Chapter 96: Mountains and Waters Have Spirits and Monsters
On the surface of the Iron Talisman River, those great demons that had already taken human form and stabilized their souls were retreating in a panic for unknown reasons. The sound of the bronze bell in Zhu He's hand naturally ceased along with their retreat. However, Zhu He was worried that those great demons, who dared to walk among humans in broad daylight, might have used some kind of illusion. So he asked Senior A Liang not to rush south along the river for the time being. Holding high the string of bronze bells engraved with ancient seal-script characters, he repeatedly crossed the river in the downstream direction of the Iron Talisman River, striding around in all directions to guard against any demons lurking in the shadows to harm people.
Thus, Chen Ping'an and his group packed their luggage and stayed put, watching helplessly as Zhu He ran around like a headless fly. Li Huai was beside himself with joy; Lin Shouyi was full of curiosity; while Zhu Lu found it utterly embarrassing, wishing she could drag her father back and stop him from making a spectacle of himself. She was, after all, a thin-skinned young girl.
Chen Ping'an inadvertently noticed that A Liang had a calm expression, without his usual teasing of Zhu He. When A Liang caught Chen Ping'an's gaze, he took off his wine gourd and asked with a smile, "Sure you won't have a drink?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. A Liang then turned to Lin Shouyi and said, "Kid, you've run into some rare monsters, and not just one or two—pretty uncommon. Want a sip of wine to steady your nerves?"
Lin Shouyi, for some reason—probably because it was the first time in his life he had encountered legendary creatures and was truly amazed—nodded unexpectedly. "Just a taste, I'll try it."
A Liang glanced sideways at Chen Ping'an, reverting to his usual cynical demeanor. "Look at him, he's got good fortune. You, kid, just don't have the luck to enjoy life lying down."
Lin Shouyi took the small silver gourd, tilted his head back, and took a gentle sip. Instantly his face turned bright red. The pampered young man had naturally fair skin, which now flushed even more. He quickly covered his mouth with his palm to keep from spitting it out. His throat burned, and once the wine entered his stomach, it felt like his internal organs were on fire. His whole body trembled. His first taste of alcohol hit him like a punch in the face, leaving him utterly disheveled. Seeing Li Huai laughing heartily, Lin Shouyi, who had a strong sense of pride, gritted his teeth and prepared to take another sip. But before he could, A Liang reached out and took the gourd back, gently pressing one hand on the boy's shoulder. "The pleasure of drinking lies in not overindulging," A Liang said with a grin. "From now on, I'll give you one sip every day. I guarantee you'll become a carefree soul in this world."
Li Huai, a clever little rascal, saw through A Liang and laughed. "If you're just reluctant to give Lin Shouyi more, just say so."
A Liang withdrew his hand from Lin Shouyi's shoulder and sighed. "How could I not be reluctant? This wine of mine is extremely precious, ridiculously expensive, and—most importantly—not available anywhere on the market. Lin Shouyi hit the jackpot."
Li Huai tested the waters. "Can I have a sip?"
A Liang quickly secured the gourd at his waist. "You're too young; your energy cavities haven't fully formed yet. Strong alcohol isn't suitable for you—it could damage your bone structure."
Li Huai was taken aback for a moment, then jumped up and cursed loudly. "A Liang! Screw your mother! Back two New Year's Eves ago, I was already secretly dipping my chopsticks into the wine. That was the strongest liquor in our town. Even my dad said my capacity came from him. Everyone knows my dad is the heaviest drinker in town. Besides, starting last spring, my dad has been soaking me in a medicinal wine barrel every month. I can lower my head and drink the stuff. And now you're telling me this?"
A Liang let out an "Ouch!" and then glanced at the furious little brat. He thought to himself, No wonder. No wonder this kid could keep up with the group without even a single blister on his soles, his body clearly stronger than Lin Shouyi's. That medicine wine must be what tempered his physique.
For the first time, A Liang studied Li Huai with serious interest. He didn't look twice—when he did, he was startled. Someone had used a rather impressive martial arts technique to deliberately conceal the boy's internal energy. Now that A Liang wanted to see through it, the obstructions naturally vanished. So in the straw-hatted man's vision, there appeared a strange and mystical landscape of mountains and rivers: stripping away the flesh and skin, he only looked at the condition of the boy's acupoints and the flow of his blood and Qi. Faint purple energy was rising. The mountain veins were strong and stable; the water currents were fierce yet steady. Eventually, all the rivers converged in one acupoint, steam rising over a great marsh—not to be underestimated.
