Chapter Sixty-One
Pei Xuanji's aunt, Protector Pei, is described by her niece as the most intelligent and composed Celestial Master, possessing profound cultivation and being extremely reliable.
Before going to the capital, her two fellow Taoist masters occasionally heard the name of Protector Pei from her mouth, and they were always accompanied by various words of praise.
Before coming to the capital, this was the impression Li Zhi and Zhang He had of Protector Pei.
If we don't come to the capital...
When Li Zhi heard Pei Xuanji say that Protector Pei was coming in person, he and Zhang He exchanged a worried look.
In this dynasty, the Temple of Strange People was a special government office.
The Yiren Temple is headed by one Qing (Minister), three Shaoqing (Junior Ministers), and several Sicheng (Assistant Ministers).
As officials of the court, they were all proper civil servants who had passed the imperial examinations and had grown up reading the Four Books and Five Classics. They seemed to have no connection whatsoever with the exorcists who slayed demons and monsters.
Therefore, in order to prevent laymen from directing experts and affecting the Celestial Masters' ability to solve cases, the leaders of the Strange People's Temple usually only focus on important matters within the sect, such as the amount of funding allocated to the sect, the Celestial Masters' case-solving rate, and major cases that threaten the country and the nation.
The specific methods for subduing demons and eliminating evil spirits, as well as the assignment of the Celestial Masters to carry out their duties, were all the responsibility of the local Celestial Master Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs, who held no official positions.
In addition, there was a national preceptor who was superior to all the celestial masters and was nominally the leader of the Temple of Strange People.
Aside from the chief administrators who are in charge of the general affairs of the Celestial Masters, the Temple of Strange People has seven other Dharma Protectors. These are the Celestial Masters with the highest cultivation levels who do not wish to get involved in specific general affairs. They are responsible for resolving cases that ordinary Celestial Masters cannot handle, and for appointing chief administrators in various regions.
Pei Xuanji's aunt, Pei Jiangping, is one of the Seven Protectors. She is skilled in array formations and talismans and is known as the master of talisman arrays.
Logically speaking, Li Zhi and Zhang He should feel fortunate if such a powerful celestial master could personally take action.
However, after arriving in the capital, they learned that Protector Pei was not only an expert in talisman arrays, but also in dealing with people and situations.
Those who become Taoist masters are mostly from poor backgrounds, each with their own lineage, and they implicitly form factions based on folk lineages, sticking together with each other.
People like Protector Pei, who come from a family of military officers, with his brother being a general and his niece a concubine, and who had no lineage before becoming a Celestial Master, are extremely rare.
If a case is handled by her and the local Celestial Master is incompetent or doesn't cooperate well with her, resulting in some oversight, Protector Pei will definitely argue with the local chief without holding back. She may even bypass the other protectors and unilaterally write to the Minister of the Temple of Strange People, demanding that a certain chief be dismissed.
Last time, Ji Ren disappeared right under Protector Pei's nose. I heard that she had a huge temper and had a big argument with the other protectors at the regular meeting, which ended badly. As a result, when the Celestial Masters were tracking Ji Ren, they each had their own agendas, and the progress of the matter was hindered at every turn, making it very difficult.
Now this case is getting bigger and bigger. Such a demonic disturbance has been discovered near the capital. If Protector Pei is in charge of handling this case, he will surely dig up the capital and cause a huge uproar.
The muddier the water, the easier it is for fish to hide. Could the mastermind behind it all be hiding even deeper?
As Li Zhi was deep in thought, a middle-aged woman carrying a sword suddenly appeared before them.
He was startled, and upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was Protector Pei.
Pei Jiangping stood there with his hands behind his back, frowning, watching the hellish scene for a while. Suddenly, he turned to another middle-aged Celestial Master and said, "Do you see this, Chief Commander Zou? This is the outskirts of the capital under your jurisdiction, less than a hundred miles from the capital. How could someone commit such an atrocity? I just don't understand. You've been in this position for so many years, and this is how it turned out. I think your time as Chief Commander is over."
The middle-aged man behind her must be the Chief Commander of the Temple of Strange People in the capital. Such a powerful man was already somewhat embarrassed after being reprimanded by Pei Jiangping in front of several juniors.
Li Zhi and Zhang He felt a chill run down their spines and silently pulled the bewildered Pei Xuanji to an inconspicuous spot.
General Zou wiped the sweat from his brow, pretending not to hear Protector Pei's reprimand, and said worriedly, "This culprit is well-versed in the art of formations."
Protector Pei sneered and said, "Isn't that obvious? I thought you were talking about me."
Commander Zou was momentarily speechless. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed and said, "I will report this matter as soon as I get back..."
"Report it, report it, the matter has been reported, and then what? Last time I said I wanted to detain Ji Ren in solitary confinement, but you insisted it was against the rules, and what happened?" Protector Pei's eyebrows shot up as he pointed at Ji Ren's corpse and said, "He was taken from your prison and died here."
