Chapter 40 Chapter Forty — Strange Night-Road Tales

Li Daoxuan, oil-paper umbrella in hand and Fish-Intestine at his waist, his pack stored in the Three-Realms Gourd, worked Shrinking the Earth and hurried toward Yuzhang City three hundred li away.

After stepping into early Bigu his cultivation had greatly advanced, and the Shrinking the Earth grew faster; the scenery around seemed to warp, receding swiftly.

After some hour and more the sky darkened.

Li Daoxuan knew not where he was — some mountain forest, lush and green all about.

He thought to find someone and ask the way.

This too is the inconvenience of antiquity: no map or navigation, and one easily loses the way.

Li Daoxuan walked a while and at last met an old man shouldering firewood home.

The other, seeing a figure appear in the forest, started — but relaxing when he saw a Daoist, for Daoism is the Tang's state religion; even Li Shimin said his own ancestor was Laozi Li Dan, so Daoists stood high in the Tang.

"Your poor Daoist Li Daoxuan, greeting the layman. Might I ask where this place is?"

The old man, seeing the other salute him, was flattered, and hastily said, "Daoist, you are too kind — this is Cuiwei Mountain."

Cuiwei Mountain…

Li Daoxuan frowned. "Layman, how far is Yuzhang City from here?"

The old man smiled. "You ask the right man; I have been to Yuzhang once — cross Cuiwei Mountain, keep east, and a hundred-odd li more brings you there."

Li Daoxuan let out a breath; he had not gone the wrong way.

He offered a few copper coins. "A small token; pray, layman, accept."

The old man would not at first, but under Li Daoxuan's insistence took them; now he bore the handsome, clean Daoist much goodwill.

A common man of such low estate seldom met such polite treatment.

As Li Daoxuan would leave, the old man hesitated, then stepped forward. "This Daoist — are you to take the night road?"

Li Daoxuan nodded. "Indeed. Why?"

"Daoist, if you do not mind, come down the mountain and lodge a night; the night road here… is not peaceful!"

Not peaceful?

Li Daoxuan's eyes lit. "Could it be something dirty haunts the night here?"

A fear showed in the old man's eyes. "Daoist, not to hide it — some time back, several men died on the night road by strange means; they say their eyes were bulged huge — they must have seen something frightful!"

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"The government sent men to investigate; at first they said some river-and-lake bandit — but soon a government man died too, the same as the others, eyes bulged huge. Since then, none dares come at night."

The old man, watching the darkening sky, shivered. "Daoist, let us go down the mountain!"

Li Daoxuan smiled faintly. "Thank you, layman — but your poor Daoist has pressing business and must hasten; I shall not intrude."

"As for that dirty thing…"

Li Daoxuan said composedly, "Should your poor Daoist truly meet it, I shall dispose of it by the way — count it ridding the people of a scourge."

The old man would have urged more, but saw the young Daoist laugh long and stride off.

"Daoist—"

The old man stood stunned, for in but a blink the young Daoist was gone; the forest around was silent, as if all a moment ago were illusion.

Yet the old man looked at the copper coins in his hand and knew it no illusion!

The old man shivered; he felt he had met either a mountain spirit or a great adept!

But recalling the other's courteous manner, it must be a true world-beyond master!

He resolved to keep these coins as a family heirloom — a gift from a master must hold some special virtue…

Within Cuiwei Mountain.

Li Daoxuan slowed his pace, fearing the dirty thing might fail to notice him.

The Heaven-Subduing Demon Scripture had not "opened shop" for a while; would this time bring a fortunate meeting with a yaoguai?

As for the chance he could not win?

After entering early Bigu, Li Daoxuan had some ten-plus years of cultivation, plus various artifacts and an immortal artifact, and a Red Robe besides — naturally full of confidence.

The sky grew darker; moonlight dim in the forest, all around pitch black.

Li Daoxuan worked his Dharma eye and easily avoided the thorns, walking the night road with easy grace; the only bother, perhaps, the flying gnats.

After a time, as Li Daoxuan thought his plan would come to naught, a will-o'-wisp of orchid-blue flame appeared before him.

Ghost fire!

An ordinary man seeing this would surely flee backward in fright — but Li Daoxuan's eyes lit, and he walked straight toward the ghost fire.

After a short walk the ghost fires grew many, and the surroundings brighter.

A figure blocked Li Daoxuan's path.

It faced away from him, hunched, in a voluminous black robe, its hair pale-yellow.

Those ghost fires wheeled about it, green light upon its body — most eerie.

Wild mountain, old road, ghost fire, a back-view…

A timid man seeing this might faint on the spot — but to Li Daoxuan it was small scene.

He studied that back-view; though it wore human clothes, it gave a feeling of "a monkey in a cap" — some yaoguai that had taken shape.

Then the back-view slowly turned, revealing a gaunt face, eyes cunning, chin sharp — as if…

Li Daoxuan's eyes lit; he had already guessed the other's origin.

"Young man, look at me… do I look like a god?"

The figure showed a ghastly smile, voice hoarse, and asked Li Daoxuan.

Hearing the question, Li Daoxuan's gaze sharpened; a killing intent rose in his eyes, and he confirmed his guess.

The other was no man, but a yellow-skin!

So-called yellow-skin is the weasel that has taken spirit; the folk also call it the Yellow Immortal.

His master had said that when a weasel cultivates to a certain state, it will "ask for consecration" upon the road.

So-called asking for consecration: it will put a traveler a question; if it asks "do I look like a person?" then answer "like a person" — and the weasel may take human form, the traveler lives, perhaps even gaining some reward.

But one case is exception — extreme peril!

That is the case Li Daoxuan now faced: the weasel asks not "like a person" but "like a god"!

Who has the authority to consecrate a deity? If you answer "like a god," all your yang-qi is sucked away and you drop dead; if you answer "not like," you enrage the weasel and are eaten hollow.

This is a question where any answer is death!

His master said a weasel that asks such a question, from its first cultivation broke no few killing precepts, with bloodshed about it and wronged souls in its wake; met, hesitate not — slay outright!

"Young man, look at me — do I look like a god?"

Seeing Li Daoxuan slow to answer, the weasel seemed impatient and asked again, its gloomy gaze fixed on Li Daoxuan, and on that ghastly face a yellow hair after yellow hair began to emerge…