"After the apricot blossoms weather the rain, their rouge-red petals gradually fall. Fragrance drifts upon the flowing water, and you grow ever more distant; my tender spring longing has nowhere to go. I hate to part from my beloved, gazing until he vanishes beyond the wall..."
On the He family's private opera stage, several performers in painted makeup sang their opera roles in high-pitched voices.
Below the stage sat guests watching the performance and enjoying the feast. The main table was on the pavilion directly opposite the stage. Everyone who could attend was a distinguished guest: among them were reclusive, renowned knights, wealthy men from Mobei, and several leaders of local gangs. The guests raised their cups and exchanged toasts, and the gathering was lively indeed.
"Master He, I've heard you're planning to hunt down the Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain. Is that true?"
The speaker was an old Daoist in a robe, his hair white and tied in a Daoist topknot.
This Daoist was known as Daoist Chi Ling, the head of the Flying Fish Sect. In his youth, he had made quite a name for himself in North Prefecture with his Red Fish Sword. He had later founded the Flying Fish Sect, and was now well known among the martial artists of the north.
"Indeed." He Ping toyed with a black folding fan as he sat at the seat of honor on the eastern side. Hearing Daoist Chi Ling's question, he nodded slightly.
"I've heard that the Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain is a scourge in the region, and a savage one at that. These past years, it has often come down from the mountain to terrorize the people. Sometimes it slips into a village in broad daylight and devours someone; other times it breaks into a home at night, leaving not a soul alive. The villagers live in constant fear, forced to abandon their ancestral homes and move elsewhere..."
Mountain Demons were not especially fond of eating people. They usually dwelled deep in the mountains, where ordinary folk were unlikely to encounter them. But the Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain relished human flesh and often came down to attack the locals. The devastation it caused was truly horrifying.
According to the locals, at first the Mountain Demon only preyed on lone travelers in the wilderness. Then it grew bolder by the day, often slipping into villages and homes to hunt people. Sometimes, it even dared attack people in broad daylight while several others were present.
Among the most horrifying tales told near Four Peaks Mountain were stories of several households whose doors the Mountain Demon had broken through in the dead of night, devouring everyone inside, young and old alike...
His brows furrowed slightly as he spoke, then he continued, "By now, all the mountain villages around Four Peaks Mountain have been abandoned, and even the homes are gradually falling into ruin. The neighboring villages are quite far from the mountain, so they needn't worry too much. But lately, the merchants and caravans passing through Four Peaks Mountain have suffered greatly..."
"I see."
Daoist Chi Ling nodded. The He family made its living from the rice trade and ran all sorts of profitable businesses. Every year, around New Year's, their debt-collecting teams traveled through half the counties in North Prefecture. Four Peaks Mountain was also a trade route leading south, so it was no wonder the young master of the He family was so concerned.
"Still, this Mountain Demon is a monster, not an ordinary beast. This old Daoist may not be much, but count me in on your trip to Four Peaks Mountain!"
Daoist Chi Ling was a forthright man.
"Then I thank you in advance, Daoist."
He Ping smiled.
"I never expected Master He to care so much about ridding the region of this menace. Well, old Zhong will join in too."
A burly man with a full beard, seated in another chair, spoke up as well. "Our Hu Ma Gang will send men to help with the hunt."
"Master He is a man of great benevolence and righteousness. The Iron Heart Martial Hall is willing to do its part as well."
A middle-aged man in a long robe, with a beard beneath his chin, rose from another pearwood chair and cupped his hands.
"Master He, if you don't mind, the Long Wind Society will do all it can to help..."
Another leader of a local gang stood up. After that, several others also volunteered to join the effort to hunt down the Mountain Demon.
"Then I truly thank you all."
With a snap, He Ping closed his fan and stood. Holding it in one hand, he cupped his fist toward the guests.
"I've already reported the matter of hunting the Mountain Demon to Prefect Sheng of this city. Lord Sheng said the court is also deeply troubled by the havoc wreaked by the One-Horned Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain. If we can successfully eliminate the creature, the court will reward us. In addition, my family is willing to offer fifty thousand taels as a bounty, to reward those who contribute the most."
As soon as he finished speaking, the guests burst into an uproar, marveling at the He family's young master and his bottomless wealth.
"Besides that, everyone who takes part in the hunt will receive a reward. Anyone injured or killed during the operation will receive compensation from the He family..."
He Ping chuckled.
One of his main reasons for holding this birthday banquet was to win over a group of martial artists and have them help him get this done.
From his investigations over the past year, he had learned that the One-Horned Mountain Demon was at least two or three hundred years old. It was far more fearsome than the Mountain Demon Daoist Chi Ling and other martial artists imagined.
The Immortal Puppet Sect had also studied monsters, and He Ping knew very well that a One-Horned Mountain Demon's demonic power grew with age.
An ordinary martial artist stood no chance against a two- or three-hundred-year-old One-Horned Mountain Demon. Probably only the court could mobilize an entire battalion by military order, equip it with bows, crossbows, and arrows, surround the mountain forest, and bring in a great army to take it down.
"The He family is, after all, a merchant household. We can't keep private soldiers. The best way to take down this Mountain Demon is to throw money at the problem. As long as I offer enough, these martial artists will naturally risk their lives for me."
Money could move the gods.
After taking charge of the He family's affairs, He Ping had discovered the power of money. In his previous life, he remembered hearing a famous saying: "Any problem that can be solved with money isn't a problem." It might not always be true, but sometimes it certainly worked.
"To put it plainly, my body is simply too unfit for me to confront that Mountain Demon myself." As he exchanged pleasantries with the guests, he couldn't help feeling helpless.
"The 'chronic ailment' inside me is getting worse. I can't use puppet arts for long. If I push myself, the yin energy will surge backward, and the signs of 'blood leakage' will grow more severe. I can only rely on these martial artists for help."
Having studied the arts of the Immortal Puppet Sect, He Ping understood all too well the vast difference between Daoist arts and martial arts. The gap between them was like a chasm. The paltry skills of martial artists were no match for his secret puppet arts.
He secretly befriended martial artists and opened the gates of the He Mansion to recruit retainers and guests. Men of talent, streetwise riffraff, even petty thieves and scoundrels—he took them all in. He wasn't doing it because he had nothing better to do or too much money to spend.
He Ping's real purpose was to search for truly extraordinary people and find cultivators hidden among the common folk. Yet he had never managed to fulfill this wish.
"All these years, I haven't encountered a single other cultivator. At most, I've heard a few rumors among the people. It's truly strange."
Suddenly, an angry shout rang in his ears.
"You villain, you'll pay with your life!"
He Ping turned around and saw a young servant in blue, carrying a tray at the banquet. In a sudden motion, the servant drew a dagger and lunged at him.