Chapter 8: Are You Here for the Wild Boar?

Let us return to Zhao Si, who was dragging the fish home when he happened to pass by the famed Fortune Pavilion of Ripple Town. This establishment was a well-known restaurant in the region, celebrated for its yellowtail fish. Unwilling to set free the large fish he had caught with such effort, Zhao Si mustered his courage and entered the back hall of the Fortune Pavilion.

When he left the back hall, the four-foot-long yellowtail was gone, replaced in his hands by several strings of copper coins. He had sold the fish at a low price to the restaurant—after all, once the fish was filleted and served, no one could tell which fish the meat had come from.

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Xu Xuan, carrying a trunk on his back and a yellow gourd at his waist, was chatting with Zhao Jinqian as the two—one man, one ghost—entered a small shop by the street. Though modest in size, the shop had everything one could desire. As soon as they stepped inside, a delicate aroma greeted them, teasing their taste buds.

Seeing guests arrive, a cook wearing a floral kerchief hurried forward to welcome them. “What would you like to eat, sir? We have tofu pudding, wontons, noodles, scallion pancakes, and our house specialty—marinated small river fish.”

Listening to her descriptions, Xu Xuan smiled faintly. He had heard a little of Ripple Town’s culinary delights. “Madam, please bring me a bowl of tofu pudding and a plate of your marinated river fish to try.” He set his trunk aside and chose a small table by the window.

“Madam, is there anywhere nearby to stay? It’s getting late, and I’ll need to find lodging for the night.” Xu Xuan glanced at the dimming sky; outside, the street lamps were just beginning to glow.

The hostess looked him over and replied, “Sir, your attire is simple, so I suppose you have no grand requirements for an inn. If you go a hundred paces south from here, you’ll find the Dragon Gate Inn. The price is reasonable—you can stay there for the night.”

Hearing the name “Dragon Gate Inn,” Xu Xuan paused. Could it be a den of villains? But then he thought, if it were truly a place of such dark dealings, it would have closed long ago; how could it thrive in Ripple Town?

“Sir, your tofu pudding and marinated river fish are ready. Please enjoy.”

“Thank you.”

A steaming bowl of tofu pudding arrived, fragrant and inviting, sprinkled with fresh green scallions and bits of shredded chicken and minced meat. Xu Xuan picked up the spoon and took a few sips—the pudding melted in his mouth, its flavor delicate and soft, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The marinated river fish was also remarkably fresh and tender, without the slightest fishy odor.

Soon, both the tofu pudding and the marinated fish were gone, leaving Xu Xuan wishing for more. The hostess was delighted to see how much he enjoyed the food; nothing pleased her more than a guest who loved her cooking.

After his meal, Xu Xuan poured himself a cup of water from a large bowl and set a few copper coins on the table. In the Great Qian Dynasty, currency had considerable purchasing power—one tael of silver could be exchanged for a hundred copper coins. The bowl of tofu pudding was worth no more than two coppers.

Xu Xuan’s brother-in-law, Lin Luo, was the local sheriff and earned a monthly salary of only fifteen taels of silver. Of course, as a sheriff, Lin Luo had ways to supplement his income, though he never preyed on the townsfolk; otherwise, his official salary alone would hardly suffice to support his household.

The hostess, having received payment, treated Xu Xuan with even greater courtesy. As there were no other guests, she took the opportunity to chat with him about local customs and recent events in Ripple Town.

In her eyes, the young man before her, though plainly dressed, was strikingly handsome, gentle as jade, and possessed an air of refinement that made him quite endearing. People’s judgments often followed their eyes; since ancient times, appearances have swayed opinion.

As the two conversed idly, a sudden commotion erupted in the street.

“Something’s happened at the Fortune Pavilion! Something big!”

“Let’s go see—many diners there seem to have been poisoned!”

“Nonsense! Poisoned? Looks more like they’ve been possessed!”

Seeing the crowd gathering and murmuring outside, Xu Xuan’s curiosity was piqued. With nothing else to do, he decided to see what was happening at the Fortune Pavilion.

He bade farewell to the hostess and followed the throng toward the restaurant. By the time he arrived, the place was already packed; countless onlookers, eyes wide, peered inside.