A Liang clicked his tongue in wonder. "I never expected that I'd just randomly pick some old man as a father-in-law by the roadside, and he turns out to be pretty extraordinary. Li Huai, what's your dad's name? Maybe a friend of mine knows him."
Li Huai suddenly fell silent. He walked off alone, looking dejected, unwilling to talk to A Liang.
Lin Shouyi explained in a low voice, "Li Huai's father is named Li Er. He's the town's notorious drunkard and layabout, doing nothing productive all year round. Back in the school, Li Huai was often mocked because of his father. At first, he argued with people—even got into a few fights. Later, he probably realized his father really was useless, and over time, he just stopped caring."
A Liang couldn't help but laugh. "The little brat doesn't know how lucky he is."
The speaker was careless, but the listener was attentive. Lin Shouyi silently took note.
About half an hour later, Zhu He finally returned. Smiling, he said, "Within a ten-mile radius, the bronze bell showed no abnormalities. We can move on now."
Li Baoping handed him a water canteen with a smile. "Uncle Zhu, you've worked hard."
Zhu He took the canteen and replied casually, "Miss, this is simply my duty."
Zhu Lu saw this, her gaze darkening. She turned her head, looking at the cascading waterfall of the Iron Talisman River. Biting her lip, she remained silent.
A young girl's thoughts and feelings are like mountain wind or river mist—elusive.
Chen Ping'an stared intently at the demon-repelling bell in Zhu He's hand.
Apart from Miss Ning's sword, which could fly on its own, Zhu He's bronze bell was the second magic treasure Chen Ping'an had seen up close. So he watched with particular concentration.
Zhu He wasn't a petty person. He generously handed the bronze bell to the boy, explaining, "Before we left, the old ancestor bestowed this treasure upon me. He said that among immortal artifacts, its rank is not high. But whenever a demon or spirit that has taken human form approaches, the bell will ring on its own without wind, emitting a clear sound that protects one from enchantment and serves as a warning. The old ancestor also joked that the ringing has the effect of calming the mind. If a cultivator is bold enough, they could even live next door to a demon and use the bell's sound to cultivate their temperament. Of course, that assumes the demon neighbor has no intention of harming people and can withstand the constant disturbance of the bell. Finding a demon of such high cultivation and good temper isn't easy, so the old ancestor just considered it a joke."
Chen Ping'an carefully grasped the handle of the bronze bell. Zhu He, leading a horse, walked alongside him. "The larger ones are called bells, the smaller ones are bells. As for immortal artifacts, they mostly serve to ward off evil and protect homes. Ordinary households like to hang wind chimes under the eaves, which are mostly decorative. But if one specially procures them from temples or Taoist monasteries, blessed by scriptures of high achievers, they can indeed block baleful Qi and accumulate blessings."
Zhu He saw the boy gently shake the bell. He laughed heartily. "If no demons are near, the two clappers inside are hard to move, so no sound comes out. Otherwise, the owner would be jumping at shadows all day—wouldn't that be a misery?"
Chen Ping'an understood the logic and was about to return the precious demon-repelling bell to Zhu He when he felt a tug at his sleeve. The little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket looked over with eager eyes. Seeing Zhu He nod with a smile, Chen Ping'an handed it to Li Baoping. She grasped the bell with both hands, turning it over and over, studying it carefully. Occasionally, she would reach inside and vigorously pull at the clappers, making Chen Ping'an's heart race. He kept reminding her to be careful not to break it.
Chen Ping'an, while keeping an eye on the girl, asked curiously, "Uncle Zhu, those demons on the river—won't they harm people? Are there many such strange beings in Great Li?"
Zhu He wasn't the type to speak recklessly. He only repeated what he had heard directly from the old ancestor, telling the story unhurriedly: "Our East Treasured Vase Continent is vast. There are more than a dozen large dynasties with populations exceeding ten million households. Famous mountains and great rivers are countless. Under various incredible karmic conditions, those mountain ghosts, spirits, and demons occasionally transform successfully and step onto the path of cultivation. They aren't common, but they aren't extremely rare either."
"Our old ancestor said that, unlike our town, people elsewhere on the continent, as long as they aren't too remote or isolated, have often heard of such things. They may not have seen them personally, but they've heard many unofficial histories and tales of gods and monsters. As a result, many common folk firmly believe that in uninhabited deep mountains and ancient temples, there often live enchanting little fox maidens, waiting for poor scholars heading to the capital for examinations. Or, if a demon is causing harm somewhere, one only needs to send a letter to Dragon Tiger Mountain, and a true person from the Heavenly Master Mansion will come riding clouds and cranes to slay the demon and vanquish evil for the locals. It's said that wherever there is water, children will recite: Wherever demons and monsters cause trouble, there will be true persons from the Heavenly Master Mansion."
