《THE TAOIST AND THE EIGHT BEASTS》


 KHAAZAKA DESERT

    The scorching sun burned the sand of the Khaazaka Desert. A lawless land known to neighboring villages as "the forgotten land." It was also the place where the poorest tried to survive the tyranny of local gangs.


    On the horizon, two figures in dark cloaks with large hoods could be seen walking slowly.


    "Baiji, are you sure we''re on the right path?"


    The larger figure asked, visibly exhausted, while the smaller one looked at a piece of paper.


    "We followed almost all the instructions. We must be on the right path, oink."


    After another 10 minutes of walking, the two spotted a village.


    "Let''s stop and rest a bit there. With luck, there might be someone who can help."


    Upon arriving at the village, they noticed the dilapidated conditions of the place. The houses had holes in the walls, and some didn''t even have roofs.


    "It doesn''t seem like there''s anyone else here besides us, Jian."


    "Let''s take a look."


    They walked from house to house looking for someone until they heard something.


    "I told you to stay still!"


    "Sorry, dad!"


    Jian and Baiji approached.


    "Hello? We just want to-"


    Jian was interrupted by someone who attacked him by surprise with a kind of hoe.


    "Die, you idiot!"


    Baiji tried to stop the attack, but Jian had already grabbed the man''s tool.


    "Calm down, sir. We just want to ask for directions and a bit of water."


    The man didn''t listen and attacked again.


    The attacks were slow and predictable.


    Jian took something from his waist and placed it on the man''s back, who fell unconscious to the ground a few seconds later.


    Seeing this, an old man and a child came out of one of the houses, terrified, heading towards the fallen man.


    "Dad, wake up! Dad!"


    The child called for his father while the old man picked up the hoe and threatened Jian.


    "What did you do to my son? We already said we wouldn''t sell our land."


    "Sell your land?" Jian seemed confused by the old man''s statement.


    "We''re not here to steal or anything like that. We just want directions, oink." Baiji explained their reason for being there.


    "Directions? Looking closer, you don''t look like the hyena gang."


    "Grandpa, don''t believe them. They hurt dad!"


    Jian approached the child, knelt down, and removed the object from the man''s back.


    "He''s not hurt. Just resting. He''ll wake up by the end of the day." Jian smiled to try to calm the child.


    After resolving the misunderstanding, Jian and Baiji were invited to the old man''s house.


    "What are you doing in a place like this?"


    "We came to talk to the gang leade-"


    Baiji immediately put a cloth over Jian''s mouth.


    "We were on our way to the capital, but there was a storm, and we got lost, oink."


    "What bad luck. So you need directions to the capital, right?"


    The two nodded in perfect synchronization.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t help you. I used to be a merchant and passed through there many times, but due to the strong ground tremors here, I lost my sense of direction."


    "Ground tremors? You mean earthquakes?"


    "They''re not earthquakes. They''re less intense and happen much more frequently. At least once a day, in the late afternoon."


    After hearing the old man''s testimony, Baiji took the paper from his waist to take another look.


    Jian finally removed the cloth from his mouth.


    "Sir, what was that talk about selling the land and why did you attack us?"


    The old man lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly.


    "Three months ago, every two weeks, two members of the hyena gang come to try to convince us to sell this land."


    "You mean all these houses are yours?" Jian was surprised.


    "Yes. This land was bought by my grandfather a long time ago, before the Celestial War. When this desert still had life. Over time, as the family grew, the houses you saw were built, but during the war, our entire family was decimated, leaving only the three of us."


    "And why does this hyena gang want your land?"


    "They say they want to build a second base here."


    "But are these hyenas really strong? It doesn''t seem like there''s any law here, so why don''t they just use force and expel you?"


    "It may not seem like it, but my son was once part of the Tianxin army. Whenever those two come, they''re never a match for him, but he contracted a disease four days ago that has left him weak. That''s why we''re hiding."


    "I understand."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    The old man looked closely at the two.


    "You don''t look like merchants. Those clothes and the gourds at your waist. Who are you?"


    "Do you know the Eight Celestial Beasts?"


    The old man placed his right hand on his chin, thoughtful.


    "Those that hold up the sky, right? That myth was quite popular in the capital. What does it have to do with you?"


    "You really have been isolated from the world."


    Jian then began to recount the greatest consequence of the Celestial War 50 years ago.


