Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 022

Chapter 22

Other Monsters?

In recent decades, monsters had indeed been nearly extinct, but they were not nonexistent. People all over the world claimed to have seen UFOs, sea monsters, and ghost ships every day. What was so strange about a few monsters? Especially for the Taoist sect, which was fighting on the front lines of monster hunting.

Pan Qinian of Taoyuan Cave recounted a story about a severe drought in Wanyang Village, Yanling, Hunan, during the 1970s. During July and August, several children were reported missing. An old man, drunk and sleeping in a ditch, woke up in the middle of the night and saw a woman in a flowery headscarf carrying a baby walking toward the village entrance. She disappeared behind an old locust tree. The old man secretly reported the incident to the village chief, who, suspicious, brought several strong men with axes to chop down the tree in the middle of the day. After a few strikes, blood began to flow. Terrified, the villagers came to Taoyuan Cave to seek out Pan Qinian’s master. It was said that Master Pan calmed the tree and had them dig up its roots. among the roots, they found the white bones of children, with a flowery headscarf nestled among them.

Mr. Liu Hexiang of Longhu Mountain also recalled a more recent incident, dating back to the early 1990s. A woman from Guixi, riding a bus to the countryside, felt something furry near her hand. She glanced down, thinking it was the fur collar of the man sitting next to her, so she kindly picked it up and handed it to him. Unexpectedly, it felt warm and was wriggling. It was clearly a tail! The woman screamed in terror, and the man suddenly bolted out the open window. It was said that upon landing, he took the shape of a raccoon fox, darting into the mountain’s thicket and disappearing. Later, Longhu Mountain sent many Taoist priests up the mountain and performed a ritual of heavenly fire to burn the mountain. Finally, they tracked down the raccoon fox in a cave. Its charred corpse was as tall as a man. For years after that, local residents dared not go up the mountain, as the weeds grew up to their knees.

Similarly, all the vegetables in a garden suddenly withered and died, leaving only one. A peasant woman got up in the middle of the night to relieve herself in the garden. As she squatted, a mouse scurried around. The vegetable, as if it had eyes and arms, suddenly wrapped its leaves around the mouse. A crunching sound could be heard, and the peasant woman fled in terror. The next morning, she went to check on the vegetable, only to find it covered in blood and a mouse skin lying nearby.

A group of people racked their brains, thinking hard, but they could count on one hand the names of any demons remotely related. Qin Fang felt a little uneasy listening, but Si Teng was clearly losing interest. Finally, she interrupted them, “I’m not talking about these lowly little spirits and monsters. I’m talking about demons like me!”

No one said anything, and Si Teng didn’t ask any more questions. She withdrew herself, saying calmly before leaving, “Masters, please take your time to think. Time is running out; three days is the limit. Please don’t let me down.”

Master Ma Qiuyang lost his temper: “If we can’t find anything, what do you want? Are you going to let us die from the poison? Miss Si Teng, if you really made enemies with so many Taoist sects at once… your life wouldn’t be easy, would it?”

Si Teng smiled nonchalantly. “If I still had a life to live, I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to make enemies with every sect. However, if you can’t meet my request, there’s no point in living for me—let’s just die together. It’s more fun, and we can even play mahjong in the afterlife.”

These words sent a chill down everyone’s spine. Judging from her expression, she wasn’t just saying it casually. Could it be that she was truly going all out? If they found it, they’d live together; if not, they’d die together?

Seeing Si Teng already out the door, Professor Bai Jin asked anxiously, “Miss Si Teng, why do you have to find another monster?”

Si Teng turned to look at him, her eyes flickering as she smiled sweetly, “A monster, living alone in this world, must be lonely.”

***

Si Teng’s departure wasn’t a complete walkout. She returned to the VIP lounge to wait. Qin Fang then entered and said, “I’m still here. We’re all here.”

He then walked to the partition wall, where a large reproduction of a Western oil painting, “The Last Supper,” hung. Qin Fang grasped the frame, weighed it, and then forcefully detached it.

