Volume Two, Chapter Two: Demons and Spirits

Since the pond was the nearest, Yi Bing led his uncle straight toward the divine turtle. Yet when they reached the water’s edge, there was no sign of the turtle. Yi Bing called out urgently, “Brother Turtle! Brother Turtle! Please come out for a moment!”

It was a long while before ripples appeared on the surface, and the divine turtle slowly rose. It regarded Yi Bing and Daoist Xi Feng with lazy, half-lidded eyes.

“Brother Turtle, this is my uncle, Daoist Xi Feng!” Yi Bing blinked furiously at the turtle, afraid it might say something inappropriate.

“This little chubby one isn’t bad,” the turtle yawned, then sank back below the water.

“Hey, Brother Turtle!” Yi Bing cried in alarm.

“Let it be,” Daoist Xi Feng said, perfectly unconcerned.

“Oh…” Yi Bing was puzzled but dared not ask more. He hurriedly led his uncle toward the courtyard where Han Yu and Mei Niang resided.

Before they had even entered, Daoist Xi Feng frowned—the demonic aura here was far too thick! Entering the eastern wing, they saw the seven-tailed fox curled on the bed. Mei Niang shuddered at the sight of Daoist Xi Feng; this person seemed a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, her unadorned and modest attire unable to conceal her ethereal air.

“Miss Mei, this is my uncle, Daoist Xi Feng!” Yi Bing hurried to the bedside. Mei Niang tried to rise, but her limbs were weak. After two failed attempts, she lay back down.

“Greetings, Mistress! I am gravely injured and unable to pay proper respects. Please forgive me!” Mei Niang could only lift her forepaw.

“Don’t speak nonsense! She’s your uncle!” Yi Bing blanched in terror. Mei Niang was immediately mortified, desperate to slap her own mouth—how could she have called her ‘Mistress’? Cultivators of the righteous path never take spouses!

“Hmph! You wicked fox, full of misdeeds, and yet you dare speak such drivel before me!” Daoist Xi Feng, incensed, raised her hand to strike.

“Uncle, please don’t!” Yi Bing seized her sleeve in panic.

“I’m sorry, Daoist! It truly was a slip of the tongue, with no intent to offend. I know my sins are grave—whatever you do to me, even if you kill me, I’ll have no complaint,” Mei Niang said calmly. From the day she arrived, she had known this day would come.

“At least you know yourself,” Daoist Xi Feng said, glaring at her, then changed her palm to a finger and pressed it to Mei Niang’s forehead. Mei Niang shut her eyes tight in terror.

“Uncle…” Yi Bing cried out.

“What are you shouting for, you wretched disciple? Not only did you give my elixirs to this demon, you even dare defy your uncle for her!” Daoist Xi Feng suddenly turned, her rebuke so fierce that Yi Bing dropped to his knees with a thud.

“Daoist, it’s all my fault! It’s all my fault! He only gave me the medicine because he saw I was dying. Since then, I haven’t harmed a soul or beast! My life is yours to claim—please don’t punish him any further!” Mei Niang pressed her fox head to the floor, knocking it hard in supplication. Daoist Xi Feng’s expression softened somewhat. “This demon is willing to sacrifice herself for others. Perhaps Yi Bing’s compassion was not misplaced.”

“Hmph! Demon, for today only, I’ll spare you for your courage in facing your crimes. But if you commit evil again, I’ll see your soul scattered to the winds!” Daoist Xi Feng declared coldly.

“Thank you, Daoist! Thank you! I will truly mend my ways!” Mei Niang was overjoyed, never having expected true mercy.

“You’re lucky you ran into this pudgy fellow and took my celestial elixir—otherwise your life would already be forfeit! Mind yourself!” Daoist Xi Feng rapped Yi Bing on the head. “Why are you still kneeling?” Yi Bing leapt up at once.

Han Yu lived in the western wing opposite. Though she saw Daoist Xi Feng arrive, she ignored her, keeping her eyes closed and curled on the bed. If not for this old Daoist forcing her to be tied to that fat oaf, she would not be in this wretched state. Daoist Xi Feng knew her stubbornness and didn’t press her, simply stepped forward to touch her forehead—but Han Yu turned away at once.

