Chapter 20: The Blade Fells the Demon Fox and Unearths the Lair of Monsters

At these words, Ren You suddenly dropped to his knees. “Please, Master Daoist, I beg you to see this through to the end and rescue my wife from the den of demons.”

Yi Fan was startled and stood up, hastily helping him to his feet. “Master Ren, why do you say such things? Is there some hidden truth here?”

“My wife originally lived in the mountains some miles from here. Several years ago, she was abducted by a demon fox and brought to this place to serve its will. Though her movements are not strictly confined, her life is held in the demon fox’s grasp.”

Ren You recounted his bitter tale. It turned out that just a few miles away, hidden in a mountain hollow, lurked a fox demon who tyrannized the ghosts of the area, forcing them to do its bidding, committing evil everywhere and taking innocent lives. In recent years, people from the surrounding villages had occasionally vanished, all victims of this fiend.

Upon hearing this, the old lady was so shocked she broke into tears, covering her face. “My poor child, she would not tell me any of this, afraid to make me worry.”

Yi Fan let out a cold snort. “If a demon harms people, I cannot stand idly by. Tell me where it hides, and I shall rid the world of it today, so it may hurt no more innocents.”

Ren You gave a wry smile. “I do not know its exact location. I only learned of these things from my wife’s occasional laments, but she would never tell me where the fox demon’s lair is. She feared I would do something rash and lose my life trying to save her.”

This complicated things. Though the distance was short, there were many ravines in the mountains.

“Perhaps we should wait until tonight when my wife returns, and ask her more directly?” Ren You suggested.

Yi Fan frowned. He had no wish to linger longer than necessary; the sooner this matter was resolved, the better.

Suddenly, the silver-furred beast bared its teeth, gesturing wildly and making strange noises. Yi Fan was taken aback. “You know where it is?”

The creature nodded eagerly, thumping its chest repeatedly.

Yi Fan understood at once. Of course, this beast was a local; it was no surprise it knew the fox demon’s hiding place. He turned to Ren You. “We have not slept all night and must be weary. Tend to your mother and let her rest. Near dusk, we shall depart.”

During the day, the fox demon would surely hide in its den and be difficult to catch. At night, it would likely come out to hunt, making it possible to capture it in one stroke.

As Yi Fan left, dawn was just breaking. He had not gone far when he saw villagers skulking about, peering from behind corners. When they caught sight of the silver-furred beast behind him, they scattered in fear.

Yi Fan was not surprised. The previous night’s commotion had surely been heard throughout the small village. He pretended not to notice and continued on his way.

Inside the house, he let the beast squat in a corner and lay down to rest himself. After a sleepless night, even an iron body would feel weary.

The sun had barely risen when he was woken by a child’s cry of delight. Opening his eyes, he saw a young boy sitting on the edge of the bed, pointing excitedly at the silver-furred beast in the corner. “Monkey! What a beautiful monkey!”

The beast scratched its head, not understanding the child’s excitement, then bared its teeth and raised a fist, which only made the child laugh harder.

The old man, however, was fearful. Seeing Yi Fan awake, he said, “Master Daoist, this monkey is unusual by birth. I fear it is not an ordinary beast. How did it get inside?”

“There is no need for fear. This creature will not harm anyone,” Yi Fan reassured him, offering no further explanation. Since he was awake, he gave up on sleep, rose, and prepared to perform his morning prayers outside. But as he opened the door, he saw dozens of villagers standing at a distance, men and women, old and young, with the village headman at their lead.

“Headman?”

At his call, the headman shuddered and, after a moment’s hesitation, shuffled over, bowing nervously. “Master Daoist, where is the monster?”

“Monster? What monster?” Yi Fan laughed. “You mean the silver-furred beast? Do not be afraid—its nature is gentle. As long as it is not provoked, it will not harm anyone. And with me here, it dare not act out.”

“That is good, very good. Master Daoist, you are truly a man of great power, able to subdue even monsters. I am in awe,” the headman said, though he did not believe it. What kind of monkey has silver fur? He assumed Yi Fan had tamed the demon and would not let it cause trouble. He presented a brocade box. “Here are ten taels of silver as a token of our gratitude. We hope you will accept it.”

Yi Fan declined, politely refusing several times, until the headman finally took back the box. “How long do you intend to stay in our village, Master Daoist?”

Clearly, they wanted him to leave. Yi Fan thought as much, but said, “After so many days on the road, I am truly exhausted. I plan to rest one more day and depart at dawn tomorrow.”

When the villagers had left, Yi Fan sighed in relief. He dared not let the silver-furred beast out again, lest he alarm them further.

At noon, Ren You brought him a meal, carefully prepared. He learned that the old lady herself had cooked several fine dishes to thank him. They were rare delicacies—mountain mushrooms, river fish—the kind of fare most villagers could only enjoy during festivals, making Yi Fan feel somewhat embarrassed.

For the rest of the day, villagers lingered nearby, watching curiously. Children were scolded for playing too close, and some even took a detour to avoid the house.

At last, as dusk fell, Yi Fan instructed the old man not to go out. Then, taking the silver-furred beast with him, he slipped outside.

It was a cold winter evening. With little entertainment, the villagers would retire early, so the streets were empty, sparing him any trouble. The village dogs, catching the scent of the beast, cowered in their kennels and did not dare bark.

Reaching Ren You’s house, he found him waiting at the gate and greeted him with a bow.

“Do you have a knife in the house?” Yi Fan asked.

“We have a kitchen knife and a hatchet for chopping wood—will those do?”

“That will suffice.” Yi Fan had no special requirements. He took the hatchet from Ren You, gave a few instructions, and let the silver-furred beast lead the way.

The mountain path was treacherous, and in the dark they stumbled along for five or six miles, climbing up into the hills. By now, night had completely fallen. They lit their torches and pressed on carefully through the wild grass, hacking a path with the hatchet and staying alert for any sign of danger.

After several more miles, the beast suddenly bared its teeth and pointed ahead toward a ravine, making frantic gestures. Knowing they had arrived, Yi Fan extinguished the torch and handed the hatchet to Ren You, warning him not to make a sound and cautioning the beast not to startle their prey.

The ravine was not large, but thick with undergrowth, making it impossible to see in the darkness. Yi Fan crouched low, hiding in the grass, and whispered to Ren You, “No matter what happens, make no sound. If you alarm the fox demon and it escapes, it will be much more difficult to deal with.”

After these instructions, they fell silent. The mountain air was bitterly cold, and soon Ren You was shivering and blue-faced, but he gritted his teeth and endured.

Thankfully, they did not wait long before the moon rose, casting pale light over the darkness. Soon, five or six green lights drifted out, swaying before touching the ground, each transforming into a human shape.