The Ten-Story Pagoda

After hearing Xie Hama's words, Huang Huaji slowly sat down.

He began recounting a secret.

The townsfolk all said that a dying fox turned its head toward its home hill, and fallen leaves returned to their roots, which was why General Huang had returned to Paifang Township after retiring.

That was not actually the case. He had returned to guard an evil tower!

The general's residence had been built more than thirty years earlier.

More than thirty years earlier, strange incidents had broken out frequently across the New Han Dynasty. The Azure Dragon King, supreme commander of the Heaven-Listening Bureau, had consulted Heaven for a solution and discovered that a new yin road had appeared in the mortal world. Many evil ghosts from the underworld were escaping along this road and wreaking havoc in various places.

The starting point of this yin road lay within Paifang Township!

Thus, under the Heaven-Listening Bureau's supervision, the Ministry of War had mobilized a border army to build a Wuji Pagoda on the site of the general's residence.

Yet no one in the township had seen this tower, because it had been built upside down into the earth. Its task was to face the starting point of the yin road and suppress the evil beings underground!

Just as Xie Hama had said, earth numbers were yin numbers, even numbers, so this tower had ten stories in total.

And to suppress the evil beings, the tower had been packed with statues of Taoist deities and Buddhas blessed by celestial masters and eminent monks.

"From the beginning of construction to its completion, strange incidents kept occurring, but with experts overseeing things, nothing went wrong. Yet at the very last step, trouble still came!"

The tower had been built into the earth, with its tip below and its base above, the exact opposite of towers in the mortal world.

So while the final step for a tower in the mortal world was to seal its top, the final step for the Wuji Pagoda Tower was to seal its base.

"No matter what they did, they couldn't seal the base. They were fitting stone slabs together to block it off. The dimensions of those slabs had all been calculated in advance, and by rights, they should have sealed the base perfectly. Yet they simply wouldn't fit!"

Huang Huaji's expression began to darken.

"At first, the last few slabs were too big to fit. The craftsmen measured them again and cut them down, only for the slabs to become too small and fall straight into the tower! The craftsmen calculated again and again, but they simply couldn't get the measurements right!"

At this, Xie Hama said gravely, "A yin road forms naturally. How could it be so easy to suppress? The ghosts underground were causing trouble. They had finally found a passage into the mortal world. How could they willingly let it be sealed?"

Huang Huaji smiled bitterly. "Isn't that the truth? Isn't that the truth? Heh, isn't that the truth?"

He repeated "isn't that the truth" three times, his tone changing with each repetition, until the last was tinged with a sob.

"Guess how we finally suppressed those evil beings underground?"

Xie Hama pressed his palms together. "Venerable One of Infinite Longevity. Surely some celestial master or eminent monk sacrificed himself to attain the Dao, passing away in seated meditation to suppress the evil!"

A sinister look unlike any before appeared on Huang Huaji's face. The corners of his eyes drooped and the corners of his mouth rose as he sneered repeatedly. "Heh, what a fine thought, Taoist priest. Celestial masters and eminent monks, great scholars and mighty experts-at the moment of life and death, it was all a sham! They actually imprisoned my deputy general inside the tower, using his departed soul to suppress the evil!"

"My poor deputy general was loyal to his sovereign and country, filled with ardor, utterly devoted to the court, and deeply respectful toward his superiors. He lived his whole life openly and honorably, only to meet a violent death on the yin road!"

Seeing his grief and indignation, Wang Qilin gently shook his head.

Infected by the old general's grief and indignation, Xu Da said angrily, "Those ox-nosed Taoists and bald-ass monks were truly vile. They were making a living foundation sacrifice."

"How can a living foundation sacrifice compare with sealing a yin road?" Huang Huaji said furiously. "Sealing a yin road means living alongside vicious ghosts and savage gods, trembling in fear day and night. Only when Heaven seals the yin road can the soul report to the underworld authorities and enter reincarnation!"

"But when will Heaven seal this yin road? Even if it is sealed, with that departed soul covered in the karmic sins of vicious ghosts and savage gods, won't the underworld authorities regard him as steeped in evil and send him to hell to be tormented?"

