To resume our story, near Shuikou Cliff there was a fiend, a spider of a very great age.¹ Its body was the size of a bamboo basket, and its legs were more than two feet long. Each time it floated its tenacious silken threads into the air anyone who ran into them was entangled and yanked upward. The Spider Fiend would then gorge itself on the entrails of its victim. Or it would spread its web at the side of the road, and anyone who stepped on it would be ensnared, dragged off, and saved for a future meal. Or when it wanted amusement, on the mountain cliffs to the left it would conjure up a brilliantly colored house, with silver and silk, screens of pearl, jade pillars and jade walls, everything extravagantly beautiful. The spider would then transform itself into a lovely girl with a beautiful appearance and sit all alone in the splendid house, weaving silk and spinning hemp.² If a talented and handsome young man happened by while on a stroll, the fiend would treat him as a guest with great politeness. When it got hungry, then taking the guest as a filling meal, it ate him. One day, right on the cliff the spider conjured up a splendid house, dressed itself in blue-black clothing, and sat beside a tree under the cliff, alone, spinning hemp.³

Now we will return to Jinggu and Miss Jiang, who were on their way down the mountain. Together they used the Earth Vein Method to go to Shuikou Cliff. Jinggu said to Miss Jiang, “Worthy little sister, since we arrived here so quickly my bodyguards and the spirit soldiers have yet to catch up, so now I would like to borrow your paper soldier.”

Miss Jiang gave the paper soldier to Jinggu, who chanted some incantations. Next to the ear of the soldier she spoke several sentences.⁴ When she had finished speaking, she blew a single buddha breath on it, burned it, and in a moment the two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, appeared, leading the spirit soldiers, who in the air awaited their orders. Now that Jinggu had her bodyguards, she and Miss Jiang entered the cliff to call on the fiend. When they reached the middle of the cliff, the girl dressed in blue-black who was spinning silk and weaving hemp beside the tree stopped her spinning. Holding up a big piece of hemp in her hand, she stepped forward and asked, “Where are you two young women going?”

Jinggu and Miss Jiang looked at the girl. Knowing that she was a fiend, they answered, “We sisters heard that there is a fiend here who harms people. We have especially come here to search out its lair, in order to rid the people of harm.”

The fiend said, “You two are just girls. What abilities could you have that you dare to boast like this? You don’t know the extent of the fiend’s supernatural powers, or its inexhaustible transformations. You two wouldn’t even make a meal for it.”

Miss Jiang said, “Even if it has supernatural powers and transformations, it can never escape the category of fiend, demon, and so on, but we have correct magic.”

When the fiend heard this, it was filled with apprehension. It asked, “Where are you two young women from? What are your names that you boast in such a way?”

Jinggu replied, “You don’t know my name. Since you ask, I am Chen Jinggu of Fuzhou. I am in the habit of capturing fiends and eliminating monsters, to say nothing of little tiny fiends, on behalf of people!”

When she had finished speaking, and was about to pull out her sword and behead the fiend, how could she have known that it would throw over them the tangle of spun threads it held in its hand, completely enveloping them? Already Jinggu and Miss Jiang were caught right in the middle, so that, above and below, on all four sides, it was as if they were surrounded by walls of iron. No matter how they attacked it, they could not break through, and no matter how they struck it they could not create an opening.

The blue-black-clad girl had already resumed her original form: she was a huge spider! To the two women she said, “Earlier you boasted like that. If it is your custom to rid people of fiends and monsters, why don’t you manifest your supernatural powers and skills? Please put my magic power to the test.” When she had finished speaking, the fiend was about to pick them up and eat them.

Jinggu’s expression did not change. To Miss Jiang she said, “Worthy little sister, stay calm. With this fiend we have no choice but to use cunning to capture it. We can’t do it with physical strength.”

Jinggu said to the fiend, “We two sisters are now caught in your web. It seems to me that it will be difficult for us to escape with our lives, so don’t be in such a rush to devour us. Wait, and I will explain something to you. You will still have plenty of time to eat us. What supernatural powers do you possess? Do you dare pit your magic against mine? If I lose, you can eat me at your will, and I will have no cause for complaint. In this manner, your having taken us by surprise and caught us in your web doesn’t make me recognize your superiority, even if you eat us. Now, if you remove the web and contest with me for victory or defeat, only then will each of us display our supernatural techniques. If I lose, I am willing for you to eat me, and we two will die without regret.”

