Chapter Sixteen: The Spider’s Lair

There are demons on Black Wind Mountain.

It is unclear when this rumor first began, but it quickly spread throughout Yi'an County. Everyone spoke of a man-eating monster dwelling on the mountain. However, there was no consensus on what the creature looked like. Some claimed it was a hulking brute with the build of a tiger or bear, others described it as a scholarly weakling, and some even whispered that it was half-man, half-beast. Regardless, it seemed true that such a monster existed on Black Wind Mountain, constantly preying on those nearby. Once the news spread, people gave the mountain a wide berth; no one wanted to provoke a demon.

Except for Li Tie-dan.

Li Tie-dan was the chief constable of Yi'an County. Having traveled to the commandery seat, he was a man of the world. He knew demons existed, but he was also well aware that they were not invincible. On the contrary, many were quite weak. They might bully the common folk, but they were no match for him. He had hunted tigers and slaughtered wild boars; why should he fear a mere monster?

The more people talked about the demon on Black Wind Mountain, the more determined he became to see it for himself. If possible, he wanted to slay the demon and rid the people of a scourge. He understood well that these were chaotic times, and in such an era, the more capable one was, the higher one could climb. This demon was his stepping stone to a high position. If he killed this beast, half of his dream would be realized. Afterward, it would be promotions, wealth, recognition, and rapid advancement...

No, he couldn't keep thinking like that, or he would lose his composure. He was already on the mountain; he had to carefully conceal his presence. As soon as he saw the beast, he would strike it down instantly.

Li Tie-dan lurked in the grass, holding his breath with extreme caution. He had investigated thoroughly; the so-called monster was certain to pass by here today... Yes, it definitely would... Oh...

...

When he opened his eyes again, Li Tie-dan was hanging in mid-air, wrapped in fine, sticky spider silk. He tried to speak, but no sound came out; the spider venom injected into his body had left him paralyzed. Below him was the spider demon that had captured him. It was about the size of a human, busy hanging up the other unconscious victims one by one. Winter was approaching, and it was stockpiling food. After all, few humans ventured onto the snowy mountain during the winter, and without preparation, it would be a miserable season.

...

As the spider worked, a voice suddenly echoed from outside. "I caught a foul stench from far away. I thought I’d misjudged it, but heh, who would have thought—there’s actually a spider demon here."

Li Tie-dan widened his eyes, seeing a Taoist standing at the entrance of the spider's cave. The Taoist wore a black-and-white, gaudy robe and carried a long metal staff, from which his luggage was suspended. At his waist hung a wooden sword, so withered and rotten it looked as though it would crumble at a touch.

"Ho, quite the refined taste you have, enjoying a nap suspended in mid-air," the Taoist joked.

Li Tie-dan, hearing the mocking tone, grew anxious and fumed silently. He didn't mind being teased, but the Taoist was far too reckless. The spider demon was right in front of him; with a flick of its silk, it could easily bind him and add him to its larder.

Yet, strangely, the spider demon did not move, allowing the Taoist to banter for quite a while. Li Tie-dan looked down and saw the spider demon struggling violently, yet for some reason, it seemed as if an immense weight pressed upon it, preventing it from moving at all.

The Taoist set down his pack, hoisted his staff, and smiled. "The Great Sage used his staff to strike down countless demons back in the day. I just bought this one, and it hasn't tasted much demon blood yet. Consider yourself lucky."

He walked slowly toward the spider, which was thrashing frantically, yet the invisible force pinning it down never wavered, keeping it utterly immobilized.

"Heh, funny how things work. The first demon I meet in this godforsaken place turns out to be a spider. You really walked straight into my trap..."

The Taoist raised his staff high, then unleashed his full strength, bringing it crashing down!

*Boom!*

A deafening sound rang out. The staff struck, shattering most of the spider demon's body. The force of the blow was so great that it shook the small cave. Li Tie-dan, hanging in the air, was dumbstruck. Where did this Taoist come from? Even the thousand-man commanders of the Great Qian Empire couldn't be this ferocious.

