Xuanzang, Li Shimin, and Cui Jue stood in silence on the walkway, gazing at one another, each pair of eyes blazing with a searing intensity. Cui Jue did not say a word. Li Shimin looked steadily at the monk before him — covered in blood, his head split open and bleeding, yet his face perfectly calm — and his thoughts were unreadable.

“Amitabha. I, the humble monk Xuanzang, pay my respects to Your Majesty.” Xuanzang bowed with clasped hands.

“Xuanzang?” Li Shimin was taken aback. He had naturally heard Xuanzang’s name — Pei Ji had even requested that he issue a special edict appointing him as abbot of Zhuangyan Temple, though it was reported back by the Court of State Ceremonial that this monk had refused the appointment. This had aroused Li Shimin’s great curiosity — and he had never expected this monk to now turn up in the Underworld.

Cui Jue’s heart was taut as a bowstring on the verge of snapping. He knew that the moment Xuanzang said one word too many, everything he had so painstakingly built would come crashing down. But with Li Shimin standing right there, he dared not make a move, and had no choice but to suppress his fear and anxiety with great effort.

The air between the three of them was frozen solid as a block of ice.

Li Shimin suddenly smiled. “Sir Cui, how did Dharma Master Xuanzang come to be in the Underworld?”

Cui Jue smiled faintly. “I am unsure as well. Perhaps his allotted years have come to an end, or perhaps the Master has awakened to the Great Way and can now traverse the boundary between the living and the dead.”

“Oh?” Li Shimin fixed his gaze on Xuanzang. “And does the Dharma Master himself know?”

“I know,” Xuanzang said openly. “I was abducted and brought here.”

At these words, Cui Jue’s heart nearly leapt from his chest, and his face turned ashen in an instant. But Li Shimin appeared most intrigued. “However did the Dharma Master come to be abducted into the Underworld?”

“One day, as I sat in meditation, my spirit suddenly drifted into a place I could not identify — a swirling world flashed before my eyes and the beings of the six realms walked at my side. Then two ghost soldiers seized me and brought me to this place. Brought with me was also my attendant Boluoye,” Xuanzang said.

A strange expression crossed Cui Jue’s face, but at the same time his heart settled back into his chest. He understood: Xuanzang had reached a compromise with him.

“Boluoye?” Li Shimin pointed toward the mountain above. “Is that the man who was struck by an arrow and killed just now?”

“He is the one.” Xuanzang nodded. “Your Majesty, if this poor monk’s assumptions are correct, before you now stand the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons. You are the king of the mortal realm — this hellish place is polluted and foul, and it would be best for Your Majesty not to venture deeper, lest the miasma of ghosts cling to your body and harm Your Majesty’s imperial constitution. That is why the two of us cried out to stop you — but our cry alarmed the guardians of this place, and Boluoye gave his life to save me.”

Li Shimin gave a sigh. “It seems the Dharma Master possesses the miraculous ability to traverse the boundary between the living and the dead.” He turned to Cui Jue: “Sir Cui, why did those guardians kill Boluoye, and then shoot dead four ghost soldiers?”

Cui Jue’s face was dark, but at this juncture there was no good solution — he had no choice but to go along with Xuanzang’s account. He bowed and said, “Your Majesty, Dharma Master Xuanzang is the reincarnation of a holy monk — he could not possibly be harmed by the ghost soldiers of the Underworld. Therefore, the guardian deity of the Underworld shot the ghost soldiers dead.”

“I see.” Li Shimin looked at the monk before him with a gaze full of admiration. “Is the Dharma Master able to return to the mortal realm? When that time comes, I would ask him to instruct me in the Great Way of Rulai — I wish to touch the crown of my head and receive the precepts, and make offerings to the Holy Monk.”

“Your Majesty has commanded, and I dare not refuse. Your Majesty must return soon — the longer you remain, the greater the risk of damage to your mortal body, and that would be most improper. The day Your Majesty returns to life is the day this poor monk returns home.” A smile came to Xuanzang’s face, and in his heart he could only marvel — this Emperor was truly sharp indeed. Following Xuanzang’s lead perfectly, the two of them together had backed Cui Jue into a corner from which there was no escape.

Li Shimin was unaware of the full picture, but Xuanzang’s heart was tense to the point of breaking. He knew that in the situation before him, the first and most essential thing was to ensure the Emperor made it back safely. If a single misstep in his own words provoked Cui Jue into throwing caution to the winds, there was no telling whether he might harden his heart and cut down both himself and the Emperor. What Xuanzang needed to do was not only to send Li Shimin out, but also to get himself out alive.

Cui Jue was grinding his teeth in rage, but since it was a performance, and Xuanzang was willing to play along, he naturally had to see it through to the end. If Xuanzang himself acknowledged this as the Underworld, and the Emperor believed him to be a supernaturally powerful Holy Monk — could Xuanzang really go back to the mortal world and risk the crime of deceiving the Emperor by revealing the truth about the Ni Li Prison?

