Lanpu

Kapitel 21

This has reached the level of Gundam or Mazinger Z.

"...Good heavens." Tang Chen stared in disbelief. "Are we dreaming?"

"Even if that's true." I had long forgotten the pain, grabbed his arm, and turned to run. The assembled toy roared angrily and chased after me, clattering and throwing its weapons.

So we were thrown all over the mountain by things like towers supporting the sky, iron umbrellas, whisks, swords, spears, halberds, and several huge copper coins and gold ingots.

I don't know if it was because we ran fast enough, or because Tang Chen's talent for "turning misfortune into good fortune," or because the assembly of the assembled robot was too perfect and the accuracy was extremely poor... we were not hit by a single shot.

But in this situation, asking me to break the talisman and have the calamity save us is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree.

Damn it, this dense forest is endless. If Tang Chen and I weren't both people whose instincts far outweighed our reason, we would have fallen to our deaths instead of trying to run away.

But instinct can fail sometimes. When we saw a faint light, we rushed towards it in a burst of energy... and almost lost our footing, falling off the cliff.

I don't know if it was because I had run too much or because my legs went weak with fear, but I crouched down and looked desperately at the juggling robot that was grinning and approaching step by step, its ground shaking as it walked.

"You want me, right?" Tang Chen stepped forward. "Spare her, she has nothing to do with any of this!"

"Tang Chen!" I screamed and grabbed his arm.

He gently but firmly pried my hands away. His eyes were warm yet sorrowful. "Enough, Hengzhi. Let these calamities... end here."

He narrowed his eyes and smiled with a pure and open heart, "Knowing you is truly a wonderful thing for me."

I wanted to speak, I wanted to hold him tight. But I couldn't move, I could only open my mouth and make soft, gasping sounds.

"Don't hurt her," Tang Chen pleaded with the assembled robot. "I'm coming right now." Then he walked step by step toward his doom.

I don't want to just watch him die.

"...I don't want to watch him die, I don't want to!" Huang'e screamed, frantically pounding against the barrier. "He's mine, mine, mine! I don't want to, I don't want to, I don't want to!"

Her frenzy infected me; my face and feet suddenly felt hot and painful.

I suddenly remembered the feeling of flying and the burning sensation of dragon blood. In the dream of being "summoned" by the dragon, I became one with Huang'e. I am Huang'e, and Huang'e is me.

"Wrath!" I roared, a sound that made even myself tremble, like a wild beast, "I belong to you!"

Just as desolation also belongs to me.

She let out a loud, bell-like cry, shattering the invisible barrier with a deafening roar.

Filled with immense rage, as if surrounded by fury, her figure, originally like black mist, shone with a fiery red-gold hue. The areas splattered with dragon blood were covered with silver scales, making her even more bewitching and eerie.

My roar is her roar, my anger is her anger. I feel completely empty, as if I were possessed by the desolate body, yet my heart is filled with her violence.

I could even feel the exhilarating satisfaction of her sharp claws tearing apart the assembled King Kong. Lost in the murderous aura, I struggled to regain my senses. If Tang Chen hadn't been pulling me along, shouting and shaking me desperately, I can't imagine what would have happened.

When I came to, all the pain and soreness surged up at once, and an exhaustion that made me almost die of sleep overwhelmed me. The monster, with its vacant eyes, tried to land on my left shoulder, but it couldn't even stand up and fell headfirst to the ground.

Fortunately, Tang Chen reacted quickly and caught her.

I couldn't hold on any longer; my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

***

Tang Chen told me what happened next.

We had such a thrilling escape all over the mountain, and when we finally broke through the barrier, we found ourselves still in the corner, only a few minutes had passed. Exhausted, he carried me, who was fast asleep, back to the girls' room, whereupon a female classmate asked him ambiguously, "Where did you go that you rolled around with me and came back covered in leaves?"

I couldn't go on the second day's itinerary at all. I collapsed into bed and slept soundly until evening when I finally woke up for dinner. He said that when I woke up, I was like a hedgehog, exuding a menacing aura that made people tremble even at the slightest glance.

I didn't feel anything myself, I just felt a little gloomy.

But when he secretly showed me the things he had picked up during the day, I jumped up and really had the urge to kill him on the spot.

It was a large bag of burnt statues. They must have had their hands and heads severed before being piled together and burned. This was probably the "true form" of the assembled Vajra.

Back when the lottery was popular, many gamblers would pray for winning numbers. If they won, they'd throw lavish parties and offer prayers; if they lost badly, they'd vent their anger on idols. These idols were called "fallen gods." Because they were tainted with resentment, they were easily inhabited by evil spirits, causing particularly great harm.

"...What are you going to do with this stuff?" I snapped. "Didn't you suffer enough last night?!"

"Don't be angry, Hengzhi." He sounded uneasy. "It's our fault for things turning out this way. I wanted to take it to Uncle Shi to see if there's any way to stop this strange phenomenon..."

