Chapter Nine: The Ugly Face

Back in his own room, Ge Qian finally relaxed and tossed the little fox onto the floor. Sitting cross-legged on his bedding, he said, “Behave yourself and stay here. Don’t go running about. The cultivators nearby all have a taste for meat. I’m going to meditate for a while, so don’t disturb me.”

Mei Die nodded, leaped onto the wooden bed, and lay there with her eyes closed to rest.

Ge Qian quieted his mind, his lips moving softly as he began to recite the Nameless Heart Sutra. Whenever he suffered grievances outside, he would chant this sutra to calm his mind. At first, Mei Die listened out of curiosity, but as she listened on, she found herself more and more drawn to the chanting. The bitterness in her heart gradually eased, her mind became clearer, no longer so clouded.

She mused to herself, “This is a Buddhist spell—cleansing the mind and dispelling inner demons. This useless boy, though talentless, is truly blessed with good fortune.”

Ge Qian rose, took the last bit of dried meat from his storage pouch, and tossed it to the little white fox. “Stick with me and you’ll live well. Eat up this meat. Today, I’ll head into the mountains to hunt a few wild boars. Once I start working in the medicinal garden, I probably won’t have time for wild game. Be good and stay at home.”

Having listened to the sutra, Mei Die’s mood was much more peaceful. She nodded, meaning, “Alright, I won’t go anywhere.”

Ge Qian went to a corner, picked up a chamber pot, pried up a brick, and placed the two newly acquired jade slips inside. He replaced the brick and set the pot back on top.

After he finished, Ge Qian let out a long breath. His storage pouch contained nothing but water and dried meat, which was also why he’d dared to make that bet with Liu Hai. The water was from a cold pool, and the meat was roasted with an ordinary spiritual herb, making both suitable for storage in the pouch, since mundane items couldn’t be stored otherwise. This was the solution he’d come up with.

From under the bed, he took out a finely crafted steel folding crossbow and a leather quiver containing ten bolts, each gleaming with a faint blue light. Anyone with experience could see they were coated with poison—a special anesthetic strong enough to bring down a brown bear. Only poison could deal with such powerful beasts; otherwise, hunters would never be able to kill their prey.

Ge Qian, the son of a hunter, always used top-grade poisons. He slung the crossbow and quiver across his back, checked that nothing was missing, and said to the little white fox, “I’ll take care of your food and drink, but you’d better not relieve yourself anywhere you please. There’s a chamber pot for that. I’m leaving now—tomorrow marks the beginning of our new life.”

With that, Ge Qian pushed the door open, locked it behind him, and headed straight for the outskirts of the great mountain.

Mei Die was indeed hungry. If she wanted revenge, she would have to return to the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain. Her uncle, the Demon King, would surely find a way to restore her. For now, survival was paramount—she needed to cultivate, bide her time, and figure out where she was. Without hesitation, she quickly devoured all the water and dried meat.

Replenished, she considered how to recover her strength. Even regaining a third would be a blessing, but this fool had nothing—no pills, no resources. There was only spiritual energy here, no demonic energy, making cultivation nearly impossible.

What should she do? If she didn’t return soon and warn her father to take precautions, the consequences would be dire. Xiao Yue would suffer that much longer. At this thought, Mei Die’s eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her own ignorance had caused Xiao Yue’s suffering. She swore she would return to the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain.

Restless, Mei Die paced back and forth in the room. Suddenly, her eyes lit up—a wild, audacious idea was forming. With a firm resolve, she knew there was no other way. She pushed aside the chamber pot, pried up the brick with her sharp claws, and took out the jade slip of the Vajra Technique. Spreading it on the ground, she saw it was densely inscribed with the body-tempering method.

The Vajra Technique was not sealed with spiritual power, but carved directly onto the slip, since ordinary mortals had no divine sense to read sealed texts. The carvings made it straightforward and easy to understand.

Mei Die used her claws to erase all the content of the Vajra Technique, then painstakingly began to engrave the Mountain Shifting Technique, passed down to her by the Demon King, onto the slip. The Demon King was a human cultivator, and Mei Die had grown up with him, so she was quite familiar with the human script.

Three hours later, the engraving was done. Mei Die carefully checked it over—one could not be careless with cultivation methods, or it could lead to disaster. Once sure there were no mistakes, she returned everything to its place.

Clapping her paws together, Mei Die said, “I hope the Mountain Shifting Technique will help you grow much stronger and quickly reach the peak of the Qi Absorption stage!”

Her plan was simple: Given Ge Qian’s abilities, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage was nigh impossible. But if she told him of a spiritual herb in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain that could help those without spiritual roots advance to Foundation Establishment, he would surely risk everything to seek it. That would be her chance to return home.

Considering how far away they were from the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain and the many dangers along the way, especially for a mere Qi Absorption cultivator, she realized that ordinary demonic cultivation methods were unsuitable for humans unless modified. She had no choice but to pass the Demon King’s sacred body-tempering technique onto Ge Qian.

Although Mei Die’s heart was burning with anxiety, she had no other option. If anyone else learned her identity, they would surely capture her for their own gain.

Her only hope was to train this fool up to the peak of Qi Absorption—only then would she have a chance for revenge.

Whenever Mei Die closed her eyes, she thought of Xiao Yue. From childhood, the two had followed the Demon King and cultivated together, never apart, closer than sisters. She could only imagine the vile ways that dog Li Qing was treating Xiao Yue.

———

Thousands of miles away, in a hidden cave residence ablaze with lamplight, three grand armchairs stood, each occupied.

One was a Daoist, another a monk, the third a layman. Before them stood Li Qing and Huiming, both respectfully and obediently awaiting orders.

The Daoist, with white hair and childlike features, was emaciated, his eyes dark and deep, as if countless black storms raged within, making them impossible to meet. He asked coldly, “Have you accomplished what I instructed?”

“Master, I have captured that demon and locked her in a secret prison. Rest assured, in all the world, no more than five people know of this matter,” Li Qing replied confidently.

The Daoist nodded, clearly satisfied. He turned to the plump old man and said, “The princess of the Ten Thousand Demons Mountain has been delivered by our Benevolence Sect and the Zen Temple. The next step is up to you.”

The plump old man smiled faintly. “Rest easy. When it comes to research into puppetry among humanity, I can safely say I’m second to none. However, old Daoist, you must know that refining a sentient puppet is no easy task. For an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be simple. But for a four-tailed demon fox of celestial blood, if she is not completely willing and her bloodline is damaged in the process, the Demon King is sure to notice.”

At this, the Daoist flew into a rage, eyes blazing. “So all this effort has been for nothing? Fatty, you’d better give me a satisfactory answer, or I’ll have to see just how powerful your spirit-stage puppets really are!”

“Old Daoist, I only said the success rate is low. If something goes wrong, you can’t blame me. I never said I wouldn’t try—just look at how worked up you’re getting!” The fat man stroked his whiskers as he spoke.

“Enough, you two are always like this. Aren’t you worried the juniors will laugh? In my humble opinion, let’s work together to find a solution rather than bicker. In the Buddhist canon, there is a passage from the Defector Arhat Sutra. If four Nascent Soul cultivators chanted it day and night, it would eventually make the demon fox submit, but even that would take a hundred years—rather too long!” said the kindly faced, portly monk, helplessly.

At this, Li Qing stepped forward and said, “Master, revered elders, I may have an idea, though I don’t know if it will work. I humbly ask for your guidance.”

End of Chapter Nine: Ugly Faces Revealed.