Behind the painting was a one-way mirror, often used during market research. The banquet scene on the other side was crystal clear. Qin Fang flipped the speaker switch high up, and even the sounds from the other side became clearer.

Si Teng sighed, “Businesses these days are becoming increasingly cunning. Is there still even a basic level of trust between people?”

This was truly a case of taking advantage of others. Qin Fang wanted to roll his eyes. “In high-end clubs like this, do you think the big bosses really just eat for the sake of eating? Walls have ears, and spying on business secrets is only possible when there’s demand. If you don’t have a lot of money or a good relationship with the store, they won’t provide you with this kind of room.”

Si Teng walked over, gently stroking the mirror with her hand, and finally tapping the bald head of the Liu Jinding in the mirror with her finger, she said angrily, “How can these simple, ignorant, and unguarded little Taoist priests fight against a monster like me who has lived two lives?”

***

Ding Dacheng picked up his chopsticks to pick up some food, but Liu Jinding warned him, “Don’t; this food might be poisonous.”

Ding Dacheng shrugged nonchalantly. “Master Liu, we’re already poisoned. We’d eat it even if it was poisonous, and even better if it wasn’t. Why are you saving her money?”

He put a chopstick into his mouth and smacked his lips in approval. “The food is good. This place looks upscale, and the chef’s skills are quite good.”

With his lead, everyone started eating in groups of three or four. They’d been traveling hard these past few days, and they’d been so worried that they’d only managed to get by with a quick meal. But once they tasted something from a proper plate, their appetites were piqued, and they couldn’t stop.

Only Professor Bai Jin remained focused on the previous topic: “Master Cang Hong, I believe that there are very few unique creatures in this world. Is it true that there are no monsters like Si Teng?”

Master Cang Hong remained silent, but Master Zhang Shaohua took over the conversation: “I believe there are, but they are hard to find. Very hard to find.”

“What do you mean?”

Master Zhang Shaohua hurled the question back at him: “If Miss Si Teng hadn’t claimed to be a monster and had walked right past you on the street, could you tell she’s a monster? And what grounds do you have for calling her a monster?”

In some ways, Professor Bai Jin appeared to have grasped the concept, but he was also totally lost. The others were also drawn in by this topic. The sound of chopsticks and plates gradually died down. Only Wafang was desperately trying to pull Yan Furui to pick up food for him with “Master, this!” and “Master, that!”

Zhang Shaohua said, “There’s an old saying about monsters: In times of chaos, those who fight and quarrel become monsters, while in times of prosperity, they bow their heads and become human beings. Have you ever heard of this?”

Of course not. Their teacher didn’t teach them that.

Abbot Cang Hong of Baiyun Temple sighed and said to Zhang Shaohua, “Let me explain. If I’m not thorough, you can fill in the blanks.”

***

This monster isn’t the simple, murderous creature you see on TV or in novels. The real story is far more complex.

Look through old unofficial historical records. There’s no shortage of monster stories throughout Chinese dynasties. But a closer look will reveal that monsters are more common in times of chaos.

We in the Taoist sect believe that in troubled times, there is much killing, and life is as ruthless as a weed. The world is awash with hostility, and this hostility is the breeding ground for demons. However, in prosperous times, with good weather and abundant crops, people live and work in peace and contentment, and the world is filled with spiritual energy and purity, the demonic energy is naturally checked and balanced by heaven and earth.

We can use an analogy here: demons are similar to viruses. They reappear in waves at regular intervals, their outbreak cycles influenced by the overall environment. When the environment is favorable, the virus will rise. When the environment is harsh, it will retreat, like being frozen in severe cold, waiting for the next warming to reappear.

Just now, Master Zhang Shaohua said, “In times of chaos, those who fight and quarrel become monsters, while in times of prosperity, they bow their heads and become human beings.” This refers to the behavior of individual demons in this environment. They run rampant in troubled times, but in prosperous times, they become much more restrained, hiding among people and concealing their tracks.

