Chapter Twenty-One: The Art of Enchantment

“Chen Jichang, have you started a rebellion now that I’m not around? What exactly are you trying to do?” Within the Chen family manor, Madam Liu, wife of Chen Zao, jabbed her finger at his nose and berated him fiercely. “Right in front of our three children, you dare behave in such a manner? You… you… you are utterly shameless…”

Chen Zao’s three sons—Chen Sen, the eldest; Chen Hao, the second; and Chen Sheng, the youngest—bowed their heads, not daring to utter a word, as if terrified.

The assembled singing and dancing girls retreated in fear.

“My lady, please calm yourself. There are outsiders present. Let us return to our chambers, and I’ll explain everything to you,” Chen Zao replied meekly, his head lowered, as wilted as an eggplant caught in a frost, entirely devoid of the boldness he’d shown while discussing lofty matters with Li Sanjian.

This man of seven feet in height now appeared before his wife as timid as a young bride.

Liu, hearing this, turned to Li Sanjian and demanded in a loud voice, “Is it him you mean? Who is this man?”

“Mother, he’s nothing but a scoundrel,” Chen Ke’er interjected before Chen Zao could answer, her voice sweet. As she spoke, she stuck out her pink tongue at Li Sanjian, her face full of disdain, yet her expression remained exceedingly cute.

Li Sanjian was dumbfounded, clicking his tongue, wishing to defend himself but unable to find the words.

“Ke’er, mind your tongue,” Chen Zao admonished.

He was unaware of what had transpired between Chen Ke’er and Li Sanjian, assuming her remarks concerned their earlier enjoyment of the singing and dancing together.

If Li Sanjian was truly shameless, then what did that make him? Though Chen Zao wished to protest, he dared not in Liu’s presence and could only explain, “His name is Li Sanjian, a disciple under Elder Zizhan.”

“Hmph, none of you are any good,” Liu dismissed Chen Zao’s explanation and turned to ask her daughter, “Ke’er, why do you call him a scoundrel?”

“Mother, he… he bullied me,” Chen Ke’er replied hesitantly, her words ambiguous.

“How did he bully you?” Liu pressed, her tone growing ever more severe as she glared at Li Sanjian.

“He… he wasn’t wearing any clothes… and he touched…” Pressed by Liu, Chen Ke’er had no choice but to tell the truth.

“Touched… unforgettable.” Realizing Chen Ke’er was about to reveal his disgrace, Li Sanjian hurriedly interrupted her, speaking quickly, “The young lady is quite spirited—she galloped her horse so magnificently that I could only watch in awe, swept up like a river in flood. While admiring her equestrian skills, I inadvertently stood in the wrong place and was splattered with mud, which was entirely my fault. Further, the mud she splashed was like sweet dew from the heavens; I intended to keep it as a token of respect, but foolishly decided to wash it off and hung my clothes out to dry. That too was my error. I should have dressed properly to welcome her. Later, she even taught me how to ride—an experience I shall never forget.”

Madam Liu’s ferocity filled Li Sanjian with dread, and seeing that Chen Zao was no help—he cowered before his wife like a turtle before a hawk—he could only rely on himself.

At this, Chen Ke’er couldn’t help but laugh, bending over with mirth, and chose not to say more.

Chen Zao and his sons, hearing this, also smiled.

Liu glared at Li Sanjian, then said to Chen Zao, “Come with me.”

Li Sanjian appeared quite frail and was still so young that Liu could hardly imagine him harboring any ill intent. She did not press further but turned to return to their chambers, intent on giving Chen Zao a proper lesson.

Chen Zao was mortified and angry, glaring at Liu as if about to explode on the spot, but her commanding presence cowed him, and he meekly followed her out.

Now, the great hall was left empty save for Li Sanjian, who found himself enveloped by a deep and chilling solitude.

That night, Li Sanjian stayed at the Chen family manor.

He slept deeply, lulled by wine, but was jarred awake in the middle of the night by a tremendous commotion.

Startled awake, he heard the sounds of a quarrel coming from another room, the voices growing louder, as if threatening to pierce the heavens.

“You damned woman, you made me lose face before my master, and now in front of my disciple too! Tonight, it's you or me—one of us must yield! Prepare yourself, wretch!”

“Hah! You dare speak after your shameless deeds? Worried about losing face? Did you not fear disgrace when you did such things?”

Their argument grew more heated, punctuated by the crash of shattering objects.

“Wretch, behold my ‘Dragon Soars the Nine Heavens’ technique—take this!”

“You think you’re the only one with tricks? Come then! Tonight, I’ll show you the true art of evasion—‘Phoenix Ascends the Skies!’”

What manner of martial arts is this? Li Sanjian was amazed. He crept to the window and peered out. From the room not far off, there were only sounds of fighting, nothing else unusual.

