Ghost Blows Out the Light Fanfiction Fragments of the Hidden Scriptures - Saving San Francisco

Chapter 23

This was completely unexpected. Fatty and I took two steps back, secretly on guard, wondering if this old man was tempted by our wealth and wanted to harm us or steal the ruby twin swords.

Shirley Yang, however, was not nervous at all. She smiled and waved her hand, signaling us to be quiet.

The old shaman clashed his swords together, and suddenly a crimson aura of blades appeared before him. The seven evil spirits, however, had already hidden in the coffin, keeping their distance. The old shaman stroked the two swords with satisfaction, nodded, and explained to us through our guide, Agan, that tonight, he would use these precious swords to defeat us and his common enemy, thus eliminating a thorn in his side.

Through the knowledgeable old sorcerer, we learned that these two ruby daggers were ancient Western treasures, said to be the prized possession of the ancient Black Forest werewolf race—the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Swords. The greatest power of these Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Swords lies in their combined power; the interplay of their yin and yang energies unleashes a mysterious energy within the blades, driving away powerful yin-evil spirits and thus maintaining peace within the race.

The twin blades were originally the accessories passed down from generation to generation by the leaders of the ancient werewolf tribe. They were not only a symbol of the leader's status, but also a sacred token for the leader to command the werewolves, and a powerful magic weapon for the ancient werewolf tribe to resist their ancient enemy—the Ghost Blood Bat tribe.

Legend has it that werewolves are neither human nor wolf, existing outside the Three Realms. The ghost race cannot capture their souls, so they dispatch a large number of ghostly blood bats—also neither human nor ghost—to monitor and absorb the souls of werewolves day and night. Whenever a werewolf falls into a state of death, the ghostly blood bats will stalk them and collect their three souls and seven spirits. However, werewolves refuse to be led into the realm of humans and animals, and therefore diligently cultivate themselves, gazing at the moon to absorb its essence, seeking to escape the cycle of birth and death.

Whenever a member of the tribe foresees their impending death, they will retreat to the Black Forest beforehand. At a specific moment, the tribal leader will control their own soul within their heart, plunging the ruby twin blades into their chest. A drop of their essence blood, containing their three souls and seven spirits, will be used to nourish and seal within the ruby twin blades, ensuring the soul's immortality. This essence will become part of the blades' spirit, allowing them to protect the tribe and defend against the attacks of the ghostly blood bats. This is the origin of the ruby twin blades' name, the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blades. Furthermore, the simultaneous use of both blades can destroy the omnipresent and immortal ghostly blood bats, a key factor in the ancient werewolf tribe's long-term resistance against them.

Since a century ago, after a fierce battle between the Ghost Blood Bat King and the leader of the ancient werewolf tribe, the true form of the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blades has never been known. Consequently, werewolves were increasingly hunted by humans and ghosts, leading to their extinction. The remaining werewolves became even more elusive, their whereabouts never mentioned again. However, there are vague rumors of werewolves appearing among the Thracians of ancient Greece, making the whereabouts of the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blades even more mysterious and a mystery.

The old sorcerer exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected you to have gotten your hands on these treasures. How did you manage to do that?" He listened with great interest as the fat man embellished his account of our tomb-raiding adventures on the remote island overseas. He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and nodded with a smile, "The three of you are truly divine beings in golden armor."

The Golden-Armored Divine Man is a low-ranking guardian warrior of the True Spirit Tuga Deity in the Ganan sect.

As midnight approached, the old wizard suddenly waved his hand solemnly, and the cave immediately fell silent. The seven evil spirits silently landed on the old wizard's shoulder.

Strange noises could be faintly heard outside the cave, followed by a chilling silence.

Volume Two, Chapter Fifty: The Giant Tapir Corpse Demon

Suddenly, the sound of AK47 submachine guns firing fiercely rang out from outside the cave. There was more than one; the machine gun fire flashed and intertwined outside the cave entrance, creating a bright light. The gunfire was accompanied by faint screams of pain.

Fatty and I slipped to the cave entrance and peeked out. We saw several burly men at the cave entrance, sprawling and firing submachine guns, falling to the ground in a heap. In the blink of an eye, they were frozen solid, their bodies shattering into pieces and falling to the ground in a chaotic mess.

