Chapter Ten: Subduing Demons in the Celestial Sea

Ye Sansi steadied himself, gripping Heaven’s Wrath tightly, nerves taut, ready to fight the monster to the death.

The monster stepped forward slowly, sneering, “Foolish. You think you can harm me?” Ye Sansi pointed Heaven’s Wrath at the creature and called out, “Monster, I admit you’re powerful, but even if I die, I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

The monster laughed, “How touching! Today, all three of your lives are mine, and what can you do about it?” With a wave of its hand, a gust knocked Ye Sansi off his feet, sprawling him onto the ground. Seeing this, Liu Lingshuang gently set down Li Taiyi and rushed to Sansi’s side, helping him sit up. “Sansi, you’re no match for it. Why are you so foolish?”

Ye Sansi, wounded and trembling, managed a smile. “Lingshuang, I’m fine. I can still fight. Let me get up…”

Tears welled in Liu Lingshuang’s eyes as she beat her fists against Ye Sansi’s chest, crying, “Sansi, you… you… how can you be so stupid, you wild boy!” Ye Sansi wiped the tears from her cheeks, smiling, “Lingshuang, don’t cry. We’ve died before, haven’t we? Once we reach the Underworld, I’ll protect you again.” Liu Lingshuang broke into laughter through her tears, “You wild boy, I’m strong, I don’t need your protection!”

The monster, witnessing this scene, seemed moved. Its hand, poised to strike, trembled and lowered, as if lost in memory. With Liu Lingshuang’s support, Ye Sansi staggered to his feet and stepped towards the monster, shielding Lingshuang behind him. The monster let out a soft laugh, “Very well. Since you’re so devoted, I’ll grant your wish—let you die together as star-crossed lovers.” With a flick of its sleeve, the bones scattered on the ground rose and turned to dust, converging and attacking the pair. Ye Sansi pushed Lingshuang aside, wielding Heaven’s Wrath before him.

“Sansi, let me handle this.” At the sound, Li Taiyi had awakened, scrambled up, and moved instantly to Ye Sansi’s side. He took a talisman, chanted an incantation, and the talisman transformed into a shield of light, blocking the attack before dissipating.

The monster was about to mock them when Li Taiyi spoke, “You were once an immortal. Why have you fallen so far?”

“What? How do you know?” The immortal was shocked that a mortal could see its true form.

Li Taiyi replied, “My divine talismans are celestial artifacts; any demon who touches them will be harmed or killed. Yet you remain unharmed—so you are no demon. Heaven’s Wrath is a peerless weapon, slaying demons, fiends, and evil spirits, but it shows no hostility towards you. Thus, you are an immortal.”

The immortal laughed, “Clever boy. I’ll spare your life—leave now. Today, I only want the lives of the other two.” She opened the cave entrance, motioning for Li Taiyi to depart. Li Taiyi chuckled, “You may be a local immortal, powerful in magic, but you commit evil deeds. You’re unworthy of the title. I may be mortal, but I will not abandon my friends. If you must kill, take me as well.”

“Fine, I’ll grant your wish.”

“Wait!” The immortal was about to strike when Liu Lingshuang interrupted, “I refuse to die in this forsaken place. Let us leave first!” The immortal glanced impatiently at Liu Lingshuang. “Dead is dead, what does it matter where?”

Liu Lingshuang jumped up, “I’m the eldest daughter of the Liu family fortress in Lingzhou City. I refuse to die with all these others.” “Fine, have it your way. So troublesome—let’s go.”

Under the immortal’s gaze, Ye Sansi and his companions walked towards the cave entrance, Sansi supported by Liu Lingshuang. He whispered in her ear, “Lingshuang, you and Taiyi find a chance to escape. I’ll hold her off.” Liu Lingshuang beat his chest lightly, voice trembling, “Sansi, you’re injured, yet still thinking of risking your life. You wild man, I promised to cultivate with you, and you promised to accompany me home. Now… now neither is possible.” Li Taiyi said, “Sansi, Lingshuang, I have two more talismans—maybe I can delay her a moment. You two should run.”

Liu Lingshuang sighed, “Escape is impossible. Sansi is wounded and can barely move, and I won’t survive alone.”

The immortal urged, “What are you mumbling about? This is it.” The three stopped, turned to face her.

Three youths—Ye Sansi, Li Taiyi, and Liu Lingshuang—closed their eyes, ready for death.

The immortal raised her hand, preparing to end them, but before she could act, her body was ensnared. Hearing the sound, the three opened their eyes to see several vines bursting from the earth, binding the immortal tightly and suspending her in the air. She struggled and shouted, using every ounce of power, but could not break free.

A booming voice echoed from above, resounding for miles: “How dare you! As a local immortal, you should bless the world, not harm others. You bring shame on us all. I may not have the right to interfere with your affairs, but since you hurt Sansi, you must die.”

“Tree Uncle—it’s Tree Uncle! He’s come to save us!” Ye Sansi nearly leapt for joy, knowing they were saved and that Taiyi and Lingshuang would live.

The tree immortal spoke to the captive, “You were once a butterfly demon. To become immortal was no easy feat—why degrade yourself so?”