In that instant, a hundred thoughts turned over in Cui Jue’s mind, and he had his answer. He smiled and said: “Your Majesty, the Holy Monk is able to traverse the boundary between the living and the dead, and naturally has his own means of return. His sacred body is imperishable — even if he remains a little longer, it will be no cause for concern. It is Your Majesty who must return at once.”

Li Shimin had been made uneasy by all of the Underworld, and had long been wishing to go back. He nodded in quick agreement. The three of them followed the walkway up to Yinshan, where before them lay a deep, still pool, its water black and opaque, a thick mist hanging over its surface. On the cliff wall beside it were carved several large characters: The Pool of Return to Life.

“Your Majesty, this is the path back to the mortal realm — here we shall part.” Cui Jue clasped his hands and bowed.

Li Shimin glanced at the pool, which seemed dreamlike and insubstantial, and nodded. He took Cui Jue’s hand and said with sincere feeling: “Sir Cui, when I return to the world of the living, I shall not forget Sir Cui’s kindness. The word of an emperor, witnessed by the sun and sky!”

Cui Jue bowed his head in thanks. Li Shimin looked at Xuanzang and said, “The Holy Monk’s protection of me — I shall never forget it for as long as I live. I look forward to meeting the Holy Monk in the mortal realm and hearing the music of the Dharma.”

Xuanzang smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. “This poor monk obeys Your Majesty’s command. Your Majesty need not be concerned — this poor monk will return together with Your Majesty now.”

Cui Jue was taken aback and had not yet opened his mouth when Xuanzang suddenly seized Li Shimin by the hand, and the two of them leaped together into the Pool of Return to Life, their figures swallowed up by the mist. The mist was overwhelmingly potent — after only a few breaths within it, Xuanzang’s mind burst with a thundering sound, and his body lost all sensation. His sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch — all five senses — began to drift away and dissolve, as if the ground beneath him had gone soft, as if he stood upon clouds, as if… his mind fell into a muddled fog, and he lost all awareness.

This must be the Five-Sense Incense… This was Xuanzang’s final thought in the Underworld.

“Xuanzang—” Cui Jue had intended to use the moment to keep Xuanzang there a while longer — how long exactly, he had ideas about… let it not be forgotten that one day in the Ni Li Prison equalled three thousand seven hundred and fifty years in the mortal world. But he had never expected Xuanzang to make his decision on the spot, apparently fearing he would not be able to get away, and had actually seized Li Shimin and leaped into the Pool of Return to Life together!

Cui Jue was devastated. Li Shimin had seen with his own eyes that Xuanzang had jumped in alongside himself — upon returning to the mortal world, when Xuanzang could not be found, the Emperor would surely become suspicious. He raged at the Pool of Return to Life with furious curses, but faced with this sharp and cunning monk, there was not a single thing he could do.

At this moment, Fa Ya also made his way to the edge of the Pool of Return to Life, and stood gazing into it with a bitter smile: “Old monk is known as a scheming monk — but this other monk… sigh! Things have come to this pass; it can be considered a satisfactory conclusion. We must not lose the larger picture over a small matter. Let him go back, and old monk will have a proper talk with him. If we had done nothing, he would naturally have tried to stop us — but now that it is done, a century’s worth of Buddhist fortune has already been staked on this venture. Can he not be made to yield?”

Cui Jue reluctantly balled his fists, his eyes blazing as if they might shoot sparks.

“Father—” Suddenly a soft, gentle call reached his ears, and Cui Jue’s heart turned to something warm and tender all at once.

“Ah — I’m drowning—” Li Shimin gave a full-body shudder and wrenched his eyes open.

He was suddenly at a loss. He was lying in the bed of his room in the Shifang Platform, covered by an embroidered quilt, not a trace of dampness anywhere. All around were faces — Pei Ji, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, Yuchi Jingde, and others, all looking at him with eyes bright with joy. Seeing him wake, they cried out one after another: “His Majesty has woken! His Majesty has woken!”

“What… what is going on?” Li Shimin asked in bewilderment.

Wei Zheng wiped a handful of sweat from his forehead — his legs were weak beneath him and he could barely stand. In a low voice he recounted what had happened. It turned out that he and Yuchi Jingde had kept watch in the courtyard of the Shifang Platform all night, and yet no conspiracy or attack had ever materialized. The two were somewhat puzzled, and walked to the corridor to listen for movement inside Li Shimin’s bedroom. Li Shimin was sleeping soundly — the faint rumble of snoring could be heard — and the two relaxed.

By the time daylight was bright and full, still no crisis or conspiracy had occurred. The two were thoroughly baffled and quietly opened the door to enter the meditation hall. The six elite Imperial Guards inside — some sitting, some standing — all bleary-eyed, yet forcing themselves to stay alert. When asked, the six exchanged glances for a moment and shook their heads in unison: nothing had occurred during the night. Only then were the two of them able to truly put their hearts at ease, and they sent an attendant to wake His Majesty.

The attendant entered the Emperor’s room and came running back out, his face drained of color: “Sir — His Majesty… His Majesty cannot be woken!”

