An Eternal Combat

An Eternal Combat?

"I didn't expect the Main God to be so old-fashioned."

After Fang Xiu slowly gave his answer, Tang Tian, who was also from Zhongzhou, paused in surprise. "It doesn't just favor Western sci-fi settings. It even includes classical Chinese xianxia worlds like the ones back home."

"Back when I had nothing to do on construction sites, I watched a lot of old Hong Kong movies to kill time..."

"Shit! The Fusang Ghost King!!! That thing's gotta be hard to kill. What do we do? Help me, big brother!"

Tang Tian was such a chatterbox, muttering away to himself.

Still, he wasn't wrong.

Fang Xiu had seen An Eternal Combat too, and the final boss, the Fusang Ghost King, really was tough to deal with.

The plot was straightforward—

It began during the reign of Ming Xiaozong, in the Ming dynasty.

Shishi (played by Joey Wong) sat before a bronze mirror, dressing herself with a melancholy expression. Elsewhere, villagers made offerings to a giant paper effigy, the atmosphere eerie.

It turned out that Shishi, who had lost both her parents, was to marry the Fusang Ghost King in a ghost wedding. Once she finished dressing, she mounted a horse and led the bridal procession toward the forest where the Ghost King lived.

Before long, the ghost appeared.

Everyone in the bridal procession was killed.

Having finished his slaughter, the Fusang Ghost King took a great liking to Shishi. He grinned wickedly and called her his beloved concubine. But while he was gloating, Shishi pulled out a small knife and tried to kill him.

But how could a mere mortal hurt a Ghost King? Naturally, she failed.

Shishi was transformed into a ghost bride!

Just then, Hermit Caolu (played by Lam Ching-ying) passed by with his disciple Xiaogui, on their way to exterminate the ghost.

But the Fusang Ghost King was so fearsome that Hermit Caolu didn't want to prolong the fight. He fled with Shishi.

After a brief, haphazard clash, Hermit Caolu, unprepared, realized that he couldn't beat the Ghost King head-on. He needed help—ideally, the power of the imperial court's fortune to suppress the evil spirit!

Elsewhere, Ma Shangfeng, a military officer in the imperial court played by Da Sha, was a complete fool. He suddenly received an imperial order promoting him three ranks, all the way to the highest grade.

But before he could celebrate, the eunuch delivering the decree ordered him to kill the Fusang Ghost within seven days and protect the people.

Da Sha was deeply frustrated and tried to drown his sorrows in alcohol.

Just then, his aide reported that an Earthly Immortal was living in seclusion nearby, with unfathomable cultivation.

So the two set off together to pay him a visit in the mountains. They found only a shabby thatched hut, barely big enough for a dog to shelter in. But when they pushed open the door, they discovered a vast world inside, complete with pavilions and towers! During their visit, Da Sha acted like a fool. He saw Hermit Caolu split a teacup in two with a beam of light from his finger, without spilling a drop, and assumed it was a trick meant to deceive him. Just as he was about to kick up a fuss, he was transformed into a tiny man on the spot and thoroughly convinced.

But when he learned that fighting the Ghost King would require him to give up his life, Da Sha grew frightened and decided to abandon his post and flee. Before leaving, he even stole Hermit Caolu's divine water, then ran off to a brothel to enjoy one last night of pleasure.

Unfortunately, the medicine was too potent, and he passed out in a state resembling death.

It had all been part of Hermit Caolu's plan.

With a kindly deception, the hermit convinced Da Sha that he was dead. Da Sha willingly became the Golden Armor Guardian, joining the Silver Armor Guardian Xiaogui to fight the Fusang Ghost King.

The battle erupted again. The controlled ghost bride Shishi died first, enraging the Ghost King. The forces of good and evil clashed, stirring the power of the stars. A portal through time and space burst open, transporting them all to Xiangjiang in the 1980s...

Hermit Caolu, badly injured, landed on a film set and caused quite a stir. The actors dragged him off to a psychiatric hospital, where he happened to meet the reincarnation of the ghost bride Shishi: Director Wang.

