Chapter 22: Burying Fang Dabai

At daybreak, the small boat was found amidst an endless expanse of gray reeds. Hu Jiao sat on the gunwale with her hair in a disheveled mess, looking like a madwoman, combing her hair while staring at her reflection in the water. When she saw the reflection of the Flood Dragon, she looked up alertly, ready to throw the hairpin in her hand.

The Flood Dragon, however, tossed Fang Dabai onto the boat and complained without a hint of hostility, "If I had known, I would have just eaten that young girl instead. I’ve been tossed about all night and I’m starving."

As Fang Dabai landed on the boat, his body began to twitch and writhe. Seeing that it was a severely wounded Fang Dabai, Hu Jiao stuck her hairpin back into her hair and shouted, "Hurry! Fang Dabai is gravely injured!"

The commotion woke the Five Fiends, who swarmed around. Ma Zengsan, who hadn't slept well, saw Fang Dabai’s wretched state and immediately asked Xiao Bugui, "Where is the eldest Miss Hao? Is she alright?"

Xiao Bugui replied, "Miss Hao was picked up by her father, but Senior Fang is seriously injured. Everyone, please, come and save him."

Pig Fiend asked with concern, "Why is Fang Dabai's head swollen like a pig's?"

Crow Fiend remarked, "Big Brother Fang has been poisoned. With wounds this severe, is he about to revert to his true form? Will he turn into a big white goose?"

Pig Fiend nodded, "True. When we demons are about to die, we lose our cultivation and revert to our original forms."

Yu Datou stepped forward, held Fang Dabai down, and said, "Hu Jiao, take a look. Is there any hope for him?"

Hu Jiao took a pair of scissors, cut open Fang Dabai’s blood-soaked robe, examined the wounds carefully, and said, "Fang Dabai, these wounds are deep. It must have been a poisoned weapon. There is no saving him."

Pig Fiend said, "Brother Fang, who harmed you? We will avenge you."

Fang Dabai sat up, enduring the pain, and said, "Wen Dana of Wen Manor ambushed me. Wen Jiuquan and his children are all villains; avenge me by killing them." He then instructed, "Everyone, I gave the Seven-Fiend Spear to this kid, Xiao Bugui. Take care of him in the future. When I die, cook me into a stew; save my two goose legs for him." He didn't forget to tell Xiao Bugui, "Xiao Bugui, my spear manual is with Sect Leader Ji. Don't forget to ask for it."

Fang Dabai wanted to say more, but he could no longer suppress the transformation of his body. Goosebumps turned into white feathers, his limbs withered into wings and webbed feet, and his human head morphed into a long, feathered neck and a goose head. He could only let out a hoarse honk.

Seeing such a tragic sight, the Six Fiends were crestfallen. But a group of demons could not stand around grieving forever.

Pan Yingjun broke the silence first: "If he died from poison, we can't eat this goose, right?"

Wu Ke'ai replied, "If you clean the internal organs and drain the blood properly, it shouldn't be poisonous to eat."

Pig Fiend said, "I'll go boil some water."

The Flood Dragon interjected, "I was the one who carried this goose demon back. When you’ve finished cooking it, don't forget to save me a share."

The dialogue between the demons shocked Xiao Bugui. He shouted, "I brought Senior Fang back not for you to make goose stew, but for you to save him!"

Yu Datou said, "You brat, do you think we don't want to save him? We are powerless; we can only prepare for his funeral."

Xiao Bugui asked, "And your way of preparing is to eat him? Isn't that too much?"

Wu Ke'ai replied, "This is our demon custom. It’s not just Fang Dabai; when we die, we will be eaten too."

"I won't let you eat him. I am going to bury him." Unable to bear the thought, Xiao Bugui picked up the wounded goose and flew off the boat. The Flood Dragon, having no goose to eat, followed along out of boredom.

Pig Fiend pretended to be annoyed but didn't chase them. He added water to the stove and cursed, "Stupid brat, you ran off and wasted all my effort."

Ma Zengsan apologized politely to the Six Fiends, "Xiao Bugui doesn't know our customs, but he has a good heart. Please don't blame him. Farewell." He followed them.

Xiao Bugui’s actions moved Hu Jiao. She fetched a teapot and said, "Forget about eating him. I brought good tea leaves. Pig Fiend, you’ve boiled the water, let’s have tea together."

Pig Fiend absentmindedly lit the dry wood in the stove, a burly man sighing heavily.

Yu Datou, also an emotional demon, felt restless. He sat by the table, then stood up immediately, saying, "I'm going to buy a coffin and a tombstone."

Wu Ke'ai said fearfully, "If Sect Leader Shi finds out we buried Fang Dabai, will we be punished? That year, when Xue Laosi bought a coffin for his father, the Sect Leader turned them both into a barbecue."

Pan Yingjun said, "Sect Leader Shi is disgusting. Xue Laosi and his father were toad demons."

Wu Ke'ai corrected him, "You know nothing. They were bullfrog demons; they tasted delicious."

Pan Yingjun retorted, "When Liu Qi died, the Sect Leader skinned him and roasted him. Did you eat that snake meat back then? And now you want to eat Fang Dabai?"

Wu Ke'ai replied, "Liu Qi wasn't Fang Dabai, of course I ate it. Fang Dabai is a good brother; I don't want to eat him either, I'm just afraid of Sect Leader Shi."

The Crow Fiend’s emotions also spiraled out of control. "If Sect Leader Shi blames us, say it was my idea. Fang Dabai and I have been partners for decades; I never thought he would die before me. I won't eat the white goose. Yu Datou, I'll go with you to buy a coffin."

Pig Fiend simply picked up a large pot, poured out the water, and said, "No need for a coffin. This pot is perfect for burying the white goose. Sect Leader Shi has a heart of stone, but our hearts are made of flesh. Let’s give Fang Dabai a proper send-off."

After flying over a vast stretch of reeds, Xiao Bugui landed on a barren highland.

Ma Zengsan praised, "This is a good spot, a place with excellent feng shui."

Xiao Bugui said to the deceased goose, "Senior Fang, I will bury you here." He then said to the Flood Dragon, "Brother Longyin, could you turn into a hoe? I need to use you to dig a pit to bury Senior Fang."

The Flood Dragon replied, "Move aside, I'll scratch one out for you with my claws." As the Flood Dragon was digging, the Six Fiends arrived, carrying the iron pot.

Xiao Bugui asked, "Are you all really insistent on eating the goose?"

Hu Jiao pointed at the pot in Pig Fiend’s hand and explained, "This is for the coffin. We came to send Fang Dabai on his way."

And so, amidst the mourning of all, the wounded goose was placed in the iron pot, covered with the lid, and buried in the earth. Yu Datou cut down a tree trunk to make a tombstone, with the following inscription: Tomb of Fang Dabai; here lies a demon who wielded a spear.

A strong wind shook the reeds again, sending plumes of reed fluff drifting through the air, bleak and desolate. The Crow Fiend broke down, no longer cursing anyone, and lamented, "What a tragedy! Dabai, how could you just leave like that? From now on, I have to keep company with this brat surnamed Xiao."

Ma Zengsan reached out and put his arm around Xiao Bugui’s shoulder, saying, "This kid is my disciple, not yours. He is here to participate in the martial arts marriage contest. I’ve registered him, and the competition starts tomorrow."

Hu Jiao said, "So this kid wants to marry the eldest Miss Hao? No wonder he’s always hanging around her."

Unable to admit his weakness for chasing women, Xiao Bugui blushed and said, "I am a traveler from beyond the heavens; my heart is not moved by mortal desires."