The curfew drum began to sound. Every ward and every market began driving the people home, and the streets were full of people hurrying on their way.

Xuanzang finished his inquiry with Zhao Fu and let him continue home to visit his parents. He and Li Chunfeng made their way back into the city, hurrying along in the sound of the evening drum. The two men went down Ganquan Avenue into the inner city, then along the very alley that Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang had just traveled, and arrived at Changning Ward.

On the street corner at the ward’s main entrance stood a tavern. The young lord Li Chan, dressed in plain cloth and hemp, was busily wiping down tables.

By all appearances Li Chan was quite enjoying the work. The proprietor and the serving staff treated him as one of their own. There weren’t many customers at this hour, and Li Chan was chatting and laughing with everyone while working efficiently. He happened to glance up — and saw Xuanzang. His face lit up with delight.

“Venerable!”

Li Chan threw down his cloth and came running out. “Oh, is that not Doctor Li? Have you come to drink?”

Li Chan grabbed Li Chunfeng enthusiastically and began pulling him toward the tavern, in a manner rather reminiscent of a host luring in guests.

Li Chunfeng quickly pulled his arm free. “Even if I were here to drink, I wouldn’t dare have a young lord wait on me. The Venerable Xuanzang has something important to discuss with you.”

Li Chan blinked, and seeing Xuanzang’s grave expression, quickly ushered them both into the tavern. He found a quiet spot by the window, and leaned in close, his voice low. “Master, what has happened?”

“Young Lord, can you reach the Prince of Linjiang as quickly as possible?”

Xuanzang asked.

“My father is in Guazhou right now.”

Li Chan thought for a moment. “But Wang Lishe has been in Dunhuang all along. Ever since I started working here as a helper, he has had guards keeping watch not far away. If the Venerable needs him, I can have someone summon him immediately.”

Li Chan nodded toward a leather craftsman’s shop a few dozen paces away. Sure enough, two powerfully built men appeared to be helping the craftsman with his work, but their eyes kept darting over in this direction.

Xuanzang nodded. “I need you to send word to His Highness immediately. Tell him — Wang Junke may be plotting rebellion!”

Li Chan was thunderstruck. He stared blankly at Xuanzang, his entire body going rigid.

After a long moment, reading the expressions of Xuanzang and Li Chunfeng and confirming they were not joking, Li Chan immediately waved a hand toward the window. The two powerfully built men came sprinting over, clasped their hands in salute. “Young Lord!”

“Go to Changle Temple at once and bring Adviser Wang here.”

Li Chan said through gritted teeth, his voice barely above a murmur. “Do not alarm anyone!”

The two men acknowledged the order and flew off.

“Master,”

Li Chan’s face was ashen. “What is going on?”

At the Jiehe Village waterway, Xuanzang had held back for fear of frightening Zhao Fu, and had not spelled everything out. Now he laid out his reasoning in full, then said: “Wang Junke’s entire series of moves has had one ultimate purpose: to take complete control of the military authority of the Western and Sha prefectures. He does not merely want military authority — he also wants to use the aristocratic families’ vulnerabilities against them, to force them into submission. If this humble monk’s deduction is correct, the aristocratic families still hold military authority at Ziting Garrison and Purple Gold Town, and Wang Junke will certainly use various means to seize those as well!”

“I will have Wang Lishe look into it.”

Seeing that Xuanzang had no concrete evidence, Li Chan felt a quiet sense of relief inwardly and steadied himself. “But Master — Wang Junke is the prefect. Military and civil authority in Dunhuang is already in his hands. His seizing power away from the aristocratic families does not necessarily mean he intends to rebel. I would think that any outside circuit official whose authority is tightly controlled by the local aristocratic families would want to take it back.”

“Young Lord, consider this: at Hekang Fortress, Wang Junke claimed he had come to rescue you and Niang — yet he did not bring a large force of soldiers. He brought only thirty soldiers and fifteen crossbow launchers. Does that look like someone going to Jade Gate Pass to carry out a rescue?”

Xuanzang asked.

“But he did rescue us.”

Li Chan thought for a moment.

“Perhaps that was merely an unexpected bonus.”

Xuanzang said. “Young Lord, think about it this way: if you were a general, and you knew Jade Gate Pass held three hundred seasoned fighters, yet you came with only fifteen crossbow launchers — what would you have come to do?”

Li Chan blurted out: “Negotiate!”

“Exactly!”

Xuanzang nodded. “Wang Junke came to negotiate. He brought the crossbow launchers only to intimidate Kui Wood Wolf — not to do battle with him. If the negotiation had broken down, fifteen crossbow launchers would not have been enough to ensure Wang Junke’s safety. Yet Wang Junke went anyway — because he was certain this negotiation would succeed. Young Lord, I ask you: what kind of negotiation is certain to succeed?”

Li Chan thought for a long while and could not arrive at an answer.

Li Chunfeng sighed. “When one side offers a great deal and asks for very little in return — naturally that negotiation will succeed.”

