Chapter 74

As he watched the flesh and blood move slowly in the kapala, the tall and thin bhikshu suddenly stuffed the black cake into his mouth and chewed it thoroughly, then spat it into the kapala, which he placed on the human skin on the table. He then spread his hands and faced the dark western sky, muttering, “Life is cut, cut; heart is cut, cut; body is cut, cut; power is cut, cut; source is cut, cut...”

This was no longer a spell; it had become an evil and bizarre prayer.

※

“What is that?”

“That is a ritual.”

“What kind of ritual?”

“A ritual to summon demons.”

“How is it summoned?”

“The black cake is a magic potion made from a mixture of feces, menstrual blood, tears, and pus, cooked with barley. Using the flesh and blood of a living person as a catalyst, it is mixed into a juice. Once the potion is consumed, one can communicate with the demons of the Tusita Heaven, who will release the souls of the dead back to the human world...” The person answering suddenly felt a bitter taste in his throat and said hoarsely, “I don’t believe it.”

“Whether you believe it or not, I just feel like vomiting…”

※

The tall and thin bhikshu suddenly picked up the kapala and drank its contents in one go!

All the bhikshus immediately spread their hands and fell backward, lying on the ground. They watched him drink the potion with a fanatical and insane devotion, like a pack of hungry dogs eyeing a piece of fresh meat, almost reaching out with their hands!

A ghostly laughter echoed faintly in the room, now on the left, now on the right, drifting like the cold, damp tongue of a venomous snake licking the ears of everyone, touching every brick, beam, table, and chair.

The human skin on the table suddenly bulged!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the skin slowly, slowly swelled, inch by inch, as if being inflated, eventually transforming into a plump, swollen child. Then, a foul smell began to permeate the room, an indescribable, eerie, and terrifying stench!

Everyone in the room took deep breaths, their faces showing satisfaction and contentment, greedily and enjoyably, as if they were living in the Tusita Heaven of the Maitreya...

Then, the inflated human skin moved.

First the limbs, then the body, and finally, it sat up. The skin, dazed and confused, looked around, then suddenly pushed itself off the edge of the table and walked to the tall and thin bhikshu.

He stared directly into the empty hole on the skin’s head and suddenly shouted, “Amorai, are you up?”

The puppet skin nodded, the face wrinkling a few times, as if responding.

“Good!” The tall and thin bhikshu nodded and said calmly, “The one who killed you is nearby, and you can smell him. This is your chance for rebirth. You must do it, understand?”

The puppet skin nodded again, lightly and effortlessly.

“Good.” His expression suddenly changed, and he said solemnly, “At all times, remain calm and respond to the touch, without resistance; after death, ascend to the subtle realm, not connecting to the lower world; even when the realms of humans and gods are destroyed, the three calamities will not reach you... I bestow upon you the Maitreya Dharma. Go!”

The puppet skin nodded one last time and then floated straight to the door—three bhikshus quickly stood up, holding golden cymbals and other weapons, followed by a burlap sack, and walked to the door, letting it out.

The puppet skin immediately walked into the courtyard like a jumping child, leading the group over the wall and into the night.

※

“Eh? Where are they going?”

“I don’t know... From the looks of it, they must have some plan. We don’t need to worry about them for now. Let’s handle our own affairs first, and when they return, we can catch them all at once!”

“Hmm... That’s a good idea.”

※

Speaking of Zhenzhu Bao, he followed the bhikshus to the Stone Gate Ferry town, not daring to get too close, and chased them until he was out of breath and drenched in sweat. Seeing them enter the town from a distance, his legs were tired and weak, so he climbed up a crooked tree and watched from afar, not daring to get any closer.

He watched the bhikshus navigate the small streets and finally enter an inn. After a long time, they did not come out, so he thought to himself, “Hmm, it seems they are resting here, waiting for the dead monk to arrive. Good, I’ll go and check it out, find out where they are keeping the people, and rescue them in the middle of the night...”

He carefully climbed down from the tree, rested for a moment, and then wandered into the Stone Gate Ferry town.

The Stone Gate Ferry was bustling at night, with gamblers and prostitutes’ shops having attendants aggressively soliciting customers, using their smooth tongues to lure passersby with a few coins into their establishments. The doors were wide open, and the sounds inside were enticing:

“Open! Four, five, six, fifteen points! Big wins, small losses...”

“House has eight, eight! White Tiger six, nine points, Vermilion Bird ten, Black Tortoise pair... Big wins, small losses, no losses for the house...”

