Jia Mo

Fu Lan and Qi Yin stood at the entrance of the town, staring at each other.

“Brother demon, I’ve already told you ten times. I’m not your bride,” Qi Yin said helplessly.

“Yes, you are,” Fu Lan insisted.

“I’m not…”

Fu Lan was very certain. “Yes, you are.”

“… ” They had repeated this ten times, and now it was the thirteenth time. Qi Yin was about to go crazy and instead asked, “Why me?”

Fu Lan tilted his head and looked at him for a while, and Qi Yin felt goosebumps rise all over his body under his gaze. Just as Qi Yin thought he had nothing to say, Fu Lan suddenly took a step forward and pulled him into his arms. He immediately felt a warmth on his neck as Fu Lan buried his head in it and took a deep breath.

Qi Yin exploded with goosebumps all over his body. He pushed Fu Lan away abruptly. He covered his neck and backed away, shouting, “What are you doing!”

“The scent is right.” Fu Lan looked at him. “You are the puppy I’m looking for.”

“Hey, kid,” the black cat said, “we took care of you when you were a child. At that time, this fool was twelve years old, and you were only four years old, following him and calling him big brother every day. Later, when the demon race invaded South Jiang, the old man and this fool left Wu Jiang. Who knew this war would last so many years, and your mother… forget it. Kid, you’re kissing and hugging people for no reason in the human world. Why not come with us? Your big brother is now the co-ruler of demons and monsters, and at least can protect you.”

“Co-ruler of demons and monsters?” Qi Yin asked, “This Mr. Cat, are you by any chance Yu Sang?”

“Indeed it is I,” said Yu Sang.

Qi Yin didn’t know what Yu Sang looked like, but Fu Lan’s appearance was clearly drawn on the notice – a pig (1). Qi Yin looked at the pig head on the notice and then at Fu Lan’s white and clean face, and tentatively asked, “Brother, you said you were the emperor of South Jiang. Are you a pig?”

Fu Lan shook his head.

“Where are your personal guards?”

“Just him.” Fu Lan pointed to the black cat.

“What about your eunuch attendants?”

“Just him.”

“What about your generals and ministers?”

“Just him.”

“What about your beautiful concubines?” Qi Yin was speechless. “It can’t also be this cat, right!”

Fu Lan honestly shook his head. “No, it’s you.”

Qi Yin: “…”

This human and demon duo really had a mental problem. His aunt said that his mother had been troubled by demons and monsters before. Judging from the time, it was probably these two. But they were not bad, just crazy. The big one fantasized about being the emperor of South Jiang, and the little one fantasized about being the military strategist of South Jiang. He had done the same thing when he was a child, imagining that he was the reincarnation of a great god, preferably the son of Fuxi (2) and Nuwa (3), who had made a mistake in the heavens and was demoted to earth, but he would one day return to the heavens as a god.

Later, when he went to school, he found that nine out of ten children thought they were great princes. Qi Yin felt that he was not special enough. One day, he got lost in the wild forest and came across an unknown wild god’s statue. The wild god looked like a white deer, and he held up a mirror and looked at the deer’s face for a long time. He didn’t know how he did it, but he looked more and more similar. Since then, he declared himself the reincarnation of the White Deer God, and maybe there was a goddess in heaven who secretly loved him and followed him to the mortal world, waiting for him to achieve a beautiful marriage.

Children are like that. Everyone wants to be born noble and have an extraordinary destiny. Later, he gradually understood that he was just an ordinary mortal. Moreover, he was a bastard, and he might be even lower than ordinary people.

Qi Yin shook his head helplessly, patted Fu Lan’s shoulder, and said, “Although you are a demon and you are a demon cat, no matter what it is, you have to be down-to-earth and do things seriously. Brother, I am grateful to you for saving my life just now, so I will give you a few words of advice. Find a livelihood, don’t spend all day thinking about being an emperor, a god, a monster, or a demon. You look so handsome, and when you have some silver in your pocket, you will naturally be able to find a wife. Okay, remember that the world is fast and opportunities limitless. Goodbye, see you again someday.”

“Hey, Qi Yin!” someone shouted behind him.

Qi Yin became impatient. Did these two stinky monsters still want him to be the bride? Turning around, he saw that Fu Lan and the black cat were still standing there, and the white-clothed man who didn’t speak at Yao family’s house before was walking towards him with a sword. Qi Yin then realized that the voice just now was not from the black cat or Fu Lan, but from man.

It’s a disaster. He responded to this guy’s call, and now this guy knew that he was the real Qi Yin.

“I am Yun Zhi.” Yun Zhi smiled at him. “I have met Senior Uncle Qi, who looks very similar to you, especially these eyebrows and eyes. It’s like carved from the same mold. You can fool Zhao Ran, that idiot, but you can’t fool me.”

This sentence was like a burning iron, branding Qi Yin’s heart. He turned his head and happened to face the red-painted pillar of the archway, reflecting his face. His ink-colored eyebrows and black eyes were the same as that man? He felt disgusted.

