Chapter 48 — The Town
劍問蒼天 · Page 6 of 9
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, the eldest of the three on the platform stepped forward and waved to the townsfolk below, and the crowd gradually fell quiet.
When at last all was quiet, the old man looked about him and spoke in a heavy voice: "Fellow townsmen, you all know well enough why I have called you here today. Three months ago that demon took up its dwelling in the Blackstone Cave ten li beyond our town, and from that day it has not ceased to plague us. This past month it has grown worse by the day, coming every night, carrying off countless cattle, sheep, and fowl. Worse still, three days ago the Wang father and son, fighting to keep the last cow in their household, were... alas, they were slain by that demon's hand."
A murmur of sighs ran through the townsfolk, and a few could not restrain themselves and cursed aloud. Zhang Qingyue now understood most of it, though he still did not know what manner of creature this demon was.
Then the town headman spoke again: "As headman, I have failed to keep this town safe, and for that I am deeply ashamed. Last night I conferred with Constable Li and Scholar Fan, and we concluded that since this demon is no ordinary beast, it is beyond the power of common folk like ourselves to withstand. We had best post a notice, calling for masters of the Dao to come and subdue it. As for the cost, well, I must ask you all to lend your generous support."
No sooner had he finished than the townsfolk below began to cry out: "The headman is right! We should bring in a master to catch the demon!"
"If this goes on, we'll all be eaten by that demon — what's a little money beside that?"
"Aye, aye..."
Seeing that most of the townsfolk agreed, the headman seemed to breathe easier. "In that case," he said, "last night I had Scholar Fan write out a notice. We shall post it now." With that he nodded to the young man of scholarly appearance, who answered and drew from his bosom a sheet of white paper bearing some writing. He stepped down from the stone platform, walked to a brick wall standing nearby, and pasted it up.
The townsfolk crowded forward at once, and Zhang Qingyue went with them to look. On the paper was written:
Whereas a demon, the Three-Tailed Fox, dwells in the Blackstone Cave ten li beyond this town, hiding by day and coming forth by night to plague our town, seizing our fowl and cattle, and even doing injury to persons; and whereas its demon arts are formidable, we hereby earnestly invite masters of the Dao to come and rid the people of this scourge. The town of Xiaochi will pay five hundred taels of fine silver in recompense.
Zhang Qingyue saw that it was signed by the townsfolk of Xiaochi, and heard the townspeople all around voicing their approval. He hesitated. He had a mind to do this good deed, but at the thought of what the townsman and the headman had said, this demon was likely fearsome indeed. His own powers were slight; that he could not best the demon was a small matter, but should he lose his life by some mischance, and with it the face of his sect, that was a burden he could not bear.
As he stood there wavering, he suddenly heard a stir run through the townsfolk. He looked up hastily and gave a start, for a giant of a man was coming in from outside the crowd, and wherever he passed he did no more than brush the people lightly with his hand, and they parted before him like water.
When the giant came near, Zhang Qingyue saw him clearly: he did not look old, twenty at most, with thick brows and great eyes, a square face and broad ears, and with his startling frame there came a rush of fearsome vigor.
Among the crowd, the tallest reached only to his shoulder; truly he stood out like a crane among chickens.
He strode to the wall in question, read the notice over carefully, and then, without a word, tore it down.