Chapter Thirty-Seven: Spirits and Demons Discuss the Way

The fog grew ever denser, thickening to the point where one could barely see a few steps ahead. Led by the white-haired old man, Zhou Hongxian arrived at the edge of Songpo Town, standing before a manor at its very limits. The manor was vast, its courtyards deep and layered, and from the outside, its scale rivaled a modern football field. Yet when Zhou Hongxian conjured her magic to dispel the illusions, she found only a few lonely, low graves—proof of the painstaking effort its owner must have spent to conjure such a grand facade.

The old man gazed at the towering walls and said, “Madam, I can only bring you this far. I dare not take another step.” Zhou Hongxian nodded politely. “Thank you for your trouble, good sir.” After he left, Zhou Hongxian glanced back at the meager graves, then released her magic, and the illusion of a luxurious estate returned before her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and knocked on the vermillion door with its brass knocker.

With a creak, the door swung open of its own accord. Zhou Hongxian waited a moment, but there was no movement within. Left with no other choice, she steeled herself and crossed the threshold.

“Who are you looking for?” A sudden voice startled her, and a servant emerged from within. Zhou Hongxian’s heart leapt, dread chilling her to the core—for the servant’s face was as white as plaster, with a strange swipe of rouge on each cheek. It was unmistakably a paper effigy come to life. Her voice trembled, unable to hide her fear. “I—I seek your master.”

“My master is currently entertaining Yu Erlang. And who might you be, madam, and what business do you have with my master?” When Zhou Hongxian heard the name “Yu Erlang,” she recalled from the old man that this was the mouse demon’s name. She reasoned that since the Songpo Ghost could call the mouse demon brother, then—her mind turned quickly, and she replied, “I am a fox spirit wandering the four corners. Passing through Husu County these past days, I heard the famed name of the Songpo Ghost and came to pay my respects.”

“Please, come in, madam.”

“You don’t need to announce me to your master?”

“No need. What you just said, my master and Yu Erlang already heard. They have invited you to join them.”

A cold chill crept through Zhou Hongxian, but she followed the servant inside. The instant she crossed the threshold, the eerie, oppressive atmosphere outside vanished as if a slide had been changed, replaced by dazzling lights and a festive scene.

“My lady, you have come from afar—my master bids you the warmest welcome!” The servant who led her spoke again, but now his tone was lively, as natural as any living man’s. He even turned to flash her a genial smile, and his paper face transformed into a convincing, smiling human visage.

The manor was composed of many layers of pavilions and towers, everything one might expect in a grand residence. From one of the upper floors came strains of music, songs, and dances—a scene of carefree revelry.

Zhou Hongxian followed her guide upstairs. Amid a bevy of graceful women, she saw two men of dissipated appearance. One seemed about twenty, with handsome features and slick, gleaming hair; at first glance, he might be called a rare beauty, save for three long, thick whiskers sprouting from each cheek—an odd sight, but one that instantly revealed him as the mouse demon, Yu Erlang.

The other man was—how to put it—strange, or perhaps simply incongruous. His shoulders were broad, and his hands large and knuckly, suggesting the strength of a grown man, yet his head was disproportionately small, his features delicate—a beautiful youth of sixteen or seventeen.

With some misgivings, Zhou Hongxian stepped over the threshold. The two men immediately set aside their wine cups, pushed away the women at their sides, and rose to greet her.

“Ai, Lady Fox, what an honor to have you visit our humble abode from afar!” The beautiful youth cupped his hands in greeting and smiled. His face was delicate enough to rival the flower-like idols of future generations, yet his voice was hoarse and rough, as if spoken by a man of forty or fifty. The incongruity left Zhou Hongxian momentarily bewildered.

“You must be the Songpo Ghost?”

“Lady Fox, your eyes are truly discerning! You saw through me at once.” Seeing the doubt in her eyes, the youth chuckled again. “Are you perhaps puzzled by my appearance?”

Zhou Hongxian nodded honestly.

“Haha, forgive me for looking so ridiculous! My head was cut off by the magistrate of Husu County when I was alive. Later, someone who buried me bore a grudge and fed my head to wild dogs, leaving my corpse incomplete. I had no choice but to find a living head to replace it!” With that, the Songpo Ghost even stroked his own face with some pride, looking quite self-satisfied. “But as it turns out, not so bad, wouldn’t you say?”

Zhou Hongxian shivered inwardly, cursing him as a “head-stealing freak,” though she kept a smile on her face. “I have long heard of your famous name, Songpo Ghost, and now I see your methods are truly extraordinary!”

“Not at all, Lady Fox, you flatter me.”

“And this gentleman is also quite striking—may I ask who he is?” Zhou Hongxian turned to the man with the whiskers.