Wei Zheng and Yuchi Jingde were struck as though they had stepped off the edge of a cliff — they lurched and stumbled their way into the room. There lay the Emperor on the bed, sleeping soundly, his face by turns wearing a joyous smile and a look of terror, and nothing they called out could rouse him.

By this time Pei Ji and Du Ruhui had also heard the news and came rushing over. Everyone ordered the Imperial Guards to seal off the courtyard, and they tried massage and calling out — for more than half an hour they made all manner of attempts before Li Shimin finally opened his eyes.

When he had heard them out, Li Shimin’s face wore a strange expression. He sat up, and an attendant quickly brought a cushion and placed it behind his back.

“Last night, I dreamed of touring the Underworld and seeing the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons…” Li Shimin murmured.

When everyone had heard this, they stood there one after another, as stupefied as wooden chickens. Wei Zheng deeply furrowed his brow: “Would Your Majesty be so kind as to describe it in detail?”

Li Shimin nodded and gave a full account — from waking in the night and dreaming himself standing in the dark wasteland of the Wilds of Demon Refinement, all the way through to the monk Xuanzang taking his hand and the two of them leaping into the Pool of Return to Life. Wei Zheng’s face turned a ghastly color. He stamped his foot and sighed deeply: “They have fallen into the trap after all! To think the other side’s conspiracy would be carried out in this manner…”

“A conspiracy?” Li Shimin was puzzled, and his expression became displeased. “How can it be a conspiracy? I most clearly toured the Underworld and the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons with my own body.”

Wei Zheng gave a cold laugh: “In Your Majesty’s view — was this Underworld real, or man-made?”

Pei Ji grew agitated: “Master Wei, how could the Underworld possibly be man-made? His Majesty was invited by Yan Mouluo, entered the Underworld, and made a covenant with Yan Mouluo — the two pledging to govern the mortal realm and the Underworld respectively. This is clear evidence that our sovereign has been recognized by the gods and spirits of Heaven and Earth, and that the Great Tang dynasty enjoys the protection of all the divine powers. How could it be man-made?”

Li Shimin nodded in repeated agreement. Wei Zheng was at a loss for words — what else could he say? Was he really to insist outright that the Underworld was a fabrication, that His Majesty had been deceived, and that the gods and spirits of Heaven and Earth had not in fact recognized him?

But Wei Zheng was a stubborn man, and was not one to concede easily. “Your Majesty, since you encountered Dharma Master Xuanzang while in the Underworld, and he accompanied you back to the world of the living — why not invite Dharma Master Xuanzang here and hear what he has to say?”

Li Shimin nodded — he truly wished to see Xuanzang as well. “Sir Pei, go and find out where Dharma Master Xuanzang is now, and invite him to see me. I am also somewhat weary — let me rest a while first.”

It would have been strange if Li Shimin were not weary — he had walked such distances the night before, and between the dread and the suspense, he now felt his body entirely soft and without strength. Pei Ji agreed, turned, and withdrew.

Once he had gone, Wei Zheng, Du Ruhui, and Yuchi Jingde exchanged glances. Wei Zheng thought for a moment, then told the attendants: “All of you, withdraw. No one is to enter without His Majesty’s command. Duke of Wu, have the Imperial Guards seal off Xingtang Temple — not a single person is to enter or leave!”

The attendants agreed and turned to leave. Yuchi Jingde hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Li Shimin nod, clasped his hands and also withdrew. Only Li Shimin, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng remained in the room.

“Your Majesty, this minister dares to assert that your tour of the Underworld was an enormous conspiracy!” Wei Zheng said in a grave voice.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes. “How so?”

“There are too many inconsistencies here. Allow me to trace back to the source. In the fourth year of Wude, Pei Ji submitted a memorial requesting that the Emperor Taishang construct a temple at the site where Song Laosheng was formerly defeated, to celebrate the achievement of founding the Great Tang. The Emperor Taishang issued an edict to build Xingtang Temple. But at the time, the Ministry of Finance could not possibly produce the funds for construction, and yet Cui Jue — who was then serving as Magistrate of Huoyi County — was able to raise charitable donations of thirty thousand strings of cash to build this temple. Where did he get so much money? Let it not be forgotten — in the fourth year of Wude, Your Majesty was locked in fierce battles with Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande, and the court was hard-pressed on every front, unable even to guarantee provisions for the soldiers at the front. Hedong Circuit had only just been pacified of Liu Wuzhou and Song Jingang in the third year of Wude, and lay utterly desolate — a single year’s tax revenue from the entire Jinzhou district would not have amounted to thirty thousand strings of cash!”

Li Shimin nodded — this was a situation he had lived through firsthand and naturally knew well. Wei Zheng continued: “Does Your Majesty know that the actual expenditure in building Xingtang Temple was far greater than thirty thousand strings of cash? By this minister’s estimate, the funds and provisions gathered from across the realm and converged upon Huoyi were no less than three hundred thousand strings of cash!”

“Three hundred thousand strings of cash?” Li Shimin and Du Ruhui were both thunderstruck. Such a sum would have been beyond even the court’s resources — even building an entire city would not require so much money.

