"Namo Amitabha. Benefactors, this humble monk sincerely thanks you all for attending the Jialan Ceremony."
Brother Owen stepped down and approached the podium, beginning his speech. I saw him take out three Buddhist scriptures from his robe and place them on the table. Then, he opened one and continued speaking.
"Enough, benefactors. What this humble monk has just recited is the essence of my Buddha, meant to save the world. Whether human or ghost, all may journey to the Western Pure Land. Please, listen in peace, for all of this, Buddha..."
"Cut the act, Allen Zhang."
Brother Owen then opened the first book and began to speak.
"Today, I will be explaining Ksitigarbha's Original Vow Sutra, the Sutra of Karmic Retribution, and the Ten Wheels Sutra of Ksitigarbha. These three are the sacred scriptures of the Saint of the Underworld, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. I hope you will listen carefully and ponder the Buddhist teachings within."
As Brother Owen spoke, he slowly picked up the Ksitigarbha's Original Vow Sutra, opened it, and prepared to begin his lecture. The ghosts below were utterly silent, which felt disturbingly abnormal.
The atmosphere was stifling. Yet as Brother Owen began his explanation, the ghosts grew more devout. I had to do something. Previously, I had thought carefully about how to deal with the worms inside these ghosts' bodies. Solving them one by one would be far too troublesome.
But over the past two days, through my contact with Curse Power, I've sensed that it has a certain property: it can attract similar energies, or a stronger Curse Power can destroy weaker ones. Compared to the Curse Power in my body, these worms seem insignificant.
The Curse Power lent to me by the Curse Ghost wasn't much, and now it lies quietly dormant within my ghost soul. After much consideration, I realized my only option is to release all the Curse Power within me at the right moment. If the worms formed by Curse Power sense a much stronger force, they might flee from these ghosts' bodies. But there's a risk: the ghosts could die.
My approach was to instinctively lower the Curse Power within me, reducing the threat to these worms and achieving coexistence. When the time comes, not only will they not flee, they'll be easily drawn out.
Once I'd made up my mind, I began looking for the right opportunity. Then I noticed that the ghost who'd been sitting beside me had vanished without my realizing. Looking around, I saw that quite a few ghosts had already disappeared during Brother Owen's sermon.
There was only one place they could have gone—to be transformed into pure souls, gathered as raw power for Brother Owen.
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, feeling as if Brother Owen's platform was gradually rising. I was deeply puzzled, and soon realized it wasn't just an illusion.
Ethan Zhang, if you don't want to die, then leave now. For Zhang Hao's sake, I'll let you go this time. But if you want to die, I'll gladly send you to hell.
I watched my cousin quietly, fearing that Brother Owen's curse had taken hold of him too. That would explain his condition. My only hope was the bullet I'd fired into his chest that day.
That bullet contained the desires of Ethan Zhang and Zhang Hao—desires born from everything my cousin and I had gone through since childhood. I remember those moments vividly.
"Benefactor, please leave. I have taken refuge under my master, Brother Owen. From now on, we have nothing more to do with each other."
"Remember, cousin. Quickly."
I muttered softly to myself.
"Heh, Ethan Zhang, you speak amusingly. Shame? In front of my Buddha, anyone—human or ghost—can attain Buddhahood. The enlightened Saint of the Underworld, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, is proof of this. The scriptures he wrote are meant for the ghosts in hell. Many must either suffer punishment in hell before reincarnation, or wander the ghost realm, fighting to survive. I help them escape suffering, to reach the Western Pure Land. Tell me, what's wrong with that?"
If I could just wake my cousin, then in a split second, I could take him to the sand cave Zhang Xiaochun created. There would be no problem. Zhang Xiaochun once told me, confidently, that in the sandstorm, no one can easily find their way.
"Enough, benefactors. What this humble monk has just recited is the essence of my Buddha, meant to save the world. Whether human or ghost, all may journey to the Western Pure Land. Please, listen in peace, for all of this, Buddha..."
"Begin, Allen Zhang. Show me what you're capable of—one of the Ten Evils of Yin Hatred."
I shouted, unable to hold back any longer. With a whoosh, I floated up from among the ghosts and drifted toward Brother Owen, landing slowly in front of his podium. I looked at my cousin, who still hadn't moved.