He plastered a nonchalant smile, and said, “Master Yun, there is no need to say more. Anyway, my cousin is going to the immortal mountain in my stead, so let this matter go. Qi Yin bids farewell.”

“I’m not here to persuade you to climb Mount Wu Fang. I just feel disappointed.” Yun Zhi smiled and looked at him. “When I was seven, I met Master Qi once. He was proud and upright, standing among the disciples like a crane among chickens, radiating brilliance. I thought his child would be just like him, or at least not far behind. I just didn’t expect his son to be so…” Yun Zhi paused for a moment, as if trying to find the right word, and finally said, “Pathetic.”

“…” Qi Yin looked at him and said, “Brother, speak your mind.”

Yun Zhi smirked and continued, “Zhao Ran spoke ill of your mother and you weren’t even angry. Your mother worked hard to raise you, but I heard she was dragged into the water by a water ghost in the end. Zhao Ran disrespected your mother, but you didn’t even get angry?”

Qi Yin took a deep breath and was about to say something, but Fu Lan suddenly spoke up, “Are you bullying him?”

Yun Zhi was stunned and looked at him.

Fu Lan said, “If you’re bullying him, I’ll kill you.”

He said this without any expression, as if he were saying something as ordinary as “Have you eaten?” Qi Yin was scared by him and worried that this Dai Ge (4) might really do something out of line, so he quickly pulled him aside and said to Yun Zhi, “Alright, Daoist Yun, you’re right. I’m just so pathetic. You can insult me all you want. I’m just not worthy of being called Master Qi’s son. Is that enough? Let us go now.”

Yun Zhi looked at him for a moment, bowed, and stepped back.

Qi Yin pulled Fu Lan and walked away, and the black cat followed closely behind Fu Lan. Yun Zhi suddenly said, “Qi Yin, if I told you that nowadays, people on Mount Wu Fang make fun of your mother for fun, and any woman who tries to seduce a disciple of Mount Wu Fang beyond her capabilities will be mocked as ‘Meng Fu Niang’, can you still endure it?”

Meng Fu Niang was his mother’s name, and he hadn’t heard that name in years. Qi Yin paused for a moment, and slowly turned back. He felt a fire burning inside him, but the more he felt this way, the less he wanted to act. He felt the same way when he overheard his aunt’s family’s conspiracy under the window. Although he was furious at the time and wanted to go in and scold them, he ended up leaving in silence, kicking stones on the stone path.

He knew that the people from Wu Fang Mountain looked down on him and his mother. What could he do about it? He was a failure. His father didn’t love his mother and she died young. The girl Qi Yin liked was already married off to someone else. The most he could do was play some tricks, switching the ingredients for his aunt’s beauty soup to make her wake up at night and discover the family’s ugly secrets, causing chaos in the family, and then silently leaving home to protest. That was his biggest retaliation.

But he didn’t expect that in the end, his aunt’s family would all be ruined, and all his emotions of joy and anger were for nothing. The dead bodies and blood of the strange birds littered the ground, making him dizzy. He just wanted to find a place to sleep tonight.

“You guys are so amazing with your cultivation,” Qi Yin said, feeling resigned to his fate, shrugging his shoulders, “I’m just an ordinary person. I can’t fly around like you guys. I also wanted to say to that dog Zhao Ran, ‘Motherfcker, what kind of nonsense is Wu Fang Mountain, fuck off!’ But can I?” Qi Yin laughed tastelessly, answering his own question, “I can’t.”

Fu Lan poked him in the back and said, “I can.”

Impatience and anger finally broke out, and Qi Yin turned his head and cursed, “Shut up, or I’ll hit you first!”

After saying that, Qi Yin regretted it. Although this Dai Ge was annoying, he had saved his life. Seeing Fu Lan staring at him blankly, Qi Yin felt helpless and sad, taking a deep sigh.

“Calm down, calm down.” Yun Zhi was not bothered by Qi Yin’s anger at all. He said, “Qi Yin, let me point you in the right direction. As far as I know, you have no family, and even if you want to hide, there’s nowhere to go now. If you don’t want to go to Wu Fang Mountain, there are other places you can go.”

The black cat bit Qi Yin’s trouser leg. It didn’t have any demonic energy, and there were outsiders around, so it had to pretend to be an ordinary cat and couldn’t speak. It could only signal to Qi Yin that he could follow them to the Southern Border.

“I forgot to mention, I’m not from Wu Fang Mountain.” Yun Zhi held his sword, his eyes shining brightly, “I’m from Feng Huan Immortal Mountain. We have always had a grudge with Wu Fang Mountain. My master sent me to take you away. Fortunately, Zhao Ran didn’t recognize you, or else we would have had to fight.”

“Oh.” Qi Yin was indifferent. “I’m not going.”

“Think about it. When your skills are fully developed, you can fight whoever you want to fight. I’ve never liked that Zhao Ran guy anyway. When the time comes, we can all gang up on him and beat him up in a sack,” Yun Zhi said with a smile.

