Chapter 44 — The Demon Spirit's Ancestral Court Appears in the Mortal World

e a ship of stonemasons, who quarried rock, carved statue after statue, polished flagstones, and paved the manor's grounds, after which they also sailed away. A little later, a curly-bearded giant of a man, dusty from travel, hurried up and bowed: "Patriarch! Law Enforcement Elder!" The old man said, "Left Envoy, the manor is ready. Pick yourself a room." The curly-bearded man entered the newly built manor beside Hidden Remnant Village, went into a room, sat cross-legged, and said nothing. After another moment, a ragged old woman came, saluted the youth and the old man, and likewise entered the manor to take an empty room. Then an old fisherman arrived in a skiff; he moored it by the river, and carrying a fish basket over his shoulder and a fishing rod in his hand, entered the manor to stay. Not long after, other strange folk came—some like landlords, some like merchants, some like private tutors, scholars bound for the examinations, young beauties sold in the pleasure quarters; every trade and calling, all kinds imaginable. Master Ma's expression turned grave, and he said in a low voice, "The Demon Spirit Sect has three hundred and sixty trades, three hundred and sixty halls, three hundred and sixty hall masters; in former days they spread across the world in deepest secrecy. Who would have dreamed that for forty years these three hundred and sixty hall masters have all gone into the Wild Ruins to search for their Sect Leader's wife? I fear they will all come here and settle next door to us!" The Lame Elder's smile grew still wider as he beamed, "Where is Old Dame Si? These people are all here for her!" The Hard-of-Hearing Elder said, "I saw the old lady turn herself into a water deer and leave the village ahead of Mu'er. She must be worried that if Mu'er goes hunting alone, his life will be in danger, so she is following in secret to protect him. But she probably does not yet know the Demon Spirit Sect has found this place. The Demon Spirit Sect has all but moved its entire sect next door to us!" ... Shen Mu walked deeper into the mountain forests. After a while, a water deer came trotting up nimbly, looked all about, and found no trace of Shen Mu. As the deer was wondering, Shen Mu suddenly jumped down from a tree and said with a smile, "Granny, since I am hunting alone, please go back. I can take care of myself." The deer said in a scolding tone, "Wretched boy! Mind you don't die out here!" With that, it wagged its short tail and ran off. Shen Mu continued on. Before long, he saw a woolly mammoth drinking at a pool. He smiled and said, "Granny, I can truly take care of myself—no need to follow." The mammoth flew into a rage, stamped its four feet, and charged at him. Shen Mu's vital energy circulated, his butcher knife sang from its sheath, and he said with murderous intent, "Since you're not Granny, I'll kill you!" The mammoth turned and fled, speaking human language: "You'd kill even your grandmother? When I return to the village, I'll spank you!" Shen Mu shook his head. After walking six or seven li, he looked up at a great bird in the sky and said helplessly, "Granny, there really is no need for you to trail me." The bird tilted its head to look at him, unmoved, and kept circling. Shen Mu's gaze moved. He scooped up a handful of pebbles from the ground and flicked them out one after another, sending the stones through the air at varying heights. After more than a dozen stones had shot forth, he sprang aloft, landed on the first stone, stamped off, jumped to the second, and so on, until he rose into midair and appeared beside the great bird. The bird suddenly spoke human language, squawking, "Fine, fine, I won't follow you!" It beat its wings and left. Shen Mu fell from the air and landed with a thud, both feet sinking a foot deep into the soil. Looking up, he saw the bird had vanished from the sky. "Granny will probably still follow." Shen Mu watched his surroundings and found nothing amiss, then walked a few more li. Ahead was a waterfall, the hills and waters beautiful. Beside the waterfall stood a thatched cottage, and outside it—surprisingly—a stone statue half buried in the earth, half exposed, leaning askew. Smoke rose from the cottage's chimney; clearly someone lived there. "In these desolate mountains and wild ridges, how can there be people? Could some eminent predecessor be living here in seclusion?" No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than he saw a white fox walk out of the cottage, pick up a bamboo tube, and go back inside.