The woodcutter before her trembled, emitting a foul, unpleasant odor. He gripped his sickle tightly, turned, and swung it towards Shi Ying, who jumped back to dodge. The surrounding bamboo swayed violently, and a dizzying sensation made Shi Ying's head ache slightly.
The woodcutter stepped closer, raising his sickle. The fox hissed and then shot a fireball from its mouth, causing the woodcutter to recoil in pain.
"Run!" - Huli
Hearing this, Shi Ying dropped the pile of burning bamboo and turned to run as fast as she could, not knowing where to go, but needing to get as far as possible. The further she ran, the darker the surroundings became, and then she stopped. The sudden braking nearly sent the fox tumbling off her head.
"Wait, wait, wait!" - Shi Ying
"What's wrong? Why aren't you running anymore?" - Huli
"Something's not right." - Shi Ying
"Something's wrong? What do you mean?" - Huli
"Do you see anything strange? We've been running for quite a while now, and the path is just one straight line, but why can't we see the end?" - Shi Ying
"Now that you mention it, I just noticed. It's all bamboo everywhere; there's nothing else. Not even a fork in the road or any other objects." - Huli
"If my suspicions are correct, could it be that we're running in circles?" - Shi Ying
The fox looked left, then right, and around, but all it saw were bamboo trees, and the path was a straight line with no turns.
"Then we'll have to resort to drastic measures." - Huli
"If you agree..." - Shi Ying
Her face became serious, no longer showing any fear.
From the bag slung over her waist, a piece of metal flew out. Shi Ying flattened it as thin as possible, raised her hand, and then swung it in a circular motion through the air.
"Metal Magic: Ten Years in One Night!" - Shi Ying
The surrounding bamboo trees, which had been still, were simultaneously cut into small pieces. In an instant, there were no walls, gates, or anything else around, only endless night.
"Don't even think about growing back! Fire Magic: Abundant Fire Blossoms!" - Huli
Saying this, the fox created small fireballs, which simultaneously burst open and exploded, incinerating the bamboo trees before they could regrow. Seeing the woodcutter surrounded by evil energy, Shi Ying lunged forward, drawing the piece of metal, intending to strike.
Just as she was about to strike, Shi Ying stopped, the metal piece narrowly missing the woodcutter's head.
"Why didn't you strike?" - The Woodcutter
"Because you don't deserve to be ended like this, you're just a pathetic abandoned person, am I right?" - Shi Ying
The foulness surrounding the woodcutter gradually faded upon hearing these words, revealing a normal face but one filled with suffering.
"Do you know what happened?" - The Woodcutter
"You are the main character in the story of the 'hundred-jointed bamboo.' What exactly happened?" - Shi Ying
The woodcutter remained silent for a long time before finally explaining.
"I was deceived. The fairy tricked me. He said that just by reciting the incantation, the bamboo joints would become a hundred-jointed bamboo, but I tried again and again and nothing changed. The bamboo joints remained just lifeless bamboo joints. And then... I continued searching without knowing when I died." - The Woodcutter
Shi Ying frowned slightly in thought upon hearing this.
"Little one, what does the story you're talking about have to do with this woodcutter?" - Huli
"It's a fairy tale about a farmer who wanted to marry the daughter of a rich man he worked for." - Shi Ying
The story tells of a hardworking farmer who worked for a rich man and was promised his daughter's hand in marriage after three years. When the deadline passed, the rich man tricked him into going into the forest to find a "hundred-jointed bamboo tree" before he would marry his daughter. A fairy appeared and helped him cut down 100 bamboo joints and taught him two magic spells, "Assemble!" and "Separate!". The farmer carried the bamboo back, binding the greedy rich man to the bamboo, forcing him to keep his promise.
"So what's the ending of the story?" - Huli
"So the woodcutter recited a magic spell, turning those bamboo joints into a hundred-jointed bamboo tree, and simultaneously pulling the rich man up. The rich man was so frightened that he had to fulfill his promise before he would be released." - Shi Ying
"Serves him right! Who told him to break his promise?" - Huli chuckled.