Da Sha and Xiaogui, the two disciples and guardians, were transported to a church.

The Fusang Ghost King ended up there too.

But he was in terrible shape, and the place was filled with the power of faith. The holy cross sealed him on the spot.

After a series of twists and turns, the battle between good and evil that had lasted for centuries began anew. The Ghost King gained the upper hand. At the critical moment, Director Wang remembered her past life and picked up a knife, stabbing the Fusang Ghost again.

This time, the Ghost King couldn't fight back. He died!

The three master and disciples had fulfilled their duties, and the portal between heaven and earth opened, sending them back to ancient times.

In the final scene, the police arrived late. As it turned out, the three master and disciples had all been reincarnated as police officers.

—Joey Wong really was beautiful, especially in a few close-ups, but no matter how you looked at her, she seemed just like Nie Xiaoqian.

—Da Sha was a great actor. He played the fool so well, and it was hilarious.

—Lam Ching-ying was just made to play a Taoist master.

That was Fang Xiu's recollection of the entire plot, along with his personal opinions.

"That's more or less how it goes."

"Strictly speaking, it's a comedy."

At the Main God Plaza.

Around a round table, Fang Xiu had already exchanged for a projector. He was showing the Shazhou Team the original, uncut film, without commentary, hoping it would help them gain some familiarity with an Eastern setting.

"But if the Fusang Ghost King really shows up and we have to deal with him, there won't be anything comedic about it. It'll be a nightmare-level challenge!"

As someone from Zhongzhou, Tang Tian had a natural cultural advantage. He couldn't help letting out a long sigh. "Man, that's a Ghost King. Even the imperial court couldn't do anything about him. You have to understand... in that kind of setting, the emperor's words are the law of Heaven."

As he spoke, he glanced at the three foreigners beside him.

Odubiao, Emir, and Haida looked grave, but they weren't as close to losing hope as Tang Tian. They hadn't even entered the instance yet, and he was already panicking.

"Captain, what is fortune?" The Arab woman with pale blue eyes raised her hand.

"In traditional Chinese culture, fortune is a complex and profound concept. It concerns the rise and fall, and the changes, of individuals, families, nations, and even the universe. You can think of it as an invisible force that influences the development of all things."

Fang Xiu organized his thoughts as he answered Haida's question. "Put simply, the more prosperous a dynasty is, the less likely evil spirits and heretics are to cause trouble."

"Ming Xiaozong, the ninth emperor of the Ming dynasty, wasn't a foolish ruler, but neither was he a great restorer. The imperial court was reasonably strong, and the dynasty's fortune still held."

"So the fact that the Fusang Ghost King from Japan could wreak havoc in this era is a sign of just how troublesome he is."

"That's right."

Tang Tian nodded. "Japanese pirates were rampant during the Ming dynasty. Even with the court stationing large numbers of troops along the southeastern coast to defend against them, it still couldn't suppress them.

"The fiercest of them turned into a Ghost King, one who could battle an Earthly Immortal and even shake the portal between heaven and earth!"

"We're doomed, we're doomed."

For once, the chatterbox had run out of things to say. He hadn't seen much of the world, after all, and now that he'd suddenly learned he'd have to fight a Ghost King, he wasn't doing much better than Ma Shangfeng, the foolish first-grade military officer in the film.

"Individuals, families, nations, the universe? Fortune's that powerful? It can affect so many things?" The Black man who'd been driving around with a banana in his hand spoke up, clearly missing the point.

Beside him, the burly Emir analyzed the situation. "The moment the Ghost King crossed over, the cross suppressed him. If someone hadn't accidentally used blood in a ritual, he might never have gotten out."

Haida nodded slightly in agreement. "It's simple. Since Christianity works, after we enter that world, we should find a way to go to the Vatican and use the Church's power to exorcise the demon."

Because of their cultural differences, the Shazhou Team members couldn't agree.

Tang Tian vastly overestimated the Fusang Ghost King and was extremely wary of him.

The other three took him seriously, but thought about it too simply.