“After the two men negotiated, Kui Wood Wolf immediately summoned the Eastern Turk and Tuyuhun envoys and ordered them to return to their courts. Though this humble monk does not know the mission they were entrusted with, if this was the content of the two men’s negotiations, then Kui Wood Wolf’s cost was next to nothing — he needed only to pass along a single message.”

Xuanzang said. “Young Lord, please consider: the Eastern Turks and the Tuyuhun are respectively to the north and south of the Western and Sha prefectures, and have been encroaching upon our borders for years. What they would need to do simultaneously — is it so hard to guess?”

Li Chan’s mind was in complete turmoil. He thought of his own marriage to Niang, and his whole body began to tremble.

“I have heard that the Prefect’s Residence submitted an official report to the court some time ago, requesting the conscription of militia soldiers to suppress Kui Wood Wolf.”

Xuanzang said. “But if Wang Junke is already in league with Kui Wood Wolf, who exactly does he intend to fight with those conscripted soldiers? Once the militia is assembled, combined with the garrison troops, Wang Junke would have seventy-five hundred soldiers under his command. What does he intend to do?”

Li Chan slumped back onto the rope chair, speechless for a long while.

At that moment Wang Lishe came hurrying in. Seeing the young lord in such a state, he was startled, thinking he had fallen ill.

“I am perfectly fine physically.”

Li Chan murmured. “Adviser Wang, send word to my father at once. Wang Junke intends to rebel — take precautions early.”

Wang Lishe gave a violent start and nearly sat down on the floor. “Young Lord, these words… where do they come from?”

Li Chan recounted Xuanzang’s reasoning in a listless tone. Wang Lishe’s face went pale, cold sweat breaking out on his brow. “Venerable, you haven’t told anyone else about this, have you?”

“Apart from those present here, no one else knows.”

Xuanzang said.

Wang Lishe pressed his hand to his forehead, relieved. “The Buddha be thanked. Once this gets out, none of us will be able to leave Dunhuang alive. There is no time to waste. Whether your deduction is true or false, I will transmit the news to His Highness by the fastest possible means!”

Li Chan sagged in his seat, murmuring: “Go quickly, go quickly. Remind my father — this has not been confirmed, it must not be spread. Take precautions only.”

Wang Lishe gave his assent and hurried out of Changning Ward.

Outside the ward, Wang Lishe stood for a moment, numb and dazed, his legs going soft — he nearly collapsed to the ground. He braced himself against the ward wall to collect himself, then broke into a sprint toward the Prefect’s Residence.

After Wang Lishe departed, Xuanzang and Li Chunfeng also rose to leave. Li Chan urgently asked: “Master, where are you going?”

“Kui Wood Wolf is just outside the prefecture city. This humble monk has brought a physician for him — to give him a checkup.”

Xuanzang said with a smile.

Li Chan watched Xuanzang go, his expression complicated, and said nothing more. It had only been one day since he and Xuanzang parted, yet since the moment he had found the responsibility he needed to carry and stayed behind in this tavern, he had felt that he and his master were growing ever more distant. Because he would stay — while his master never stopped, always on the road.

In the last few beats of the evening drum, Xuanzang and Li Chunfeng made their way toward the western gate of the city.

The young woman who had come to the Prefect’s Residence was indeed Tiao Niang.

Linghu Zhan had been standing on the covered walkway when he suddenly heard, from the direction of the gate, a doorkeeper talking with a woman — and the voice sounded familiar.

He walked to the front courtyard and found it was Tiao Niang!

Linghu Zhan was immediately alarmed. He exchanged a few words with the doorkeeper, then hurried to pull Tiao Niang aside. “You… what are you doing here?”

“I have naturally come to request an audience with Lord Prefect.”

Tiao Niang turned her face away and would not look at him, her eyes appearing to glimmer with tears.

“Does your father know?”

Linghu Zhan’s head immediately began to ache.

“I slipped out on my own. I obtained a pass document from the curfew patrol — I won’t be violating the nighttime curfew.”

Tiao Niang said. “Please step aside.”

“Tiao Niang,”

Linghu Zhan glanced left and right, and pleaded quietly, “Do you understand what trouble this kind of behavior will bring to the Zhang family? My father and Lord Zhai of Hongye are both here right now. If they see you — how will you ever face anyone? Go back quickly!”

“If I go back, will I be able to face anyone?”

Tiao Niang looked at him with desolate eyes. “Ninth Brother, you are not unaware of the trouble our Zhang family is in right now. The trading companies have been sealed, family members have been arrested and subjected to interrogation — there was even a mutiny. My father suffers distress day after day, and disaster is clearly about to implicate him. All of this was caused by me alone. How can you ask me to sit at home in peace?”

“My father and Lord of Hongye have come precisely to resolve this matter.”

Linghu Zhan said patiently. “What good can you do by coming here?”

“I can do some good.”

Tiao Niang looked at him steadily. “Once I agree to this marriage, would everything not be resolved?”

