah, you’re here about the scorpion? Uncle Li from next door came just now to tell me there’s a dead scorpion at the village entrance. I was about to go see…”

Shi Xianyu quickly interrupted, “Wan Ji, could you come with us first? We found a place in the forest where your mother’s remains may be buried…”

Wan Ji paused, confused. “What are you saying? My mother is fine at home, about to prepare breakfast.”

“Wan Ji, do you remember your birth mother?” Shi Xianyu studied his expression carefully. “She passed away several years ago.”

Wan Ji’s face stiffened, then grew cold. “It’s true, but she remarried and is no longer of the Wan family. Living or dead, she’s no concern of ours.”

Shi Xianyu hadn’t expected such a hard attitude, as if he held deep resentment toward his mother.

“Wan Ji, could you at least see her? I suspect she couldn’t let go of you before she died, which is why…”

“No need.” Wan Ji cut her off, bowing coldly. “I thank you for helping rid the village of monsters, but please stay out of our family affairs.”

Shi Xianyu was puzzled. “Wan Ji, it’s just a visit—why do you refuse?”

Wan Ji replied icily, “Forgive me, Daochang. Her abandonment is well known; there’s little mother-son affection left. Please don’t force—”

Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Lin Yuan stood behind, withdrawing his hand calmly.

Shi Xianyu was speechless.

Lin Yuan explained, “This way is faster.”

Shi Xianyu considered for a moment, nodding in reluctant agreement. “It… really is faster.”

She thought: it’s just a look, just one look… then he can return. It shouldn’t be a problem.

Shen Xiao was still asleep, so the burden of saving the village fell to these two, one riding a ram, the other carrying the village chief’s son. They raced toward the forest.

The sun slowly rose, breaking through the clouds, but in the forest’s depths, dense branches blocked out the light. Shade and moisture nourished mosses, ferns, and the snow-white mushrooms.

Shi Xianyu returned to the forbidden white ground, more cautious now. She dismounted and had Lin Yuan place Wan Ji on the ram’s back, keeping him at a safe distance from the mycelium.

She wasn’t sure what to do next, but reasoned that if she could hear the prayers, perhaps the other side could hear her voice as well.

Shi Xianyu stepped forward, cleared her throat, and spoke formally, “Madam Wan, I have brought Aji.”

The forest was silent.

Shi Xianyu glanced at Wan Ji, then at Lin Yuan, feeling awkward.

“…Should I try again?” she asked Lin Yuan hesitantly.

Lin Yuan nodded.

Shi Xianyu thought, if there was still no response, she would have to reach into the mycelium again, though she really didn’t want to.

“Madam Wan…” she raised her voice, daring to address the woman’s face that grew from the mycelium. “I’ve brought your child! You’ve been searching for him, haven’t you? It’s Aji—his full name is Wan Ji, isn’t it? Wan Ji has come to see you!”

Suddenly, every woman’s face in the mycelium turned toward her—hundreds of pallid faces stared, white eyes seeming almost tangible, fixed and unblinking.

“It worked!” Shi Xianyu exclaimed, delighted, looking at Lin Yuan. “Lin Yuan, our method worked!”

At that moment, Wan Ji awakened, dazed. Seeing the scene before him, he turned pale in terror and tumbled off the ram with a thud.

“Monster… monsters! So many monsters!”

Shi Xianyu hurried to help him up and explained gently, “Wan Ji, these aren’t monsters—they’re your mother. Don’t you remember her face? Take a closer look, try to recall.”

Wan Ji dared not look; he was nearly scared out of his wits, turning to flee only to be blocked by Lin Yuan.

“Wan Ji, don’t be afraid. She really is your mother!” Shi Xianyu urged. “She didn’t abandon her family—she went to the forest to look for you, got lost, and died here. She’s never stopped worrying about you…”

Wan Ji heard none of it, trembling and retreating. “Why bring me here! These are monsters! What are you trying to do?!”

Shi Xianyu despaired, realizing he couldn’t be reasoned with, so she tried communicating with the woman instead.

Facing the faces, she spoke loudly, “Don’t be sad. He’s just grown up and doesn’t remember his childhood. Look how tall and fair he is, healthy and learned, admired by all the village girls…”

Wan Ji’s heart raced; he broke out in cold sweat, convinced Shi Xianyu was mad—talking to monsters!

At last, Shi Xianyu said, “Rest in peace! Your Aji is doing well!”

The women’s faces in the mycelium fell silent.

After a long while, a single long, thin white thread emerged from the thick mycelium, like the stem of a sprouting bean, translucent and even softer.

Shi Xianyu was suddenly enlightened, delightedly telling Wan Ji, “Wan Ji, reach out your hand. Your mother wants to speak to you!”

Wan Ji, however, was not delighted; he was half dead with fright, his legs too weak to stand.

Lin Yuan seized his arm and forced him forward.

The white thread gently wrapped around Wan Ji’s finger. Every woman’s face showed sorrow, and Shi Xianyu felt as if they were weeping.

Whatever message the lingering resentment conveyed to Wan Ji, his terror gradually gave way to calm. The thread released him and withdrew. Wan Ji’s tears poured down as he choked out, “Mother…”

The women’s faces began to dissolve, merging into the vast white mycelium until they vanished.

Shi Xianyu heaved a great sigh of relief, cheerfully telling Lin Yuan, “Wonderful—once the resentment is gone, these fungi are just ordinary mushrooms. Let’s burn them quickly.”