The Demonesses of Wangliang Forest - Chapter 2

Everyone knew there was a demoness in Wangliang Forest, on Mount Bafang.

Beautiful and bloodthirsty, ruthless by nature. Mortals who strayed into the forest rarely escaped alive.

Countless exorcists had come, one after another, to destroy her. Almost all returned empty-handed.

No one knew there was more than one demoness in Wangliang Forest.

Qiying and I had cultivated together ever since we first became conscious. She was a blood vine; I was a muhe tree.

Four years earlier, a scholar had passed through the forest. Qiying had wanted to kill him for nourishment.

I stopped her.

“He spent all of last night leaning against my roots, reading,” I told her. “It was rather interesting.”

Because he interested me, I began to pay more attention to him.

When he was destitute, I took the form of a merchant’s daughter who had fallen on hard times and gave him silver to travel to the capital for the examinations.

Life was so dull. I treated him as a diversion. I wanted to see just how far this little scholar could go.

He was so grateful, he all but cut out his heart to show me.

“Wanniang, I, Liang Qisheng, swear that I will never betray you in this life.”

He spoke with such heartfelt devotion.

I had never met a man so handsome and gentle. I believed every word.

When I left Wangliang Forest, Qiying laughed so hard she could not straighten up.

“You actually believe what a man says? Hahahaha!”

“Sister, let’s make a bet. You’re going to regret this. You absolutely will!”

As it turned out,

she won.

After three years of marriage, I had invested some real feeling in him. With my help, Liang Qisheng had established himself in the capital, passed the examinations, and attached himself to Chancellor Wang Cheng’an.

The wife who had stood by him in poverty was no longer his valued helpmate. I was an obstacle.

Wangliang Forest, where we first met, was the burial ground he chose for me.

How very thoughtful.

Qiying asked, “Aren’t you going to take revenge?”

I smiled. “Someone who holds grudges the way I do? Of course I am.”

But just then, Liang Qisheng still had nothing.

Revenge was best taken when a man was at the height of his success.

Spring passed into autumn. Time seemed to run especially fast in Wangliang Forest.

I lost track of how many years had gone by.

Then Qiying came to me carrying a sheet of paper.

“Sister, look.”

Her slender finger traced slowly over the page. “The chancellor has a new grandson. Apparently, he’s inviting the whole capital to a celebration!”

…

I was going to collect a debt. Qiying insisted on coming too.

She said she wanted to see whether I could really be ruthless enough.

I thought she had been lonely for too long and wanted some entertainment.

But when we reached the Liang residence, I discovered that collecting this debt might be harder than I had expected.

With Chancellor Wang’s wholehearted patronage and support, Liang Qisheng had risen to Vice Minister of Rites in only a few years.

Now he had a son. Whether they came out of respect for Liang Qisheng or the old chancellor, high officials and dignitaries streamed in to congratulate him.

The celebration was a lively affair.

We sensed something was wrong as soon as we felt an invisible force within the residence.

Then the wet nurse came out, beaming, with the baby boy in her arms. Qiying cried out in surprise.

“He’s Wenqu, the God of Literary Talent, reincarnated. Sister, you really are unlucky.”

I frowned and said nothing.

Yes. Very unlucky indeed.

Liang Qisheng’s son was the reincarnation of Wenqu, protected by the Heavenly Dao from the moment he was born.

That meant I could not touch Liang Qisheng, his close kin. If I ruined the earthly trials of those lofty immortals, the Heavenly Dao would never let me off.

“What a nuisance,” I murmured.

Qiying gave two soft chuckles. “Liang Qisheng really does have all the luck.”

“First you protected him. Now his son does.”

Then she changed the subject. “Unlike me, all alone in Wangliang Forest for years. My sister never even came back to visit…”

I could not help laughing. “Here you go again.”

Qiying watched the little boy surrounded by guests in the courtyard. Her eyes flickered.

“Sister, let me test it for you.”

“Don’t!”

Before I had finished speaking, Qiying had already acted.

With a slight lift of her finger, a tiny pine needle shot toward the baby.

It disintegrated into dust before it could even reach him. At the same moment, Qiying cried out beside me.

She clutched her bleeding finger, astonishment on her face.

“This Heavenly Dao is powerful indeed.”