Qi Yin walked away without turning his head.

“Hey, Qi Yin,” Yun Zhi called to him from a distance. “Don’t you want to know what kind of path to immortality your father abandoned you and your mother for?”

Qi Yin stopped in his tracks.

Yun Zhi walked up to him and said seriously, “Your mother was taken away by a water ghost when you were only five years old. Qi Yin, if you can cultivate the supreme sword heart and become an unbeatable sword, you will be able to protect your loved ones when faced with difficulties and dangers.”

Qi Yin sighed and said, “I don’t want to be a bachelor.”

“Get married after you finish your studies.” Yun Zhi raised an eyebrow.

The black cat continued to bite his pants stubbornly, tearing holes in the fabric. Qi Yin didn’t know how to feel. What was going on now? He had become a treasure that everyone wanted, but he didn’t feel happy at all. He felt heavy-hearted as if a huge stone was weighing him down.

Closing his eyes, he seemed to see his mother’s blurred face being dragged into the river by the pale water ghost while he stood on the shore unaware. Then, the bird demon from the Yao family came out of his aunt’s mouth and screeched at him.

Without strength, he could only be at the mercy of others. But could a person who was used to being a sparrow really become an eagle soaring in the sky?

“If I change my mind later, can I still come down from the mountain?” Qi Yin hesitated and asked.

“Of course,” Yun Zhi said, “I’ll personally escort you with my sword.”

Since there was nowhere else to go, and there was a place to sleep and eat at that Feng Huan Mountain, Qi Yin made up his mind and said, “Then I’ll give it a try.”

Yun Zhi was just about to cheer, but he looked down and saw the black cat still tugging at Qi Yin’s pants. Yun Zhi poked it with the sword hilt and asked, “What’s wrong with this cat?”

Qi Yin turned his head to look at Fu Lan, who was standing next to the red pillar of the archway, like a dark shadow. He remembered that this guy was like him, with no parents, and couldn’t help feeling sad. Maybe if you didn’t have parents, you would want to get married earlier so you could have a warm embrace and cuddle with each other under the quiet and cold eaves.

“Puppy, do you want to break off the engagement?” Fu Lan looked at him quietly.

“…” Yun Zhi scratched his head. “Uh, Qi Yin, you might want to learn from your dad and abandon it halfway.”

Qi Yin was helpless. Dai Ge, although you are very pitiful, you are also a man who tears apart monsters with your bare hands. Can you not act like a resentful woman? And Qi Yin was not a puppy!

“But…” Yun raised his chin at Fu Lan. “Demon, I see that you don’t have much demonic energy and haven’t been on the demonic path for long. What Zhao Ran said makes sense. The demonic path is treacherous, so it’s better not to get involved. Do you want to join us and go to Feng Huan Mountain? It’s fine as long as you guys don’t go too far up the mountain and don’t let the masters find out.”

The black cat had heard of the name Feng Huan Mountain, one of the four immortal peaks, a place that produced stinky Daoists who looked down their nose at others. Demons and Daoists were natural enemies, so how could they sneak into the thief’s den? Just as Qi Yin was starting to get anxious, Fu Lan had already spoken up, “I’ll go.”

The black cat was stunned, turning his head to look at Fu Lan. Fu Lan looked indifferent, as if he didn’t know the danger of this road.

“What’s your name?” Yun Zhi asked.

“Fu Lan.”

Yun Zhi fell silent for a moment. Then he covered his stomach and burst into laughter, “What was your father thinking? Why did he give you a pig’s name?”

Black cat: “……”

Fu Lan: “……”

Footnotes

1. Pig demon – similar to Zhu Ba Jie from Journey to the West.

2. Fuxi – a deity born from a divine egg that was laid by a primordial being named Nüwa, who is often depicted as his sister and sometimes as his wife. Fuxi and Nüwa were said to have ruled the world together as a divine couple, and their descendants became the ancestors of the Chinese people. Fuxi is often depicted as a serpent with a human head, and he is sometimes associated with the practice of divination and the worship of ancestors.

3. Nüwa – a deity in Chinese mythology who is traditionally associated with creation, fertility, and the arts of civilization. According to legend, Nüwa was responsible for creating human beings out of clay and breathing life into them, and she is sometimes regarded as the mother of all humanity. Nüwa is often depicted as a beautiful woman with the body of a serpent.

4. Dai Ge – the literal translation is “Silly Brother.” It’s a term of endearment, referring to the fact that Fu Lan seems a bit slow-witted.

The strange bird emitted a mournful scream, and the sound wave rolled towards Qi Yin, causing everyone to scream in shock. Auntie pulled Yao Xiao Shan and the old lady and ran away, while Xiao Yuan crawled away. The nine long necks of the strange bird and its nine palm-sized, withered heads surrounded Qi Yin, and in the blink of an eye, Qi Yin’s mind went blank.

Am I going to die? His eighteen years of miserable life had finally come to an end.

