Lin Chengyou lazily remarked, “Lady Teng speaks sense. This demon is too large to consume in one sitting. Better to take it back and pickle it slowly – eat its arms today, it’s head tomorrow. If one person can’t finish it all, we can always invite friends and family to join the feast.”

The old demon burned with rage, its body rising as if ready to charge out of the formation. Everyone’s hearts leaped to their throats at the sight, but surprisingly, after a moment of agitation, the demon forcefully restrained itself.

Teng Yuyi had been secretly anxious the whole time. After all this effort, who would have thought the old demon still wouldn’t take the bait? Time was running short – if this dragged on any longer, no one in the courtyard would escape.

Lin Chengyou remained steady as a mountain, leisurely turning his sword hilt. “While this demon dares not move, let me test which is superior – this Jade Sword or the Nine Heavens Dark Sword.”

With a cold laugh, he spread his arms and leaped down from the rafters. In mid-air, he executed an elegant sword flourish, pointing directly at the demon’s brow.

The old demon knew well the might of the Jade Sword. Meeting it head-on would mean certain death. It threw its head back and forcefully launched itself skyward. Tonight it had truly encountered two nemeses – just after wounding Lin Chengyou, Lady Teng had appeared. If Lady Teng had been the assassin, things would have been simpler – it could have torn her to pieces from afar without letting her get close. But the sword had fallen into Lin Chengyou’s hands instead.

“Young Master is nearly twenty, yet acts like he’s never seen beauty before, openly coveting my flesh. Aren’t you afraid of ridicule?” she said with alluring charm, deliberately circling the formation in flight. Lin Chengyou wanted to force her out of the formation, but she was trying to lure him in.

Lin Chengyou suddenly halted his advance and leaped backward with a wicked smile. “Enough! Have you harmed so many that your appearance has become this hideous? Haven’t you heard the saying ‘one’s appearance reflects one’s heart’? Even among demons, your looks are truly awful. Forget eating your flesh – just looking at you makes me nauseated.”

The old demon’s expression changed dramatically. Despite cultivating for hundreds of years, she had never managed to develop a beautiful appearance. If she hadn’t started forcibly taking over beautiful human vessels months ago, she would still wear that old, ugly face.

She had seized over ten female bodies in succession, none quite to her satisfaction, until she encountered the wife of the Duke of An’guo and finally understood true beauty.

After being a great beauty for several months, she had almost forgotten her original appearance. Lin Chengyou’s words were like sharp blades piercing her heart.

Her gaze became poisonous as arrows, her lips beginning to twitch. “You seek death!”

Lin Chengyou poured oil on the fire: “Lady Teng, do you want to eat it? Aren’t you afraid its poison will damage your beauty?”

“You have a point,” Teng Yuyi changed her mind. “Perhaps we should take it back to feed the cattle and horses instead.”

The old demon’s eyes burned crimson. She could no longer contain herself and kicked off the ground, suddenly soaring upward. “Reckless fool who knows not death, tonight I’ll let you taste what it means to suffer worse than death!”

Lin Chengyou halted, turning back with a smile as if to flee, but unexpectedly the movement aggravated his wounds, causing his form to waver and fall to the ground.

“Senior Brother!” Jueshen and Qizhi cried out in alarm.

The guards were shocked and rushed forward in panic.

The demon’s hatred surged like a tide. How could it miss such a perfect opportunity? There was no need to chase outside the formation – one swipe of its claws could tear Lin Chengyou in half.

Lin Chengyou was indeed gravely injured, head lowered and coughing incessantly. The old demon laughed sinisterly, about to strike with full force, when Lin Chengyou suddenly let out two low laughs and grabbed its claw, dragging it skyward before it could retract its hand.

This move was completely unexpected. The old demon thought “terrible!” – just a few more breaths of spiritual energy and she had fallen for Lin Chengyou’s trap. Fortunately, the formation was right below – there was still time to escape back into it.

In her urgency to break free, she released clouds of black mist like raging flames. Lin Chengyou released her and leaped aside, but shouted: “Change formation!”

The two small Daoist priests who had only known how to cry suddenly sprang up, lifting their robes as they ran swiftly through the courtyard. With one crossing movement, they changed the formation pattern in the blink of an eye.