He met her gaze eagerly. Though his looks were pleasing, his eyes flashed with cunning and a shifty air. He even waggled his eyebrows at her. “I am Yu Erlang, a field mouse who attained the Way—like you, a fellow traveler!”

“Ah, so it’s Brother Mouse—ah, no, Brother Yu. How do you do!” Zhou Hongxian pretended sudden understanding.

“My lady, you are truly a beauty to make even me sigh in admiration!” Yu Erlang chuckled, his eyes roaming boldly over her.

Zhou Hongxian felt thoroughly uncomfortable but could only endure it. At that moment, the Songpo Ghost said, “Lady Fox, you have come a long way. Please, take your seat and let us offer you our hospitality!”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Hongxian took her seat, all the while plotting how to find and rescue Cui Yu. Behind her, the Songpo Ghost and Yu Erlang bent close together, whispering.

“Big brother, you can’t compete with me for this fox lady!”

“Don’t worry, little brother! She is beautiful, yes, but she’s a demon, I’m a ghost—we’re not the same kind. The two of you are. If you like her, go ahead and use your tricks!”

“Heh heh, with your blessing, I feel at ease! To tell you the truth, I can see this fox lady’s cultivation is shallow. Whether she yields to soft words or hard force will be up to me!”

“What, you want to take her by force?”

“Big brother, you underestimate me! I’ve worked hard for this fine human form, and I’ve mastered all the flowery words of mankind. And since when are fox spirits known for their virtue? I’d bet my silver tongue alone will win her over!” Yu Erlang’s once-handsome face twisted into a lewd grin.

Zhou Hongxian was unaware of their exchange, but from Yu Erlang’s earlier glances she had already sensed something amiss. For now, though, she could only ignore it. Once seated, the Songpo Ghost and Yu Erlang began offering her wine. Glancing at her cup, uneasy thoughts flickered through her mind. Erring on the side of caution, she looked down at her chest, where the white fox had given her the Qiankun pouch. She silently invoked its power; the wine in her cup vanished. Raising her sleeve to her lips, she mimed drinking deeply, then licked her lips and dabbed at them with her fingers, smiling, “Thank you for your hospitality—this is excellent wine!”

Her smooth, graceful gestures were not only forthright but carried a subtle allure that left both Songpo Ghost and Yu Erlang momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter. “Madam, you are truly bold!”

After several rounds, Zhou Hongxian’s face remained unchanged. Seeing nothing unusual in her hosts’ eyes, she concluded there was nothing amiss with the wine. She felt no guilt—after all, one must remain cautious when venturing into a tiger’s lair.

With wine comes conversation. Though Zhou Hongxian found Yu Erlang’s constant flattery tiresome and even nauseating, she had to admit that, as a ghost and two demons, they did have some common ground.

When they spoke of cultivation, each had their own path. The Songpo Ghost had already acquired some practice in life and, after death, refined his craft through sorcery, gathering the baleful yin energy of Songpo Forest. Yu Erlang’s method was rather odd—he relied on “transference,” which was simply stealing. The more he stole, the greater his cultivation grew. When he explained this to Zhou Hongxian, he did so with such enthusiasm that one might think it a most honorable pursuit.

When it came to herself, Zhou Hongxian did not reveal everything. She skipped over her time training in orthodox Daoist arts with the white fox of Mount Taibai, but she spoke openly of her moon-worship practices.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she mentioned cultivating by worshiping the moon, Yu Erlang sneered, “Madam, that’s what every demon does, but it’s too plain and steady—progress is slow. If you want to advance quickly, you have to take the crooked path!”

Zhou Hongxian was taken aback. “What do you mean by the crooked path?”

Having seen his flattery fall flat, Yu Erlang now tried the opposite approach, hoping to provoke a reaction. He laughed, “Madam, you truly are ignorant!”

Zhou Hongxian flushed but, being forthright by nature, did not deny it. “Well, I do know little. I hope Brother Yu will enlighten me.”

Yu Erlang perked up immediately. “The crooked path is simple to understand!”

Though Zhou Hongxian disliked his evasiveness, she fixed him with wide, attentive eyes. Yu Erlang, clearly enjoying the “rapt attention,” grinned, “Madam, you and I are both demons, and my cultivation surpasses yours, so I should give you some pointers! The crooked path means finding another way. My transference technique is one such path; my brother’s sorcery, which gathers yin energy, is another. As for fox demons like you, there’s a common crooked path as well.”

Zhou Hongxian’s interest was piqued. “And what is that?”

Yu Erlang’s eyes slid shamelessly over her as he grinned, “Male foxes draw on yin to replenish yang; female foxes draw on yang to replenish yin!”

Zhou Hongxian’s smile faded away.