Su Daji: the beginning

River could sense something was amiss the moment he entered the gambling den. On the surface, it was buzzing with activities, the smell of alcohol heavy in the air while thick tobacco smoke hung above heads like permanent clouds—a good combination to keep patrons going all day and night. 

“Welcome, sir!” The enthusiastic waiter waved him to come in further, a mischievous grin on his face, a stained table rag slung across one shoulder. 

“Wine,” River responded curtly and headed toward the small, empty table in the corner; his feet and staff moving quietly. 

“Yes, sir! At once!” The waiter assured as he wiped the tabletop perfunctorily, clearly noticing the fat and full money pouch hanging by River’s silk sash belt, before disappearing into the kitchen. 

Seated with his back to the wall, River’s hand palmed over the handle of his staff to draw its energy. The room went quiet, his pupils narrowed to slits, his senses scanning the crowd. The willow staff began to tremble, confirming his suspicion when he stood outside but moments ago, but there was still no discernible visual evidence. 

“Here you are, sir! Our famous Cassia wine!” The waiter’s voice broke River’s concentration and he grated out a low growl. Placing his money pouch on the table, River fished out two cowrie shells as the waiter placed the chipped ceramic bottle and drinking bowl before him.

River slid one piece toward the waiter, then held up the other between his thumb and forefinger, knowing very well he had his full attention. 

“Do you know your patrons well?” he asked. The waiter nodded with the sparkle in his eyes. “Are these your regulars?” River continued. The waiter turned and looked around discreetly, then back to River, and nodded again. River slid the second coin forward. He fished out another coin. “Anyone new in the past few days?” 

“Not in terms of customers, sir,” the waiter replied softly, a sly smile forming. River slid the third coin forward. “We took in a new employee two days ago,” he paused for effect, “a young girl,” rubbing his hands greedily, certain he was about to earn another coin, and boldly leaned in closer, “I can bring her to you, sir”.

“Is that so?” River poured himself some wine and took a sloppy drink to wash away the vile suggestion. 

“Without a doubt, sir,” the waiter bared another toothy grin, a predator about to make a kill. River wondered if that was why his staff couldn’t pinpoint the source of the spirit since it was in the body of a child. 

“Where is she now?” River took another quick drink. It burned on the way down. 

“I’m afraid that will be another coin, sir,” the waiter negotiated, clearly not his first time. River handed another piece. The waiter let out a gleeful cackle, tucking his newfound riches safely in his chest pouch. “We have her doing dishes in the back. I can meet you out there—”

“There’s no need,” River cut him off sternly, making sure they made eye contact so he understood. 

“Aah yes, sir. Sometimes the thrill is in the hunt,” the waiter concluded proudly and began retreating from the table. The handle of the staff trembled slightly. River wished there was an evil aura floating about the waiter. He started drinking straight from the bottle to finish it quickly since he had already paid for it. 

As the last drop hit his tongue, he placed the bottle down and wiped his quenched lips with the back of his hand. In the far right corner, a fight has broken out as two gamblers accused one another of cheating. River could see how their life line was nearing the end. Death was coming for them. He stood and began making his way to the door. 

Outside, a gentle breeze hissed, carrying the scents of the sweet cherry and almond flower from the wet maple forest surrounding the secluded establishment. River took a deep breath and relished nature for a short second. 

A pity I have to take life on such a lovely evening, he thought to himself, then quickly dismissed his foolish statement. If the waiter was accurate in his description, there would be plenty of night left for him to do with as he pleased afterward. 

His ears soon picked up voices and noises on the other side of the mud and wood structure. Tattered lanterns lined the overhang eaves, the contained flames flickering unsteadily. River walked along them and felt his staff trembling harder. As he made the last turn, he found two women chattering away, each hunched over a wood barrel, dunking and sloshing ceramic ware for a quick rinse, before stacking them on a nearby wooden counter. 

“What do you want?” One asked defiantly as she saw him, and stood upright. The front of her clothes was wet, but he couldn’t tell if it was from washing, sweating, or both—and the thought reminded him of the bottle he drank out of earlier. He winced. 