The old demon silently thought “Not good” and hurriedly began chanting. The vines at her feet heard the call and grew several feet, entangling her legs. She was about to command them to pull her back into the formation when suddenly two golden lights burst forth from behind the young Daoists. The lights intertwined, spiraling upward until they touched the golden net above. The three golden lights merged into one – the old demon felt a great force surge up from below her feet, and before she could leap back into the formation, she was thrown far outside it.

The old demon tumbled onto the roof eaves in disarray. After finally catching her breath, she raised her head in embarrassment to see Lin Chengyou standing in a nearby treetop, watching her with an ambiguous smile.

“You may block me from absorbing spiritual energy, but can you prevent me from becoming a demon?” The old demon ground her teeth in hatred. Lin Chengyou had used every method to lure her out of the formation, while the young Daoists had been responsible for cutting off her retreat. How infuriating that she had been so thoroughly manipulated by Lin Chengyou, never realizing when the three had communicated right under her nose.

But Lin Chengyou no longer bantered with the old demon. He simply tossed the Jade Sword to the guards below: “Return it to Lady Teng.”

Then he leaped down from the treetop: “Begin! Switch to the Xuantian Formation.”

The young Daoists responded loudly: “Yes!”

Teng Yuyi caught the Jade Sword and turned to leave with Lady Du. Having successfully lured out the demon, the rest would be much simpler.

In the moonlight, the old demon could see that Lin Chengyou’s white collar was covered in spots of blood. His internal organs were already injured, and he had just used all his internal force to drag her from the formation. Now he was truly at his limit and couldn’t last much longer.

Seeing Teng Yuyi about to escape, she immediately changed her mind, abandoning Lin Chengyou to chase after Teng Yuyi instead.

Teng Yuyi fled quickly, reaching the gate in an instant.

The demon raced along the roof tiles. Tonight she had pursued them to Purple Cloud Tower not only to avenge that sword wound but also because the Duke of An’guo’s wife’s organs were failing severely. Rather than waste her power maintaining a weakened vessel, better to find a fresh beautiful body.

This Miss Teng was fair and radiant – though not as voluptuous as the Duke’s wife, she possessed the graceful bearing of a young maiden. The demon was surprised by Teng Yuyi’s beauty and had long-harbored designs on her.

Strangely, though they knew she was pursuing Teng Yuyi, the three behind didn’t try to stop her. She only heard the young Daoist ask: “Senior Brother, are we using this formation?”

“We’ve already set it up, why are you still talking?”

“But I just remembered, Master said the Xuantian Formation requires a virgin male body to control it… otherwise, it not only fails to reach heaven but harms those who set it up.”

“…”

The other one added: “Though this formation can kill in all directions if Senior Brother isn’t… we needn’t force it. At worst, we can use another formation to capture the old demon first, then set up a formation to suppress it after we take it back to Qingyun Temple.”

The tree demon laughed internally. These children were truly naive – even facing a pampered young noble like Lin Chengyou, they could still ask such foolish questions.

It seemed this formation couldn’t be established. She felt increasingly at ease.

Everyone scattered in flight. Teng Yuyi, being nimble, was the first to run outside the courtyard. The old demon was beside herself with excitement as she pursued relentlessly.

Teng Yuyi was terrified, running and cursing across the wall: “Demon, you’re courting death yet still want to harm others. Why don’t you look behind you?”

The old demon replied: “You still hope Lin Chengyou will save you? I’ve beaten him until his energy is severely depleted – he can barely take care of himself!”

Teng Yuyi laughed coldly: “I don’t count on anyone. But if you’re not afraid of having your left claw cut off too, feel free to try.”

The old demon remembered how Teng Yuyi and Lin Chengyou had just worked together to lure her out of the formation. Her teeth itched with rage as she angrily split the wall before her, leaning forward to catch Teng Yuyi. Suddenly she felt a strange wind hit her back, gentle and slow as cotton wool.

An ominous feeling welled up in the old demon’s heart. She wanted to turn her head to investigate, but the strange force suddenly surged upward like an army assembling with gongs and drums, driving thousands of flags and hundreds of soldiers, pressing down on her head like an avalanche.

A tremendous boom resounded in the demon’s mind. She gathered all her dark energy to counterattack, but this strange force was completely different from any magic she had encountered before. Magnificent and imposing, it contained boundless righteous energy that gave her no chance to dodge. A force of a thousand jun crashed down on her head.

