The air was filled with incessant creaking sounds—the noise of stones colliding. It was the Stone Fiend, completely wrapped in a kasaya, thrashing about madly, desperate to break free. Yet the kasaya didn’t budge an inch.
“Just keeping it wrapped up like that—impressive,” I couldn’t help but marvel.
“If Blackface and Swallowing Wine fought, I doubt either would win. Haha.” Old Ren mused aloud. I shot him a glare.
Indeed, once this kasaya wraps around you, even Blackface’s absolute strength seems useless.
“What a hassle.” Swallowing Wine suddenly shouted, then looked over at us. Suddenly, I saw Swallowing Wine slowly turning in midair.
“One life, myriad forms. Earth soul as substitute—release...”
In that instant, I cried out in shock. Two Swallowing Wines appeared in the sky—identical. One stood up, while the other sat on the lotus pedestal.
“Alright, I’ll leave one soul to handle things. I can go sleep now.”
“Damn, you get to sleep, but me? I have to chant sutras for another hour.”
“Oh, come on, don’t argue. Tomorrow night I’ll take over, you sleep. It’s all the same, isn’t it? Suffering first, sweetness later.” As he spoke, Swallowing Wine stepped onto the newly appeared prayer beads and floated swiftly over. When he landed, I stared at his body in surprise.
“It’s nothing, just used a bit of soul-separation sorcery. Heh, it might’ve been harmful before, but now, it’s fine. You all should get some sleep too. Everyone looks exhausted, so let’s take it easy tonight. I’ll keep watch until dawn by myself, alright? Did you all hear me?”
Suddenly, Vincent Swallow shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice booming through the forest. I was so startled I nearly fell off Old Ray’s back.
“Let’s go, Qingyuan. Sorry, I forgot you were still beside me. You should get some rest too.”
I mumbled an acknowledgment, and Old Ray carried me as we headed back to camp.
As soon as we got back to camp, I lay down, my eyelids heavy. In no time at all, I drifted off to sleep.
My cheek felt itchy. I woke up to find Old Ray licking my face, his tongue outstretched.
“Cut it out, Old Ray.”
“Get up, kid. Sleep any longer and you’ll be dead.” Tammy Blade strode over and roughly hauled me off the ground, then slammed me upright. I was still groggy, but her actions snapped me awake.
It was time for breakfast again, and I was already starving. As soon as I reached the stone table, I was the first to sit down. My mind was blank, everything felt normal. A steaming bowl of noodles with fried bean sauce appeared on the table. I picked up my chopsticks and started eating as usual.
“Not bad, Qingyuan. You’ve already managed to blend into your own desires.” Old Ray said. I smiled at him in response.
After eating, I stepped aside, fully satisfied. Then we had to go move stones again. Vincent Swallow said he’d tell me later what was up with that stone monster last night.
While Tammy Blade started devouring her food, the rest of us began to discuss our plans.
“We can’t go on like this. We have to protect Zhang Qingyuan.” Old Eccentric said. I let out a surprised sound and looked at everyone.
“Last night, it was me and Mr. Blackmask who held out all night. Let’s take turns. Tonight, it’ll be Old Eccentric and me. Tomorrow night, Tammy Blade, can you handle it alone?”
“Oh, no problem.” Tammy Blade said, gulping down a bowl of soup.
Tammy Blade kept eating while we headed toward the big pit. Along the way, I saw weariness in everyone’s eyes—especially Vincent Swallow, who looked dazed and exhausted.
We finally arrived at the massive pile of stones beside the pit and began hauling them, one after another.
“Qingyuan, these stones are the physical forms of desire produced by the Forest of Desire. That pit is where these desires are consumed. In my three hundred years of experience, this forest has its limits—so these stones are the overflow of desire.”
I nodded, half understanding. Vincent Swallow walked beside me, carrying a huge stone.
“So what was that monster last night?”
Vincent Swallow explained to me that the monster trying to devour me last night was a creature formed from condensed desire. He always called it the Desire Fiend.
That thing’s favorite prey are those who come to this forest and lose to their own desires—anyone thrown into the pit. It will devour anyone who succumbs, without hesitation.
Vincent Swallow had seen it happen countless times—so many people swallowed by the Desire Fiend, not just humans but ghosts too. He’d tried saving people before, but once someone lost to their desire and escaped, the Desire Fiend would come out of the pit every night to hunt them down, until it devoured them.
