Chapter Fifty-Eight — How to Vanquish the Thief in the Heart

The Lady in Green lightly waved her sleeve and put away the Five-Wild Battle-Troop Talisman.

In the air there rose a bronze ancient mirror; its surface rippled like spring water, and a picture appeared — like a television of later ages.

Within was a fat man in official robe, bound to a stone pillar, his whole body burning with red flame that charred him to coke, then restored him, then burned again.

So it cycled, torment without cease.

The official kept screaming, crying "I know my wrong!" "Mercy!" and the like — but that red flame seemed endless, and even blood poured upon it could not quench it.

Li Daoxuan's gaze moved; this should be the karma-fire. His master had said that one who bears guilt, touched by this fire, is undying until it ends — only the Yellow Springs' water may quench it.

After a time the official had fainted; though he was a soul-body, he still felt pain to fainting, yet the karma-fire, like a bone-maggot, still burned.

Several ghost-officers came and unbound him from the pillar, then pierced his pipa-bone with a sickle-hook and flung him into a yellow river.

The instant he fell into the water, the red karma-fire at last went out.

But the official gave a yet more wretched scream; he at once woke from his faint, his whole body trembling, giving off cold.

Soon he was frozen into an ice-statue and sank into the water.

Li Daoxuan clicked his tongue — so this was the Yellow Springs' water; his master had said this water is of extreme yin and cold, able even to freeze a man's soul; a dead soul crossing the Yellow Springs must ride the soul-ferry boat, for if he falls in he is frozen into an ice-block and sleeps never waking.

The ghost-officers dragged with their hooks and hauled the official up; they smashed the ice, ignoring his pleas, rebound him to the stone pillar, lure the Nine-Nether karma-fire, and burn again.

The screams went on…

Many at the feast shuddered within; better soul-scattered than such torment.

"Good sirs, this man in life was a great corrupt official; he sucked the bone and marrow of the people, of extreme greed; even in a year of disaster he trafficked grain, bringing ruin to countless families — at last he was beheaded in the street."

The Lady in Green told of the official's life, a thread of loathing in her eyes.

"This man after death entered my Blue Netherworld; this seat examined his three-life merit and found his first two lives both good men, with much yin-de; though this life is flawed, he may yet be reborn to human form — even serve as some local minor official."

The Lady in Green, emulating the likes of the Lord of Mount Tai and the Emperor of Fengdu, would build an ordered yin-office, and naturally could not judge alone by her likes and dislikes, but by yin-de.

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"But though this man says 'I know my wrong,' he has in truth fallen into the money-hole, bone-deep greedy; if he cannot truly repent, in his next life he will likely harm again."

She paused and looked to the hall. "Good sirs — is there a method to cure his greed?"

Someone could not help saying, "Lady, is there not the Mengpo soup? Drink it and forget this life's experience — naturally he would no longer be greedy."

Fairy Que jumped out and shook her head. "Mengpo is gone — where to get Mengpo soup? The Mengpo soup of our Blue Netherworld now is the Forget-Worry Soup the Lady brews; it too can erase memory, but some few habits still linger."

Li Daoxuan understood — the so-called Forget-Worry Soup was a low-spec Mengpo soup; the official, after drinking it, would lose his memory, but the habit of greed might remain.

The Lady in Green said calmly, "Good sirs, is there a solution?"

The hall fell to hard thought; all knew this was the Lady in Green's test — one who could solve this would surely win the Lady's favor!

But if even karma-fire and the Yellow Springs were useless, what method could they have?

After a moment someone spoke. "Lady, might you give him to me — I will refine him into a puppet, never to be reborn!"

The Lady in Green gave him a calm glance and said nothing.

That one at once shut his mouth, knowing the Lady displeased with this proposal.

Wang Bo of the Horse-Riding line spoke. "Lady, why reborn such a bad one — in my view, just lock him in the Blue Netherworld until he repents and awakens!"

The Lady in Green said nothing; the old woman beside her shook her head. "This method takes too long, and its effect uncertain — not advisable."

The fox-spirit Red Aunt offered, "Lady, this concubine has a charm-art that may change a man's mind — might I try?"

The old woman's eyes lit, but after a thought she shook her head. "Charm-art is good, but once he cycles through rebirth all arts are broken — unless you cultivate to the realm of the Nine-Tail Heavenly Fox."

Hearing this, Red Aunt sighed and could but stand helpless.

The Nine-Tail Heavenly Fox — a legend among fox-demons; it is said only the Qingqiu line may cultivate it, standing beside the immortals and Buddhas.

For a time the hall fell silent; not one could offer counsel.

The Lady in Green looked around, and at last her gaze rested on one.

Li Daoxuan was hunched low, brow lowered, staring at his feet; he had made his resolve — he would not speak, even if beaten to death!

Yet a clear, cold voice rang out.

"Li Daoxuan, what is your view?"

Swish, swish, swish!

All looked to the ostrich-like Li Daoxuan — some envious, some admiring, some mocking, some gloating.

Just now so many had spoken and offered, and the Lady said nothing; now she asked Li Daoxuan of her own accord — plainly she placed high hope in this early-Bigu little Daoist.

But the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment; when this little Daoist answers nothing, it will be a fine joke.

Under all their gazes Li Daoxuan stood, bracing himself — truly, he felt as if a teacher had called him up in class to answer.

"Er… this question — I do not know—"

As Li Daoxuan meant to play dumb and muddle through, the Lady in Green seemed to see through his mind.

"Speak the truth."

Her voice was flat, gazing at Li Daoxuan quietly, like a calm sea hiding surging undercurrents.

Li Daoxuan's scalp tingled; under a ghost-immortal's gaze-threat, he could but speak his true thought.

"To vanquish the bandits in the mountains is easy; to vanquish the thief in the heart is hard. To make a man quickly abandon his greed is near impossible."

Hearing this, the Lady in Green's gaze dimmed slightly; within her was some disappointment.

Yet she did not blame Li Daoxuan — after all, even she had no very good method for this; and Li Daoxuan had but just stepped upon the cultivation's gate — what method could he have?

As she prepared to speak and end the feast, she heard Li Daoxuan's voice go on.

"To make him greatly awaken is indeed unlikely — but if the aim is only to cure the greed-habit, this poor Daoist may have a trick."

The Lady in Green's eyes moved; she had not expected this little Daoist truly to have a method — though he had not yet said it, his confident look plainly held confidence in that method.

"What method?"

Li Daoxuan smiled faintly and spoke a startling line.

"Since he wants silver, then, Lady, why not give him silver — present him a gold mountain and a silver mountain!"