The old demon hung rigid in mid-air, hunched over, her soul seeming to have been ground to pieces. She struggled to look forward and saw fire dragons roaming throughout the courtyard. Most of the evil creatures were entangled, either screaming miserably or instantly burned to black ash.

The night wind carried low chanting, clear as struck jade, gentle as a spring. Listening carefully, it was Lin Chengyou’s voice.

“Carrying the soul and embracing the One, I come to vanquish evil spirits.”

“Break!”

The old demon’s eyes bulged slightly. Before she could struggle, a beam of light swift as snow struck her squarely in the face.

The old demon howled in agony, desperately trying to break free of the restraints, but the snow-like light coiled around her like a spirit snake, binding her tightly.

Lin Chengyou hung in mid-air, his chanting voice rising higher and higher. The old demon trembled uncontrollably. From her face to her neck, inch by inch, gnarled brown tree bark was revealed, and the long hair on her shoulders slowly transformed into twigs and branches.

Seeing hundreds of years of cultivation about to be destroyed in an instant, the old demon regretted too late, and could not help but break into mournful tears.

Her voice was sorrowful, seemingly overwhelmed with grief. Lin Chengyou remained unmoved, but the young Daoists and guards felt compassion as if all the sorrows in their hearts had been stirred up by this crying.

Lin Chengyou cursed internally – even at this point she was still playing tricks, releasing all her dark energy to confuse people’s minds. Those who didn’t know how to guard against it often became thoroughly corrupted without realizing it.

He brushed away the talisman paper from the Zhentanmu wood and with a wave of his sleeve struck out with it. The old demon’s whole body shuddered, her crying cutting off abruptly.

Jueshen and Qizhi shook their heads, immediately coming to their senses.

Lin Chengyou landed back in the formation and dragged the powerless old demon close, smiling as he asked: “Playing so many tricks – did you think I would let you off?”

The old demon’s eyes darted around as she trembled and nodded desperately.

“Answer a few questions honestly, and I might consider not forcing you back to your original form.”

The demon made whimpering sounds, naturally eager to comply.

“Months ago you were just a tree demon at the foot of Mount Liquan, unable to enter the demon path, your abilities ordinary. Since infiltrating Chang’an, in three months you’ve killed over ten women. Who guided you to cultivate the demon path? Who taught you the heart method of seizing human vessels? Tonight when you snuck into the bamboo grove by the river, was someone waiting for you there, or were you simply intent on evil?”

The old demon’s expression was complex. After hesitating a moment, she pointed at her throat.

Lin Chengyou flicked his fingers, and the old demon coughed several times before speaking hoarsely: “It was all by chance, no one guided me. I was practicing in the mountains when one night I encountered a thunderstorm. To avoid disaster I fled into a cave, unfortunately meeting a landslide that trapped me there for months. I inadvertently broke through the heavenly way. The method of seizing human vessels I comprehended on my own. Tonight I went to that bamboo grove because I grew tired of using my power to sustain the Duke of An’guo’s wife’s life and wanted to find a fresh beautiful vessel, that’s all.”

Lin Chengyou smiled and nodded, then waved his sleeve. The fierce fire began burning the old demon again, as if thousands of ants were crawling into every joint of her bones, making her wish for death to escape the agony.

The old demon wailed in agony: “If Young Master doesn’t believe me, you can search behind Mount Liquan yourself. The peak where I resided hasn’t been visited by humans for a thousand years – it’s long been an isolated valley.”

Lin Chengyou was truly stone-hearted, not only refusing to stop but signaling Jueshen and Qizhi to chant faster.

Unable to bear the humiliation, the old demon cried out in anguish: “Lin Chengyou! You deceiver! You said you’d spare me if I answered your questions – how can you go back on your word?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the talismans transformed into fire dragons that crawled up her legs, this time turning her lower body into tree roots.

Lin Chengyou’s smile held a cruel edge: “After harming so many lives, did you expect to escape suffering? I’ve given you a few chances – don’t think about playing tricks. Tell me honestly, who was the one who guided you?”

