Chapter 79: Afterbirth 5; Tibetan Mother of Demons
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Chen Yang fiddled with the ancient bronze coins on his forearm, recalling Du Shuo’s words. In the end, he returned all the Taoist instruments to everyone. He found that he couldn’t get used to using anything other than bronze coins. There was no use keeping them in the branch office, so it was better to return them to their rightful owners and send them out again when encountering obedient juniors next time.
The car stopped at Kuixuan’s high school gate. Chen Yang rolled down his sleeves to cover the ancient bronze coins on his forearm and said, “I’m getting off here.”
Du Shuo pressed Chen Yang’s neck with his big hand, pulling him close, and kissed him until he couldn’t breathe, then let go, “When will you go back? Do you want me to pick you up?”
Chen Yang leaned on Du Shuo’s shoulder, breathing heavily, “I’ll take the bus with Kuixuan back.”
“Alright.” Du Shuo pinched Chen Yang’s neck and then said, “Don’t you already know how to drive? Why not get a driver’s license? It would be more convenient to go back and forth.”
Chen Yang smiled mischievously, “No need to. You can just keep picking me up in the future.” Implicitly, he meant that he didn’t need to get a driver’s license as long as Du Shuo kept picking him up. He raised his right hand, and a few fingers danced on Du Shuo’s arm and shoulder, “You can keep picking me up until I die and become a ghost, then continue to pick me up with a hearse.”
Du Shuo replied, “Fengdu doesn’t have a hearse.” Chen Yang pretended to be angry, so Du Shuo added, biting his lips and laughing softly, “If there’s no car, I’ll carry you or piggyback you. I won’t let you get tired.”
Chen Yang smiled, leaning closer to Du Shuo, pointing at his lips with his index finger, “It’s gotten sweeter here lately. Where did you learn that from?” Du Shuo grabbed his hand, kissed it twice, and then said, “I just naturally know what to say when I see you.”
Straight to the heart, sickeningly sweet. Chen Yang bit his lip to hold back a laugh, “Speak normally. If I didn’t know you well, I’d think you’ve been replaced.” Before, Du Shuo would occasionally say something romantic in a subtle way, but now, in their old couple relationship, he could say romantic things shamelessly.
Du Shuo’s eyes were filled with smiles, and his movements didn’t stop. He kissed Chen Yang’s fingertips, pinched his neck and ears, leaned close to him, deliberately lowered his voice, and teased him. He made Chen Yang blush and smile, his eyes full of admiration, just like when they first confirmed their relationship.
“Enough talk. If we delay further, we won’t see Kuixuan. I’m getting off now. Bye.” Chen Yang opened the car door, waved to Du Shuo, and walked into the school. When he reached the school gate, he turned back to wave to Du Shuo before going inside.
Du Shuo smiled and watched his figure until it disappeared, then sighed slightly, took out his phone from his pocket, and opened WeChat. He and Lu Xiuzhi had added each other on WeChat, developing a sense of sympathy due to some shared experiences. The two middle-aged men occasionally exchanged brief discussions to help each other out.
At this moment, the WeChat interface displayed a link sent by Lu Xiuzhi: “#Too Scary! The Dangers of the Seven-Year Itch You Must See#”, “#If You Encounter These Things, You Only Have Three Days Left to Save Your Marriage#”, “#Remember These, and You Can Restore Passion in Your Relationship!” and other sensational articles considered truth by the two middle-aged men, who were waiting for each other’s responses.
Du Shuo’s expression turned serious as he typed a response: [Thanks, indeed very useful.]
In a while, Lu Xiuzhi, with an image that exuded a somewhat charismatic aura of godliness, replied: [No need.]
The two middle-aged men quickly ended the conversation on this topic. After a while, Lu Xiuzhi slowly sent a question: [He doesn’t sleep with me.]
Du Shuo was quite shocked. It had already developed to the point of going to bed together? It seemed Lu Xiuzhi was moving fast, but judging from his troubled appearance, he probably hadn’t succeeded yet. Du Shuo didn’t support this aspect: [No need to rush it.]
Lu Xiuzhi slowly replied: [Haven’t gotten to it yet.]
Du Shuo was momentarily speechless. Lu Xiuzhi’s mind might have been filled with some rubbish during this time, causing his rationality to frequently disconnect. Fortunately, he quickly realized: [Misunderstanding. I know.]
