A wave of comfort coursed through his entire body, as though something within him that had once vanished or shattered had sprouted anew with a trace of life.
What was going on?
Su Che suddenly felt his hand grow inexplicably heavy.
He suddenly recalled what Zhongyuan had said at the Mount Zhong Association.
Zhongyuan had originally intended to invite him into the association after he retrieved the item within Withered Forest Chan Temple, but unforeseen changes had forced him to do so early.
Could the thing in his hand be what Zhongyuan wanted to give him?
This man really knew how to pick his moment. Did he know that today was when the notable great ghosts of Shanyin and Guobei Counties had gathered at Withered Forest Chan Temple for a meeting?
The newly minted Lord Dongwang of the Mount Zhong Association would likely be finished after attending just one regular meeting.
The gloomy mist dispersed, leaving the ghosts bewildered.
At that moment, four large characters suddenly appeared upon the reliquary pagoda of Lion Azure Lotus Perfected Tathagata.
The characters resembled a Green Dragon, winding across the pagoda's surface.
Layer upon layer of azure bricks gleamed with a brilliant gray radiance.
When Su Che saw the four characters that had finally formed, he swallowed hard. His heart had nearly leaped out of his throat.
No matter how these four characters had appeared, they were clearly meant for him.
The four characters read plainly: "Opens upon meeting Che."
This couldn't possibly mean it opened upon meeting Great Emperor Han Wu, could it?
What had those bald donkeys who built Withered Forest Chan Temple meant by leaving behind such a responsive gate?
Surely they hadn't calculated all those years ago that he would come?
"Lady Snow, among the cultivators here, your cultivation is the most profound. In your opinion, what does this dispersal of the gloomy mist and opening of the pagoda gate signify?"
Lady Snow remained silent.
The ghost monks of Withered Forest Chan Temple rose to their feet, slowly chanting the Three Refuges as they entered the Lion Pagoda.
"The yin energy here has not dispersed. It has merely condensed within the pagoda."
Lady Snow looked toward the ghosts now revealing themselves around them.
Among them was Demon Qutan, whose body hid within a huge urn, half of his rotten face exposed.
There was also Bieshou the Corpse Fiend, bloated beyond measure, his entire body blue-green as yellow pus continuously dripped from him.
And Headless Ghost General Ying Xian, clad in heavy armor, ghostly qi upon its plates faintly forming human faces, with a great axe and long saber in his hands.
Beyond them, ghostly figures flickered through the shadows, layer upon layer of ghosts too numerous to count having come here in search of opportunity.
The ghosts each harbored their own sinister designs—some confused, some hostile, some frightened, some expectant. All manner of emotions mingled together.
Having entered the Divine Path and contemplated the many emotions of the human heart, Lady Snow saw the changes among these ghosts as clearly as fire reflected in a mirror.
Thus, her first words were meant to steady them.
"You all know that I aspire to the Divine Path, to regulate the water Spirit Vein of the White Cang River and become the river goddess of this region." Lady Snow looked at the gathered ghosts. "Thus, I have also surveyed the feng shui and terrain of this area according to the river's course."
"Guobei lies west, Shanyin east. Three rivers run through like veins, while Mystic Mountain rises like liver and gallbladder. I once consulted masters of numerology from the Taoist and Confucian schools. When the configurations of these two places come together, feng shui has a name for it: Yama Casts Off His Crown."
Yama, known in the Buddhist School as Yamaraja, was a revered deity of the Western Land who governed the Netherworld alongside Ksitigarbha and shared charge of reincarnation. His divine powers were vast, and even in the Central Land, many spoke of his name.
Though he resided in the Western Land, his statues resembled the Son of Heaven of the Central Land, wearing a crown with hanging jade tassels and a dragon robe. Yama Casts Off His Crown referred to Yama, Son of Heaven, losing his crown and being cast into the dust by a host of ghosts.
It described precisely a feng shui configuration in which ghosts and demons ran rampant.
In Xue Fu's view, Guobei having so many ghosts and Shanyin having so many demons were both inevitable consequences of its feng shui.
Bury the same old man elsewhere, and he would turn into a handful of yellow earth. Bury him in Guobei, and a Black Jiangshi would leap from his coffin and wipe out his entire household.
"Judging from the flow of the earth veins, Withered Forest Chan Temple stands exactly where Yama's discarded crown should have fallen. By all reason, a great ghost or great demon should have been born here."
"But for all these years, there has only been One-Eye, who never amounted to much."
At those words, the ghosts burst into mocking laughter.
Who did not know that One-Eye had just had his Dharma body cut apart a few days ago and had even abandoned his old home, Withered Forest Chan Temple?
"Thinking on it now, perhaps this was the result of an expert from Lion Azure Lotus Perfected Tathagata's lineage using a special method to suppress this place when they built Withered Forest Chan Temple here."
"Perhaps the answer lies in this pagoda."
"Lady Snow, are you saying that this contains some damned Dharma treasure left behind by that Tathagata?"