However, at this moment, the glass beads on his wrist suddenly began to vibrate, and Qi Yin looked down to see the runes shining on the glass beads like flowing gold. At the same time, the temperature of the glass beads quickly rose, almost burning his wrist. The strange bird let out a sharp cry, and the nine bird beaks simultaneously lunged at Qi Yin. The runes suddenly shook, and they rapidly expanded into an illusion that enveloped Qi Yin. The strange bird bumped its head on the runes and was bounced back with great force, falling upside down into the flower bushes of the corridor.

The runes disappeared, and the glass beads suddenly broke into pieces and fell to the ground with a crackle. Qi Yin wanted to pick it up, but when he turned his head, he saw that the strange bird was about to get up again, so he quickly withdrew his hand and ran towards the backyard. There was a back door in the backyard that they could escape from. Qi Yin ran fast and caught up with the old lady and the others after a few steps. Everyone rushed towards the back door, but when they arrived, they were stunned to find that the door was locked with a big padlock, and the key was in Auntie’s bedroom.

The crying baby’s voice was getting closer and closer, and everyone looked at each other with panicked faces. This group of people consisted of an old lady and two weak women who couldn’t even walk properly, so even if they wanted to climb over the wall, they wouldn’t make it in time. Qi Yin made a quick decision: “Let’s go inside and hide!”

Everyone entered the old lady’s room, and Qi Yin gently closed the door and crouched against the wall. It was very dark inside, and the moon had been obscured by dark clouds at some point. As soon as the door was closed, they were plunged into darkness where they couldn’t even see their own hands. The crying sound was getting closer and clearer, until it was only separated by a wall. Everyone’s heart was in their throat as they listened to the crying sound outside the door.

Qi Yin was very uneasy. Yao Xiao Shan said that there were two strange birds, one outside and one inside. Where was the other one? Was it in someone’s belly? In his panic, he forgot to pick up the axe, and now he didn’t even have a weapon. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, and everyone else was also terrified of the strange bird outside, crouching silently in the darkness. Only he deliberately leaned closer to the door, so as not to be caught off guard if the bird decided to break in.

In the distance, a few more cries were heard, and Qi Yin’s heart trembled. He quietly broke the window screen and looked out, only to see the nine-headed bird and his uncle, whom he had beheaded, coming back to life. The broken head was gradually regenerating.

Qi Yin widened his eyes in shock. This strange bird couldn’t be killed!

“Killing monsters requires killing the heart.” Yao Xiao Shan appeared out of nowhere, startling Qi Yin. “I heard from a Daoist in the West Market that monsters that still have their hearts won’t die.” Tears streamed down his face as he said, “Xiao Yin, are we going to die today?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. When the immortal arrives at dawn, we’ll be saved,” Qi Yin muttered.

A cold hand grabbed his arm in the darkness, and Qi Yin was scared out of his wits. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the old lady. What was going on with this family? Why did they like scaring people? The sound of rustling clothes could be heard, and it turned out that Auntie had also scooted over towards him, with only Xiao Yuan remaining by the floor lamp.

The old lady pointed to Xiao Yuan and then rubbed her own belly. It was too dark in the room, and Qi Yin had to look hard for a long time before realizing that Xiao Yuan was clutching her stomach and was now motionless, as if dead.

It turned out that the strange bird was inside Xiao Yuan’s stomach!

Qi Yin grabbed a nearby stool as a weapon, and everyone stared at Xiao Yuan intently. The cries resumed, pacing back and forth at the door, making their scalps tingle.

Xiao Yuan remained still, and the moon had appeared at some point, casting pale moonlight through the window, making the room a little brighter.

Suddenly, the old lady tugged at Qi Yin’s sleeve. Qi Yin turned his head in confusion, and under the moonlight, the old lady’s face was pale, like a paper mask. She was trembling and pointing to the shadow on the ground.

There were three shadows on the ground, with the old lady on the left, Yao Xiao Shan on the right, and Qi Yin in the middle. Auntie was squatting behind them, and her shadow was overlaid with theirs, making her invisible. What was wrong with this shadow? Qi Yin wondered. Suddenly, nine long, thin shadow tentacles emerged from the top of its head and danced like hair.

Qi Yin was chilled from head to toe in an instant.

They turned their heads and saw Auntie standing up with nine long necks stretching out of her mouth in a twisted posture.

“Ah…”

The old lady and Yao Xiao Shan ran for the door. Qi Yin was closest to Auntie, and Auntie pounced on him. Qi Yin used a stool to block her, but she pushed him out of the door with her suddenly immense strength. Qi Yin’s hands bulged with veins as he tried to block the long neck of the strange bird that was climbing towards him. He looked up and saw a nine-headed bird perched on the eaves, its nine pairs of eyes staring at him viciously. Qi Yin was almost in tears. The bird flapped its wings and pounced straight at him.

Suddenly, a cold arc of light appeared, as if a corner of the night had been torn open. The arc of light pierced the body of the strange bird directly, and Qi Yin watched as the bird was torn into pieces, with its stinking blood spilling all over him. Auntie was startled and trembled, and the nine heads of the bird retracted into her mouth as she climbed onto the roof with her hands and feet.