Linghu Zhan was dumbstruck. “You… you came here to…”

Tiao Niang gazed at him, as though in a trance: “I once had someone I loved — a man of outstanding talent and martial ability. Time and again I prayed to the God of Marriage, yet I could not win that person’s heart. Since I cannot be with the one I love, what does it matter whom I marry? My father always says the Wang family are horse traders and he fears I would suffer. But in reality… in the household of a fourth-rank official, what suffering would I endure? Father simply cannot bring himself to lower his dignity — but as his daughter, I cannot fail to share his burdens. Whether he beats me or scolds me — I came to the Prefect’s Residence tonight, and everyone has seen it. My reputation is naturally ruined. Father will surely… surely no longer cherish me after this.”

As she spoke, tears rolled down Tiao Niang’s face and she began to weep softly.

Linghu Zhan stared at her slight, fragile figure. A rush of heat surged to the top of his head, and yet he was utterly helpless — he did not even have the courage to reach out and support her. For he knew full well that the moment he extended his hand and touched her shoulder, he would have to bear the weight of that responsibility.

His teeth ground together with a grating sound, a surge of something swirling in his throat, desperate to burst free in a howl — yet he dared not alarm anyone.

Tiao Niang looked at him with deep, affectionate eyes. In the end, loneliness and disappointment settled into her gaze. She turned and walked around the spirit wall at the edge of the front courtyard, entering the central courtyard. Linghu Zhan instinctively followed, wanting to persuade her back. But Tiao Niang resolutely climbed the steps and walked into the main hall.

“Zhang Tiao Niang pays her respects to Lord Prefect,”

Tiao Niang curtsied. “And to Lord Demao, and Lord of Hongye.”

The three men stared at the young woman before them, momentarily at a loss. After a long pause, Wang Junke said: “You are Lord Zhang’s legitimate daughter?”

“I am,”

Tiao Niang said. “The nineteenth child, with the given name Tiao Niang.”

Wang Junke looked her over carefully. The Tiao Niang before him was like a lotus blossom rising from clear water — slender and graceful, her bearing gentle and composed. The longer he looked, the more he admired her. In a single glance, he was certain that this young woman was precisely the right match for his son.

“Junsheng — offer her a seat.”

Wang Junke said.

Wang Junsheng quickly brought over a rush mat, spread a wool felt rug over it, and Tiao Niang knelt down primly, her posture perfectly straight.

“What brings you here to find me?”

Wang Junke said warmly.

“I have heard that Lord Prefect sent a matchmaker to our home, wishing to arrange a marriage for his son. But my father did not understand Lord Prefect’s young lord well, and so did not agree — which has given rise to all manner of misunderstandings, leading Dunhuang City to the brink of open conflict between our families. This was not my father’s intention, nor was it Tiao Niang’s intention. Therefore, Tiao Niang, heedless of her own reputation, has come tonight in hopes that Lord Prefect will be willing to make peace with my father. Tiao Niang is willing to enter the Wang family as a virtuous daughter-in-law.”

Tiao Niang spoke with composed, steady composure.

Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang looked at each other — neither of them had expected this unexpected development.

Wang Junke listened to her speak with measured logic and quiet dignity. She had gracefully attributed Zhang Bi’s refusal of the marriage proposal to mere unfamiliarity with Wang Yong’an — a magnanimous framing of remarkable poise and grace. Wang Junke was full of admiration, and immediately broke into a beaming smile.

“Excellent!”

Wang Junke laughed heartily. “I still harbored some resentment toward your father just days ago — but today, having seen you, all resentment has vanished. Why? Because Zhang Bi has managed to raise a daughter like you. In this, I cannot match him! Two family heads,”

Wang Junke looked toward Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang. “Now do you understand why I was so determined to have the Zhang family’s legitimate daughter? I chose well — it is precisely a young woman like this who will raise the next generation of the Wang family to surpass their forebears!”

Tiao Niang bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment. “Then does Lord Prefect mean that you agree to reconcile with my father?”

“I agree! Why would I not?”

Wang Junke said with a laugh. “As long as your father acknowledges what you said today, I would be only too glad — I will send the betrothal gifts at once!”

A faint flush spread across Tiao Niang’s face. She looked toward Linghu Demao and Zhai Chang. “As for this matter, I ask the two elders to speak with my father.”

“Of course.”

Even Zhai Chang could not help feeling a twinge of envy that Zhang Bi had such a fine daughter.

But Linghu Demao frowned and looked at Wang Junke. “Now that the Zhang family matter has been settled, the other two conditions…”

“The other two conditions are non-negotiable,”

Wang Junke drew out a scroll from beside him and passed it to Linghu Demao. “Lord Demao, please take a look at this.”

Linghu Demao opened it, took one glance, and immediately froze — inside was also a bronze tally. “An imperial decree! This is the court’s imperial decree conscripting militia soldiers and the Ministry of War verification tally! When… when did this arrive?”

Zhai Chang quickly took it from him and examined it carefully — sure enough, it was the imperial decree conscripting militia soldiers for the Western and Sha prefectures.

“It arrived at the hour of You today, a quarter of an hour before you came.”

Wang Junke said. “Once those two conditions are agreed to, tomorrow I will send documents to the three garrison commands at Shouchang, Xiaogu, and Xuanquan to conscript militia soldiers across the entire prefecture. Seven days from now, I will march on Jade Gate Pass!”