Upon hearing this, Chief Commander Zou finally lost his temper and said emotionally, "Protector Pei's words are biased. Are you the only protector here? I am indeed the chief commander, but in the capital, how many people above me can speak to me without my permission? You should think about that!"
Protector Pei was taken aback at first, then asked suspiciously, "Are you implying that someone is pressuring you? Is there something fishy going on among the protectors? Why didn't you say that earlier?"
General Manager Zou nearly fainted. He glanced at the three juniors in the distance, who were silently staring at the mud, and broke down, saying, "I never said that!"
At this moment, many more panting Celestial Masters appeared in the mountains, presumably chasing after the two highly skilled Celestial Masters. Protector Pei finally realized what was happening and reluctantly shut his mouth.
She flicked her sleeve, turned around and said to Li Zhi and the other two, "Hey you, come here for a second."
Li Zhi and the other two exchanged glances. Pei Xuanji hesitated, then pointed to herself and asked, "Are you referring to me, sir?"
“No, it’s that scholar!” Protector Pei shook his head at Pei Xuanji with disdain, then waved to Li Zhi, “I’ve heard you’re good at writing petitions. Write one for me later, and I’ll go talk to the Minister of the Temple of Extraordinary People directly.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi nodded in agreement, despite the ambiguous gaze from Chief Zou.
A dozen or so Celestial Masters had already begun cleaning up the site according to the established procedures, with Chief Commander Zou personally joining in, his face grim as he worked.
Protector Pei stood to the side with her hands on her hips, staring at them in a daze. After a while, she suddenly spoke up: "Apart from me, the other five protectors are all veterans. Only Yun Rufeng is the youngest and has an unstable temperament. He has been appearing and disappearing mysteriously all these years. Regarding Ji Ren's job transfer, although he spoke with the other two protectors, I think you were hinting at him just now, right?"
Protector Pei spoke with such dignity and integrity that the assembled Celestial Masters trembled with fear, wishing they were deaf.
General Zou, unable to bear it any longer, turned around, pointed at Protector Pei, and yelled, "Are you crazy?! Shut up!"
Regardless of how Protector Pei later argued with Chief Zou that he had done nothing wrong, before the Celestial Masters arrived at Tiger Roar Mountain, several mortals searched for a long time in the forest and finally found their rickshaw.
Suanpan quickly lifted Xiaoman into the car and put Saixue in the car as well. He had rarely dealt with the Celestial Masters before, and his fear of them was ingrained in his bones. Hearing that the Celestial Masters would be arriving soon, he was so frightened that he unleashed his boundless potential and dragged the two-hundred-pound Xiaoman down the mountain by himself.
The three mortals were almost completely out of sight of him.
Only after the abacus pulled the cart away from Tiger Roaring Mountain did he breathe a sigh of relief, slow his pace, and wait for the mortals behind him.
After taking a few steps, the abacus suddenly realized something and froze on the spot.
Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.
The dog demon, Suanpan, had never sweated so much in his life; he was practically turned into a dried-up dog.
He slowly turned around, looked at Tiger Roaring Mountain, and the expression on his face was even more unsightly than crying.
"Baozhu, where have you gone!" Suanpan wailed.
At this point, Suanpan, dragging Xiaoman along, had already traveled some distance from Tiger Roar Mountain. If they were to return to the mountain to search for the treasure pearl, they would likely run into the Celestial Masters.
After thinking it over for a long time, Suanpan finally gritted his teeth and said to himself, "I'm sorry, Baozhu. I'll take Xiaoman to Granny Mouse first, and then I'll come back to find you."
And so, the pearl that had fallen into the crevice in the mountain was left behind by its companions in Tiger Roar Mountain.
As Suanpan dragged Xiaoman back to the capital, poor Baozhu huddled at the edge of a burrow, cautiously observing the sleeping giant tiger before her.
This is a very beautiful and majestic demon with extremely powerful demonic energy. The reason why the pearl felt an inescapable suction force when it fell into the crevice was because the sleeping tiger demon was breathing.
With just a simple inhale, the already much-improved pearl could not escape, and the gap through which she fell slowly closed.
Is this the tiger that hasn't appeared in Tiger Roar Mountain for so long?
The gap above their heads had closed, but a faint light still emanated from the cave.
As Baozhu pondered this, she cautiously surveyed the cave, trying to find another exit so she could escape while the tiger demon remained asleep, completely unaware of her surroundings.
She searched for a long time but couldn't find an exit, as if the tiger demon had sealed itself in the cave and had no intention of coming out again.
Baozhu sighed softly, but she was not giving up. She turned her hands into sharp claws, trying to dig a path to the outside.
But just as she gestured with her hand, a childish voice rang out from inside the cave: "You can't get out."