First, countless fine lines appeared on their faces, cracking inch by inch. Then, their entire bodies and limbs followed suit, the cracks spreading inch by inch, like flowers blooming or glass shattering. In an instant, the cracks spread throughout their bodies, scattering like dust on the ground. Chunks of flesh, like walnuts, wrapped in a reddish-white layer of ice and snow, landed at the cave entrance. A few even bounced and hopped down to my and Fatty's feet, making me want to vomit. I thought to myself, I'll never eat stewed beef and potatoes again in my life.

Clearly, these burly men wanted to sneak into the cave and wipe us out. The fat man sighed and shook his head, saying, "I'm sorry to have wronged you all, you innocent victims. Next time you're reborn as humans, be smarter and more resourceful, don't just act as someone's pawn."

Before he could finish speaking, a huge figure crashed in, surprisingly unharmed. This creature bared its fangs and claws, spewing out a cloud of green mist at the cave entrance. Instantly, several large, dead jade silkworms fell from the cave ceiling, clearly indicating that the green mist had instantly broken the Heavenly Silkworm Gu curse the old wizard had placed at the cave entrance.

Fatty and I realized things were going badly, and shouted, "The wind's getting strong, let's get out of here!" We tumbled into the cave and ran to the old sorcerer's altar, where we met up with Shirley Yang and our guide, Agan.

By the dim candlelight on the table, one could vaguely see the huge creature that had rushed in walking upright. From a distance, it was clearly a giant bear.

The old sorcerer's sallow face grew solemn as he chanted incantations and shouted, "Go!" The seven evil spirits on his shoulder suddenly flew out and flew towards the giant bear in mid-air.

The giant bear-man took three steps at a time and pounced into the cave. Seeing the Seven Fiends pounce on its head, it suddenly crouched low, its limbs on the ground, resembling a giant wild boar. It spread its legs and quickly reached the edge of the cave, only to be met by the Seven Fiends' grotesque laughter as they pounced down to block its path. The two monsters, one large and one small, immediately began to tumble and tear at each other, filling the cave with eerie screams.

At this moment, we could clearly see that the huge monster was covered in blood and flesh, without a single piece of skin, looking like a beast that had been skinned alive and was about to be slaughtered. But judging from its constantly moving short nose, it looked more like a giant pig.

During the fight, this thing constantly extended and retracted its nose, accompanied by a whistling sound, continuously spewing out plumes of foul-smelling green mist from its nasal cavities, reminiscent of rotting matter from a swamp. This green mist slowly enveloped its entire body.

Its fore and hind limbs were unusually short and thick, disproportionate to its massive body, which was about one and a half times the height of a person. Watching it stand upright, extending its long brown fangs to tear and scratch at the Seven Fiends little devils that kept approaching us, Shirley Yang, Fatty, and I were all unsure of its origin.

At that moment, our guide, Agan, quietly took several gas masks from the bags we had brought behind us and handed them to the three of us, gesturing for us to put them on. I had just taken the mask and hadn't even put it on when a wisp of green mist was inhaled. I immediately felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground with a thud. My consciousness suddenly became clouded, and I felt a tearing pain all over my body, as if I were being ripped apart, but I couldn't cry out.

I vaguely heard Shirley Yang and Fatty shouting in my ears. It was as if someone had stuffed a bitter, foul-smelling pill into my mouth. The medicine flowed into my lungs, and I immediately regained consciousness. A protective mask was instantly put on my face, and Fatty helped me up.

I heard our guide, Agan, tell us that this was the number one corpse curse—the giant tapir corpse curse—of the Ananda Kinmu sect, the leading branch of the ancient Brahmanic sorcery and black magic sect in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

It turned out that the old sorcerer, upon seeing the triangular yellow talisman Shirley Yang had given him the day before, knew he had offended the extremely insidious and ruthless sorcery cult, the Ananda-Ninja Cult. This cult was powerful, its external operations encompassing major drug lords like Sa Teng from Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle, the anti-government Chiang Rai Army (a force of several thousand men from the remnants of the Kuomintang's 381st Division during the late Republic of China era), and numerous local gangsters. Internally, it vehemently suppressed other native Thai sorcery cults, attempting to dominate and control the mainstream of sorcery in Southeast Asia. However, because most native Thai sorcery cults were confined to their own regions and possessed their own powerful techniques, they couldn't be eradicated simply by numbers, thus creating a temporary stalemate.

