Eating Demons, Reaching the Capital
In the dead of night, no candles were lit in the hall; only the moonlight shone through the thin windows, casting pale white streaks with faint traces of dark red.
Seated on a tiered throne deliberately carved into the shape of a lotus platform by the craftsman, the tall, thin monk, dressed in a robe with gold stripes, wearing a Vairocana crown and rosary, mumbled incessantly, as if chanting scriptures—or perhaps chewing with some kind of mouthpart.
Ironically, when no one is around, Cihang Pudu appears even more dignified and benevolent than when he is in public during the day.
Even if he was the only "person" in this hall.
The figure on the lotus platform was slowly turning a string of ebony prayer beads in her hand. The sound of the beads clinking together was unusually clear in the overly quiet hall.
One time, another time, and another time.
"----There is no suffering, no origination of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path to cessation of suffering; there is no wisdom, and no attainment; because there is nothing to be attained----"
Only when you get close can you vaguely hear that faint, mosquito-like sound, repeating endlessly without ever tiring.
He seemed like a truly enlightened monk who had diligently practiced asceticism.
It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that a dark shadow, like long scales, silently slithered in from the shadows beneath the palace pillars.
Finally, he slid all the way to his feet, into the shadow cast by the lotus platform.
The shadow arched slightly, accompanied by a strange sound like the chirping of insects, which rang out directly from within.
"Master, the calculation is complete. If there are no errors, the Heavenly Hound Devouring the Moon should occur nine days from now, at the third quarter of the hour of midnight."
"The Mirage Demon has sent word that it has replaced those impoverished vassal kings of the Great Zhou, and will bring back all those of the relevant bloodline within three days to present to you in person."
"Furthermore—" the shadow paused, seemingly weighing its words carefully, "—last night, when the little demon routinely used the Wrongful Death Token's to contact the various vengeful spirits wandering the Underworld, it failed to work; it seemed the token had suddenly lost its power."
The sound of the prayer beads turning suddenly stopped for a moment.
"Enough—before this, in the six hundred years since the Zhou Dynasty lasted, how many of the souls of the previous emperors have been found?"
The figure on the lotus platform finally stopped reciting the scriptures and began to speak, but it was a sharp and childish voice.
"History records fifty-three former rulers. Counting those whose sacrificial rites have ceased or whose souls are incomplete, thirty-nine were found in the underworld. As for the rest, it is unknown whether their souls were scattered and they were fortunate enough to reincarnate, or whether they went to some hidden place, and no trace of them has been found yet."
The monk still didn't open his eyes, the slight smile on his face remaining unchanged, only uttering a low syllable from his throat, "Good."
"If that's the case, it's barely enough."
As soon as the words were spoken, the shadow beneath the lotus platform, which originally belonged to this figure and looked perfectly normal, suddenly came to life!
Like the black waves of a rising tide at night, it suddenly expanded and surged upwards, instantly swallowing up the demonic figure that had come to deliver the message.
There was no struggle, no screams, not even the slightest extra sound, as if a drop of water had merged into the ocean, leaving no trace.
Only that black mass, exuding a faint sense of "satisfaction," continued to slowly writhe and shrink in place, eventually transforming back into the seemingly ordinary figure beneath it, half-hidden by lotus petals.
A somber-colored token flew out and landed squarely on the lotus platform.
"Foolish child, having accumulated such merit, you may enter my womb along with them and enjoy ultimate bliss. This would be your good fortune."
In the dim light, between the walls of the palace behind the lotus platform and the giant shadow of the thousand-legged beast dancing wildly, a faint glimmer of light seemed to emerge, only to vanish in an instant.
"The appointed time is approaching, and calamity will surely obstruct the path—so be it."
He set aside the prayer beads and picked up the token with one hand. After a while, accompanied by a sinister aura, the shape of the Ghost Shadow city on the token became clearer and clearer, but there was still no other reaction.
Recalling that not long ago, I seemed to have sensed a vague, unseen "spy," but I couldn't grasp it. This "Cihang Pudu" was just a mark that suddenly appeared on my face, which I swallowed without thinking.
"It seems something has happened to my Black Mountain Friend too—"
"I just don't know whether this Heavenly Dao Scar will affect the fundamental nature of the Heavenly Hound Swallowing the Moon phenomenon—"
The moonlight faded, and the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon.
--
Large convoys of vehicles, soldiers, and horses set off in an endless stream.
Today was another day full of absurdities.
This gave Zuo Qianhu a huge headache.
-Regarding the small matter of how I, Zuo, was ordered to escort a criminal with twenty soldiers, the journey was arduous and the number of soldiers had increased to nearly three hundred, almost half a battalion, just as we were about to reach the capital.----
And that doesn't even include Fu Tianchou 'Lord Fu two overconfident daughters Fu Qingfeng and Fu Yuechi, as well as the group that followed in trying to hijack the prison cart, which also included a few henchmen of the supernatural.
So, why did things turn out this way?
I don't understand (Fenghua accent)!
Of course, in reality, it's not necessary to understand it too clearly.
After all, for a prisoner who had taken away his exclusive spot in the prison van, these things were not really important.
Moreover, this group of people, whose words and actions were somewhat strange, didn't seem to have much other plan besides releasing Fu Tianchou.
At least, for him, the "commander of a thousand households" who was imprisoned, these people still seemed to have some respect for him.
----Although this did not stop them from tinkering with some strange methods every day, keeping Fu Tianchou in the prison cart that was originally used to imprison him, carefully "serving" this Zuo Qianhu, keeping him in a state of inability to move.
At this point, the situation has clearly changed somewhat.
"Zuo Qianhu, the capital is now in sight. After this, I'm afraid we'll have to say goodbye."
Several men walked up to the prison van and stopped a few meters away, placing their hands on their waists, clearly showing their extreme wariness.
"No need for further words. I am but a soldier, yet I understand the principles of loyalty and righteousness. Before confirming what you call the 'truth,' I will absolutely not travel with you."
With his head tilted slightly, sitting in the wooden prison cart, which was perhaps more symbolic than practical, the disheveled Zuo Qianhu chuckled but didn't say anything more.
"Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you."
The other party simply waved their hand.
"Zuo Qianhu, you've misunderstood. Although we did consider killing you to end it all once and for all..."
"But Lord Fu Tianchou has taken the initiative to plead for you, so we must give him face. Therefore, you don't need to worry about those unseemly things."
"We will be leaving soon, so I have only come to return your weapon."
With a smile, the middle-aged man with his hair tied up in a crown and a beard spoke a few words in a rather peaceful manner. Then he waved his hand, and someone carried a wooden tray and placed all the items that had been taken from the prisoner in the prison cart next to the cart.
"Those little tricks you've used will only last until tonight at most, and will naturally dissipate gradually. As for your water pouch and food, they're all here."
"As for the truth that you, Thousand Commander, wish to ascertain, if you truly refuse to accept our claim of being 'different'—in the end, you'll have to rely on your own sword to 'see' it for yourself."
"The future is long, Zuo Qianhu, I hope we will meet again."
Once someone lifted the seal on the prison cell, the group turned and followed the flow of people, scattering towards the distant, faintly visible city.
Only Zuo Qianhu and his personal armor remained, along with the faint sounds carried on the wind by the martial artist's keen hearing. "Master Zheng, why did you tell Lord Fu that we were planning to kill Old Zuo? We shouldn't have had such a plan, should we?"
"Because just by lying about it, you can actually gain favors from both Old Fu and Zuo Qianhu, young lady. Since it's beneficial without costing you anything, why not do it?"