    "After the fight between Wukong and Nezha reached its peak, the balance between the human and spiritual worlds was broken. Eight of the ten strongest evil spirits escaped from the prison of souls into our world and corrupted the Eight Celestial Beasts. Baiji and I are on a journey to become stronger and recruit allies to expel the eight evil spirits from the Beasts and return them to the spiritual world. Thus, the Beasts will once again hold up the sky, and the balance between the worlds will be restored."


    "That seems like too heavy a burden for a teenager."


    During the conversation, Baiji let out a cry of excitement.


    "I found it!"


    Jian and the old man were surprised, looking at each other.


    However, the moment of euphoria was interrupted by a voice from outside.


    "Hey old man! We''re back again!"


    The old man and the child panicked.


    "Grandpa, it''s them!"


    "Help me take your father to the room, quickly!"


    Their efforts to move the unconscious man were in vain. Both were exhausted and out of strength.


    "Baiji, help them. I''ll deal with those bandits."


    "Got it."


    Jian left the house to confront the gang members.


    They were two humanoids with hyena-like features. They wore short black clothes and each carried two daggers at their waists.


    "You guys just don''t give up."


    "Well, well. The old man has another grandson?"


    The other hyena added,


    "Where''s your grandpa? We have unfinished business with him."


    "I heard you always get beaten by the old man''s son and still don''t give up." Jian smiled provocatively.


    "That''s none of your business! Call the old man, or we''ll use force."


    "Let''s see if you really have it."


    With incredible speed, Jian moved behind the two and tried to knock them out simultaneously with both hands, but it only tickled them.


    "What?"


    The hyenas then turned and both kicked Jian in the stomach, throwing him against one of the houses.


    "We have strength, don''t we? Hehehehe."


    Jian was confused for a moment but soon realized he didn''t have enough vital energy, or Qi.


    "Jazgo, go find the old man while I deal with this nuisance."


    "Always giving orders. You''re not my boss, Gumo."


    Despite his retort, Jazgo followed the orders and went to find the old man.


    Jian got up, wiped the blood from his lips, and drew the sword from his waist. It was an entirely black sword with Taoist symbols and the words ''Tao, Qi, Yin and Yang, Feng Shui, and Tai Chi.''


    "I don''t need Qi to defeat you."


    He charged at the hyena, who quickly drew the daggers from his waist. The fight had begun. They were evenly matched, neither giving in. The blades clashed, echoing with each strike. Jian began to tire quickly, slowing down. The hyena took advantage and swept Jian''s legs. He almost fell but managed to support himself with his left hand and, with an acrobatic trick, kicked the hyena''s face, sending him violently against the wall.


    Meanwhile, Jazgo entered the old man''s house, calling for him.


    "Where are you? After our training, your son is no match for us! Hehehehe."


    The old man''s voice called out to the hyena from the opposite side.


    "I''m here."


    The hyena quickly went to the voice.


    "Looks like you gave up-"


    Jazgo was interrupted by a stick to the head.


    It was Baiji.


    "I can''t believe you fell for such a cheap trick." Said Baiji, noticing he was low on Qi.


    The impact wasn''t strong enough to defeat the hyena.


    He got up and attacked Baiji.


    "That appearance... You must be a Kamigami too."


    "Seems like it." Baiji confirmed Jazgo''s statement.


    "During the explosion 50 years ago, humans with weak Qi who were caught in it took on half the genes and characteristics of the animal they were in contact with. Bad luck for you to have touched a pig during the explosion. Hehehehe."


    Baiji was being pressured by the hyena, being thrown against the walls multiple times.


    The outcome of the fight seemed almost certain until the child emerged from Baiji''s illusion barrier to attack Jazgo. The hyena''s head was hit by several stones.


    "Damned child!"


    Enraged, Jazgo, who had been fighting with his claws, drew one of the daggers from his waist and threw it at the child.


    The child closed his eyes, terrified by the situation.


    The dagger was about to hit the child''s chest.


    He opened his eyes and saw his grandfather in front, blocking the dagger with his back.


    Seeing the situation, Baiji immediately ran towards the hyena, trying to defeat him.


    Despite his efforts, he couldn''t and was once again thrown against the wall.


    The grandfather knelt, already out of strength, holding his grandson''s face.


    "You were very brave, Kano."


    Kano was perplexed to see his grandfather stabbed. He couldn''t say a word.