“Did you pay Jin?” the other asked before he could utter a syllable. He raised an eyebrow. 

“The waiter’s name is Jin,” the first woman explained. “Did he send you back here?” River simply nodded. He could see no aura emanating from either woman. 

“Well, which one did you pay for?” the second woman chimed in feistily. River winced again. 

“Aaaah, you’re here for the girl,” the first one deduced and the second woman just rolled her eyes and went back to washing. “She’s peeling vegetables over there,” the first woman pointed to the steps behind her, “Take her to the hut yonder and make it quick. She’s got a lot of work to do,” and then she too, went back to washing. 

River clenched his teeth as he made his way past the women, who were continuing their chatter without missing a beat. He could see a small figure with its back to him, also hunched over. It was indeed a young girl. A faint green aura hovered over the hair, tied up messily. 

“Turn and face me, child,” he ordered as he stood right behind her. She didn’t move. River waited. She stayed frozen. 

“We don’t have all night, Siyala! Serve the man now,” one of the women hollered callously over River’s shoulder. 

“Siyala…” River began again, softly, “I am here to take you away”. She began to turn, her face slowly becoming visible to him. When she finally rose to face him, there was an expression he couldn’t quite decipher. 

“You’re not taking her anywhere!” The woman shouted and River could feel her approaching. “Jin will give us a thrashing if we let you. She’s made us more money—”

The blade hidden inside the willow staff obeyed River’s will and his alone. It cut the woman’s head clean off, spraying blood onto the other. Before her shock could turn into screams, the blade sliced her head off as well. The bodies fell onto the ground in soft thuds, twitching momentarily. River willed the blade back into its wooden sheath. He turned his attention back to Siyala, expecting to find a horrified, shivering girl. But there was neither fear nor helplessness. 

“You are no child,” River deduced as he observed her demeanor. The green aura remained about her. 

“No, I am not,” her voice, though child-like, was steady and certain. 

“Well, this is new,” River thought out loud. “I will then assume you know who I am.”

“Yes, demon hunter. You’ve been working hard to track me down.” 

“You should know time is running out for the child, fox spirit. As long as her physical body lives, her soul will wander and suffer in purgatory. Help me send her to the Gates of Reincarnation before the 49th-day mark is up.”

Siyala laughed out loud as if a court jester had just delivered an incredulous tale. River found no amusement in her reaction. 

“And how is that different from the life she has led so far?” 

“I’m not here to bandy words with you!”

“Why did you kill the two women, great hunter? They weren’t possessed from what I can tell.”

“They were vile in their own ways and deserving of the punishment.”

“Oh, we both know that’s not true. You killed them because you felt pity for this little girl and what she endured at their hands. And that’s no different from all that I’ve done—

ridding the world of men with vile and dark hearts.”

“You suck the energy out of innocent lives, demon! You rob them from reincarnation and any chance for redemption. Do not try to weasel out of your evil deeds.” 

“All I did was reveal their true identity. Think of all the lives I didn’t take. They still breathe because they are honorable and didn’t succumb to my temptation—which was little work on my part, truth be told,” Siyala declared proudly. 

“I must have wounded you badly during our last encounter that made you desperate enough to trade centuries of cultivation by latching onto this young host. Let me return you to your animal form and mind, so you can start anew and take on the human form through proper meditation, practice, and maturity.”

“And what good awaits if all that you said comes true? Unless I am born into a noble family, I’ll just suffer through a few pitiful decades at the mercy of those in power and my life would be over,” Siyala rebuked angrily. 

“Each of us has our own fortune and destiny to fulfill. There’s no point arguing with me about it,” River replied, surprised at his unusual patience. 

“What do you know about the lives of ordinary men and women, when you’ve lived yours favored by kings and gods, with stately wives and sons that will be princes?”

“I answer to no one but the Primeval Lord of Heaven and your time has come, demon!” River began chanting the spell to withdraw the spirit’s pearl of life. The jewel on the handle of his staff trilled and warbled, preparing to house the spirit temporarily until it was ready for reincarnation.  

Siyala let out a cry and began a counter spell to resist. But she was no match for the famed demon hunter. 

