Chapter 180: Understanding
"Ghost Howl Cave?"
Baishi muttered as he appeared before the old man in a flash, startling him.
"Ah!"
The old man yelped, staggering backward several steps. His hoe fell to the ground, and he nearly lost his footing.
Seeing this, Baishi quickly stepped forward to steady him.
Once the old man regained his balance, he widened his eyes and asked, "Young man, how did you get here so quickly? You nearly scared the life out of me!"
Baishi smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he released a subtle wave of mental energy to calm the old man.
"Elder, can you tell me more about this Ghost Howl Cave?" he asked gently.
Under Baishi's mental influence, the old man's fear and confusion faded. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he began to speak.
"The Ghost Howl Cave… It's that cursed place over there."
The old man raised a trembling hand, pointing toward the shadowy mountain cave in the distance. "Every night, strange and eerie noises come from it. That's why we call it the Ghost Howl Cave."
"Strange noises at night..."
Baishi frowned and whispered, "Could it just be the wind?"
The old man didn't seem to hear Baishi's comment and continued, recounting various tales and legends surrounding the cave.
From his words, Baishi learned that the cave had been there for as long as anyone could remember—at least since the old man's grandfather's time.
As the elder rambled on, Baishi interjected, "Elder, earlier you mentioned that the Ghost Howl Cave eats people. What did you mean by that?"
"Shh!"
The old man hissed urgently, raising a finger to his lips. He scanned the surroundings with a wary gaze, as if afraid something might hear them.
After ensuring no one else was nearby, he let out a long sigh and admonished Baishi in a hushed tone, "Young man, you mustn't speak of such things out loud. If the Lady Sennin hears you, you'll be eaten too!"
"Lady Sennin?"
Baishi latched onto the new term and asked, "Who is this Lady Sennin?"
"She's the Lady Sennin, of course. Who else could she be?"
The old man's response was frustratingly vague.
Seeing that he wouldn't get a clear answer this way, Baishi silently activated his Phantom Ring, putting the elder into a deep sleep.
He then formed hand seals and used the Yamanaka clan's secret technique—Mind Reading Jutsu.
This time, Baishi was exceptionally cautious.
The old man was just an ordinary civilian with a fragile psyche. Baishi didn't want to cause him any harm, especially since the elder had only tried to warn him of the dangers.
Minutes passed before Baishi retracted his hand, his mind swirling with thoughts.
From the old man's memories, Baishi confirmed that the so-called "Lady Sennin" was indeed a figure shrouded in mystery. None of the villagers had seen her true form or understood her abilities. They only knew that she occasionally appeared to visitors near the Ghost Howl Cave and devoured them.
According to the elder's memories, Baishi wasn't the first outsider to visit this place. Over the decades, many others had come, driven by various motives, but most had disappeared without a trace.
The few who survived claimed that the missing individuals had been consumed by the Lady Sennin.
Combining this information with his knowledge from his previous life, Baishi strongly suspected that the so-called "Lady Sennin" was one of Ryuchi Cave's high-ranking members.
Ryuchi Cave, aside from its leader, the White Snake Sage, was home to three other high-ranking entities: Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Kushinadahime. These figures were known to disguise themselves as human women when appearing in the world.
Their primary role was to screen individuals attempting to enter Ryuchi Cave for trials. Those who failed were mercilessly devoured.
This perfectly aligned with the local legends.
Baishi became even more convinced that this cave was a connection point between Ryuchi Cave and the outside world.
Preparing for Trials
"If this is indeed Ryuchi Cave's entrance, I'll likely face some kind of trial."
However, Baishi wasn't interested in entering Ryuchi Cave itself. He hoped to be one of the few who could explore the area and leave unscathed.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Baishi wiped the old man's memories of their encounter and snapped his fingers to wake him. Then, he cloaked himself in invisibility.
The old man stirred, blinking in confusion. After glancing at the Ghost Howl Cave in the distance, his expression turned fearful. Muttering a quick prayer, he picked up his hoe and hurried back toward a nearby village.
From the elder's memories, Baishi knew this was Jugo's village.
It was strange to see people living so close to such a dangerous place, but generations of tradition had normalized it for the villagers. As long as they didn't break certain taboos—like entering the Ghost Howl Cave—they remained relatively safe.
Jugo, like some of the more curious villagers, had ventured into the cave as a child. Unlike others who perished, he returned alive but changed.
His transformation into a "monster" frightened the villagers, who ultimately exiled him. Kind-hearted Jugo didn't resist, choosing to leave rather than bring harm to his people.
"Still, the fact that Jugo survived means the Ryuchi Cave's guardians must have recognized his unique abilities and spared him. Perhaps they're not entirely unreasonable..."
Baishi pondered this as he approached the Ghost Howl Cave.
He intended to use this area as his base for sensing and studying natural energy, determined to master Sage Mode on his own terms.
(End of Chapter)
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