Wu Xin: The Monster Killer

Chapter 54 The Taoist Priest is So Afraid

The stone platform was small, and after Wuxin pulled Chuchenzi out, the two of them barely had a foothold. Chuchenzi reached back into the cave and slapped paper talismans against the four walls, trying to set up another array to stop the walking corpses. Wuxin looked around and saw only a vast emptiness; the light shining out of the cave was completely absorbed by the boundless darkness.

At this point, his eyes were useless. He steadied himself and began to tentatively explore the surroundings. The cave entrance was square with a frame, somewhat resembling a window. Casually reaching upwards, he discovered that above the "window" was a sloping stone ramp. Although the ramp was steep, the rocks were jagged, offering places to grab onto and step on. As for how high the ramp was or where it led, he couldn't guess. Slowly crouching down, he carefully stretched his leg downwards. Even with his leg stretched to its limit, one foot still hadn't landed. Suddenly remembering the several chamber pots nearby, he whispered to Chuchenzi, "Daoist Master, kick one of the chamber pots down; I want to hear the height."

Chuchenzi understood and immediately launched a kick at an angle. The toilet was already full, and now it landed with extra force, plummeting down with a whooshing sound. Wuxin listened intently for a long time, but in the end, he didn't hear the toilet hit the ground.

He listened, and so did Chuchenzi. By the end, both of them were drenched in cold sweat. A commotion came from inside the cave; the walking corpses in the stone chamber were about to break through the first layer of the formation. Wuxin knew he had no time to hesitate, so he simply asked, "Daoist Master, can you see me?"

Chuchenzi stood straight against the cave entrance, his legs trembling with fear as he learned that the depth beneath the stone platform was unfathomable: "I can't see clearly."

Wuxin reached up and grabbed a protruding rock: "It's okay if you can't see clearly, just follow my voice and climb up! Since we can't go any further into the cave, let's find another way!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped onto the edge of the cave entrance and began to climb. Chuchenzi was cornered and completely lost. Looking up and seeing Wuxin's actions, he immediately followed suit. They hadn't climbed far when the light at the cave entrance completely disappeared. The two were plunged into darkness. Wuxin would call out every few moments, and Chuchenzi, following closely behind, would respond. The two sang like birds, their voices confirming each other's location.

After climbing for a long time, the slope gradually eased, and the two stopped together as if by unspoken agreement. Wuxin sat up, reached down, and groped to pull Chuchenzi to his side: "Let's rest for a bit; we don't know how much further we have to go."

Chuchenzi remained silent, sitting cross-legged and focusing on his breathing. Wuxin knew he actually possessed some skill, so she didn't disturb him.

Finally, Chuchenzi let out a long sigh, feeling his strength returning considerably. He pulled a box of matches from his robes and said, "Unfortunately, I left my pocket in the stone chamber. Wuxin, are you hungry?"

Having made no preparations beforehand and having eaten a hearty meal of dry rations before setting off, he shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry yet. Where's the Taoist priest?"

Chuchenzi sighed, "I'm a little hungry, but I don't have much of an appetite. I just want a glass of chilled plum juice."

Wuxin chuckled inwardly, but didn't respond, fearing that Chuchenzi would only become more thirsty and suffer instead.

Chuchenzi touched the stone beneath him and said, "Isn't this the Thousand Buddha Cave we passed through?"

Without thinking, he replied, "It should be."

Chuchenzi pulled a match from the box: "The world is vast and full of wonders. I've certainly broadened my horizons today. However, there are many illogical aspects, such as..."

Wu Xin slapped him: "For example, if your master put a row of chamber pots outside the cave, does that mean the area outside the cave is actually his outhouse?"

Chuchenzi held the match and thought for a while, finally concluding: "It's possible. Pouring night soil out of the cave is like pouring it into an abyss; there would be no unpleasant smell."

Unwittingly, he noticed that the ideas of Chuchenzi's school were different from ordinary people: "Could it be that your late master also failed to investigate the situation outside the cave?"