    "Grandpa and dad are very proud of you. Please, be strong and survive." The old man smiled.


    Jazgo approached the two.


    "What a beautiful scene."


    He kicked the old man''s head, throwing him into the yard.


    The hyena grabbed Kano by the collar. He then extended his huge claws to pierce the child''s body.


    Jian arrived just in time and threw one of Gumo''s daggers at Jazgo.


    He dropped the child and dodged the attack.


    "That''s Gumo''s dagger. Where is he?"


    Jian smiled.


    "That weakling? He''s probably with the Gods now."


    The hyena was enraged, knowing his companion had been defeated. He charged at Jian but was intercepted by Baiji.


    "Your fight is with me."


    Jian smiled once more.


    "I''ll leave him to you, partner."


    "Count on it." Baiji smiled.


    Jian went towards Kano, who was still motionless.


    "This is all the Qi I have left. Rest."


    He fused his Qi into the same object he had used on Kano''s father. It was a talisman that, depending on the type of Qi, had various functions.


    He placed the talisman on Kano''s back to make him sleep, but to his surprise, it had no effect.


    "Huh? It didn''t work? That was all the Qi I had left, and it still wasn''t enough."


    Suddenly, Kano stood up.


    His eyes were red from not blinking for so long.


    "I. Must. Kill."


    Jian was surprised and quickly used his vision to see Kano''s inner Qi.


    "It''s... It''s incredible!"


    Kano moved at an incredibly high speed towards Jazgo, who was once again pressuring Baiji.


    Kano hit the hyena with such force that all its ribs were broken.


    Jazgo, not understanding anything, tried to get up, but Kano grabbed the hyena by the neck and, with abnormal strength, crushed it.


    "He... killed him," declared Baiji, who was just a few meters away from both.


    Kano turned to Jian.


    "I. Must. Kill."


    Jian was apprehensive and, even without Qi and without the strength to hold the sword, adopted a defensive stance.


    Baiji noticed that Jazgo had a pouch at his waist.


    It was food.


    "Jian, catch!"


    Baiji threw a piece of food to Jian, but it didn''t reach him.


    "Damn! I don''t even have the strength to throw a piece of food."


    Kano then charged at Jian.


    "I only have one chance to dodge."


    He managed to dodge the blow and picked up the food from the ground.


    "This should be enough to restore some of my Qi."


    Kano quickly changed direction and charged at Jian once again.


    Jian managed to dodge again, picked up his sword, and with two fingers pointed at the word ''Feng Shui,'' a green aura covered the blade.


    "I. Must. Kill."


    Jian ducked under Kano''s attack, raising the blade. He made a cut across Kano''s body, who fell to the ground, unconscious.


    "Looks like it''s over." Jian fell to his knees, exhausted.


    Baiji went to Kano.


    "What strength was that? You were incredible, kid. Now rest."


    Baiji placed Kano next to his father.


    "Jian, why didn''t you use Feng Shui in the form of a talisman like you did with Kano''s father? It was a bit traumatizing to cut a child''s body, even if it wasn''t harmful."


    "I didn''t have any more. And even if I did, I wouldn''t have been able to place it on his back. What incredible speed. I don''t even know how I had the reflexes to cut with the blade."


    "Anyway, he''s safe. Let''s clean up the mess and leave before they wake up."


    Jian and Baiji cleaned up the debris and the hyenas'' bodies.


    They found the old man''s body and buried it in the yard.


    "I''m sorry for not being able to save you. Don''t worry about your grandson, he has proven to be very strong. He will grow up well."


    "Please, rest in peace."


    The sun was no longer as scorching as before. The moon was beginning to rise on the opposite side.


    The two then said goodbye to the old man''s soul and left.


    Baiji recounted that during the conversation with the old man and with the recurring ground tremors, he discovered that the wave-shaped lines meant the tremors themselves and that they just needed to find the exact point.


    As they walked, still weakened, they spotted an old trunk with a kind of bell next to it.


    "Let''s rest a bit," said Jian.


    The two then sat down.


    Suddenly, they felt a tremor.


    "It''s the tremor the old man mentioned, oink."


    "But what does the tremor have to do with Bana''s gang''s hideout?"


    The tremor intensified more and more.


    The bell next to them began to ring.


    "Could the bell-"


    Suddenly, a huge creature emerged from the ground and swallowed Jian and Baiji.