“Sir, come in! I have something good to show you... Hey, don’t go...”

“Come back next time, sir! Remember my name, I’m Little Peach...”

“Thank you, sir! Get the sir some tea...”

There were also vendors selling large pancakes, steamed buns, meat buns, lamb spines, dumplings, and tripe soup, all shouting their wares, making it a lively scene. Some customers bought oil cakes and stood nearby, eating them with scallions and soy sauce, wiping their mouths with their sleeves after finishing, and belching, feeling full and happy.

For some people, this was the happiest time of the day, the only time they enjoyed the taste and leisure of life.

Zhenzhu Bao’s hemp shirt was torn and dirty from the mountains, with straw and leaves on his head, making him look like a beggar. The vendors all frowned and waved him away like a fly: “Go away! Go away!”

He was not angry; he just smiled faintly, because he knew that after being away for eight months, if he had no skills, no one would look up to him—what was the difference from a real beggar?

He suddenly did not want to return to the mountains!

Zhenzhu Bao just wanted to wander around, to see the world, and to one day shine like a firefly in the dark night sky...

Like the white-robed youth in Mr. Bitter Tea’s story, though unseen by the masses, he would be deeply etched in their hearts!

But now, he had to save someone.

Zhenzhu Bao circled around to the back of the inn. As soon as he climbed onto the wall, he heard a commotion inside. A loud voice was shouting, “You scoundrel, how dare you! If you want us to move, it won’t be that easy...” He recognized the voice as one of the bhikshus and thought they had encountered reinforcements from the Five Rings Sect. He was delighted and peeked inside.

He saw the bhikshu holding golden cymbals, vajra clubs, and a pagoda, facing off against a group of people. They looked rough and were holding knives, daggers, iron rulers, and iron rods, with fierce expressions, ready to fight at any moment.

Although Zhenzhu Bao did not know the background of these people, he knew they were not reinforcements from the Five Rings Sect or any other sect, but rather ordinary gang members or ruffians, who did not seem to be good people. He thought to himself, “Great! Don’t fight! It’s best if you fight! The monks are few, and they will surely be killed, then I can rescue the people and leave without much trouble!”

Zhenzhu Bao was overjoyed, waiting for the fight to start. But after a moment, he saw the tall and thin bhikshu on the second floor make a strange hand gesture, and the Five Rings Sect disciples who had been affected by the necromancy spell quietly emerged from the stables and approached the door.

“Oh no!” Zhenzhu Bao cursed, “You fight, but why call our disciples? Are you going to use them again?—If they fight, many will die, which is very inappropriate!”

He was anxious and tried to think of a solution, but the more anxious he was, the less he could think of one. Seeing that the people inside were not listening to reason and the tension was rising, he almost decided to set the place on fire from behind to prevent the fight—

“They won’t fight if the place is on fire, right?”

But whether by coincidence or good planning, just as he was about to act, one of the ruffians said, “...Let’s go outside and fight...” and the situation calmed down, turning from a fight to a brawl.

Seeing a chance, Zhenzhu Bao did not light the fire. He quietly listened from the wall, watching the leader of the ruffians and the tall and thin bhikshu negotiate. They went from a confrontational stance to agreeing to stay together. Although he was glad that there was no fighting and no harm to the Five Rings Sect disciples, he was also disappointed that the opportunity was lost...

Before he could sigh, the bhikshus had already started moving their luggage to the small courtyard outside. Zhenzhu Bao quickly slipped down, thinking, “For now, it’s safe, but this commotion has done me no good. I still have to come back at midnight to rescue the people—sigh! Bad luck, bad luck...”

He decided to find a place to rest and, if possible, get some food. He would wait until the fat monks were asleep and then return to rescue the people. Having grown up in the city god temple, he naturally looked for a temple in the Stone Gate Ferry, but after asking several people, no one knew of any temples or shrines. Finally, a local pointed him in the right direction, but when he arrived—

The walls were collapsed, the ground was covered with dead branches, the sign was broken, and the weeds were overgrown—it was already in ruins!

Although he did not find any food, he found a place to stay. He did not mind and gathered a pile of dry grass under the altar, making a nest to rest in. He then collected some dry wood and broken chairs to make a fire, placing some bamboo on top to burn. The crackling of the bamboo kept him alert, preventing him from falling into a deep sleep.

He curled up in the grass pile and slowly fell asleep.

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