The Spider Fiend said, “Don’t you two try to trick me! You’ve already fallen into my web, so why would I be willing to let you go again? Do you think that just because I was very hungry I trapped you two to satisfy my hunger? It happens that I don’t want to eat you right now, because I still have leftovers. I will go get them to eat and you can watch. Only then will you know how ferocious I am.” The Spider Fiend went inside and dragged out her leftovers: half a human body. Holding it, she began to take large bites out of it.

When Jinggu saw that the fiend wasn’t going to eat her, she knew she was saved. To the fiend she said, “As you said, you are indeed ferocious. We sisters didn’t know the limitlessness of your highness’s great powers, but now we are willing to submit to you. But I beg you to remember that my parents are still alive, and I have not yet repaid them. I beg you to make a tiny hole in the web, in order to let me stick out a finger, so that I can repay my debt of gratitude to my parents for raising me. I don’t know if you are willing.”

The spider replied, “Knowing my ferocity, you beg me to bestow on you the ability to stick out a finger, but I will even let you stick out your head. What does it matter?” The Spider Fiend then clawed open a hole. Jinggu was secretly delighted. She quickly bit her middle finger, causing fresh blood to flow. Then she flicked a drop toward the middle of the hole. The single drop turned into a cloud of blood that rose into the sky and flew off.

Now we will speak of the original Mount Lü gods who protect the dharma: the two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, who led the five divisions of spirit soldiers. Encamped in midair, they awaited their orders. When they saw a cloud of blood rise up into the air and fly toward them, they knew that Jinggu was in trouble. They immediately ordered the spirit soldiers to rush to the place where the cloud of blood was rising up in order to have a look. It was a huge, round spider web! The two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, realizing that their master was trapped in the web, led the spirit soldiers to attack, and in an instant broke through the web and pulled Jinggu and Miss Jiang out.

When the spider saw that reinforcements had arrived, she was enraged. The web already torn, she again used her fine silk strands to bind them every which way. The strands filled the air and covered the fields. There were threads everywhere, and the soldiers, too, were bound tight. But when the two bodyguards released divine fire to burn it, the Spider Fiend, seeing that things were not going well, dropped its web and fled. Jinggu took up her sword and set off in pursuit, with Miss Jiang following behind.

Calculating that it could not escape with its life, the Spider Fiend performed some contortions with its body, in an instant turning into tens of thousands of little spiders. Turning back, they came to meet the pursuers, biting the heads of the troops. Jinggu then exhaled a demon-killing whirlwind, and, in an instant, the tens of thousands of little spiders had been whirled into a ball, and the threads twirled to wrap them up. The Spider Fiend again changed into ten thousand, and the ten thousand into a billion, but they were held in place by the whirlwind, and the billion again became a single ball. Even the huge spider was caught in her own web. When Jinggu and Miss Jiang saw that the Spider Fiend was caught in her own web, they laughed and asked, “You said that your supernatural powers were vast and your magic arts were limitless. No one would dare to make you submit and capture you. How is it that you have now been ensnared? How is it that you have no fiendish tricks, just these ordinary sorts of things?”

The Spider Fiend said regretfully, “Stop already! I lost my wits for a moment. If I had eaten you two earlier, I would not have been taken in by your beguiling words and tricked into making a hole. I allowed you to stick your head out so that you could repay your debt of gratitude to your parents. Who knew that you would summon your troops to the rescue? If I hadn’t made the hole, your celestial soldiers and fierce generals would not have been able to respond and save you.”

Jinggu whispered something in Miss Jiang’s ear, who, having received her orders, departed. Jinggu said to the Spider Fiend, “Earlier, when you caught me in your web, I was very lucky that you made a hole to let me stick my finger out. Now that I have caught you, I am going to completely remove the web and give you the opportunity to escape. This is using the big to repay the small. What do you think?”

