Chapter Twenty-Nine: Mingzhen Enters the Mortal World and Founds a Private Underworld

“Han Chong.”
“Ouyang Jingguan, I greet the Master!”
“Since the Master already knows our purpose, I implore you to graciously descend the mountain and come to Pei Jun’s residence, to subdue the Ghost Ape King, bring blessings to the people, and eradicate evil spirits!”
Han Chong clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
“Amitabha. This old monk is already in the decline of life and unable to descend the mountain to assist you... Mingzhen.”
“Disciple is here!” The pure-faced young monk bowed in response.
“You have reached the age for entering the world. To step into the troubled world and spread the Dharma is the necessary path. You shall go down the mountain with these two.”
“Master, if I leave, you will be alone in the temple. Who will look after your daily needs?” The little monk hurriedly knelt, his eyes rimmed red.
“True Buddha-nature is not the form of mortals. Worldly worries and dust have no true shape; how can one wash a formless body with material means? You need not be overly concerned. This Demon-Subduing Alms Bowl is my cherished treasure; take it as you enter the world. If your mind is free of delusions, propagate the Dharma, and enlighten evil spirits. When you have transcended this world and extinguished suffering, all things will be empty, and you may enter samadhi and become Buddha. Go now...”
“As you command, Master!”
Though Mingzhen understood only half, he rose and took the blackened alms bowl from the old monk’s hands.
Han Chong and Ouyang Jingguan exchanged silent glances. They felt some regret that the Master could not descend the mountain himself, and some worry whether young Mingzhen could shoulder such a heavy task.
Han Chong had seen the Ghost Ape King’s power firsthand—it would take great magic to bring him down!
Yet since the Master could foresee events, and had given Mingzhen this sacred demon-subduing artifact, with the combined strength of all, the matter should progress smoothly.
After Mingzhen had performed three kneelings and nine kowtows, the three of them descended the mountain together. To their surprise, though Mingzhen looked young, his pace downhill easily matched the other two!
At the foot of the mountain, they mounted horses—Han Chong taking Mingzhen—and sped back along the road.
This time, Han Chong did not plan to summon the peach-blossom-eyed captain for the operation. After resting a night with Ouyang Jingguan and Mingzhen, they joined the two captains and Leng Yue, and the group headed straight to the banks of the Silver River the next day.
“Mingzhen, little master, the Ghost King is extremely fierce, dwelling in the underwater ghost city with hundreds of lesser ghosts under his command. Are you afraid?” Han Chong asked, observing Mingzhen’s calm, lake-like expression.
“A demon or ghost is but an evil spirit. As long as I keep the Buddha in my heart, I can subdue demons and exorcise evil!” Mingzhen pressed one palm upright before his chest, supporting the alms bowl, gazing at the surging river with eyes as tranquil as an ancient well.
“Everyone, I see a small islet north of the river’s center. It is well-suited for ambushing the Ghost King. You should lie in wait there. I will lure the one-horned Ghost King onto the islet, and together we shall destroy him! What do you think?”
“Excellent! Captain Han, we’ll follow your plan. That Ghost King shall die today!” Captain Wu clapped Han Chong on the shoulder in agreement.
The party took a fishing boat to the islet. Han Chong clasped hands and took his leave.
“Wait, Brother Han. I know you can turn invisible, but demons and ghosts have keen senses, especially smell. I have here a sachet of scent-banishing silver carbon powder; it will remove all human scent. Apply it to your body, and your invisibility will be flawless!”

Ouyang Jingguan produced a small yellow packet and handed it to Han Chong.
“Brother Ouyang, your foresight is truly meticulous. With such a rare item, I will be able to penetrate the ghost city deeper and with far greater safety!”
Han Chong’s eyes sparkled. Last time, while using his invisibility, the Corpse Consort Wang Yu had found him by scent. He’d been frustrated, with no solution—he hadn’t expected Ouyang Jingguan, more attentive even than a woman, to make the connection after seeing his invisibility just once and offer such a gift!
Han Chong had planned to kill a few lesser ghosts to lure the Ghost King out, but with the scent-banishing powder, he now entertained a bold idea:
If he could infiltrate the ghost city and deliver a heavy blow to the Ghost King first, their chances of victory would soar!
He applied the powder all over, then dove into the river.
With his aquatic arts, Han Chong moved effortlessly toward the submerged ghost city.
Nearing the city, he activated his invisibility and finally came to rest before the city gates.
Everywhere he looked, wandering water ghosts and lost souls drifted aimlessly, but the deeper into the city, the tighter the security.
At the gates, a thin film of ghostly vapor kept the river water at bay. Han Chong strolled inside, feeling neither damp nor cold.
...
“Lord Ghost King, you are truly mighty! The Office for Slaying Demons sent so many, but all were routed by you, left in disarray and terror!” a coquettish voice laughed from the depths of the grand hall. Han Chong followed the sound.
He saw the one-horned Ghost Ape King reclined on a black jade throne, the White Jade Serpent Demon nestled against him, flattering and coy.
“Hmph! You little vixen, it’s your fault I’m in this mess. Of all the places to run, you had to come to my ghost city and get me wounded.”
Though the Ghost Ape King enjoyed her embrace, he still snorted coldly, anger in his tone.
“Oh, but I only admire you, my lord! Besides, I had nowhere else to flee in that desperate moment. And who knows who played that trick—disguised as Lord Lingzhen and made me drink realgar wine. I was half-dead! Lord Ghost King, you must avenge me!” Her narrow eyes flashed coldly, and she ground her teeth at the memory.
“Hmph! I suspect someone in the Demon-Slaying Office is behind this. I too fell victim to their tricks the other day! If I catch them, I’ll gouge out their eyes, cut out their tongue, rip out their heart and gut them, to vent my hatred!”
Han Chong watched the pair hurl curses at him, face dark as water.
But then he heard a strange wailing from behind the palace—there was another hall!
Walking over, Han Chong stopped, stunned. It was an enormous, eerie dungeon, hundreds of feet across!
The prison had three levels, cells every ten feet, each guarded by little ghosts.
On the lowest level, there were oil cauldrons, scorching racks, torture boards—the very image of the Eighteen Hells!
But the weeping came from special cells on the uppermost floor, each holding a beautiful female ghost, sobbing pitifully.
One was especially striking—more delicate and lovely even than Ruyan, the white rat demon in disguise. The yin energy around her was purer than all the others combined, making her seem all the more pitiable and enchanting!
So the Ghost King wasn’t just preventing souls from reincarnating and building a ghost city, as rumors said—he was also a wicked fiend, kidnapping beautiful female ghosts!
Han Chong burned with rage, his breath shallow, and turned back to the Ghost King’s hall.
To injure this fiend seriously, he’d have to strike where it hurt most for best effect.
He saw that the wound on the Ghost King’s ribs from the Demonbane peachwood sword had healed, but the spot on his thigh, where he’d been shot by the Peach Blossom Eyes’ Ghost-Bane arrow, was still festering.
From the arrow wound wisps of yellow-white vapor curled upward, the flesh around it black and swollen. The Ghost King grimaced with pain, wanting to clutch it but not daring to.
Though it wasn’t a fatal wound, it was clearly giving him agony!

