Chapter 10: The Monk with the Scabby Head

Zhao Jia heard his wife’s shout, but it suddenly seemed to come from a great distance. It was as if his senses had grown rusty. A sharp tearing sound echoed through the air. Yet, the dreadful scene he imagined did not unfold. The bald, scabby monk before him vanished, replaced by the enormous toad from earlier. Five distinct claw marks were etched across the toad’s face. The toad, which had been leaping toward Zhao Jia, hastily hopped back, its round, bulging eyes fixed intently on the darkness behind the door, as though wary of something unseen.

The two large monks stood frozen, mouths agape in terror. Just moments ago, the elder had been dignified and graceful—how could he have turned into a toad so suddenly? Was this a monster? The pair exchanged glances, clinging to each other, their legs weak.

“Croak, croak!” The toad crouched low, its cheeks swelling.

A guttural sound followed. The bumpy surface of its back rose and fell with the movement of its cheeks; the green back darkened to deep indigo as mist burst forth from its bumps, enveloping the toad entirely, like a cloud gathering and floating in midair. Its two round eyes glowed with a yellow light.

“Croak, croak.” The toad looked up toward the sky. Moonlight poured down from the courtyard above, bathing its body.

“Croak!” Its cry was plaintive, almost like a child’s wailing.

Beneath the frosty courtyard, a large cat over four feet long emerged from the darkness. Its entire body was jet black, with dazzling golden eyes. It moved without a sound, like an assassin lurking in the shadows.

“Meow.” Its roar vibrated through the courtyard, and under the white moonlight, it resembled a young tiger stepping out from its den.

The black cat fixed its gaze on Zhao Jia. Instantly, a sense of calm settled over him. Moments ago, he had been paralyzed with fear at the sight of the monstrous toad monk. Now, seeing the toad’s true form revealed and with the divine cat by his side, how could he still be afraid? He now fully understood how the black cat had managed to follow and precisely find the location of the cellar. Perhaps, like the toad, the black cat had become a spirit as well.

The black cat was, of course, Lu Xun.

He had seen the toad lunge at Zhao Jia, who was frozen in shock, and so acted decisively.

“Croak!” A streak of white light shot toward him.

Whoosh.

The black cat leapt into the air, dodging the white light. Glancing back, he saw the white light had left a deep mark on the wall.

Water trickled down from the shallow indentation.

“Kill!” Zhao Jia charged forward, sword drawn, appearing before the mist in just a few strides. With a powerful strike, he slashed down with all his might.

The toad dared not meet him head-on and jumped back to evade, spitting a jet of water that struck Zhao Jia’s shoulder with a loud slap, causing him to stagger before regaining his footing.

Lu Xun had heard from the constables that Captain Zhao Jia possessed impressive martial skills, expecting him to be a master like those in the tales—forceful, every move brimming with blade and shadow. But now, seeing him in action, Lu Xun could only describe Zhao Jia’s movements as ‘plain.’

Zhao Jia did not notice the disappointment in the black cat’s eyes; he only felt his blood surging, his hair standing on end. He adjusted his stance, gripping the sword with both hands, lips pressed together as he drew a deep breath through nose and mouth, exhaling steadily. He used the breathing method taught by his father to stabilize his blood and energy—he absolutely could not let it continue to boil, or he would tire out in just a dozen strikes. This was nothing like training; during practice he could swing five hundred times and still feel eager for more.

Zhao Jia had studied military swordsmanship since childhood—a martial art designed for soldiers, emphasizing unified advance and retreat, with only sixteen forms.

“Advance!”

He leapt forward, slashing upward and sweeping horizontally. The unadorned sword, paired with the straightforward military technique, showed no dazzling flashes or flourishes, only the most ruthless and precise methods of killing. Each move was filled with ferocity.

The toad twisted and dodged, not daring to take the blows directly. No matter how much it had cultivated, it was still flesh and blood; if struck by steel, it could lose a limb, be disemboweled, or even killed in a single stroke.

Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded: the constable in black swung his blade swiftly, pressing the toad into frantic evasion.