He didn’t seem to show that he knew. Du Shuo frowned, feeling that he was older than Lu Xiuzhi and should be considered the big brother. Out of a similar situation, he advised kindly: [Premarital sex is being a rogue, not being responsible or respectful to the other party.] Du Shuo was inherently traditional; he believed that one shouldn’t have sex before marriage. Even though he had yearned to devour Chen Yang from head to toe from the beginning, he still restrained himself and waited until he became an adult before consummating their marriage.
Their first time having sex was on their wedding night, after they paid respects to the heavens and the earth.
After a while, Lu Xiuzhi asked: [Get in the car first, buy the ticket later?]
Du Shuo sternly criticized: [Essentially being a rogue!]
Apparently, the two had a slight disagreement on this matter. Lu Xiuzhi looked very serious, staring at the screen for a long time before exiting WeChat and switching to a series of “Spoiling the Wife and Running with the Ball” novels on a certain bookstore app. Since the book taught this way, it should be right. Du Shuo didn’t know how many years he had lived; his methods of pursuing someone had long been outdated and might not be applicable now.
Moreover, Chen Yang seemed obedient and naive, easily fooled. Unlike his Ah Xuan at home, who was smart, persistent, and faithful, not easily deceived. Lu Xiuzhi smiled subtly, feeling pleased, and when Kou Xuanling approached, he calmly put away his phone, raised his head, and suggested with a smile, “Ah Xuan, how about we go for a drink?”
Drunk words are sober thoughts, getting in the car first, buying the ticket later. Lu Xiuzhi was slightly excited, his eyes shining brightly, which made Kou Xuanling’s heart beat faster. Kou Xuanling shifted his gaze away and said, “Uh, I wanted to go watch a movie together. Will you… go?”
Lu Xiuzhi’s mind was set on getting in the car. Upon hearing this, he refused, “I want to drink.”
“…Oh.” Kou Xuanling looked indifferent, then they went to a street stall outside the neighborhood and ordered two crates of beer.
Chen Yang informed the security guard and then called Kuixuan’s class teacher, Teacher Lin, to get approval before being allowed in. Since both Teacher Lin and Kuixuan were in class, he waited outside the classroom. Through the window, Kuixuan suddenly turned her head and met Chen Yang’s gaze, smiling broadly. Then she frowned and looked at the jealous gaze cast her way, causing the monitor’s arm to tremble slightly. She immediately buried her head and bit her nails, biting them until they bled.
She nervously muttered from her throat, and her desk mate was almost scared to tears. The monitor suddenly turned to stare at her desk mate’s beautiful earlobes, revealing a twisted and eerie smile. Though the murmurs from her throat were unclear, her desk mate could roughly guess, “So jealous… so envious…”
Chen Yang examined the document carefully. It contained statements from students who had fallen ill, all of whom mentioned the phrase “she’s getting closer” during their episodes. It seemed that in the eyes of these students, something was gradually approaching them, akin to the specter of death looming closer with each step.
The implications of this phrase were troubling. It suggested a sense of impending doom, a creeping threat that instilled fear and helplessness in those who experienced it. But what or who was this “she” that they referred to? And why did it seem to trigger such intense reactions in the affected students?
As Chen Yang pondered these questions, the weight of the situation settled heavily upon him. It was clear that there was more to these cases of emotional illness than initially met the eye. Whatever was causing them, it was a force to be reckoned with, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Turning his attention back to the principal, Chen Yang asked, “Do you have any leads on who or what this ‘she’ might be? And have there been any developments in the cases of the affected students?”
The principal sighed heavily, indicating the complexity of the situation. “We’ve been investigating, but so far, we haven’t been able to pinpoint the source of this phenomenon. As for the affected students, some have shown signs of improvement with treatment, but others… well, it’s been more difficult to help them.”
Chen Yang nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. It was clear that they were dealing with something beyond the realm of normalcy, something that defied easy explanation or resolution. But he was determined to uncover the truth, no matter how elusive it might be.
“I’ll do everything I can to help,” Chen Yang said firmly. “We can’t let whatever this is continue to harm our students. We need to find a way to stop it, once and for all.”
The principal looked at Chen Yang with a mixture of gratitude and determination. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “We’re fortunate to have someone like you on our side. Together, I believe we can overcome this challenge and ensure the safety and well-being of our students.”
With that, Chen Yang and the principal resolved to work together to unravel the mystery of the “she” that haunted their school. It would be a daunting task, fraught with danger and uncertainty, but they were determined to see it through to the end. For the sake of their students and the future of their school, they would not rest until they had uncovered the truth.
