Chapter Eleven: Another Encounter with the Old Man

A chilling gust whipped up behind him, sending an icy shiver down Chen Jiu’s spine. He moved with remarkable speed and, in just a few strides, reached the lowest level.

To the main hall!

The thought sprang instantly to his mind; after all, the main hall housed the statue of the Buddha—such sacred objects were a terror to evil spirits. Perhaps, with luck, a miracle might even occur.

He turned swiftly, glancing to the left, only to find the main hall’s doors tightly shut, not a single lamp burning within; all was shrouded in darkness. Chen Jiu’s heart sank abruptly. Not even a single lamp lit in this monastery—what kind of monks were these?

A pack of lazy monks, he thought.

For now, only the bright moonlight overhead illuminated the grounds, allowing him to make out the scene within the monastery.

Sensing danger, but with no time for hesitation, Chen Jiu rushed toward the main doors.

"Go!" he cried, hurling five yellow beans to the ground, intending to delay the demon for a moment.

A crackling sound erupted, and five plump little figures appeared in the monastery courtyard.

At once, the demon’s towering form materialized from the whirling, bewitching wind. Its eyes gleamed greedily at the five little figures, and to Chen Jiu’s horror, foul-smelling drool began to drip from its gaping maw.

Clearly, the five little beings, pulsing with the breath of life, were exactly to its taste.

Seeing this, Chen Jiu hurriedly flung open the main doors and dashed outside like an arrow released from a bow.

"You five, be careful!" he shouted, unable to help himself, despite knowing the little plump ones had no true consciousness of their own.

At that moment, Sun Bai, clutching his sword, burst out as well. He took one look at the monstrous figure standing in the courtyard and his face twisted in terror.

"Help! Someone, help!" Sun Bai shouted. Though the monastery was not large, priests and servants combined numbered at least twenty.

Suddenly, the demon raised its long, shaggy arm and brought it crashing down on one of the plump figures.

Bang!

But the little fellow was nimble and quick, rolling to the side with ease and dodging the blow.

Just then, from the pitch-dark side rooms, a few oil lamps flickered to life, and footsteps echoed rapidly across the yard.

"Roar—!" The demon, seeing this, let out a low, thunderous bellow from its gaping jaws.

Again it lunged for the little figures, but time and again it failed to catch them.

Enraged, the demon smashed a hole into the ground, then transformed once more into a whirling demonic wind—fleeing the monastery entirely.

The five plump figures, not to be outdone, bounced after it with surprising speed.

Sun Bai was aghast. "Whose children are you? Come back here!"

But as soon as he spoke, he realized something was amiss.

Where could children have come from in this monastery?

Could it be some spell cast by that Daoist priest? Sun Bai suddenly recalled the youthful, delicate-featured Daoist he’d met earlier.

He hadn’t expected that young priest to possess such formidable powers. All he could hope for now was that the Daoist would be able to subdue the demon.

...

Bathed in moonlight, Chen Jiu sped through the sparse woods at the mountainside. Suddenly, a rustle of running water sounded from ahead.

Breathing heavily, Chen Jiu felt a steady wellspring of internal energy surging through him, keeping fatigue at bay. This was the true benefit of the "Everlasting Spring Art": it greatly enhanced his endurance.

"This way, Daoist priest! Over here!" Suddenly, a figure appeared beneath a distant tree.

Chen Jiu’s heart leapt. It was the old man who had shown him the way during the day!

Even as the wind howled behind him, drawing ever closer, Chen Jiu felt his hair stand on end.

"Quick, hide here!" the old man called anxiously.

Without further thought, Chen Jiu gritted his teeth and dashed toward him. Survival was all that mattered now.

He realized, at last, that this old man was not human after all.

In a few long strides, Chen Jiu reached the old man’s side. It was an ancient, towering ginkgo tree, its roots blanketed with yellowing leaves.

"Inside!" The old man pointed to a hollow at the tree’s base, just large enough for a person to slip through.

Chen Jiu hesitated for a moment, then slid inside in a single, fluid movement.

"Don’t worry. This ginkgo has a spirit; it won’t dare come near," the old man explained.

Looking outside, Chen Jiu saw the demon draw close, its form becoming solid once more. Yet it circled restlessly, never approaching within ten yards of the tree.

Relief washed over him.

He bowed to the old man. "May I ask, elder, who are you—?"

"Indeed," the old man sighed. "I died here two days ago. All that remains is this fragment of my soul, lingering to guide lost travelers to safety."

So it was true, Chen Jiu thought.

"Elder, were you slain by this demon?" he asked.

A wry smile twisted the old man’s face. "Heh. I was a fool, believing the words of an old Daoist, venturing into these hills only to send myself to death. What a joke..."

An old Daoist...

A thought flickered in Chen Jiu’s mind, and he pressed further: "Did the Daoist give any name? And what of the demon—where did it come from?"

The old man pondered, then replied, "He called himself the Withered Wood Daoist, a wanderer. The demon—he summoned it with his magic, though I know not from where."

At the mention of "Withered Wood," Chen Jiu immediately recalled the "Withered Wood Old Monster" spoken of by the yellow-furred spirit. Were they one and the same?

"Daoist priest, if you could vanquish this demon, the fifty households of Willow Leaf Village would forever be in your debt!" With that, the ghostly old man fell to his knees before Chen Jiu.

Startled, Chen Jiu quickly stepped aside, avoiding the gesture. "Please rise, elder! I am unworthy of such honor!"

He was in no condition to fight the demon, and after witnessing how the villagers had tried to kill him in broad daylight, he had little desire to play the hero for such people.

Blind accusations, condemnation without understanding the truth—such things were laughable, utterly absurd.

Seeing Chen Jiu unmoved, the old man’s face darkened with sorrow.

Suddenly, the demon outside let out a low growl.

Chen Jiu tensed, peering out of the hollow.

There, behind the demon, the five plump figures leapt out and engaged it in battle.

Chen Jiu frowned. Though the little beings possessed great strength, they were still no match for such a colossal foe.

As if in response to his thoughts, the demon snatched one of the little figures in its hand with a single swipe.

Chen Jiu’s heart lurched in terror.

The five plump figures had grown sentient—if one died, their number would be forever diminished. Even if he cast his "Bean Soldiers" spell again, creating more true, living beings would not be so simple.

No! Not one of them can be lost!

Fury ignited within him. Chen Jiu drew the peachwood sword from his bundle and, in a flash, charged out from the hollow.

The remaining four little figures leapt onto the demon’s towering form, biting and clawing with all their strength.

As he drew near, Chen Jiu looked up, feeling the overwhelming presence of the beast looming above him.

He let out a fierce cry.

"Prepare to die!"

Raising the sword above his head, he gripped it with both hands and plunged it down toward the demon’s waist.

The peachwood blade slid easily into the demon’s flesh.

A great cloud of white smoke billowed up from the wound.

"ROAR!!" The demon howled in pain, hurling the captured figure far away and spinning around to slam Chen Jiu to the ground.

Its massive claws clamped tightly around Chen Jiu’s throat, its huge head looming only inches away.

A putrid stench burst from its maw, making Chen Jiu retch uncontrollably.

The pressure around his neck increased, his face flushing redder and redder.

What should I do? Am I going to die here...?