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"That's right, even the mature Human Skin garment requires nourishment from flesh and blood, but it can be obtained externally. The old man in the building spent most of his long life watching corpses, and he particularly enjoyed the times of war because he could obtain most of the nutrients needed for the Human Skin garment without being secretive. He was a kind old man; although what he obtained was not true life, the torment in his heart made him feel worse than death. I know that such days are definitely not what Fox Demon would want to experience. So after taking off that Human Skin garment, I did not tell you about it."
"From the dead, perhaps flesh and blood—doesn't that mean..." Xing Ruyi thought of the vampires and zombies from legends. "What happens if one doesn't absorb flesh and blood?"
"What happens? You won't die; you'll just feel unbearably hungry. Of course, you could choose to fend off hunger with food like that old man did, but you'd find that ordinary food only makes you hungrier. You'd wander like a ghost in the darkness of Midnight, and when you see any living creature, your eyes would gleam with hunger. When you're wearing the garment, you look no different from anyone passing by, but beneath the clothing lies a skeletal body; the Human Skin garment clings tightly to you, constantly tormenting you."
Xing Ruyi couldn't imagine that scene, but she still shivered involuntarily. She pointed at the silkworm cocoons in the cave and asked the fox, "So will these also turn into Human Skin garments?"
"Maybe they will, maybe they won't!"
The fox moved its fingers, and the floating orbs of light began to move, eventually stopping in front of one cocoon. This cocoon looked somewhat different from the others; it appeared thinner, more translucent, and brighter. When the orb touched that cocoon, it was clear that it was soft, like a balloon gradually deflating from childhood play.
"Take a closer look at what’s different about that cocoon."
"It seems thinner and softer." Xing Ruyi observed carefully under the light: "Wait! The shape of that cocoon seems different from the others; it looks like it's slowly taking on a human form."
"Yes! That is also a Human Skin garment undergoing transformation; the difference is that its transformation takes longer." The fox stared at that cocoon: "I think Hui Niang's Father-in-law, when he brought Hui Niang's mother to this cave, did not know there was such a mystery hidden here. He simply chose a place to kill and bury someone. But for some reason, Hui Niang's mother's corpse quickly underwent change and transformed into a perfect Human Skin garment in a short time.
Later on, Hui Niang's father came looking for her mother due to her disappearance. Of course, his visit might not have been out of concern for his wife but rather for the gold and jewels taken by her. After some argument, he angrily left Hui Niang's home but was followed by Hui Niang's Father-in-law. As for what happened after they left Hui Niang's house, we do not know; we only know that Hui Niang's father was deceived into this cave like her missing mother and was killed there.
Perhaps before killing Hui Niang's father or perhaps after—anyway, Hui Niang's Father-in-law discovered the Human Skin garments in the cave. But at that time, he certainly did not think that this exceptionally beautiful garment was made from the flesh and blood of Hui Niang's mother. He was a greedy man who picked up that garment without hesitation.
Hui Niang inadvertently overheard her In-laws' conversation and vaguely guessed that her parents might have been harmed by them. However, she had no evidence and no courage to confront them about it. All she could do was compromise and observe in secret.
Hui Niang's husband, Yun Sheng, who was in business himself, naturally recognized that this Human Skin garment was no ordinary item when he saw it. Of course, he wouldn't uncover its secrets; he simply analyzed it from a material perspective and knew it was quite valuable. He would definitely ask his father about its origins, and his father would certainly not hide anything from him. In short, even if Hui Niang and Yun Sheng were not directly involved in all that happened in that courtyard, they were aware of it."
"So, Hui Niang also learned about this cave and even saw those cocoons inside." Xing Ruyi said as she glanced outside the cave again. The wind outside seemed stronger now—so strong that she could hardly hear Hui Niang's cries: "The remains of my parents and these huge cocoons—such a visual shock is something no common person can bear. So instinctively, Hui Niang chose to escape. But fox, I don't understand; since Hui Niang is unwilling to face these things, why did you give her the Human Skin garment and even force her to recall these painful memories?"
"Trust me; remembering these is much better than forgetting them. Let's go; it's time to head back."
"Where are we going back to?"
"Of course, to Hui Niang's home. Don't forget, we have another good show to watch tonight." The fox took Xing Ruyi's hand. "Don't come to such a cold place again next time."