Chuchenzi replied frankly, "My late master was never one to meddle in other people's business, and he entered the cave to strive for advancement; he probably wouldn't have had the leisure to climb out and enjoy the scenery!"

Wuxin then asked, "If that's the case, why were the entrances sealed up in the end?"

After careful consideration, Chuchenzi finally replied, "There are two possibilities. First, my master has achieved mastery in cultivation and no longer needs food; second—"

Before he could finish speaking, Wuxin interjected, "Either we're afraid the things inside will get out, or we're afraid the things outside will get in."

Chuchenzi fiddled with the matches in his hand. Although he and Wuxin thought the same thing, hearing Wuxin say it aloud made him uneasy: "The cave is nothing but ghosts and corpses, so what could be outside?"

Wuxin remained silent. Having sat in the darkness for so long, Chuchenzi felt a bit suffocated and couldn't help but strike a match. The flame hissed and lit, and Wuxin suddenly shuddered, abruptly looking up at Chuchenzi.

Chuchenzi was already used to seeing him, but he was startled at this moment because he found that Chuchenzi's big black eyes were darting around erratically, which was not how a normal person should look. Without looking directly at him, he felt a rustling sound coming from down the slope—there might be a sound, or there might not be, but in any case, he sensed movement.

He knew he lacked the vitality of a living being; only Chuchenzi was qualified to be his prey. It seemed highly unlikely that the walking corpses within the stone chamber could break through the formation and emerge from the small hole so quickly; if they weren't the undead, who were they? And why had they come?

Suddenly, he blew out the flame and hurriedly told Chuchenzi, "Run!" He then flipped over and crawled up the slope, quickly climbing upwards. Chuchenzi was bewildered, but didn't have time to ask, and immediately followed him. The slope became gentler, and the two hadn't climbed far before they could jog. Wuxin grabbed Chuchenzi's hand and, without looking back, ran faster and faster. Chuchenzi, catching his breath, finally asked, "What's wrong?"

Without even turning his head, he replied, "There's something behind us!"

Chuchenzi immediately reached into his robes to grab the paper talisman, but his calf was suddenly clamped shut. Wearing only thin cotton trousers, he was defenseless and in his panic, Wuxin suddenly bent down, doing something he didn't even know. Chuchenzi felt his calf instantly release, and at the same time heard Wuxin draw his short sword from his back with a clang. Sparks flew from the stone ground, and he vaguely saw Wuxin bending over and hacking at something.

After a few sword strikes, a cold hand gripped his: "Taoist priest, prepare your gun. The creatures chasing us are alive!"

Chu Chenzi drew his Mauser pistol from his waist in one swift motion: "What kind of creature is this? Let it test my marksmanship—"

Before he could finish speaking, Wuxin pulled him back, making him stumble: "Stop bragging, let's go!"

Since learning to shoot, Chuchenzi had purchased many high-end foreign firearms and would frequently test them out while hunting in Qingyun Mountain. Therefore, when he heard that what was chasing them was a living creature, he felt more confident, believing that living creatures were easier to deal with than ghosts and gods. He strode quickly to catch up with Wuxin, running quite safely, and said, "Wuxin, watch your step. Do you need me to strike another match to light your way?"

Wuxin was busy running and ignored him. Seeing that there were no pursuers behind him, he tucked his pistol back into his waistband, pulled out a match, and struck it on his clothes. A flame suddenly shot up. He was about to continue speaking when a dark shadow flashed overhead. At the same time, Wuxin leaped up and tackled the shadow to the ground.

The matches were long-handled matches used for lighting cigars, and they burned fairly well. Chuchenzi, carrying the small flame, rushed forward and saw Wuxin pressing one hand to the ground and wielding a short sword with the other. Chuchenzi bent down to examine them closely by the firelight, and then shuddered—he had finally seen clearly the living creature Wuxin had created!

The creature wasn't large, just over two feet long, and resembled a large gecko, but it was entirely grayish-white, smooth from head to tail, without eyes or nostrils; its mouth was astonishingly large, filled with sharp fangs. Under Wuxin's caresses, the monster shook its head and tail, repeatedly opening its massive mouth to bite forward. The flames surged for a moment before dying down, illuminating the red, sticky saliva in the monster's mouth.