Han Chong moved quietly to the black jade throne, gripped his Demonbane peachwood sword, and with a mighty cry, plunged it into the old arrow wound!
“Aaaargh!” The Ghost King howled in pain, almost bursting into tears!
Just as before, the peachwood sword emerged out of nowhere, its yellow talisman glinting—impossible to guard against!
Even in his own palace, the Ghost King found himself ambushed again by this human youth, and struck right at his already agonizing wound—this was humiliation and fury beyond words!
He, a mighty Ghost King, ruler of Pei Jun’s domain and the eight-hundred-mile Silver River, suffering repeated assassination attempts—an unspeakable disgrace!
Before the Ghost King and the White Jade Serpent could recover from shock, Han Chong exhaled a blast of blue flame, turning the throne into an inferno.
The pair beat at the flames in panic, the White Jade Serpent’s scales singed off in patches.
The Ghost King, swatting at the flames, spat black ghost-fire to smother the blue blaze, finally extinguishing it.
But Han Chong had already reached the palace gates. The Ghost King, enraged, eyes bulging, limped after him in mad pursuit!
Han Chong spat flames as he fled, burning up all lesser ghosts in his way, bursting from the ghost city and surging toward the river’s surface.
The Ghost King reached the gates but was suddenly halted by the White Jade Serpent’s cry.
“My lord, don’t chase him—there’s surely a trap above!”
The Ghost King paused, instantly regaining his composure. She was right: wounded as he was, with only seventy percent of his strength remaining, it was unwise to give chase.
Han Chong glanced back to see the Ghost King cursing and about to return to the ghost city. He stopped—this Ghost King and the Serpent were too cunning, refusing to take the bait!
Thinking fast, Han Chong recalled the beautiful, pitiable ghost he’d seen in the dungeon.
Casting his shape-changing art, he transformed into her form, let out a sharp, desperate cry, and instantly caught the Ghost King’s attention.
The Ghost King’s eyes bulged with fury, even greater than when Han Chong ambushed him. At last he lost all hesitation and charged after her!
Indeed, he was a true fiend for beauty. The one-horned Ghost King seemed bewitched, forgetting even his wounded thigh, swimming faster than ever!
Han Chong, in the guise of the ghost maiden, feigned panic and darted toward the small islet on the river, barely making it ashore, then sprinted toward the island’s center.
“Huh? What’s this?” The demon-slayers were puzzled; they’d expected Han Chong, but instead a ghost maiden emerged?
Hot on her heels, the one-horned Ghost Ape King burst from the water, relentless in pursuit!
Captain Wu bellowed, and the others appeared, surrounding the Ghost King. He realized the danger too late and panicked.
Just then, the ghost maiden Han Chong had become tripped and fell, turning a pitiful gaze toward the Ghost King, making no move to rise!
“Roar!” The Ghost Ape King howled with excitement, charging forward in frenzy, heedless of the ambush, determined to seize her at all costs!
The officers unleashed their skills, but could not inflict real harm on the Ghost King—he pressed on, drawing ever closer to the ghost maiden!
At that instant, a Buddhist chant rang out like a great bell, echoing across the land. Mingzhen, the young monk, sat cross-legged, the alms bowl on his knees, palms together, chanting expressionlessly.
A golden swastika Buddha seal revolved above his head, gathering power.
The black alms bowl shot upward, absorbed the Buddha seal, and suddenly crashed down upon the Ghost King’s back!
A thunderous boom shook the air, making the Ghost King vomit black blood, reeling and staggering.
Yet he hunched up and rose again, face crazed, lunging once more at the ghost maiden Han Chong had become.
Han Chong was bewildered—could the Ghost King truly have fallen in love with the form he now wore, so obsessively?