Slowly, I drew Hell's Sentinel and aimed it at Brother Owen. He only smiled at me, showing no hostility at all. The surrounding ghosts kept staring at me; the moment I took flight, it was as if something had stirred in their memories.
I took out my phone again, glanced at it, then smiled and put it away.
"Benefactor, this humble monk only wishes to save all beings—that is why I am holding this Dharma assembly. May I ask, benefactor, what advice do you have?"
Even now, Brother Owen remained calm and unflustered. With two swift sounds, two pitch-black wind blades shot toward him.
Immediately, the surrounding ghosts showed fear. The two wind blades were easily neutralized by one of Brother Owen's disciples behind him, while Brother Owen himself didn't move at all.
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A sinister aura began to seep from my body, waves of powerful ghost energy spilling out with a sizzling sound. In the sky around us, my ghost energy collided with Brother Owen's, and I showed no sign of backing down.
Streaks of black and green lightning flashed—fear. Some of the ghosts grew terrified, and a few tried to get up and run.
"Ghostworm, give me back my cousin."
I shouted, but Brother Owen only smiled and replied.
"This soul has already chosen to become my disciple. He did so of his own free will—I did not force him at all. If you don't believe me, ask him yourself."
Suddenly, my cousin stood up, looked at me, and bowed.
"Benefactor, please leave. I have taken refuge under my master, Owen. From now on, we have nothing more to do with each other."
"Cousin..."
I shouted, rushing to my cousin's side in a flash, my hand gripping his shoulder.
"Have you forgotten, cousin? Have you really forgotten? Everything—from our childhood until now—have you truly forgotten it all?"
I shouted in an accusatory tone, but my cousin remained unmoved.
"No matter how much time passes, no matter what you remember, cousin, I will always be your younger cousin—Zhang Qingyuan. Your wife is still waiting for you to come home. Your son and daughter are waiting. Uncle and Aunt, your friends—they're all waiting for you."
I kept talking, but my cousin still looked wooden and unresponsive. Brother Owen just kept smiling, not the least bit angered by my words.
The ghosts around us, though frightened, seemed to know I wasn't a match for Brother Owen—especially since he had his eight disciples.
"Benefactor, please be patient and hear me out. The past is hopeless; you may as well take refuge in my Buddha. Let me help you find peace."
I glared at Brother Owen, then, with a whoosh, flew to his side, Hell's Sentinel pointed at his nose. But Brother Owen remained as steady as a mountain, a faintly contemptuous smile on his lips—he clearly didn't take me seriously at all.
"Ghostworm, I'll ask you one last time—let my cousin go, or else..."
"Oh? Or else what, benefactor?"
Ghostworm's voice changed, becoming harsh and grating.
"I'll kill you."
I said it, word by word. Then Ghostworm burst out laughing, ghost energy pouring out of his body in waves.
"I welcome friends who come to hear the Dharma, but those who come to cause trouble—I'm afraid I won't see you off."
As Ghostworm spoke, I suddenly floated into the air. He still looked at me with contempt.
"Zhang Qingyuan, if you don't want to die, then leave now. For Zhang Hao's sake, I'll let you go this time. But if you want to die, I'll gladly send you to hell."
I floated above Brother Owen's head, raising my right hand and looking down at the ghosts below.
"Do you really want to go to this so-called Western Pure Land?"
I shouted, and the ghosts below all looked at me. Many wore expressions of amusement, laughing as if watching a show.
"Is it really your own will that drives you to go? What are ghosts, anyway? Are you truly ghosts? Is it so good to be like humans? Ghosts are supposed to be sinister, terrifying, unpredictable. I see no sense of pride in any of you. Shame—you're the disgrace of the ghost kind."
I spoke bluntly, but at that moment, laughter erupted from the crowd below.
"Heh, Zhang Qingyuan, you speak amusingly. Shame? In front of my Buddha, anyone—human or ghost—can attain Buddhahood. The enlightened Saint of the Underworld, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, is proof of this. The scriptures he wrote are meant for the ghosts in hell. Many must either suffer punishment in hell before reincarnation, or wander the ghost realm, fighting to survive. I help them escape suffering, to reach the Western Pure Land. Tell me, what's wrong with that?"
"But only if you can truly take them to the Western Pure Land."
I said it, word by word, then shouted into the sky.
"Begin, Zhang Xiaochun. Show me what you're capable of—one of the Ten Evils of Yin Hatred."