Qi Yin was lifted up by a pale hand, and when he turned his head, he saw the man in black who had the fat cat on his shoulder. The fat cat jumped into his arms and spat out a glass bead into his hand, “The Evil-Expelling Glass Bead can suppress breath and ward off demons. We demons recognize people by their breath, and this thing has hidden you. No wonder we couldn’t find you.” Seeing the cat talk like a human, Qi Yin almost dropped it.

“You, you, you, you…” Qi Yin was stunned.

The nine-headed bird was still screeching, and Auntie and Uncle’s dead bodies chased Yao Xiao Shan and the old lady around the courtyard, but they did not come towards Fu Lan and Qi Yin. The black cat said, “You’re a brave kid, treating the demon egg like a treasure. Jiutou Niao likes to eat human hearts, liver, and intestines, and it just hatched, so it’s hungry. If it weren’t for this old cat and the fool arriving in time, you would have lost your life too. Oh, by the way, where’s your mother? Why don’t we see her?”

“Help! Help!”

On the other side, Yao Xiao Shan was about to be caught by his uncle. Qi Yin ignored the nonsense and hurriedly bowed to Fu Lan. “Please help my cousin and grandmother. Qi Yin will be extremely grateful!”

Fu Lan did not move, only looked at the eaves and said, “Someone is coming.”

There was a sharp whistle from the roof, as if it would pierce through the head. A bright flash of light arrived in an instant, simultaneously piercing the chest and abdomen of Uncle and Auntie. Blood splattered, and the two fell to the ground like torn sacks, motionless.

Sword glare flew in the sky, the dark clouds dispersed, and the moon reappeared in the sky. Two men in white flew down and lightly landed in the courtyard.

The man in front took a long bow with folded sleeves, like a white butterfly that had folded its wings. He had a delicate smile on his face and said, “Zhao Ran of Wu Fang Mountain arrived a step too late.”

The old lady crawled to her feet in tears, crying out, “Immortal, immortal, you finally came!”

Xiao Yuan crawled out of the house, holding her stomach. Qi Yin saw a puddle of blood under her, realizing that she had a miscarriage.

“I’m sorry for your loss, old lady. This humble Daoist saw demonic energy soaring in here, so I hurried over with my sword, but I didn’t expect…” Zhao Ran looked at the Yao couple on the ground, shook his head and sighed, “I didn’t expect to be late.”

The old lady cried so hard that she couldn’t catch her breath.

Zhao Ran turned to Fu Lan and said, “This young friend killed with his claws, seeming to be a member of the demonic path. Does the Yao family’s demon bird have anything to do with you?”

Qi Yin was still in a daze, but when he heard this, he quickly pulled Fu Lan behind him and said, “It has nothing to do with him. He is my friend who came to save me.”

Zhao Ran smiled and said, “It’s good that it has nothing to do with him. This humble Daoist came to take the orphan of Elder Qi back to the mountain. It’s not good to create trouble.”

His smile was like a mask, making Qi Yin feel uneasy. He looked at Fu Lan again, but he still had the same indifferent expression, as if he didn’t care about anything.

Zhao Ran looked at the old lady again and said, “Old lady, where is Qi Yin? Or has he already died in the demon’s belly?”

There was silence. The old lady looked at Qi Yin through tears and was about to speak, but Qi Yin asked first, “Forgive my impudence, may I ask this immortal, why did Wu Fang Mountain not ask about Qi Yin for 18 years, but suddenly wants to take him back?”

Zhao Ran smiled. “You misunderstand, Wu Fang Mountain has never been responsible for monitoring Qi Yin. Those who cultivate the Dao cut off their emotions and desires. Eighteen years ago, when Elder Qi went to Wu Jiang to subdue demons, Qi Yin’s mother did not repay his kindness and instead seduced the elder, leading him away from the right path and into a delusion of desire. Fortunately, the elder eventually realized his mistake, returned to the immortal mountain, and did not lose his decades of cultivation. That woman raised Qi Yin alone, but later he had to bury her bones in the river. It was his mother who reaped what she had sown. What does it have to do with our immortal mountain?”

“Bury her bones in the river?” Fu Lan suddenly spoke up, “Did A Fu die?”

“A Fu?” Zhao Ran said, “If you are referring to Qi Yin’s mother, Meng Fu Niang, she was dragged into the river by water ghosts when Qi Yin was only five years old.”

Fu Lan fell into a long silence, and Qi Yin remained silent for a while before asking, “Did Elder Qi tell you that Qi Yin’s mother seduced him?”

“Of course,” Zhao Ran said, “The elder returned to the sect not long after and confessed his mistake to the whole sect during the morning assembly. He also punished himself by meditating on the Repentance Cliff for eight years to show his regret. To recognize one’s mistake and make amends is the greatest goodness. The path of immortality is long and arduous. The fact that the elder can repent is still something we all respect. Unfortunately, the elder went to Ying He to eliminate water ghosts and was killed. The sect leader sympathized with the elder and also took into account that the mother’s mistake should not affect the child, so he sent me to bring back Qi Yin. If he can inherit the elder’s mantle, it would also be a fortunate event.”

