Chapter Twelve: Suppression

"What did you say?" Qi Xiu regarded Qian Yuhai with suspicion.

"I wish to ask you, Mister Qi, to stop this Jade Bodhisattva from harming more people."

Supporting himself with a short staff, Qian Yuhai stood up, his expression solemn, and bowed deeply to Qi Xiu.

"Ever since that night, when I learned you had the power to deal with this monster, I have tossed and turned, unable to sleep for many nights. My brothers and I have already committed a great wrong. Now that we know our mistake, we cannot allow it to continue."

He turned to look at his father, whose life was being prolonged by the Jade Bodhisattva, his eyes full of sorrow, but soon a note of resolve overcame it.

"Our father was a kind and charitable man all his life. From childhood, he taught us that kindness must come first. If he knew, he would never have agreed to use another’s life to extend his own. So, I beg you, sir, to grant us father and sons this mercy."

Qi Xiu, gazing at the sincere Qian Yuhai, pressed his lips together.

"You are indeed a cut above your two brothers. But my methods may not be enough to truly stop that monster."

The "Seal" character did possess a wondrous power, but whether it worked on every demon, spirit, or fiend, he could not be sure.

"It will work, you must see for yourself," Qian Yuhai said, pulling from his robe a small bell painted with a bright red talisman. With a gentle shake, footsteps sounded from behind the screen.

The cold, lifeless man Qi Xiu had seen before emerged, his face expressionless.

"This is a Corpse Child, given to us by Daoist Wu—there are three in all. They collect the blood offerings for the Jade Bodhisattva," Qian Yuhai explained.

So this was the fiend I encountered before, Qi Xiu thought. Meeting the thing that had filled him with dread for days, he studied it curiously. At first glance, the Corpse Child looked no different from a common corpse, but a chill so deep it made one's skin crawl clung to it. Even standing several paces away, Qi Xiu felt his limbs go numb and powerless under that cold, until the "Seal" character on his chest sent a wave of warmth through him, dispersing the chill.

How strange... An ordinary person encountering this would be rendered helpless in an instant, a lamb to the slaughter. No wonder so many had died, yet none escaped. With this kind of wide-reaching control, how could anyone flee?

"Originally, only Yu Ze and I could command the Corpse Children with our talisman bells. But as the Jade Bodhisattva’s hunger for blood grew, even these Corpse Children began to slip out of control. When offerings were lacking, the Jade Bodhisattva would directly control them to seek out more blood, with increasing frequency and mounting casualties. But not this one..."

Qian Yuhai gently shook his talisman bell, and the Corpse Child at his side raised its right hand. In its palm was the faint, blurred imprint of a "Seal."

Qi Xiu understood at once. That night, this Corpse Child tried to attack him, but was repelled by the "Seal" he had placed on the door. The talisman’s power had suppressed its malignant will, keeping it out of the Jade Bodhisattva’s control. Qian Yuhai had noticed this, and now hoped to use his "Seal" to suppress the Jade Bodhisattva itself.

"I will help you," Qi Xiu agreed, having learned the full story. After all, if he could truly seal away this monster, it would also rid him of a potential threat. If left to grow, this demon that fed on the living might one day render even the "Seal" powerless.

Relief flashed across Qian Yuhai’s face at Qi Xiu’s consent. He had truly feared Qi Xiu would hold a grudge and refuse.

With the brush and ink Qian Yuhai had prepared, Qi Xiu entered the inner chamber. Confronting the statue before him—a visage of sanctity concealing the hunger for living flesh—Qi Xiu’s eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, as if summoned from the void, the statue came alive. The face of compassion twisted into a mask of ferocity, bloody fangs grinding together, seeming poised to lunge and tear out Qi Xiu’s throat. Maddening illusions assaulted his mind, but the "Seal" on his chest sent forth a steady current of warmth, sweeping the terror and horror away. The monstrous Bodhisattva reverted to its benign, sculpted form.

A true demon, indeed.

Studying the bizarre figure, Qi Xiu dipped his brush and with a flourish, wrote a great "Seal" over the Bodhisattva’s brow.

A shriek—at once piercing and illusory—seemed to echo through the chamber, yet when he listened closely, it was as if nothing had sounded at all.

Curiously, Qi Xiu noticed the blood-red veins on the hand pressed against Old Master Qian’s head had faded and thinned. The old man’s complexion, too, had grown paler.

So it was true—this monster was sustaining the old man’s life. Yet to exist in such a state, neither living nor dead, was it truly worth it, simply to be a demon’s thrall?

Confirming that the "Seal" was effective, Qi Xiu inscribed four more on the Jade Bodhisattva. The seals, faintly glowing with golden light, interlinked across the statue. The ink began to soak into the jade, as if being pressed in by a great weight, causing the surface to creak under the strain.

With five seals in place, the blood veins faded even more, some retreating altogether. Old Master Qian grew visibly paler.

"Completely suppressing this monster is not a task for a single day," Qi Xiu estimated. "It’ll take at least a hundred more seals, perhaps more than a month to finish. But I can’t stay in the Qian household for that long."

"That is not a problem," Qian Yuhai replied. "Behind this house is a secret passage leading directly outside the city to a secluded estate. It is perfectly safe, and even Yu Ze knows nothing of it. You may stay there as long as you need. Once you have subdued this demon, I will reward you handsomely."

Leading Qi Xiu to a hidden spot behind an artificial hill in the garden, Qian Yuhai pressed his staff into a concealed nook. Mechanisms rumbled, and a secret passage opened seamlessly in the rock.

At the entrance, feeling the musty, earthen draft, Qi Xiu turned to Qian Yuhai.

"Can I trust you?"

Qian Yuhai bowed deeply. "If I meant you harm, would I go to all this trouble? If you do not trust me, you may leave the city at any time. But for the sake of every life in this city, I beg you, show mercy and save the people."

Images of Qiao Xuan’er’s family and the neighbors who had shown him kindness over the years flashed through Qi Xiu’s mind. Clenching his fists, he stepped into the passage without looking back.

"The trouble your Qian family has caused, and now you want me to clean up the mess?"

"When this is over, I’ll settle accounts with your family myself."

"I shall be waiting," Qian Yuhai replied.

…

"Brother! Brother!"

No sooner had Qi Xiu left than Qian Yuze hurried into Qian Yuhai’s courtyard, his expression urgent.

"Quick, give me the treasury seal. I need to draw ten thousand taels in silver notes!"

Frowning at his brother’s haste and the enormous sum, Qian Yuhai asked, "What’s happened? Weren’t you going to Huayu Temple to seek Daoist Wu?"

"Daoist Wu is preparing a resurrection elixir for Father. It requires ten thousand taels’ worth of herbs, and they must be bought within a month or all will be for naught. Please, give me the seal so I can get the silver and deliver it to the Daoist."

Qian Yuhai looked at his anxious brother, his expression complicated. He wanted to tell him that he had already asked Qi Xiu to begin sealing the Jade Bodhisattva, but worried that his brother, now obsessed over their father, would try to stop him. After a brief pause, Qian Yuhai produced the seal from his sleeve and handed it over.

Receiving the seal, Qian Yuze relaxed. Once the Daoist finished the elixir, Father would surely recover. When he did, he could show him the calligraphy he’d learned—they would all be happy again.

…

At that moment, atop Clear Pool Mountain, at Huayu Temple, a middle-aged Daoist in gray-green robes with a long beard and an air of celestial authority suddenly opened his eyes. His black and white pupils contracted into vertical slits.

"The connection with the Jade Bodhisattva has been severed?"