Chapter Twenty-Three: The Dao De Jing

Round and round she went, and now Zhou Hongxian found herself once again locked inside a cage. She watched, eyes wide open, as three attendants sealed the cage shut with wooden planks, their faces void of expression. The sight unsettled them deeply.

“Master Daoist, are you not worried that sealing the cage so simply will allow the fox demon to escape again?”

“There is no need for you to worry,” replied Xuan Chongzi.

“But what if she uses her bewitching arts to charm someone again?”

“If men possess no selfish desires, how could they be so easily beguiled by demons?” Xuan Chongzi shook his head. Seeing the odd looks on the attendants’ faces, he added, “By the way, let me warn you—Yang Erlang has already fallen under her spell once today. He is at risk of succumbing a second time. For his safety, you’d best keep a close watch over him!”

“All right, then. I'll guard the manager’s door tonight, so he won’t be harmed by the demon’s enchantments.”

Xuan Chongzi nodded lightly, and as he left, he glanced back at Zhou Hongxian, then swept his sleeve, taking with him the last vestige of light, leaving only darkness for her.

The next morning, Zhou Hongxian was awakened by a cacophony of voices. As she opened her eyes, she was startled to see not only crowds of townsfolk gathered to gawk at her, but the cage itself plastered all around with dense scripture.

“The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and Earth. Named, it is the mother of all things. Therefore, always be without desire to observe its wonders; always have desire to observe its manifestations. These two emerge together but differ in name—both are called profound. Profound and yet more profound, it is the gateway to all wonders—”

Zhou Hongxian scanned the words on the scripture, her heart filled with astonishment. “Isn’t this the Dao De Jing? What are these people planning to do to me?”

Just as confusion clouded her mind, a small figure crouched beside the cage, peering through the gaps in the script with bright eyes. “Demon, today the Daoist will send you on. At last, you will pay for my father’s death!”

Zhou Hongxian recognized him as Yang Yin. She knew the child’s views had long been shaped by the adults around him, and his hatred for her ran deep. Nothing she said would change that, so she decided, as she had last night, to remain silent.

The townspeople, seeing her silent, began to jeer, though not too loudly; fear of demons still lingered in their hearts.

Yang Yin, young as he was, paid no mind to their restraint. Seeing Zhou Hongxian ignore him, he grew angry and cried, “You demon! Do you think silence will absolve your sins? Even if you die, my father’s spirit will not forgive you!”

Looking at his tear-stained, cherubic face, Zhou Hongxian felt both irritation and pity. She didn’t wish to vent the grievances of adults on a child, and so she sighed, “Little one, I know you’re pitiable, but your hatred is misplaced.”

Yang Yin, still sobbing, left. After some moments, Xuan Chongzi’s voice sounded outside the cage: “Little fox demon, today I will deliver you. You will be cast into the cycle of reincarnation. Have you any final wishes before you die?”

---

For this Daoist who had subjugated her without concern for right or wrong, Zhou Hongxian’s heart brimmed with resentment. She laughed coldly. “Why ask about my final wishes? I’ve said from the start I’ve been wronged—I don’t want to die. Would you let me live if I asked?”

Xuan Chongzi was silent for a moment, then responded without emotion, “Since ancient times, Dao and demon cannot coexist. Now that I have met you, how could I not eradicate you?”

Zhou Hongxian, feeling her end near, couldn’t suppress her indignation. “Then what’s the point of asking! In the end, might makes right—don’t pretend you represent justice!”

Xuan Chongzi was momentarily taken aback. His heart wavered, but he quickly drew a deep breath and thought, “No, demon is demon, Dao is Dao—how can my Dao heart be disturbed by a demon’s words?” Steadying himself, he said, “When paths differ, even friendship cannot be pursued. I will not debate with you, demon! I only ask out of respect for your hard journey of cultivation. Tell me your wishes; if I can fulfill them, I will.”

“So, ‘when paths differ, even friendship cannot be pursued,’ and that’s enough to ignore right and wrong?” Tears welled in Zhou Hongxian’s eyes, but before they spilled she wiped them away, knowing there would be no sympathy here. She laughed at herself. “Final wishes? Fine—drive away this crowd. I don’t want to die surrounded by gawkers. Also, bring me something to eat. Even a condemned prisoner gets a last meal—don’t let me die hungry!”

