You've reached too far

Ye Qianfan was just about to be seized by that damned monk!

Shen Lang stepped forward and blocked the monk's outstretched hand with his Long Flute. "You've reached too far! You deserve a beating!"

Smack!

Shen Lang's Long Flute knocked the monk's hand aside.

But this had been far more than a light tap. Ye Qianfan noticed that the spot struck by Shen Lang's Long Flute had turned bright red, and the monk's hand kept trembling. That showed just how much force Shen Lang had put into the blow.

Seeing Shen Lang actually dare to intervene, the monk flew into a rage. "Since you insist on meddling, this humble monk can only send you on your way!"

With that!

The monk began swinging his Monk's Staff.

The Monk's Staff stood 1.8 meters tall and weighed at least fifty jin, if not eighty. As the monk swept it across the ground, it kicked up a great cloud of dust!

Ye Qianfan did not help Shen Lang fight the monk. For one thing, he was no match for him.

After all, he was a Soul Cultivator who had only just entered the ninth rank. Joining a fight between two people of the seventh rank or higher would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—there would be no coming back!

If the monk accidentally caught him with a sweep, his paper body would probably collapse on the spot!

So Ye Qianfan simply stood to one side, staring fixedly at the Tree Demon rumbling toward them. Who knew who had enraged it? It had actually begun moving with its roots, forcing great cracks through the ground!

When everyone looked up and saw the enormous black silhouette in the fog, they recoiled several steps in terror, then clustered together and brought out their respective Magic Treasures, preparing to withstand an enemy they could not withstand!

They all knew that if they did not band together now, only death awaited them!

The monk, on the other hand...

He heard the commotion behind him, and the old beggar hurriedly called out, "Monk, the Tree Demon's caught up! Run!"

"Damned monster! It clings like a restless ghost!" The monk hurriedly withdrew the Monk's Staff he had been using to clash with Shen Lang and forced himself to keep up his bluster. "My Buddha does not deliver those destined to die! Until we meet again!"

With that!

The monk once again ran into the depths of the Fog Forest.

Seeing that the Tree Demon had revealed even its true body, Ye Qianfan naturally had no time to bother with the fleeing monk and old beggar. He hurriedly raised the Bagua Mirror hanging against his chest and aimed it straight at the Tree Demon!

The next instant!

"Roar!!"

The Mountain God Hag's roar immediately rang out from the Bagua Mirror.

The Tree Demon seemed afraid of that sound as well. Instead of advancing any farther, it drew back, then left in another direction—the very direction in which the monk and old beggar had fled.

Only after the Tree Demon left did everyone heave a great sigh of relief. "Whew! So Brother Ye was the one with genuine ability all along!"

"I, Huang Ye, thank you for saving my life, Brother Ye."

A middle-aged man dressed as a Daoist nodded to Ye Qianfan. "One day, I shall repay this kindness with a gushing spring!"

"Impressive, Brother Ye!"

Everyone began praising Ye Qianfan.

Afraid that his low cultivation would be exposed and someone would set their sights on him afterward, Ye Qianfan could only give an inscrutable smile. "You're too kind. We might well become colleagues someday, so it's only right that we help one another!"

"Well said, Brother Ye!" Everyone nodded. "But some people aren't nearly as honorable as you. They wear a monk's robes, yet act like petty villains!"

"It's getting late. Let's hurry!"

Once everyone knew Ye Qianfan could repel the Tree Demon, the oppressive feeling that had dogged them along the way disappeared.

The wealthy merchant, in particular, hurriedly worked his golden abacus a few times before stepping forward to lead Ye Qianfan and the others onward. "Brother Ye, this way!"

"Judging by our pace, we should be getting close to the Passage Gate that old eunuch mentioned!"

They walked for another tea's worth of time.

At last, Ye Qianfan and the others reached the Passage Gate twenty li south of Fog City!

However...

Aside from the enormous pit left when the Tree Demon uprooted itself, there was only a crude stone well behind it. No one could see any gate at all.

"Where's the gate that old eunuch mentioned?"

Everyone grew puzzled.

Ye Qianfan glanced over the pit and the well, then quietly took out his Divination Blocks.

"Your disciple, Ye Qianfan, is striving to return to the Puppet Sect. Patriarchs, please point the way! If I should enter the pit, show me a laughing cup. If I should enter the well, show me a holy cup. If there is no path to survival here, show your disciple a crying cup!"

A cast of the Divination Blocks had three possible results. Both convex sides facing up meant a laughing cup.

Both flat sides facing up meant a crying cup.

A holy cup was one yin and one yang. Harmony between yin and yang was auspicious!

Clack!

After asking the Puppet Sect's Patriarchs for guidance, Ye Qianfan immediately tossed the Divination Blocks to the ground. The result they showed was actually to enter the well!

Could the Passage Gate to the second trial really be inside the well?

"There's something in this well!"

Just then, a warrior who had followed Ye Qianfan over peered into the well and suddenly cried out.

Shen Lang hurried over too, but after leaning forward to look inside, he also frowned. "That makes no sense! I calculated it. This well should clearly be the gate of life, so why is there a Hair Demon inside?"

"What's a Hair Demon?"

Ye Qianfan asked curiously.

Before Shen Lang could explain, however, the Daoist eagerly began showing off his knowledge. "When a woman who throws herself into a well dies, all her resentment gathers in her hair. Her hair grows longer and longer, thicker and thicker, until it finally fills the entire well!"

"If someone approaches a well with a Hair Demon at midnight, or draws water from it, the Hair Demon's hair will drag them into the well and drown them, making them another of the wronged souls within!"

"To kill a Hair Demon, you must first retrieve her bones from the well, then burn them!"

"Your solution is a paradox," Ye Qianfan complained. "The Hair Demon is obviously invincible in the water, yet we're supposed to go down there and retrieve her corpse to burn it? Wouldn't entering the well be the same as going to our deaths? How are we supposed to retrieve anything?"

"I don't know how other sects deal with Hair Demons, but naturally, our Puppet Sect uses puppets," the Daoist said smugly. "A Wooden Puppet can't drown and floats on its own. Dealing with a Hair Demon couldn't be simpler!"

"I'm made of paper."

That single reply from Ye Qianfan took all the wind out of the Daoist's sails.

Seeing that a Hair Demon lurked in the well, everyone became even more convinced that this was the Passage Gate to the second trial!

"It looks like..."

Shen Lang was the first to speak. "The Demon-Quelling Office's second trial is meant to make us deal with this Hair Demon!"

"If we can handle her, we pass. If we can't, we'll all be wiped out!"

Clack, clack~

The wealthy merchant worked his abacus a few times and added in agreement, "Based on the burning incense, it took us two and a half sticks' worth of time to get here. If we want to pass, we must all work together and deal with this Hair Demon within the remaining half-stick of incense!"