Qi Yin pointed to Yao Xiao Shan. “He is Qi Yin; take him with you. His dad left him a glass bead that shattered when he was fighting the monster bird. It’s in the front yard.”

Yao Xiao Shan looked at Qi Yin in shock and stuttered, “C-cousin, d-do you not want me anymore?”

“Didn’t you always want to go?” Qi Yin turned his head to see the broken corpse on the ground; his eyes darkened, “Don’t let Madam down.”

He turned around and picked up the cloth bundle that had fallen in the front yard. He made a bow to the Yao family grandmother. “Matriarch, I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”

The old lady held his hand and wept. “Can’t you wait until morning before leaving?”

“Take all the silver notes with you,” she said. “Take them all.”

He shook his head to decline, walked to the door, and suddenly remembered that the door was bolted. He thought of going back to get the key, but Fu Lan flicked his finger, and the lock broke. The door creaked open, revealing the dark alley outside and the heavy night sky. He looked back and saw Yao Xiao Shan and the old woman weeping while holding the corpses. Xiao Yuan stood in the corridor with empty eyes, and Zhao Ran stood next to them with an indifferent expression.

“When you become a cultivator, you must sever all worldly ties and emotions,” Qi Yin thought to himself. “How could you care about such trivial worldly affairs?”

The other cultivator held a sword and turned his head to look at him. He had not spoken all this time. He wore a black glove on his right hand and had a strange expression on his face.

Qi Yin frowned and turned to leave. Behind him, he heard Zhao Ran’s voice, “Young man, let me give you a word of advice. The path of demons is not the right way. It is better not to associate with them. If you must befriend them, do not indulge in their ways, or you will be doomed forever.”

Qi Yin did not respond. Fu Lan stopped walking and turned around. “He’s not my friend,” he said.

“Oh?” Zhao Ran raised an eyebrow.

“He’s my new bride,” Fu Lan said.

The cries in the courtyard suddenly stopped. Everyone was silent for a moment. Zhao Ran said, “That’s even worse, young man. Homosexuality is also not the right way. Please think carefully.”

 

It was late and the watchman passed by, knocking the drum to signal the third watch of the night. The houses were shrouded in darkness, clustered together in a dense mass that seemed impenetrable.

Auntie turned over in bed, reaching out to the side and feeling the coldness of the empty space where her husband should have been sleeping. Had he gone to pay his respects to his ancestors? She frowned and waited for a while, suddenly feeling that something was not right. The chamber pot was right next to the bed, so where had he gone to relieve himself?

Filled with suspicion, she sat up and pulled back the curtains. The room was not lit, and it was pitch black outside. Looking through the diamond-shaped panes of the lantern-patterned window, she could see nothing but the indistinct shadows of plants and flowers that resembled ghostly figures. The night was very still, occasionally broken by the cries of wild cats that sounded like the cries of newborn babies. She could faintly hear the soft moans of a woman in the distance, too far away to distinguish.

She was a little scared, her bare feet touching the ground, the stone floor chilly against her feet. She walked to the window and listened carefully for a while, and the woman’s moans became clearer and more distinct, clearly coming from her own courtyard.

Someone was dying; there must be ghosts in the house. She wanted to find her husband and resented him for not being there at this moment. Just as she was getting anxious, an embarrassing thought crossed her mind. The moans were coming from the kitchen, and Xiao Yuan was sleeping in the room next to the kitchen. She couldn’t believe it, but inexplicably pushed the door open and walked towards the kitchen. Her heart pounding, she forgot to put on her shoes and walked barefoot through the shadows, passing around the corridor and stopping at the bottom of Qi Yin’s attic. The moans were getting louder and louder, coming from inside the kitchen.

“Can we rest for today? My stomach hurts,” she heard her husband pitifully pleading.

The moans stopped, and Xiao Yuan hummed, “You’re sick of me, aren’t you? If you dare to leave me, watch me stab you to death and feed you to the demons!”

“No, it’s true. My stomach hurts. Ahh…”

Auntie’s anger rose, and she was about to step forward, but suddenly the tiles above her head moved and made a crackling sound. She was startled. From somewhere came the crying of wild cats, one after another, their cries piercing and reminiscent of wailing infants. She caressed her chest, picked up a bamboo pole leaning against the wall, took a deep breath, and kicked open the door.

The two lovers were indeed inside, both half-undressed, with only their two white legs showing. Xiao Yuan was lying on the stove, and when the door opened, the moonlight shone in, illuminating her entire body. She was stunned, her face white as a ghost in the moonlight. Uncle also stared wide-eyed, still lying on Xiao Yuan and forgetting to react.

Auntie was so angry that she shouted: “I’ll kill you, adulterous couple!” She hit Uncle with a bamboo pole, causing him to run away while holding his head and moaning. Xiao Yuan knelt on the ground and cried, “Madam, have mercy, have mercy! I was forced by the master to do it. I had no choice!”