 KAMBA

    In the middle of a forest on the Island of Flowers, screams could be heard from inside a small hut.


    They were the screams of a woman in pain.


    "Gyaaaa!"


    "Hold on, my lady."


    The screams echoed throughout the forest.


    "It''s almost out. Just a little more!"


    After much effort, the pregnant woman finally gave birth.


    "It''s a boy!"


    The mother was panting and could barely say a word.


    "Let... Let me hold him."


    Outside the house, the father waited impatiently, almost out of nails to bite.


    His faithful companion ran excitedly towards him.


    "The baby is born! Your son is born!"


    "Already?! What do I do now, Zhu?"


    Zhu made a straight face.


    "I think it would be better if you went in and saw for yourself, maybe."


    "Do you think so?"


    "Of course!"


    The father entered the house with the biggest smile in the world. He went straight to the room where his wife was. The woman looked at him with a smile on her face.


    "Our baby is born, Nus. It''s a boy."


    Nus widened his eyes and picked up his son. He looked closely at the baby''s features.


    "He doesn''t look anything like me..."


    The atmosphere in the room became a bit depressing.


    "He got your strength and stubbornness. Too stubborn even to be born." She smiled.


    The depressing atmosphere disappeared with the mother''s words.


    "Ohh, so that''s it! My boy is going to be the strongest in the world!"


    "Jian," said the mother.


    "What?"


    "Our son''s name. It will be Jian."


    "Jian..."


    Suddenly everything started to dissolve. First the house, then the trees, the servants, Zhu, and finally, the couple with their child.


    "Jian, wake up."


    Jian woke up startled.


    "Mother..."


    "Mother? What are you talking about?"


    "I dreamed about my parents. The day I was born."


    "Okay, buddy. Now, let me check your qi."


    "I''m serious! It felt too real. Like it was a memory."


    Baiji opened Jian''s hanfu and placed his hand on his chest. Jian looked suspiciously.


    "Hey, Baiji. We could call this harassment, right?"


    "Shut up and let me concentrate."


    Baiji used his mantra eye, a skill used only by Taoists that allows them to see the flow of qi in any living being.


    "The qi is not flowing as it should."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "That explains why it is taking so long for me to recover. Wait."


    Jian lifted his head and began to look around.


    "Where are we? I don''t remember anything after sitting on that log."


    The place resembled public transport, with several seats.


    Meanwhile, someone was approaching them. Heavy footsteps, from someone at least 2 meters tall.


    "The problem is solved. How is your friend?"


    Jian looked at him with a surprised expression.


    "Oh, I see you''re awake. My name is Kamba."


    Kamba extended his hand to Jian.


    "You are inside the transport that will take you to our village."


    "Village? But we''re supposed to go to the Lang Gang base. Baiji, it seems you were mistaken."


    "Wait and see. We''re in the right place."


    Kamba''s hand remained extended. He looked at Jian and then at his arm, making some signals with his eyes.


    Jian looked at him and then at his arm, not understanding.


    "Jian, shake his hand."


    "Shake his hand? Why would I do that? He doesn''t seem a bad guy."


    Baiji took Jian''s hand and made him shake Kamba''s hand, adding that handshakes were a greeting practice in other countries.


    "How do you know that? We grew up together and never even left the Tianxin province," questioned Jian.


    "I heard it somewhere."


    Kamba explained that they were near the village gate. A gate that controls who enters and leaves the village, and a password and identification are always required. This practice was implemented after a traitor led to an invasion by a rival gang.


    "Here is your identification. Normally, guests of the boss don''t need it, but without it, the villagers would be scared and wary of seeing strangers without identification."


    The identifications were just a blue armband with the gang''s symbol.


    They then arrived at the border gate, and a guard approached the transport.


    "Password, please."


    "Kamba123."


    A kind of sensor scanned the entire transport.


    "Beep."


    "Identification confirmed. Welcome, Mr. Kamba."


    Kamba then proceeded.


    "That was easy, wasn''t it?"


    "Yes, hard must have been memorizing that password," said Baiji with a straight face.


    They then arrived at the port. As soon as they got out, Jian and Baiji were startled by the type and size of the transport.


    "What kind of transport is this?!" Jian shouted, surprised and at the same time confused and scared.


    The two were gaping.


    "It''s just a Zantya," said Kamba.


    "Just?!" exclaimed Jian, adding, "What is a Zanyta?"