When Ghost General Ying Xian spoke, the faces formed by ghostly qi around his body wailed without cease.
He was a great general under Black Mountain Freak, commanding the Freak's Ghost Soldiers and running rampant throughout the Mystic Mountain region south of Shanyin County.
"It may also be some sort of inheritance or method." Lady Snow pointed at the gate on the azure pagoda. "The ghost monks of Withered Forest Chan Temple just entered the pagoda through there."
"What does Lady Snow mean?"
This time it was Qutan who spoke. Half his face bobbed above and below the mouth of the urn, and his eyes brimmed with greed as he gazed at the pagoda before him.
"Those ghost monks have been suppressed by One-Eye. Forget cultivation—even their intelligence has mostly faded, and they have practically become bound spirits of Withered Forest Chan Temple. Yet just now, they were able to enter this pagoda by instinct. Perhaps there is something within that greatly benefits cultivation on the Ghost Path..."
"Or it could be a trap. This so-called Buddha's preaching may merely be bait to lure us here, with the true purpose of devouring and refining our essence." Bieshou the Corpse Fiend's voice was hoarse, like metal scraping together. He stared at the towering pagoda with deep wariness.
"What does Lady Snow think?"
Qutan looked toward Lady Snow.
"I aspire to the Divine Path and have no interest in the Buddhist School's things. Whether it is a Dharma treasure or an inheritance, if you wish to stir things up, then stir them up as you please." Lady Snow gave a cold, beautiful smile.
"Then many thanks for Lady Snow's great kindness."
Qutan laughed loudly.
His origins were strange, and he possessed the background of a Buddhist School inheritance, hence his surname Qutan.
The original name of Virocana, the supreme Buddha Ancestor of the Buddhist School, was Qutan.
Of all the ghosts before him, Lady Snow alone inspired wariness in him.
Now that Lady Snow had clearly stated she had no interest, the things within the pagoda naturally belonged in his pocket.
"But there is one condition." Lady Snow suddenly turned her gaze toward Su Che. "You may not keep it all for yourselves. Everyone present must have the right to enter."
"Easy enough. You pus-dripper, you gas-leaker—do either of you have any objections?"
Qutan let out a strange, snickering laugh.
If Lady Snow wanted to play the good ghost, she could do so. So long as she did not enter the pagoda, wouldn't he have the final say once inside?
"We shall follow Lady Snow's lead."
With a cold snort, the Ghost General spoke. Ying Xian was hard by nature and disdained verbal sparring. Whatever Qutan said, he treated as nothing but fart.
"I have a matter on which I ask Lady Snow for enlightenment."
Bieshou the Corpse Fiend extended a green finger dripping with pus toward the four characters on the wall.
"How should these four characters be interpreted?"
At this, Lady Snow looked toward the four characters on the wall.
"As for 'opens upon meeting Che,' an ancient saying goes: 'Heaven's mandate does not follow through; I dare not imitate my friend and indulge in ease.' Che originally carries the meaning of following through. Perhaps it means that it opens when the destined opportunity arrives."
Su Che looked at Lady Snow beside him. This could actually be interpreted that way?
"I heard Shanyin County has a newly arrived county commandant named Su Che..."
The Corpse Fiend looked at Lady Snow, his green eyes especially ferocious.
"It absolutely cannot be him." Lady Snow looked at the Corpse Fiend. "What you do not know is that this County Commandant Su was the one who cut apart One-Eye's Dharma body a few days ago. If it truly opened upon meeting him, this pagoda would have opened long ago."
This was my fault. I hadn't gone farther in back then.
Su Che very much wanted to explain things to Lady Snow.
"Talk as you please. I'll take the first step."
Qutan had no time to listen to them ramble. He transformed into a streak of ghostly light and shot directly into the pagoda.
Ghost General Ying Xian immediately rose on a gust of yin wind and followed close behind.
After him came countless ghosts and monsters, every last one rushing after them.
In the end, even the cautious Bieshou the Corpse Fiend charged into the pagoda.
Before long, only Su Che, One-Brow Taoist, and Lady Snow remained.
"You two aren't going in?"
Lady Snow looked at Su Che as she spoke.
"This humble servant intends to hurry back and inform the Dharma King."
"The close attendants of the Yin-Yang Dharma King all call him His Majesty." Lady Snow interrupted One-Brow Taoist. "If you are going to pretend to be his subordinate, you must know that. Though he calls himself the Dharma King, he despises those two words most of all."
What a twisted old ghost.
Su Che was rather speechless toward this ancient ghost.
"Some things are best seen through but left unsaid." Lady Snow looked at Su Che. "Don't you agree?"
"Lady Snow is entirely correct."
Su Che hurriedly replied.
"You said the same thing twice." Lady Snow looked at Su Che curiously. "Is this how you coax women in Jiankang City?"
"Lady Snow said something very well: see through it, but do not speak it. I shall make those words my motto from now on."
Lady Snow suddenly smiled.
"It would be good if you can manage it."