Chapter 121: Tao Yaoyao, the Demon Catcher

The night in Goddess Village was profoundly quiet, broken only by the occasional croak of a frog or the chirping of insects. The serene beauty of the lake and mountains here was far beyond anything found elsewhere. Beneath the starry sky, a cool breeze drifted over, and Lian pulled her clothes tighter, only to realize that, in her current state, she was immune to the cold.

She extended a translucent hand; though it felt solid to her, it was nothing more than a wisp of air to others. "To recover my true form, must I also reconstruct a physical body..."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar scent permeated the air around her, and she became instantly alert. Little Jianjian leaped from her shoulder, baring its tiny fangs with a fierce expression. "Master! There is a demonic aura!"

*Clang!* Something fell to the ground, striking a stone. Inside the cottage, the lights were quickly lit. Tao Yaoyao, wrapped in her undergarments and shivering, opened the door. "Sister Lian, what happened?"

Lian looked at the iron basin on the ground and pursed her lips. "The wind blew it over. It wasn't placed properly, so it fell and hit a stone."

Tao Yaoyao rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned. "I thought something was wrong. So that's all it was. Get some sleep, Sister Lian; it's getting late." With that, she turned and headed back inside.

Little Jianjian crouched back onto Lian's shoulder. "The demonic aura has vanished."

Lian nodded. That demon was no novice; it could conceal its aura with ease. Yet, she began to wonder if Tao Yaoyao and Old Xu were truly demon hunters. Such a thick, exposed demonic aura should have been detectable by anyone who practiced the arts. She returned to her spot and resumed her vigil over the dilapidated hut.

Not far away, a pair of bright, dark eyes emitted an eerie blue glow in the night, hidden in a blind spot where no one could see them. Old Xu had always been a light sleeper; the events outside had not escaped his ears, especially that lingering trace of demonic energy...

The next morning, Tao Yaoyao kept her promise to take Lian around the village and rose at the crack of dawn. To prevent them from starving, Old Xu had set out early to dig for wild vegetables or, at the very least, to borrow some rice from the neighbors—he was determined not to become a starved ghost.

They followed the old path, heading down the mountain. Having floated up and down several times the previous day, Lian had failed to notice that Tao Yaoyao and Old Xu actually lived at the very peak. Being a ghost had its perks; floating about was effortless.

After walking for over half an hour, Tao Yaoyao was drenched in sweat, while Lian remained light and refreshed.

"Do you demon hunters not know how to fly on swords?" Lian asked.

Tao Yaoyao blinked, then shook her head. "Master never taught me."

"What about paper talismans? The kind that can replace walking?" Lian continued.

"None of those either."

"Then how do you catch demons?"

"We only operate within Goddess Village, but the demons here have very low cultivation. I don't know why, but they usually run away as soon as they see me and Master."

???

A giant question mark appeared in Lian's mind. Since ancient times, demon hunting had been a prestigious discipline; sword flight and talisman crafting were basic skills. A duo like them, who could neither fly nor perform Daoist arts, was rare—or perhaps they were the only ones of their kind.

Tao Yaoyao, however, saw nothing strange about it. The demons they met were usually gentle, and their role as "demon hunters" was merely nominal; she and her master were simply responsible for escorting the creatures out of the village. For every demon escorted away, they received a modest reward from the villagers. But in recent years, fewer and fewer demons had entered Goddess Village. She sighed. She had hoped to grow taller, but due to chronic malnutrition, her height had remained stuck at one hundred and fifty-five centimeters. Oh, how she wished more reasonable, obedient demons would come along.

Lian could only press a hand to her forehead. There was truly no one else like these two. It made sense, though; typical demon hunters dealt with malevolent, harmful creatures, not the sort that could be reasoned with and sent away with a polite request.

Unnoticed, they reached the foot of the mountain.

"Hey! Yaoyao, is there something important bringing you down?"

Tao Yaoyao smiled at the auntie who greeted her warmly. "No, just out for a stroll!"

After the pleasantries, they went their separate ways. The girl and the ghost wandered around the village, but nothing of note happened.

*Grrr...*

Tao Yaoyao clutched her stomach, looking slightly indignant. "You're really letting me down!" She then turned to Lian, blushing. "Sorry, that was..."

Suddenly, a fair, jade-like hand appeared before her, holding a small pouch of silver. Tao Yaoyao froze, hesitating to reach out. Seeing her hesitation, Lian said, "Don't worry, it's not underworld money."

Tao Yaoyao’s face, which had just cooled, flushed again. "No, it's not that, it's just..."

"Oh, stop it. Let's go to the market and get something to eat!" Lian urged, finding her bashfulness quite uncharacteristic of a young girl.

Passersby rubbed their eyes, looking again and again. "Who is Yaoyao talking to?"

An old man resting under a tree, fanning himself, replied, "Don't worry yourselves. Yaoyao is a demon hunter, after all." The onlookers relaxed, nodding in agreement.

...

The Goddess Village market was truly a "market." Nearly half the village was crowded into the street, a short main road lined with vendors on both sides. There were over a hundred households, but a quick glance revealed not a single outsider.

Lian stopped floating. "Your village... there are no outsiders?"

Tao Yaoyao looked puzzled. "How did you know, Sister Lian? You’re the first outsider... ghost... to visit our village."

"Everyone in your village wears a red ribbon on their left wrist."

Tao Yaoyao looked at her own left wrist, then at the others in the street. "Do they?"

Lian found the question difficult to answer. In her eyes, everyone in the village—including Tao Yaoyao’s master, Old Xu—wore a red ribbon on their left wrist, except for Tao Yaoyao. She saw clearly that Tao Yaoyao’s wrist was bare. Could it be because she was adopted?

"Yes, everyone has one."

Tao Yaoyao looked at others' wrists again, then at her own, in disbelief. "Why can't I see them?"

Lian wondered about that too.

*Grrr...*

Tao Yaoyao clutched her stomach, laughing awkwardly. "You really know how to pick your moments!"

Following Tao Yaoyao to a noodle stall, Lian asked, "The noodles here are delicious! Sister Lian, can you eat?"

Looking into those sparkling eyes, Lian couldn't refuse. "I can smell them."

Tao Yaoyao felt a flicker of disappointment, but the moment the noodles arrived, she was revitalized.

"Yaoyao, your noodles!" The landlady set the bowl down, her face full of sorrow.

Tao Yaoyao looked around. Usually, Auntie Zhou's stall was packed; perhaps it wasn't the right time? "Auntie Zhou, why the long face?"

Auntie Zhou gave a bitter smile. "I'm getting old, and my skills are fading..." She turned and walked back into the shop.

Tao Yaoyao couldn't fathom what she meant. She turned her attention to her bowl, rubbed her small hands together, picked up her chopsticks, and mixed the noodles. She took a large mouthful, "Mmm!"

It should have been an expression of pure delight, but at that moment, it looked utterly harrowing.