The prophecy on the triangular yellow talisman was a teaching of Jainism, the precursor to ancient Brahmanism, which is why the old sorcerer, unwilling to get involved, wanted to drive us away. Later, he discovered we carried the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Swords, the clan's most prized possession, and felt that with this magical weapon, we could surely destroy the Brahmanic sorcery cult and greatly benefit the local indigenous sects. Therefore, he changed his mind and agreed to cooperate with us.

This giant tapir corpse was a remnant of an ancient tapir (the only one of its kind in the world), which Ananda, through his cult of witchcraft, had somehow obtained. He placed a Five Poison Gu curse (a Gu King curse combining the poisons of spiders, centipedes, snakes, scorpions, and toads) on its body, used mercury to remove its entire skin, and immersed it in an ancient swamp. He then maintained an altar day and night, chanting incantations to control its spirit, creating this corpse demon after ten years of this process. This giant tapir corpse is extremely poisonous; ordinary curses will kill it instantly upon approach, and it cannot be harmed by swords or spears. Furthermore, killing its physical body will not kill it; it is utterly ineffective against this creature.

Moreover, the tapir, also known as the "four unlikes," is an animal that excels at diving and swimming and possesses immense strength. The giant tapir, in particular, became extinct on Earth tens of thousands of years ago and no longer exists. It is said that it could breathe out clouds and mist, creating miasma, to hunt and eat all living things.

When the giant tapir corpse appeared, the Ananda-near-mother sorcery cult claimed that all sorcery sects in Southeast Asia should respect it, and thus developed the idea of dominating the mainstream. They used the giant tapir corpse as a weapon of murder, rampaging and killing, burning, looting and doing whatever they wanted. Ordinary native sorcery sects dared not speak out against it.

Right there, the giant tapir corpse and the seven evil spirits were locked in a fierce battle, their cries echoing. The seven evil spirits, relying on their agility, flew through the air like ghostly heads, swift as arrows, relentlessly attacking the giant tapir corpse on the ground, tearing chunks of its rotting flesh whenever they had a chance. The giant tapir corpse, enraged, chased after them in all directions, its green mist enveloping the entire area. Fortunately, the old sorcerer had timely erected a wall of miasma three feet in front of the offering table, preventing the monster from crashing in and harming the innocent.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside the cave, as if something was rushing in. In a moment of panic, the fat man took out two cold fireworks, lit them, and threw them at the cave entrance. The fireworks hit something and fell to the ground, where they were immediately engulfed by a group of crawling creatures.

The faint, cold light illuminated the surrounding objects, revealing a ground teeming with venomous snakes, spiders, centipedes, scorpions, toads, and other poisonous creatures. These things instantly swarmed across the ground, attacking the cave. Damn it, it's the Five Poison Gu! We were terrified; we'd be bitten to death by these venomous creatures. The thought sent chills down my spine.

The old wizard, undeterred, disdainfully lit a tinderbox, muttered incantations, bit his tongue, and spat out a mouthful of blood mist onto the tinderbox, which immediately blazed brightly. He grabbed a handful of medicinal powder and tossed it into the air. Once the powder landed, he casually tossed the tinderbox aside; it flew more than ten feet and landed on the ground at the cave entrance. Suddenly, flames spread across the ground, burning the numerous poisonous insects with crackling sounds, like a hurricane sweeping through, instantly turning the ground to ashes and filling the air with a pungent, burnt smell.

At this moment, the giant tapir corpse demon, which was locked in combat, suddenly went berserk and pounced on the wall of miasma repeatedly, as if someone was remotely controlling it, completely ignoring the seven little demons that landed on its back and tore at it.

The old sorcerer, his face grave, chanted incantations, repeatedly channeling his inner energy to reinforce the wall of miasma. He then pulled out two red pills, instructing Shirley Yang and me to swallow them, and handed us the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blades, guiding us to escape the wall of miasma and attack the giant tapir corpse.

The fat man grabbed the dagger, ready to take my place, but the old wizard flew into a rage, waving his hand and sending something shoving the fat man so hard he fell on his backside. The fat man scrambled to his feet, muttering curses as he opened his mouth.

I signaled to Fatty that I was fine and in good spirits, then stretched my limbs and, together with Shirley Yang, leaped out of the wall of miasma. Our combined strength clashed, unleashing a burst of brilliant light. The crimson blades, like sharp blades of energy, sliced through chunks of rotten flesh from the giant mob corpse. It turns out that this Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blade requires a loving couple to use it together to further activate its yin and yang attributes and unleash its greater power. Looks like Fatty and I have been using it recklessly before.

