Volume One, Chapter Thirty-Four: The Green Hills Keep the Firewood

“Junior Sister? Junior Sister?” As soon as the ropes were untied by the divine tortoise, Qi Yuanxiao called out urgently for Zhao Lingyao. He couldn’t perform soul projection, but he knew well enough that if the soul couldn’t return, it would be a disaster!

“…Senior Brother… I’m here…” came the voice of the plump girl from the ground to the left of the red zither.

“How are you, Miss Zhao?” Yi Bing hurried over.

“I’m fine! Quick, check on Miss Mei and Miss Yu!” The plump girl gasped for breath.

Yi Bing rushed to where Mei Niang and Han Yu had reappeared. The seven-tailed fox and the little white rabbit both lay curled up, eyes tightly shut and unmoving. Yi Bing reached out to check their breaths—weak, but still steady. Scattered around them were many items, among them the pair of jade bracelets and the demonic mirror. Yi Bing quickly gathered them all into his arms to keep safe for the two women.

“Take care of that tail…” the seven-tailed fox said weakly. Only then did Yi Bing notice a fox tail drooping behind the little white rabbit. He picked it up and tucked it away.

“I wonder if I can still reattach it…” Mei Niang murmured.

“How could you not?” Yi Bing asked, puzzled.

The seven-tailed fox managed a bitter smile. “Go force that witch to reveal the transformation spell!”

Yi Bing turned to look; the red zither was gasping for breath, glaring at him with a fierce hatred. The memory of her riding him up the mountain ignited his anger, and with three strides, he stood before her. “Tell me, how do I turn them back?”

“You could kill me, but I’ll never speak!” the red zither spat out each word, her body suddenly growing more and more transparent.

“If you don’t talk, I’ll…” Yi Bing gestured as though to strangle her.

“Go ahead!” she said, ready to face death.

“Smash it!” At some point, Han Yu had awakened, her voice barely audible.

The red zither’s face changed dramatically. Without hesitation, Yi Bing slammed the ‘Sheep-Devouring Mirror’ to the ground. As it shattered, the red zither gasped, her mouth wide, and in an instant transformed into a small red-beaked sparrow.

Hong Kun was the first to react! Always sensitive to the presence of the plump girl, her sudden appearance alerted him that all the sheep in the pen had returned to human form. Without waiting for the female demons guarding them to recover, Hong Kun and Jin Guishan leapt forward and swiftly knocked them to the ground.

“We must go help Yi Bing and the others!” Jin Guishan said, worried about his junior sister’s soul, and quickly consulted with Hong Kun.

“But…” Hong Kun glanced anxiously at those in the sheep pen. Aside from Xuan Shan and a few others, most were still dazed—especially Ruzhen, who seemed utterly lost, and some couldn’t even stand. These people couldn’t possibly fight their way out, or even walk to safety.

“Junior Sister, you and the others stay here, cooperate with Brother Xuan Shan to protect them! We’ll—” Jin Guishan hadn’t finished when several female demons suddenly burst in.

After a brief silence, whistles rose sharply. Realizing they’d been exposed, Hong Kun and the others had no choice but to confront them. Though unarmed, their powers were more than enough to deal with these few demons. Yet, more and more poured in. To protect their helpless comrades, they retreated into the sheep pen. The female demons’ whips transformed into snakes, striking like arrows into the pen. Hong Kun and Jin Guishan dodged and evaded, but their friends—lacking any strength—were bitten and entangled. Hong Kun grew desperate, quickly tracing a circle around the pen while chanting.

“I wasn’t mistaken! Cough… That night outside Yuanyuan Cave, and outside the Sun-Moon Temple, I… cough… saw this red-beaked sparrow. So it was this little vixen!” Mei Niang coughed as she crawled up, but after two feeble attempts to stand, collapsed again.

“Better stay still,” Hong Peng advised. Having been forced back into their original forms, their cultivation was likely ruined. Survival was a blessing.

“We won’t live much longer anyway…” Mei Niang smiled bleakly, turning to Han Yu. “At least I have this little vixen for company!”

“Pah… cough… I’d rather die than stay with… you, old vixen…” Han Yu could barely breathe.

“Don’t say that… We’ll all survive…” the plump girl’s voice sounded suddenly beside the red zither.