Xuan Chongzi nodded and persuaded the townsfolk to leave. Most were unwilling, grumbling about why they should grant a demon’s request, but finally, cowed by the mayor’s authority, they departed.

In the end, only Xuan Chongzi, Yang Yin, the mayor, and several attendants from Jade Harmony Tavern remained. Yang Shouxin, who had attempted to violate Zhou Hongxian the night before and been caught, was nowhere to be seen.

Soon, an attendant brought several dishes and set them before Zhou Hongxian. She hadn’t eaten for a day and a night and was painfully hungry, swallowing several times before she finally frowned, “Leave the steamed fish and vegetable tofu. Take away the braised chicken. I’ve hated chicken all my life—the very smell makes me ill.”

The attendant obliged, though the others began to whisper, “How odd—a fox that doesn’t like chicken. A rarity indeed!”

With her hunger sated, the discomfort in her belly eased, and Zhou Hongxian’s desire to live rekindled. Yet, knowing her fate was sealed, she refused to beg; instead, she closed her eyes, adopting a posture of indifference.

“She’s only a fox demon of barely a hundred years’ cultivation—how can she be like this?” Xuan Chongzi was astonished. He knew that demons found cultivation far more arduous than humans, and thus cherished life all the more. He had subdued many demons before; some pleaded desperately for their lives, offering gold or beauty to tempt his resolve. Others, resigned to death, would curse him venomously. Even those with a thousand years of cultivation were no exception. Yet, Zhou Hongxian’s calm acceptance was something he had never seen.

But his Dao heart was firm. He kept his surprise to himself and began reciting scripture.

His voice rang out like a bell, chanting the Dao De Jing. As each passage left his lips, the scriptures pasted on the cage began to emit a faint purple glow, drawing exclamations of wonder from those present.

Xuan Chongzi ignored their reactions, his heart as tranquil as still water. The previous night at the banquet, he had claimed that delivering Zhou Hongxian would take three days—a conservative estimate. Such an exorcism was typically reserved for demons with at least eight hundred years of cultivation. For a fox demon like Zhou Hongxian, barely a hundred years into her practice, not even an hour was needed for her to show her true form and perish.

Yet, the outcome was surprising.

After chanting for a full hour, his throat dry, Xuan Chongzi paused to drink tea. Glancing into the cage, he saw Zhou Hongxian still sitting calmly in human form. Uncertainty gnawed at him—had something gone awry?

---

Xuan Chongzi could not know what Zhou Hongxian was thinking.

Zhou Hongxian, though not seeking death, was deeply perplexed. She muttered inwardly, “Isn’t this Daoist supposed to deliver me? Why hasn’t anything happened? Does he expect to exorcise me simply by reciting the Dao De Jing? How far-fetched! Since I began studying under the white fox, I’ve recited these five thousand words every day—I could recite them backward. He’s not even as fluent as I am!”

Naturally, Zhou Hongxian wasn’t foolish enough to provoke him. She wouldn’t say, “Hey, why did you stop? I rather enjoy listening to the Dao De Jing!” If she did, it would only hasten her demise—one flick of his whisk and she’d be dead.

Now, Zhou Hongxian sensed that she might have a sliver of hope for survival. All she needed was to do nothing and wait quietly for an opportunity.

Meanwhile, in another tavern within Yanhe Town, Yang Shouxin, who had been absent, was entertaining a wealthy merchant from Luoyang.

Upon hearing the guest was from Luoyang, Yang Shouxin couldn’t hide his envy, and his smile betrayed a hint of obsequiousness. “Honored guest, you deal in the lucrative trade of ginseng. What service could you possibly require from me?”

The merchant chuckled, “I hear that the Yang household caught a fox demon yesterday—a beauty beyond compare, a rare treasure in the mortal world. Would you consider selling her to me?”

Yang Shouxin’s expression turned peculiar. “Knowing she’s a fox demon, why would you desire her? Aren’t you afraid she’ll harm you?”

The merchant laughed heartily. “I’m not after her beauty—I seek her value. You may not know, but I have connections with a nobleman in Chang’an. He has grown bored with worldly pleasures and is fascinated by legendary spirits, especially beautiful female demons. He desires them but cannot find one. When I heard you had a fox demon, I was overjoyed. I am willing to offer a thousand gold coins to present her to the nobleman.”

Yang Shouxin sprang to his feet in shock. “How much?”

The merchant repeated, “A thousand gold coins!”

Yang Shouxin swallowed hard, then slapped the table. “Deal!”