The two monks finally snapped out of their stupor and began scrambling to escape, thinking to raise the alarm. Regardless of the monsters in the monastery’s cellar, being discovered by the county’s constable would land them in trouble with the law. If Captain Zhao killed the toad spirit, who’s to say he wouldn’t turn and chop off their heads as well?

Thud.

The black cat blocked their path, a smile appearing on its round face. Then, to their astonishment and horror, it stood upright on its hind legs. The towering black cat, over four feet tall, folded its front paws like a human, its mouth twisted in a crooked grin, golden eyes sizing up the monks’ necks.

Guang Lue stopped dead in his tracks.

Guang Fa fell to his knees, begging, “Spare me, Lord Cat!”

Thump, thump, thump.

Bang, bang, bang.

Zhao Jia retreated several steps, blood soaking his black uniform, a long wound streaking his cheek. His steel blade had deflected a dozen water jets, but he was struggling, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

He glanced at the darkness behind the toad, from which fierce roars emerged. Even Zhao Jia, fearless and skilled, hesitated to advance.

The toad seized the chance to catch its breath, half-hidden in the shadows.

“Croak, croak.” The toad crept backward, seemingly intent on vanishing completely.

The golden-eyed cat swept its gaze past the two monks to the toad, then to the deep darkness behind it. The rumbling echoed like the roar of some great beast.

Zhao Jia dared not move forward.

Lu Xun saw clearly: there was no beast inside, only a surging stream of water.

He glanced up at the iron grating above—the second level of the cellar was actually a well. No wonder the opening above was left uncovered, and the warmth of the moonlight could be felt so clearly.

For mountain and water spirits seeking cultivation, moonlight was essential.

The three-legged cat was such, and so was the scabby toad.

[Cat’s Step (Attainment) (Moonlight)]

“Cat’s Step!”

Lu Xun lightly stepped atop Guang Fa’s head, then leapt into the air, shifting through two positions before landing against the wall, using it as leverage to chase down the fleeing toad.

He struck swiftly with cat’s fists.

Bang, bang, bang.

Three blows landed in quick succession, claws hooking the toad and hurling it away.

“Croak, croak, croak!” The toad did not accept its fate; wounded, it dove into the well. Once in the water, it seemed to fully recover its strength, swelling in size. The already large toad now resembled a millstone.

Its cheeks bulged high.

Bang, bang, bang.

Dozens of water jets rained down in rapid succession.

Bang!

The surging well water provided endless ammunition for the toad. Even with Lu Xun’s magical power and the enhanced speed from moonlight, he was still forced to dodge frantically.

In a few swift moves, he closed the distance, crashed into the toad, and as the water jets exploded, his claws reached in close.

Splash.

Cat and toad tumbled together into the well.

“Brother Jia!” Wang Ruo hurried forward to steady Zhao Jia. He patted his wife’s arm and shouted angrily at the monks, “Anyone who runs, I’ll kill them!”

“We won’t run, we absolutely won’t run,” Guang Lue and Guang Fa stammered, waving their hands. How could they dare do anything? The constable before them was a man who dared fight monsters.

“I’m going to help him.”

Zhao Jia freed himself from his wife’s grasp, intent on plunging into the darkness.

“Don’t!” Wang Ruo pulled him back, panic and tension still bright in her eyes. Who knew what lurked in the shadows? If anything happened to her husband, what would she do? It was better to leave quickly while the two spirits were locked in battle.

“They’re both monsters.”

Water slapped against the well’s walls, mingled with the cat’s fierce roars and the toad’s anguished cries.

Zhao Jia could not explain: “I must help him!”

With that, he gripped his blade and entered the darkness.

Looking down, with the aid of moonlight, he finally saw clearly: it was a well.

Before he could jump in, a black bolt of lightning surged upward, carrying something with it. In a few nimble bounds, it landed at the center of the cellar.

Under the moonlight.

The black cat, tiger-like, clutched the battered, barely breathing toad.

Its sharp teeth were locked tight around the toad’s neck.

Only when the toad was utterly dead did the black cat twist off its head.