Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty-Three — The Immortal Gourd Subdues the Demon

Hongzhou. The Wanshou Palace. The Eight-Trigram Dragon-Locking Well.

A hundred fathoms down, a pair of enormous pupils showed themselves, like two pale-gold lanterns. Then the still underground conduit began to churn, and a low, heavy rumble — like distant thunder — echoed through it.

A great flood-dragon, waking from slumber, had been stirred by some provocation into a frenzy, and strained with all its might.

Yet eight thick iron chains bound it fast, traced with golden talisman-patterns; the harder it struggled, the tighter they bound, until at last they bit into its flesh.

Deep within the Wanshou Palace, in a certain chamber long kept shut.

A white-browed Daoist sat cross-legged upon a cushion, hands formed into the Supreme Seal, the five centers turned to heaven, motionless — so still that even his breath was barely to be seen.

Before him, eight iron pillars arrayed a Qimen Eight-Trigram formation, and at its heart was planted a divine sword — the eye of the array.

The sword was of bronze hue, marked with thunder-patterns; on one face were cut the characters JINGYANG, on the other WANREN, both in ancient seal script.

At this moment the divine sword trembled and blazed with brilliant light.

At the same time the whole of the Wanshou Palace quivered faintly, and a faint dragon's cry could be heard.

The white-browed Daoist snapped open his eyes; a sword-finger extended, and a drop of blood flew forth to fall upon the blade. The sword stilled at once, and the palace grew calm again.

The roar faded, as if all that had passed were but illusion.

The white-browed Daoist sighed softly. "This wicked dragon — sixteen years asleep, and now it raves again. Why?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes once more; his breath grew long and faint again.

…

Longshou Mountain.

The mountain took its name from its shape, like a dragon's head; its terrain was hidden, and the nearby villagers had dug tunnels and caves within it to shelter from war and calamity.

Now, in a cave upon Longshou Mountain, a great crowd of villagers had gathered, discussing some matter under the old village elder's lead.

"Elder, we can't go on hiding like this — the fields will lie fallow!"

"Aye — if we don't plant, what do we eat through the winter?"

"Didn't Daoist Li say he'd rid us of the serpent demon? Why is there no word of it?"

"Maybe he's forgotten us!"

The villagers murmured, worry written on every face.

At first they had feared the serpent's revenge; but as time passed, fear of the serpent ebbed, replaced by worry for the winter.

For common folk in such remote parts, every winter was a stern trial of survival; by spring, many a familiar face might be seen no more.

The old village elder spoke. "I trust Daoist Li. He is a man of great ability — if he says he'll rid us of the demon, he will!"

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An old woman hesitated. "What if Daoist Li, too, feared the serpent demon, and has run off by now?"

"I heard that serpent is far fiercer than the bat demon — why, it can even take human form to ruin young women!"

Then a young but resolute voice rang out.

"Daoist Brother would never fear the serpent demon!"

"Granny Zhang, you say that again and I'll go steal the pears from your tree!"

It was the old village elder's granddaughter, gripping a wooden staff, fierce as could be.

Granny Zhang was furious and about to scold, when a shout came from outside.

"Trouble, trouble!"

"Granny Zhang — your little grandson was swimming in the water and a great fish swallowed him whole!"

At these words Granny Zhang's heart burned like fire; she failed to catch her breath and fainted dead away.

…

Longshou Mountain, an unnamed deep pool.

The pool was bottomless, strewn with drifting leaves upon its surface, seeming quiet and lovely as a painting — yet a moment earlier, as several children swam there, a brown great fish had surfaced, over three meters long, and swallowed Granny Zhang's little grandson in one gulp.

The other children fled ashore in panic and told the adults in the cave.

Now Granny Zhang had woken, weeping and wailing by the pool's edge; soon her son and daughter-in-law arrived, frantic at the dreadful news, the wife near throwing herself into the pool.

The family had but this single slender shoot.

Yet misfortune never comes singly: a sharp-eyed villager spotted what seemed a great serpent racing toward them in the distance, very fast.

"It's the serpent demon — the serpent demon has come for us!"

"The serpent demon comes to take revenge — flee, everyone, flee!"

The people stared in terror, about to run — when the old village elder's granddaughter cried out in delight, "It's not the serpent demon — look, that's Daoist Brother!"

"Eh? It does seem… truly Daoist Li!"

"It is Daoist Li — he's dragging the serpent demon!"

A moment later came a great boom; a serpent's corpse was flung to the ground, and the distant pool water rippled in rings.

A figure drifted down to land atop the serpent's head — green Daoist robe, ink-black long hair, handsome and otherworldly; at his waist hung a sheathed short sword on one side and a small black gourd on the other.

It was Li Daoxuan.

"Daoist Brother!"

The village elder's little granddaughter cheered, her small face alight with pride besides delight, as if she herself had slain the serpent.

Li Daoxuan looked at her noticeably thinned face, reached out a hand and produced two paper-wrapped packets of candied fruit and dried mutton, which he offered with a smile. "That 'brother' of yours shouldn't go unpaid — take these and eat."

The little granddaughter broke into a sweet smile; the other children, even many adults, looked on with envy.

Li Daoxuan waved his sleeve again, and the near-five-fathom serpent corpse vanished at once, as if he had hidden it in his sleeve.

In truth he had taken it into the Three-Realms Gourd; to keep the gourd unnoticed he had deliberately made a sleeve-waving gesture to cover it.

Seeing this, the villagers were struck with awe, feeling Daoist Li had grown even more formidable, near a god.

"Good folk — you all saw the serpent's corpse a moment ago. This demon is slain; you may return to Xiaosha Village and take up your plows again!"

At this the villagers' eyes lit with joy.

"Wonderful — Daoist Li is truly mighty!"

"Still calling him Daoist Li? He should be Immortal Li!"

"Aye, aye — Immortal Li!"

…

Li Daoxuan clasped his hands. "This poor Daoist has pressing business and will not intrude further. Farewell!"

He set his foot and made to work the Shrinking the Earth, Divine Striding.

Then Granny Zhang ran over and dropped to her knees before Li Daoxuan with a thud, kowtowing again and again until her forehead was bruised blue.

"Immortal Li, save my little grandson — I beg you!"

Li Daoxuan hastened to support her; about to speak, Granny Zhang's son and daughter-in-law also ran up and knelt together, weeping.

"The child was swimming, and a great fish swallowed him — now it hides at the bottom. Immortal Li, save my poor child!"

Li Daoxuan frowned. "When did this happen? If too late, even slaying the fish may not bring him back."

At Li Daoxuan's words Granny Zhang's hands shook with excitement. "A moment ago — it only just happened!"

Li Daoxuan walked to the pool's edge and gazed into its fathomless water; channeling mana into his eyes, he saw indeed a wisp of faint demonic qi upon the surface.

A fish demon of shallow cultivation — likely not even awakened to true intelligence. Not much of a threat.

But it hid at the pool's bottom, which was troublesome.

Before gaining the Three-Realms Gourd, Li Daoxuan would surely have refused to rescue the boy — he had no wish to risk his life diving in.

But now…

Li Daoxuan sneered and tapped the gourd at his waist.

"Even if you hide at the bottom of the sea, this poor Daoist means to take you today!"

"Take it in!"

In the next breath, before all eyes, the gourd at his waist rose of itself and hung above Li Daoxuan's head.

Whoosh!

The pool water was drawn up of itself, rearing columns of water that rushed swiftly into the gourd.