    "It''s not Zanyta, it''s Zantya," corrected Baiji, no longer showing surprise.


    "Baiji, weren''t you surprised too? Why are you acting all intellectual now?"


    "Zantyas are Kamigamis completely taken over by animal genes, with no human genes left. It''s the first time I''ve seen one this size, so I was surprised for a brief moment."


    "So that means this thing was once a human?"


    "That''s right, oink."


    Kamba laughed at Jian''s innocence and added, "Kamigamis can no longer become human, so to prevent complete transformation, they need to drink an elixir twice a year. Unfortunately, the elixir took a few years to be ready, and many who transformed during the war became Zantyas. That''s the case with this one."


    "So this phenomenon that transforms people into Kamigamis still exists?"


    "Yes. It spread throughout the entire country. There are areas with high levels of radiation and others completely free. This radiation is called Gudai."


    "I understand."


    "Oh, by the way, I totally forgot to give you this."


    Kamba took something out of his bag.


    "Huh? Pills?"


    "They are Gudaizi pills. They are not as potent as the elixir, but they serve to prevent transformation."


    "Transformation? Does that mean..."


    "Yes, our village still has a bit of radiation."


    "The radiation reached here? Oink."


    "Even being 2000 ft below the surface, it reached here. This proves how sinister and dangerous Gudai is."


    Jian and Baiji took the pills.


    "Mehhh! So bitter!"


    "Stop being a child, Jian."


    "Hahahah! Yeah, right? Dr. Pilo didn''t hold back on the acidity."


    Kamba enjoyed the situation. He then remembered Jian''s injuries.


    "By the way, Dr. Pilo returned to the village this week and has the pharmacy open. Go there to have him check those wounds, Jian."


    "It''s okay, Kamba. We just want to pay the last debt to your chief and return to the surface."


    "The chief is not here at the moment. He went to the surface two days ago."


    "What?! Damn, it seems we arrived too late." Baiji was depressed.


    "And when will he be back?"


    "Hmmm, the chief usually stays away for a week, so... around 4 days."


    "That''s a long time."


    "Besides, I need to inspect my transport. It had some problems during the trip, so even if I wanted to, I couldn''t take you back."


    "The situation just gets worse..."


    "Well, what can we do, right? Is there an inn around here? Oink."


    "Baiji, we can''t just spend money recklessly."


    "And where do you want to sleep? On the street?"


    Kamba looked at the two and remembered that the money used in the village was different from the surface. The two became even more depressed, but Kamba handed them a bag with 10 small metal sticks.


    "This is the money we use here. It''s not much, but it''s enough to get by for these 4 days."


    Baiji remembered the paper with the instructions he had taken from the surface.


    "Who gave us the instructions about the hideout? Is he around here?"


    "Instructions? I''m just a mere driver. I''m not very aware of what comes out of the boss''s office."


    "He gave us the paper in a village south of the capital. He was wearing a red hooded cloak."


    "That''s very vague, I can''t say."


    Jian added that during his encounter with the mysterious figure, he noticed that even though he was wearing gloves, he noticed that a finger was missing."


    "Hmm. Maybe it''s Khaizi. The watchdog of Mister M."


    "Mister M?"


    "The boss''s right-hand man. He takes care of the place when the boss is not around."


    "And where can we find him?"


    "No one can find Mister M except the boss. He always finds those who need him. If it was really him who gave you the tips, he will find you sooner or later."


    After having most of their doubts clarified, Jian and Baiji said goodbye to Kamba.


    "See you in 4 days, Kamba!"


    "Don''t forget to visit Dr. Pilo!"


    Already far from the others, Kamba scratched his head.


    "I forgot to say where Dr. Pilo''s pharmacy is..."


    Already far from the other, Jian and Baiji scratched their heads.


    "Where is Dr. Pilo''s pharmacy?"

 DR. PILO

    Jian and Baiji walked through the streets of the underground village, admiring it and wondering how a village like this could survive 2000 feet below the surface. The village resembled the capital, with the ground paved with gray and black stones, red houses with dark blue roofs, trees of various colors, an artificial sky simulating the one from the outside world, and a large commercial district.


    And it was to this district that the two were heading, looking for supplies, a place to spend the night, and Dr. Pilo, whom Kamba had mentioned.


    "Jian, I''ll find a place to stay the night. Look for Dr. Pilo and see if you can recover," Baiji said.