Wang Qilin shuddered. "It's that terrible?"

Huang Huaji nodded.

Once the secret of the Wuji Pagoda was revealed, everyone understood what had happened.

The ghost market Huang Qingyun had visited was the entrance to the yin road beneath the Wuji Tower. So many evil ghosts had gathered there that a ghost market had formed.

What was truly haunting her was not the Su family's little ghost, but the terribly vicious evil being suppressed beneath the Wuji Tower. So merely slaying the Su family's little ghost would not save Huang Qingyun. They had to suppress the demon beneath the tower.

At this point, Huang Huaji said, "Please lend your aid, my lord, and suppress the demon once more!"

Before Wang Qilin could speak, Xu Da laughed. "Are you joking? How could our lord have that kind of ability? Come, Taoist priest, see our guest out."

Xie Hama glared at him. "You're a strongman and I'm a Wandering Star. Our paths differ, but lead to the same destination, and our official ranks are equal..."

"Then present a united front!"

Xie Hama swept his sleeve and said to Huang Huaji, "Old general, this way, please."

Huang Huaji rose, disappointment written all over his face. "I had thought Lord Wang was a young hero, filled with righteousness."

Xu Da waved a hand. "There's no need to pressure him with words. Our lord certainly is a young hero, filled with righteousness, but that doesn't mean he can go throw his life away, does it?"

Wang Qilin nodded. Master Xu knows me best.

Huang Huaji hurriedly took a golden-yellow scripture from inside his robes. "You wouldn't be throwing your lives away. You wouldn't even need to deal with demons. You would only be delivering a scripture to the bottom of the pagoda."

Xu Da gave him a sidelong look. "If it's that simple, why don't you go? You have so many personal guards at your residence. Why not send them?"

"Because my deputy general's departed soul is still locked inside the tower," Huang Huaji said. "Anyone entering will inevitably have to deal with him, so I must rely on an expert like Lord Wang. However, my deputy general's soul has little cultivation and is nothing to fear. If you three gentlemen have concerns, I am willing to accompany you."

Wang Qilin remained silent.

Xie Hama waved his sleeve. "This way, old general."

Huang Huaji suddenly said, "If Lord Wang is willing to do me this favor, I will offer a thousand gold zhu in gratitude. Should you need any fine steeds or divine weapons from my residence, you may take them yourself. I will also submit a memorial to the court commending you."

Wang Qilin frowned. "What sort of man do you take this official for, General Huang?"

Huang Huaji continued, "Furthermore, Lord Wang, I hear you are still single and unmarried. If you can save Yun'er..."

The four men exchanged looks. Fellow lechers, we meet at last.

Wang Qilin rose. "Say no more, General Huang. An official must protect the people under his jurisdiction. This is a duty I cannot refuse."

Huang Huaji had come determined to succeed, bringing attendants and horses with him. At his command, three attendants led the horses over and handed them to the three men.

Wang Qilin said helplessly, "I don't know how to ride."

Xu Da pressed a hand against the saddle and vaulted up, his movements bold and dashing. "Want this master to carry you?"

"On your neck?"

"Get lost!"

In the end, Xu Da found a flatbed cart in the township and hitched a horse to it. The horse pulled the cart, the cart carried Wang Qilin, and together they headed for the general's residence.

Only a few days after their last departure, the three returned to the general's residence.

The residence covered a vast area, half of which was occupied by the rear courtyard.

Wang Qilin followed Steward Ding inside. As he crossed the rear courtyard's gateway, he said quietly, "Taoist priest, come into the tower with me later. Old Xu, stay outside and guard the door. Until I come out, don't let anyone close it!"

"Don't worry," Xu Da said. "I certainly won't let them close the door before you come out."

Wang Qilin seized his lapel and spoke into his ear. "Don't trust anyone except our own people! Make sure you guard the entrance to the tower. Be careful!"

Xu Da glanced around and whispered, "Something fishy?"

"Very fishy!"