The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 226: Burning the Monster

Chapter 226: Burning the Monster

Tonight in Shouling County was destined to be restless. Those who had bought demon-repelling talismans gathered in one room, afraid to close their eyes, fearing that the heart-stealing monster would attack in the middle of the night. Even those with talismans were on edge, let alone those without. Many people were filled with panic, barely daring to breathe. Xie Beihan casually placed the demon-repelling talisman aside and kept the talismans his sixth sister had given him close, then laid down to sleep.

Deeper into the night, a dark figure passed through the yamen and headed straight for Xie Beihan’s room. Xie Beihan was sleeping soundly when suddenly, a guard outside shouted, "It’s a monster! The monster is attacking!" Startled awake, Xie Beihan rushed out without even putting on his coat.

In the courtyard, a swift figure was locked in combat with the guards. The moonlight shone on her slender figure, revealing a beautiful face. On top of her head were a pair of furry ears, indicating her identity as a monster. "Oh, it’s just a cat monster," Xie Beihan recognized.

The cat monster’s claws were sharp, and its movements were agile, forcing the guards into a defensive stance, unable to counterattack. Xie Beihan quickly searched through his talismans. Both the demon-repelling talisman and the heavenly thunder talisman could come in handy. Seeing him clutching several talismans, the cat monster narrowed its eyes, then leaped towards Xie Beihan.

"Wait! I haven’t found the demon-repelling talisman yet!" Xie Beihan shouted in panic, but the cat monster wouldn’t wait for him. Its sharp claws were about to strike.

At this critical moment, Xie Beihan finally found the demon-repelling talisman. However, someone behind him shouted, "Audacious monster, how dare you continue to cause harm!" Then, a burst of golden light exploded, enveloping Xie Beihan.

The cat monster, startled, had no choice but to retreat. Xie Beihan looked and saw that it was He Wen who had arrived. He patted his chest, then tried to activate the demon-repelling talisman. He Wen quickly moved to Xie Beihan’s side, holding a peach wood sword, and said solemnly, "Noble Prince Xie, wait. This monster’s cultivation is not high, I can handle it, no need for you to waste your talismans."

Xie Beihan listened and withdrew the talismans. He was reluctant to use them, especially since his sixth sister had only given him one demon-repelling talisman.

The cat monster, seeing a Taoist priest, bared its teeth, its eyes full of ferocity. Without hesitation, He Wen approached with his sword, engaging the cat monster in combat. The cat monster, with low cultivation, was afraid of the peach wood sword. After just a few exchanges, she found it hard to defend herself and leaped onto the roof to escape.

He Wen saw this and immediately used a talisman to pursue. At that moment, Officer Zhang hurriedly arrived. Seeing that Xie Beihan was unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Noble Prince Xie, are you alright?"

"I’m fine, I’m fine," Xie Beihan waved his hand. "Quickly send someone to assist Master He, we mustn’t let that harmful monster escape." Officer Zhang nodded and quickly gave the order.

Not long after the messenger left, He Wen returned, carrying a white-haired cat in his hand. The cat was covered in blood, barely breathing. Officer Zhang was shocked and delighted. "Master He, could this be the harmful monster?"

"Yes, indeed. This is the little cat monster. I’ve reverted her back to her original form," He Wen said, tossing the white cat to the ground. The cat lay motionless, only staring at the crowd with wide eyes.

Officer Zhang, after confirming that the white cat had committed evil deeds, mustered up his courage and said fiercely, "Reverting her back to her original form is letting her off too easily. She’s caused the deaths of three people, she should be burned alive!"

He Wen responded, "What the officer says is true. Burning her in front of the people will put their minds at ease and they won’t have to fear monsters anymore."

"This is all thanks to Master He," Officer Zhang first praised, then repeatedly thanked him. If this monster continued to harm people, his official hat would definitely not be secure.

He Wen modestly replied, "I am only eliminating harm for the people, accumulating merit."

Although he wasn’t as direct as the sixth sister, Xie Beihan had previously promised to pay him for the monster’s removal, and now that the creature was gone, he couldn’t go back on his word. Accustomed to extravagance, he directly pulled out a silver note worth a thousand taels.

He Wen’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything evasive, just straightforwardly said, "Noble Prince Xie, your merit is immeasurable."

Xie Beihan didn’t like hearing such words. If his merit were truly immeasurable, how could his brother have died? However, with the cat monster dead, he could finally rest easy.

The next day, Officer Zhang erected a platform to publicly burn the barely breathing white cat monster. When the people heard the news, they gathered at the city gate.

On the wooden platform was the bound white cat, with demon-repelling talismans posted on the ropes. Seeing the cat so weak, the people, instead of fearing, were filled with righteous indignation, clamoring for the monster to be burned alive.

"Everyone, please calm down," He Wen said, "I have already reverted this monster back to its original form. Now, I will use magic to burn it to death. After this, you all need not fear monsters anymore."

The people cheered. They had spent money on talismans and spent a sleepless night in fear.

Standing in front of the wooden platform, He Wen used a fire talisman, and the white cat caught fire. The cat screamed in agony, seemingly struggling with all its might.

At first, the people felt it was cruel, but when they thought of the atrocities committed by this monster, what was cruel about it?

The fire engulfed the white cat, and soon, it stopped moving, turning into charred remains.

Seeing this harmful monster burned to death, the people breathed a sigh of relief and thanked He Wen.

He Wen raised his hand and smiled, "I practice Taoist arts to eliminate evil and kill monsters. There is no need for thanks."

He didn’t linger and, by noon, had packed up and left Shouling County, despite Officer Zhang’s attempts to persuade him to stay.

Xie Beihan regarded this as just a passing episode. Now that the harmful monster was dealt with, he could focus on other matters in Shouling County.

As He Wen left Shouling County, he muttered to himself, "With the Ninth Princess in the capital, I won’t get any food...". After some thought, he decided to go to Ruyang. It was a wealthy place where he was sure to earn a lot.

However, not long after he left, he glanced around and furrowed his brow tightly. He took out a ring-shaped object that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. It was impossible to tell what metal it was made of, but when he shook it and chanted a spell, it emitted a clear, ringing sound. Before long, a cat emerged from the nearby woods, instantly transforming into human form, her voice weak and pained: "Please... please stop chanting the spell, I beg you!"

She wore the same ring-shaped object around her neck. The more he chanted the spell, the more she writhed in pain as if being bitten by countless insects, rolling on the ground to alleviate the agony.

He Wen looked down at her, his eyes cold as ice. "Didn’t I tell you that once we leave the city, you must appear before me? Have you forgotten my words?"