Do you even know how far this place is from Tainan? Even if my uncle were just down the next alley, I wouldn't let you take it there. Do you understand what "so close yet so far" means? Just getting it back safely is already a blessing from heaven; how far do you expect me to take it?!

However, Tang Chen, this kind-hearted simpleton, is a great loss to the religious community that he didn't become a monk. Although he speaks gently and is mild-mannered, when he gets stubborn, he's truly unshakeable. He insists that there's always a reason behind everything, and he'll do anything to resolve or appease it.

I couldn't persuade him otherwise, and I didn't have the heart to argue with him over such a small matter. "...Alright, alright, I'll do as you say," I sighed, "but the things have to be here with me."

He hesitated for a moment.

"At least I'm better at handling these kinds of things." I said irritably. "Are you afraid I'll secretly burn it? Don't worry, a gentleman's word is his bond. Since you're so incorrigibly kind, I'll risk my life to keep you company."

"...I don't want you to be affected by evil spirits."

"I am the evil spirit, who can possibly harm me?" I blurted out, and seeing him pause in surprise, I quickly corrected myself, "The evil spirit is here, what are you afraid of?"

After much persuasion, they finally got him to put down the bag of remnants.

After he left, I gently touched my face. You couldn't tell from the outside, but you could tell the difference in texture when you touched it.

The silvery-white scales on Huang E's face were obvious, while mine were similar to the texture of my skin, very, very fine. Were you panicked? At first I was panicked, but then I calmed down.

I don't have a lover with whom I can touch each other's faces, and nobody can tell. I was planning to stay single for life anyway. Besides, my skin is smooth, so I probably won't get pimples, which saves me the trouble of seeing a doctor, so it's not so bad.

I carried the bag of remnants into the room; all my classmates were asleep. As for Huang E, he was still nestled in my bunk, fast asleep.

The scene should have been quiet, but the seven young ladies on the main beam became restless.

I looked up at the seven ladies, but they avoided my gaze, so I put the bag aside. I found a clean bath towel and emptied the bag of remnants.

The place was shattered and in a truly pitiful state. The relatively intact ones were a few local earth god statues, though some had their eyes gouged out, and others were missing heads or arms. There was also a statue that had been hacked and scarred, as if it had been trampled on some animal.

It took me a long time to recognize it as a tiger from the patterns. Could this be the Tiger-Taming Arhat among the Eighteen Arhats? The jigsaw puzzle that scared us half to death last night was probably based on this.

The rest were all mixed together, with only severed limbs and fragments, making them indistinguishable.

When a person's gambling instincts take hold, they only recognize greed, and they will not only disregard their own family and friends, but also the gods.

Back when Carrefour was thriving, I hadn't even started kindergarten yet. But Huang E often talked about these random things with a malicious schadenfreude. It was like a contagious mental illness, sweeping across the entire island like a plague.

The pile of remnants of gods before me is one of the evils committed by humanity in its madness.

Of course, you could say these are just wooden idols. But even the most atheist wouldn't casually destroy any country's idols when they are of sound mind. This is because it's a kind of "fear of the gods" that reason cannot reach, a fear that is instilled and subtly cultivated from childhood.

This is not ignorant superstition, but rather a deep-seated recognition and reverence for certain sacred and mysterious unknowns.

To destroy God in anger when one's desires are not fulfilled is a sign of utter madness and extreme ignorance.

Sigh, I can't explain it clearly. After all, I'm not a scholar or expert, and what I've studied has nothing to do with this.

But I feel very heavy-hearted.

The consecration ceremony of a deity's statue is a contract between the deity and humanity. A consecrated statue is acknowledged as a vessel, and if it is a formally registered deity, it has the mission of showing compassion to all beings and listening to their every need. However, if the deity departs due to disrespect, the consecrated vessel is easily invaded by "bad things," leading to even greater harm.

Last night, Huang E went on a rampage, and those "bad things" should have vanished without a trace. But what's troubling me are those who can't escape.

The seventh young lady hung from the beam like a lazy bum, pretending not to care. But I knew they were watching to see how I would handle the situation.

What can I do? My heart is filled with sorrow. I'm neither a Taoist priest nor a Buddhist. I don't even know what I'm capable of anymore, so what can I possibly do?

With a heavy sigh, I placed some sandalwood incense in my censer, lit it, and bowed deeply to the remnants of the gods. "My lords..." I hesitated, unsure how to begin, "Since you have received offerings, it is wrong to collude with demons and monsters, coveting flesh and blood."

Faintly, several white figures emerged from the pile of remnants of the spirits—a few ragged, haggard old men with filthy beards, looking wretched and exhausted. Hearing my rebuke, their lips trembled, and they all burst into tears. "Kind one, your rebuke is true, but we are truly suffering terribly… Kind one, have mercy and save us from this calamity!"

It turns out that these elderly people were originally local deities or land gods with official duties. More than a decade ago, during the nationwide craze for Dajiale (a type of folk performance), some wandering ghosts, because they had registered with the official deities, not only became very popular, but also built large temples and held grand rituals, looking down on these legitimate gods.