No matter where one runs or how many people are around, that thing always follows closely, unable to shake it off, unable to avoid death. One can only watch ‘her’ approach, then fall into endless fear.
Chen Yang closed the file and said, “I understand now. Thank you very much for your help.”
The principal waved his hand. “It’s nothing. I just hope you can save these children.” He had been in the education industry for decades and was about to retire. After so many years in this profession, students became his responsibility. How could he not be anxious when students under his watch were being harmed by demons?
Chen Yang smiled faintly, feeling sincere admiration for the principal. At the same time, he marveled that Ma Shanfeng had indeed found a reliable school for Kui Xuan. With the principal’s integrity, the school couldn’t be too bad.
After discussing official matters, the principal escorted Chen Yang out. In a low voice, he said, “Old Ma mentioned good wine. When will he bring it to me?”
Chen Yang raised an eyebrow. “Are you referring to Uncle Ma?”
“It’s Ma Shanfeng.” The principal named him directly. “He asked me last time to handle Kui Xuan’s admission procedures and promised to bring a bottle of good wine. It’s been a week, why hasn’t he brought it yet? If he doesn’t, I’ll visit him myself.”
So Ma Shanfeng had bribed the principal with a bottle of wine to successfully handle Kui Xuan’s admission. Chen Yang was speechless, unsure whether to praise Ma Shanfeng’s cunning or disdain the principal for being bought off by a bottle of wine. “I’ll pass the message to Uncle Ma.”
“Haha, sure, sure.”
Chen Yang left the principal’s office and asked Lin Teacher for leave on behalf of Kui Xuan. Teacher Lin agreed, “With this incident happening in the class, the students can’t focus on their studies.” After saying this, she went to stabilize the other students in the classroom.
Kui Xuan looked up and asked, “Isn’t Chen Xiaoyang going after the class monitor?”
“You can’t catch up with four legs when you only have two.” Seeing Kui Xuan’s confusion, Chen Yang had to explain, “She crawls so fast on all fours, I can’t catch up even if I want to.”
Kui Xuan asked, “So where are we going now?” Holding her hand, Chen Yang strolled around the campus. Whenever they met a student, he stopped and asked, “Excuse me, does your school have cats? Where are they usually?”
The student replied, “Yes. They’re on the wall of the small forest in front of the cafeteria.” He also gave them directions.
After thanking the student, Chen Yang led Kui Xuan to the area near the wall of the small forest. Indeed, there were many cats there. Mother cats and kittens were basking in the sun, and among them, they found Big Fatty lounging lazily among a group of mother cats.
“Fatty, wake up.” Chen Yang called out.
Surrounded by affection, Big Fatty was surprisingly the only winner in the entire office. It opened its eyes upon hearing Chen Yang’s voice, seeing Chen Yang and the annoying Feijiang rubbing its belly. It instantly stiffened, “Chen Xiaoyang, get this Feijiang away immediately. We’re still friends.”
Chen Yang continued to rub its belly, “Fatty, don’t you like Kui Xuan?”
Kui Xuan stared blankly at Big Fatty, and Big Fatty spread out its limbs, relaxing its body. “Keep rubbing.” Saying it liked Kui Xuan was impossible in this lifetime, but it could be cooperative.
“Fatty, can you help me find someone?” Chen Yang described what had just happened and the appearance of the class monitor. “Kui Xuan, let Big Fatty sniff the foot of the class monitor to help us track her.”
Big Fatty struggled to lift its fat body. “Are you treating me like a dog?”
“No.” Chen Yang chose to deny it at this moment. “I consider you a good colleague in tracking. Every species has its special talents. Yours is tracking.”
Big Fatty thanked him for his recognition and then chose to refuse without hesitation. “In that case, why don’t you play with Kui Xuan?” Big Fatty crawled up and said, “No need to smell, I know who you’re looking for. Let’s go.”
Watching Big Fatty’s agile and fast-moving figure, Kui Xuan pondered, “Indeed, it’s a ball.” It was filled with gas inside, so it could fly very high with a light bounce. She asked, “Has that cat demon always been at this school?”
“Many students have been in trouble recently. I sent Big Fatty to various high schools a few days ago to keep an eye on things. I wanted to see if we could find anything. Unexpectedly, it was flirting around, with wives and concubines.”
Back at the office, they discussed the matter. Zhang Qiudao said, “I think we should castrate it.” This proposal was voted in favor by the male members of the station, showing the common jealousy among males in certain aspects.
