Chapter Thirteen: The Three-Eyed Demoness (Part One)

Chapter Eight: The Three-Eyed Rakshasa

Shi Jun dared not look back. He knew clearly that turning his head abruptly would create an opening wide enough for those beasts to snap his neck in one bite. His mind raced, recalling every life-saving trick he’d ever seen in movies and on television. Suddenly, a roar thundered in his ear, and something wet and sticky, like drool, dripped onto his neck, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Do I really look that tasty? Even their mouths are watering! Shi Jun broke out in a cold sweat. Without a second thought, he remembered the object-controlling technique he’d learned from the mischievous Su Su, summoned his focus, and reached out into the air. Instantly, a gleaming knife appeared in his hand. Without turning, he slashed at the claw gripping his shoulder—though he dared not use too much force, lest he accidentally injure himself as well.

But to his surprise, the knife struck as if against metal, completely ineffective. A deafening roar nearly burst Shi Jun’s eardrums. He thought, This is it—I’ve really angered the beast. Looks like I’m about to become an appetizer for these netherworld creatures…

Just as he was inwardly crying out in dismay, the blue spirits beneath his feet, seeing him in danger, instantly transformed into razor-sharp blue threads and shot toward the monsters behind him. Shi Jun suddenly felt the weight lift from his shoulder and realized he’d lost the support of his little boat. Before he could even cry out, he lost his balance and plummeted headfirst downward. In the chaos, he caught sight of the blue spirits savagely piercing through dozens of gigantic beasts—the air resounded with furious roars and dying howls.

Shi Jun sighed. Honestly, even if you’re rescuing me, there’s no need for all of you to rush off at once, is there? Couldn’t a few have stayed to support me? Now I’m really going to smash my brains out…

As he lamented his bad luck, his falling body was suddenly jolted. His chest felt tight and uncomfortable. It seemed the blue spirits had already dispatched some of the monsters, quickly reformed into a boat, and caught him just in time.

After this ordeal, the blue spirits seemed unwilling to linger any longer on this level. They sped up their descent and in a blink, carried Shi Jun into the golden “Departed Sands.”

Shi Jun felt the world suddenly darken before him; wind howled past his ears, and his body was warmed as if he were lounging in the sun on a beach. He calmed himself, wiped cold sweat from his face and the monster drool from his neck, when suddenly he detected a faint, pleasant fragrance. How odd, he thought. Could this faint scent really come from that creature’s saliva?

As he puzzled over this, the little boat carried Shi Jun into an entirely new world.

* * *

It was a realm shrouded in clouds and mist, a land of wonder. Shi Jun sat on the now-slowed little boat and looked down, seeing clearly that this world was divided into distinct regions of silver-gray, white, earthy brown, and deep blue. Most of it was veiled in a faint blue haze, lending the place a mysterious, otherworldly beauty that lifted his spirits.

But his good mood did not last. As Shi Jun was admiring the scenery, a pure white cloud slowly drifted near. Thinking it was just an ordinary cloud, he paid it little mind, but as it approached, its color changed suddenly. It transformed into an old woman in white, her face etched with sorrow. Without a word, she leapt onto the boat, her feet seemingly equipped with wind and fire wheels. She stared at Shi Jun for a long moment, then spun rapidly around him, making him dizzy. Finally, she stopped, sighed in disappointment, spat at him in frustration, and in a blink, turned back into a cloud and floated away—never uttering a single word, leaving Shi Jun completely baffled.

Descending further, Shi Jun could now see the ground below—a rugged expanse of deep blue stones, jagged and wild, with not a single flat spot to land on. He wondered silently where these blue fish spirits were taking him.

People always imagined the netherworld as a dark, oppressive place, yet since entering, Shi Jun had experienced nothing of the sort. The sights he’d seen were so wondrous and beautiful, it defied all expectations. Who would believe such a fantastical and lovely place could be the underworld?

The little boat circled above the stone forest, then glided steadily toward its far end instead of descending.

The strange stones gradually thinned, and the land opened up. Through the bluish mist, Shi Jun strained his eyes and could just make out a towering mountain ahead, standing majestic amid the clouds. Looking up, he could not see the summit—just the mountain’s slopes, covered in a patchwork of yellow and green vegetation.

“Hey, where are we going?” Shi Jun finally could not help himself. He patted the boat and asked.

* * *

“Haha, it’s the Blue Spirits! What brings you here?” A delighted cry suddenly rang out from below. Before Shi Jun could react, a figure shot up before him, hovering in midair like a mischievous sprite.

A girl of about seventeen or eighteen appeared, with jet-black hair tied high atop her head and braided into a long plait down her back. Her skin was sun-darkened, her limbs long and healthy, her face round with delicate brows, bright eyes, and slightly full lips that gave her a stubborn yet playful look.