The Spider Fiend said, “It’s a good idea. If I don’t succeed in escaping, even if I die I won’t complain.”

Jinggu ordered the spirit soldiers to remove the web. When the Spider Fiend fled, who knew that Jinggu had in advance placed in ambush Miss Jiang and the two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, with the demon-binding rope, blocking the pass and cutting off the spider’s way? When the Spider Fiend reached the pass, it was cut off by the two bodyguards, Wang and Yang. They shouted, “Evil fiend, where do you think you’re going?” The spider was stymied, and calculated that it would be difficult to cross the pass. Turning back, it tried to flee toward the west, but it was too late. Miss Jiang had already thrown the demon-binding rope, and she trussed the fiend up into a ball. Having caught the spider alive, she escorted it to see Jinggu.

When Jinggu saw that the fiend had been caught, she said, “Deadly monster, I let you go. How is it that you have been caught again? Now when you die, will you have any complaints?”

The Spider Fiend replied, “Twice caught, I indeed have no complaints. I beg you, master, to show mercy. If you will spare my life, from now on I will never again dare to harm living beings, and I will abide by my duty.”

Jinggu said, “While all other categories can be pardoned, only your type of vile insect—without self-reflection and cultivation, stealthily spreading your webs, hurting I don’t know how many living creatures, and we two sisters coming within a hair’s breadth of being in your belly—cannot. Since this is the case, to leave alive such a cunning insect would be without benefit.”

Then she sent her two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, to order the spirit soldiers to behead the evil insect. With a shout of assent, the spirit soldiers cut the Spider Fiend into pieces. From its belly, Jinngu extracted a pearl about the size of a wine goblet. Elated, she put it away, and said to Miss Jiang, “You can’t catch the cubs without entering the tigress’s den.”

The two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, saw how happy Jinggu was, and asked, “Master, what treasure did you obtain?”

Jinggu replied, “I got her pearl. Come spring and summer, I will hang this pearl among the bed curtains in my room. When mosquitoes, flies, and other insects come near they will die. Moreover, when I travel by boat, it will calm the wind.” After showing the pearl to the two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, she put it away. She ordered the spirit soldiers to burn up the Spider Fiend’s nest and destroy it, and gave the two bodyguards an order to lead the spirit soldiers to secretly stand guard in the air. They received the command and departed, leading the spirit soldiers with them.

Jinggu and Miss Jiang used the means of traveling through the veins of the earth to go into Fuzhou City. When they emerged from the earth vein, they strolled around. Jinggu said to Miss Jiang, “This place is called Black Stone Mountain. Let’s meet the Rock sisters there, how would that be?” Miss Jiang assented, and the two walked into the mountains. Seeing Jinggu, the two Rock sisters hurried to welcome her. In turn, they told their situation after they had parted, and Jinggu told them about going to Shuikou Cliff and about eliminating the Spider Fiend. On her way back, she had especially come to pay her respects to her worthy younger sisters.

The two women of the Rock clan said, “We didn’t know you were coming, so we did not have the chance to go out to meet you. Our offence is a serious one.” And, pointing, they asked Jinggu, “Who is this elder sister?”

Jinggu replied, “This is none other than a disciple of the Old Mother of Li Mountain, worthy little sister Miss Jiang, who cultivates herself in tranquility behind Flag Mountain. We especially came to invite you two to return home with us, so that we can visit for a few days.”

The two sisters of the Rock clan answered, “Since you invite us, would we dare to disobey your command?” Availing themselves of the method of traveling through the earth, they departed for Jiangnan Bridge. The four sisters emerged from the earth vein, and together arrived at Jiangnan Bridge. (It is the present-day Nantai Yancang Bridge.) They strolled around, viewing the sights of the Tai River.

While they were strolling, abruptly a man blocked their way. He asked, “You four Daoists masters, each carrying a precious sword on your back, which one of you is Master Jinggu of Xiadu?”

Miss Jiang said, “Why do you ask?”

The man said, “I am from Changfu County.⁵ My surname is Wu and my given name is Shan. My wife is Madame Qiu. We have only one child, a daughter, whose name is Chunjiao, ‘Spring Tenderness.’ She is just short of seventeen years of age, and is not yet married. This is only because last month, while picking flowers in the rear garden, somehow a fiend raped her. We don’t know what sort of monster it is.