Baozhu was startled and quickly turned around to look.
The cave only had a flat area where the tiger demon could sleep; the rest of the place was empty and could not hide anything. When Baozhu looked around, she did not notice the presence of a third creature.
When she looked back, she saw a tiny figure huddled at the edge of the burrow, hugging its legs and staring at her in a daze.
Baozhu blinked in disbelief, trying to make out the little figure's appearance.
In the dim light, Baozhu looked at it repeatedly, finally confirming in her heart—
It was a young half-demon.
He had thin limbs, light gray pupils and hair, and patches of pure white feathers covered the exposed parts of his body.
Baozhu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she cautiously asked, "Where is this place? And who are this tiger demon, and you?"
The little half-demon tilted its head, stared blankly at the pearl, and said, "This is Lord Mountain Lord's territory, I have no name."
"My name is Baozhu. May I leave Lord Shanjun's territory?" Baozhu asked as she slowly moved toward the half-demon.
The half-demon stared at the pearl, and seeing her approach, he did not react at all, but simply replied, "You cannot leave; you need Lord Mountain Lord's permission."
He raised his head and watched as Baozhu slowly walked to his side, then sat down next to him, adding, "Lord Shanjun isn't fierce, you just have to be obedient."
As she got closer, Baozhu noticed that the little demon was curled up in a ball, clutching something tightly in its hand. She glanced at it and whispered, "But when will Lord Mountain Lord wake up?"
"Lord Mountain Lord only woke up recently, so it might be a while before he does." The half-demon belatedly realized that the precious pearl seemed rather close to him, a realization that made him somewhat uneasy. "Are you a bad demon?"
Baozhu shook her head and made a little distance to make the little demon feel more comfortable. She smiled and said, "If you ask my friends, they will definitely say that I am a good demon. Don't be afraid."
The little demon nodded blankly, clutching the object in its hand even tighter, and muttered to itself, "What is a friend..."
It was a strange scene. Baozhu had wandered into the territory of a powerful tiger demon who was sleeping, but she was not afraid. Instead, she was comforting a small half-demon who was also in a cave, telling him not to be afraid of her.
Baozhu thought about it and then laughed out loud for no apparent reason.
"Why are you laughing?" The little demon stared wide-eyed in surprise, staring at the pearl without moving.
"It's alright. Since we can't get out, let's make the best of a bad situation," Baozhu said with a smile.
"Find joy in hardship," the little demon repeated Baozhu's words, emphasizing each syllable.
Watching him mimic speech, Baozhu became curious. Did the little demon have parents? Why was he here like Baozhu?
He looked very dull, as if he rarely interacted with people.
Baozhu recalled the fake River God that she and Pei Xuanji had killed not long ago.
A demon and a mortal cannot have children together unless, like the golden carp spirit, the demon uses its demonic energy to transform a mortal woman into a vessel for its own demonic energy—or, in other words, transforms her into a half-demon—in which case an incomplete demon can be born.
In the waters once guarded by River God Lai San, Baozhu had seen many half-demons similar to this little half-demon. Some had fish heads and human bodies, while others had scales that could not be concealed, just like the feathers on the little half-demon in front of her.
They are neither entirely demons nor entirely human; this is the only way they could end up.
Baozhu was preoccupied with her own thoughts and unknowingly stared at the little demon for too long.
This filled him with uncontrollable fear. He shrank back, shrinking as small as possible, and said in a trembling voice, "Don't look at me like that."
The little demon buried its head between its knees and began to tremble violently.
Baozhu was startled, then quickly turned her head away and coaxed, "I wasn't looking at you, don't be afraid, I've looked elsewhere."
The little demon didn't speak again; he remained silent for a very long time.
As Baozhu began to ponder in her heart, she realized she couldn't really wait until the tiger demon regained consciousness before leaving. She had to come up with a plan. Just then, the little demon recovered and whispered, "The Mountain Lord is very kind to me. I accidentally fell in, but she didn't blame me. She even wants to teach me demon magic."
The little demon paused, then said hopefully, "Perhaps she will teach you too."
Baozhu couldn't help but look at the little demon.
The little demon stared wide-eyed at Baozhu, observing her expression.
Unable to refuse the little demon, Baozhu hesitated for a moment.
The little demon immediately realized this and changed his words, saying, "You can tell her that you want to leave, that should be fine too."
After saying that, he comforted himself, saying, "It's okay, it's okay."
He pressed his forehead against the thing he was clutching tightly in his hand.
Baozhu looked at it several times but still couldn't make out what it was. After hesitating for a long time, she finally asked, "What are you holding in your hand?"
After listening, the little demon lowered his head and thought for a while, then quickly opened his hand and showed it to Baozhu for a moment.
"It's a gift." The little demon blinked repeatedly and said, word by word, "My mother gave it to me."
