Chapter Nine: The Weeping Tree Forest (Part One)

Huangsha smiled at Shi Jun, slowly fumbling inside his robes. After much effort, he produced a small, silk-embroidered pouch, from which he carefully extracted a neatly folded paper talisman. After a moment of thought, he asked, "My lord, what would you like to transform into? A sika deer or a little squirrel? Or perhaps a tree spirit or a stone monster? Hmm, I personally prefer a little white rabbit."

"Absolutely not!" Shi Jun cried out in a panic. The word "rabbit" sent a jolt through his nerves; he couldn't imagine what he would look like as a rabbit alongside this creature who seemed neither man nor woman. Shuddering, he asked in a trembling voice, "Is there anything else I can change into?" A sudden flash of inspiration hit him, and he exclaimed, "How about a bird? That way, it won't be so exhausting."

"My lord, you really are so clever!" Huangsha looked at Shi Jun with deep affection and said sincerely.

"Please... don't be so formal. Just call me Shi Jun," Shi Jun said, still unable to get used to the way the fellow called him "my lord" as if he were flirting.

"...Alright! That’s wonderful! Then I won't stand on ceremony either. How about I call you A-Jun?" Huangsha’s face lit up with surprise, his hands clutching his chest in eager anticipation.

Shi Jun wished he could slap his own mouth shut. Why did he have to offer such an unnecessary suggestion? A-Jun... he would never be able to face anyone again.

Completely oblivious to Shi Jun’s agony and despair, Huangsha chirped excitedly, "Oh, I remember! We could turn into Butterfly-Winged Water Beasts. You can both fly and swim; surely you would like that, my lord."

Without waiting for an answer, Huangsha ignited the talisman in his hand and began chanting a spell.

Shi Jun, who had been watching his every move closely, suddenly felt his body go light, and with a "thud," he fell to the ground. When he looked at himself, his skin had changed color, his limbs were gone, and two massive wings had replaced his arms. His legs had transformed into a long tail, and his belly ached intensely.

"Oh my, A-Jun, I forgot to tell you—Butterfly-Winged Water Beasts don't have feet. You have to keep flapping your wings, or you’ll fall. I’m so sorry you took a tumble!" Huangsha’s dainty voice drifted to Shi Jun’s ears. He looked up and caught a glimpse of a smooth, black-spotted belly. Huangsha, having transformed as well, was vigorously flapping wide purple wings. He looked just like a wing-bearing, footless lizard, with a long, curled tail trailing behind him. On his triangular head, the most prominent feature was a monstrously large mouth with jagged, menacing fangs that glinted with cold light. As Huangsha spoke, faint, eerie blue phosphorescence flickered between his teeth, and his two round, oversized eyes were blood-red.

Turned into this? Before the miserable Shi Jun could protest, Huangsha urged him softly, "Let's go quickly. We have no idea how long the journey will take." With a flutter of his wings, he took the lead and charged toward the wall.

*Flap... flap!* Shi Jun struggled to control those two wings, regretting for the first time that he had never bothered with sports like basketball or volleyball. He had never thought to train his arm strength, and now, flying was far more taxing than his spiritual projection had been. Stumbling and lurching, he took off and followed Huangsha straight into the wall.

***

A sudden brightness flashed, and Shi Jun’s eyes squinted against the intense glare. Unable to see what was in front of him, he slammed into something and slid to the ground, limp as a deflated balloon.

Warm, soft grass cushioned his body.

"At least I didn't get hurt," Shi Jun muttered to himself. Just as he was about to "take off" again, a roar rang out in his ears: "You little water monster, are you tired of living?"

Shi Jun looked up in surprise. He didn't see anyone. Where did that voice come from? Was it talking to him?

"I'm talking to you, kid. Why are you playing dumb?"

Amidst the roar, Shi Jun felt his neck tighten as if gripped by a vice. Then, his body went light, and he was hoisted high into the air.

"Big brother, please, have mercy! This is my little brother. He has shallow magic and failed to recognize your greatness. Please, be magnanimous, compassionate, heroic, and wise, and let him go!" Huangsha flapped his wings frantically, hovering in mid-air, his rapid-fire words pouring out like popping beans. Shi Jun struggled to turn his head and saw a massive, ugly face covered in warts embedded in the trunk of a thick locust tree, glaring at him.