Xing Ruyi nodded and glanced at the enormous Cocoons illuminated by the glowing orbs. "What about these Cocoons? We can't just let them all turn into Human Skin Brocade, can we? Although the chances are slim, with so many Cocoons, even if a few turn out, it would be quite disastrous."
"Don't worry, I understand the principle of valuable goods." The fox said as he wrapped his arms around Xing Ruyi and led her away from the cave. At that moment, all the glowing orbs fell onto the Cocoons. The Cocoons ignited one after another, quickly turning the cave into a sea of flames.
"Such a big fire, you just let it go like this? Isn't that a bit reckless?" Xing Ruyi looked anxiously at the flames in the cave. "Don't forget, it's Cold Winter Month now. If this fire keeps burning, it will eventually burn down this entire forest."
"Don't worry, it's fine!" The fox replied, raising his hand again. A net, seemingly woven from moonlight, fell in front of the cave. Following the spread of the fire, the net began to expand infinitely.
"A Barrier? You should have done this earlier; you made me worry for nothing." Xing Ruyi said, but her gaze shifted to Hui Niang. She saw Hui Niang, who had been sitting dazed on the ground, instantly stand up upon seeing the net.
"Dad! Mom!"
"Your dad and mom are here; find a place to bury them," the fox pointed out. The two corpses that had just been in the cave now appeared beside Hui Niang.
"Fox."
Xing Ruyi tightly hugged the fox's arm, her eyes filled with gratitude. Even she hadn't thought to bring those two corpses out when leaving the cave; it was impressive that the fox had remembered.
The fox patted Xing Ruyi's hand and looked down at Hui Niang before openly casting a Spell to bring Xing Ruyi back to Mother-in-law Hui Niang's home from the forest.
The seemingly tranquil farmhouse was now brightly lit. Besides various guests staying over, the most noticeable were the neatly dressed Yard Officers surrounding the courtyard. In one corner of the yard, where horses were usually tied and pigs raised, Chang Tai was directing some people in digging, with waves of nauseating stench wafting through the air.
"What is Brother Chang doing?" Xing Ruyi pinched her nose tightly.
"Why did Dad and Mother come back so late? The good show is already halfway through; there's not much excitement left to see." Yin Yuan said as he walked up to Xing Ruyi and pinched a shiny Silk from her skirt hem. "Tsk tsk, it seems all those treasures in the cave were ruined by Dad. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered watching; I should have at least snatched a few Cocoons to play with. Those things are probably rare even in Qingqiu."
"You know about that cave? Have you been there too?" Xing Ruyi frowned and looked at Yin Yuan. "You're just a child; don't go wandering into those sinister places."
Yin Yuan touched his nose and said nothing.
In just that short moment, Chang Tai had already begun directing people to carry things out. Although there was some distance, Xing Ruyi could still see that what the Yard Officers were digging up from underground were indeed corpses, one after another.
"So, the butler from Yun Manor was telling the truth. Mother-in-law of Hui Niang is really running an illegal business."
"Not just running an illegal business; they're far more sinister than those who do." Yin Yuan raised an eyebrow and continued, "Others who run illegal businesses either want money or lives. At worst, they chop people up and package them as meat buns. But these two are extremely greedy. They not only want money and lives but also the flesh of these people, and even the clothes they are wearing. By the way, Mother, did you see any of their heads?"
"Heads?" Xing Ruyi covered her nose and stood on tiptoe. Although there were many lanterns hanging in the courtyard and numerous torches burning, the flames were blinding. She could only see groups of foul-smelling blackened bones but couldn't distinguish where the heads or feet were.
"Child forgot; Mother can't use those eyes anymore. Look, those heads—regardless of whether they belong to men or women, old or young, whether they died early or recently—are all completely bald. Mother, can you guess where their hair went?"
"Could it have been sold?"
"The hair and skin are gifts from our parents. Moreover, people generally believe that hair contains vital energy, so no one would sell it or buy it unless they practice dark arts. These two are so cunning that I fear even Mother wouldn't guess what they would do with that hair."
"What else can hair be used for?" Xing Ruyi asked blankly, only to see Yin Yuan smile mysteriously at her.
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