A Qiang continued, his voice heavy. “Chu Qiqi once lived in a harmonious and loving family. She and her husband supported one another, and though their days were plain, they were filled with warmth. Yet perhaps her name was illfated, or perhaps it was destiny’s cruel jest—her husband died young, leaving only her and their child to depend on one another. To raise her son, she labored every day selling tofu, bearing the weight of life upon her fragile shoulders.”

　　His voice trembled slightly, as though he were sinking back into those painful memories.

　　“Chu Qiqi was extraordinarily beautiful, and thus drew the covetous gazes of many with wicked hearts. Yet she was steadfast in character, a woman of fierce chastity who guarded her dignity with her life. There was a local tyrant named Li Hun’er, the nephew of a highranking court official, who relied on his backing to act lawlessly throughout the countryside. He set his sights on Chu Qiqi and harassed her repeatedly, but each time she rebuked him with uncompromising words.”

　　Pain flickered through A Qiang’s eyes as he went on. “As time passed, Li Hun’er lost patience. One day, he led his lackeys and broke into Chu Qiqi’s home by force. I heard her cries for help and rushed over at once. What I saw was Li Hun’er and his men assaulting her. I charged forward to stop them, but his men broke my leg and threw me outside.”

　　Yi Chen and Qing Nianli felt their anger surge at Li Hun’er’s atrocities, and at the same time pitied A Qiang’s suffering. They listened on in silence.

　　“I lay on the ground, watching helplessly as Li Hun’er and his men ran amok inside her home. Chu Qiqi’s cries and pleas rang in my ears, yet I could do nothing. The neighbors all heard her cries, but they chose silence and avoidance—no one dared step forward to help.”

　　Disappointment and fury filled A Qiang’s voice.

　　“Her sixyearold son rushed in, trying to protect his mother, only to be ruthlessly killed by Li Hun’er. That tiny body lay still on the ground, never to breathe again.”

　　“Chu Qiqi’s gaze never left her son’s cold corpse. Li Hun’er and his men tormented her in her own home for a long time, leaving only after satisfying their vile desires. What was even more infuriating was that a beggar—one whom Chu Qiqi had often given alms to—took advantage of her weakness and violated her as well.”

　　His voice shook, as though each word tore open an old wound.

　　“When I saw the beggar assaulting her, rage filled my heart. I rushed forward again to stop him, but my injured leg failed me. I was easily knocked to the ground. The beggar beat and kicked me, and I was utterly powerless.”

　　“When he finally left, Chu Qiqi lay there, her clothes in tatters, her body covered in wounds, her eyes filled with despair and terror. I crawled over, trying to comfort her, but she only wept silently, unable to utter a single word.”

　　Yi Chen and Qing Nianli listened quietly, their hearts heavy with compassion. They could scarcely imagine how a lone woman could endure such suffering.

　　A Qiang continued, anger edging his voice. “After that, nights at Chu Qiqi’s house were no longer peaceful. In the dead of night, men from the village would sneak in to violate her. They wore broken masks, thinking they could hide their ugliness that way—but could they really?”

　　Yi Chen and Qing Nianli felt a deep sorrow for Chu Qiqi. She was the victim, yet bore endless blame and abuse. Those who harmed her were never punished; instead, she was pushed into even deeper misery.

　　Pain and helplessness crossed A Qiang’s eyes as he went on. “I tried to help her, but I was too weak to stand against those men. I could only watch as she struggled in agony, unable to do anything for her. I was consumed by guilt and regret, feeling utterly useless.”

　　“After that, the women of the neighborhood pointed fingers at Chu Qiqi. Rumors spread like venomous snakes, calling her shameless and impure. But was any of this truly her fault?”

　　“Later, Chu Qiqi seemed to become a completely different person. No one knew why, but she transformed into a female demon. The oncechaste and resolute woman became someone ‘any man could have.’ Any man who touched her was drained of his vital yang and died a miserable death.”

　　“She first took revenge on the beggar who violated her, draining him dry. Then came Li Hun’er and his men. From that day on, Chu Qiqi was gone from the village—replaced by a demoness who preyed solely on men.”

　　A Qiang sighed. “I once loved her deeply, but now she feels like a stranger, someone who fills me with fear. I don’t know why she became this way, but I know it all began with those who harmed her.”

　　Yi Chen and Qing Nianli were filled with emotion—sympathy for Chu Qiqi’s suffering, and regret over her transformation.

　　Qing Nianli’s eyes reddened as she said softly, “Chu Qiqi is truly pitiful. None of what she endured was her fault. Those men should pay for what they did.”

　　Yi Chen nodded. “Yes. But revenge like this will only drag her into even deeper pain.”

　　Qing Nianli asked urgently, “Then what do we do? Just watch as she continues to harm innocent people?”

　　Yi Chen pondered, then said, “I don’t understand why Chu Qiqi takes children. A Qiang, you said she took many of them—why?”

　　A Qiang shook his head. “I don’t know. Perhaps hatred and pain robbed her of reason, or perhaps she’s being controlled by some evil force. But I think this might be the key. If we can find out why she takes children, we might find a way to stop her.”

　　Yi Chen’s eyes lit up. “You’re right. We’ll start with the children. They might know something, or have seen something.”

　　Qing Nianli frowned. “But how do we find them? Chu Qiqi won’t tell us.”

　　Yi Chen thought briefly. “We’ll ask around the village. Someone must have seen where she took them.”

　　“Good,” Qing Nianli said decisively. “We split up.”

　　“Agreed,” Yi Chen and A Qiang said together.

　　The three split into separate paths to search for clues. Time was pressing; they had to find the children quickly and stop Chu Qiqi.

　　Yi Chen took a small path leading out of the village. As he walked, he carefully observed his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard faint sobbing. Following the sound, he found a crying young boy. Yi Chen comforted him and asked about the other children. The boy said Chu Qiqi had taken him, but he escaped halfway when she wasn’t paying attention. He said the other children were locked in a mountain cave. Yi Chen thanked him and headed toward the cave.

　　A Qiang went toward the village center and asked a candy seller, who said he had seen Chu Qiqi leading children toward the mountains outside the village. A Qiang set off in that direction.

　　Qing Nianli went toward the village outskirts and questioned an elderly man, who told her he had seen Chu Qiqi take the children into the forest beyond the village. She thanked him and went toward the forest.

　　The three met again in the forest outside the village. After quickly sharing their findings, they reached the same conclusion. They hurried onward and finally found traces of Chu Qiqi before a hidden cave.