The giant tapir-like corpse demon cried out in pain, repeatedly unleashing its green mist and miasma towards me and Shirley Yang. Unfortunately, the green mist and miasma vanished the moment it touched the red blade's edge. The seven demonic offspring, also greatly invigorated, dodged the red blade's edge while seizing an opportunity to gouge out one of the giant tapir-like corpse demon's right eyes.

I called out to Shirley Yang, "Cut off its short nose first to stop the green mist."

Shirley Yang nodded in agreement, and we went up hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. A flash of red light, and both blades shot out, plunging into the giant tapir's short nostrils. We twisted them apart, ripping the tapir's nose to shreds. The Seven Fiends were even more ruthless, seizing the opportunity to bite off the giant tapir's corpse-like left forearm.

The giant tapir roared and dragged the seven little demons out of the cave, tumbling and scrambling as it ran away into the distance. By the time Shirley Yang and I chased after it outside, the creature had vanished without a trace, and the seven little demons were nowhere to be seen either.

Then, the old sorcerer, carrying his tools, ran out of the cave, waved to us, and chased after us in the northwest. After turning through several woodlands, an altar indeed appeared in the darkness in the distance. Candlelight flickered on the altar, and a person with disheveled hair sat cross-legged behind it.

We followed and saw a yellow statue of Ananda, the goddess of the near mother, placed on the altar. This goddess rode a giant lion and had eighteen arms, each holding a different divine weapon, such as a wheel (symbolizing infinite time), a bow and arrow, a conch shell, a lotus flower, a celestial staff, a sword, and flames. The most eye-catching of all was a long, twisted poisonous snake.

Behind the altar stood the mysterious old woman who had given us the triangular yellow talisman in Savannah. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she muttered incantations; clearly, the giant tapir corpse she controlled had been injured, and this injury had also affected her, the caster of the black magic.

When we arrived, we saw the Seven Fiend Ghost Infants screaming and being gripped by the neck by the giant tapir's remaining right hand, their lives hanging by a thread. They were just waiting for the mysterious old woman's command to crush the Seven Fiend Ghosts and severely injure the old sorcerer who raised them.

The old shaman waved us off, stopping us in our tracks, and began to speak cautiously with the mysterious old woman. Our guide, Agan, translated their whispered conversation for us. Most of it concerned old grievances; it turned out this mysterious old woman was not only a leading member of the Ananda-Princess-Slaying Cult, but also apparently the old shaman's ex-wife. Because of their disagreements and frequent arguments, the old woman ran away from home and was seduced by the leader of the Ananda-Princess-Slaying Cult, joining the cult and becoming sworn enemies with the old shaman.

The old woman accused her ex-husband of ruining her plans and helping them harm her. The sorcerer, however, criticized his ex-wife for going astray, being ruthless, and should have turned back from her misguided ways as soon as possible.

The two argued increasingly tensely, when suddenly the old woman waved her hand. The giant mob-like demon behind her suddenly unleashed its power, letting out a bloodcurdling scream as the seven-evil ghost infant's head was twisted off, its body severed from its head, instantly dying. At the same time, the old sorcerer groaned, staggered a few steps, and collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. It seemed this curse required the caster's lifeblood as a catalyst, harming not only others but also the caster afterward—truly a curse with endless consequences.

The old woman pointed into the air with a whoosh, and the giant tapir-like corpse leaped over the altar, charging towards us. Enraged, I grabbed Shirley Yang and charged forward, unleashing both swords. The red blades instantly grew longer, encircling the giant tapir-like corpse within layers of blades, slashing it until it was covered in wounds.

The old woman was clearly caught off guard by this ambush. Upon seeing this, she was stunned for a moment, then screamed in horror, trying to summon back the giant tapir corpse demon. Unfortunately, it was too late. Shirley Yang and I seized the opportunity and, in perfect unison, slashed down with our twin swords. The red blades forcefully split the giant tapir corpse demon's pointed head in two.

The monstrous thing, holding its two halves of its head, couldn't stop itself and rushed forward two steps before collapsing with a thud, its corpse lying exposed in the wilderness. The old woman responded by falling onto the altar, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

The stubborn old woman drew a talisman with her blood, and with a whoosh, she threw out a handful of dark, flying objects. I pulled Shirley Yang behind me and swung my knife to meet the attack. But these flying objects could actually swirl in the air; they were clearly a large swarm of black bee gu. I couldn't escape in time, and my right wrist, which was holding the knife, was instantly stung. My vision went black immediately, and I felt my entire arm swell up with a stinging pain.

