Three black spiders the size of millstones lay on their backs, legs rigid in death. The three saint celestial masters doused them with oil, set them alight, and burnt them to charcoal.
“Brother Lu! Sister-in-law!”
The three saint celestial masters cupped their hands towards Lu Zheng and Shen Ying, bowed deeply, and spoke in unison. “You saved our lives. We have no way to repay such great kindness. From now on, if ever you give us an order and we disobey, may heaven and earth destroy us!”
“No need, no need for that!” Lu Zheng raised his hands to help them up. “You three uphold justice and perform heroic deeds. I have long admired you. Today I happened to be here and lent a hand. It was my duty!”
The Form-Manifesting Celestial Master immediately grinned at his two elder brothers. “See? I told you. We rid the world of demons, save lives, and help the injured. Good people always meet noble helpers. The righteous have heaven’s protection!”
The Supreme Heaven and Earth-Suppressing Celestial Masters nodded repeatedly. “Younger brother is right!”
The Supreme Heaven Celestial Master grabbed Lu Zheng’s arm. “Brother Lu, you must come back to the county with us tonight. I insist we drink until we drop!”
The Earth-Suppressing Celestial Master chimed in. “Exactly! And you said you took a wrong turn. Where are you headed? We know every corner of Cuan Prefecture. Even beyond it we have friends. We will make sure you reach your destination safely and smoothly!”
The Form-Manifesting Celestial Master nodded vigorously. “My two elder brothers speak true!”
“Very well, very well. No rush. Let us first tidy up this mess,” Lu Zheng said.
After gathering the scattered pieces of the demon-revealing mirror and the wooden Buddha statue, the three celestial masters finally began questioning the old woman about the whole affair.
They learned that she and the eighty-year-old crone were indeed the true owners of the manor.
The owners had only wanted peace and quiet, to live in seclusion, yet three spider demons had driven out the cuckoo and occupied the nest. They slaughtered and devoured the male master and all the servants, keeping the two old women alive merely for amusement. The crone had gone mad. The surviving old woman had submitted to everything just to stay alive.
“These monsters were cruel beyond words!” The Supreme Heaven Celestial Master was furious and somewhat ashamed. “They wanted revenge on us and toyed with us, yet in the end they brought disaster upon the entire household.”
The Earth-Suppressing Celestial Master sighed. “Eldest brother, the old lady is now insane. The two of them cannot possibly continue living here. Why not take them to Relief Hall as well?”
The Supreme Heaven Celestial Master nodded. “That is the only option. Relief Hall will not lack two extra bowls of rice. Miss He will not mind.”
“Relief Hall?”
Seeing Lu Zheng’s curiosity, the Form-Manifesting Celestial Master explained. “Relief Hall is the small establishment we run in Yeyu County. We mainly look after orphaned children and lonely elders, especially those harmed by demons and unable to care for themselves. We take them in and everyone helps one another.
We are often away travelling, so many local people lend a hand, especially the young lady next door, Miss He. She washes clothes, cooks, and has helped us enormously.”
Lu Zheng felt deep respect.
This was the first time he had met demon-slayers who also handled the aftermath and aftercare.
“I am truly impressed!”
“It is only right!” The Form-Manifesting Celestial Master laughed heartily, then joined his brothers in comforting the two old women.
Perhaps because they realised the demons were dead, the eighty-year-old crone stopped raving. Still, the shock had been too great. She remained dazed and silent, cared for by the other old woman.
Night had fallen and travelling the mountain roads was dangerous, so everyone ate some dry rations in the manor and rested for the night.
…
Nothing happened during the night. At dawn they set off again.
After packing a few daily necessities, Lu Zheng and Shen Ying gave their two horses to the old women to ride. They walked on foot with the three celestial masters and left the mountain.
Along the way, when they spoke of demon-slaying exploits, the three saint celestial masters proved to have a wealth of stories.
Killing a murderous giant crab in Stone Town.
Slaying a life-cursing weasel spirit in Tongshan Village.
Destroying a child-eating catfish demon in Xiaoyu Village.
Exterminating a beautiful female ghost who drained men’s yang energy in Shanyin Town.
Defeating a ghost general that had escaped from the underworld in Guihe County.
Across nearly a thousand li of Cuan Prefecture, wherever harmful demons and ghosts appeared, there they would be found.
On their journeys they had certainly faced danger, yet every time they turned calamity into fortune. Sometimes they met orthodox Taoists, sometimes eminent Buddhist monks, sometimes sword immortals, martial artists, shamans, or esoteric practitioners. In this way they made many friends.
Much of their equipment and many of their spells and incantations had been obtained through friendly exchanges with these people.
Hearing this, Lu Zheng and Shen Ying exchanged a glance and understood.
The three saint celestial masters clearly lacked natural talent and were not powerful. Even the strongest among them, the Supreme Heaven Celestial Master, had less than a hundred years of cultivation. Without some miracle, they had no hope of immortality.
It was unclear whether they had once tried to join a famous sect, but now it was obvious they had no formal lineage. At some point they had gathered scattered manuals, started cultivating, and managed to sense qi.
Then they had begun their lives of travelling the land, slaying demons.
They might lack talent. They might not be highly cultivated. They might not be particularly clever.
But they had true hearts and burning passion. They upheld justice, saved the dying, and aided the injured.
That was why so many extraordinary people were willing to befriend them, to “exchange knowledge” with them, and to pass on techniques that suited them.
“I never imagined you knew so many arts. Truly impressive!” Lu Zheng gave a thumbs-up. “Actually I also practise both the Taoist and martial paths and know a few things. We could exchange pointers.”
The Supreme Heaven Celestial Master hurriedly replied, “Brother Lu, you saved our lives. Talk of exchange would be looking down on us. Anything we have, just say the word!”
The Earth-Suppressing and Form-Manifesting Celestial Masters nodded repeatedly. “Eldest brother is right!”
…
Lu Zheng followed them back to Yeyu County and visited Relief Hall. It was indeed filled with young children, lonely elders, and many local people helping voluntarily. The hall’s funds came partly from public donations and partly from the fees the three celestial masters earned for demon-slaying, enough to keep everything running.
That very night Lu Zheng discussed the Way with the three celestial masters. He received the complete method for crafting Demon-Pinning Heavenly Rockets, and in exchange he gave them the Nine Revolutions Nine Grades Spirit Void Scripture, the Cold-Condensing Curse, and three cloud-patterned swords.
…
The next day the three celestial masters showed Lu Zheng the correct route, and the couple resumed their journey.
“No wonder little sister Hongxia and the others always want to go out travelling. The outside world really is fascinating,” Shen Ying said with a smile. “Xu Xiuzhu, the three saint celestial masters. They are all such interesting people.”
Lu Zheng shrugged. “Only on the condition that we can beat them. Otherwise we would have become Xu Xiuzhu’s blood slaves or furnace cauldrons, or tonight’s spider-demon dinner.”
Shen Ying rolled her eyes flirtatiously and gave Lu Zheng a sly smile. “So that is why my dear Lu-lang dislikes going out?”
Lu Zheng replied as if it were obvious. “Of course. When wandering the jianghu, safety comes first!”
…
Thanks to the three celestial masters’ directions, the couple took no more wrong turns. They soon left Cuan Prefecture and entered Jingzhou territory.
Feiyu Mountain had arrived.
