Battle the Thousand-Year Tree Demon

The next day.

An Yang sat in the attic, staring at a worn-out Diamond Sutra and a clearly ancient Copper Bell before him, feeling as if his worldview had been shaken.

So this was what legendary artifacts looked like!

He turned the bell and the sutra over and over in his hands, but found nothing unusual about them at all—they were utterly ordinary bells and... a tattered book.

Yet the truth was that once this bell rang, even if Yan Chixia were at the ends of the earth, he would hear it. And this Diamond Sutra was even more extraordinary; in the end, it had directly annihilated the mighty Black Mountain Old Demon, pulling off the plot's cliché... ahem, perfect reversal.

He had thought the artifacts in the story were plain and dull only due to the limitations of special effects, never expecting them to be this ordinary in reality.

Night gradually fell.

An Yang glanced up at the wooden barrels filled with diesel overhead, then at the talismans hidden around him, and slowly relaxed.

At midnight, Nie Xiaoqian arrived. She wore a light-colored Fairy Dress, with light makeup, and as soon as she entered, she threw herself into An Yang's arms. "An Yang gongzi."

An Yang nodded, wrapped his arm around her, and sat down beside her, saying, "There's something I need to tell you."

Naturally clever, Nie Xiaoqian immediately guessed what he wanted to say and asked, "Is it about Grandmother?"

An Yang nodded and laid out his and Yan Chixia's plan to her, his voice unusually calm in the dead of night.

Nie Xiaoqian's face gradually showed surprise, and she said worriedly, "Are you sure you can handle this? Grandmother is no easy opponent!"

An Yang patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, I've already discussed it with Brother Yan. As long as you help him with this, he won't interfere with us anymore!"

Nie Xiaoqian gritted her teeth and quickly agreed. Women in love are most easily swayed by such words, especially when their lover is thinking of their future together. That's why, since ancient times, countless stories tell of women deceived by love, some even helping count the money after being sold off.

She took off the Silver Bell from her ankle and handed it to An Yang.

"You... you must be careful."

An Yang forced a light smile, took the string of bells, drew a deep breath, and gently shook them.

"Jingle..."

A piercingly clear sound rang out, causing the bells under the eaves of Lanruo Temple to tremble incessantly, the sound traveling who knows how far.

An Yang picked up the Copper Bell from the table with one hand and the ancient Diamond Sutra with the other, then turned to Nie Xiaoqian and said, "Hide yourself first. If we fail, it won't involve you. But know that we set this trap using you, understand?"

Nie Xiaoqian was stunned. If he hadn't said that, she might have left. But since An Yang had spoken so plainly, how could she heartlessly abandon him? And he was just a mortal—what if Grandmother killed him!

She shook her head firmly. "I'm not leaving. I'll stand with you, and I'll protect you!"

An Yang frowned. "Then hide for now, and don't let the Thousand-Year Tree Demon see you!"

Nie Xiaoqian shook her head again, resolute. "I won't hide. Since I've decided to be with you, I must cut ties with Grandmother. If she kills you both, I won't live on either!"

An Yang was about to say more when he heard a rustling sound from outside Lanruo Temple, like something moving at high speed. He immediately tightened his grip on the Copper Bell.

"Bang!"

The wooden door was suddenly slammed open, and a huge, tongue-like thing shot in rapidly!

An Yang's expression changed, and he quickly raised the Diamond Sutra while ringing the Copper Bell with his other hand!

"Jingle..."

"Sizzle..."

A puff of white smoke rose from the Thousand-Year Tree Demon's massive tongue, which retracted swiftly. From outside the door came a furious, androgynous roar, followed by rustling all around the attic, sending chills down the spine!

"You damned scholar, you dare hurt me! I'll make sure you never reincarnate!"

Nie Xiaoqian's face paled, and she quickly stepped in front of An Yang.

"An Yang gongzi, be careful!"

An Yang pushed her aside, went to the back of the attic, and opened the window. Sure enough, he saw a massive tongue writhing and coiling, like the roots of an old tree.

A perfect chance!

He hurried back into the room, grabbed a rope, and pulled, yanking down several wooden planks. The talismans hidden earlier in the room were now fully exposed.

At the same time, a slimy tongue thrust in through the window, only to hit what felt like a red-hot branding iron, sending up clouds of white smoke and a nauseating stench!

"Bang!"

The Thousand-Year Tree Demon was blocked by the talismans and couldn't get in, but it showed no sign of leaving. Instead, it extended its ever-lengthening tongue, wrapping it layer by layer around the entire attic, relentlessly battering the talismans!

An Yang set down the Diamond Sutra, grabbed Nie Xiaoqian, and pointed at the ceiling. "Come on, help me pour this fuel oil onto the Tree Demon outside the window!"

Nie Xiaoqian immediately understood his intent. She blew a breath toward the ceiling, and the small hanging buckets flew outward, their fuel oil pouring out and spreading with perfect evenness!

"What is this stuff! You're asking for death, scholar!"

"Ah! Xiaoqian, you're helping this scholar against me! I'll destroy your ashes and scatter your soul!"

A glint flashed in An Yang's eyes. He grabbed a talisman from the window and hurled it out, shouting the only incantation from A Chinese Ghost Story!

