The Fake Heiress's Guide to Self-Rescue - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Thunderous Battle Against the Tree Demon

The ominous brass-coin sword remained motionless, pointing at the large locust tree.

“Is this your accomplice?” Jiang Jing’s tone held a hint of amusement. She looked the female ghost up and down. The resentment around her body clung to her, but unfortunately, it didn’t amount to any deep cultivation. She’s just a paper tiger, she thought.

“This water ghost’s cultivation is far inferior to yours. Why would you protect her and even harm people for her? What’s in it for you?” Jiang Jing continued to speak to herself, hoping to persuade the tree demon to give up and release the people.

“Ah—” A tragic shriek arose. The white-clad female ghost reached out with her grayish-blue hands, her long, dark fingernails incredibly sharp, and lunged at Jiang Jing.

Seeing this, Jiang Jing had to retreat from the formation and swing her sword to fight the female ghost. She lifted her right foot and kicked the ghost in the chest. She used her left leg for leverage, twisted her body, and held her sword horizontally in front of the ghost.

“Is that all you’ve got? You think you can fight me? Release the person now.” She gripped the brass-coin sword slightly, and two scorched marks appeared on the ghost’s bloodless hands. Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, bringing with it a gust of sand and dead leaves.

She still wants to fight? Jiang Jing vigilantly took two steps back and held a ghost-repelling talisman in front of her chest with her left hand. The wind gradually stopped. After everything returned to normal, the female ghost had disappeared.

“Jiang Jing!” Jiang Qianqian’s voice came from somewhere, filled with urgency.

“Stay right where you are. I’m coming to find you,” Jiang Jing immediately shouted. She hoped this would make Jiang Qianqian feel a little more at ease. A black mist spread, and the mist, mixed with immense resentment, surrounded Jiang Jing.

“Since you’re so stubborn, you’ll stay here too!” Countless wails came from her ears. A pair of black hands stretched out from the mist, grabbing Jiang Jing’s ankles and arms.

“Is that it? Next time, remember to cover my mouth before we fight.” Jiang Jing sneered, closed her eyes, and let her qi flow through her entire body.

“Heaven, Earth, and the Profound, the root of all qi. A golden light exists, covering my body.” Her limbs began to be covered in a gentle golden light, which gradually spread to her whole body.

“The guards of the three realms, the five emperors welcome. Ghosts and demons lose their courage, and spirits forget their forms.” The golden light began to get hotter, and the black hands were scorched, turning into a pile of powder and disappearing.

“The golden light appears, protecting the true person, by decree, as urgent as the law.” The Golden Light Incantation was complete. Jiang Jing’s body emitted a dazzling golden light, and all evil spirits were unable to get close to her.

Two thunder talismans cleared the way. The young girl held her magical tool, gathered her strength, and reached the formation in an instant. The axe from the recent fight lay on the ground, and Qiao Bai was lying there with her eyes closed. There was no time. Jiang Jing picked up the axe and struck the tree trunk again. The axe hit the trunk and was bounced back by a green light. Jiang Jing ignored it and swung the axe again with all her might.

“Crack!” Half of the tree trunk was chopped off. The axe blade, pulled between the two opposing forces, finally gave out and was completely blunted. Jiang Jing threw the axe aside and took out her brass-coin sword to continue chopping.

“Clang—” The blade was caught between two fingers and couldn’t move an inch forward. The woman was dressed in a green robe, but her inner dress was a moon-white color. Her body was covered in a faint green light. Her crescent-shaped eyebrows were slightly furrowed, showing her mood.

“Insolent child, do not be rude.” The cold voice carried a sense of power. This was a warning from an elder to a junior.

Unfortunately, although Jiang Jing was respectful, she had little patience for spirits, let alone one that had harmed people repeatedly. All things in the world follow the rules set by the Dao of Heaven. Anyone or any spirit that violates the Dao of Heaven must be punished by all. And the descent of thunder magic is a way of carrying out justice on behalf of Heaven.

“I don’t think you’re getting it, elder. For me, anyone who harms the innocent has no right to call themselves an elder!”

A yellow qi rose from the Middle Palace. She drew a word in the air with her tongue and it flew over the Xun Palace. She released her grip on the sword, formed a Thunder Seal with her hands, and raised her qi to her spine, passing through the two gates and her crown to mix with the yellow qi. She inwardly trained the Ten Generals to summon the gods of the Thunder Department (1). (Taoism believes that the internal organs, such as the eyes, ears, and nose, are the ten generals. Practicing the internal generals can summon the gods of the Thunder Department.)

“Disciple Jiang Jing, receiving the qi of the Thunder Lord and the power of the Lightning Mother, I sever all evils and annihilate all spirits, by decree, as urgent as the law.” (2) (From “The Great Compendium of Daoist Magic,” Vol. 92). The thunder qi rose from her palm. No need to draw a talisman, it could summon thunder and lightning on its own. This was the head of all magic, capable of breaking all evil.