The ones we just mentioned to Si Teng are either small spirits or monsters who haven’t yet become demons, or who haven’t cultivated enough and revealed their true colors to others, or who don’t abide by the rules of the human world and harm the people. As the saying goes, “What you do leaves a trace; what you do leaves a mark.” Even the naked eye can’t hide them, let alone the Taoist divine eye.

But Si Teng is looking for a demon like her. In other words, we need a demon that has taken human form, possesses profound demonic power, and has been roaming the human world for at least a hundred years.

It’s these kinds of demons, hidden in plain sight, that are difficult to find.

If this demon were to cause trouble and harm people, it wouldn’t be difficult; it would be a case of revealing their presence and releasing their demonic aura. But after so many years of peace, aside from the few minor ones we mentioned earlier, have you heard of any major demon causing trouble? Let me digress a bit. In the past, demons were dealt with by fists, kicks, and sharp swords. Now, technology has improved, with infrared, ultraviolet, and ultrasonic technology. Humans are eager to capture a demon and analyze it in a laboratory using various instruments. Demons would be wary of this. But if this demon behaves well and never causes trouble, what’s the difference between it and a human?

***

Master Cang Hong’s words were primarily meant for Bai Jin and his companions. The others have been familiar with this since childhood and don’t need him to explain it. Bai Jin recalled seeing movies and TV shows where a Taoist priest would frown, sniff, and shout “Demon aura!” to pull out a demon from ten miles away. Wasn’t this also true in real life?

On second thought, if a demon didn’t harm anyone and didn’t possess that kind of hostile aura, how could it possibly have a demon aura? Old Madam Huang Cuilan had spoken of Huang Yu capturing demons. If those spirits in the mountains and hills had behaved themselves and not coveted the pickled mustard greens and tofu pudding from her stall, how could Huang Yu have captured them?

It was indeed difficult to find, indeed difficult to find. But if anyone could find them, it would have to be this group of Taoists. No wonder Si Teng came after them and, fearing they wouldn’t do their best, had even resorted to poisoning them.

For a moment, everyone fell silent. Wafang gnawed on his fried vegetarian fruit, taking in everything the adults said. He didn’t quite understand, but one thing pierced his anxiety: “Master, are you going to help the demon find another demon friend? This demon is already so powerful. If we find another, can we still defeat her?”

***

This was also what Qin Fang wanted to ask.

“Si Teng, are you looking for another monster? Is it really because you’re lonely? Or… are you seeking an alliance?”

Si Teng ignored him and sat back down in front of the dressing mirror. She picked up an eyeshadow brush and applied a touch of gold powder to her upper eyelids. “Didn’t I tell you it’s because I’m lonely…”

She paused mid-sentence, staring at herself in the mirror, lost in thought. Suddenly, her voice became strange, and she called him softly, “Qin Fang.”

Qin Fang was startled. He suddenly understood: Si Teng’s dressing mirror was against the wall, against the other side!

When someone does something, someone else does it. Like a mantis stalking a cicada, who knew if there was an oriole lurking behind?

Qin Fang clenched his fists, frozen for a second or two, then practically bolted for the door. Perhaps he was being overly suspicious, but it always helped to confirm. The moment he left, he saw the door to the private room on the other side open, and a slender woman rushed out, sprinting towards the corridor.

There was actually someone there! Qin Fang’s heart tightened, and he instinctively ran after her. Seeing the woman already down the stairs, he leaped forward without a second thought. They both fell almost simultaneously, tumbling down the stairs. Qin Fang landed first, his head thumping with a sharp pain. His mind went blank for a moment, then unexpectedly, like the sound of pages turning in a book, there was a rustling, rustling, rustling in his ears.

Suddenly, he snapped back to consciousness, his eyes reflecting the panicked face of the woman struggling to her feet.

Qin Fang was completely stunned. He stood there, dumbfounded, watching her get up, watching her hurriedly leave, watching her disappear through the club’s gates.

Chen Wan—this woman was actually Chen Wan.