“Your Majesty — take a look at this temple. Magnificent as it is, could it have cost that much to build? Then where did the money go? And where did the money come from?” Wei Zheng said with a cold laugh. “Second: does Your Majesty remember the affair involving Official Pei Ji’s third daughter in the ninth year of Wude? A monk abducted Pei Ji’s daughter, and at first Pei Ji was furious, even sending men to pursue and kill the monk — but then let the matter drop without further action. Why was that? This minister later investigated that monk and found that he was a monk from Konghui Temple in Yizhou who had killed his own master and fled in the sixth year of Wude. He had subsequently been active throughout Hedong Circuit and Chang’an, and was in very close contact with both Pei Ji and Fa Ya. Given the positions of these two men, why would they be so intimately involved with a monk who had violated the law — and not dare to make a public fuss even when their own daughter had been abducted by him?”

Li Shimin fell into deep thought.

“For no other reason than that this monk held something over them that could cost them their lives! It was precisely because I grew suspicious of this monk — who I found to be constantly moving about in Jinzhou and Huoyi — that I conducted a secret investigation. And this investigation truly uncovered something. Just before Cui Jue hanged himself, it was this very monk who paid him a visit. The two held a long private conversation behind closed doors — and that same night, Cui Jue hanged himself! Heh heh — when you were in the Underworld, Your Majesty, Cui Jue told you it was a monk dispatched by Yan Mouluo who came to find him. But this monk was actually that lawbreaking monk: Chang Jie!”

Li Shimin’s eyes flickered, and he said quietly, “Go on.”

“Heh heh,” Wei Zheng continued with a smile, “most remarkable of all — Chang Jie is actually the elder biological brother of Dharma Master Xuanzang. For the past two years Xuanzang has been searching everywhere for Chang Jie, making broad inquiries among the monks of Chang’an. I specifically had word put out that Chang Jie had been sighted in Huoyi, and sure enough, Xuanzang then made his way to Huoyi.”

“So Xuanzang’s arrival here was part of your plan!” Li Shimin burst out laughing, pointing at Wei Zheng. “It seems you had been suspicious of Xingtang Temple for quite some time.”

“That is correct,” Wei Zheng nodded. “After Your Majesty acceded to the throne, you had long planned to sweep away the old and bring in the new, to employ fresh and talented officials — but faced with constant obstructions from the old forces in the court. These old forces were headed by Pei Ji, and so I fixed my attention on Pei Ji and followed the trail vine by vine, discovering that over the years, tens of thousands of strings of cash in funds and provisions had passed through Pei Ji’s hands and been transported to Huoyi. Pei Ji is not a corrupt or greedy man, and moreover his ancestral home is in Puzhou — even if he were corrupt, he would not transport vast sums of money to Huoyi. What was behind all this was not something I could work out at first, and so I dispatched eight or nine Bu Liang Ren agents to infiltrate Huoyi and Xingtang Temple.”

Li Shimin shook his head, looking at Du Ruhui: “And I was wondering why you would suggest, some years back, that the Bu Liang Ren be placed under Sir Wei’s oversight — so that was the plan all along.”

Du Ruhui smiled: “Nothing escapes Your Majesty’s perceptive eye.”

“And what came of it afterward? Did the Bu Liang Ren uncover anything?” Li Shimin asked.

“Nothing.” Wei Zheng said openly. “Once they entered Xingtang Temple, they vanished without a trace. We found only two corpses — all the others, no bodies living or dead. And so I put Xuanzang into motion, and had a Bu Liang Ren agent placed at his side.”

“He had a Bu Liang Ren agent at his side?” Li Shimin asked in surprise. “Then why didn’t you simply summon him and question him?”

“Your Majesty said just now that he is dead.” Wei Zheng said gravely. “That person is the one Your Majesty saw in the Underworld with Xuanzang — Boluoye!”

“That man from Tianzhu?” Li Shimin was shaken. And in that moment, he suddenly had a flash of understanding.

“Furthermore — while in the Underworld, Your Majesty made a promise to Cui Jue to ensure three generations of glory for his descendants. But do you know where his descendants are?” Wei Zheng said.

“Oh, where are they?” This matter had never left Li Shimin’s mind.

“In Huoyi!” Wei Zheng said. “Cui Jue left behind a wife and a daughter. His wife has since remarried — and the man she married is none other than the ‘fierce tiger magistrate’ of whom Your Majesty is so fond: Guo Zai! The very man who submitted the memorial requesting Your Majesty to take up residence in Xingtang Temple!”

Li Shimin’s expression changed sharply. Wei Zheng had spoken at length, and while there was no ironclad evidence proving the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons to be a conspiracy, the threads connected one by one, like the winding trail of a snake through grass, forming a coherent whole.

“Then according to what you say, my entering Xingtang Temple and my visit to the Underworld — all of it was deliberately orchestrated?” Li Shimin mused. “And yet I was clearly lying in bed — how could I have appeared in hell?”