Chen Yang spread out the file. “Let’s focus on the task at hand.” He printed out the photo of the monster captured by Mao Xiaoli before and placed it on the table. “Does anyone know what this thing is?”
No one could answer. Chen Yang asked, “Uncle Ma, do you know?”
Uncle Ma shook his head. “I’ve searched through books but couldn’t find this kind of monster. Its appearance, habits, and attacking and devouring young girls, nothing matches.”
“Let me see.” Lu Xiuzhi took the printed photo and looked at it for a while, feeling uncertain. Just then, Du Shuo returned. Lu Xiuzhi handed the photo to him. “See if it’s Guigu Shen.”
“Guigu Shen?” Chen Yang looked at Du Shuo, who glanced at the photo and confirmed, “Yes.”
Ma Shanfeng held the photo in his hand. “Guigu Shen? To be honest, I thought it was Guigu Shen at first, but Guigu Shen’s limbs are like dragon and tiger, eyebrows like python, and eyes like a dragon. The only similarity is that she consumes her own children and has a tall stature, but this monster’s eyes are like insect compound eyes, and its limbs are indeed like dragon and tiger claws. But she doesn’t give birth to her own children.”
It was the last point that made him exclude Guigu Shen. Guigu Shen, also known as Guimu, was recorded in the “Book of Strange Tales” to reside in the South China Sea, where she gave birth in the morning and ate her children at night. There are many legends about Guimu, among which the most widely spread is the story of the Buddha transforming her nine sons.
The difference between the nine sons of Guimu and Guigu Shen is that the former loves her own children and was eventually transformed by the Buddha into one of the twenty protectors. The latter is a fierce deity who considers her own children as a source of strength.
Chen Yang took out his phone and searched for a Tibetan thangka, passing it to everyone to see. “This is the ‘Tibetan Demon Suppression Chart,’ which is said to depict Guigu Shen as the Tibetan Rakshasa Demon Mother. The demon mother lies on her back, forming the land of Tibet, constantly bringing harm and devouring children. During the Tang Dynasty, Princess Wencheng built twelve temples at key points according to divination, called the Twelve Demon Suppression Temples.”
In the “Tibetan Demon Suppression Chart,” the land of Tibet was depicted as the lying demon mother, and temples, now famous, were built on the joints of her limbs. These twelve temples are called the Twelve Demon Suppression Temples, used to suppress the Rakshasa Demon Mother.
“Guigu Shen is suppressed and cannot leave, nor can she give birth to children to gain strength. So is it possible that she uses the Qi of young girls to nourish ghost children, and then consumes them to accumulate strength?” Chen Yang finished speaking, feeling that his speculation was too unreliable. Leaving aside whether the monster that harmed young girls was Guigu Shen or not, the fact that Rakshasa Demon Mothers were suppressed in Tibet was just a legend.
He touched his nose, put away his phone, and said, “I just thought of it suddenly and mentioned it casually.”
Du Shuo suddenly said, “Rakshasa Demon Mother is not suppressed in Tibet, but in the Jokhang Temple. The original site is in Wotang Lake, where the heart of the demon mother gathered, also known as the heart of the demon mother. The demon mother is Guigu Shen of the South China Sea. She was driven away for eating too many children and fled to Tibet.”
Chen Yang asked, “Is the monster that is now doing evil and harming young girls really Guigu Shen? Is it the Rakshasa Demon Mother of Tibet?”
“There is only one Rakshasa Demon Mother.” His words implied that this monster was either the Rakshasa Demon Mother suppressed in the Jokhang Temple or a reborn Rakshasa Demon Mother. In the world, only one Rakshasa Demon Mother is allowed to exist, giving birth to ten ghost children, also known as the Mother of Ten Thousand Ghosts.
Kui Xuan tilted her head and said, “Su Nini said it was a Gu.”
“How does it relate to Gu now?” Mao Xiaoli took out the photo in surprise. “But those girls being used as surrogates for ghost children, doesn’t it resemble a Gu vessel for raising Gu? They provide all their own Qi to the ghost children, who then grow and are eventually devoured by the demon mother to accumulate power.”
Author’s note: Shocking of the year, 99% of people who don’t read it will definitely regret it!
—The Old Man’s Choice.
Explanation:
River cart: The ancestor of heaven and earth, the ancestor of yin and yang, the beginning of heaven and earth, the embryo shows signs, the nine-nine numbers are complete, and the fetus is carried by it. Because it turns purple shortly after being born, it is called the afterbirth. The afterbirth is the platform tray that provides nutrition for the fetus, so the girls are the afterbirth.
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