The tree demon saw this and tried to dodge, but she remembered that her body was right behind her. She could only take the blow head-on. She fell to the ground, her body covered in scorched marks. Yang Lei (male thunder) is the most lethal to tree spirits. This one blow was enough to scatter most of her cultivation.

The sword was held in front of her. The tree demon had no choice but to wave her hand, and the unconscious Jiang Qianqian appeared under the tree.

“This girl is a sick child. She was not supposed to live past eighteen. An expert hid her aura to allow her to live, but this is a deception of the Dao of Heaven. Why not let Xiao Jiu take over her body? This way, she can return to the heavens to report her mission, and Xiao Jiu can be reborn sooner.” The tree demon’s breath was barely a thread. She tried to beg Jiang Jing to spare her and the female ghost.

The white-clad female ghost also appeared and knelt before Jiang Jing. She swore that she had never harmed anyone. It was just that she couldn’t be reborn without a substitute, and her yin lifespan was about to end.

“No matter what, she is still a living person. You both should know that a spirit can never harm a person’s life,” Jiang Jing said, frowning, not wanting to hear the two on the ground make excuses.

She walked under the tree and saw that Jiang Qianqian’s Yintang was dark, and her face was ashen like a dead person. Jiang Jing reached out and placed her hand on Jiang Qianqian’s wrist. She felt an extremely faint pulse, as if her life was about to run out.

This is bad. Her soul had already left her body. It had to be guided back immediately. Otherwise, if the Dao of Heaven discovered it, a heavenly punishment might descend and destroy her physical body. But even if the soul returned, the seal that the expert had placed on Jiang Qianqian had been broken. How would she hide it from the heavens?

After a moment of thought, Jiang Jing pointed her sword at the tree demon on the ground again. “How about we make a deal?” The tree demon looked up at her in confusion.

“I’ll help you guide this female ghost to be reborn, and you use your remaining cultivation to cover her aura. Otherwise, if she’s really taken away by the grim reaper, the crime of harming a child of a divine being is enough to make both of you turn into dust.”

Jiang Jing laid out the consequences for them. The stakes were their lives. The tree demon naturally agreed. So, Jiang Jing placed Jiang Qianqian’s body under the tree, bit her index finger, and began to draw a formation with her bl00d.

The Soul-Guiding Formation is based on the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. The person setting the formation is positioned at the Zhifu, which means to follow the gods in an emergency. The soul to be guided is in the Middle Palace. The soul is guided in through the Shengmen. When the task is complete, the yin and yang are reversed, and the Nine Stars are gathered to allow the living soul to enter the body. This formation is for saving people and guiding souls, not for bringing people back from the dead, so it is not condemned by the Dao of Heaven. However, Jiang Qianqian’s situation was special. She needed the tree demon’s help to cover her aura to deceive Heaven and Earth.

Bl00d flowed from her index finger. In fifteen minutes, she had drawn most of the formation. Jiang Qianqian’s soul gradually appeared.

“What do I do, Jiang Jing? Am I going to die?” Jiang Qianqian’s soul asked, choked up, when she saw her own body. Her voice was filled with deep resentment and sadness.

Yes. So what if I was supposed to die early? I’m still alive now. Who are others to decide who lives or dies? At least my life should be in my own hands.

“No, you won’t. Jiang Qianqian, you will live a long life. I promise,” Jiang Jing said. She used her inner power to reopen the cut on her finger so the bl00d would flow faster.

The formation was complete. Jiang Jing entered it and presided over it. The bl00d formation emitted a crimson light. Jiang Qianqian’s soul floated towards the center.

The soul enters the body, and the four seasons are at peace.

“Cough, cough!” Jiang Jing couldn’t help but cough up bl00d. This body didn’t have much cultivation. The few fights had already pushed her to her limits, and now she was doing a formation. It was completely beyond her body’s capacity.

A gentle force entered her body, soothing her struggling internal organs. She looked up and saw that it was the tree demon who was channeling her true qi into her. “…Thank you,” Jiang Jing said in a low voice.

“I just hope you can fulfill your promise as soon as possible,” the tree demon said, lowering her gaze and not looking at her.

“Eastern mountain incantation, summon the nine heavens. Red book talisman command, control the Fengshan. Bind demons, send away ghosts, cleanse all evil. Heed my command, do not delay. By decree, as urgent as the law!” (1)

The Rebirth Seal emitted a golden light and gradually enveloped the white-clad female ghost. Two lines of bloody tears flowed from under her white veil. Her lips moved slightly, but she didn’t say a single word. She didn’t seem to want to leave anything behind in this world, not even a single word.

“All grudges and resentments return to dust. Your yin lifespan is about to end. You will be able to be reborn soon,” Jiang Jing said, her voice a little shaky, but she persisted until the female ghost completely disappeared.

Qiao Bai was still unconscious. Jiang Qianqian’s soul had just returned, so she was unstable and needed to sit still for a while.

“You’re a strange one. You were about to face a thunder tribulation, but now you have to start all over and cultivate for another four hundred years for this water ghost,” Jiang Jing said, sitting down on the ground comfortably. Her qi was now completely calm.