Wei Zheng gave a cold laugh: “If this minister’s suspicions are correct, there are concealed mechanisms of great sophistication in Your Majesty’s room. First, some kind of drug was used to render Your Majesty unconscious, then the mechanism was activated, and Your Majesty was brought into the man-made Underworld they had constructed. Just now, when Your Majesty was in deep sleep, this minister separately questioned the six elite Imperial Guards who had been on watch in the outer room. Each of the six admitted that during the night they had caught a whiff of a sweet fragrance, and then briefly fell asleep — but the sleep was so short they woke quickly, and so gave it no further thought.”

“What? A sweet fragrance?” Li Shimin’s heart slowly sank. He recalled that just before falling asleep, he seemed to have caught a faint, strangely sweet smell. He gritted his teeth and said, “This room contains a hidden passage! Have you examined it?”

Wei Zheng smiled bitterly: “Your Majesty, if there is a hidden passage, it would naturally be of Scheming Monk Fa Ya’s design. Fa Ya — Your Majesty knows him better than this minister does. His natural genius and vast learning encompass the highest principles of Buddhism down to the most arcane arts and crafts — his mastery of mechanical devices is something that has never been seen before in the world. For this minister to find his mechanism, I would need to tear this room apart entirely.”

Li Shimin had known Fa Ya since his days as a junior son in the Taiyuan garrison residence, and naturally knew how formidable this old monk was. Hearing this, he could not help but give a cold laugh: “Scheming monk indeed — to think he dared direct all of it at me! Very well then — tear it apart! I want to see for myself whether they were truly scheming against me!”

Just as he spoke, there came Pei Ji’s voice from outside the door: “Your Majesty, Dharma Master Xuanzang has arrived!”

Li Shimin immediately said: “Show him in — no, I will go out to greet him myself!”

Wei Zheng and Du Ruhui exchanged glances, not having expected His Majesty to hold this monk in such regard. Li Shimin swung his legs off the bed, felt both legs as though filled with lead, and gave a wry smile. He accepted the robe Du Ruhui brought him, draped it over his shoulders, and walked out to the meditation hall.

In the Shifang Platform, the sunlight was dazzling. The young monk who had risked his life to protect him in the Underworld stood quietly beneath an ancient pine, his face serene. The night before, this monk had been covered in blood with his head split open — but now he had changed into a fresh monk’s robe, though somewhat worn and frayed through in many places, it was at least presentable and clean. His head was wrapped in white gauze, and blood had seeped through the bandaging.

Li Shimin could not quite say why this monk made him feel such a sense of warmth and closeness. Seeing him kneel and bow, he hurried down the steps and helped him up: “Dharma Master — I have finally met you here in the mortal realm!”

Xuanzang smiled. “Your Majesty’s bearing in the Underworld left this poor monk full of admiration.”

Li Shimin also burst into hearty laughter: “Last night, wandering together through the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons — that scene shall remain with me for the rest of my life. What does the Dharma Master think?”

“To have personally witnessed the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons firsthand — it is something this poor monk will not easily forget either,” Xuanzang said.

Li Shimin nodded, and then shifted his tone: “Yet some have told me that the hell I toured last night was man-made — a scheme designed to intimidate me. The Dharma Master is able to traverse the boundary between the living and the dead, and must be well acquainted with the Ni Li Prison. What do you think?”

Xuanzang said gravely: “When this poor monk sits in meditation, there are occasions when his spirit wanders beyond the body — but entering the Ni Li Prison was a first. This poor monk does not dare believe this to be real. If it were truly man-made, the person who created it possesses methods that truly move heaven and earth and astound ghosts. This poor monk believes the Ni Li Prison should not exist in the mortal realm, nor should it exist in the Underworld — it should exist within the human heart, making all people tremble with wariness, so the virtuous dare not act evilly and the wicked dare not act unbridledly. Yet last night it appeared before Your Majesty’s very eyes — this is suspicious indeed, and Your Majesty should issue a command to investigate thoroughly.”

Li Shimin was silent for a moment, then said wistfully, “Regardless, the Dharma Master’s protection of me is something I dare not forget. Since there are those who disbelieve, I shall order an investigation. If there truly was someone who deceived me, they should not think I am so easily taken in — and if it was truly the work of the Underworld, let it also make those doubters believe in this miracle! Come — Dharma Master, walk with me a while. I have already directed Wei Zheng to take his men and make a thorough search of Xingtang Temple. Best not let these people interrupt our enjoyment.”

Xuanzang smiled. “This poor monk respectfully obeys Your Majesty’s command.”

Li Shimin laughed, took Xuanzang by the hand, and the two strolled through Xingtang Temple. Wei Zheng and Du Ruhui led the Imperial Guards in a thorough search of the temple, while only Yuchi Jingde remained with attendants close at hand to provide protection. Li Shimin ordered everyone to remain at least ten zhang away, and the two walked on until they had gradually reached the summit of Huoshan.

Looking down at the magnificent temple below, its roof tiles an expanse of deep green, like scales, Li Shimin said wistfully, “Dharma Master, now there is only the two of us — let us speak plainly. You are a man of wisdom, and in a situation like that of last night, in order to protect me you played along with Cui Jue. I am grateful to you for it.”

