Volume One, Chapter Twenty-Six: The Temple of Sun and Moon Demons

As expected, just as they reached the mouth of the valley, a modest temple appeared on the hillside.

“That’s it! The Sun and Moon Temple!” the woodcutter hurriedly pointed.

“Uncle, thank you so much!” Jin Guishan clasped his hands and bowed in gratitude.

“No need! No need! Well, I’ll head home now!” The woodcutter nodded and turned to leave the valley. In the distance, a wisp of smoke curled up from a cluster of village dwellings.

“Take care!” Jin Guishan only led the group up the slope once the woodcutter’s figure had vanished.

As they drew close to the gate, they saw two weeping willows standing guard on either side, and on the signboard above the entrance were three gilded characters: “Sun and Moon Temple.” Jin Guishan glanced at Fat Girl, who immediately stepped forward to knock on the door. In a moment, footsteps approached from within, and the door opened slightly. A young Daoist nun with delicate features peered out. “May I help you?”

“Master, we’re just passing through and lost our way. Night is falling, and we’d like to ask for shelter at your temple for one night, if that’s possible?” Hong Peng quickly stepped forward, hoping his Daoist robes would ease any misunderstanding. The young nun looked him up and down, said nothing, then peered at those behind him for a moment.

“Wait here a moment!” she said, and with a thud, closed the temple gate.

They exchanged anxious glances and waited outside. After a long while, still nothing happened. Hanyu grew irritated. “Whether it’s yes or no, at least give us an answer!” She was about to knock again when Fat Girl pulled her back. “Let’s wait a little longer.”

“Wait for what… Eh?” Hanyu suddenly noticed a red-billed finch perched on the wall. She couldn’t recall when it had arrived, but it looked oddly familiar. Just as she leaned closer for a better look, the finch flapped its wings and flew away.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from within, and the gate opened with a creak. Out came the same young nun, now followed by two others. “Brother Daoist, I asked my master. She said we can let you stay, but since you have so many men in your party, we can only put you up in the storeroom at the front. Will that do?”

“Of course! Thank you so much!” Hong Peng nodded eagerly. It was far better than sleeping in the wild.

“Good. Please follow me.” The young nun turned and led them inside.

Through the temple gate was the main hall, with “Hall of the Three Pure Ones” inscribed above the door. Looking up, they could see courtyards beyond; it seemed to be a three-hall layout. On the west side, two rooms glowed with lamplight—clearly the guest quarters. The nun led them straight there.

“This is it. Please make do for the night,” she said apologetically. The room was piled with all sorts of odds and ends, leaving just enough space for them to sit on the floor.

“We’re already extremely grateful! Thank you, miss—no, Master!” Hong Peng quickly clasped his hands in thanks. The young nun smiled. “You must be hungry. I’ll fetch you something to eat.”

“No, that’s—” Hong Peng didn’t finish before she turned and left. Yi Bing’s and Fat Girl’s round faces immediately bloomed with smiles.

“Those two gluttons…” Mei Niang winked at Hanyu, who nodded in agreement.

Soon, the nun returned with a basket of vegetarian buns, gifts from the villagers earlier that day. Yi Bing, dizzy with hunger, was the first to pounce; Fat Girl was close behind. Hong Kun and Jin Guishan exchanged embarrassed smiles.

“Hey, at least say thank you… How rude…” Hanyu suddenly dashed over and snatched buns from their mouths, one in each hand.

“Oh! Thank you!” the two chubby ones chorused.

“Don’t mention it!” The young nun laughed and slipped out.

“All right now?” Yi Bing eyed the buns in Hanyu’s hands, drooling.

“All right? Senior has not eaten yet!” Hanyu said as she peeked outside and, with Mei Niang’s silver hairpin, poked each bun. Hong Kun couldn’t help but admire her caution; this little demon was more thoughtful than they were.

“Is something wrong?” Fat Girl asked curiously.

“Doesn’t seem like it… but…” Hanyu glanced at Mei Niang. Mei Niang scratched her head, saying nothing; she hadn’t sensed anything amiss either.

Still uneasy, Hanyu studied the buns for a long while before splitting one open, smelling it, and handing it to Yi Bing. Yi Bing wolfed it down without hesitation, then gobbled up three more. Seeing that, the others dove in, devouring the food ravenously.

“No problem! Don’t worry,” Mei Niang reassured Hanyu between bites. Hanyu tried a tentative bite herself.

Once they’d finished, everyone quickly tidied up. They drew a line with a coil of straw rope to divide the room, men outside, women inside. Though they could only sit on the floor, the wind howled outside, and they felt secretly fortunate to be indoors.

“Think they’ll at least give us porridge in the morning?” muttered Yi Bing, leaning against the wall. The buns had barely filled him.

“If not, we’ll head to the village for food!” Fat Girl immediately responded from the other side of the rope.

“Sleep!” Jin Guishan and Hong Kun said in unison.

Instantly, the room fell utterly silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Suddenly, Hanyu burst out in high-pitched giggles.

In the darkness, Hong Kun pinched his thigh and the others stifled their own laughter, covering mouths or gritting teeth to keep from making a sound.

“Hmph?” Hanyu, laughing till she cried, thought she saw a small bird flit past the window. In the dead of night, with the wind so fierce, she figured it must have been her imagination.

After chasing for miles, Yi Bing finally caught sight of the rabbit. His eyes nearly popped out with excitement as he reached to grab it—only for the rabbit to turn its head and say, “Fatty, you’re dead!” Hanyu?! It was Hanyu! Yi Bing jolted awake in fright.

“No… no…” Yi Bing shook his head desperately.

