Xiang Xian asked, “This junior is also seeking the Heart Lamp’s whereabouts. Might Senior Shan offer some guidance?”
“There was a senior in our division named Ge Liang. Master Shen knew him as well.”
“Ah,” Xiang Xian said, “yes, I remember Master mentioning him before he passed. The last time I came to Chengdu, it was to find him, but I didn’t know where he had secluded himself.”
Shan Yu Hong replied, “Ge Liang disliked the hustle and bustle of the red dust. In the last twelve years of his life, he saw no one. Not long ago, I accidentally learned that he had once secluded himself at Yulei Mountain. But what does that have to do with the Heart Lamp’s whereabouts?”
Xiang Xian thought about it and realized there was no connection—after Ge Liang’s death, the Heart Lamp had vanished.
“However, that young man named Xiao Kun believed Ge Liang was the Heart Lamp’s last holder and wanted to investigate if he left any message behind,” Shan Yu Hong answered. “But there’s a monster lurking around Dujiangyan at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain. It often emerges to capture young men for food. Ever since Daoist Xu Yan passed away at Guanjiangkou, I haven’t had the time to deal with it…”
“Leave it to this junior.” Xiang Xian said quickly. He knew Shan Yu Hong was assigning him a task. After drinking her tea and gaining information, he had to repay the favor. This matter would inevitably fall on him sooner or later—he couldn’t avoid it.
“What kind of monster is it?” Xiang Xian asked.
Shan Yu Hong signaled to her disciple, who unrolled a portrait. It depicted a woman with a delicate and beautiful face.
Shan Yu Hong continued, “This is a Flower Demon, but do not underestimate her cultivation base. She has quite a few Little Demons under her command.”
“Leave it to me,” Xiang Xian said. “As for Ba She and the Demon Seed, and the entrance to Wushan Holy Land…”
Shan Yu Hong said, “Go handle this first. This Magic Treasure is the Demon-Suppressing Banner left by my late husband. I lend it to you for now—return it swiftly after subduing the Flower Demon.”
With those words, her disciple presented a wooden tray. On it lay a three-foot square of red cloth embroidered with ferocious, lifelike demons. Xiang Xian pondered briefly before taking it, folding it, and tucking it into his bosom.
“Did you also direct Xiao Kun to subdue this Flower Demon?” Xiang Xian asked in surprise. He didn’t understand why Shan Yu Hong hadn’t given the Demon-Suppressing Banner to Xiao Kun.
“He left before I could finish explaining in detail,” Shan Yu Hong replied coolly. “He’d better fend for himself.”
“During this time, I’ll have my disciples consult ancient texts on Wushan. Once you find the place where Ge Liang passed away at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain and subdue this Flower Demon, there might be news.”
“Then I’ll trouble Senior,” Xiang Xian said as he rose, cupped his fists, and took his leave. Shan Yu Hong closed her eyes and fiddled silently with the Heavenly Pearl. Xiang Xian felt uneasy inwardly—Shan Yu Hong was so old; what if she suddenly passed away while he was away at Dujiangyan…
Shan Yu Hong opened her eyes again and voiced what was on Xiang Xian’s mind.
“Deputy Envoy Xiang,” Shan Yu Hong said, “I still have some years of lifespan left. Go without worry.”
Xiang Xian felt deeply embarrassed. He bid farewell and exited, passing through Qingyang Palace to the front hall where he lit three sticks of incense.
“Did you hear that?” Xiang Xian said. “Xiao Kun brought a young boy and visited just this morning.”
“Oh?” A Huang said from inside Xiang Xian’s hood.
Xiang Xian replied, “I wasn’t thinking of him again—it wasn’t a misperception this time. He’s already found me.”
“I didn’t say anything,” A Huang said.
Xiang Xian: “Well… fine. Damn, I forgot to ask Shan Yu Hong for some travel money.”
It was nearing dusk when he left Qingyang Palace. Xiang Xian knew Qingcheng Mountain lay southwest of Chengdu. He patted himself down—his gold had all been spent. With no money for an inn, he leaped onto the city walls in a few steps, gazed into the distance, and searched for Xiao Kun’s trail amid the twilight.
“Are you looking for him?” A Huang asked.
“Yes,” Xiang Xian said. “He’s chasing the Heart Lamp too, isn’t he? One of our own.”
Xiang Xian recalled Shan Yu Hong’s account and found it both amusing and lamentable. Xiao Kun had never dealt with Central Plains exorcists before. If he immediately proclaimed himself a Grand Demon-Exorcist upon arrival, he was bound to offend Shan Yu Hong. He wondered what trials Xiao Kun had endured fleeing from Shangjing to Chengdu with a child in tow, and couldn’t help feeling a touch of sympathy.
A Huang spread its wings and flew off with a whoosh. Xiang Xian descended from the walls, mounted his horse again, and took the official road west from Chengdu toward Guanjiangkou.
There was no need to pity Xiao Kun, though—perhaps in a couple of years, Xiang Xian would end up in the same boat. Thinking of Shuhu’s Prophecy, Xiang Xian wanted to curse. He shouldn’t have listened to Guo Jing back then and gone to Datong Prefecture for the Heaven’s Mandate Box. He had only brought trouble upon himself.
But if he hadn’t opened the box, would none of this have happened?
A Huang flew into the night like a shooting flame in the sky. Xiang Xian knelt on one knee, focusing his mind.
In an instant, an invisible force linked A Huang and Xiang Xian’s minds across several li. He gained the bird’s vision and saw, beside the official road behind some hills, a temporary camp. A man sat by the campfire. Though his face wasn’t clear, his build and attire identified him as Xiao Kun!
Xiang Xian glanced once before withdrawing his Divine Sense. Alone, it was unsafe to project his awareness onto A Huang for long.
A Huang returned from scouting.
Xiang Xian said, “Now watch me sneak up quietly and give him a scare.”