"That's a story with a happy ending, unlike mine." - The Woodcutter
"Actually, I don't think so." - Shi Ying
"What do you mean?" - The woodcutter
"I've always wondered why it's always so cold around here, with no sign of human presence. And there's a lingering sense of melancholy. Could it be...?" - Shi Ying
She looked at the woodcutter, scrutinizing him. He was dressed like a scholar, yet his work seemed strange. She seemed to have realized something, looking up at him with an expressionless face.
"You're not really the woodcutter, are you?" - Shi Ying
"Huh?" - Huli
The fox jumped between Shi Ying and the woodcutter, its face showing disbelief.
"What do you mean, little one? You say he's not the woodcutter? Then who is he?" - Huli
"He repeats the same actions, unable to leave the bamboo forest, because he's a demon from the bamboo forest." - Shi Ying
The two looked at the woodcutter, who remained silent.
"Oh, I understand. You're a demon who cultivated from the woodcutter's obsession, aren't you?" - Huli
The woodcutter remained silent for a long time before speaking.
"After he chopped down a hundred bamboo stalks, he left. However, after marrying the girl, he didn't come back to thank me, but lived happily ever after. He has children and grandchildren, but what about me? On what basis can he live so comfortably?" - The Woodcutter
The demon in the form of the woodcutter uttered these resentful words, his emotions exploding, causing him to burst into tears. Shi Ying approached and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You know, I've found out a few things about that woodcutter before." - Shi Ying
She took a bamboo stick from her bag, twisted it gently, and inside was a very old scroll stained with dried blood. She took it out to read the contents and then held it out to the demon.
"This is the ownership document for the bamboo forest that the woodcutter wrote to claim ownership. He really wanted to return, but it seems impossible. Do you see the bloodstains on this?" - Shi Ying
"Does that mean someone killed the woodcutter?" - Huli
Taking the paper from the girl's hand, the demon in the form of the woodcutter clutched it tightly.
"Who? Who did this?" - The woodcutter
"There are still no clues, but the wealthy man might be involved. However, that happened hundreds of years ago, and the clues are gone." - Shi Ying
"I...I want to find out who caused this! He will pay for killing the woodcutter and causing me this suffering." - The Woodcutter
"Why don't you accompany this little girl?" - Huli
He looked up in surprise, but then his expression fell. How could he escape when his territory was limited to this bamboo forest?
"It's useless. If even I can't get out, what can you do?" - The Woodcutter
"It seems you've been here too long and don't know how outsiders subdue demons, do you?" - Huli
"There is a way out, but the condition is that you must trust me. I'll stake my life on this." - Shi Ying
"Do I have any other choice?" - The Woodcutter
With his agreement, Shi Ying began to perform hand seals. Her fingertips glowed, drawing a mark in the air, the bamboo branches rustling in the wind as they surrounded each other. Golden patterns appeared all over her body.
"By blood as the guide, by spirit as the bridge. Souls entwine, in life and death as one. Contract, Seal!" - Shi Ying
The bamboo stalks began to split into segments, converging around the woodcutter. His body glowed with an aura, his human form disappearing, replaced by the shape of a bamboo segment with black, bead-like eyes, a small, pretty mouth, and branches as its arms and legs.
When complete, the bamboo forest vanished, leaving a vast open space. Reaching the gate, she found it already open. The bamboo segment perched on her shoulder trembled slightly, afraid of being thrown back.
Stepping through the old iron gate, nothing happened.
Shi Ying gently patted the bamboo stalk to comfort it.
"Little Bamboo, we're out now." - Shi Ying
"Did I really get out?" - Little Bamboo
"See, I told you. Going with this little one solves all the problems." - Huli
"Now we have to go back to the inn, take Shi Cao, and get out of here immediately." - Shi Ying
"Why?" - Huli
"Because you entered the forbidden area and caused the entire bamboo forest to disappear." - Little Bamboo
"Oh...great." - Huli
The next morning, the villagers were shocked because the haunted bamboo forest had vanished overnight. This made the owner of the villa a suspect, as it was, after all, a sacred bamboo forest.