Zhai Chang still hesitated. “But Purple Gold Town and Ziting Garrison——”

“Agreed!”

Linghu Demao said without hesitation, his tone resolute. “We will speak to each head of family in turn. Twenty thousand bushels of military grain, twenty thousand bolts of silk — we will provide it!”

Wang Junke laughed loudly. “In that case, I will take Kui Wood Wolf’s head and deliver it to the two of you to hang on your walls as a trophy!”

Wang Junke extended his hand, and Linghu Demao reached out as well — he glanced sideways at Zhai Chang, waiting. Zhai Chang gave a rueful smile and had no choice but to extend his hand too. The three of them struck palms together with a resounding clap.

Tiao Niang watched silently. She knew that within the decisions made by these three men, her own life had changed.

Wang Junke saw the three of them out to the central courtyard, and before he could return to the main hall, Wang Junsheng came hurrying over and whispered a few words in his ear.

Wang Junke paused for a moment. “Bring him in.”

Shortly after, Wang Junsheng led Wang Lishe into the main hall.

“Adviser Wang, what matter is so urgent?”

Wang Junke asked.

Wang Lishe steadied himself, then said quietly: “Lord Wang — Xuanzang has discovered our great plan!”

Wang Junke’s expression sharpened. “Don’t rush. Tell me slowly.”

Wang Lishe recounted the process of Xuanzang’s deductions. Wang Junke drew in a sharp breath and murmured: “This monk — could he possibly have the divine eye of omniscience?”

“What do we do now?”

Wang Lishe was somewhat flustered.

Wang Junke was silent for a moment. Then he said, his voice cold and dangerous: “These two men — they absolutely cannot be allowed to leave Dunhuang alive. Junsheng — those foreign mounted bandits we’ve been keeping fed for so long should have developed a good killer’s edge by now, should they not? Go and pass the order. Kill!”

Once a mighty emperor of old reigned, His temple still stands in Dunhuang. His battle cry echoed through a thousand ages, His martial might brought peace to a single realm.

A shepherd boy sings over the mound, Foxes and hares have burrowed beside the graves. The History of Jin records his strategies, His name has spread across the Five Liang states.

In the moonlight, the Temple of Li could be seen in the distance. Kui Wood Wolf, in the form of Lv Sheng, rode on horseback, reciting the poem. At his side, Zhai Wen also rode, riding abreast of him. Behind them were six stellar generals and thirty Jade Gate Pass soldiers — some Hu, some Han, every one of them fierce and formidable — along with two serving maids.

“Can Kui Wolf compose poetry as well?”

Zhai Wen smiled gently, soft and yielding.

Kui Wood Wolf shot her a glance. “This is something I drew from Lv Sheng’s memories. The poem was not composed by Lv Sheng either — it was written by an obscure poet from Dunhuang.”

This poem spoke of Li Hao, the founding ancestor of the Western Liang. In the second year of the Tianxi era of the Northern Liang, Li Hao established the Western Liang kingdom in Dunhuang. To honor his father, he built a temple eight li west of Dunhuang City called the “Ancestral King Temple.” The temple compound measured three hundred and fifty paces in circumference with walls one and a half zhang high. To the east of the Ancestral King Temple walls stood another temple, dedicated to Li Hao’s sons, also three hundred and fifty paces around with walls one and a half zhang high, and called the “Temple of Li.”

“But in Lv Sheng’s memories, two hundred and twenty-eight years have passed. Dynasties have risen and fallen like a revolving wheel. The two temples have long since fallen into ruin — foxes and hares roaming freely, shepherds singing sorrowful songs. Why are they newly restored today?”

As they spoke, the group arrived before the Temple of Li. Kui Wood Wolf was immediately taken aback. Though the temple gates were sealed shut, the whitewashed walls and gray-tiled roof, carved beams and painted rafters, were stunning in their beauty — nothing like the scene preserved in Lv Sheng’s memories.

“May this one report to Kui God,”

the Jade Gate Pass Sub-Magistrate who had come along — a man with the surname Zheng, a native of Dunhuang — rode forward and said with a smile, “A full year ago, the Dunhuang Li family began renovating their ancestral temple, and it was completed only half a month ago. It is said the Li family wished to invite the imperial family from Chang’an to attend the temple dedication ceremony. They say the Emperor also agreed to send a member of the imperial clan, but as the journey is long and the envoy has not yet arrived, the gates have been sealed.”

Kui Wood Wolf laughed loudly. “So they wish to curry favor with the imperial family! Well, the renovation is all for the better — now my lady will have a comfortable place to stay. Kick it open!”

Immediately a stellar general stepped forward, threw his body against the gate, and snapped the thick door bar — the gate burst open. Kui Wood Wolf spurred his horse straight through the gate, and the rest of the group swept in behind him.

The temple was vast. The central courtyard alone was two mu in area, and a second gate had been set into the eastern wall, connecting it to the Ancestral King Temple.