"In short, along our journey, don't be too startled by anything. But of course, we must also be careful. The old ancestor said that once a demon transforms into human form—not merely using illusions to fool the eyes—it is equivalent to half a cultivator. The Great Li court looks upon this favorably. Not only do they not suppress or exclude them, but they also make exceptions to allow them to establish sects on the territory, as long as they register with the Ministry of Rites. However, due to certain customary rules, the Great Li court has not yet absorbed demons and spirits into its official ranks. But on the border battlefields, it is said that many demon cultivators have rendered great service to Great Li. In daily life, their customs and habits are no different from humans."
Zhu He's explanation was simple and interesting.
Chen Ping'an listened with great relish. Li Huai and Lin Shouyi pricked up their ears, not wanting to miss a single word.
Only A Liang, walking at the very front, wearing a bamboo hat and leading the donkey, lightly tapped the handle of his blade and hummed a foreign tune out of tune.
Zhu Lu, the girl at the back of the group, was distracted, as if the farther she was from home, the stronger her homesickness.
An hour after the southbound group set off, at the waterfall where the Dragon Whisker Stream met the Iron Talisman River, a woman of middle-aged appearance appeared on the rocky cliff. She sat at the edge, her raven-black hair an astonishing five to six zhang long, extending from her head down into the stream. The woman stared intently at the churning waters below the Iron Talisman River waterfall. Her gaze was fervent, full of covetous desire. Her face was blurry, shifting and unstable, as if not yet fully formed, awaiting some kind of opportunity.
River Granny and River God—the difference of a single word, but in status and cultivation, they were as far apart as clouds and mud.
She could only swim this far; going downstream would be crossing the boundary, just as human county officials cannot leave their posts without permission. The mountain and river gods who guard the feng shui of a region for a dynasty are even more constrained; otherwise, it would trigger floods and various calamities. Now that she was on the verge of becoming a god, she certainly wouldn't cause trouble at this critical juncture. She had once secretly followed the stream upstream into the deep mountains but was casually glanced at by a Green Raven Master of the Great Li court, who was watching a waterfall. The mere glance made her feel her scalp was about to explode. After that, she never dared underestimate the experts outside the town.
She had followed them all the way here, not out of malice, but on the orders of the sage, Ruan Shi, to keep a careful watch on that straw-hatted man of unknown depth, to prevent any mishaps. She had observed diligently day and night, never slackening. The little girl whose bracelet turned into a fire dragon had frightened her greatly. And when that great immortal Old Yang, who had secured her position as River Granny, revealed some heavenly secrets, she became even more terrified that she would one day become an opportunity for the little girl's enlightenment—she was scared straight to the bone.
After becoming a River Granny, she experienced all kinds of incredible powers. For example, she was growing younger every day; swimming in water made her whole body feel wonderful; during heavy rain, she could use groundwater or the curtain of rain from courtyards to view the scenery of the town. Moreover, after days of hard collecting, she had gathered several good items from the riverbed, all of which she had taken for herself. Among them was a jade ring, which she wore on her finger and took out to admire whenever she had free time, like a common woman flaunting a gold ornament.
The more she rose above ordinary people, the more she feared Old Yang and the girl named Ruan in the depths of her soul, because these two could, with a wave of their hand, destroy everything she had now.
She gathered her scattered thoughts and looked around. Now that the Pear Garden Cave Heaven was merging and mingling with the territory of Great Li, its spiritual energy was abundant, making it a good place for cultivation like the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands. Many birds and beasts from outside began to migrate here, especially those wild spirits with awakened intelligence, who followed their instincts to seize choice spots early. Protecting the local feng shui was exactly the duty of mountain gods and river gods. She had already accepted several carp with dragon whiskers as underlings in the Dragon Whisker Stream. When she traveled, many aquatic spirits followed as her retinue, which gave her great satisfaction.
So although she couldn't yet swim into the Iron Talisman River, she had to guard the waterfall pass, demanding some tolls that were rightfully hers. Old Yang had nodded his approval on this matter, so she felt especially confident, asserting her authority there with righteous justification. Nevertheless, deep down, the inherently cautious woman still felt uneasy, afraid that some outsider dragon could drown her, a mere River Granny of Dragon Whisker Stream, with a single sneeze.