She wore a fiery red suit of armor, its countless fine scales intricately woven together—so exquisite that Shi Jun was reminded of the warrior Mulan from Peking Opera. Most curious of all, a third eye grew on her smooth forehead, though it was tightly shut, as if in slumber, lending her an eerie aura.

“Goddess Erlang?” Shi Jun blurted out in astonishment at the girl’s sudden appearance.

The girl finally noticed Shi Jun, staring at him unblinkingly for a moment before loudly demanding, “Who are you? Why are you with the Blue Spirits?”

Shi Jun still did not know that those blue fish who’d become his allies were called Blue Spirits. He was about to reply when the girl suddenly became dejected, mumbling to herself, “How strange. These little things never listen to me. Why are they so friendly with you?”

No sooner had she spoken than she raised her hands. Suddenly, a weapon appeared, crystalline and surrounded by green light. Its head was large and shaped like a rainbow cloud, its slender handle held firmly in her grip—a jade-green Ruyi scepter.

A blue gleam flashed across its surface, and several green arrows of light shot out from the scepter, aimed directly at the Blue Spirits. As she launched her attack, the girl cried, “Let’s see if I can catch you this time!”

* * *

Caught off guard, Shi Jun was startled by the sudden assault. Before he could react, the Blue Spirits beneath his feet plunged downward, and the four arrows of light barely missed his head, looping in the air before returning to hover restlessly by the girl’s side.

By now, the Blue Spirits had landed with Shi Jun. Before he could regain his footing, they scattered, transforming into threadlike forms and gathering before him, their tips aimed at the girl above, ready to pounce.

Who is this girl? Why attack without even asking questions? Shi Jun wondered, about to call her down for an explanation, when the girl, exasperated, cried out, “You little brats never want to play with me! I’m angry!” With that, she flew down, brows knit tight, lips pressed in fury. She pulled a silken object from her bosom and tossed it into the air, chanting under her breath before shouting, “Swift!”

As she uttered the spell, the silk instantly floated above Shi Jun’s head. He saw it was a hexagonal, rose-colored handkerchief embroidered with birds, flowers, and beasts—resembling the flying carpets used by acrobats, but far more delicate.

As soon as the silk hovered overhead, it spread wide and spun rapidly, growing ever larger as it rotated more slowly. At the shout of “Swift!” it emitted a powerful suction force. Shi Jun himself felt nothing, but the Blue Spirits beside him were sucked upward irresistibly.

In a flash, all the Blue Spirits had been drawn beneath the silk and, upon contact, disappeared as if swallowed, leaving only countless new blue thread patterns faintly visible on the handkerchief, as though the Blue Spirits had become part of its embroidery.

Though transformed into threads, the Blue Spirits retained their consciousness. They swam and gathered on the silk, forming a cluster. As their numbers grew, the spinning slowed, and a pale blue light began to radiate from the cloth.

Suddenly, a surge of intense blue light engulfed the silk, and after a violent tremor, countless blue threads withdrew from the fabric, merging into a massive orb that shimmered with dark blue light. After a brief pause, it exploded with a loud bang, shooting thousands upon thousands of tiny, razor-sharp arrows that instantly riddled the silk with holes.

As the once-pristine cloth was pierced, a crackling sound filled the air, and a heap of objects tumbled out, some landing squarely on Shi Jun’s head.

The Blue Spirits, triumphant, returned to their original forms, retreating to Shi Jun’s side, hissing as if taunting the girl.

Now it was the girl’s turn to be stunned. She had always been fond of the Blue Spirits’ bright colors and adorable forms, hoping to catch a couple as pets. But Blue Spirits seldom left the River of the Dead. Though she’d tried many times to capture them, her efforts were always thwarted—while the Blue Spirits and the Underworld Currents would not deliberately harm her, they would join forces to ensure she never succeeded, much to her chagrin. This time, however, the Blue Spirits had come to her territory of their own accord. How could she pass up the opportunity for revenge?

So, she immediately used the magical treasure her adoptive father had given her—the “Beast Trap.” Its power resembled that of the Underworld Currents: when activated, it generated a powerful suction, and anything caught would be rendered immobile, appearing as new embroidered patterns on the cloth. The birds, flowers, and beasts Shi Jun had seen were her previous conquests. But the “Beast Trap” was useless in the River of the Dead—how could a small piece of silk contend with the might of the Underworld Currents?

Believing the Blue Spirits, cut off from the River of the Dead, would now fall prey to her treasure, she had acted without hesitation—only to suffer a crushing defeat. Not only was her treasure destroyed, but all her previous “pets”—nether snakes, soul-calming flowers, alchemical beasts—escaped at once, leaving her dumbfounded.