Xuanzang was inwardly startled, but a smile came to his face. “So Your Majesty had already made your own calculations.”

Li Shimin gave a cold laugh. “I took up arms when I was eighteen, and fought amid thousands of troops. Before me, every great hero of the realm bowed their heads in submission — Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande, Liu Heita, Liu Wuzhou — which of them was not a hero of his time? Could petty schemes and plots devised by such people really deceive me? Ha — they underestimated me.”

“Oh, where did Your Majesty detect the flaw?” Xuanzang asked with curiosity.

“I detected no flaw. The whole design was brilliantly crafted and extraordinarily convincing. While in the Underworld, I secretly bit down on my own tongue and felt no pain — that these people could engineer things with such precision is itself something to be admired.” Li Shimin shook his head, then suddenly gave a sardonic smile. “But unfortunately, what they did not know was that one year ago, their plan had already come to my full knowledge. How Xingtang Temple was built, the underground palace beneath the temple, the power hub at the Nine Dragon Junction, the Five-Sense Incense blended from hemp and datura flowers mixed into the air… heh heh, I knew all of it!”

Xuanzang’s face changed color; he was genuinely stunned. “How did Your Majesty come to know all this so clearly? This poor monk only gathered such details after months of investigation and a stroke of fortune. How could Your Majesty, without leaving the capital for a single step, have known it all a year in advance?”

Li Shimin said mildly, “Because though I did not stir from the capital, I held the fates of all people in the realm in my hands — including the fates of all those who took part in this plan! Fa Ya, Cui Jue, Chang Jie, and Kong Cheng were all men of firm and resolute character — especially Fa Ya and Cui Jue: one capable of devising so formidable a scheme, the other willing to abandon wife and daughter and hide underground for seven years — they were truly extraordinary men of their era. The pity is that though they were heroes, they chose a partner of weak and cowardly character. Let me put it to the Dharma Master as a test — can you guess who?”

Li Shimin looked at Xuanzang with amused eyes. Xuanzang’s thoughts raced, and the name leaped from his lips: “Pei Ji!”

“What a monk!” Li Shimin was genuinely amazed. He held up his thumb in admiration. “Wei Zheng has long said you are the Great Tang’s finest young talent in the Buddhist order — a man of strong will and penetrating insight. He was not mistaken. Correct — it was Pei Ji. You must also know Pei Ji’s situation. He killed my trusted subordinate Liu Wenjing, and when I was Prince of Qin, repeatedly used the influence of the Emperor Taishang to obstruct me. Since my accession, I had long wanted to deal with him — but had only delayed, wishing to do so gradually, removing his wings one by one, not wanting the court to be shaken too abruptly. Pei Ji was well aware of my intentions. He had killed Liu Wenjing, and knew that when I moved against him, I would take his life. Could he truly believe that building a false Underworld would change my mind? After so many years as Chief Minister, he could not have been so naive. And so I intended to deal with him in the second year of the Zhenguan era. When that old fellow saw the situation turning bad, he immediately came to see me privately and laid out the entire conspiracy.”

Xuanzang was speechless, and in his heart there was something like sorrow. Fa Ya and Cui Jue possessed deep intellect and breathtaking boldness — yet they had no ability to judge people, and had chosen so vile a partner. The plan had not yet been set in motion, and already for the sake of his own future this man had betrayed them entirely.

“Then why did Your Majesty not act sooner, instead of placing yourself in danger?” Xuanzang asked.

“Why should I have acted?” Li Shimin countered. “Such a fine plan — if it were not carried out, would it not be a waste? And would it not waste all those hundreds of thousands of strings of cash? I personally campaigned on the battlefield in my time, facing swords and arrows and spears — I never once flinched. And besides — this Underworld and the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons are truly remarkable things. If they could fill everyone with fear — children not daring to be unfilial, common people not daring to rebel, officials not daring to scheme and betray, all abiding by the law and serving diligently — this would be a treasure capable of bringing stability to the entire realm. For the sake of the Great Tang’s hundred-year and thousand-year foundation, why would I shrink from taking a risk?”

Only then did Xuanzang understand — this was the true art of imperial statecraft, beyond the guessing of ordinary men. Fa Ya had designed a trap for Li Shimin to fall into, and Li Shimin had simply stepped into it willingly, using his own firsthand experience as proof to show the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons to the world.

“And so I held my hand against Pei Ji and played along with the game,” Li Shimin said with hearty laughter. “And it was truly not a wasted endeavor! The performance in the Underworld had even me confused between illusion and reality — I nearly lost myself in it. The Eighteen Ni Li Prisons were too terrifying, and knowing full well that the people being subjected to those cruel tortures were ordinary folk, how could I bear to watch? That was why I wanted to leave — and then, unexpectedly, you came rushing out to protect me. That truly made my heart pound — one wrong word from you then, and if it provoked Cui Jue into a murderous rage, the whole thing would have backfired. Thankfully the Dharma Master was quick-witted, and that exchange between you and Cui Jue was absolutely magnificent — you drove Cui Jue into a corner from which he had no choice but to follow the path you laid out. Watching it, I truly…” He doubled over laughing heartily.