“When she was first violated, it would come once every two to three days, or every three to five days. Our daughter gradually lost her appetite, and sleeps all day in her room. When we ask what is the matter, she tells us the truth. She says that in the evening a student with a pale complexion enters from the sky, who bewitches her and sleeps with her. When my wife and I heard this—that during the night he sleeps with her—how could we know that this fiend would use clay tiles or rocks or some such thing to throw into the room? We parents were right next door, but we didn’t dare go in to see what was happening. Up to now, he constantly occupies our daughter’s chamber and has his filthy way with her. He has taken our pure and beautiful daughter and made her so utterly yellow and scrawny that it will be hard to preserve her life. Can I request from you a way to expel it? There’s nothing else to be done! When I recently heard that the dharma master had returned from studying magic at Mount Lü and was willing to expel evil monsters for other people, I went a few days ago to your home, but they said that you had gone to Flag Mountain and hadn’t yet come back. I was obliged to stay with relatives and wait for a few days to try to find you when you returned, so that we could go together to my home to rescue my daughter from this calamity. Now, fortunately, I have come upon you four masters, all bearing precious swords on your backs. I felt sure that one of you was Chen Jinggu, so I screwed up my courage to ask.”

Jinggu said, “There has been no harm done.” Wu Shan kowtowed to express his gratitude, and they all returned to Xiadu. Jinggu knocked on the door and entered. She invited Miss Jiang and the two women of the Rock clan to come in.

Miss Jiang said, “Wu Shan is waiting now. Why not send him back first? Tomorrow the two Rock sisters and I will go to rid them of the fiend. Wouldn’t that be a good idea?”

Jinggu replied, “That is an excellent idea.” Seeing Wu Shan off first, she agreed to come the following day.

An Tong came to invite them to eat, and the sisters all went to the West Hall, where a banquet had been laid out. Miss Jiang and the two Rock sisters hurried to invite Jinggu’s mother to take the host’s seat, and took their seats to her left and right. Jinggu urged everyone to drink. During the feast, her mother asked where they had gone on their travels, and Miss Jiang told her all about getting rid of the Spider Fiend. When she had finished her account, Jinggu took out the spider’s pearl to show her mother. She mentioned by name the two women of the Rock clan, saying, “These are my younger sisters from the Rock family of Black Stone Mountain.”

Before she had finished speaking, An Tong entered. To Jinggu’s mother he said, “Outside, Lin Bashu has come with a visitor. He says it is the steward of old master Liu of Gutian, who has come especially to bring the marriage schedule. He wants to ask you and your husband to come out to talk, and is waiting in the outer hall.”

Jinggu’s mother left the banquet and went with her husband to the hall. The messenger bowed and said, “I received an order from the family patriarch to especially bring the marriage schedule. He said the young lady returned more than a month ago. Even if she were eliminating fiends and capturing monsters, that’s all finished. I now await the gentleman’s reply.”

Chen Chang and his wife invited the messenger to sit down while they went into the West Hall and addressed their daughter, saying, “Today the Liu family of Gutian has sent the marriage schedule here. You need not go on a long journey. If you stay home this can all be taken care of. We will wait for an auspicious wedding day for them to come fetch you.”

Jinggu asked, “Why are you rushing me like this? In any case, right now the Wu family of Changle is in great danger, and I promised to go rid them of it. When I come back, I may not be in time for the wedding day. Would that not make a mess of this blessed event?”

Chen Chang replied, “Since you want to go to Changle to capture the fiend, go right ahead. We will tell the messenger to go back. But I can’t decline again.”

Jinggu asked, “What harm is there in that? Just wait for me to say the word, and it will be all right.”

She left the hall and went to speak to the messenger, asking, “Are you the Liu family’s steward?”

The messenger answered, “That’s right.”