“Must I recite a spell to get you to comply?” snapped Daoist Xi Feng.

“Miss Han, please let my uncle take a look!” Yi Bing pleaded.

“It’s all your fault!” Han Yu grumbled, but did not avoid the touch.

“Ah! You gave away all your life-saving elixirs as favors!” Daoist Xi Feng was truly vexed.

“Uncle, she took a blow to save me—I couldn’t just watch her die!”

“You think I wanted them? He forced them on me! Take them back! Or just kill me!” Han Yu shouted.

“Ah…” Daoist Xi Feng raised her right hand again.

“Uncle, you’re the one who bound her to me! If she dies, the bond is broken—that’d be defying you, wouldn’t it?” Yi Bing argued slyly.

“Hah! So now it’s my fault!” Daoist Xi Feng smacked Yi Bing on the forehead.

“I wouldn’t dare!” Yi Bing stuck out his tongue.

“Isn’t there another one?” Daoist Xi Feng turned for the door, and Yi Bing hurried after her.

“You little glutton! So generous with such precious elixirs! I thought you were acting strange in the pavilion—so you were hiding things from your uncle!” Daoist Xi Feng twisted Yi Bing’s ear as soon as they left the western wing.

“Uncle! I know you care for me! I used up all your elixirs, and you even gave me two more for protection. But I gave them all away—in truth, I feel guilty. When I told you about giving one to Mei Niang, I saw your displeasure and didn’t dare say more, lest you become angrier. But I never meant to deceive you,” Yi Bing confessed.

“Sigh. Once given, they’re yours to use as you wish. I’m just angry you gave one to a demon, but she seems truly willing to reform. If that’s the case, the elixir wasn’t wasted. Come, let’s go—you have none left for the sparrow demon anyway,” Daoist Xi Feng said with a sigh.

Hong Qin was locked in the largest main room. This was a bit awkward—originally, Han Yu and Mei Niang both wanted the main room, but neither wished to share, so after much quarreling, one took the east, the other the west, leaving the main room to Hong Qin by default. At the sight of Daoist Xi Feng, Hong Qin felt a chill of dread. She didn’t know who the newcomer was, but her aura was intimidating. Hong Qin thought herself doomed—not just her cultivation, but perhaps her very life.

“Uncle, this is the sparrow demon!” Yi Bing pointed to the caged Hong Qin.

Daoist Xi Feng said nothing, simply approached the cage and pressed her finger to Hong Qin’s forehead. Hong Qin made no attempt to evade, merely closed her eyes. Nothing happened for a long while. At last, the finger was withdrawn, and Hong Qin couldn’t help but open her eyes.

“Why choose the path of a demon?” Daoist Xi Feng was staring at her. Hong Qin was bewildered.

“Uncle, she really was bad—she harmed many of our friends, and even… rode on me…” Yi Bing regretted his words halfway through.

“Then why bring her back?” Daoist Xi Feng suppressed a smile.

“I didn’t intend to, but she was gravely injured—whether she lived or died, she could harm no one. I was ready to leave her, but Miss Zhao insisted I bring her back,” Yi Bing mumbled.

“That chubby girl?”

“Yes! Then I thought, if the old demon returned to save her, she’d cause more harm. Rather than leave her to rot in the wild, better to bring her back for you to judge.”

“My judgment or not, it hardly matters now,” Daoist Xi Feng said thoughtfully, glancing at Hong Qin.

Once they left the secluded residence, Yi Bing accompanied Daoist Xi Feng to the main hall. Hong Kun and the others had already heard of her arrival, but seeing her in conversation with Yi Bing, dared not interrupt and waited outside the hall.

“Welcome, Uncle!” As soon as Daoist Xi Feng appeared, the disciples all knelt in unison.

“Rise,” Daoist Xi Feng waved them up and strode into the hall, with Hong Kun and the others following.

