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The thing that had originally been perched on Hu Da's head sensed the powerful aura emanating from Xing Ruyi and realized it was not something it could provoke, so it attempted to escape.
Xing Ruyi noticed its intention but did not try to stop it. Instead, she collected Hu Er's gold, making sure to put on a show in front of everyone to avoid being criticized later for taking money without providing service, as the manager of the Rouge shop.
The Eerie Flame burned brighter and brighter, capturing the full attention of the Hu Family members, who were all focused on the flame in the Fox Demon's hand, leaving little attention for Hu Da's situation.
"Trying to escape?" Taking advantage of the Hu Family's distraction with the Eerie Flame, Xing Ruyi suddenly shouted, redirecting everyone's focus back to Hu Da. She quickly directed the flame toward Hu Da's head. A sharp, ghostly scream escaped Hu Da as the mass of fur began to tear away from his scalp bit by bit.
By the time Hu Er and the rest of the Hu Family regained their senses, Hu Da was lying on the ground covered in blood, while the furry mass had been wrapped up by Li Mao with some clothing he had found from who knows where.
"Miss Xing?" Hu Er looked at Xing Ruyi with a complex expression, unsure of what to ask or how to deal with his brother lying on the ground in an unknown state.
"The thing attached to Hu Da has been forced down by the Fox Demon using a method. Right now, Hu Da's life should be safe; we just need to check if there’s any brain injury," Xing Ruyi said as she glanced at Hu Da. "Find a doctor; Hu Da needs treatment for his injuries. Once his wounds have healed properly, he can continue taking the Mei Yan Zhu I prescribed for him before. In less than two years, his hair will grow back. Oh, during his recovery period, someone should keep a close eye on him—preferably a careful maid. The servants can be clumsy; if they accidentally hurt him again, that would not be good."
Hu Er thought for a moment. "Hu Fu, select a few attentive and reliable maids from all those in the household to serve my brother. Also, quickly find a doctor who can help; it would be best to find an apprentice who understands pharmacology to handle my brother's daily medicine preparation and administration."
"Not just any doctor but one who can treat injuries like this bleeding issue," Xing Ruyi smiled at Hu Er. "The Fox Demon knows some pharmacology but only superficially. Besides, the Fox Demon has a peculiar condition called trypophobia—an aversion to clusters of small holes—so handling Hu Da's head injury might be beyond her capabilities."
"Trypophobia?"
Naturally, Hu Er was unfamiliar with such modern terminology.
"Oh, that's a term from the Fox Demon's homeland; you probably haven't heard it before. For now, Hu Da is stable enough to move. Help him up and change him into clean clothes. As for the blood on his head, you can clean that up simply. Remember to use clean and soft cotton cloths to avoid touching the wound and causing pain. Also, if there are any remaining hairs in the wound, get some tweezers to remove them. If any are difficult to extract, use candlelight; they will shy away from fire and make it easier."
"Everything will be done as Miss Xing says!" Hu Er was much more efficient than Hu Da when giving orders. After instructing Hu Fu, he quickly approached Hu Da and directed several maids to clean him up swiftly. As for cleaning Hu Da's wound, that was something Hu Er took upon himself. Once he wiped away the surface blood and saw numerous tiny holes in Hu Da's scalp—especially those still containing wriggling hairs—he couldn't help but feel nauseous and vomited.
Seeing this, Xing Ruyi added, "It seems that Hu Er, like the Fox Demon, also has a phobia of dense objects. However, your condition is milder than that of the Fox Demon. A wound like this is something the Fox Demon cannot bear to look at."
"Is that so? So this is the symptom of the lady," Hu Er said, suppressing the nausea in his chest and gesturing for Hu Fu to continue clearing the area. "I wonder if there is any way to treat this condition?"
"Currently, there isn't a better method; one can only strengthen their mental resilience. In other words, the more you see it, the less nauseous you might feel over time. However, I haven't tried this method myself; I just avoid looking at things that make me uncomfortable. Isn't that right, Second Master?" Xing Ruyi said, unable to control herself as she glanced at Hu Da from a distance.
This was her first encounter with such a hair monster. It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious about Hu Da's head. However, when that hair monster detached earlier, she had already envisioned what kind of sight would be on top of Hu Da's head and was afraid it would make her sick, so she suppressed her curiosity and didn't take a look. Now, with Hu Fu partially blocking her view and being a bit farther away, she dared to sneak a glance.