At the critical moment, the wounded old sorcerer threw a handful of Heavenly Silkworm Jade Gu into the sky, which restrained the Black Bee Gu. The Heavenly Silkworm Gu and the Black Bee Gu turned to ashes at the same time.

But then the old woman ripped off her black veil, revealing a gaunt old woman with a pale, ashen face. Her face was ashen, and she was furious. She yelled and grabbed a long hairpin sealed in a jar of insect-borne poison from the altar, and with lightning speed, plunged it straight into the center of her head.

I vaguely heard Shirley Yang and the others scream, and saw the old woman suddenly bite her tongue, chanting incantations, her body exploding into a shower of blood as she rushed towards us. I could no longer control myself and fainted...

When I woke up again, I was lying on a Simmons bed in a hotel room in Bangkok. Shirley Yang was fast asleep in a chair by the bed. I noticed that she had dark circles under her eyes and looked haggard, clearly having not slept well for the past few days.

Shirley Yang was startled awake. She smiled kindly and said, "You're all set."

I asked the fat man how he was doing, how he was doing, and what about the old sorcerer and the mysterious old woman?

Shirley Yang handed me a glass of sugar water, smiled and said, "Take your time, drink some water first, then we can talk. You've been asleep for a whole day and night."

It turned out that in the final battle that night, the old woman in black, in her desperation and eagerness to win, used the most terrifying black magic technique in the Ananda-Mother Black Magic Cult—the Blood Explosion Technique. She used her own body as a poison bomb, detonating it instantly, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere. Anyone splashed on it would surely die.

Seeing the danger, the old sorcerer lunged forward, forming a barrier of black mist to block our path. He himself was struck by the blood explosion and could not be saved. These two were mortal enemies, battling with black magic their entire lives, yet in the end, they both met their demise. It could be said that they got what they sought, whether it benevolence or wisdom.

Hearing this, I felt very sad. I never expected that our actions would implicate the originally peaceful and inactive old sorcerer.

Before leaving, Shirley Yang asked her guide, Agan, to hand over the Evil Blood Mandarin Duck Blades, a weapon the old sorcerer had cherished and which concerned the reputation of their sect, to the new head sorcerer of the Ganan sect in Ganan village. The new sorcerer helped me break the curse of the Black Bee Gu.

The following day, Shirley Yang specially took a check for five million Thai baht to the bank to process the donation, which was quickly donated to the headquarters of Kanam Village.

Volume Two, Chapter Fifty-One: The Fire Centipede and the Burning Spirit True Flame

Brahmanism is one of the ancient religions of India, originating from Vedic religion around 2000 BC and taking shape in the 7th century BC. The 6th century BC to the 4th century AD was the golden age of Brahmanism. After the 4th century AD, due to the rise of Buddhism and Jainism, Brahmanism began to decline.

In the 8th and 9th centuries AD, Brahmanism absorbed some doctrines from Buddhism and Jainism, combined with Indian folk beliefs, and underwent reforms by Shankara, gradually developing into Hinduism. Hinduism and Brahmanism are not fundamentally different; their doctrines are basically the same. Both worship the three major gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, advocating karmic retribution, the cycle of rebirth, and that the form of reincarnation depends on one's actions in this life. Only by achieving "union with Brahman" can one attain liberation and enlightenment. Therefore, Hinduism is also called "Neo-Brahmanism," while earlier Brahmanism is called "Ancient Brahmanism."

Brahmanism worships nature gods and national gods, which later developed into the Inner Thirty-Seven Gods and the Outer Thirty-Seven Gods. Among the Inner Thirty-Seven Gods are Shiva (one of his incarnations is Ananda's mother), Ganesha, and the goddess of wisdom, Tulasadi. Among the Outer Thirty-Seven Gods, Indra is the first deity, the lord of all gods. Therefore, early Brahmanism was a blend of Buddhism and Brahmanism. Generally, the conch shell is the object held by Vishnu, the god of Brahmanism; the wave pattern symbolizes Vishnu's dragon mount playing in the water when he rests; the trident is Shiva's object; and the auspicious Vesak symbolizes Vishnu's wife, Lakshmi.

