Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 043

Chapter 43

Midnight, thunderstorm, cliff, banshee.

It seemed to embody all the elements of the horror stories that kept him awake as a child. However, the graceful and beautiful Chen Yindeng across from him was far more terrifying than the green-faced, fang-toothed, blood-stained monsters in the stories.

Qin Fang’s fingertips trembled with nervousness: How should he answer her? Chen Yindeng was even more cautious and suspicious than Si Teng.

His hesitation aroused Chen Yindeng’s suspicion. Her expression suddenly changed, and she glanced around quickly. “Did you come with Si Teng? Where is she?”

The situation was unexpected, and Chen Yindeng was somewhat frightened. She instinctively wanted to retreat, but as she ducked, Qin Fang’s words pinned her to the spot.

“Miss Chen, you once said that if anything happened, I could seek help from the Taoist sect… Right now… I’m so confused. I don’t know why, but I just want to trust you. I don’t want to be controlled by Si Teng anymore. I want to tell you her secret…”

Chen Yindeng was stunned for a moment, then a surge of ecstasy welled up in her heart.

Wasn’t this exactly what she had planned? She gradually approached Qin Fang, seducing him into a state of infatuation, and then we would reveal Si Teng’s secrets. After all, using demonic powers to pry into people’s memories was incredibly exhausting. When the Magu Cave faction severed her arm, she lost nearly all her demonic blood. It took her over a hundred years to recover, and then she waged a war against the severely injured Chen Cuiqiao. After disguising herself and entering Magu Cave, she vowed to strengthen her core and never reveal her demonic presence again. Who knew Si Teng would suddenly appear midway?

—”Miss Si Teng, why do you have to find another demon?”

—”A demon, living alone in this world, feels lonely.”

It was a huge lie. Only demons would truly know what demons were up to. When she received the message from Temple Master Cang Hong, she had already made up her mind: demons had been missing from the world for a long time, and Si Teng would find them sooner or later. Rather than just sit and wait for death, it would be better…

So she left the mountain to spy on Qin Fang first, then to gain Si Teng’s trust by taking blood and soaking the soil. After taking blood that day, she was exhausted, and the fishy smell needed to be remedied. In the middle of the night, the child walked to the door, yawning, “Master… Master…”

Later, she went to great lengths to spy on Qin Fang once more. Who knew Si Teng was prepared? She thought her path was cut off, but unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events…

Humans truly found it difficult to overcome their inner demons. It seemed Chen Wan’s facade was still somewhat effective.

She turned to look at Qin Fang and took a few steps toward him. “I said I could help you, and I will. Qin Fang, don’t worry. Didn’t you leave the Miao village? Why are you back so suddenly? What’s Si Teng’s… secret?”

Qin Fang stared at Chen Yindeng, his lips trembling fiercely. “I… I…”

He used his apparent panic to stall for time, his mind racing: How should I say this? How could I say it without damaging Si Teng while still attracting Chen Yindeng’s attention?

As if the chaos wasn’t enough, there was a crackling sound in the sky, and a bolt of lightning snaked down, illuminating the cliff where Chen Yindeng stood.

Qin Fang was suddenly stunned. He saw…

Si Teng had emerged.

His first impulse was anger. Usually, it was Si Teng who called him stupid, but now he wanted to return the favor with interest: Are you stupid? I risked my life, screaming and dragging Chen Yindeng to warn you. If there were no other exit from this cave, you should at least hide.

Something was wrong, it seemed. The moment the lightning faded, Qin Fang suddenly realized something, and a terrifying chill instantly rushed to his skull.

Si Teng’s body seemed covered in… blood.

Chen Yindeng was puzzled. “Qin Fang?”

The rumble of thunder, trailing the tips of lightning, rolled over his head. Qin Fang felt more nervous than ever. Si Teng wasn’t far behind Chen Yindeng. The heavy rain might wash away the smell of blood, but in a second or two, she might smell something was wrong. If she turned around…

In a flash, a thought crossed his mind.

If Chen Yindeng really was Red Umbrella, if she was so interested in Si Teng’s secret, then she would never let him die. She definitely wouldn’t!

He suddenly went berserk, yelling, “I don’t know! I’m terrified of her! I dare not say it! But I don’t want to be controlled by her forever!”

He clutched his head and scrambled about frantically, a pained sound emanating from his throat. Chen Yindeng was at a loss at first, but then her expression suddenly changed, and she screamed, “Qin Fang! Be careful!”

Almost instantly, Qin Fang stepped off the cliff.

Chen Yindeng’s eyes flashed red, and her body leaped up, instantly following suit.

Si Teng seemed to see nothing. She stood there for a moment, a look of bewilderment crossing her face, but it was only a moment before she regained her composure. Holding onto the rock wall with one hand and clutching her bleeding abdomen with the other, she slowly descended.