The spider demon was killed in a single blow, its body falling still. Only then did the Taoist look up with a smile at those hanging in the silk. "Well, how about it? Still want to rest in the webs?"

Li Tie-dan tried his best to call out, but only a muffled "woo-woo" sound escaped his lips. The Taoist, losing interest in teasing them, stepped forward and sliced through the silk, letting them down. Li Tie-dan landed on his backside, but the thick layer of silk cushioned the fall. He tried to stand, but his body remained paralyzed.

The Taoist, seeing his condition, walked over, burned a talisman into a bowl of water, and handed it to him. Li Tie-dan drank it all in one gulp, and his numbness began to fade. After a while, the toxins were neutralized.

"Thank you, Daoist, thank you!" Li Tie-dan kowtowed twice.

The Taoist smiled and helped him up. "Forget it. A small matter, not worth mentioning."

"To you, it may be small, but to us, it was a matter of life and death," Li Tie-dan replied.

The Taoist chuckled, said nothing more, and went to feed the talisman water to the others. Li Tie-dan seized the chance to ask, "May I ask for the Daoist's name?"

The young Taoist revealed a faint, gentle smile, like a warm spring breeze in March. "I am Lingxiaozi."

...

"So, you are out on a journey, Daoist?"

Li Tie-dan had built a fire and was chatting with Shen Chang'an as they warmed themselves. Shen Chang'an, unbothered, lightly roasted his own rations before handing some to Li Tie-dan. "Eat something."

Having been captured for so long, Li Tie-dan was famished. He devoured the compressed rations and gulped down some water, feeling much revived.

"Ah, to travel and uphold justice like you do, Daoist—it must be quite a life," Li Tie-dan said with a hint of envy.

Shen Chang'an laughed. "Constable Li, you jest. From what you've told me, the Li family is a prominent clan. Living comfortably at home is surely far more pleasant than wandering about like me."

Li Tie-dan shook his head. "The Li family is just a small-town clan; there are plenty like us out there. But your skills, Daoist Lingxiao—how many in this world possess such power?"

Shen Chang'an shook his head slightly and asked, "How is your recovery, Constable?"

"I'm nearly back to normal," Li Tie-dan replied. "If you wish to leave, we can go now."

Li Tie-dan had injured his foot while struggling, so Shen Chang'an had stayed to wait with him. The others had fled the mountain immediately. Shen Chang'an hadn't sensed any other demonic aura, so he had let them go.

"No matter. I'll search the demon's lair; you keep an eye on that old man."

The old man was another survivor who had stayed behind, claiming he needed to look after his sheep. Indeed, there were several sheep hanging in the webs—the spider demon was not a picky eater.

Shen Chang'an ventured into the lair. He didn't expect to find much, but he gathered up some of the spider silk. He realized the silk was smooth and incredibly durable—a rare find in the current world. It would make a nice gift for Chen Mengchen.

As he pondered this, a commotion outside made him frown. He emerged to find the old man and Li Tie-dan arguing over one of the sheep.

"Hey, hey, what’s going on? Why are you trying to snatch the man's sheep?" Shen Chang'an asked.

Li Tie-dan said indignantly, "This old man is being completely unreasonable! I offered to buy his sheep, but he refuses to sell!"

Shen Chang'an smiled. "Constable Li, your temper is a bit much. If he doesn't want to sell, he doesn't want to sell. What of it?"

"Daoist, I just thought that if I bought this sheep, I could have the town cook make some mutton soup as a small token of my gratitude to you. But this old stubborn man won't budge!"

Shen Chang'an looked at the old man and asked, "Old sir, is it because his price is too low?"

Li Tie-dan added, "I offered a full tael of silver, and he still won't sell!"

"I said no, and I mean no! This sheep is already spoken for; how can I sell it to you?" the old man grumbled.

Hearing this, Shen Chang'an sighed. "Let it go, Constable Li. The old man is a person of his word; it is only right that he doesn't sell to us."