However, our biggest problem now is that Fatty and our guide Agan have been asking around for a long time, but they still can't find the exact location of Ananda's near-Mother Goddess Tomb. Shirley Yang's brow furrowed with anxiety; after all, her father had been missing for a long time, with no trace of him, neither alive nor dead. Now, having finally gotten a clue, the lead had been cut off by the death of the mysterious old woman.

Just then, someone came to the door. It was a handsome young man from Bangkok, with a refined and cultured demeanor. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, had a straight nose and handsome eyebrows, and was a typical Thai heartthrob. He was dressed in a stylish and well-tailored white suit, which made him look even more dashing.

I was leaning against the headboard, analyzing the possible location of Ananda's mausoleum with Shirley Yang using a map of Thailand. In general, while Bangkok is a beautiful place, it doesn't conform to the various dragon and phoenix burial methods in Chinese Feng Shui; there's absolutely no clue whatsoever.

Hearing a polite, rhythmic knock, Shirley Yang opened the door. The handsome Thai man greeted her politely in English and handed her his business card.

After looking at it, Shirley Yang explained to me that this was Susa, a PhD student in Religious Studies at Stanford University.

Susa chatted with us very politely for a long time, but Shirley Yang and I still couldn't figure out his true intentions.

I simply asked him directly: "Excuse me, do you, as a doctoral student, know about the Ananda Mausoleum in Bangkok?"

This callow youth actually nodded and answered "I know" in English. He said he knew, which greatly surprised us. Shirley Yang, disregarding her feminine modesty, stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and asked, "Susa, where is the Divine Tomb?"

Susa smiled and took out a self-made map of Bangkok from his pocket, handing it to Shirley Yang. The map clearly indicated that beneath the main building of Wat Arun in Bangkok, there was a larger underground mausoleum, which was very likely the legendary mausoleum of Ananda, the mother goddess worshipped in ancient Brahmanism.

After looking at it for a while, Shirley Yang suddenly calmed down, looked directly at the uninvited guest Susa, and asked, "I wonder what reward you have for providing us with this illustration?"

A look of pain suddenly appeared on Susa's handsome face. After hesitating for a long time, he said, "I only ask to go with you to the tomb of Ananda and his mother to see the splendor of the underground divine tomb. This is my academic and professional duty. Please believe in my sincerity."

Before long, Fatty and their guide, Agan, rushed back from outside. Judging from Fatty's disappointed expression, they had clearly not found any useful clues. I gestured to Shirley Yang that for now, we could only trust this uninvited guest, Susa.

Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, is a temple built to commemorate King Taksin (of Chinese descent), the 41st monarch of Thailand. In 1768, King Taksin led the people of various ethnic groups in Thailand to successfully drive out foreign invaders and defend Thailand's territorial sovereignty. Today, the Royal Thothikating Festival, held annually in December, remains a grand festival for the Thai people to commemorate King Taksin.

After checking her luggage, Shirley Yang asked her guide, Agan, to purchase a large quantity of essential supplies locally, including the renowned Thai canned pineapple. That afternoon, Shirley Yang, Fatty, and I, guided by the handsome Thai man, Susa, first went to Wat Arun to scout out the location and explore the terrain.

Bangkok, originally meaning "City of Angels," was a small fishing village over two centuries ago. In 1782, King Rama I of Thailand moved the capital here, and Bangkok began its prosperous development. Today, driving through the city, one can see many typical Siamese (the old name for Thailand) style buildings, pure white and exquisitely beautiful. Pagodas and temples abound, standing in a staggered array along the banks of the Weinan River, giving one the illusion of being in a Buddhist kingdom. Monks can often be seen begging for alms from sailors and fishermen on the riverbank, revealing a deeper layer of the divine beauty inherent within this bustling capital.

We strolled through most of the city and arrived at the Zhengwang Temple on the right bank of the Weinan River. Upon entering the temple, we were greeted by a colossal guardian statue, tall and imposing, inspiring awe. Inside the temple courtyard were five pagodas, one large and four small. The largest pagoda, a 79-meter-high Brahman-style spire—the Phra Phrom—was built in 1809 and is often called the "Eiffel Tower of Thailand." From a distance, it resembled a lighthouse at sea; the five identical pagodas appeared exceptionally elegant in the sunlight. As we walked among the tourists from various countries and the meek monks, our hearts sank. The terrain was simple, and there were an unusually large number of people; it was impossible to dig a tunnel into the temple from the surrounding area.

