Chapter 6
After Song Ling woke up, Li Xinjun shared her plan. While Song Ling understood Li Xinjun’s concerns, she disagreed with her approach. She insisted on returning to the cave to confirm whether the creature was indeed the jiangshi described in the book before deciding on a course of action.
“Sister Ling, Jun’er doesn’t understand why we have to risk going back again. If we alert the enemy, the consequences could be severe.”
“Jun’er, I know what you’re worried about, but think about it. If we set fire to the cave without investigating, what if the Taoist priest is innocent? And if it really is a jiangshi, shouldn’t we verify the methods to deal with it and uncover the conspiracy behind it?”
“Isn’t the way to deal with it just to burn it with fire?”
“Yes, but I want to ask the Taoist priest why he refined the jiangshi. Since he knows the method, he must also be aware of the tragedy that occurred in ancient times. If he knows, why would he still refine it?”
“But Sister Ling, I’m worried that we’re not strong enough to fight the jiangshi. The book says that jiangshi can’t be killed, only their hearts can be pierced, and their rigid muscles make them difficult to deal with.”
“I also read the classical Chinese text you translated. Didn’t it mention that jiangshi are blind? If we hold our breath, they won’t be able to detect our presence. We can capture the Taoist priest, find out everything, and then set fire to the mountain.”
“Alright, if that’s the case, we’ll set off early tomorrow morning.”
“I want to leave tonight,” Song Ling said, shaking her head in disagreement.
“Tonight? Why so urgent?”
“Yes, tonight. If possible, I want to wait for the Taoist priest to come out of the cave on his own. That would save us a lot of effort.”
Li Xinjun agreed with the idea. She went to a nearby shop and bought a barrel of kerosene, wanting to be well-prepared for the night. Meanwhile, Song Ling was also making preparations. She took out a stack of talismans and cut her finger, letting the blood drip into a small bowl. Using her blood, she drew demon-expelling symbols on the talismans. Although she wasn’t sure if they would be effective, she prepared them nonetheless.
She went to her wardrobe and retrieved a string of blessed Buddhist beads and a roll of red thread dyed with her blood, gifts from her master. Once everything was ready, they met in the main hall. They exchanged glances, each picking up their prepared items, ready to depart.
At the foot of the mountain, Song Ling took out the Buddhist beads from her pocket and handed them to Li Xinjun. Li Xinjun took them, looking at Song Ling.
“Jun’er, this string of Buddhist beads was a gift from my master. It possesses immense power. It’s said to be the beads of Bodhidharma himself. Use it to protect yourself in times of need, understand?”
“What about you?”
“I don’t need them. My talismans are enough. Remember, if necessary, run for your life and don’t worry about me, alright?”
Song Ling led the way, walking to the cave entrance and hiding behind a large boulder, intending to wait for the Taoist priest to appear. They sat there quietly, meditating and waiting. They didn’t know how long they would have to wait. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Li Xinjun asked Song Ling.
“Sister Ling, I’ve never dared to ask you, why are you so good to me? I’m afraid that if I ask, you’ll leave me. But tonight is extremely risky, and I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to ask you later.”
“Silly Jun’er, I’m good to you because I like you. And you deserve my help, don’t you? And rest assured, I won’t abandon you, understand? I said we’re family now.”
Li Xinjun blushed. Hearing Song Ling say she liked her, she felt inexplicably thrilled. She shyly smiled to herself.
“Sister Ling, will you marry someone else in the future?”
“Boom!”
Before Song Ling could answer, a loud explosion erupted from the cave, interrupting their conversation. Song Ling quickly jumped up and looked towards the cave. A scream followed.
“Ah~”
Song Ling couldn’t wait any longer. She rushed into the cave with a torch to see what was happening. Reaching the narrow passage, she saw the Taoist priest pinned against the wall by the jiangshi they had seen earlier, its teeth sunk into his neck. The Taoist priest, seeing Song Ling, cried out for help.
“Please, save me!”
Song Ling chanted an incantation.
“Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian!”*
She drew her sword from her waist, cut her wrist, and let her blood drip onto the blade. Then she charged forward, thrusting the sword at the jiangshi. The jiangshi was pushed back, but the sword didn’t pierce its body.
“Aim for the heart!”
Li Xinjun caught up from behind, shouting. Song Ling lunged forward again, but the jiangshi, seemingly aware of Song Ling’s powerful magic, leaped up to avoid her sword and then turned to grab her.
Song Ling quickly executed a roundhouse kick, sending the jiangshi flying. The Taoist priest, who had fallen to the ground, scrambled to his feet and pulled out a talisman from his sleeve. He bit his finger, chanted incantations over the talisman, and threw it at the jiangshi.
The talisman exploded upon contact with the jiangshi, destroying its left shoulder. It let out a terrifying roar. Seeing an opportunity, Li Xinjun charged forward with her sword and thrust it towards the jiangshi’s heart. Although her sword hit its target, her magic and strength weren’t enough to pierce its hardened body.
The jiangshi raised its remaining right hand to grab Li Xinjun’s neck. Song Ling rushed forward and struck the jiangshi’s arm with a talisman. The jiangshi’s arm trembled as if electrocuted, and smoke emanated from its mouth.
With his last bit of strength, the Taoist priest behind them struck Li Xinjun’s right shoulder with his palm, helping her drive the sword deeper into the jiangshi’s heart. The jiangshi, its heart pierced, went berserk and swatted them away.
Li Xinjun and the Taoist priest crashed into the stone wall behind them. Because the Taoist priest was standing behind Li Xinjun, she only collided with his chest, while he, sandwiched between Li Xinjun and the wall, coughed up blood and lay dying.
Song Ling leaped forward and kicked the sword embedded in the jiangshi’s chest, finally driving it completely through its heart. The jiangshi roared loudly, smoke billowing from its mouth, and slowly collapsed backward. Its body continued to twitch even after it hit the ground. Song Ling didn’t let her guard down. She took out another explosive talisman and stuck it on the jiangshi’s head. The jiangshi’s head exploded, and it became completely motionless.
Song Ling breathed a sigh of relief and turned to check on Li Xinjun and the Taoist priest. After confirming that Li Xinjun was alright, she went to the Taoist priest and squatted beside him. He was clearly on the verge of death.
“Can you still speak? Can you tell me why you refined the jiangshi?”
“It wasn’t me… I was only entrusted… to guard these jiangshi… I’m dying… Remember to pierce… my heart… Otherwise, I’ll also…”
The Taoist priest died before he could finish his sentence. Song Ling took her sword and pierced his heart, then helped the slightly injured Li Xinjun to her feet.
“Jun’er, let’s burn this place down.”
“Okay, I’ll get the kerosene.”
Li Xinjun went to the bamboo basket she had brought, retrieved a bottle of kerosene and a discarded torch. She handed the torch to Song Ling and then poured kerosene over the jiangshi and the Taoist priest’s bodies. She then poured the remaining kerosene around the cave.
Once Li Xinjun was done, Song Ling, without hesitation, threw the torch onto the kerosene and turned to leave the cave, pulling Li Xinjun’s hand. Soon, the fire spread throughout the cave. Li Xinjun and Song Ling, exhausted, left the place behind.
Shortly after they left, a loud roar echoed from the cave, and a dark shadow escaped from the entrance. However, the two, who were already far away, didn’t notice it.
***
T/N: Lin, bing, dou, zhe, jie, zhen, lie, zai, qian
“Refine and purify, nourish and still, bind and manifest, distinguish and be present, lead and precede.”
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