Kui Wood Wolf took over the Temple of Li for himself. Registrar Zheng directed the others to set up a lion-legged bed beside the main hall, with a folding screen separating it from the rest of the hall, creating a sleeping chamber for Kui Wood Wolf and Zhai Wen. Kui Wood Wolf ordered the First and Fifth stellar generals to take the side chambers on either side, while everyone else was housed in the adjoining Ancestral King Temple.

The two temples were large enough to accommodate more than forty people without crowding — there was even a stable for the horses. All in all, it was a most suitable place to shelter.

The serving maids attended to Zhai Wen’s bathing and change of clothes in the side hall. Kui Wood Wolf paced through the main hall, examining it. On either side stood polychrome sculptures of Li Hao’s sons, while at the very center was a sculpture of the one the Li family claimed as their ancestor — Laozi — holding a whisk, with three long whiskers, radiant with an otherworldly immortal air.

The First and Fifth stellar generals carried in rush mats and spread them on the floor in the center of the main hall, then set out meditation cushions.

At this moment Registrar Zheng came hurrying in with Zhao Fu. “Kui God, Zhao Fu has returned!”

Zhao Fu glanced up at the deity sculpture in the center, looking rather displeased. “Kui God, you are seated in the main hall, and that wretched idol is directly above your head. Would you like to have it dismantled?”

Kui Wood Wolf was taken aback. He looked at the sculpture of Laozi, and his expression darkened. “Nonsense! That is the Supreme Lord of the Dao and Virtue! Even in the celestial court, he is someone positioned above this one. How could we dismantle him?”

Zhao Fu had walked straight into a wall. He shrank back, not daring to say another word.

Kui Wood Wolf bowed respectfully and offered a sincere prayer. Only then did he kneel down cross-legged on the meditation cushion.

Zhao Fu spoke hastily. “Reporting to the Venerable God, this subordinate has returned from Dunhuang City and has seen Wang Junke.”

Kui Wood Wolf fixed his gaze on him. “How did you return so quickly?”

Zhao Fu smiled. “Reporting to the Venerable God, this subordinate had originally intended to disguise himself as a merchant to enter the city, but upon arriving at Dunhuang I learned that, during the daytime, the West Gate Town soldiers mutinied and were suppressed by Wang Junke, who dispatched the Longle Town soldiers and the Salt Lake Garrison soldiers. Not only that, but Wang Junke has also arrested more than ten officials from the prefecture and county offices, locked up the West Gate Town battalion commanders and company commanders, and installed his own people in their place. The Longle soldiers and Salt Lake soldiers are now garrisoned inside the city, and the entire city of Dunhuang is now under Wang Junke’s control.”

“Oh?”

Kui Wood Wolf seemed surprised. “No wonder — we passed by the salt lake on our way here, and there were no soldiers to bother us. So they had already been called away to Dunhuang. This Wang Junke truly has impressive methods. Did Wang Junke see you himself? What did he say?”

“He received me personally.”

Zhao Fu replied. “Once I announced the name of Jade Gate Pass, he granted me an audience immediately. He has already found out where Linghu Demeng is hiding.”

“Where?”

Kui Wood Wolf pressed.

“The Western Caves,”

Zhao Fu said, “meaning the Western Thousand Buddha Caves. All these years, he has lived in seclusion there.”

“The Western Caves?”

Kui Wood Wolf’s expression suddenly changed. He fell into thought, saying nothing. “That old wretch — no wonder we couldn’t find him all these years. The Western Caves have hundreds upon hundreds of grottoes — he could pick any one of them to hide in, and it would be genuinely difficult to find him. Moreover, Ziting Garrison is not far from the Western Caves. To enter the Western Caves without alerting the garrison commander Zhai Shu would be extremely difficult.”

“Could it be that Kui Wolf wishes to move against my elder brother?”

At this moment, Zhai Wen, having changed her clothes, came out attended by her serving maids.

She walked into the main hall and sat gracefully beside Kui Wood Wolf, reaching for the wine jug nearby and pouring him a cup.

Kui Wood Wolf took the cup, looked at her for a moment with a complicated expression — in his eyes, there was sorrow, longing, and jealousy all at once.

“I have no such intention.”

Kui Wood Wolf looked at her for a moment, then said no more.

“Venerable God!”

Zhao Fu’s conscience was gnawing at him. He confessed without being pressed. “This subordinate acted on his own initiative — after seeing Wang Junke, he went home to visit his old mother. His old mother, upon hearing that I now follow a deity from the heavens, burned incense through the night to give thanks to the ancestors and set up a tablet in your honor at home, to burn incense and bow in worship on the first and fifteenth of every month.”

Kui Wood Wolf was not the least bit bothered. His expression was rather self-pleased. “Very good — your mother is devout. This one will naturally grant her a few more years of life.”

“Thank you, Venerable God!”

Zhao Fu let out a sigh of relief. He prostrated himself on the ground in thanks, then enthusiastically crawled forward and poured a cup of wine, which he presented with great ceremony to Kui Wood Wolf.

Kui Wood Wolf drained it in one go — and did not notice that as Zhao Fu poured the wine, he quietly slipped a small slip of paper into Zhai Wen’s sleeve.