But her crying only fueled Auntie’s rage. She turned around and hit Xiao Yuan’s face with the bamboo pole, shouting, “I’ll kill you, you slut! I’ll beat your face to a pulp. See how you seduce people then!”

Xiao Yuan rolled on the ground, crying loudly. Auntie went to pull out her hairpins and brooches, and tried to strip off her clothes. Xiao Yuan held onto her clothes and yelled, “Master, save me!”

Uncle stood at the other end of the kitchen, not reacting. Auntie sneered, “Are you still hoping he’ll save you? I’ll strip you naked and sell you to the brothel! Let’s see if he’ll save you then!”

With a sudden burst of energy, Xiao Yuan kicked Auntie away and crawled towards Uncle, holding onto his legs and crying, “Yao Lang, you said you’d protect me!”

Auntie was so furious that she picked up the bamboo pole to hit them again. Uncle, who had been standing with his back turned to them, slowly turned his head around. His movements were slow and jerky, like an elderly man with mobility issues.

Xiao Yuan was near enough to see clearly. Uncle’s head twisted around, but his body did not move. His neck made a crisp cracking sound, and his head hung down with his eyes fixed on Xiao Yuan, who was still holding onto his legs.

Xiao Yuan screamed and crawled back to Auntie. As she was about to scold her, Uncle’s mouth suddenly opened wide. It was so large that it did not look like something a human could do. His facial features were all squished together at the top of his head.

At the same time, nine snake-like necks with flat, dry heads stretched out from his gaping mouth, and all nine heads cried out like wailing babies. They were directed towards Auntie and Xiao Yuan, and the cries were filled with a desperate and heartbreaking sadness.

The two women were scared out of their wits and screamed in unison, “Ah!”

The old lady was awakened by their screams and sat up, pulling back the curtains. She knew that wherever there were women, there would be trouble. She had never liked Yu Niang’s temperament and had secretly allowed Xiao Yuan to have an affair with her son. She had been waiting for the day when Xiao Yuan would become pregnant, and Yu Niang would have to accept her into the family, whether she liked it or not.

But from the beginning of the year until now, there had been no news of Xiao Yuan’s pregnancy. Seeing the commotion tonight, it was possible that the cat was out of the bag. She sighed and put on her clothes before heading out.

As she approached the corner gate, she saw the tree swaying and a figure jumping down. It was Qi Yin. She knew something was wrong because Yu Niang’s medicine dose was not enough, and the child had woken up. Qi Yin did not immediately approach her but stood under the tree, looking at her with fear. She noticed that the child was holding an axe, and drops of blood were trickling down the cold blade.

Her mind went blank, and she trembled as she pointed at him. “You…you…did you kill someone? Yu Niang or my son or grandson?” Yes, yes, the boy must have found out that they planned to use Xiao Shan to replace him on the immortal mountain. With a grudge in his heart, he killed someone with the axe. She was furious and exclaimed, “I shouldn’t have taken in an ungrateful wretch like you!”

Qi Yin did not speak, but clenched his teeth and ran towards her with the axe. She was shocked and retreated, shouting, “You want to kill me too? Murderer! Murderer!”

The axe swung straight towards her face, and she instinctively covered her head. The axe whizzed past her, and she heard something scream in agony. Immediately, she was assaulted by the pungent smell of blood. She opened her eyes in horror and saw nine dry, brown necks lying at her feet, along with the giant body and wings of a strange bird.

“This thing has been following you all this time,” Qi Yin wiped the blood off his face.

The old lady was still in shock and asked, “What is this?”

“I don’t know.” Qi Yin shook his head. “You go back to the house, and I’ll check the front yard.”

After saying that, Qi Yin took the axe and walked towards the front yard. The old lady looked back and saw Xiao Yuan and Auntie rushing towards her with panic on their faces. Behind them, Uncle was chasing after them with nine long necks stretching out of his mouth, but the strange bird seemed to be difficult to control, and Uncle stumbled and twisted his legs.

The old lady fainted as soon as she saw him in that state. Qi Yin helped her to the doorstep. Yao Xiao Shan was also awakened by the noise. Rubbing his eyes and slipping on his shoes, he walked to the bottom of the corridor and asked, “What are you doing?”

Uncle saw that he couldn’t catch up with Auntie and Xiao Yuan. He turned a corner and walked towards Yao Xiao Shan instead. Auntie quickly shouted, “Xiao Shan, run!”

Yao Xiao Shan finally saw his father’s appearance and screamed, running away. Uncle twisted his leg and pounced on him, but Yao Xiao Shan ran too fast for him to catch up. He turned to pounce on Xiao Yuan instead. Xiao Yuan screamed and dodged, and Uncle couldn’t catch up either. He twisted around and saw the old lady lying on the ground. He limped over, step by step.