The butterfly immortal sneered, “That man betrayed me. I must kill a thousand to ease my hatred.” Her teeth ground together.

Liu Lingshuang asked, “Who was he? Why kill so many innocent people?”

“I was a butterfly demon, cultivated for a thousand years. A century ago, I faced my tribulation—if I survived, I’d ascend as a celestial immortal. But that day, a spider demon, only a hundred years old, caught me in my true form, powerless, and tried to eat me for my magic. As she bound me to her web and prepared to devour me, a young man rescued me, brought me to this mountain, and set me free. Fearing the spider would retaliate, I stayed by his side. After my tribulation, I became human and couldn’t bear to leave him, wishing to repay his kindness.

“One day, by the boulder, he saw me. I tried to flee, but he called out, ‘Miss, what are you doing alone in this wilderness?’ I replied, ‘Would you take me home?’ He answered readily, ‘Of course, it would be my honor. May I ask where your home is?’ I used my magic to transform a cave a hundred paces away into a wooden house. After escorting me, he was about to leave when he fainted. I carried him to bed and found a bite on his hand—he’d been bitten by the spider demon. I should have returned to the immortal realm within three days, but to save him, I remained as a local immortal and cured his poison.

“After a month together, he suddenly asked to marry me. I liked him too, so I agreed.”

“Weren’t you happy then?” Liu Lingshuang asked, entranced.

“We were happy. I sold flowers in Tianhai Village, earning enough for steamed buns and sometimes meat. After a year, his poison was cured. He said he didn’t want me to work alone and would go to Qingyang City for a job to ease my burdens. I didn’t want him to leave, but he promised to return within ten days. I let him go.

“I waited a year, searched in Qingyang City, but no one had seen him. A woman told me her husband had gone to the capital three years ago to take the imperial exam and promised to return with honors so she could marry him grandly. But when she sought him, she heard he’d become an official, so she waited outside his mansion. When he returned, he looked at her not with joy, but fear and avoidance. She tried to reunite, but he claimed never to have seen her and said he already had a wife and child. Hearing this, I was heartbroken. Perhaps my own lover found another woman and abandoned me. After that, I stayed on the mountain, hoping he’d return someday. Year after year, decade after decade, I waited a century. When I learned he’d died, I waited for someone to climb the mountain, asking, ‘Will you take me home?’ If they agreed, I killed them. I’ve slain nearly a hundred, hoping one would be his reincarnation to satisfy my vengeance.”

Liu Lingshuang shook her head and sighed, “Such hatred born of love—you are pitiable. For immortals, life is endless, but so is pain…”

The butterfly immortal said, “I need no pity. Now that I’ve fallen into your hands, I accept my fate. I’ve killed many—when I enter the Underworld, I’ll be tormented. I will end myself; you need not act.” With a shout, she unleashed a wave of energy. Ye Sansi barely stood, thrusting Heaven’s Wrath into the ground. The vines binding the butterfly immortal snapped under the force, and as the energy converged upon her, she turned to ashes, blown away by the wind, leaving nothing behind.

The tree immortal sighed, “What a pity.” Ye Sansi called upwards, “Tree Uncle, what does this mean?”

“She has destroyed her soul—her spirit will never reincarnate. Such a shame! To become a butterfly immortal is a rare achievement, yet she destroyed herself over love. How pointless! Sansi, you’ve only been away from the mountain a few days and already faced such danger. If you hadn’t been near enough, I might not have sensed and saved you.”

Ye Sansi scratched his head sheepishly. Liu Lingshuang nudged him, “So this is your ‘Tree Uncle’? An immortal, no less. Wild man, I almost envy you.” Li Taiyi chimed in, “Thank you, elder, for saving us.”

The tree immortal laughed, “Sansi, to have two true friends makes me proud. From now on, I leave Sansi to your care.”

Liu Lingshuang waved at the sky, “Tree Uncle, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Sansi.” Li Taiyi echoed, “Rest assured, elder. Sansi is loyal and righteous—I’ll protect him.” Ye Sansi smiled, “What are you saying? I’m a man, I don’t need protecting. I’ll protect you both.”

The three looked at each other, smiled, and brought their right hands together, vowing, “Live or die, we stand together.”

Li Taiyi said, “Now the monster is gone, I’ll find a wooden board for the mountain’s midsection to warn Tianhai villagers. Sansi, Lingshuang, rest here—I’ll be back soon.” With that, Taiyi left, and Sansi and Lingshuang sat beneath a tree.

Li Taiyi moved swiftly, soon reaching the mountainside. He found a low tree, drew his sword, cut a board, and inscribed in large characters, “Monster gone, path open.”

Ye Sansi leaned against the tree, feeling weary and about to nap when Taiyi returned. Ye Sansi exclaimed, “Taiyi, how are you so fast?” Taiyi smiled, “It’s my ancestral Blazing Feather Step—one day I’ll teach you both, if you’d like.”

Ye Sansi stood excitedly, “Yes, yes!” Li Taiyi continued, “It’s getting late. Let’s hurry down the mountain. Sansi, you’re injured, so we may be slow. Let’s hope to reach Qingyang City before sunset.” Liu Lingshuang brushed dust from her clothes and nodded.

And so, the three set off on their journey.