“Mark my words, great hunter,” she strained, feeling her pearl cracking, “My spirit will find a way to survive and endure…” the pain grew quickly within, as her soul and body were being split, “Even if it takes me 1,000 years… I will return to curse you and your descendants—and I will make sure you’ll know it is me…” Siyala growled as she fought his takeover, “I will… I will unleash unknown and unparalleled malfeasance upon men...” her defiant voice turned into screeching wails, then howls that echoed deep into the woods. Siyala’s body convulsed, her head fell back, colorful streams of light beamed from her open mouth, followed by a pearl floating forth. 

River extended his palm to receive the spirit’s final form. As he took a closer look, he could see it was almost halved, confirming his suspicion of the spirit’s weakened state. He began to pray:

May your destructive actions and emotions be purified,

For you will be truly forgiven when you are done,

Benefit yourself and others with your death, 

Seek enlightenment on your path to rebirth.

The pearl disappeared into the jeweled handle of his staff. 

River knelt over the lifeless body of the young girl. “Go forth and be united with your true soul, child. Then march through the Gates of Reincarnation. The Pure Ones are waiting for you.”

The body turned into a cloud of dust and swirled towards the skies. River slipped into the darkness and out of sight. 

When Jin came out moments later to relieve himself, he didn’t expect to find the headless bodies. He struggled down the creaking steps, with one hand on the rail so he wouldn’t fall, the other clutching to his half-undone drawers. 

“Ruby!... Jade!” He gasped as he confirmed their identities via the decapitated heads. “What… How…” he searched for words but nothing came save for horrified cries. He circled the area helplessly, lost and in shock. He looked around fearfully, in case the culprit was still nearby.

“Jin…” a female voice whispered. 

“Who goes there?!” He screamed, his breathing ragged, as he quickly tied the strings of his drawers to free his hands for self-defense. His eyes searched for the source. There was no man or beast to be found. 

“Jin…” the voice spoke again, louder and clearer this time.

“Show yourself!” He demanded shakily, as he felt warm liquid trickling down his legs and wetting his pants. “Show yourself!” He repeated. Again, he was met with silence. 

Just then, something glistened by the way of the steps. Something shiny. Jin blinked to make sure it wasn’t his imagination. He steeled himself to take a closer look. The object began to shine brighter and he approached. He wondered how he could’ve missed it moments ago.

On the second step, he could see what looked like a chipped tooth, glossy and beige. He picked it up and placed it in his palm for examination. It was no tooth, but a bead or piece broken from part of a jewel. His fear was quickly replaced by curiosity of its possible value. 

“Do not be afraid, Jin…” the honeyed voice reappeared and the object began to glow effervescently, iridescent like the scales of a mermaid basking in the sun. “I am a fox spirit and I need your help.”

“Fox spirit,” Jin repeated in wonderment. 

“If you protect and serve me, I promise you longevity, untold riches, and anything your heart desires,” the voice continued seductively.

“Did you murder Jade and Ruby, spirit?” He asked, though his eyes gleaming with greed had already betrayed him.

“They were plotting against you, Jin. They let the man with the staff take the young girl away.”

“Siyala!” Jin exclaimed, “I forgot about Siyala!”

“So I killed them for you, Jin. But the man with the staff wounded me. Will you help me, Jin? I can avenge both of us,” the voice urged cunningly. 

Jin turned to look at the headless bodies behind him. Roiled by their betrayal, his only regret was not profiting more from them when they were alive. 

“Yes, spirit! I will help you, and I will serve you!” He replied heartily. 

“Then mark our bond with your blood, Jin and you’ll get your first reward in 49 days.”

Jin grimaced as he bit down hard at the tip of his forefinger. The salty taste confirmed a successful puncture. He squeezed until a drop of his blood fell onto the piece of broken jewel. He could hear the voice exhale pleasingly, as if it was physically drinking his sacrifice. 

“Now keep me safe, Jin. I will find you again soon.”  

The waiter tucked the bit safely in his chest pouch, along with the cowrie shells from the man with a staff, and couldn't believe his good fortune.