Chapter 147: Drought Demon
Li Ling had conducted thorough research on Guli culture and was exceptionally renowned for it. Upon discovering this, the Southern Gate faction dispatched people to track her down. Shen Mingyu did not elaborate on how they managed to find her, but one could easily surmise that they had employed some unscrupulous methods. However, Shen Mingyu also mentioned that ever since Li Ling arrived here, she had been accorded the highest standard of treatment.
As subsequent exploratory findings revealed the tomb to be extraordinarily vast, requiring large-scale excavation operations, the Southern Gate deployed the Nanjin Group to commence extensive exploration—though part of this served merely as a cover. When the time came that a small advance team could be sent inside, Li Ling volunteered herself to join. Logically speaking, venturing into this place ahead of the main party was fraught with peril, and the Southern Gate people naturally would not have allowed Li Ling to go in early. Yet, I could well imagine what was going through Li Ling's mind at the time. She harbored an intense passion, bordering on obsession, for Guli culture. No doubt sensing that a tomb connected to the Guli civilization was right within her grasp, she remained utterly steadfast in her demand to be part of the advance party.
What happened afterward took a deeply bizarre turn. Shen Mingyu did not go into great detail, merely informing us that after a recent brush with a series of trap mechanisms and that monster, their team had been broken up and suffered casualties. As for Li Ling, she had become trapped within a secret chamber. Shen Mingyu and his companions were currently planning to drive off the monster before figuring out a way to rescue her.
Hearing that Li Ling was in danger instantly panicked me; I had no idle time left to trade bantering words with him here. However, Shen Mingyu informed me:
"That trap mechanism is exceedingly peculiar, to the extent that it somewhat transcends the technology of that era." As he spoke, he explained that the mechanism consisted of a sealed space which, once entered, would shift accordingly, constantly cycling into the next sealed chamber. How should I put it? It operated much like an elevator, and moreover, there was more than one such elevator space. Initially, when Shen Mingyu and the others waited through two complete cycles, the spaces where the mechanism halted were entirely empty, containing nothing at all.
While speaking, Shen Mingyu introduced the older middle-aged man accompanying him, whose name was Shen Cong. A collateral branch member of the Shen family possessed of profound erudition, he played a role similar to Old Ghost's retainer Laohan, or Gu Sanniang's Advisor Guo. The only difference was that this Shen Cong was also a blood member of the Shen family and held a closer standing; even when Shen Mingyu spoke to him, he did so with the utmost courtesy.
Unlike Old Ghost and Gu Sanniang whom I had previously encountered, this young master of the Southern Gate exhibited none of that arrogant demeanor. He was remarkably affable and understated in his conduct. He led us over to the location of that mechanism and informed us that this was the very sealed space Li Ling had entered.
As it turned out, the outer stone coffin was not the primary sarcophagus. Entombed within it was a withered skeleton, though not of a human, but rather of some animal—quite possibly a mythical beast or exotic creature revered by the people of that era. Regarded as an omen of auspiciousness, it had been buried alongside the tomb's master upon its death. The true burial chamber of the tomb's master, however, occupied an independent space, resembling a standalone crypt.
Li Ling had been the first person to step into that burial chamber. By the time Shen Cong sensed that something was amiss, it was already a bit too late. Because they lagged half a step behind, Li Ling and another team member became trapped inside that crypt. After the tomb door automatically sealed itself shut, Shen Mingyu and the others tried numerous methods, yet after a certain interval, the tomb door unexpectedly opened of its own accord. However, the interior was utterly desolate; not only had Li Ling and that team member vanished, but the coffin itself had also disappeared. Following repeated investigations, they discovered that this burial chamber was no longer the same one as before. Much like an elevator, it had shifted into an entirely different space during its ascent and descent.
I stood at the edge of the tomb door and inquired about the gunfire and the monster we had just encountered. Shen Mingyu hesitated for a moment, glancing over at Shen Cong. Shen Cong also remained silent for a brief while before speaking:
"This is no state secret either. Since you few were able to make your way in here, you must be far from ordinary tomb-robbers. I will speak quite plainly: that creature we just saw is likely a drought demon."
A drought demon? A shock rippled through my heart. I had certainly heard of such entities, and indeed, they were documented within my father's journals. My father had once laid eyes upon a drought demon and even engaged it in a fierce struggle. Never did I imagine that I, too, would encounter one today.
My father's journal recorded it thus: In the era spanning from the Pre-Qin period down to the Han dynasty, the image of the drought demon was typified by that of a celestial maiden, characterized by her attire of blue robes. During this epoch, the drought demon bore a dual identity as both spirit and monster, revered by the populace as the deity of drought, yet simultaneously driven away through exposure to sunlight, drowning, or being hunted by tigers, all in an effort to banish aridity and summon rain.
From the middle and latter periods of the Han dynasty down to the early Ming dynasty, the celestial maiden guise of the drought demon gradually transitioned into another form resembling a minor sprite. The catalyst for this transformation likely stemmed from the gradual decline of the nature-worship that flourished in the Pre-Qin era. As the divine facet of the drought demon faded from popular belief in the Han dynasty, her divine status was progressively denied, casting doubt upon her female identity as well. Consequently, her persona gradually shifted toward a far more malevolent aspect.
Chinese folklore recounts that during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty, a drought demon wreaked havoc, exhausting the waters of the salt lake. Seeking assistance from Celestial Master Zhang, the master dispatched Guan Yu to subdue the fiend. After a bitter seven-day struggle, Guan Yu subjugated the demon. Grateful for his divine might, Emperor Zhenzong bestowed upon him the title of "Righteous and Valiant Martial and Pacifying King." This day happened to fall on the thirteenth day of the fifth lunar month. Thereafter, the populace frequently held temple fairs dedicated to Lord Guan on this date, praying for his divine manifestation to banish demons, dispel disasters, and bestow bountiful rain, designating the day as the Rain Festival. Moreover, they believed that rain would unfailingly fall on this day, giving rise to the saying, "Even the severest drought cannot exceed the thirteenth of the fifth month." Should it fail to rain, prayers offered to Lord Guan would invariably prove efficacious.
Following the mid-Ming dynasty, the sprite-like visage of the drought demon gradually evolved into that of a jiangshi, eventually being entirely supplanted by the corporeal undead form of the jiangshi.
Popular folklore more commonly holds that a drought demon originates from an unborn fetus whose mother met a violent death, whereupon the infant within the womb consumed its mother's corpse and ultimately burst forth from her body. Born inherently carrying boundless resentment, it transforms into a jiangshi upon death—exceedingly ferocious, and wherever it appears, the land is invariably scorched for a thousand miles.
Naturally, these were merely folktales, the truth of which is impossible to verify. After all, there are many things in this world that science fails to explain. But regardless of the truth, we had indeed encountered that infant-like monster earlier. Whether it was the legendary drought demon or some unidentified species of monstrosity, it was profoundly shocking. Compounded by the undeniable lethality of the creature, it could not help but keep one's nerves on edge.
Yet for reasons unknown, after fleeing moments ago, the creature had now fallen silent, allowing us all to let out a sigh of relief—though we remained entirely uncertain when it might rear its head again.
As for how the drought demon had manifested, Shen Cong also informed us that upon entering this place, they discovered a clay jar positioned in each of the four corners of the grand hall, and one of those jars had long since burst open.