“Junior Sister, can you move at all?” Qi Yuanxiao asked urgently.

“…No… You all should go, take my body out first, then I’ll recuperate and catch up…” The plump girl’s soul was clearly immobilized.

“What are you saying! I’ll fetch your body right away…” Qi Yuanxiao rushed toward the hall door, but Hong Peng quickly pulled him back.

“Don’t be rash! First, we don’t even know if they’ve returned to human form—if not, you’d be alone and in grave danger. Second, if that old demon returns, we might not be able to protect them. Better we move together, fighting our way out!” Hong Peng explained methodically.

“You’re right, Brother! But how do we take my junior sister’s soul out? We can’t just leave her here!” Qi Yuanxiao agreed.

“If that old demon comes back… she can see Miss Zhao’s soul!” Yi Bing interjected, reminding everyone that the old demon had threatened to destroy the plump girl’s soul.

“Plump girl, you’re the best! I’ll take you out!” The divine tortoise slowly crawled over to the red-beaked sparrow.

“You can carry her soul out?” Everyone was stunned.

“Hmph! I’m a divine tortoise—nothing’s impossible. Come on, climb up!” The tortoise called to the plump girl’s soul as if he could see her.

“You can see her?!” Han Yu’s ears perked up.

“Shut up! I can’t see her, can’t see her!” The tortoise shook his head nervously.

“Brother Tortoise, then I…” The plump girl was both surprised and delighted.

“Hurry up, hurry up!” The tortoise urged impatiently.

The hall fell silent, so quiet a pin drop could be heard. After a moment, the tortoise began to crawl again, and Yi Bing instinctively followed. Yet the tortoise circled endlessly, forcing Yi Bing to do the same.

“Hey, plump one! Why are you avoiding me? I want you to carry me!” the tortoise suddenly exclaimed, half amused, half exasperated.

“Oh? Right!” Yi Bing realized, “Wait a moment! I’ll find something to carry Miss Mei and Miss Yu out too!” He ran to the bedside, found a three-tiered pastry box, which seemed the right size. He emptied the pastries; each layer fit the tortoise and the rabbit, but was a bit small for the fox. After thinking, he grabbed a sheer curtain and hurried back.

“I want the top!” The tortoise, once placed in the box, immediately protested.

“Alright, alright!” Yi Bing placed Han Yu inside, gesturing at her. Han Yu had no strength left to banter.

“Brother Mu, bring the sparrow too!” the plump girl suddenly said.

“Junior Sister! That demon…” Qi Yuanxiao protested.

“What a kind heart!” the tortoise muttered.

“I understand!” Yi Bing obediently placed the red-beaked sparrow in the third tier.

“Miss Mei, the box is too small, you’ll have to make do outside!” Yi Bing stacked the boxes, then picked up the seven-tailed fox, placing her atop the boxes and tying her with the curtain to prevent her from slipping.

“Heh, being above the divine tortoise is wonderful!” Mei Niang giggled, making the tortoise push angrily at the box lid.

Hong Peng led the way, Yi Bing in the middle, Qi Yuanxiao at the rear, as the three carefully opened the hall door. The female demons guarding outside were focused on enemies beyond, unaware of an attack from behind, and were quickly subdued. Hearing the commotion outside, they knew everyone had returned to human form, bringing relief. Yet, entering the sheep pen, anxiety returned. Over a hundred female demons surrounded the pen, unable to break in, blocked by an invisible wall.

“Senior Brother set up a demon-repelling circle!” Hong Peng whispered.

“Oh, right!” Yi Bing recalled the scripture mentioning such a circle to keep demons at bay.

“Stand back!” The circle reminded Hong Peng; he began chanting and gesturing, and a wall of fire surged forward, pushing the demons back. Their sheer gowns burned easily, and though nudity meant little, they feared burns to their faces—their beauty hard-won.

“Follow me!” Hong Kun led everyone out of the sheep pen, quickly joining Hong Peng.

“Senior Brother, let’s retreat to the rear hall!” Hong Peng shouted, using the fire wall to shield them.

“This way!” Qi Yuanxiao led the way, Hong Kun followed with the group close behind.