Could this be a tree spirit?

Before Shi Jun could get a clear look at the ugly face, the owner of the voice, seemingly satisfied by Huangsha’s flattery, roared, "You kid know how to talk... Fine, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let this little bastard go. But remember, show some respect when you see your grandfather next time, or I'll crush you to death!"

***

"Whoosh!" Shi Jun’s body traced a long arc through the air, landing in a patch of warm, greasy sludge—a dark green mud pit. He tried to flap his wings to fly, but they were coated in thick muck, making them incredibly heavy. It took a massive, clumsy effort for him to wobble back into the air, looking utterly disheveled.

In the distance, he caught a glimpse of the locust tree with the ugly face, which was shaking its slender branches and chuckling—the clear "culprit" who had grabbed his neck.

A loud "croak" came from behind him. Shi Jun struggled to turn his head and saw a small, beige frog sitting proudly on his back, its two small eyes unblinkingly fixed on him.

"What are you doing?" Shi Jun didn't know if he had some past-life grudge against these Butterfly-Winged Water Beasts, but since transforming, he had been thwarted at every turn. Now, he even had a frog riding on his head—this was preposterous!

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Why did you get on?"

"Why are you asking so many questions? Looking for trouble?" the frog retorted, refusing to be outdone.

Who was the one looking for trouble here? Shi Jun was seething. He shook his body, trying to dislodge the frog, but despite its small size, the creature was incredibly strong. It grabbed the long fur on the back of his neck and gave it a vicious, painful pinch.

"Ouch... that hurts!"

"A-Jun, are you alright?" Huangsha flew over, asking with concern. "Let's hurry; we can't afford to be delayed."

"Do you think I want to be?" Shi Jun snapped. "Someone decided to hitch a free ride!" Huangsha blinked, only then noticing the frog riding on Shi Jun’s neck.

The frog spoke with an air of arrogance: "Hey, take me to the Weeping Tree Forest quickly. I have a meeting to attend!"

"Why should I? If you want to go, go yourself!"

The frog was enraged: "You fellow, it's not like I'm not paying you! Why so much fuss? Take me there! Otherwise, I'll go to the Demon Beast Management Union and file a complaint against you!"

Shi Jun was torn between anger and amusement. "What is this about paying or complaining? Why should I take you?"

Huangsha coughed awkwardly and whispered to Shi Jun through a telepathic transmission: "Uh, that’s actually what Butterfly-Winged Water Beasts do. This is bad; it looks like we really will be delayed."

What? Shi Jun was nearly stunned. He felt another heavy tug on the back of his neck as the frog shouted impatiently, "Hurry up, or I’ll report you for refusing service!"

Shi Jun glared at Huangsha, who was offering a flattering smile. He was so angry he could hardly speak, so he simply muttered, "I don't know the way."

The frog said contemptuously, "Hmph, you look like a rookie. Completely useless!" It turned to Huangsha. "Hey, then you take me."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Huangsha had been to the Demon Realm before and was more familiar with the Weeping Tree Forest. Besides, he couldn't let a dignified Underworld Catcher act as a mount for a tiny demon. He agreed repeatedly and fluttered over.

The frog leaped onto Huangsha’s head, puffed out its chest, and sat down. It cast a disdainful glance at Shi Jun and ordered grandly, "Alright, you can go." Huangsha agreed, took flight, and gave Shi Jun a wink, signaling him to follow.

What on earth was this? Why did he have to transform into a taxi driver? Shi Jun had no choice but to trail behind Huangsha, flapping his monstrous wings with listless, heavy strokes.

***

After exiting the barrier, the surroundings were mostly vast marshes, save for a few patches of grass. Shi Jun finally understood why Qing Yan and the others had chosen to transform into deer with long legs. He made up his mind to talk to Huangsha about changing forms later... but then again, transformation didn't seem that difficult; why hadn't the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs taught it to him?

Fortunately, he had firmly memorized the spell Huangsha used, but transformation required a combination of talismans and incantations. Where was he supposed to find such talismans?