Zhai Wen, without any change in expression, raised her sleeve to cover her lips and managed to read the characters written on it clearly: Swallow this — it will drain his core energy.

Xuanzang.

Zhai Wen hesitated for a moment, then bowed her head slightly, took the slip of paper between her lips, chewed it a few times without any visible sign, raised a cup of wine as though joining Kui Wood Wolf in a drink, and swallowed it down with a smile.

The ink used to write on this slip of paper was a medicinal concoction prepared by Li Chunfeng, whose primary effect was to generate inner heat and cause sweating. The moment the slip entered her stomach, Zhai Wen felt a rush of heat surge up through her. She let out an involuntary cry of “Ah,” her face flushing hot, sweat beading rapidly across her brow.

Kui Wood Wolf was startled. “My lady——”

He instinctively reached out, then drew back, not daring to touch Zhai Wen, watching her with anxious eyes. Zhao Fu, Registrar Zheng, and the serving maids around them also panicked, yet none of them dared touch her either.

“I… I’m fine…”

Zhai Wen struggled to sit up. “My body feels… feels as though it has suddenly gone hollow. All strength has left me, and inside I burn like a furnace.”

Kui Wood Wolf turned in frantic circles, gritting his teeth. “This wretched Heavenly Garment! My lady, do not be alarmed. I expect it is simply from having been confined to Jade Gate Pass for so many years — coming out so suddenly, you must have caught a chill. Let me treat you — you will recover in a moment.”

Zhai Wen breathed with effort, glancing at the others around her. “All of you… go out.”

Zhao Fu, Registrar Zheng, and the serving maids withdrew from the main hall and closed the hall doors.

Zhai Wen looked steadily at Kui Wood Wolf. “Do you not hate me?”

Kui Wood Wolf stared at her, dazed. The face before him was entirely different from what it had been in the celestial court long ago, and yet he could still remember how, in the vast solitude of the heavens, the two of them had watched the stars together — brilliant and lonely, falling like fireworks into the stellar abyss. In that moment, she had said she did not know whether she could burn so brilliantly, even for just an instant.

Now, looking at this face, he sensed a faint strangeness — though for a divine being, physical appearance was the least important thing, and deities could shift through ten thousand forms in the blink of an eye. Yet Kui Wood Wolf felt that the unfamiliar face seemed to bring with it a kind of distance.

“I have thought on it for a long while. This cannot be blamed on you.”

Kui Wood Wolf’s gaze softened. “You descended to the mortal world first, and once you entered this red dust, you had to endure the eight sufferings one by one. Love is merely one of them. I blame myself — if only I had come down sooner, found you sooner. Then you would not have fallen in love with him.”

“In truth… I came to know you and came to know him at almost the same time.”

Zhai Wen said quietly.

Kui Wood Wolf paused, and in an instant understood her meaning. In those earlier days, although Zhai Wen and Lv Sheng had been betrothed, the two had in fact rarely met — meaning there had been no real affection between them. It was only after he had merged with Lv Sheng and abducted her that, within this strange arrangement among the three of them, Zhai Wen had gradually come to love Lv Sheng.

Kui Wood Wolf was silent. Slowly, he exhaled his Golden Elixir. The moment the Elixir emerged, the main hall was filled with a radiant light. He cradled it in the palm of his hand, then slowly pressed it into the divine crown of Zhai Wen’s head. The instant his palm made contact with her skin, it was pierced densely with droplets of blood. Kui Wood Wolf seemed to feel nothing, not speaking, not moving, his face showing only sorrow. He directed the Golden Elixir to move through her body from point to point.

Zhai Wen watched him in silence. This time, Kui Wood Wolf spent a great deal of time. His core energy and spirit were being rapidly consumed. Zhai Wen’s coloring had already eased, and the scorching heat that had radiated from her had returned to normal — yet Kui Wood Wolf did not stop. He poured out his full strength, as though grinding his very life force and the great Way itself into the world between heaven and earth, reducing it all to dust.

The Golden Elixir suddenly contracted and returned into Kui Wood Wolf’s mouth. His face went white in an instant. His body listed to one side — and he lost consciousness entirely.

“Kui Wolf!”

Zhai Wen was alarmed. She had not expected it to end this way, and could not help feeling some panic.

At her call, Kui Wood Wolf slowly opened his eyes. But his gaze had changed — the entire quality of his presence had transformed utterly. Scholarly, perceptive, carrying within it both a weathered depth and a soaring vitality.

“You——”

Zhai Wen exclaimed in joyful surprise.

“Wen’er, it is I — Lv Sheng.”

Lv Sheng revealed a smile. “I have returned!”

Zhai Wen’s instinct was to embrace him. Lv Sheng was taken aback for a moment, but did not evade — he too spread his arms wide. Zhai Wen caught herself just in time. She snatched up a sheepskin from beneath the rush mat, held it against Lv Sheng’s body, and embraced him tightly.

Lv Sheng breathed in the fragrance of her hair with an intoxicated air, murmuring: “We are always like this — forever unable to touch each other. Sometimes I find myself thinking that I would rather Kui Wood Wolf break the spell of your Heavenly Garment.”