At last, they came.
The once elderly crone, now no longer on the verge of death, with long hair, squinted as she looked at the group of five on the opposite bank of the Iron Talisman River, sneaking around like thieves.
Earlier, hiding in the stream above the waterfall, she had looked into the distance. Those five came with a fierce momentum, putting on quite an air, each more like a celestial being than the last. She had almost been intimidated into retreating. But later, for some unknown reason, those five creatures, with varying degrees of demonic Qi, had fled in terror, scattering like frightened dogs. After that, regardless of why they retreated, she was no longer afraid. Only sarcasm and smugness remained in her heart. After all, she was now working for Sage Ruan Shi, adding yin-cold Qi to the water he used for sword casting, and she was the one who had been stepped on by Xiu Xiu's fire dragon and survived!
Wasn't that something to be proud of?
Thinking of this, she steadied her heart. She tried to keep her expression calm, putting on airs as she sat on the edge of the large rocky cliff. Coldly, she watched the five demons across the stream. There was an old man with white hair, wearing a straw rain cape, like an elderly Confucian scholar fond of traveling mountains and waters. There was a plump woman in flamboyant clothes, with peach-blossom eyes that could steal one's soul. There was a child holding a purple bamboo staff, with deep, unfathomable eyes. And behind the old man in the rain cape, there were a young boy and girl with the strongest demonic Qi, looking timidly, not daring to meet anyone's eyes directly.
Demons and spirits yield to humans, kneel to gods.
According to legend, this was an unwritten rule passed down from ancient times. But in the present age, gods and immortals—those deities, apart from the gold-painted clay statues in temples, lifeless and inert—rarely showed their true forms. Yet even street children knew that many immortals lived in the mountains. However, the mountain and river gods enshrined by the imperial court with jade books and golden characters, even if not the lofty Five Marchmounts, were still, in the eyes of the diverse clans of mountain ghosts and demons, unattainable and not to be offended—unless their cultivation level far surpassed these gods. Even a minor river granny or a small mountain land god was still a "noble official" not to be trifled with.
"We are wild cultivators from the border mountains of Great Li, passing through this precious land. We come to pay our respects to the River God."
The old man in the straw rain cape bowed respectfully. Rising, his expression became solemn. "Since ancient times, famous mountains await sages. We have no proper background, so we dare not call ourselves sages. We only have sincere admiration. Now that the cave heaven is open, we only wish to cultivate honestly at the feet of the sages. If someday we achieve the Great Way, we will certainly repay this realm. We hope the River God will grant us passage today."
"Wild mountain cultivators" was a common self-designation for these demons, usually a humble way of addressing themselves when encountering powerful cultivators.
The River Granny woman cut straight to the point: "One gift each. If I find them satisfactory, I will personally lead you to the great mountains west of the town."
The old man in the straw rain cape was taken aback, apparently not expecting this River God to be so forthright and straightforward.
The child holding the purple bamboo staff spoke out angrily, "She holds the lowliest position of River Granny! Calling her 'River God' out of courtesy is already giving her enormous face. And she dares to demand bribes to our faces? Isn't she afraid that the Great Li court will issue an order, reduce her back to her original form, and not even allow her to be a wandering ghost?!"
This woman was a veteran street scolder from Apricot Flower Lane in the town. With Old Yang the Immortal having revealed some inside information, she was not afraid of these threats. She clearly saw the bluster behind their words, which only made her more confident. She raised her hand and waved it dismissively, saying coldly, "Then get lost immediately. If you dare come within a hundred zhang of Dragon Whisker Stream, I'll consider it an offense against the legitimate waterways of Great Li. Then we'll see who gets burned!"
The child was furious and about to retort, but the kind-faced old man in the rain cape suddenly turned his head and shot him a fierce, devouring glare. The child-like spirit immediately fell silent, cowed.
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the five "wild mountain cultivators" made their way along the stream toward Dragon Spring County.
The woman, half of her body emerging from Dragon Whisker Stream, now had five more items on her. Among them was the purple bamboo staff that the child had held, crystal clear and brimming with spiritual energy.
As she swam in the stream, secretly gloating, she suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable sadness.
If only her grandson were still living in Apricot Flower Lane, she could have given him all these good things in one go.
But who knew when she would see her grandson again? And she had heard that on the path of cultivation, one could easily take a wrong turn, resulting in death and destruction. Those lucky enough to truly grow were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Thinking of this, the River Granny lost some of her cheer. Her form flickered and disappeared, diving to the riverbed, where she began to sob quietly in the water.