Eating Demons, Reaching the Capital

In the dead of night, no candles were lit within the hall. Only moonlight filtered through the thin windows, casting several ghastly pale streaks faintly tinged with dark red.

Seated upright upon a tiered Dharma Throne deliberately carved by craftsmen into the shape of a lotus pedestal, the tall, gaunt monk wore a cassock threaded with gold, a Vairocana crown, prayer beads, and other adornments. His lips moved incessantly, as though chanting scriptures—or perhaps like some kind of mouthpart chewing.

Yet at a time like this, with no one else around, Cihang Pudu appeared even more solemn and compassionate than he did before others during the day.

Even though he was the only "person" in the hall.

The figure upon the lotus pedestal slowly rolled a string of ebony prayer beads between his fingers. The sound of the beads knocking together was especially clear in the overly silent hall.

Once, once, and once again.

"—There is no suffering, no origin, no cessation, no path; no wisdom, and no attainment, because there is nothing to attain—"

Only by drawing close could one vaguely hear the mosquito-like murmur, repeating over and over without fatigue.

As though he truly were an enlightened monk devoted to unceasing ascetic practice.

It was not until the moon hung at its zenith that a gloomy shadow silently slithered along the dark spaces beneath the hall pillars, like a long scale.

In the end, it slid all the way to his feet and into the shadow cast by the lotus pedestal.

The shadow bulged slightly, and an odd sound like the chirping of tiny insects rose directly from within.

"Dharma Master, the calculations are complete. If there are no errors, the phenomenon of Heavenly Hound Devouring the Moon will occur nine days from now, at the third quarter