"Prajnaparamita!"

"Boom!"

A flame ignited on the Thousand-Year Tree Demon's body, instantly setting the diesel ablaze. A towering fire blazed outside!

"Ahhh~"

A piercing shriek tore through the night sky!

Yan Chixia, who had been lying in wait, leaped out as well. He produced a talisman and pressed it onto the sword case, shouting—

"Prajnaparamita!"

"Clang!"

An ancient sword shot up into the sky, transforming into a beam of golden light that charged toward the burning Thousand-Year Tree Demon!

"Pfft... ah!"

An even more harrowing scream rang out. The Tree Demon's tongue thrashed wildly outside the pavilion before quickly burrowing into the ground to flee!

Yan Chixia's eyes sharpened. He bit his index finger, drew a yin-yang diagram on his other palm with blood, and said, "Trying to run! Heaven and Earth, Limitless—Cosmos Borrow Law!"

He struck forward several times with his palm, triggering a violent explosion. The Tree Demon's tongue was blasted apart inch by inch!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

As the flames scattered, a massive root shot through the air. The blazing fire clinging to it was instantly extinguished. The root split open like a gaping maw, revealing a human head at its center, which glared viciously toward the pavilion.

"A scholar and a Taoist, daring to scheme against me! I'll make sure you die without a burial place!"

Nie Xiaoqian watched the flames burning outside the pavilion—they had already scorched the talismans pasted on the walls. This place was no longer safe to stay. When she saw the Tree Demon's true form charging in, her expression shifted, and she pushed An Yang aside to meet the attack head-on!

"Pfft..."

Nie Xiaoqian's body flew backward like a broken kite, crashing to the ground with a few coughs. Her face turned even paler.

"You treacherous wench! Helping outsiders against me—I'll kill you!"

A root shot out from somewhere, hurtling toward Nie Xiaoqian on the ground with a whistling wind.

Nie Xiaoqian gasped in pain and closed her eyes in despair.

An Yang flung open the Diamond Sutra, shouted the incantation, and dashed over to press the sutra against the Tree Demon!

"Sizzle... ah!"

The root that had just extended retracted instantly. The Thousand-Year Tree Demon revealed only her head from within the root, eyeing him warily.

An Yang flipped his hand and drew a pistol. He had no idea if it would work on the Tree Demon, but there was no time to think. He aimed at the Tree Demon's head inside the root and fired!

"Bang!"

At the same time, Yan Chixia's figure shot through the air, the Xuanyuan Divine Sword blazing with golden light as it slashed down!

The Tree Demon's roots shrank back, and she transformed into human form to face Yan Chixia. But her body was covered in burn marks, reeking of scorched flesh. One arm had been severed by the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, blood streaming everywhere. A bullet was embedded in her forehead. She looked utterly wretched!

"Bearded man, I never minded you staying at Lanruo Temple. We could have kept to ourselves—why help a scholar kill me?"

Yan Chixia snorted coldly, eyeing the severely wounded Tree Demon. He thought to himself that An Yang's method had indeed worked—fire was this Tree Demon's bane. He said aloud, "I don't care if you kill evil men. But if you try to kill good people, I'll destroy you!"

The Thousand-Year Tree Demon's gaze turned icy. She knew she had fallen into their trap, been ambushed and gravely wounded, and lost any chance of contending with Yan Chixia. Pointing at Nie Xiaoqian in An Yang's arms, she said, "Then I'll promise not to harm anyone for a hundred years, and I'll spare this scholar. But my maidservant has already been promised to Black Mountain Lord. You should at least return her to me!"

Yan Chixia glanced at An Yang, then widened his eyes like copper bells. "Don't give me conditions! I've already damaged your vital energy—you won't be able to leave your lair for a hundred years anyway. And breaking up a loving couple isn't something Yan Chixia would do!"

The Thousand-Year Tree Demon said, "Then what do you want?"

"Hmph, what do I want? You've killed countless people and committed endless evil. Of course, I'll carry out Heaven's will and rid the world of your demonic kind!"

Yan Chixia hurled the Xuanyuan Divine Sword, forming a sword gesture with his index and middle fingers aimed at the Tree Demon. "Form and spirit, be as the sword—watch the blade!"

The Tree Demon's heart jolted. Her limbs and head retracted into her clothes, and she vanished into the ground, leaving only a gaping hole behind!

"Pfft!"

The Xuanyuan Divine Sword flashed past, piercing nothing but empty fabric!

An Yang's face changed. He shouted, "Brother Yan, hurry—she's trying to take Xiaoqian!"

No sooner had he spoken than layers of branches shot up from the ground, coiling tightly around Nie Xiaoqian!

Yan Chixia rushed over, chanting a spell as he pressed a talisman onto the branches!

"Boom!"

A burst of flame exploded. The branches were incinerated to ash, and Nie Xiaoqian collapsed limply to the ground.

An Yang quickly scooped her up. He hadn't forgotten that Nie Xiaoqian had been hurt blocking an attack meant for him. He asked with concern, "Xiaoqian, are you alright?"

Nie Xiaoqian's face was as pale as paper, but she gently shook her head.