Jinggu handed the marriage schedule to the messenger, saying, “Please go back and report to your master that Jinggu herself gave these instructions. I am now going to Changle to eliminate a fiend. When I return, I will myself come to your master’s house and consent to the marriage. There is no need to rush me like this. I don’t have time to write a letter, so may I trouble you to convey the message?” When the messenger heard her instructions, he had no choice but to comply, and set out for Gutian. Having told the messenger to go, Jinggu went in to inform her parents. In a moment the banquet ended, and all the sisters were settled for the night. The next day, the four sisters took their leave of Mr. and Mrs. Chen, and left to go to the family of Wu Shan in Changle. We won’t speak of this any further.

Now we will return to Guanyin. At the time that she was on the river near Luoyang Bridge, where she had transformed herself into a beautiful woman and joined together with Prefect Wang, and the gold and silver coins thrown at her were used to construct Luoyang Bridge, she was struck on her topknot by a coin thrown by Wang Xiao’er. Guanyin pulled out the strand of hair that had turned white after being struck, and threw it into the river. Who could know that this strand of white hair, having turned into a white female python, would depart for the northwest? Guanyin already knew that the python would later inevitably harm people, so she bit her middle finger and let a drop of fresh blood fall into Xiadu in Jiangnan. [This would become] Chen Jinggu, who would eliminate the python. Wang Xiao’er was reincarnated as Liu Qi of Gutian. Now he and Jinggu would become husband and wife, in order to fulfill the promise made in the middle of the river concerning the throwing of coins, as already explained in the first chapter.

Now we will take up the story of the White Snake, who had departed for the northwest, where she searched for a nest in which to cultivate herself. In Gutian there was a cave called Linshui Grotto. The grotto was very narrow on the outside, but inside it was spacious and roomy. To the side were mountain cliffs and wilderness, and in front was a deep stream. The White Snake took possession of this grotto and couldn’t have been happier with it. In a little over a year she had gathered around her many small fiends; the White Snake was their leader. All the small fiends would leave the grotto from dawn till dusk, searching for pigs and sheep, as well as mountain birds and wild animals, which they would bring to present to the White Snake. She was very happy. All day long she drilled the little demons in fighting techniques. She often turned herself into a young woman and called herself the Great Queen. How comfortable she was!

Now we will take up the story of the Ravine Demon of Nantai. After Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage had accosted Jinggu at Wangbeitai Peak and run away when Liangnü threw her burning pearl at him, he heard that Jinggu had returned from studying magic at Mount Lü, and was saying that she was going to have her revenge on him for accosting and toying with her. She was looking everywhere for him. Furthermore, he had heard that Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage of Panther Head Mountain had already been defeated by Jinggu and had his cock cut off, and had converted to Buddhism as her disciple and awaited her command, thereby preserving his life.

The Ravine Demon said to himself, “When she asked Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage about the matter of accosting and toying with her that day, the monkey spirit blamed everything on me. So, Chen Jinggu is even more unwilling to let me rest. Moreover, Jinggu is in Xiadu, very near Great Ravine Mountain. If she comes looking for me and captures me, I won’t be able to escape having my cock cut off, too. This punishment is no joke! Now I’ve also heard that Jinggu has recently joined up with Miss Jiang, as well as the two women from the Rock clan from Black Stone Mountain, to form a sisterhood. Both inside and outside Fuzhou City, they are all her people. If I’m found out, how could it turn out well? It seems that here in Fuzhou it will be difficult for me to keep my body intact, so I had better take myself somewhere far off and out of the way. Only in this way can I hide myself.”

Then he went to pay a visit to Linshui Grotto at Gutian. The head of the grotto, the White Snake, was the Great Queen. She excelled at magic, and her transformations were inexhaustible. Furthermore, she had gathered around her more than a hundred little demons. Since it seemed that it was a place where he could shelter himself and avoid disaster, he would seek refuge with her. If she wouldn’t take him in, he would look for another plan. Considering it from every angle, he clapped his hands and laughed. “I’ve got it! As the Great Queen must be a female snake, she is surely fond of sex, so I will find a handsome young official as a gift.”