The old demon knew that two more rounds would force her back to her original form. After suffering for hundreds of years, how could she willingly return to being an unfeeling old tree? After much struggling, she finally spoke through gritted teeth: “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you…”

She swallowed and was about to speak when the sky suddenly brightened. A rumbling sound came from the dome above, and before anyone could react, a brilliantly bright bolt of lightning rolled down.

Lin Chengyou’s expression changed slightly – this thing was heading straight for the formation’s eye, clearly coming to save the old demon.

Quick as lightning, he yanked the tree demon backward. The talisman dragon, losing his control, instantly forced the old demon back to her original form.

That strange lightning seemed to possess consciousness, incredibly swerving in mid-air and transforming into white mist that vanished in the sky, coming and going without form as if it had never appeared.

Jueshen and Qizhi recalled the Zhentanmu wood and leaped forward to gather close, looking down at the old demon’s true form – a medium-sized young tree wrapped in green moss, giving off a strange fragrance.

Still shaken, they asked: “Senior Brother, was that strange lightning coming to save the old demon?”

Lin Chengyou stared intently in the direction the lightning had come from. Taking out a soul-binding creature from his robes, he bound the young tree and tossed it to the two: “Return to the Evil-Breaking Formation and stay there.”

Then he called to the guards who were still wiping away sweat: “Quickly take the injured and the Duke of An’guo’s wife to Zhaole Pavilion. I’ll return shortly.”

He leaped onto the wall and instantly melded into the night.

***

The Zhaole Pavilion compound was cramped, with only one bedchamber. The Teng and Dong families had no choice but to settle in together.

The palace servants were mostly terrified, and the guards were still shaken. Even after everything was arranged, everyone seemed somewhat dazed.

Lady Du’s legs trembled as she held Teng Yuyi in her arms, patting her continuously. Teng Yuyi recalled how Lin Chengyou had dealt with the old demon and found herself full of questions. Lin Chengyou had not only questioned why the demon went to the bamboo grove but suspected someone was waiting there – something she had never considered. When she had arrived with Duan Fu and others, there had only been the demon and her cousin’s servants in the grove. She only knew her cousin had been attacked, knowing nothing of the cause.

If the old demon hadn’t stumbled into that bamboo grove by chance but had gone there for a meeting, where was that person hiding? Had her cousin been attacked because she had accidentally witnessed something?

She pondered this for a long while, growing increasingly alarmed until she heard her aunt softly calling her cousin, which brought her back to her senses.

The medicine Lin Chengyou had given was remarkably effective. The strange golden color had completely receded from her cousin’s body. Though Baizhi and Hong Nu were still unconscious, they showed signs of improvement.

Duan Fu was settled in the outer corridor. When Teng Yuyi went to check on him, his breathing had become steadier.

By the window, the Duke of An’guo’s wife and the Second Young Lady of the Dong family lay side by side – one barely breathing, the other still unconscious from not having taken the medicine.

The housemistress, having escaped death, remembered that Lin Chengyou’s pills had all been taken by Miss Teng. Now all the Teng family members who had taken the medicine were improving, while her Second Young Lady hung between life and death. She couldn’t help but worry desperately. While tending to Second Young Lady Dong, she kept glaring at Teng Yuyi, her gaze full of hidden accusation and resentment.

Teng Yuyi sensed the stares behind her and turned to look when a palace servant entered with a message: “The Young Master said before leaving that he had something to investigate. Since there are unmarried young ladies in the room, he asked the servants to make arrangements in advance.”

Lady Du had vaguely heard something earlier and had worried about propriety between men and women. Now completely reassured, she quickly responded: “Very well.”

The housemistress, hoping to beg more life-saving pills from Lin Chengyou, readily agreed: “We’ll follow the Young Master’s arrangements.”

The palace servants then arranged the five injured women side by side on the couch, screening them with thick curtains, leaving only their feet visible.

While helping with the curtains, Teng Yuyi happened to glance at Second Young Lady Dong and was surprised to discover she showed no signs of the golden-gray color, and her breathing seemed steady.

Strange – hadn’t she been poisoned by the demon? Her mind stirred and she was about to look closer when the housemistress, worried about drafts, blocked the curtain.

Teng Yuyi simply went around to the other side of the curtain, discretely looking again. Just then, footsteps approached from outside, and people began talking in the courtyard. After responding to a few words, a palace servant lifted the door curtain and reported: “Young General Duan from the Marquis Zhenguo’s mansion and Lady of Marquis Yong’an have arrived.”