    "Okay," Jian replied.


    The two split up in the middle of a street in the commercial district.


    The artificial sky began to darken, signaling that night was approaching. Merchants were packing up their goods and closing their shops.


    Jian walked among the population, noticeably different from the locals. He stood out, drawing the attention of some residents.


    A child looked at Jian with a look of curiosity and confusion.


    "Look, mama, a foreigner."


    The mother quickly corrected the child.


    "Don''t say that out loud, dear."


    Jian looked at them and approached. They seemed wary of Jian''s approach.


    "Hello. I''m looking for Dr. Pilo''s pharmacy," Jian asked with a friendly expression.


    "Dr. Pilo? He was called to the main laboratory."


    "And when does he come back?"


    "He used to stay there for days, but recently he''s been going home before sunset."


    "I see."


    They said their goodbyes, each going their separate way.


    Jian paused for a moment, placing his right hand on his head.


    "I forgot to ask where his house is."


    Meanwhile, Baiji was walking through the dining area, looking for a place to eat.


    "There''s no point looking for a place to sleep on an empty stomach, oink." His stomach growled from hunger.


    He then spotted a very inviting bar. Even though its aesthetic was somewhat rudimentary, the smell coming from it was hypnotic.


    He approached the door and overheard someone arguing. He entered and saw a group of troublemakers, visibly drunk, turning the bar upside down.


    "Where''s the wine I ordered?! Bring me more wine!!"


    "Sir, you''ve already finished all the wine for the day. I don''t have any left."


    The troublemaker went toward the bartender and slammed his hand on the counter.


    "I don''t care if you have more wine or not! Go get it from somewhere else, now!"


    The other costumers there watched the scene in silence.


    Baiji stepped forward and tried to calm the troublemaker. He remembered that he couldn''t draw too much attention for being a foreigner.


    "Sir, I know a place with the best quality wine."


    Baiji grabbed his arm, trying to persuade him. The troublemaker''s expression changed when he heard this.


    "Uh? You really know a place? Where?!"


    He then looked at Baiji.


    "A pig? Glup."


    The troublemaker looked at his arm held by Baiji and immediately let go.


    "Who do you think you are, holding my arm?! Do you know who I am?"


    "I apologize, but¡­"


    Baiji didn''t finish the sentence. The troublemaker raised his hand and tried to punch Baiji, but the punch was stopped by a hooded man. He grabbed the troublemaker''s fist and twisted it until he gave up.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Let go, let go! Agggghh!"


    The hooded man looked through the hood with a threatening gaze.


    "Get out."


    The troublemaker, despite the pain, smiled.


    Behind the hooded man, two more troublemakers attacked him. With his other hand, he stopped their blows and threw them against the wall. They were knocked out.


    Seeing that his lackeys couldn''t do anything to the hooded man, the troublemaker apologized and ran out of the bar.


    "Thank you, my friend," the bartender said.


    "You shouldn''t sell alcohol to just anyone who asks. You were lucky I was here," the hooded man said in a deep, firm voice.


    "How much do I owe?"


    "No need to pay. As a thank you, your meal is on the house."


    Despite the bartender''s generous offer, the hooded man refused and insisted on paying.


    "Then it''s 4 pelgas."


    The man placed the money on the counter and said his goodbyes. Baiji noticed that he was missing one finger.


    "Wait a second," Baiji said.


    The man didn''t stop and left the bar.


    Baiji followed him outside, but he had already disappeared. He went back inside the bar to ask the bartender if he knew him. The bartender denied it but mentioned that it wasn''t the first time the man had visited. He also added that the man didn''t speak much and always wore that cloak.


    The bartender looked closely at Baiji.


    "You''re not from here, are you?"


    "Is it that obvious?"


    "A bit. I know almost everyone here and can recognize a foreigner when I see one."


    "You''re right. I''ve been down here for some time."


    The bartender extended his hand to Baiji.


    "My name''s Janga."


    Baiji climbed onto the barstool. He was too small to reach the bartender''s hand from the floor.


    "I''m Baiji, nice to meet you."


    They talked for a while until Baiji''s stomach growled again. Janga then handed him the menu and told him not to worry about the prices.


    Back in the commercial district, Jian finally came across a pharmacy.


    He approached the empty counter.


    "Hello? Is anyone here?" No one answered.