Having decided on this, the Ravine Demon traveled through a vein of the earth to Linshui in Gutian. There he invited a surpassingly handsome young official and, casting a spell on him, dragged him to Linshui Grotto, where he troubled the little fiends to report his arrival. In a short time, the Great Queen commanded the Ravine Demon to enter for an audience. The Ravine Demon and the young official prostrated themselves on the ground. The Ravine Demon said, “Great Queen on High, I’ve especially brought you a fat pig as a small expression of my filial piety and respect. I only ask that the Great Queen kindly accept me for employment. I want to be your slave. From morning till night I will serve your every command.”

The Great Queen asked, “Where did you come from? What is your name?”

The Ravine Demon answered, “I am the Ravine Demon of Great Ravine Mountain in Nantai in Fuzhou. Chen Jinggu of Xiadu and I have a score to settle. But she went to Mount Lü to study the true magic, and her supernatural powers are vast. Furthermore, she has forged a sisterhood with several women, and each of them is looking for me. I, however, am all alone and have no companions, so I have repeatedly been in a tight spot. I’ve heard, Great Queen, that you excel in magical power and your supernatural abilities are vast. I made a special trip here to seek refuge with you and distance myself from this disaster.”

The Great Queen was very pleased, and accepted the Ravine Demon as a slave. She carefully looked over the young official he had presented. He was indeed very good-looking; moreover, he was young. Unconsciously, the Great Queen’s lustful thoughts were aroused. She then transformed the rock grotto into a great hall and ordered the Ravine Demon to be the chief servant. All the little fiends were turned into female servants, such as lowly servants and boy servants, while she transformed herself into a surpassingly beautiful young woman. Then she roused the unconscious young official with a spray of water, planning to tell him that she was the wealthy daughter of a government official who had invited him to be his son-in-law. When the young official regained consciousness, he saw the gorgeous hall bedecked with red lanterns. The brilliant room was beautiful, and obviously the home of an official. Since being summoned to be his son-in-law was indeed a happy event, how could he be unwilling to consent? He followed the young lady, and after performing the kneeling rituals of the wedding ceremony they entered the bedchamber and became man and wife.

Who could have known that the White Snake possessed the magical efficacy of Buddha power? A fiend of transformations is not the same as other fiends. Its natural disposition was ingenious, its mind intelligent, and it could read and write essays. The young official dragged in by the Ravine Demon was very handsome on the outside but, regrettably, he was entirely lacking in knowledge. They had sexual intercourse, but after not much more than half a month, she rejected him in disgust when his physical strength could not be raised, and she ate him. Again she ordered the Ravine Demon to bring in another victim. He didn’t dare refuse, and searched everywhere for handsome young men to lure into the grotto, always saying that they were invited to be the son-in-law.

The Great Queen from that time on seduced young men, infatuating them and toying with them. Either she became sentimentally attached to the young officials who were lured in or, if the handsome men who were lured in were not up to the standard of the previous victims, they were swallowed whole into her belly. She had sex with the talented and handsome young men captured. She instructed the Ravine Demon that she wanted a young man who was impressive in both talent and appearance. Consequently, the Ravine Demon was kept busy all day long, seeking everywhere for victims he could entice. If he found one with talent, he was not handsome; if handsome, he had no talent. Those who were both talented and handsome were very few.

One day, however, he caught a young man who was impressive both in talent and beauty, and presented him to the Great Queen, who was highly pleased. From morning till night she drank wine with him and recited poetry. He was well versed in both ancient and modern learning, the very type of a handsome and talented man. She would never hurt him. It was just that after having sex for a while, before long his energy and blood were exhausted and dried up, and his body emaciated. When he could no longer raise his energy, she became bored with talking with him, and buried him in her snake’s belly.

Over the years, it’s impossible to say how many were summoned. When she got to be old, she was still solitary and all alone, and the cold grotto was without youth and sex. So she ordered the Ravine Demon to assiduously concentrate on finding a young man who was both talented and handsome. Day and night, the Ravine Demon searched without stopping. He searched in the east, and he searched in the west, and for a long time he didn’t dare return. He didn’t really want to go on searching, but he feared she would not let him stay, so he had no choice but to keep looking everywhere. If it were just a question of youth and appearance, that was easy. But those whose learning was comprehensive and appearance handsome were hard to find. In the end, what sort of person did the Ravine Demon find? You will have to read the next chapter to find out.