The local earth god and earth god couldn't stand this insult and, blinded by greed, gave their followers a sign. Sure enough, the Fude Temple, which was originally only the size of a wooden box, was rebuilt into a palace, and the number of followers increased dramatically. Countless offerings were placed in front of the altar, and theatrical performances were staged day and night. They really managed to regain their former glory.

But wandering ghosts are not governed by the laws of Heaven, so how could they be compared with these deities who have official positions? As a result, they were impeached, and the two local earth gods and six local earth spirits in the district were stripped of their supernatural powers, removed from the register, and imprisoned in the statues of gods to reflect on their mistakes.

How could someone stripped of their supernatural powers possibly reveal their secrets? The enraged believer, who had lost everything, stole all the idols, humiliated them in every way, abandoned them in the wilderness, and set them on fire.

Who knew that even though they were punished to reflect on their mistakes, the statues of gods could not be burned completely. The ghosts and monsters of this desolate mountain came to disturb them, making their suffering even more unbearable. This time, they were even forced to seize Tang Sanzang's flesh, and after being beaten so fiercely by Huang E, all the ghosts and monsters ran away cleanly, leaving only these few who could not escape. Unfortunately, Tang Chen discovered them and brought them before me.

Seeing them crying with tears and snot all over their faces, I felt sad too, and I didn't know what to do.

If it were a ghost or monster, and they wouldn't listen to reason, I'd seriously consider personally escorting them to my uncle for disposal. But these gentlemen are my uncle's comrades, and they once protected the villagers. Although revealing the truth is wrong, it doesn't warrant such a severe punishment.

At the very least, he should have received a major demerit, been placed on probation, had his salary reduced, or been demoted. How did he end up with a life sentence?

"...If you pity them, you're mistaken." A young lady hanging from the beam spoke coldly. "Forced? Hmph. They couldn't take it anymore and wanted to use Tang Sanzang's flesh to directly degenerate into monsters. Now that things aren't going well, they're washing their hands of it... You should just set it on fire so they won't have a chance to cause trouble."

The old men's faces changed. "...Do you hanged ghosts have any right to speak? Even though we've fallen on hard times, we don't need to be afraid of you brats!" They said, and were about to pounce on her.

Tensions instantly rose.

"...What's all the noise about!" Huang E opened his eyes and roared with a terrible temper, "If you want to die, do it now! Anyone who doesn't want to live, stand up and let me see!"

Not only did the old men immediately shut up and shrink back, but even the seven young ladies who had previously looked down on Huang E disappeared into the darkness.

I could only catch a few fragments of their quiet argument.

"...That's a self-forged Golden-Winged Roc, a lucky accident! We have nothing to fear from her..." "My sister, say less. When have you ever seen a Fiend Bird forge its own Golden-Winged Roc? Listen to your elder sister, be patient. If we let her charge, she might disintegrate..."

To be honest, I don't know much about yokai... I mean ghosts... uh, I don't understand their jargon. I only know that the ravages have fooled them... which is fine.

After thinking for a while, I bowed to the beam. "Seven ladies, we are guests under your beam, so of course we don't want to cause any trouble. I will take these gentlemen with me. I think there is no grudge that cannot be resolved. It's just that we are neighbors and there have been some frictions. Since the gentlemen are moving, I would like to ask you to forgive and forget about the past grievances."

The oldest-looking woman looked confused. "Little sister, they have ill intentions."

I bet it was this young lady's intervention that prevented me from suffering internal bleeding. They probably wanted me to ruin the men's reputations because they were afraid of future retaliation, so they could settle things once and for all. Now that I'm taking them with me, there shouldn't be any worries.

But they still gave me some advice out of concern.

At this point, I, who was initially a little afraid of the ladies with their bluish faces and bleeding eyes, now thought they were actually quite beautiful... Women are women. They spend a lot of money on makeup in life, and after death, they use any remaining merit to enhance their appearance.

This led to the creation of those beautiful female ghosts in Liaozhai... cough, I've gone too far off topic.

In short, I was very moved. "Young Miss, it wasn't anything malicious. When life is unbearably miserable, it's natural to want to escape. We men just went astray. If you want to escape suffering, why create more misfortune to ensure you never escape? It was just a moment of folly..."

"Whatever, are you guys even letting people sleep?" Huang'e closed his eyes. "Hengzhi, what's the point of talking to those deadbeats? Just send those old beggars to that old geezer, he'll take care of them. Why are you meddling in this?"

…This is indeed the only way. But this way is really expensive.

The thought of my wallet about to suffer another major financial blow makes my heart ache.

This disastrous trip has finally come to an end.

But instead of going back to rest, I headed up the mountain, covered in dust. Tang Chen insisted on coming along, but I had already given up trying.

Countless times, Huang'e fell asleep and slumped off my shoulder. Tang Chen gently held her in his arms, and she slept even more soundly, even starting to snore.

“…Don’t spoil her too much,” I said sullenly.

"Girls need to be pampered." He affectionately patted Huang E's back.