Zhai Wen said sadly: “And then? You and I would still be unable to touch each other. In truth, all these years, Kui Wood Wolf has known I dislike his wolf form, so in my presence he has always appeared in your likeness. But sometimes I almost prefer to have a wolf by my side. That way, I can clearly distinguish where my love lies — whom I love, who is keeping me imprisoned. That way I would not be confused, not looking at the face before me and losing myself, uncertain who this person is in this one instant and what feeling I should show him, who the next person will be and how I must pretend.”

Lv Sheng was long silent. Finally he said slowly: “Has he treated you well?”

Zhai Wen nodded. “Well.”

Lv Sheng asked: “Will he take you back to the celestial court?”

“He said…”

Zhai Wen thought for a moment. “My physical body he cannot bring back. He wishes to remain in the mortal world with me until the end of my life, and then take my spirit back. He says that one day in the heavens is one year on earth, and sixty years in the mortal world passes in no more than the blink of an eye — just the span of a moment’s meditation for him. So… Fourth Brother, that three-year agreement of yours — he has no intention of honoring it.”

Lv Sheng let out a sigh. “I know. These past days, my consciousness has begun to slowly dissolve. Events from long ago grow harder and harder to remember. I am running out of time — I must expel him from my body as quickly as possible. Wen’er, give me more time. I will resolve all of this!”

It was then that Zhai Wen remembered. She quickly told Lv Sheng about everything that had happened recently — especially the matter of Kui Wood Wolf’s desire to kill Linghu Demeng.

Lv Sheng naturally knew who Linghu Demeng was. Upon hearing it, he was struck dumb. “Wang Junke agreed to let Kui Wood Wolf kill Linghu Demeng? That is to cut off their central command — why would he want to go to war with the Linghu family?”

Lv Sheng sat upright on his cushion and called out: “Zhao Fu!”

Zhao Fu had been waiting in the central courtyard. Hearing his name called, he hurried in. “Reporting to Kui… oh, it is Master Lv!”

The fact that Kui Wood Wolf and Lv Sheng alternated control of the body was no secret to those in the upper ranks of Jade Gate Pass. On the one hand, it was difficult to tell them apart; on the other, none of them were certain what Kui Wood Wolf meant by allowing Lv Sheng such latitude. In any case, the two shared the same face. Whoever controlled the body was the master. Even to the stellar generals — who were neither human nor divine — it made no difference either way.

“Where is the Venerable Xuanzang?”

Lv Sheng asked.

Zhao Fu answered immediately. “Just three li from here. He has been waiting for some time and sent word that he wishes to meet with you.”

From the Temple of Li heading east, eight li brought one to the prefecture city. A dirt road ran between rows of white poplars on either side. The moonlight was bright now, filtered through the trees in shifting patches of light and shadow. Wind came in from the direction of the great desert, carrying with it wisps of sand that struck the leaves with a soft rustling, like wandering souls gnashing their teeth.

Lv Sheng rode with Zhai Wen along the dirt road heading east. After three li, beside the road stood an enormous Euphrates poplar. Beneath the poplar was a five-li rest pavilion. Xuanzang and Li Chunfeng stood on the steps of the pavilion, quietly waiting.

“Venerable!”

Lv Sheng dismounted quickly and bowed deeply. Zhai Wen also curtsied in greeting.

“Brother Lv!”

Xuanzang said by way of introduction: “This is Li Chunfeng, doctor of the Exorcism Division from Chang’an.”

Li Chunfeng was formally meeting Lv Sheng for the first time. He could not help studying him with curiosity, and there was in his expression a trace of quiet sorrow — presumably moved by the sight of the one who had once been known throughout Chang’an as “The Peerless Scholar of Chang’an, the First Martial Hero of the Wude Era” now reduced to such a state.

“Doctor Li!”

Lv Sheng smiled and bowed in greeting. “When I was in Chang’an, I served at the Imperial Medical Office. At that time the Exorcism Division had just been established, and it was still Grand Master Yuan Tiangang who was in charge. I never imagined that today it would have passed into your hands!”

“Grand Master Tiangang is my teacher,”

Li Chunfeng frowned slightly and smiled. “My master’s years are great, and so he has sent this junior to handle some worldly affairs.”

“Waiting on the imperial court is hardly worldly affairs!”

Lv Sheng laughed, then turned to Xuanzang. “Venerable, I heard from Wen’er that you sent an urgent message wishing to see me. Is there something pressing?”

“A pressing matter, of course.”

Xuanzang said with a smile. “I invited Doctor Li here today precisely because I wished to try to expel the spiritual form of Kui Wood Wolf from your body. Doctor Li has studied the Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints — though it is a method of the mortal world, this humble monk wished to see whether it might prove effective.”

“The Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints?”

Lv Sheng said in surprise. “You mean acupuncture?”

Zhai Wen’s expression grew grave.

“The Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints is a verse formula handed down by the Perfected Sun Simiao, also called the Thirteen Ghost Point Needling Method. It is designed specifically for cases of spiritual possession — to expel malevolent forces. This is precisely the method suited to your condition.”

