Chapter Thirty-Six: Is the Taotie Dead? The City of Eerie Wonders.

Amidst the crunching sounds and the agonizing screams of Lin Yanbai, the weeping of Lin Hang and the others grew even more desperate.

Cornered and hopeless, Lin Hang knelt before Li Yan and pleaded, "Brother Li, everything before was my fault. I was jealous of your abilities, and because you wouldn't join us, I ordered them to harass you. I truly know I was wrong. Please, kill the Taotie! If you don't, none of us will make it out alive."

Lin Hang clutched at Li Yan’s trouser leg, helplessly watching for any reaction. Upon hearing this, Li Yan’s temper flared. Only moments ago, they had denied sending anyone to capture him, yet now the truth was out. He shook off the grip and sneered, "I won't intervene. You all deserve to die. Whether you survive or not is up to your own fate. In any case, I won't be the one dying."

Li Yan had intended to leave, but he soon realized that, for some reason, the exit was sealed. Puzzled, he looked toward the Taotie and asked, "I helped you bring people, and you still don't intend to let me go? What is the meaning of locking the door?"

As he spoke, Li Yan involuntarily tapped into his half-infected nature, his eyes turning a deep, crimson red. Seeing this, the Taotie began to laugh, a sound so thunderous it shook the very mountains. It lunged toward Li Yan and snatched him up with its grotesque claws, chortling, "Heh, human, you are far too naive. I only promised to lift your restrictions; I never said I would let you leave alive."

Observing the creature, Li Yan smiled. Then, his voice chillingly cold, he replied, "If that is the case, then let us perish together."

The Taotie did not understand what Li Yan intended. Li Yan instantly unleashed his eerie, supernatural power, channeling it directly into the Taotie’s body. The creature let out a sudden, sharp cry. But as the energy flowed, the Taotie began to relish it: "What pure, eerie power! I never expected to encounter one of my own here. It is a pity you are too weak; even if you pour all your energy into me, it won't kill me."

Li Yan smiled. He wasn't simply channeling energy; he had infused it with something else—something potent enough to inflict grievous wounds upon the beast. At first, the Taotie noticed nothing amiss, but as the power surged, it realized its mistake. It began to howl in agony, running frantically around the room. Li Yan tried the door again, but it remained locked. Abandoning any hope of escape, he prepared for a fight to the death. He sliced his fingertip, smeared the blood onto his blade, and maneuvered the weapon toward the thrashing Taotie, who was too consumed by pain to dodge. Predictably, the blade struck home.

Soon, the Taotie’s body was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely. Beneath Li Yan’s own skin, something began to stir and crawl, seemingly stirred to excitement by the scent of fresh blood. Li Yan brushed his cheek and whispered patiently, "Sleep now. This is not for you to consume; it will poison you." Miraculously, the entities under his skin calmed down.

Li Yan turned his gaze back to the Taotie. Its body was riddled with gashes, and within them, small insects could be seen writhing in the shadows, devouring the flesh and growing larger with every bite. Seeing the Taotie collapse, motionless on the floor, Li Yan decided it was enough. "Come back now," he commanded the insects. "You’ve had your fill. Stop eating, or you'll die." Hearing his voice, the insects lined up and crawled back into his body.

Lin Hang and the others looked on in sheer terror; they had never seen anyone capable of communicating with such vermin. Ignoring them, Li Yan strode up to the Taotie, crouched down, and locked eyes with the creature. "I will give you one chance. Apologize to me and let us leave, or I will beat you to death."

The Taotie, now shifted back into the form of the shopkeeper, lay pitifully on the ground. It sneered, "Hmph, no one who enters my door ever leaves."

Seeing that the creature would not listen, Li Yan sneered, "Then don't blame me for being ruthless." He resumed his assault. Before long, the Taotie was left clinging to life, begging frantically for mercy. But Li Yan had no intention of sparing it. "I gave you your chance," he said coldly. "You didn't cherish it, and now it is too late. Prepare to die." With a final, decisive strike, Li Yan finished the beast.

Lin Hang and the others knelt on the ground, kowtowing to thank Li Yan for saving their lives. Li Yan had no interest in their gratitude. "Do not ever bother me again," he warned, "or you will regret it."

With that, Li Yan departed. He returned home and went to sleep. A day passed in the blink of an eye. Li Yan went out for a meal, returned home, and set an alarm for the midnight hour.

When the time arrived, the alarm sounded. Li Yan climbed out of bed, dressed, retrieved the black box, and prepared his weapons. He then took out the letter and began to study it. It mentioned using the envelope to make contact, but offered no instructions on how. He pondered for a moment, then placed his hand on the envelope and channeled his supernatural power into it.

A miraculous sight unfolded: the moment he infused the power, a spatial gateway manifested in his room. In the air above, a line of blood-red characters appeared: "The spatial gate will lead you directly to the City of the Eerie. Will you proceed?"

Li Yan truly wanted to select "No." But recalling the trouble he had faced when he initially hesitated to take the black box, he steeled himself and chose "Yes."

The gateway opened automatically, emitting a powerful force that pulled Li Yan inside. Darkness enveloped his vision, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a strange street. The sky was an eerie, dark crimson, and in the heavens hung a colossal statue, its eyes seemingly overseeing all existence. The only constant was the familiar red moon.

The street was teeming with half-human, half-monstrous beings, going about their business as if shopping. However, the goods they traded were quite different from those of humans—mostly "bizarre delicacies." Li Yan appeared relatively normal compared to the denizens of this street. As they caught sight of him, they immediately began to converge in his direction.