***

Qin Fang had been afraid of heights since childhood. For him, his only nightmare was falling from a height.

He had experienced this once before in Nangqian, but it was so sudden that he believed it was a dream from the beginning to the end. This time was different. He was so lucid he trembled all over. He gritted his teeth and plunged down…

Nausea, weightlessness, like being spun and turned by a large cart. His eardrums were about to burst, his nerves were tense, and his body felt like it was being torn apart by a chariot, with great forces tearing at it from all sides…

This chaotic perception lasted for a few seconds, then gradually returned to calm. His back touched solid ground, and the sound of rain became clear again. Chen Yindeng kept calling him, “Qin Fang! Qin Fang.”

Qin Fang opened his eyes, was stunned for two seconds, then suddenly pushed her away, climbed to his feet, and rushed to the side, vomiting violently.

Finally catching his breath, he stared blankly at the cliff opposite: Si Teng was no longer there. Did she leave safely?

Chen Yindeng patiently continued to ask him, “Qin Fang, you haven’t answered my question yet. Is Si Teng here too?”

“She’s not here. She left for something and was worried about this place, so she asked me to stay, just in case anything happened.”

I see. With Si Teng’s suspicious nature, why would she leave the Miao village at this critical moment? She must have secretly planted spies.

“What was she busy with?”

Qin Fang calmed himself. “Si Teng wants to find a demon. Do you think she’ll pin her hopes solely on the Taoist sect? She has other avenues. I’m not entirely sure, but it seems they’re very confident. Si Teng rushed over as soon as she got the news.”

Chen Yindeng’s face darkened. She pressed nervously, “Did you check with her? Did she really find a demon?”

“I heard everything’s going well. She said she’ll be back on schedule.”

He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but after hearing this news, Chen Yindeng’s lips seemed to turn pale. She was dazed for a moment, then forced a smile. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it seems Si Teng has always been able to accomplish anything she wants.”

As he spoke, he observed Chen Yindeng’s expression. Sure enough, it had grown even darker.

It was a true triumph. It seemed that any good news from Si Teng put a psychological strain on Chen Yindeng.

Qin Fang felt a sense of relief.

After a pause, Chen Yindeng seemed to recall something, her eyes suddenly trembling. “So, you’ve been following me these past few days?”

Qin Fang shook his head. “I only know you guys go up this mountain every day… but I didn’t dare follow too closely, because Miss Si Teng had told me I couldn’t reveal my whereabouts. But I was genuinely curious about what you were doing up there, so I braved the rain and climbed up at night. I walked all the way to the top, only to discover it was a cliff. I was quite disheartened…”

A flicker of satisfaction flashed across Chen Yindeng’s eyes, but Qin Fang pretended not to notice, secretly congratulating himself on the close call.

If he rashly replied, “I followed you,” it would be tantamount to admitting that he had witnessed Chen Yindeng’s uncanny, almost human-like, speed as she climbed the mountain. The consequences would be disastrous.

“Later, the rain was so heavy that I wanted to go down the mountain. I turned around and saw a figure opposite me. I couldn’t believe it. Miss Chen, how come you are here? I remember…”

He tried to recall something. “I remember… later… I think I slipped. Did you save me? On such a high cliff, how could you…”

Chen Yindeng had lost patience with him stalling for time. “Those were just Taoist magic. Qin Fang, you said Si Teng was controlling you? How did she control you? Could it also be… Killing Vine?”

For a moment, Qin Fang truly wanted to thank Chen Yindeng. In his haste, he’d said he was being controlled by Si Teng, but he couldn’t figure out how to cover up the lie. Chen Yindeng had truly come to his rescue. He was indeed a bit foolish. Why hadn’t he thought of Killing Vine?

Chen Yindeng stared at Qin Fang. “If she uses the Killing Vine to control you, will you still reveal her secret?”

Qin Fang didn’t immediately understand what she meant, but Chen Yindeng took this reaction as a kind of acquiescence. She thought, almost annoyed, that she had indeed been too happy earlier. It wasn’t going to be that easy to uncover Si Teng’s secrets.

***

She first heard the name Si Teng in the early 1930s.

A rising star, a new star, invincible, undefeated. The meteoric rise to fame of a little-known demon she had never heard of made her feel extremely indignant. If she hadn’t been severely damaged by the Magu Cave, how could such an unknown little character have become so powerful?

So she tried every possible way to find out about Si Teng. What was so powerful about this vine demon?

In fact, there was no need to inquire. The rumors about the “Killing Vine” had been exaggerated several times, and were made to sound incredible.

The Killing Vine resembled a poison, but unlike all other poisons, this one was alive, reacting to the will of the one who wielded it.