Auntie was greatly alarmed and ran over to help the old lady, but she was too heavy for her to drag. Qi Yin picked up an axe and went up. One axe hit Uncle’s head from behind, and half of his head was split open. Blood mixed with yellow and white brain pulp splattered onto Qi Yin’s face. He gritted his teeth and swung the axe down again and again, shattering Uncle’s head and the head of the strange bird.

Everyone looked at him in shock, not knowing whether they were afraid of the strange bird or of Qi Yin’s murderous look.

After hacking for a long time, both Uncle’s head and the bird’s head turned to mush, like rotten mud. Qi Yin threw away the axe and leaned against the wall to catch his breath.

As the shock subsided, Auntie belatedly realized that Uncle was already dead. She sat on the ground, crying out, “What a disaster! What’s going on? How did our family get attacked by a demon? Husband, oh husband!”

After catching his breath, Qi Yin said, “It was my cousin who bought the egg from the West Market. He thought it was a Qilin egg, but he didn’t expect it to be a demon bird’s egg (1).”

Auntie wailed and threw herself into Yao Xiao Shan’s arms, hitting him and shouting, “You animal, animal! You killed your father! Look at what you’ve done!”

“It’s not me, it’s not me! I didn’t know it was a demon egg…” Yao Xiao Shan cried, looking up and seeing Qi Yin. He yelled, “It’s not me, it’s Qi Yin! He knew it was a demon egg and intentionally gave it to my father. Mother, didn’t you give him medicine? How did he wake up? He knew about it a long time ago.”

Yao Xiao Shan took the glass beads bracelet from his mother’s wrist and examined it carefully, exclaiming, “It’s true! Mother, this bracelet is fake. He made a fake one when he was studying at school and brought it to sell at the school. He used this thing to deceive you!”

Auntie turned around, and Qi Yin was standing there looking at them. Auntie pointed at him and said, “So that’s how it is! You’re such a treacherous person. You knew that the immortal was coming to our house, and you set up this plan to kill my whole family! You treacherous person!”

“I did know that you were going to replace me.” Qi Yin’s expression was difficult to read, whether it was sadness or desolation. “But I didn’t harm you. Someone told me that the egg was a monster egg, and I thought my cousin had only one egg, which was the one hidden in my room. When I came back today, the egg had already cracked, and I filled it with arsenic to kill the monster bird. The egg is still in my room. If you don’t believe me, you can see it for yourself.”

Auntie didn’t believe him and asked Xiao Yuan to go upstairs and check. After a while, Xiao Yuan actually brought down a cracked stone egg.

The old lady woke up, hoarsely asking, “What about the box you gave to Yu Niang? What’s inside?”

Auntie took out the box, opened it in front of everyone, and there was a neatly stacked pile of silver bills and a letter inside. Auntie took out the letter, which had big characters written on the envelope: “Farewell letter.”

“Xiao Yin, are you leaving?” Auntie asked, trembling.

“Mm.” Qi Yin lowered his eyelashes, standing alone under the moonlight, a lonely black shadow. “My biological father abandoned his wife and children, and I don’t want to become like him. If my cousin wants to go, let him go. But I don’t want to stay here either. I know Auntie was going to drug me, so I coughed up what I had eaten after dinner. Grandmother gave me the silver bills and I didn’t take a single one. The roof of my house is broken, and I was planning to leave tonight. I didn’t expect that when I went up to my room, I would see a monster bird squatting in the courtyard.”

He turned his head, his eyes catching a glimpse of Uncle’s gruesome corpse on the ground. He had also harbored a vengeful heart, so he had replaced the bowl of beauty soup with an added ingredient, hoping to wake Auntie up in the middle of the night and expose Uncle’s ugly deeds, causing chaos. But he didn’t expect it to end up like this.

Everyone fell silent, and Auntie collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed.

“One in the front yard, one in the back yard, and one killed by Qi Yin’s arsenic. Xiao Shan, you hid three monster eggs in the house!” the old lady cried, covering her face. “What kind of sin have we committed?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… it was not intentional.” Yao Xiao Shan trembled. “And, actually, I bought five of them…”

Everyone was shocked, and Qi Yin asked sharply, “Where are the other two? Where did you hide them?”

Yao Xiao Shan closed his eyes, tremblingly reached out his hand, and pointed to Qi Yin.

Auntie, Xiao Yuan, and the old lady all showed terrified expressions and stepped back. Qi Yin felt his hands and feet go cold. Did the monster bird somehow find its way into his stomach? But that wasn’t possible. The monster bird didn’t come out of his mouth, so how did Yao Xiao Shan know it was in his stomach?

“That is…” He turned his head slowly and faced a wet and withered bird face. The strange bird opened its black beak as if it was going to eat someone, and its baby-like cries roared towards Qi Yin like an avalanche, deafeningly loud.

Footnotes

1. Jiutou Niao – a mythological demon in Chinese folklore. It is a ferocious demon bird that preys on human beings. It is said to have nine heads and can breathe fire. Its wings are said to be so large that they can block out the sun, and its feathers are said to be so sharp that they can pierce armor.