The Skin-Drum

Chapter 64: The Skin-Drum

“In～voke～the～spirits～” Li Zhi’s distinctive, booming voice rang out from the woods, and the grotesque Er Shen began to tremble in sync.

“Sun sets west, the sky turns black, every door and window closes—mappies and crows fly to the trees, sparrows and pigeons fly to the eaves, the road ahead is cut short...”

Li Zhi’s spirit-invocation chant was abruptly cut off. This clearly caught the Er Shen off guard. The entity looked up in confusion at Li Huowang and the slight smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“You came to test me, but what makes you think I wasn’t testing you too? I’ve already been fooled by monks once. A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. I have to be on guard.”

As Li Huowang finished speaking, scattered footsteps came from the woods. It was Gouwa and the Fool.

The group was advancing, weapons in hand, shoving a blood-mouthed Li Zhi forward. The old drum he used for the spirit-dance was clutched tightly by the hirsute Chun Xiaoman.

Li Huowang reached out and took the old drum from Xiaoman. He dropped it on the ground and thrust his sword into it. A wet, tearing sound—psshht—as the taut drumskin split easily.

“Seems like this is the most important thing you have. No matter which immortal you call, without this, they probably can’t come, can they?”

After days of contact, Li Huowang had realized that no matter how powerful the spirits were, the spirit-dancer himself was still just flesh and blood. Control the man, and everything else follows.

Looking at the gleaming blades surrounding him, Li Zhi showed no fear or hatred, despite the bloody split in his lip. Instead, a helpless, bitter smile spread across his face. “To be honest, this really isn’t something I can decide.”

Clang! The sharp edge of the pitch-black sword pressed against Li Zhi’s throat. “Still trying to lie? Tell the Er Shen to stand down!”

Li Huowang’s gaze was locked on the disfigured Er Shen in the distance. Li Zhi was trapped, but that beast-like creature in the distance was still a problem.

“Heh... that’s a strange thing to say. What makes you think my wife would listen to me?”

The moment Li Zhi finished, the distant Er Shen opened its hideous maw and let out a furious roar, then dropped to all fours and bolted into the woods. The Er Shen had run away, leaving Li Zhi behind.

“Daoist Li, I’m not lying to you. We mediums aren’t the same as you cultivators. Some things are genuinely beyond my control.” Li Zhi’s voice was weak, scrambling for an explanation that would hold.

“You think I’ll suddenly take pity on you and let you go just because I hear that?” Li Huowang pressed the blade forward a fraction.

“Heh, wouldn’t expect that.” Faced with imminent death, Li Zhi seemed utterly unbothered.

Looking at his captive, Li Huowang thought for a moment, then spoke slowly. “What is a Heart-Element? Why do you call me a Heart-Element?”

This was what gnawed at him most. They had a reason for moving against him, and this ‘Heart-Element’ had already come up twice.

Li Zhi let out a helpless sigh. “So you really don’t know a thing. I was fooled by that blood-stained robe you’re wearing.”

“What. Is. A. Heart. Element!” Li Huowang ground out through clenched teeth. The blade drew a thin line of blood.

Li Zhi looked at Li Huowang and gave a low chuckle. “Heh, your mind works fast. But I’m afraid you’re no match for the Old Immortal.”

The next second, Li Zhi’s eyes began to redden and bulge. Porcupine quills started to sprout from under his eyelids. His nose twisted and elongated. His entire face began to warp into the same grotesque, animalistic shape as the Er Shen.

Li Huowang pressed down, and the sharp blade slid toward Li Zhi’s neck. But under the torn skin, there were no blood vessels—only a row of dense, hard snake scales.

“Kill him!”

At Li Huowang’s shout, a heavy wooden club swung through the air with a whoosh and slammed into Li Zhi’s head. Flesh and blood splattered. Li Zhi, only halfway through his transformation, crumpled to the ground.

Thump-thump-thump!! Urgent drumbeats rang out from the dark woods, drawing everyone’s attention.

Li Huowang looked down at the broken drum in confusion. “A drum? How is there still a drum? I destroyed Li Zhi’s drum!”

“In～voke～the～spirits～”

Accompanied by the drum and the chant, a figure stumbled out of the trees. It was the Er Shen. Or rather, it was Li Zhi.

As Li Zhi’s face grew those monstrous features, the Er Shen’s face had shed all of them. They had simply swapped places. Li Zhi had become the Er Shen, and the Er Shen had become Li Zhi.

Thump-thump-thump!! The abrupt drumming came from beneath Li Zhi. As the others looked down, they drew sharp breaths.

There he stood, his robes hanging open. One hand was gripping the skin and flesh of his own abdomen, stretching it taut. The other held the drumstick, beating it. Without a drum, Li Zhi was using his own skin as one! Thump-thump-thump!!

“Sun sets west, the sky turns black, every door and window closes—mappies and crows fly to the trees, sparrows and pigeons fly to the eaves. The small hut is cut off, the road is hard. Nine out of ten doors are bolted, and one door is left ajar. I burn incense and beat the drum to call the gods from afar!”

The instant the chant finished, the Er Shen, which had been lying on the ground, shot upright. Even half its skull was caved in. A wet, tearing sound—one after another. Every weapon, including Li Huowang’s sword, plunged into the Er Shen’s body. Li Huowang was certain his sword had pierced its heart. But the Er Shen stood there, unmoved.

“First call the Red, then call the Yellow. Call the Clear Wind and Misty Cloud, bring the Sorrow King. Red is the general, Yellow is the vanguard. Clear Wind and Misty Cloud hold the line, and the Sorrow King takes the hall!”

A tremendous force erupted from the Er Shen. With a sudden twist of its body, everyone holding a weapon was thrown off.

“No! The drum has to stop! He’s the key!” Li Huowang’s hand darted to his waist. The copper Daoist bell was in his palm.

Jingle-jingle-jingle!! Thump-thump-thump!! Two different sounds tangled and fought in the woods.

Lines of light converged into the Wandering Lord. Li Huowang shook his dazed head, and the Wandering Lord split into four, charging toward Li Zhi.

Ignoring his own bleeding body from the ripped skin, the veins bulging on his forehead, Li Zhi’s lips moved faster. His chant doubled in speed.

“The feast is set, the wine is poured. Eat well, drink well, eat well and drink well and that—if you tell me, you tell me, I’ll prepare it for you. If you want fat, there’s beef and mutton. If you want lean, there’s chicken and goose. Old Immortal, even if you ask for the meat of forgetfulness, your helper will find a way to get it for you!”

Li Huowang felt a sharp pain in his neck. Without him noticing, the Er Shen was already behind him. A blood-filled maw of jagged teeth sank deep into the flesh of his shoulder.