Xuanzang explained.

Lv Sheng and Zhai Wen looked at each other, both of them letting out a long sigh. Their hearts were filled with deep gratitude toward Xuanzang. This monk, renowned throughout the world, had come to Dunhuang for no other reason than a debate and a promise made between them five years ago — traveling thousands of li to investigate whether Lv Sheng was alive or dead, breaking into the Mogao Caves, probing Qingdun Garrison, surviving the ordeal at Jade Gate Pass — each trial bringing him to the brink of death, one peril after another.

Lv Sheng seemed to be calling up memories of his former life in Chang’an. Slowly he said: “When I was at the Imperial Medical Office, I had heard of the Perfected Sun Simiao’s Song of Thirteen Ghost Acupoints. Only, this needling method was a closely guarded secret of the medical arts, and I had never had the chance to see it. I never imagined it would be passed on to the Exorcism Division.”

“Master Lv, your current condition should be one where six of your seven corporeal souls have been stripped away, while your three ethereal souls remain — which is why your body is being controlled by Kui Wood Wolf. So then — how do you feel your vital energy and spirit are at this moment?”

Li Chunfeng drew from his chest a small needle case made of animal hide, opened it atop one of the rotting wooden stumps of the five-li pavilion, and laid out thirteen needles of varying lengths and sizes — made, it seemed, of black obsidian, gleaming with a pure, lightless sheen.

Lv Sheng stared at the black obsidian needles. Slowly he said: “My memories are dissolving more and more rapidly now. It is as though a stone has been thrown into a pond, sending ripples outward from the moment Kui Wood Wolf seized my body as the center. Each wave that spreads outward erases another ring of memory, and even the most distant memories grow increasingly hazy.”

“That is because the three ethereal souls are being gradually eroded. The Fetal Light is the light of a person’s life; the Spirited Soul is a person’s intellect, wisdom, and memory; the Subtle Essence is a person’s love and desire.”

Li Chunfeng said. “If it is only memory that grows hazy, it means Kui Wood Wolf is erasing your personality — he intends to fully merge with your body.”

Lv Sheng nodded heavily.

Xuanzang asked: “Brother Lv, on my way here I heard from Zhao Fu that you and Kui Wood Wolf had entered into a contract — you asked Kui Wood Wolf to help you kill someone: Linghu Demeng. Could you tell this humble monk why you wished to kill him?”

Lv Sheng said slowly: “Linghu Demeng is the man who framed me in the first place. After I lent my body to Kui Wood Wolf, I made only one demand — that he help me kill Linghu Demeng. But the more detailed memories of this are like flowers seen through fog — blurry and indistinct.”

Xuanzang’s expression grew grave. He exchanged a glance with Li Chunfeng. “It seems the worst possibility has come true.”

Li Chunfeng’s forehead was instantly covered in a cold sweat.

Lv Sheng was puzzled. “What has happened?”

Xuanzang shook his head. “Nothing — let us attend to the treatment first.”

Xuanzang and Li Chunfeng moved the wooden stumps around and arranged them side by side with the central one to form a makeshift bed.

Li Chunfeng said: “Master Lv, please remove your clothing and lie down on top. Additionally, the needling of the perineum point will be required — so if Madam Zhai would please withdraw for now.”

Li Chunfeng took out his needle case and drew out thirteen black obsidian needles from the leather casing, holding them between his fingers. Then he opened his mouth and gave a puff — and a talisman seal blew out, igniting in the wind the moment it hit the air. Li Chunfeng threaded the flame onto the needle tips, and in an instant the tips were burning with flame.

Lv Sheng stared grimly at the black obsidian needles. Then, suddenly, he shook his head. Firmly he said: “Many thanks to the Venerable and Doctor Li for your kind intentions. I have decided not to undergo the acupuncture after all——”

“Act!”

Xuanzang suddenly shouted.

Li Chunfeng made his move without hesitation. His body circled around Lv Sheng in one fluid revolution, and six of the black obsidian needles were gone from his hand. The six pitch-black stone needles had been inserted at the Ghost Bed, Ghost Market, Ghost Hall, Ghost Pillow, and the Ghost Ministers of both arms — six ghost acupoints corresponding precisely to the Jiache point, Chengjiang point, Shangxing point, Fengfu point, and the Quchi points on the left and right arms. The entire upper body was completely locked in place.

Strangely, some of the black obsidian needles, which had been burning when inserted, went out upon entering their acupoints; others burned even more fiercely once inserted, like a flaming fuse; still others became coated in ice-frost the moment they entered, exuding a bone-chilling cold. And some, after a brief moment, simply crumbled into fine powder.

Lv Sheng let out a muffled roar, his entire body shaking as though struck by lightning, then went rigid and motionless. The needles inserted into his head and face burned like fuses — a profoundly uncanny sight.

“Venerable… what are you doing?”

Zhai Wen cried out and made to rush forward.

Xuanzang grabbed her, his palm immediately pierced and bleeding.

Xuanzang endured the pain and said in a low, firm voice: “Madam Zhai — this is not Lv Sheng. This is Kui Wood Wolf!”