Just like the Taoists who were afflicted by the Killing Vine, the exact time of its onset depended entirely on Si Teng’s will, with no fixed time. If someone were to use the Killing Vine to keep a secret, they would be safe if they didn’t reveal it. But once they did, there would be no escape.

Even worse, while other tortures offered the possibility of death, the Killing Vine didn’t. If it didn’t want you to die, you never would. Suicide was like scratching an itch, and anyone who wanted to kill you would only be retaliated against by the Killing Vine.

But then, even more shocking news arrived.

Si Teng transformed in 1910.

This news almost shocked the entire monster circle. How could it be possible? After the transformation, a long period of practice was required. The White Snake practiced for a thousand years, and the Green Snake practiced for five hundred years. The monster that transformed in 1910 was only 20 years old at best. She was just an ordinary vine monster or tree monster that couldn’t even get rid of her original form. How could she be invincible and never lose a battle?

There were only two possibilities.

The first was that Si Teng, or Killing Vine, was simply a lie, spread out of proportion and exaggerated.

The second was…

If the second hypothesis was true, then Si Teng was truly the nightmare of all monsters.

***

Qin Fang’s phone remained unanswered. Yan Furui’s heart was in turmoil. After much hesitation, he decided to go and take a look.

It was past 3 a.m. when he climbed the mountain. The rain had finally subsided, turning into a fine drizzle. Occasionally, the water accumulated on the leaves of the trees would pour down with a loud thud, making anyone feel cold.

Yan Furui trudged up the muddy mountain. Halfway up, the unnatural silence gave him a chill. Had Chen Yindeng and Miss Si Teng met head-on? Did they fight to the death? He hadn’t seen Chen Yindeng return the entire way. If they ran into each other head-on, wouldn’t he be in danger?

Yan Furui hesitated, wanting to turn back. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a rustling sound in the bushes behind him.

Yan Furui’s heart leaped into his throat with fear. “Who?”

There was no answer. Yan Furui’s heart was pounding. Even though he knew that people who died in horror movies and TV were often driven by curiosity, he still raised his voice tremblingly to give himself courage. “Who?”

Swish, swish, swish, like a snake darting through the forest. Before Yan Furui could react, a vine suddenly slithered along the ground, hooked around his ankle, and dragged him backwards. Yan Furui fell with a thud, face flat on the ground, and was dragged backwards for more than ten meters. Before he could call for help, another vine swooped in, clamping down on his throat and pushing him upward. Yan Furui was strangled four or five meters off the ground, his back pressed firmly against the tree trunk. His breathing became rapid, and his eyes rolled back.

He kicked and struggled to pry the vine from his throat; only then did he see clearly that it was no ordinary vine.

How could he put it this way? The vine, as thick as an arm, seemed to extend. Following the direction of the vine, he saw someone sitting on the flat ground, leaning against a rock. Was that… Si Teng?

Yan Furui didn’t know how to describe it. A strange thought crossed his mind: Had Miss Si Teng revealed her true form?

She was half human; the other half was transformed into vine. Her body was covered in blood, but her expression was fierce. The extended vine arm was exerting force, as if it wanted to strangle him to death.

Yan Furui used all his strength to flail his arms and legs, struggling and calling out intermittently, “Miss Si Teng, I am Yan Furui…”

He called several times, but she seemed unable to hear him. Her eyes were dark and lifeless, as if she couldn’t see either. Yan Furui’s strength gradually faded. He lowered one hand, and with his last bit of strength, he wrote stroke by stroke on the vine arm.

—I am Yan Fu…

When he wrote “Yan,” he felt the grip on his throat loosen. He stretched out his arms, and his body suddenly fell down, but the vine on his ankle did not stop him. When he was about to fall to the ground with a mouth full of mud, it pulled him in front of her.

Finally safe. Did she recognize him? Yan Furui was so moved he wanted to cry. He looked up at Si Teng. She was indeed covered in blood. The vine-like part of her body was completely black with blood, making it impossible to see with his eyes. Yan Furui wanted to get up, but the place he touched seemed not right. He subconsciously lowered his head to look.

Countless extremely thin vines stretched out in all directions, like sensitive tentacles.

Yan Furui understood. For some reason, Si Teng was indeed seriously injured and had even begun to reveal her true form. However, she had set up defenses for herself, forbidding any unauthorized entry. Within her sphere of influence, any disturbance…

Recalling his previous encounter, Yan Furui shuddered: she was a killer. If he hadn’t struggled to tell her he was Yan Furui, he would have been hanging dead from a tree by now.

“Miss Si Teng, what’s wrong with you?”

He asked several times before realizing he had forgotten she couldn’t hear him. Si Teng looked up and extended a hand. Yan Furui suddenly realized and quickly offered it with his palm.

Si Teng wrote on his palm.

She wrote only one character, but fortunately, the simplified and traditional Chinese versions were identical, avoiding any confusion.

She wrote the character “葬” (buried).