First, Hong Kun reported the news they had gathered on their journey, then detailed their search for Yi Bing. Daoist Xi Feng’s expression grew increasingly grim—these two senior brothers had even managed to lose a junior, and if not for the company present, she would have reprimanded them already. Hong Kun saw her displeasure and grew all the more uneasy, knowing he’d been careless. Luckily, aside from gluttony, Yi Bing had done nothing to disgrace the sect. One might say he had tamed a host of monsters and demons, or more charitably, that he had subdued evil and led the fox spirit to reform. At least he hadn’t turned out like Ruzhen’s ilk, or he’d have no face to see their master again.

After hearing Hong Kun’s account, Daoist Xi Feng shared what she had learned. She had searched the mountains and visited every immortal’s abode, but found no trace of Daoist Menghong. The only clue was a rumor of a strange Daoist by the Luo River, but when she investigated, it led nowhere. Still, she was confident their master was in no mortal danger.

Hong Kun then asked what their next step should be. Daoist Xi Feng advised a period of rest and recuperation. Clearly, finding their master would not be accomplished in a short while, and they could not neglect their own cultivation. Better to wait and see what developments arose. The others agreed, all hoping Daoist Xi Feng would remain to oversee things—which was her intention as well, so she decided to stay at Moonlit Mound for a few days.

With their uncle’s arrival, order quickly returned to Moonlit Mound. Every morning, the disciples rose to recite incantations and draw talismans, followed by scripture and cultivation before noon, and then energy training and alchemy in the afternoon, from dawn till dusk without pause. Though it was hard work, the desire to rescue their master banished all complaints.

Daoist Xi Feng took special care with Yi Bing, carefully inquiring about his studies. On hearing he had learned, in no particular order, the Heaven Method, the Earth Method, and the Human Method, Daoist Xi Feng frowned deeply—her senior brother was clearly becoming more and more eccentric. She knew he taught by dividing the methods, but Yi Bing had learned them out of sequence and in a muddled fashion. Yet he was still standing here, and had managed to stumble safely through all dangers. Remembering how he had survived after consuming both the Chaos Golden Elixir and the Primordial Immortal Elixir, Daoist Xi Feng could only marvel: “My senior brother truly took this disciple by divine providence!”

So Daoist Xi Feng began to help Yi Bing organize his learning, but soon discovered he simply couldn’t concentrate. When she asked how his mad master had taught him, Yi Bing blushed furiously and admitted, after much hesitation, that he had learned while eating. Daoist Xi Feng was dubious, but tried offering him two sesame buns—and to her astonishment, it worked. What he previously couldn’t memorize, he now recited flawlessly; what he hadn’t understood, he grasped at once. Daoist Xi Feng was left speechless.

Perhaps out of respect for his uncle, Yi Bing studied with exceptional diligence, and in a dozen days had caught up with his peers. Daoist Xi Feng was delighted and praised him highly. Yet Yi Bing’s mind was still on Han Yu and the others, frequently pestering his uncle for solutions. Annoyed by his persistence, Daoist Xi Feng finally sent him to gather immortal herbs from Moonlit Mound and prepared medicinal decoctions for Han Yu and Mei Niang.

“In the future, any crimes they commit will be your crimes. Have you thought this through?” Daoist Xi Feng warned with meaning. Yi Bing nodded, silent.

Sure enough, within days, Han Yu and Mei Niang improved markedly. Though not yet able to run and leap, their spirits grew brighter by the day. They clamored to go out, and when Yi Bing could no longer stand their pestering, he fetched two baskets and took them out whenever he was free. At first, they enjoyed the scenery, but soon grew bored and insisted on visiting the divine turtle. Thus, every day by the pond, the turtle, the rabbit, and the fox argued until the sky rang with their voices—though outnumbered, the turtle often ended up so vexed it plunged beneath the water to sulk.

As for Hong Qin, her condition worsened daily, and she ate less and less. Each time Yi Bing saw her, he was tempted to share some medicine with her, but recalling his uncle’s warning—and knowing she was beyond saving—he always refrained in the end.