Fu Shu and Gao Ming exclaimed at the same time. The two had a deep impression of the old man.
“We should avoid him for now. He is the town’s last night-watcher. He is impossibly strong. At the crucial moment, he can summon his ancestors.” Fu Shu lowered his head because he didn’t dare to stare at the joss stick for too long as if worried that he would be discovered.
“Hmm.” Gao Ming had a feeling that the night-watcher was different from the other Yong Gods. His goal of going to the Soul Temple should be different from the others. “If there is no other choice, having the night-watcher become the Unmentionable is not a bad solution.”
“Don’t be foolish. At this moment, you need to catch the power of the Unmentionable in your hands to be safe. You cannot trust anyone else.” Fu Shu placed his hope on Gao Ming. He wished Gao Ming to bring him out of town. As more ghosts came to the area around the Soul Temple, unavoidable conflicts happened. It was unsure who made the first move. Gao Ming only saw two giant stone lions knocked into the paper people that carried the white sedan and shook the Ji God’s plaque.
The Ji Gods controlled power related to death and taboo. However, the fluttering paper money avoided them. Elder Tang took the burial money for the dead. Elder Tang’s greed targeted the remaining three Ji Gods.
The paper dolls opened their eyes. However, Elder Tang ignored this bad omen. His greed was supported by immense strength. The poor guests, who were caught in the middle, trembled endlessly.
Funeral wailing appeared near the white bridge. A paper doll about three-metres tall waved its long sleeves. Its face, which was drawn with horrible paint, shed tears. With each wail, a disease infected one birthday party guest.
“Elder Tang, don’t you lack personal maids? Take my daughter! You have to save me!”
“Old Man Tang, you are a liar! You said you’d protect my family once I gave you the money! You lie!”
The guests were harassed by illnesses. Some of them broke out in pus, and others turned into bones. The guests who held birthday presents were protected by paper money. They only suffered from coughs and headaches.
Elder Tang never really thought about helping these people. He merely led them along so they could continue to serve him. To be honest, the way the Ji God treated the paper dolls was better than how Elder Tang treated his guests.
“Chou Shi Si Geng!” The copper gong echoed. The falling paper money slowed down. The night-watcher moved through the fighting guests and paper dolls. He forced the two parties apart.
“Si Geng is here. Huddling together for warmth provides the best chance to survive the long night.” The old man was alone, but he could hold back a large army. Neither Elder Tang nor the Ji God dared to attack him.
“Old man, you have the stench of my butcher’s knife.” The butcher’s feral voice came from behind the pig’s head. “Have you stolen it?”
“You should keep watch over it then.” The night-watcher didn’t turn around. He faced the Soul Temple.
“Fuck! You must have gotten tired of living! I’ll chop you into minced meat and dig up your ancestors to make wine!”
“Old man, just ignore him. He likes to run his mouth. Who doesn’t know how much you’ve contributed to maintaining the safety of the town? I know you wouldn’t have stolen that knife!”
The two voices started to argue. The night-watcher ignored them. He placed his attention on the nine-story Soul Temple. “Divine temple? Exit? None of these will appear in Dream Break Town! This is clearly a lie!”
“What if it is a lie? I’ve stayed here long enough!” The butcher yanked the bone knife out of his flesh. “Bunch of animals! I’ll kill all of you if you don’t let me go!”
“Night-watcher.” An aged voice came out of the paper money. “I am the most law-abiding resident of Dream Break Town. I never do anything out of line. This temple will only bring good fortune to town. I will represent the Tang Residence and enter the temple to investigate it for the villagers.”
“Liar! Who doesn’t know you’re the greediest person in town? You only follow the rules that are beneficial to you! It’s your fault that the town is in its current state!” The butcher scratched his face until it bled. “Move! Don’t stand in my way!”
The voice from the Tang Residence’s guest carried mirth. “The Soul Temple reaches into the sky. The topmost door has opened. Old night-watcher, you cannot stop the villagers. I understand human hearts better than you. If you really want to protect Dream Break Town, join hands with me. We’ll eliminate all the opposition and turn the Soul Temple into another building in the town.”
Different from the Yong Gods that could be communicated with, the Ji Gods had already made their moves. A few paper dolls that looked like humans moved towards the Soul Temple’s western door as they chanted sutras. Content originally comes from novel[f]ire.net
The temple had no threshold. Any people could enter it. However, once the paper dolls entered the temple, they started to burn with green fire. Most of them were turned into crisp, but a small portion became more solemn. The brands on their bodies were wiped away. New skin grew on their paper bodies like they had become real humans.
No matter how hard the soul bells in the white sedans shook, the paper dolls that had new skin were unmoved. They stopped listening to the Ji God’s orders. They steepled their hands and moved up the temple, but they soon disappeared from everyone’s sight.
“This place is a tragedy! It has to be destroyed!” The night-watcher said firmly. However, the other Yong Gods had their plans.
“The night-watcher is right.” Elder Tang was a smiling tiger. As he agreed with the night-watcher, he tossed out the paper money. “The Tu Di Temple was at the front of the street. The abandoned soul temples were scattered around it. Someone used them as a front to cultivate such a monster right under our noses. I suspect someone is helping this Soul Temple. That person is hidden among us.” The snowflakes of paper money covered the temple’s north door. Elder Tang said openly, “I don’t want to fight with you. The Soul Temple has four entrances. This north entrance is mine. If anyone dares to challenge me, I’ll treat you as the Soul Temple’s helper.”
He waved his sleeves, and his guests were pulled along by the black threads towards the temple.
The night-watcher knew that Elder Tang only cared about himself. This was a man who would kill his own sons.