The fox demon had excellent eyesight; even in just a brief moment, Baozhu clearly saw what the little demon was referring to as a gift.
It was an ordinary pebble.
What kind of mother would give her child a pebble as a gift?
She seemed to have been thinking about it for a long time, and fearing that the little demon would be uneasy, Baozhu subconsciously smiled and said, "Very good."
But the little demon came to his senses.
She knew, the little demon thought, she knew this shouldn't be a gift.
He started trembling again and curled up into himself.
The little demon murmured, "She knows I lied to her."
But this time, he didn't tremble for long.
He felt a warmth as the monster named Baozhu placed her hand on his. He heard Baozhu softly say, "It's alright."
For the first time, he was touched with goodwill.
The little demon revealed half its face and looked at Baozhu, saying, "Don't you hate me?"
Baozhu smiled, gently patted the little demon's head, and said firmly, "I don't dislike you."
After a pause, Baozhu added, "I know some other half-demons."
The little demon shuddered violently after she uttered the word.
“They’re not bad,” Baozhu quickly said against her will.
"Are they all like me?" the little demon asked innocently.
"almost."
Do they have mothers?
Baozhu paused for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Yes."
"Does their mother hate them too?" the little demon asked cautiously.
Baozhu uttered an "uh," and asked in return, "Your mother...?"
The little demon gripped the pebble in his hand, gritted his teeth, and finally mustered the courage to speak to the pearl.
His mother was a very beautiful woman. She came from a wealthy family and was married to a husband who treated her very well.
However, he was not the child born to his mother and her husband.
He was born on a stormy day. The moment his mother saw him, she began to scream hysterically.
Because the hair on his body almost completely obscured his appearance, he was so ugly and repulsive that his mother could not accept that she had given birth to a monster.
Everyone present looked at him with hatred.
The half-demon had just been born into this world. He was too weak and too clumsy. He trembled with fear when he saw the gazes of the crowd.
His mother's sister and his mother's husband all came over and glanced at him.
The half-demon saw their eyes and realized they wanted to kill him.
But he didn't want to die.
Taking advantage of the chaos caused by his mother's screams, he used all his strength to break free from his swaddling clothes and escape into the torrential rain.
He was so young that even a few steps took all his strength.
He could only hide himself in a deserted corner of the house.
Outside this house, people were walking around everywhere.
He can't escape.
He could only huddle motionless in that corner, and he found that when he didn't move, even if someone walked past him, they wouldn't notice his presence.
So, slowly, he began to become bolder.
When evening came and the house quieted down, he finally mustered up his courage and quietly went to his mother's room, peering through the crack in the door at her inside.
That was his mother, who gave birth to him; she was so beautiful, yet so frail.
He stared at her without moving for a moment, and silently shed the first tear of his life.
So every night he would go to see his mother to make sure she was still alive and that her body was slowly recovering.
One day, when he went to see his mother again, he accidentally moved and was noticed by his mother in bed.
The mother was instantly terrified; she looked at him and screamed wildly.
He was at a loss and could only quickly hide himself back in the corner.
That night, people came and went in the house, and my mother didn't calm down until dawn.
He huddled up, his eyes open, until dawn.
By then, he had no more tears left to shed, and he belatedly realized that his mother hated him.
My mother stayed up all night at home, saying she was leaving.
The mother's husband agreed to her request.
But what about him? Could he simply stop appearing in front of his mother and still stay by her side?
On the day his mother left her husband, he hid under the car and left the house with the convoy.
My mother started living alone at the foot of the mountain.
This made him happy. There were no more people here, and he grew up day by day. There was plenty of food in the mountains to fill his stomach.
But he hadn't seen his mother for a long time, even though he would curl up behind her house to sleep after foraging for food every day.
I imagine what my mother, who lives just a wall away, looks like now.
One day, her mother's sister and her mother's mother came to visit her.
He carefully hid to the side, listening to the conversation of the women who were blocked outside the door.
That day, he learned a word.
That night, he pressed himself against the wall outside his mother's yard and opened his mouth for the first time, trying to make a sound.
His tongue pressed against his upper teeth and slowly slid back.
He said awkwardly, "Mother..."
"mother."
This was the first word he uttered. He leaned his head against the wall, as if he were in his mother's arms.
His mother hated him, but he loved her.
Unable to suppress his inner longing, he cautiously went to visit his mother once again.
My mother sat quietly in the courtyard; she was still as beautiful as ever.
He quietly placed the prettiest wild fruit he had picked from the mountain in the garden, then left with his heart pounding.
He leaned against the wall and waited for a while.
He heard his mother scream. She frantically threw wild fruit over the wall and then threw a stone outwards with all her might.
A pebble broke through his stiff forehead.
He slowly lowered his head, picked up the pebble, and held it in his palm.
He had to go, taking with him the only gift she had given him.
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