Chapter 3: The Five Treasures Temple and the Corrupt World
Wuling County was subordinate to Jiangling Prefecture of Xiangzhou, with a population of around one hundred and eighty thousand, placing it among the mid-sized counties. The county constable, Zhou Bo, held a ninth-rank official position—a trifling post in the vast Great Zhou Dynasty, yet within Wuling he was a figure of some consequence. His official residence was lavish and imposing, exuding extravagance at every turn. This alone spoke volumes about the depth of corruption plaguing the Great Zhou Dynasty—it had reached the point of unabashed display. Otherwise, even if Zhou Bo extorted and embezzled, he would hardly dare build his estate with such opulence.
...
Lu Sha steered the Hundred-Eyed Demon around the county constable’s mansion. He discovered that the entire residence was shrouded in a faint, azure glow, invisible to ordinary eyes. As he approached, the Hundred-Eyed Demon felt a sharp, unbearable pain. Clearly, this blue radiance was some kind of protective spiritual light. Lu Sha pressed forward, braving the azure glow. When he was three meters from the courtyard wall, the pain reached its peak—almost intolerable. Lu Sha realized this was the limit; any further, and the demon would likely perish here. It seemed this light was meant to ward off evil spirits and prevent their intrusion—a sensible precaution for someone as wicked as Zhou Bo. Though he could not enter the constable’s mansion, Lu Sha was not impatient; he was no impulsive youth, but rather a man of depth and patience.
The Hundred-Eyed Demon had only just been born and needed time to mature. Once it grew stronger, the blue radiance would no longer hinder it. Then, Zhou Bo’s household would meet its end. Moreover, Lu Sha found the death prison to be an excellent place. It was pitch dark and chilling, with condemned prisoners struggling within, as if in purgatory. Such an environment easily bred sinister entities. What others saw as hell, Lu Sha regarded as a treasure trove. These evil spirits could be used to create new demons or to nurture and empower the Hundred-Eyed Demon—both excellent choices!
With these thoughts, Lu Sha guided the demon out of the blue radiance’s range, intending to return to the death prison. On his way, he suddenly sensed a strange aura—obscure and indecipherable, difficult to distinguish between yin and yang. Curious, he followed the aura and arrived before a Daoist temple.
“Five-Viscera Temple?”
He glanced at the temple’s plaque, its calligraphy bold and vigorous, and felt a vague sense of unease. The Hundred-Eyed Demon, being a creature of darkness, could perceive things hidden to ordinary eyes—such as the blue glow over the constable’s mansion. At first glance, this temple appeared unremarkable, but the longer he stared, the more sinister it seemed. After a moment, the characters on the plaque began to twist, as if something was about to leap out! The entire temple trembled slightly, the walls seeping a fleshy crimson that writhed like some amalgamation of blood and flesh. The whole temple seemed on the verge of coming alive, exuding a palpable malevolence.
“What in the world is this?”
Lu Sha sensed imminent danger, swiftly withdrew the Hundred-Eyed Demon, and retreated to the death prison.
...
This world was indeed perilous—terrifying beings lurked even within a modest county. It was best to bide his time in the prison for now. With the demon’s return, Lu Sha’s left eye reappeared, blood-red and strange. This time, he set aside all other matters and lay down for a proper sleep, though he remained vigilant, never fully surrendering to slumber. Fortunately, the night passed without incident. His first night in this new world was peaceful.
...
The next morning, Lu Sha rose early, practiced the “Turtle Essence Qi Cultivation Technique” three times, then sat cross-legged in the corner to await his meal. Yet midday came and went without a single jailer’s shadow, let alone any food. His stomach growling, Lu Sha asked the shabby old man in the next cell,
“Old fellow, when will the prison meal be delivered?”
The old man chuckled, “Wait a bit longer. Meals are usually served around the Shen hour.”
“Shen hour?” Lu Sha frowned. If the first meal came at three to five in the afternoon, did the death prison only serve one meal a day?
The old man saw his concern and lazily replied, “That’s right. One meal a day in this place, and the fare... Well, yesterday’s feast you shared with me tasted much better.” He smacked his lips, savoring the memory.
Clearly, the prison meals were dreadful; otherwise, he wouldn’t reminisce about the taste of a dead rat.
Lu Sha rifled through the memories of his original self. The Great Zhou Dynasty had stood for over six hundred years, now decaying and corrupt—problems had crept in from top to bottom. Take the death prison of Wuling County, for example. It was left unmanaged; once thrown inside, prisoners were left to their own devices, and even after death, their bodies remained uncollected. Each autumn, executions took place en masse. Aside from a few notorious criminals paraded for public execution, most were killed on the spot within the prison, never seeing daylight or any semblance of procedure. After the executions, the prison was swept clean, and the cycle repeated the next year. Yet the conditions were so harsh that few survived three months; autumn brought mostly corpse collection and cleaning. Here, people were treated worse than animals. The prison meals were hardly worth expecting. Such was the filth of the times.
...
Hungry, Lu Sha remained still, sitting cross-legged and waiting. As the afternoon sun slanted westward, he finally spotted the jailers. Seven or eight arrived, led by the two who had escorted him yesterday. These two were the wardens, overseeing more than twenty jailers. One was named Zhao Erhu, the other Dong Dali. The county constable had ordered Lu Sha’s death, which was why they had personally brought him in.
...
Today, as soon as they entered, Zhao Erhu and Dong Dali saw Lu Sha sitting in the corner, his cold gaze fixed upon them. Diagonally across from him lay two corpses, one belonging to the mad prisoner.
“He’s alive? How can it be!”
Dong Dali and Zhao Erhu were astonished. The mad prisoner had been the leader of a local bandit gang, skilled in martial arts. Capturing him had cost considerable effort and several lives. Even after suffering torture and losing much of his strength, he remained fierce—few could survive an encounter with him. Since his confinement, he had killed four fellow inmates. Who would have thought he’d die at the hands of that useless scion of the Lu family? Could something unexpected have happened?
...
The two wardens exchanged glances, troubled. Usually, distributing meals didn’t require their personal attention. Today, they had come mainly to confirm Lu Sha’s death, hoping to bring something back to report to the constable—perhaps Lu Sha’s head. Yet, not only was Lu Sha alive, he had slain the mad prisoner! Were they to kill him themselves? It wasn’t impossible, but acting personally risked leaving evidence. Who knew if the Lu family still had powerful friends—any trouble could spell disaster.
“What are you staring at? Where’s my meal?”
While they hesitated, Lu Sha spoke first. His tone and demeanor were not those of a condemned prisoner, but rather of a guest at an inn, rebuking the waitstaff.
Dong Dali was irritated. He bared his teeth, muscles twitching as he glared at Lu Sha.
“Boy, do you think this is the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion?”
“Eat? Eat your damn meal!”
He grabbed a bowl of yellowish gruel and smashed it in front of Lu Sha. The bowl shattered, splattering the gruel. A few drops landed on Lu Sha’s body. His expression grew colder, a red glow flickering in his left eye, surging in the darkness.
“Hmph! Let’s go!”
With a snort, Dong Dali turned to leave. He had already decided to bribe a few ferocious prisoners tomorrow to kill Lu Sha, then silence them afterward, severing all ties. He didn’t believe this boy could survive.
...
“Wait!”
Just as Zhao Erhu and Dong Dali were about to leave, a cold voice rang out from the cell—it was Lu Sha.