SLLBTT Chapter 43
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 43⊱⊷⋇
The abbot, accompanied by the Great King, left the meditation room, exited the door, and headed towards the Northern Pagoda.
The Northern Pagoda was located at the northernmost part of the temple. Last time Liu Jiao visited, the courtyard gate was tightly closed, denying guests. Now, the situation was the opposite. The gate was wide open, adorned with fresh flowers, welcoming visitors.
The Northern Pagoda was the place where the ashes of the Snow Wolf Kings from various generations were enshrined. Therefore, when the Snow Wolf King came to the Temple of Heavenly Emperor, he must visit the Northern Pagoda to offer incense to his ancestors.
The place was currently well-maintained, with stone towers rising inside the garden. Each stone tower housed the ashes of a Snow Wolf King. Looking up, the Snow Wolf King saw moss-covered stone towered against a dimming sky, dark clouds resembling sea waves rolling with the wind, giving a somewhat eerie feeling.
The abbot asked the Snow Wolf King, "Great King, do you wish to offer incense?"
The Snow Wolf King casually remarked, "There's moss on these stone towers."
The abbot cleared his throat and said, "Yes... um, it's because they haven't been properly cleaned. I am at fault. But with frequent rain and humidity in this area, these stone towers in the garden are exposed to the elements. Moss growth is unavoidable. The monks in the temple are human and cannot climb to the tops of the towers like supernatural beings to wipe them clean. Over the years, it's just..."
"I understand," nodded the Snow Wolf King. "That's all I wanted to say."
Saying this, the Snow Wolf King sighed again, "The graveyard's visitors have dispersed, birds have passed through the memorial site. Moss blankets the tombstones, and fame is no longer what it used to be... I fear that even after my passing, I'll be buried beneath a stone tower, honor gone, left to moss growing in solitude."
The abbot hastily reassured, "The monks will certainly ensure proper upkeep of the Great King's memorial tower, preventing any moss from growing on it."
The Snow Wolf King cast a sidelong glance at the abbot.
The abbot immediately realized his verbal misstep: wasn't this like cursing the Great King to death?
Unwilling to dwell on it, the Snow Wolf King cleared his throat and asked, "Where is my father's memorial tower?"
"Please come this way." The abbot led the Snow Wolf King to a particular memorial tower.
After inheriting the title, the Snow Wolf King swiftly bestowed royal recognition upon his biological father. Therefore, his father's remains were also moved here.
Standing before his father's memorial tower, the Snow Wolf King felt a deep sense of nostalgia. Recalling his father's words in the past, stating that despite being born into the divine lineage of the Snow Wolves, ascending to the throne was unlikely, and at best, he might become a noble. Throughout his life, his father was always just a "noble," but now, he had become a king.
"Ah, Father King..." sighed the Snow Wolf King, "I still remember when you sent me as a hostage to the Heavenly Palace, the days of my youth..."
The Snow Wolf King spoke, but his words suddenly halted. He scrutinized the stone tower and then asked the abbot, "Why is there no moss on my father's memorial tower?"
The abbot was taken aback, not expecting the Snow Wolf King to inquire about this. Nervously, he replied, "Well... this might be because this memorial tower was built after you posthumously recognized him. It's newer than the others, so it hasn't developed any moss."
The Snow Wolf King carefully observed the memorial tower. It was made of stone, adorned with a wooden plaque bearing the gilded inscription he personally wrote: "Admiring the universe, a hidden source of immortality." He recognized those eight words.
Frowning, the Snow Wolf King beckoned to those around him. "Take down the plaque."
The guards moved to climb up and remove the plaque, but the abbot intervened, "This is the memorial tower of the late king. How can we allow ordinary creatures to touch it?"
The Snow Wolf King explained, "These are my guards, who also cultivated in your temple. They're not ordinary creatures."
The abbot shook his head. "That won't do. If cultivating here exempts one from being considered an ordinary creature, then why are all the memorial towers in the Temples of Heavenly Emperor only allowed to be worshipped by humans?"
The Snow Wolf King couldn't provide a clear answer, as he wasn't well-versed in these doctrines.
Seeing the Snow Wolf King's silence, the abbot advised, "Great King, think twice, please don't disturb the soul of the former king!"
"Alright, ordinary creatures won't do," the Snow Wolf King said, "You go up and remove it."
The abbot hesitated and said, "Me? I... I can't climb up there. I might fall and die."
The Snow Wolf King laughed in exasperation. "Since neither you nor anyone else can do it, are the monks also incapable? In that case, how was this plaque hung in the first place?"
The abbot responded, "An envoy from the Heavenly Palace personally hung this plaque."
The Snow Wolf King was left speechless.
Seeing the Snow Wolf King relent, the abbot visibly sighed in relief.
The Snow Wolf King glanced at him, took a couple of steps, and suddenly said, "I, with divine bloodline, am not an ordinary creature, am I?"
The abbot was taken aback. "Huh?"
Without another word, the Snow Wolf King leaped lightly as if carried by the wind, gracefully passing over the top of the memorial tower. He effortlessly removed the plaque.
The abbot, shocked, exclaimed, "Great King!"
Placing the plaque on the ground, the Snow Wolf King said, "I suspect this plaque is newly made, not the one I bestowed."