“Fatty! What do you mean, no? Even after being tied up, you’re still sleeping!” Only her voice could be heard, but not her form. Yi Bing realized his face was pressed to the ground, bound hand and foot. He twisted his body and finally saw Hanyu, tightly trussed up like the rest.

“That straw rope was actually a snake!” Mei Niang said in frustration.

“Ahhh—!” Yi Bing bounced up in terror, shaking the whole cell.

“What are you screaming for? Such a coward! It won’t even bite you!” Mei Niang kicked Yi Bing in annoyance, sending him rolling.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The first through the door was the same young nun, holding a lantern high and peering around. “Ha! I thought it was a pig being slaughtered!” The other nuns burst into laughter behind her.

“Little demon, let us go!” Mei Niang glared furiously.

“Old hag! I won’t!” The young nun stuck out her tongue defiantly.

“Old…” Mei Niang was so angry she nearly fainted.

“Who are you, really?” Hong Kun scrutinized the nuns.

“Heh… Look carefully—still haven’t figured it out?” The nun gave her robe a deliberate flick, revealing a pale, slender thigh. Hong Kun quickly looked away in embarrassment.

“Shameless thing! Wait till I get out…” Bi Yi blushed and scolded.

“What will you do then?” The nun leaned in, frowning. “Should I strip you now and let them all see what you really… Ow!” She shrieked suddenly and leapt away—Yi Bing had wriggled over and bitten her ankle.

“Fatty, are you a dog?!” The nuns swarmed over and began kicking wildly.

“I’ll fight you all!” Before she finished, Fat Girl rolled over like a millstone, sending the nuns scattering.

“Ha! Fatty solidarity!” the nuns jeered, aiming another round of kicks at Fat Girl.

“All right, enough! It’s late. We’ll deal with them later!” The lead nun intervened, examining the bite mark on her ankle before turning to Yi Bing with a sweet but sinister smile. “Fatty, I simply must collect your essence!”

They proceeded to blindfold everyone. What happened next could only be guessed by feel. The nuns dragged and lifted them onto a cart, then jostled them up and down, finally dumping them into some gloomy place.

“Feels like a dungeon,” Hanyu sniffed as soon as the nuns left. She was used to underground places and could tell by scent.

“Should be,” Mei Niang agreed.

“So this must be the Echoing Cavern!” Hong Kun, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

“Echoing… Sun and Moon… Oh!” Jin Guishan stomped his foot.

“Senior, what do you mean?” Qi Yuanxiao asked in confusion.

“Don’t you get it? The character for ‘Qing’ contains ‘moon’, and ‘Yin’ contains ‘sun’. Sun and Moon Temple, Echoing Cavern!” Hanyu interjected impatiently.

“Who would have thought!” Mei Niang trailed off, and everyone understood she meant the lack of any demonic aura. For cultivators like them to be so completely fooled!

“We need to figure out how to get these ropes off! I tried the Release Spell, but it didn’t work,” Hong Peng said with frustration.

“They’re living things—of course it didn’t!” Hanyu muttered. “Hey… Mei Niang, can’t you harvest their essence?”

“Harvest what? We’re all tied up now!” Mei Niang snapped.

With no solution, silence fell. Blinded and exhausted, one by one they began to doze off. Just then, a sudden sneeze echoed in the dungeon—weak but thunderous. Instantly, everyone perked up. The turtle demon!

“Turtle brother, come save us!” Yi Bing called out.

“Hey, hey, keep it down! Where am I, anyway? I was sleeping soundly, then woke up frozen—wait, you all…” The turtle crawled slowly from Yi Bing’s arms, using its beak to pull off the blindfold.

“I don’t know! Last night, we were tied up by snakes disguised as straw rope!”

“Snakes? Hmph!” The turtle rolled its eyes.

“Yeah! And nothing we do can loosen them! Do you have any ideas?” Yi Bing pleaded.

“Seems the turtle’s got nothing…” But at that “hmph”, Hanyu sensed hope; the turtle definitely had a way.

“Divine Turtle! Divine Turtle!” The turtle’s eyes bulged.

“If you really get us out, I’ll call you Divine Turtle from now on!” Hanyu declared.

“Really?” The turtle’s neck shot out two meters, bringing its face right up to Hanyu’s.

“Hey! Back off!” The turtle’s breath was hot on her face. “Really! Absolutely!”

“Hmph!” Before the sound faded, the turtle began pecking wildly at the snakes, and in no time, they all collapsed in a heap on the ground.

“Wow! Truly a Divine Turtle!” Hanyu tore off her blindfold and leapt up. The turtle’s shell shivered with joy.

“Quiet!” Hong Kun hissed. “Don’t let them hear—we’ll catch them off guard!” Hanyu, for once, didn’t argue, only frowned.

It really was a dungeon. By the light of a few oil lamps on the wall, they searched the place. Aside from the barred stairway above, there was no other exit. Jin Guishan tried the door with his strength—no movement at all. Turning, he saw Hong Kun silently making hand seals, but nothing happened.

“We can’t cast spells here—earth escape is impossible,” Hong Kun said in disappointment.

“It was the same for us in the Returning Essence Cave!” Jin Guishan recalled that night.

“Senior, looks like this demon isn’t ordinary,” Hong Peng frowned.

“We’ll have to bide our time, pretend we’re still tied up. When they come for us, we’ll strike together,” Hong Kun said, glancing at Jin Guishan.

“That’s all we can do now,” Jin Guishan agreed, picking up a dead black snake to drape loosely over himself.

“Are these snakes dead?” Fat Girl asked nervously.

“No, shall I bring them back to life?” The turtle perked up.

“No, no!” Fat Girl waved her hands frantically, and the turtle looked crestfallen.