Lady Du exclaimed in surprise: “Young General Duan and Lady of Marquis Yong’an?”

Young General Duan, named Duan Ningyuan, was the eldest son of Marquis Zhenguo’s household and Yu’er’s betrothed. Lady of Marquis Yong’an, Duan Wenyin, was Duan Ningyuan’s full sister. Duan Wenyin had married into the Yong’an Marquis family in Luoyang at seventeen.

The Duan siblings were only three years apart and had always been close. In the future, when Yu’er married Duan Ningyuan, she would call Duan Wenyin “Sister.”

Lady Du put on a smile and was about to rise when the servant continued: “The Duan family was also at Purple Cloud Tower for the festival tonight. Hearing that Miss Teng was frightened, Young General Duan and Lady of Marquis Yong’an rushed over to help. Several other ladies related to the Marquis Zhenguo’s household also came to assist after hearing the news. However, since the Young Master had sealed the middle gate to capture the demon, they had to wait in the main hall. Now hearing that the Young Master has subdued the demon, they’ve come to the inner courtyard. Lady of Marquis Yong’an is outside asking if the ladies have any reservations about them coming in to visit.”

As the servant spoke, several women could be heard whispering in the outer corridor, though Duan Ningyuan’s voice wasn’t among them.

Teng Yuyi laughed coldly inside while maintaining a normal expression. Lady Du, thinking she was shy, patted her hand and whispered: “Coming so promptly shows the Duan family’s thoughtfulness.”

With thick curtains now screening the bed, Lady Du had no more concerns. She adjusted her clothes and warmly welcomed them: “Please come in.”

Just then, another commotion arose outside as someone else entered the courtyard.

“There are five injured in total. Besides the Teng family, who is the other?” It was Lin Chengyou’s voice.

Teng Yuyi was somewhat surprised – Lin Chengyou had returned so quickly. She wondered what he had discovered.

“It’s the Second Young Lady from Magistrate Dong’s family of Wannian County. Tonight she had arranged to drink by the river with several officials’ daughters. On the way to the gathering, she unfortunately encountered evil spirits. Fearing there wasn’t time to return to the city for treatment and hearing there was a Daoist priest present, they asked Lady of Marquis Yong’an to help them enter Purple Cloud Tower.”

Teng Yuyi cast a meaningful glance behind the curtain. She should have known – without an invitation from someone of rank, ordinary officials’ family members couldn’t enter Purple Cloud Tower. So the “noble person” who had brought Second Young Lady Dong in was none other than Duan Ningyuan’s sister, Duan Wenyin.

The siblings had always been close. In her previous life, when Duan Ningyuan nearly got expelled from the Marquis Zhenguo’s household over breaking off the engagement with her, it was Duan Wenyin who rushed back from Luoyang to speak up for her brother.

It wasn’t strange for Duan Wenyin to return to Chang’an during the Shangsi Festival, but it was odd that when the Dong family met trouble, they sought help from Duan Wenyin over others. Stranger still, though the families had no prior connection, Duan Wenyin had agreed. Besides being asked by her brother Duan Ningyuan, Teng Yuyi couldn’t think of any other reason.

Counting the days, it was early spring, still three months before Duan Ningyuan would come to break off the engagement. His interest in Second Young Lady Dong had started earlier than she had expected.

Lin Chengyou said: “I need to enter and check on the injured. Is everything arranged inside?”

Hearing this, the housemistress immediately sprang up from the couch and rushed outside, dropping to her knees with a thud: “Please, Young Master, save our Second Young Lady! Earlier when you gave the medicine to Miss Teng to distribute, our Second Young Lady was unfortunate and didn’t receive even one pill. Now she hangs between life and death – please, we beg for your help!”

Then a young man’s voice exclaimed in surprise: “The medicine wasn’t shared with your Second Young Lady?!”

It was Duan Ningyuan’s voice, containing hidden anger and accusation.

The housemistress could only kowtow, weeping uncontrollably.

Author’s Note: “I come to vanquish evil spirits” – from Han Yu’s poem “First Southern Food Presented to Yuan Eighteen, Deputy Minister of Rites”.