Xuanzang could only smile bitterly in return — the Emperor had known the truth all along, and was simply watching them perform.

“And what does Your Majesty intend to do with these people? Pei Ji, Fa Ya, Cui Jue — and my elder brother Chang Jie?” Xuanzang asked with concern.

Li Shimin glanced at him, then turned his face toward the sunlight flooding down the mountain, looking well satisfied. “As for Pei Ji — I promised not to kill him, and I shall keep my word. That old fellow was shrewd: back at the Adjudicator’s Temple, he made a public pledge to give away all his wealth for my sake — he let that news circulate in advance, effectively forcing my hand. I cannot in good conscience have him put to death. Still, I cannot allow him to continue as Chief Minister — let him go home to his retirement! As for Cui Jue and Fa Ya, they cannot escape death.” Li Shimin gave a cold laugh. “Daring to scheme against me — if I do not kill them, what does the law of the Great Tang amount to? As for your elder brother — he withdrew at the right moment and knew when to retreat, which counts for something, and besides, I cannot find him in any case. You may simply hope that he never lets me find him.”

“I thank Your Majesty for this mercy!” Xuanzang bowed hurriedly in gratitude. He naturally understood — with the vast power Li Shimin commanded over all within the four seas, how could any person truly not be found if he sought them? These words were in effect a pardon for Chang Jie.

“Come — let us look.” Li Shimin pulled Xuanzang to stand at the mountaintop, where below them lay the continuous rows of windmills and the brilliant Xingtang Temple. “Wei Zheng’s people are searching for evidence now — for Fa Ya and Cui Jue to die, I would want them to die convinced, would I not?”

The two looked down from above. The location of the Shifang Platform was clearly visible below — rows upon rows of Imperial Guards were toppling structures and searching through the rubble of bricks, stones, and roof tiles. All the monks from the temple had been driven out and were gathered in the square at the foot of the mountain, a dense black mass, every one of them terrified to the core. On the small road beside, Imperial Guard commanders came one after another to report the latest developments.

“Your Majesty — the Shifang Platform has been leveled, and a hidden passage has indeed been discovered in the floor of the inner chamber.” A Guard officer came to report. “However, the collapsed structure has filled the tunnel — it is impossible to enter and explore.”

Li Shimin’s face darkened. “What is Wei Zheng thinking? Keep searching!”

After that officer withdrew, Yuchi Jingde came personally to report: “Your Majesty, we have captured Fa Ya.”

“Oh?” Li Shimin smiled. “Bring him up!”

Before long, a group of Imperial Guards escorted Fa Ya to the mountaintop. Fa Ya was covered in dirt and grime, his posture somewhat diminished, though his spirit was still reasonably strong.

Li Shimin smiled. “Dharma Master Fa Ya, you have labored for ten years — and today at last it is complete.”

Fa Ya actually smiled, glanced at Xuanzang standing nearby, and clasped his hands toward Li Shimin: “What old monk sought was the good governance of the realm. Since that has now been achieved in Your Majesty’s hands, of course it is complete.”

“Preposterous.” Li Shimin laughed heartily. “Still this stiff-necked? Wait until I find the evidence — let us see what you have to say then.”

Fa Ya stood his ground fearlessly, smiling back: “If Your Majesty finds the evidence, old monk will naturally submit to the law without protest!”

“Very well!” Li Shimin shouted. “Someone — pile up the firewood! The moment evidence is found, I shall burn him on the spot!”

The Imperial Guards answered in a thunderous roar, and immediately set about felling pine trees, piling up a great funeral pyre. Fa Ya was bound hand and foot and hoisted to the top. He sat cross-legged with a face full of smiles, reciting Buddhist sutras under his breath. Xuanzang’s face went ashen. “Your Majesty…”

Li Shimin said with icy severity: “Dharma Master, am I the kind of man who can be insulted like this? I am pursuing only the principal criminal and letting the entire Buddhist order off unscathed — that is already an act of the greatest magnanimity. Even the Way of Heaven must allow me to vent this rage!”

Xuanzang let out a sigh, walked over to stand before Fa Ya, and said quietly: “Why must you insist on this, Dharma Master?”

Fa Ya opened his eyes and smiled, saying: “The Dharma of the Buddha exists within the world and cannot be realized apart from the world. To seek bodhi outside the world is like looking for a rabbit’s horn.”

Xuanzang was speechless. This old monk’s philosophy was too radically different from his own. For Fa Ya, the true development of the Buddhist faith lay not in the sutras but in the corridors of power. Xuanzang shook his head and walked back to stand behind Li Shimin, watching the developments in the temple below with tense attention.

“Your Majesty — report!” Another officer came running, falling to his knees. “We have discovered in Kong Cheng’s meditation room a corpse belonging to him!”

Li Shimin was taken aback. “Kong Cheng took his own life out of guilt?”