“The thunder tribulation is a law of all things set by the Dao of Heaven. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have even survived my death tribulation,” the tree demon said, meditating with her back against her body. She slowly opened her eyes when she heard Jiang Jing’s words.

The tree demon’s name was Jiang Huai. She had lived for 200 years and was just beginning to gain sentience when she encountered a drought that only happens once every hundred years. It was a three-year drought. The fields were almost barren. The villagers had eaten all the tree bark and grass roots. You couldn’t hear the sound of a single chicken or dog. Everything was quiet. A light in a house would go out today, and it might never be lit again tomorrow.

The Bai Liu River was so thin that it was only an arm’s length wide, just enough for the village to use. She had lived for so long, with her roots deep in the ground, but she couldn’t taste a single drop of water. Jiang Huai looked up at the sky. She knew that this natural disaster was her death tribulation.

Until one day, a skinny figure came to the river with a bucket to get water. Her family had no male members left, and it was just her and her aging mother barely surviving. The girl, who looked like she had just come of age, struggled to lift the bucket full of water from the river. As she was about to leave, she saw Jiang Huai’s withered branches and leaves. She couldn’t bear it and quietly poured two ladles of water on her. The girl looked a bit flustered, afraid that the villagers would see her watering a tree with such precious water. And so, thanks to the girl who came to water her every few days, Jiang Huai survived. She looked up at the sky again and saw a glimmer of hope. It would rain here in three days, and it would be a torrential downpour for several days. After that, the village would survive the drought.

But the girl didn’t make it to the third day.

Jiang Huai was woken up by the sound of gongs and drums. She had been asleep for two days, hoping to reduce the consumption of her true qi until it rained. The villagers were beating gongs and drums and throwing all kinds of offerings into the river. Among them was a woman in a wedding dress with a veil covering her head, tied to a chair.

“The auspicious time has arrived. Farewell to the River God’s bride,” the village chief shouted, standing at the front of the crowd. The people lifted the bride and threw her into the river. What was strange was that the bride didn’t struggle even though she was about to be thrown into the river.

The moment she was thrown into the river, a gust of wind blew and slightly lifted the bride’s veil. Jiang Huai saw the girl who had watered her, and the ligature marks on her neck. A few drops of water fell on Jiang Huai, and then a downpour followed.

“The River God has shown his power—” the people cheered, happily returning home, leaving only a hunched figure who stared at the river for a long time before jumping in.

Perhaps feeling guilty or afraid of retaliation, the villagers of Xiaochen Village later created a so-called statue of the girl and enshrined her in the shrine. Jiang Huai placed the girl’s soul next to her and nurtured it. The two of them accompanied each other for the next 600 years.

“That woman is a descendant of the village chief. The village chief caught Xiao Jiu stealing a steamed bun from the kitchen of his house and ordered her to be strangled and dressed up as a bride to be sacrificed to the River God. Now that Xiao Jiu knows her time is up, I read the stars for her and came up with this plan. I am truly sorry.” Jiang Huai looked at the calm water, her voice heavy.

She took out a token from her waist with the character “Huai” (槐) written on it. “My soul and power are inside. My body is half-destroyed and cannot be repaired for a while. I am willing to protect that child. This can also be considered a form of cultivation,” she said. With that, Jiang Huai went into the token and disappeared.

Jiang Jing took the token and looked at it before handing it to Jiang Qianqian, who was sitting beside her. Jiang Qianqian’s expression was solemn after hearing Jiang Huai’s story. The shadow of almost dying still lingered in her heart. She should hate the two people who almost took her life, but looking at the token, she felt a profound sense of helplessness.

“I feel so tired, Jiang Jing,” Jiang Qianqian said, her brows furrowed with unspoken frustration. She knew that she was fated to die young, and it was only because of her parents’ efforts that she was living a stable life now. She suddenly felt that she had to live carefully. Otherwise, if she died in an accident, it would be a great disservice to her parents’ efforts. But living like this felt like a caged bird on a painting. Even if the cage was opened, it would still be hanging high on the wall, unable to fly off the paper.

“Don’t think too much. If I can save you once, I can save you a second time,” Jiang Jing said at the right time, interrupting Jiang Qianqian’s wild thoughts. “As long as you are strong, who can easily make you die?” She blinked, looking at the troubled Jiang Qianqian.

“What if the Dao of Heaven wants me to die? A powerful demon like Jiang Huai almost died, and I’m just an ordinary human,” Jiang Qianqian said, still very worried. She carefully put the token in her pocket, as if she were protecting her own life.

Jiang Jing chuckled. She patted Jiang Qianqian on the head, just as her master and senior sister used to do to her. “Don’t worry. When that time comes, I will do everything I can to save you. If all else fails, we’ll swap lives. You definitely won’t die.”

Jiang Qianqian immediately slapped away the hand on her head. Her cheeks were flushed. When she heard Jiang Jing’s words, she tried to cover her mouth again. “Bah, bah, bah, what nonsense are you saying? Let’s go back.”

“Okay, okay. Let’s go back then—” Jiang Jing helped the still-unconscious Qiao Bai up, and the two of them slowly walked back to the village.