“Master, I sense the presence of a demon,” came Zhao Jinqian’s soft, melodic voice from the yellow gourd at his waist.

“I smell it too. It seems a demon is at work,” Xu Xuan replied, frowning as he pushed through the crowd to the main entrance and looked inside.

Within the Fortune Pavilion, many diners lay writhing in agony on the floor, moaning in pain. The proprietor, a well-dressed, portly middle-aged man, stood nearby in a panic, sweating profusely and utterly at a loss.

Suddenly, a more terrifying scene unfolded. Several diners, gripped by excruciating pain, began to tear at their own clothes. Blood oozed from their bodies, and blisters formed on their skin. When these blisters burst, sheets of bloody fish scales emerged beneath.

Many screamed at the sight, clearly terrified.

“A demon! There’s a demon here!”

“We must send for an expert from the Demon Suppression Bureau in Wuliu County!”

Respected elders in the town quickly calmed the crowd and offered their advice.

Seeing the suffering diners, Xu Xuan stepped into the Fortune Pavilion and approached the distraught proprietor.

“Sir, let me ask you—did these people eat anything unusual tonight?”

“Oh, young master, my establishment has been here for thirty years; I would never serve unclean food. That would ruin our reputation!”

But Xu Xuan noticed the proprietor’s evasive gaze and quickly drew his own conclusions.

“If you don’t tell the truth, and someone dies, your restaurant will be finished.”

At the prospect of a criminal investigation, the fat proprietor broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing the diners writhing in pain, he gritted his teeth and confessed: all the afflicted patrons had eaten yellowtail caught by Zhao Si.

Realizing the cause, Xu Xuan nodded. Clearly, it was the work of a fish demon, its vengeful spirit lingering.

Without delay, he invoked his mystical powers and opened his celestial eye. A flash of golden light crossed his vision, revealing a new and unsettling scene.

Hovering above the diners—now grotesquely covered in scales—was a monstrous entity: a human body with a fish’s tail, its skin covered in golden scales. Its hands were broad as chopping boards, its eyes scarlet and bloodshot, its mouth wide like a toad’s, and two long whiskers trailed from its lips. It was a fearsome sight.

This fish demon was but a minor spirit, a mere hundred years into its cultivation, captured by Zhao Si and dragged ashore, most of its power already spent. Ripple Town, prosperous and under the dominion of the Great Qian Dynasty, was no place for demons to act freely; imperial authority suppressed evil spirits, and any magic was difficult to wield here.

Moreover, for a minor demon to kill indiscriminately in such a populous place would bring the full force of the dynasty’s fate against it—a disaster from which few would survive.

So it was fated to suffer this calamity; escape was impossible.

Now, with its body destroyed and only its vengeful spirit remaining, it cared for nothing but revenge. With its physical form lost, its path of cultivation was already severed.

“Wicked creature, I am Xu Xuan, scholar of Wuliu County! You are already dead, yet your spirit dares harm the living. Do you not fear punishment? When the underworld officers arrive, you will surely be cast into the oil cauldrons of hell!”

At these words, the fish demon, until now seething with resentment, realized that Xu Xuan could see it.

It cried out in fury, “I bore these people no ill will, yet they took my life and feasted on my flesh! How could I not seek vengeance?”

“Besides, though I am dead, I am now a water ghost. Water ghosts must find a substitute before they can reincarnate—otherwise, even the officers of the underworld cannot touch me!”

Defiant, the fish demon showed no sign of retreat.

“This was your destined tribulation. To leap the dragon gate and become a true dragon, you must endure a hundred hardships—it is no one’s fault but your own.”

“In view of the fact that you never took a human life while alive, if you cease now, I will let you go.”

“I will also ask the proprietor of this establishment to honor you, so that you may have a place to rest and enjoy the incense offerings of the living.”

The demon was tempted by Xu Xuan’s words, yet with its body skinned and torn, it could not let go of its resentment.

It cried, “I might spare these mortals, but only if the proprietor builds me a golden idol!”

Are you dreaming? Only bodhisattvas and arhats are honored with golden idols—how could a mere fish demon dare demand such a thing?

“Are you looking for trouble? Hand me my steel trident!”

…