“No.” The officer’s face showed an expression of fear. He lowered his voice: “The body has already shriveled and dried. Master Wei judges that he has been dead for at least ten or more days.”

Li Shimin was stunned. “If Kong Cheng has been dead for seven or eight days — who was the person who accompanied me all this time?”

“Your Majesty — Kong Cheng was inadvertently killed by Cui Jue’s daughter. Then Cui Jue disguised himself in Kong Cheng’s likeness and accompanied Your Majesty,” Xuanzang said quietly.

Li Shimin looked at Fa Ya with deep admiration. “Old monk — I did not expect your methods to be this brilliant!”

Fa Ya smiled without answering.

Li Shimin ground his teeth. “Cui Jue must be captured!”

“We have searched the entire temple and not found him yet,” the officer said.

Li Shimin said coldly, “Naturally you would not find him there — have Wei Zheng find the entrance to the underground space at once!”

The officer accepted the order and withdrew. He had not been gone long before Wei Zheng came hurrying over. Li Shimin asked anxiously: “Xuancheng — what is the situation?”

Wei Zheng’s face wore an uncomfortable expression: “This minister tore apart two meditation courtyards and still found no entrance. We did find numerous tunnels, but the moment anything above was torn down, the tunnels would collapse with a thundering crash, and this minister’s people simply could not get in.”

Li Shimin was stunned, and turned his head to look at Fa Ya. He nodded: “Monk — impressive.”

Fa Ya smiled: “How could any human ability compare to that of gods and spirits? Since Your Majesty does not believe in the Underworld, old monk can do nothing about it.”

“Still stiff-necked.” Li Shimin was getting exasperated.

“Your Majesty, there is now only one approach remaining,” Wei Zheng said.

“What approach? Speak!” Li Shimin demanded.

Wei Zheng pointed at the windmills towering nearby. “If this minister’s guess is correct, these windmills should lead directly to the central hub of the underground world, providing it with motive power. This minister questioned one of the monks, who said the windmills have iron chains below them as thick as an arm, encased in ceramic sheaths and buried deep underground. This minister’s idea is simply to dig open the ground and follow these iron chains to find the central hub in the underground!”

“Excellent!” Li Shimin’s eyes gleamed brilliantly. He had personally witnessed the power hub of the underground world — the massive rotating disc at the center of the Eighteen Ni Li Prisons had been revolving without stop, and wind power was surely one of its sources.

“Good — by my command, tear down the windmills!” Li Shimin ordered.

The utterly composed Fa Ya’s face went pale, and he called out urgently: “Your Majesty, you must not—”

Li Shimin smiled: “Why must I not? You are finally frightened, are you not? Guards — tear them down!”

A thousand Imperial Guards worked together, and very quickly several windmills were torn down, exposing the iron chains below. Everyone stood beside the windmills, staring at the complex mechanism before them in utter stupefaction. Enormous toothed gears, interlocking chains — what kind of machinery had the mortal world ever seen? It surpassed this age entirely!

Even Wei Zheng could not help but give Fa Ya a thumbs-up in admiration: “Old monk, truly extraordinary! If something like this were used for the people’s benefit, the world would look quite different.”

Fa Ya appeared to have lost his soul, as if he could not hear the words.

The Imperial Guards dug open the ground along the iron chains, then tied long ropes around the chains and pulled upward with all their strength. With many hands the task was made light — before long, seven or eight chains had been pulled free, and over a thousand people stood on the mountaintop, heaving in unison. Suddenly the ground gave a tremendous shudder, and people lost their footing, tumbling about in a heap.

Li Shimin nearly fell as well. He felt the entire mountain seem to tremble, and the windmills and meditation halls on the hillside collapsed one after another. He stared at Fa Ya in astonishment: “What is happening?”

Fa Ya sighed: “Your Majesty, flee! Evacuate all the people — this mountain is going to collapse.”

Everyone stood there stupefied — how could pulling a few iron chains cause an entire mountain to collapse?

Seeing the ground trembling ever more violently, Yuchi Jingde did not dare delay. He immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to release the chains and, protecting the Emperor, made for the mountain below. Li Shimin called out: “Bring Fa Ya! I need him to see… I need him to see the evidence!”

The group fled headlong toward the foot of the mountain, making their way through Xingtang Temple. All around, halls and towers toppled one after another; clouds of dust filled the air; everywhere were people crying and running in all directions. Xuanzang followed close behind Li Shimin, while Yuchi Jingde shouldered Fa Ya and, protected by a group of Imperial Guards, ran all the way to the foot of the mountain in the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense. As they ran, a sound like heaven splitting and earth shattering rose behind them, and the entire hillside on which Xingtang Temple stood collapsed utterly — as if the earth had opened an invisible maw and swallowed the entire mountain peak.

Rocks and boulders went thundering down into the pit, clouds of dust rising a hundred zhang high and blotting out half the sky. Everyone fell to the ground amid the violent trembling of the earth, and then turned back to look at what had been, moments before, the glorious Xingtang Temple — now nothing but a scene of rubble and broken walls…