Passing an iron door, the tortoise suddenly cried, “The weapons are inside! The weapons are inside!” They broke in, finding all their weapons piled there. With weapons in hand, the tide turned. As Hong Peng’s fire wall weakened, Xuan Shan and others joined the fight, quickly gaining the upper hand. Yet, with so many wounded, they dared not press the attack, and soon stalemate set in.

“There’s another door at the back!” The tortoise called loudly.

“We’ll retreat out first!” Hong Kun glanced at Xuan Shan, who nodded. So, fighting and retreating, guided by the tortoise, they twisted through corridors to a door identical to the main entrance. The few female demons guarding it saw the crowd charging and fled in terror.

“Hold them off!” Hong Kun ordered Hong Peng, who quickly conjured a fire wall, blocking the demons at the door. Hong Kun traced a semicircle before the entrance. Then, he led everyone out, with the demons trapped outside the magic circle, left to curse helplessly as their prey escaped.

Outside Qingyin Palace, sunlight flooded the group, and it was a long moment before they could open their eyes. Looking around, they realized they had reached the western peak of Yin-Yang Mountain, with the Sun-Moon Temple visible below. Without delay, they hurried down the slope, heading straight for the temple. Upon entering, they found it empty. Not daring to linger, they retraced their steps through the Yin-Yang Valley, fleeing away from the mountain. After running more than ten miles, seeing no pursuers, they stopped at a fork in the road.

“Brother Jin, everyone, your kindness is beyond words. We must part now!” Xuan Shan bowed in thanks.

“No need! We are fellow cultivators, mutual aid is our duty. No thanks necessary!” Jin Guishan returned the gesture.

“Ah… ashamed…” Xuan Shan sighed and led the still-dazed Ruzhen and his disciples away. The other sects also came forward to bid farewell. In a short time, only Hong Kun’s and Jin Guishan’s groups remained in the cold wind.

“Thank you, divine tortoise, for your guidance!” Hong Kun hurried to Yi Bing, addressing the pastry box. Without the tortoise, the outcome would have been uncertain.

“No need to thank me! It was the plump girl who told me!” the tortoise admitted sheepishly. It turned out she had been whispering instructions to him all along.

“Plump girl?!” Hong Kun stared at the still dazed girl.

“It’s Miss Zhao’s soul! She’s currently resting on the tortoise’s back!” Hong Peng explained. Hong Kun was amazed—first, that one so young could project her soul, and second, that the tortoise was indeed divine, able to carry her soul.

“Junior Sister, how are you? Can you return on your own?” Jin Guishan quickly pushed the plump girl’s body before Yi Bing.

“I’m alright! Please open the box for me, Brother Mu!” Her voice was barely audible. Jin Guishan frowned deeply.

“Certainly, Miss Zhao!” Yi Bing set down the box, untied the curtain holding the seven-tailed fox and gently placed her on the ground, then took down the three boxes. Seeing a fox, a tortoise, a rabbit, and a sparrow, Hong Kun felt his head might explode; Biyi’s face darkened beside him.

“Brother Tortoise, please!” The plump girl softly requested as soon as the tortoise was on the ground. The tortoise silently crawled to her feet.

After a moment, the formerly catatonic girl’s eyes began to move, but her rosy face turned pale, and He Lingchi quickly came forward to steady her.

“Brothers, we must part now. My junior sister’s soul is damaged, and I need to take her home for healing by our master.” Jin Guishan anxiously bid Hong Kun farewell.

“Thank you for caring for my junior brother. I will visit to thank you in person!” Hong Kun returned the salute.

“Miss Mei, Miss Yu, Brother Tortoise, let’s meet again if fate allows! Brother Mu, farewell!” Though her soul had returned, the plump girl was badly injured, barely able to walk.

“You…” Yi Bing was at a loss for words.

Only when Jin Guishan and his group were out of sight did Yi Bing turn back, feeling lost. Suddenly, he noticed the other three staring at him.

“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, Senior Sister!” Yi Bing greeted them, but they said nothing, all glancing at the pastry box.

“Senior Brother, without Miss Mei, Miss Yu, and Brother Tortoise, I wouldn’t have seen you again! We can’t just abandon this demon in the wild, can we?” Yi Bing understood their thoughts.

“Let’s return to Banyue Hill first,” Hong Peng said, glancing at Hong Kun, who nodded in silence.