Chuchenzi was horrified. Sparks flew from the ground again as Wuxin hacked at the monster. The monster was formidable because of its mouth; its body had no scales, and its skin was thick, smooth, and tough. It couldn't be killed with bare hands, but a sharp blade could take its life. Wuxin estimated that he had chopped its head off, then got up and continued running forward with Chuchenzi.

With his long legs and the fright of the monster, Chu Chenzi gathered his energy and ran at a speed that seemed to float on clouds. Even as he ran, he still had the strength to ask, "What is that thing? Why are you chasing us?"

Wuxin was about to say that the monster had come attracted by the light, but then he realized something was amiss, because there was no light around him and Chuchenzi anymore. Suddenly remembering Chuchenzi's earlier actions, he exclaimed in realization, "It's blood! Daoist, you're injured, and the monster is drawn by the smell of blood! The reason your master sealed off his outhouse must be because the corpses in the cave reeked of blood, attracting the monster!"

Chuchenzi cried out in surprise, "Ah? What should we do?"

Unwilling to quicken his pace and keep up with Chuchenzi, he said, "There are two ways: one is to let the monster eat you."

Chuchenzi immediately replied, "Go to hell! What's the second option?"

Because he was running too fast, he couldn't distribute his strength properly, so his voice changed tone: "Run!"

Upon hearing this, the two held hands and dashed off in a flash.

Chuchenzi was completely lost, utterly disoriented. Wuxin, on the other hand, could still sense his surroundings, but the path was rugged, and he could only stumble and stagger along in a straight line. As they ran, Chuchenzi's breathing became erratic; Wuxin knew he was most adept at explosive power, a master at moving the large daybed, but prolonged running was taking its toll. Suddenly, he swerved, pressing down on Chuchenzi's shoulders, and said, "Crouch down and back up!"

Chuchenzi plopped down, sliding backward into a small hollow—a huge rock, one side of which had inexplicably sunken in, forming a natural shelter large enough for a large fat man or two small, thin men. Chuchenzi sat there, hugging his knees, head bowed, desperately trying to regulate his breathing. Wuxin, on all fours, lay prone beside the rock, suddenly swinging his sword and slashing off the long snout of a monster. He rose and struck several more times. He didn't know if monsters killed each other, but regardless, he couldn't clean up the carcasses scattered on the ground.

He stretched out his leg and nudged the stone altar, then asked softly, "Daoist Master, have you rested enough?"

Chuchenzi raised his head and asked listlessly, "Wuxin, how far do you think we have to run before we see the light of day again?"

Wuxin was also exhausted, so she didn't bother to comfort him: "I don't know."

Chuchenzi rubbed his calves and asked in a resentful tone, "I feel like we've run so far, but why does it seem like there's no end in sight?"

Uninterested in his strong voice, she stood up and pulled him, saying, "Daoist, let's go. There's no road that doesn't end; we just can't see it clearly."

Chuchenzi roused himself and crawled out of the stone hollow, following Wuxin forward like a blind man. After only a few steps, he felt his footing give way, cried out, and fell. Caught off guard, Wuxin also stumbled and fell headfirst. The two landed one after the other on the cold, hard stone ground.

Chuchenzi poked his tailbone, and the pain brought a hot tear to his eye. Wuxin straightened up and sat up, reaching out to touch something, only to bump into another hand.

The other hand was cold and hard, carved from stone, with slender, curved fingers that looked incredibly lifelike. Without thinking, he traced the stone hand upwards, finally moving from the arm to the shoulder, and from the shoulder to the head; he felt as if he were touching a statue.

"Master Daoist," he called softly, "it seems we've fallen back into the Thousand Buddha Cave."

Chuchenzi was both delighted and frightened. He quickly got up and took out a long match from his pocket. Just as he was about to strike the match, he suddenly felt a tightness around his waist, as if something was embracing him.

(End of this chapter)