The abbot fell to his knees with a thud, his face ashen, trembling, unable to speak.
The Snow Wolf King stepped on the plaque, coldly stating, "Such audacity! Daring to replace even the plaque bestowed by me?"
The abbot continued to kowtow, his forehead swollen. "I deserve death a thousand times over, but this... this was truly unavoidable!"
"Why was it unavoidable?" the Snow Wolf King asked. "What happened to the original plaque?"
Trembling, the abbot, along with the other monks, knelt on the ground, collectively shaking, creating a rhythmic motion.
The Snow Wolf King then pointed to a monk beside the abbot, "You, speak."
The monk only bowed repeatedly, "Replying to the Great King, here... here... something's not right, there... there's a haunting here!"
The Snow Wolf King sneered, "Nonsense! How could there be a haunting in such a sacred place?"
"It's true!" the monk earnestly claimed, "Maybe your dad faked his death!"
In response, the abbot slapped the monk. "What nonsense! Mind your words! Do you even know how to speak?"
The monk had no choice but to bow and say, "I deserve a thousand deaths! It's not your dad faking death. It's your father faking death!" (the last sentence is said in a formal/polite way)
Before the Snow Wolf King arrived, there were rumors about the haunting in the Northern Pagoda.
The incident couldn't be kept under wraps, especially since the abbot had gone out to find a Daoist priest to exorcise the ghost. The day after the priest received the request, he posted about it online: "Strange! Got called to exorcise a Buddhist temple. PS: I'm a Daoist." This post sparked discussions among netizens, and the Daoist continued to share more details. Many people guessed that it was the Temple of Heavenly Emperor experiencing paranormal activity.
Inside the Temple of Heavenly Emperor, with its diverse crowd, word spread rapidly.
Initially, the Snow Wolf King wouldn't have paid attention to these gossip-worthy news, but since he was coming to the Temple of Heavenly Emperor, his guards were put to observe. They reported the information, "Heard that there's a ghost haunting the Northern Pagoda of the Temple of Heavenly Emperor."
The Snow Wolf King proceeded to inquire in detail.
According to rumors, a monk tasked with guarding the Northern Pagoda had a sudden urge to relieve himself one night. He went to the memorial tower of the Snow Wolf King's father to answer nature's call. Unfortunately, during that period, he was suffering from kidney issues, resulting in a constant and irritating trickle that angered the late king beneath the snowy surface. The ghost emerged from the tower, scolding him for not using a proper restroom, urinating anywhere, and tarnishing the nation's image. Terrified, the monk sprinted away while screaming. He returned with companions to find that the Snow Wolf King's father's memorial tower had a hole, the ashes were gone, and the plaque had fallen and shattered.
Filled with fear, they hurriedly reported the incident to the abbot.
The abbot reassured them, "Fortunately, during the plaque-hanging ceremony, I took a photograph."
Armed with the photo, the abbot had a craftsman replicate an identical plaque. He then had workers repair the Snow Wolf King's father's memorial tower. As for the ashes, lost and unlikely to be discovered, he decided to overlook it. However, in his attempt to make everything look new, he inadvertently exposed the ruse to the keen eyes of the Snow Wolf King.
Now, as the Snow Wolf King pressed for details, the abbot revealed the entire incident.
The Snow Wolf King questioned, "Then why did you seek a Daoist?"
The abbot explained, "Because... I don't understand exorcism, I wanted to find a professional. After all, the situation was dire! Since that incident, strange occurrences have indeed taken place."
"Such as?"
The Snow Wolf King wore a skeptical expression.
"It's like something from a horror movie. When washing your face, someone would suddenly grab your hair from behind... blood coming out of the faucet... that sort of thing," the abbot shivered, "I was terrified."
The Snow Wolf King asked, "You were scared, and then what? You invited a Daoist to perform a ritual?"
"Yes, after the Daoist performed the ritual, there were indeed no more supernatural occurrences," the abbot praised, "Very effective."
The Snow Wolf King raised an eyebrow. "What did the Daoist say?"
"The Daoist said it was... it was related to... you..."
"My father haunting us?" the Snow Wolf King sneered, "Who saw the monk my father scared?"
The abbot hurriedly said, "He's already dead."
"Dead?" The Snow Wolf King felt something was amiss as he listened more. "How did he die?"
"Killed by a ghost. He was perfectly fine, and the next day, he died outside the memorial tower."
The Snow Wolf King coldly stated, "I, however, don't believe my father is an evil spirit. Today, I'll clear my father's name!" Saying this, the Snow Wolf King ordered someone to bring a hammer, intending to personally dismantle his father's tomb on the spot.
The Snow Wolf King lifted the hammer, seemingly as effortlessly as holding a brush, and casually struck the memorial tower twice. As the stone tower shattered, the debris flew, creating a cloud of dust that blinded the Snow Wolf King. He squinted, feeling uneasy. "This dust is not right!"
In an instant, a dark figure burst forth from the broken part of the tower, speeding towards the Snow Wolf King like a lightning bolt.
It turned out a large snake had leaped out of the tower, striking like lightning. Its teeth barely touched the Snow Wolf King's sleeve when a snow leopard, leaping down from a tree, fiercely bit onto the snake's body.