I finally understood why Old Eccentric said they needed to protect me for a month.
“So that thing comes out every night, until it devours me?”
Vincent Swallow nodded and told me that the five of them had once tried to protect a woman who came in, but failed. Despite their strength, they couldn’t sleep during the day—doing so was dangerous. Only at night could they rest.
For dozens of days, the five of them struggled against the immortal Desire Fiend, but still lost. The woman was devoured. After that, they rarely tried to save anyone, except Tammy Blade, who managed a few more attempts—but always ran out of strength, leaving the person to be swallowed without a trace.
“Thank you all, I...”
“Say no more. You’re our hope for getting out. Since Lord Shenyuan said you could survive for a month, he’ll come to help you. He will definitely come.”
I murmured in response and glanced at Vincent Swallow—he seemed to know Lord Shenyuan well.
“So starting tomorrow night, Qingyuan, you’ll need to be careful. That thing will grow more violent and recover faster the longer it’s around.”
I let out a sound of surprise and tossed a stone into the pit, glancing at Vincent Swallow.
“But it’s alright. With our current strength, we can easily hold out for thirty or forty days. Especially Old Eccentric—his techniques are strange but effective. And I can use the Celestial Monk’s Vestment to last ten or fifteen days myself.”
“Thank you,” I said again. I was deeply grateful to the five of them, and to Old Ray. Without them, I’d have died in the Forest of Desire long ago.
My leg was still useless. By noon, I’d hauled more than ten stones and was completely exhausted.
At midday, Tammy Blade came over. Only a third of the stones remained.
“You all don’t need to work so hard. My turn isn’t until the day after tomorrow. Go take a break.”
Tammy Blade rolled up her sleeves and walked toward the remaining stones. I stayed behind, planning to keep working. After all, for the days ahead, I’d need the five of them to protect me. At least now, I could do something to help.
“You’re done, Zhang Qingyuan. Go back and train that leg of yours. Haha—if that thing smashes down with a fist and you can’t run fast enough, you’ll be nothing but pulp.”
Watching Tammy Blade laugh heartily, so cheerful and bold, I lowered my head and thanked her.
Back at camp, I started limping around as quickly as I could. Tammy Blade was joking, but I knew I had to survive and get out. I kept running laps around the camp—when I got tired, I’d rest for a few minutes, then start again.
Seeing my petrified right leg, I felt conflicted. I’d become a burden to others—something I never wanted. All I could do was keep training every day until night, forcing myself to adapt to this way of walking.
Old Ray sprawled at the edge of camp, watching me go back and forth.
“Qingyuan, that leg of yours might be done for. Why not let them help you break it off and make a wooden prosthetic? It wouldn’t be so bad.”
Old Ray said this. I stopped in surprise and looked at him, torn. But in the end, I nodded.
Once inside camp, I spoke to Mr. Blackmask about my leg. He smiled and told me to lie down, then raised his right hand, turning it into a knife hand, and struck my leg in one swift motion.
With a clean cut, my right leg was severed just below the hip. I felt a chill in my heart.
“Sorry, sorry, looks like I cut it at an angle. Should’ve let Tammy Blade do it.” Mr. Blackmask said. I looked at him in surprise, but he was smiling. I couldn’t help but laugh too.
“It’s fine, it’s just one less leg.”
Sure enough, with one less leg, my body felt lighter. I climbed up a tree, picked some sturdy branches and some tender ones. Old Eccentric came over and helped me make a prosthetic leg.
After more than an hour, I’d finally fashioned a prosthetic leg from tied branches that was as tall as my left leg. I could barely stand steadily, and my body felt lighter. I glanced again at my petrified right leg, now severed by Mr. Blackmask.
“Maybe you’ll find a way to recover someday. Don’t lose hope.”
Oddball Moe came over and patted my waist. I smiled.
After dinner, night fell quickly. Old Ray carried me, following Old Eccentric to the pit. We waited nearby. I watched Old Eccentric carefully—he was calm, stooping as he slowly approached the pit.
“Watch closely, Qingyuan. My tricks are quite fun.”
I nodded earnestly.
“I don’t usually show these to just anyone, you know.”
Old Eccentric turned back and added, just as a roar echoed from the pit—the Desire Fiend’s cry.