We climbed the stairs inside the five pagodas to the top, overlooking the Bangkok city across the river. We noticed that Wat Arun's layout resembled a chessboard, with the five pagodas occupying key positions, and the largest, the Prambang Pagoda, located at the "gate of life." Therefore, I could confidently conclude that the entrance to the underground mausoleum should be inside the Prambang Pagoda. Given the current situation, the easiest, yet most dangerous, method was to enter the Ananda's Mother Mausoleum through the main entrance. It was easy because it avoided the inconvenience and trouble of digging a tunnel in another location; it was dangerous because the entrances to underground mausoleums throughout history have been equipped with trapdoors and hidden pits—entering rashly would be tantamount to suicide.

We went back to the hotel and discussed it for a long time. Due to the current situation, we finally decided to look for the secret entrance inside the Great Barang Tower to enter the tomb of Ananda near the Mother Goddess.

At midnight that night, Shirley Yang, Fatty, Susa, our guide Agan, and I, carrying our bags, sneaked into the Taman Arun temple tower.

Armed with wolf-eye flashlights, we searched the tower thoroughly, but found nothing. Finally, I climbed the stairs and found a dark, untouched section of wall between the walls of the second floor. I pressed the hinge, and a dark hole appeared in the wall.

The fat man skillfully lowered a cage containing a live rat to test the air quality inside the cave. We took the opportunity to sit down and each ate some dry rations. After waiting for about ten minutes, the fat man pulled the live rat back up. Seeing it was healthy, we put on gas masks and climbed down the ropes. Before going down, Shirley Yang carefully piled up the empty pineapple cans and concealed them in a corner of the tower. I was the last to go down, and once inside, I restored the dark walls to their original state.

Shirley Yang and Fatty, using wolf-eye flashlights, climbed all the way to the bottom of the cave. Calculating the height, it was exactly a few meters longer than the base of the Barang Pagoda. It seemed we had slid down to the very foundation of the Barang Pagoda.

The ground beneath their feet was covered in smooth, flat granite slabs. A downward-sloping passage led from the bottom of the cave, without any steps. Susa was ahead, about to walk through, when the fat man pulled him back, hissing, "Are you out of your mind? You want to get everyone killed?"

I squeezed to the front of the line and tentatively knocked on the stone wall of the passageway, but there was no response. The fat man casually tossed a can of pineapple into his hand and rolled it down the middle of the passageway. Suddenly, the walls of the passageway caved in, and black mist billowed out. Within the mist, countless monsters roared and surged, revealing a deadly intent.

I turned to look at Shirley Yang. This didn't seem like any kind of trap or hidden weapon; it was more like something related to black magic or witchcraft. Shirley Yang, Fatty, and I were completely clueless about this, so we could only pin our hopes on our guide, Agan. Unexpectedly, when Agan saw us looking at him, he hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head, saying, "No, no, I'm just a layman too." This guy really washed his hands of it; he must be an idiot, just a spectator.

We had no choice but to prepare to back down. The fat man cursed angrily at the thought of the army's rapid rout. Just then, the handsome Susa gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, and whispered to us in a barely audible voice, "May I give it a try?"

"Let him try?!" We stared in astonishment at the seemingly weak and refined scholar. The fat man couldn't help but grin and said, "Buddy, do you know what this is? It's an evil curse. If you get tainted by it, you won't even know how you died. And you still want to show off?"

Susa silently walked to the entrance of the passage, removed his gas mask, took out some yellow talismans from his small backpack, chanted incantations, and shouted "Go!" The talismans in his hand flew out like paper dragons, fluttering left and right in the passage, absorbing wisps of black mist. Meanwhile, small insects like gnats continuously flew out from between the stone walls of the passage, were collected on the talismans, and the yellow quickly turned completely black. When no more insects flew out from between the stone walls, Susa formed a lotus-finger gesture with his hands and shouted in a deep voice, "Return!" The talisman dragons turned around and flew back, stopping three steps away, three feet in front of them, heavy and motionless. Susa reached into his backpack with his left hand and pulled out a handful of red powder. He drew a talisman and cast a spell, then swung it around in the air. The powder enveloped the paper dragon, which trembled like a sieve, bursting into flames everywhere. The flames surged and instantly burned all the mosquitoes on its body to ashes, which then scattered and disappeared in the passageway.