The abbot of Golden Light Temple had passed away, and the monks unanimously pushed Monk Faming to become the new abbot. Despite his reluctance, Faming had no choice but to accept.
The wicked deeds committed by the former abbot soon spread, horrifying all who heard of them.
"Venerable Faming, I must depart today," Jiang Liuer said gloomily. "The Tang Empire is vast. Who knows when we'll meet again after this farewell?"
Monk Faming replied, "If your heart wills it, no time or distance shall part us. You now possess the power to save your mother. Pursue your path without hesitation."
"But remember," he cautioned, "harm no innocents, and never become the villain you oppose."
Jiang Liuer nodded solemnly. "I understand."
......
After bidding farewell to Faming, Jiang Liuer left Golden Light Temple, followed closely by Hu Yuyu and Shou Qing.
"Why not converse longer with the monk, Benefactor?" Hu Yuyu inquired.
"More words would only deepen the parting sorrow," Jiang Liuer shook his head. "I left funds for Venerable Faming. As temple abbot now, he'll need resources to maintain the monastery."
The wealth seized from Wolf's Den Cave had been divided: several strings of cash returned to Shou Qing, a portion given to Hu Yuyu, half reserved for Faming, with the remainder kept for himself.
However, Hu Yuyu declared, "I regard Benefactor as my future husband. My share remains with you." Thus, the silver found its way back to Jiang Liuer's possession.
The trio arrived at a nearby village where Jiang Liuer sheathed his sword and cleansed bloodstains in a stream before approaching a particular household.
"This is my wet nurse's home. She raised me through countless hardships," Jiang Liuer explained. "Though widowed years ago, she single-handedly feeds four children - her own two sons, a daughter, and me."
Hu Yuyu marveled, "Even my mother struggled to sustain just my sister and me. Your nurse must be extraordinary."
"Indeed," Jiang Liuer smiled, "she's among the most remarkable women under heaven."
Finding the house empty, likely due to fieldwork, Jiang Liuer slipped ten strings of cash and worn garments through a window crack.
"This way her eldest can start a small trade, the second son might study, and the daughter can buy feminine trinkets," he explained.
"What about the nurse herself?" Hu Yuyu asked.
Jiang Liuer chuckled knowingly, "She'll wear straw sandals barefoot rather than let us go without, drink water to stave hunger while cooking porridge for us. No, she'd never spend on herself."
Shou Qing inquired, "Do you sever mortal bonds to pursue the Dao of immortality?"
Jiang Liuer shook his head. "I'll return when possible. Severing all earthly ties makes one no different from demons. I refuse such heartless cultivation."
Hu Yuyu secretly sighed in relief: 'Benefactor clearly treasures our bond. How could he embrace heartless asceticism?'
......
After their departure, a sun-baked farm boy returned carrying a shoulder pole. Villagers shouted, "Strangers lingered at your door! Check if anything's missing!"
The boy panicked and flung open the door, only to discover coins glittering on the floor. "These... these are my old clothes! But I gave these to Jiang Liuer years ago!" Realization struck: "Jiang Liuer returned!"
Dashing outside, he demanded, "Which way did they go?"
"Gone half an hour past," a villager shrugged.
The boy hid the coins and sprinted to the fields. "Mother! Brother! Little Sister! Jiang Liuer visited! He left..." Catching himself, he urged, "Come see what's happened!"
......
Jiang Liuer reached the county seat, ostentatiously parading Wolf Wuji's severed head through markets. Crowds gathered as recognition spread.
"Young hero! Another demon slain? What beast is this? Larger than last year's bear head!"
"A three-century-old wolf demon king!" Jiang Liuer proclaimed, prompting awed gasps.
For hours they wandered through markets, deliberately getting "lost" until the entire county buzzed with excitement. Cheers erupted: "Immortal-talented heroes!", "Saviors of the people!", "Such handsome demon-slayers!"
Blushing under praise, the trio finally reached the magistrate's office.
Recalling last night's dream where the Earth God foretold an immortal's arrival with Wolf Wuji's head, the magistrate hastily prepared silver. A constable whispered, "That boy resembles Golden Light Temple's fugitive..."
"Hush!" The magistrate hissed. "That's an immortal! Look at that monstrous head!"
With theatrical flourish, the magistrate announced, "Thirty strings of silver for slaying the demon king!"
Jiang Liuer's eyes lit up. "Thirty strings? Wolf Wuji was valuable indeed!" Storing the reward in his dimensional ring, he performed a rudimentary "sleeve storage" technique, awing onlookers.
Declining the magistrate's banquet invitation, Jiang Liuer prepared to rescue his mother.
"Hu Yuyu," he questioned, "shouldn't you return home? Your family must worry."
"My village lies along your route," the fox spirit insisted. "Our ancestral code demands life-saving debts be repaid through marriage. How can I abandon my betrothed mid-journey?"
Relenting, Jiang Liuer realized he'd grown accustomed to her company. Turning to Shou Qing, he asked, "Why follow me?"
The young Daoist replied, "A day with you teaches more than a year of solitary cultivation."
And so the unlikely trio continued their odyssey...
......
