Chapter Nineteen: Injustice
After leaving Mount Taibai, Zhou Hongxian once again made her way to Yanhe Town. The reason was simple: the area surrounding Mount Taibai was far too desolate, and Yanhe Town was the only place she had managed to find, after much effort, where wine was sold. Although there were several taverns in Yanhe Town, only Yang Shoucheng’s Jade Harmony Tavern carried the Daughter’s Red wine she favored.
Zhou Hongxian felt some hesitation about seeing Yang Shoucheng again. She was uncertain how to explain her miraculous escape from the tiger’s maw, and also uneasy that Yang Shoucheng might still harbor untoward intentions toward her.
Using her art of shrinking the earth, she arrived at the outskirts of Yanhe Town within half an hour. By this time, she had already formulated a plan: “When I see Yang Shoucheng, I’ll claim I was rescued by a passing hero, then berate him, accuse him of betraying his word, and not give him a chance to argue. That way, he’ll be too ashamed to pester me further!”
Little did she know, whether Yang Shoucheng still had any shame was one thing, but as for his life, it had long since been snuffed out. What awaited Zhou Hongxian was a calamity of overwhelming proportions.
As she walked down the street of Yanhe Town, she immediately sensed a strange atmosphere. Many people kept their distance, following or watching her. Among them were both men and women—the men stared at her with a foolish, eager light in their eyes, while the women mostly cast her sidelong, disdainful glances. The only thing they had in common was that, whenever her gaze swept over them, they would hastily avert their eyes and step aside, as if harboring some deep-seated fear of her.
Perplexed, Zhou Hongxian frowned and quickened her pace, thinking, “I’ll just buy my wine and leave. I have no interest in these peculiar people.”
“Did you see that? The witch is back. She’s breathtakingly beautiful, especially that figure—tsk, tsk, no wonder Manager Yang couldn’t restrain himself. If she set her sights on me, I couldn’t resist, either!”
“Bah! You men are all lechers. See a seductive woman and you don’t care if she’s human or demon!”
“But she doesn’t look like a demon! She’s striking, sure, but she isn’t coquettish or trying to flirt with anyone. Besides, she dares to walk about in broad daylight. Maybe we’ve wronged her?”
“She’s a fox spirit, not a ghost. Why shouldn’t she show herself during the day? And you men, always trying to excuse her! Hmph, thank goodness the mayor has invited an expert. When he gets here and reveals her true form, you’ll all be terrified!”
“Where’s she headed, anyway? Didn’t she come to target someone new? Why won’t she even spare me a glance?”
“Looks like she’s going to Jade Harmony Tavern. Didn’t she already get Manager Yang killed? Why’s she back—has she set her sights on Yang’s younger brother now? Are the Yang brothers’ vital energies especially strong or something?”
Unbeknownst to Zhou Hongxian, the moment she passed by, a flurry of wild gossip broke out behind her.
Upon arriving at the Jade Harmony Tavern and spotting the familiar faces among the staff, Zhou Hongxian smiled and said, “I’d like to buy a jar of Daughter’s Red.” But to her surprise, all the staff stared at her wide-eyed, not one uttering a word.
“What’s the matter? Are you out of Daughter’s Red?”
Still, no one replied. Even the guests in the tavern had turned to look at her, their expressions all different, but equally strange. This bizarre silence lasted about half a minute before a young man in his early twenties suddenly appeared, grinning slyly as he approached Zhou Hongxian. “My, my! Are you a distinguished guest from afar?”
Though Zhou Hongxian disliked the brazen way he looked at her, she couldn’t help but respond, since at least someone was speaking to her. “I’m here to buy wine. And who might you be?”
The young man chuckled. “I’m the proprietor here. Whatever you need, just ask me!”
Zhou Hongxian was taken aback. “Isn’t the proprietor Yang Shoucheng? When did the management change?”
At this, the expressions of the tavern staff grew even stranger. The young man, oblivious, laughed and said, “I’m Yang Shouxin, Yang Shoucheng’s younger brother. My elder brother died just a short while ago, so the tavern has fallen to me. If you need anything, just come to me.”
This news stunned Zhou Hongxian. “It’s only been a few days—how could he be gone so suddenly?”
Just then, she saw the staff pulling the young man aside and whispering urgently in his ear. His face changed dramatically, and when he looked back at Zhou Hongxian, he backed away in terror.
“What is going on with all of you?” Zhou Hongxian pressed. Before she could get an answer, the young man gave a startled cry and fled.
Still bewildered, Zhou Hongxian suddenly heard a sharp command from outside the tavern. “Demon, cease your wickedness at once and surrender!” With those words, a Daoist priest in a green robe leapt in, sweeping his horsetail whisk down at Zhou Hongxian.
The strike came swiftly and fiercely, catching Zhou Hongxian off guard. The whisk landed squarely on her shoulder, and she felt as if a great weight had crashed down on her; she collapsed to her knees, her chest crushed by an unbearable pressure. With a choking gasp, she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
A crowd had gathered at the door, cheering, “Well done, Master! Rid the people of this scourge!”
The Daoist was tall and thin, his face ruddy and bearing an air of otherworldly authority. He peered down at Zhou Hongxian and gave a cold, mirthless laugh. “So, it’s a fox demon after all.”
Blood trickled from the corner of Zhou Hongxian’s mouth as she lay prone on the ground, resentment boiling in her heart. But at the Daoist’s words, a chill ran through her.
The crowd clamored again.
“So she’s a fox spirit! No wonder she’s so alluring.”
“Of course! Fox spirits are notorious for harming people.”
Someone called out, “Master, how did you know she was a fox spirit?”
“She’s a minor demon, so it was easy for me to see through her at a glance,” the Daoist replied.
“Could you teach us how to recognize one?” someone else asked.
The Daoist paused, then nodded. “It’s not difficult. This way, you won’t be misled in future.” With that, he suddenly reached out and flipped up the hem of Zhou Hongxian’s red dress, exposing a long, bushy red fox tail to the assembled crowd.
A collective gasp swept through the air. Zhou Hongxian felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. Though she was not unclothed beneath her skirt, having her tail so brazenly revealed before so many was a humiliation beyond words. Tears welled in her eyes as she glared at the Daoist. “Even if I am a fox demon, I have neither wronged you nor committed any evil. What right do you have to shame me like this?”
The Daoist sneered, “If you had any shame, you would not seduce men, drain their life force, and leave orphans in your wake! I was entrusted to destroy you, and today I shall carry out that charge!” With a swift motion, he slapped a talisman onto Zhou Hongxian’s back, and at once she felt all strength drain from her body, leaving her limp and powerless.
Fear and anger warred in Zhou Hongxian’s chest as she mustered the courage to stare up at the Daoist. “Who have I ever harmed?”
The tavern staff stepped forward, hatred burning in their eyes. “You killed our proprietor! You drained him dry, left him dead! Because of you, the children of our master’s house are orphans now!”
“You’re slandering me!” Zhou Hongxian shot back desperately. “I only just learned of his death. What has it to do with me?”
The crowd’s furor rose to a fever pitch.
“Kill the fox demon! Burn her alive, lest she rise again!”
“No, perhaps we should spare her—maybe she’ll turn over a new leaf?”
“You men are still defending that fox spirit!”
“That’s not it! I’m just being compassionate. Fine, fine—kill her, then, kill her!”
“Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!”
At this moment, as the crowd’s voices rose in a single, murderous chant, Zhou Hongxian found herself unable to utter a word in her own defense. Her bitterness and despair overflowed, and at last her tears fell in an unending torrent.