Just as he puzzled over it, a thundering roar erupted from the room—a colossal golden serpent burst into the air.

The golden serpent was mighty and powerful, with robust claws, swirling through clouds and waves. It circled several times, its eyes, as large as iron balls, glared menacingly into the room, its whiskers fluttering, its jaws snapping.

Almost simultaneously, a fiery phoenix shot into the sky, wreathed in crimson light. In a flash, flames from the soaring phoenix spread across the heavens, illuminating the entire Chen family manor, accompanied by a piercing, triumphant cry.

In an instant, the dazzling flames lit up the night, bathing the world in a brilliance as bright as day.

It was breathtaking—spectacular—magical! Clinging to the window frame, Li Sanjian watched the wondrous scene, his heart swelling with awe.

“Nine Nether Corpse Rot Technique!” the golden serpent suddenly intoned, issuing a dragon’s roar. In a blink, it transformed into a shadowy mass, from which countless skeletons poured forth, surging toward the phoenix.

A chill wind blew, faint with wails and howls.

“Specter Rakshasa Art!” came a cry from the phoenix. In midair, countless female ghosts appeared, phantoms clashing with the skeletons in wild combat.

Ghostly cries rose, stirring the soul with terror.

At this, Li Sanjian was so frightened his soul nearly fled his body. With a shout, he leapt back onto his bed, pulled the covers over his head, and trembled uncontrollably.

What kind of family was this? Were they human—or ghosts? Demons, perhaps?

Had he wandered into a nest of spirits?

Doubt and fear gnawed at his heart. Was this place a haunted graveyard?

The cold wind battered the wooden windows, rattling them ceaselessly, amplifying Li Sanjian’s terror.

……

The next morning, Li Sanjian’s eyes were ringed with black, his spirit utterly depleted. Carrying his book chest, he prepared to take his leave from Chen Zao and his family, his steps faltering, nearly stumbling with every move.

“On my master’s orders, I am to travel to Lingshan County in Qinzhou. I have come to take my leave of you, uncle,” Li Sanjian forced himself to speak politely before Chen Zao’s residence.

Though fearful, he maintained his manners. Secretly, he began to guess that the events of the previous night had been some sort of illusion or magic. Yet he struggled to believe that such wonders could exist—how could illusion be so lifelike?

He repeated his farewell three times before the main doors finally opened, and a maid emerged, bowing deeply. “Master and Madam are indisposed and beg your forgiveness, sir. Master says that if there was any discourtesy, he hopes you will bear with us.”

“My uncle is…?” Li Sanjian inquired.

The maid smiled and shook her head.

Could it be that he fought so fiercely with his wife last night that he’s too bruised to appear? Is he too ashamed to show his face?

This only strengthened Li Sanjian’s suspicions—truly, it must have been illusion. If they were ghosts or spirits, they could change their form at will; no matter how battered, they could simply transform again. Why would they be too embarrassed to appear?

But then he recalled that supernatural beings dared not show themselves in daylight. Yet what about Chen Sen and Chen Ke’er? Especially Chen Ke’er—she was warm to the touch, surely not a demon or a ghost.

Whatever they were—ghosts or monsters—it was best to leave this place as quickly as possible, Li Sanjian resolved.

“In that case, I bid you farewell.” With a bow, he turned and fled from the Chen family manor as though his life depended on it.

Reaching a hillside, he glanced back, seeing the manor shrouded in a faint mist, lending it an air of mystery.

“The Master said: ‘By reviewing the old, one learns the new; such a person can be a teacher. To love benevolence without learning is foolishness; to love knowledge without learning is waywardness; to trust without learning is treachery; to be straightforward without learning is recklessness; to be courageous without learning is disorder; to be firm without learning is willfulness…’”

Li Sanjian recited the Analects in a ringing voice, striding away with great determination.

……

“Wife, just look at me—what am I to do now? How can I ever face Elder Zizhan again? How can I explain myself?” Chen Zao, his face bruised and swollen, complained bitterly to his wife, Liu.

Liu surveyed her “handiwork” and couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s just a boy of a dozen years or so. What are you worried about?”

“Oh, wife, why do you not understand? He may be a boy, but he’s Elder Zizhan’s last disciple. Zizhan places great hopes in him. After talking with him at length yesterday, I realized he is extremely insightful and outstanding. Mark my words, he will be someone of great promise. Now, look what's happened—Han Ren came to bid farewell and I didn’t even dare show my face. Such a breach of courtesy! If he bears a grudge, who knows what might happen…” Chen Zao sighed, his expression pained.

“A man should not be so fussy and fretful. If that’s how you feel, find a way to make amends later. At worst, you can visit your elder brother and apologize again. What’s the big deal?” Liu replied dismissively.

“Where is he going to study?” Liu then asked.

“To Lingshan County in Qinzhou,” Chen Zao answered.