    He asked again, and a small creature appeared from behind the counter, holding a cardboard box.


    "I''m here. Stop shouting."


    "Uh? I didn''t expect Dr. Pilo to be a dwarf fox."


    "Tsc. I''m not Dr. Pilo. He hasn''t come home yet."


    "I see."


    "Who''s asking?"


    "I''m Jian, a Taoist from the world above. Kamba told me about Dr. Pilo."


    "Kamba, huh? You can call me Rotta. I''m the doctor''s assistant."


    "I see. And when does he get here?"


    A man approached them, wearing a doctor''s coat over his shoulder, a cigarette in his mouth, and looking visibly exhausted.


    "Who''s calling for my name?"


    "Here he is."


    Jian turned to the doctor and introduced himself. Jian also asked if the doctor was okay, as his face looked pale and his dark circles were deep. The doctor said he was fine and asked about the young man''s visit. Jian opened his hanfu and showed the still-bloody wounds.


    "Hmmm. These don''t look like regular wounds. There''s something else, like poison or something like that."


    "Poison?"


    "Seems like it." The doctor activated his mantra vision and noticed that the poison was blocking the flow of qi and, consequently, the healing process.


    "Unfortunately, poisons aren''t my specialty. The most I can do is temporarily dissipate it."


    The doctor looked around.


    "Rotta, can you go get the frog-eye pills from my office? They''re in the cabinet."


    "Got it."


    "It seems like the fight was intense."


    "You could say that. They were pretty tough."


    "They were, huh?" The doctor laughed at Jian''s statement. "My daughter specializes in herbs and poisons, but she went to the capital earlier today."


    "I see."


    Rotta returned with the pills and handed them to the doctor.


    "These pills will slow the poison''s progress in your body. Take one now, and whenever you feel pain or exhaustion, take another. I only have three for now, which should be enough for a week. Go back to the world above once you finish your business with the Chief."


    Jian took the pills.


    "Thank you, Doctor. But how do you know I''m here to see the Chief?"


    "You''re quite the topic among the higher-ups."


    While they were talking, an explosion was heard. People in the street started running in a panic.


    Jian was surprised and, looking at Pilo, noticed that the doctor seemed deeply shaken.


    "It can''t be¡­" He then asked Rotta to take care of the house again and started running toward the accident.


    "Wait!" Jian followed the doctor.


    On the other side of the village, Baiji also heard the explosion and ran outside.


    "Thanks for the meal!"


    The mushroom-shaped explosion was enormous, visible kilometers away.


    The panic and screams of the villagers filled the afternoon.


    The fire mages from the fire department were using water magic to contain the flames burning in an abandoned warehouse.


    The braver and more curious people who stayed near the scene wondered what had happened.


    Baiji was the first to reach the site.


    "What the hell is going on here?"


    Suddenly, a giant creature appeared in the smoke and flames.


    The villagers'' panic grew.


    Baiji ran toward the monster but was stopped by the village guards.


    "You can''t go through!"


    Baiji kept insisting, saying that he was a Taoist and could handle the situation, but to no avail. The guards stood firm in their decision.


    The monster was becoming more and more threatening. With its giant tail, it was sweeping through nearby houses.


    Seeing this, Baiji knocked out the two guards and charged toward the creature. He summoned a staff with his qi and tried to strike the monster, but the flames and the heat emanating from it prevented him.


    "Damn! The heat and pressure from its qi are too dense."


    Meanwhile, Jian and Pilo arrived at the scene. Jian quickly spotted Baiji near the creature.


    "Baiji!"


    "Jian?" Baiji stepped back and joined Jian.


    "This situation is worse than I expected. If we don''t act fast, it could spiral out of control."


    Pilo muttered, staring at the creature. He was visibly shaken.


    "Dr. Pilo, stay back. It''s too dangerous." Jian was concerned about the doctor.


    "Looks like you found the doctor."


    "Yes, but apparently not at the best time," Jian added. "What do we do now? The mages are still holding strong, trying to put out the fire, but that''s not the biggest problem."


    "Looks like we have to save the day again." Baiji was confident.


    They prepared for the attack, assuming combat stances. However, Jian placed his hand over his chest.


    Baiji noticed Jian''s pain. "Didn''t the doctor heal you?"


    "More or less." Jian swallowed the pill Pilo had given him earlier. "This should be enough for now. It has to be."


    Jian and Baiji charged at the creature.