"As for your matter, Fox Demon can only assist up to this point. Regarding this hair monster, Second Master, do you want my assistant to handle it or would you prefer to deal with it personally? This thing is quite strange; if not handled carefully, it might attach itself to you. If you choose to handle it yourself, I suggest using high heat to burn it away; otherwise, it may follow your scent back to your person or even attach itself to you."
Hu Er initially wanted Li Mao to keep the monster for further study but felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing Xing Ruyi's words, as if ants were crawling all over him, making him somewhat uneasy.
"Since this monster is so dangerous, let's have Miss Xing handle it," Hu Er said after taking a deep breath and shifting his gaze to Xing Ruyi's hands. "I noticed earlier that you conjured blue flames; may I ask what those flames are?"
"Oh? These? They were given to me by a wandering Taoist I met before. They aren't particularly useful; it's more of a trick," Xing Ruyi replied as she silently chanted a few words in her heart. A small flame of ghostly blue ignited at her fingertip again. "This flame is called Phosphorescence or Ghost Fire. However, I've used some methods to ignite it; usually, it's just a trick for fun. The reason it scared off that monster today is entirely because hair is afraid of fire. After all, the hair monster resembles hair in some way, so it's normal for it to fear flames."
"Hearing you explain this has cleared up my confusion," Hu Er said with cupped hands. "It's getting late; I appreciate your hard work here today. I've instructed my servants to clean up the guest room and prepare everything needed for you and this brother named Li to stay temporarily."
"Thank you, Hu Er. However, Fox Demon’s Rouge shop has just opened and I have a child at home to take care of, so there's no need for an overnight stay."
"Then let me personally escort you to the door!" Hu Er straightened his clothes and stood up, making a gesture of invitation. Xing Ruyi did not decline and turned around, directly leading Li Mao out of the bedroom. Once they reached the courtyard, Xing Ruyi stopped.
"May I borrow the lantern in your hand for a moment?"
"Miss Xing wishes to..."
"This harmful thing, if left for a moment longer, will only bring more anxiety. It’s better to eliminate it now."
Hu Er glanced at the object in Li Mao's hand, noticing that it was still wriggling inside its wrapping, seemingly struggling to break free. Thinking of the numerous wounds on Hu Da's head, he couldn't help but shiver and quickly handed over the lantern he was carrying.
Xing Ruyi instructed Li Mao to pack the object securely and place it in the center of the courtyard. She also asked Hu Er to fetch some lamp oil to pour over the package. Since Li Mao had secretly used sorcery to restrain the creature with hair, they were not worried about it escaping at this moment. Once everything was ready, Xing Ruyi circled around the creature, murmuring, "It is not I who will destroy you today, but the Hu Family Brothers. If you seek revenge, you can go after them."
Because Xing Ruyi spoke quickly and softly, Hu Er thought she was reciting an exorcism spell.
After finishing her "spell," Xing Ruyi instructed Li Mao to throw the lantern onto the oil-soaked package, and flames immediately erupted. They heard the creature let out a few muffled cries before quickly falling silent. In just a few moments, the package along with the creature was reduced to ashes, which were swept away by the cold wind in the courtyard.
Hu Er escorted Xing Ruyi and Li Mao to the entrance of the Hu Family estate and then found someone to help drive them back to the Ruyi Rouge shop. Before they reached the shop, Li Mao sensed something was off because there were many fireflies fluttering outside.
Fireflies were not a rare sight, especially in rural areas during summer nights when they danced among grass and trees. Some poor children even caught them to use as candles. However, it was nearly Lunar New Year—the coldest time of year—making their appearance strange, and their sheer number made the Rouge shop look like a resplendent golden house, further heightening suspicions.
"Shopkeeper, you stay in the carriage for now; I'll go take a look."
Li Mao said this as he lifted the curtain and got down from the carriage, walking toward the Rouge shop. As he approached, he noticed that the door of the shop was slightly ajar, and countless fireflies were flitting around in the courtyard. At first glance, it looked as if all the stars had been plucked from the sky and placed in the courtyard.
Given such odd occurrences, his young master should have been restless by now; yet the courtyard was eerily quiet. A glance at Yin Yuan's bedroom revealed complete darkness. Li Mao's heart sank as he reached out to catch a firefly; its touch felt slightly warm.
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