A Heavenly Mission for a Mortal Key

Upon hearing the news, Gongba, Michong, Sinba, and the others all returned to their camps reassured and informed everyone of the negotiation's outcome. The next day, the great King Gesar mounted his divine steed, Jang Gapeibu, and, encircled by a rainbow, soared towards the celestial realm. The Red Rabbit-like Divine Steed made eighteen great circles and nineteen small circles in the sky before shooting towards the heavens like an arrow loosed by a hero, arriving at the celestial realm in an instant. Brahma's palace was different from before, its great hall shimmering with golden light. Having been reborn in the mortal world, partaking of mortal food and wearing mortal clothes, the King found it difficult to approach the divine palace. Fortunately, a celestial maiden named Weixi, holding a precious vase, came to fetch water. The King addressed her, "Celestial Maiden Weixi, in my previous life I was Tuibagawa. I have come to the Brahma Heaven on important business to see my father-king. Please convey this message for me."

The celestial maiden Weixi went to the palace and faithfully reported to the White Brahma King, who immediately came out to welcome him. Upon seeing his father-king, Gesar said, "Father-king, your child has returned to the heavenly court today to subdue King Sadan's soul-binding serpent and to open the gates of the demon lands. I need seven white conch keys and have come specifically to ask you for them."

The father-king replied, "The white conch keys are with the great immortal master. The great immortal has gone on a pilgrimage to Mount Potala. You must go there to ask him for them."

Gesar paid his respects and bid farewell to his father-king, then mounted the Red Rabbit horse and returned to the human world. He immediately arrived before the palace on Mount Potala but could not find the great immortal. He then went to the mountaintop where snow and rain fall ceaselessly, day and night, and there he met the great immortal. After obtaining the keys, he swiftly rode back to camp.

A Broken Truce and the Poisonous Onslaught

Although the Jiang and Ling armies had agreed to a seven-day ceasefire, by the evening of the sixth day, the Jiang people secretly deliberated and decided that, regardless of the cost, they must fight the Ling army to the finish. The next day, the troops of the three Poisonous Brothers arrayed their three formations into a single battle line. The Poisonous One, Baigan Tulu, riding a white-chested horse, accompanied by three attendants and clad in armor, struck a pose as if about to charge the Ling army and sang:

"The kings and ministers of Ling are quite proud, but when they meet the Jiang, they only learn to howl like foxes. The Jiang officers and soldiers are like skilled hunters; drawing bows and loosing arrows, they'll skin those foxes. The left wing, right wing, vanguard, long-armed division, and poisonous division of the Jiang army, come quickly today to receive your orders, each striving for victory to earn merit. Today, I shall be the first to go forth to battle, whipping my horse forward to charge and kill. Who is the hero? Everyone just wait and see. I vow not to return to camp without seizing victory!"

Having sung, Baigan Tulu urged his horse forward. His subordinates all mounted their warhorses and followed closely behind, charging straight towards the Ling camp. Seeing this, the Ling army reported it to the Great Lion King. The King said, "The Jiang army attacks today. Judging from their formation and the number of their horses, it must be the troops of the Poisonous One, Baigan Tulu. All heroes who go forward to resist, each of you must quickly receive a medicinal pill from me to avoid harm from their poisonous vapors."

At this moment, Danma, Bara, Gade, Sinba, and others all wished to request to fight, each preparing to speak to the King. Unexpectedly, Seba Niben spoke first: "It would be best for me to go into battle today."

As he spoke, he was about to depart. His uncle, Chief Steward Rongtsa Chagen, said, "You four are all outstanding heroes among men; there is no need for you to personally go into battle. Please guard the camp securely. Today, the Jiang people have launched a sudden attack; we must absolutely not be negligent or underestimate the enemy. Among the Jiang army, there are three Poisonous Ones whose abilities I know well. They have red poisonous snakes coiled around their heads, and the poisonous vapors they spew can spread plague. Anyone who comes into contact with these three will lose consciousness and die. The Jiang army also has three long-armed men whose extended fingers can snuff out lives. Today, one Poisonous One has come to fight; the Ling people should quickly go to meet him. You must understand that seizing the opportune moment is most important; you must not delay any longer. I hope Bara Senda Adong, Hor's Sinba Meruze, and Chaxiang Danma will join forces and go together to face the enemy. Our hundred men will deal with his one division, ensuring that all who come find it hard to return. How to deal with the three Jiang Poisonous Ones will be up to you three heroes. The troops under Chief Chao Tong were defeated and have already scattered and fled in disarray. Chao Tong usually boasts of being a brave man, but in battle, he is only seen kowtowing and bowing. The anti-poison divine medicinal pills bestowed by King Gesar are the great pillars supporting life. You must keep them on your person before going to the battlefield; only then can you revive from the brink of death and seize victory."

After the Old Chief Steward finished his arrangements, all the heroes acted according to his instructions. Bara, Sinba, and Danma immediately mounted their horses and set off. They saw the Jiang men charging towards the Ling army like boulders rolling down a mountain.

Clash of Heroes and Poisonous Foes

The Poisonous One Baigan Tulu and his subordinates first encountered Danma's troops. Baigan Tulu sang:

"I seek to avenge Queji Gongga Jinmei, to claim the life debt from Kala Maiba, to repay the blood grudge for hero Qindui. To leave a grudge unavenged brings shame to one's face. I need not use weapons, sharp arrows, blades, or spears; I am willing to grapple bare-handed to decide victory or defeat. No matter how fierce your Ling army may be, I will surely reduce you to dust within three days."

Singing his song, Baigan Tulu threw the black snake-iron in his hand into the air. At this moment, Danma thought to himself, 'I've heard this man cannot be killed with arrows or blades. I should first capture him with a lasso.' So he said, "Hey! Jiang man Baigan Tulu, you need not be so furious, nor speak such great boasts. Whom you have encountered is still hard to say. If I lacked ability, then it would be your good fortune. You are now fantasizing and talking in your dreams; in the end, you will only reap what you sow. That black snake-iron in your hand, when you wish to throw it, you will be unable to; when you wish to retrieve it, it will injure you. It is useless against enemies and instead becomes a deadly weapon against yourself. But this lasso in my right hand, once thrown high into the sky, will transform into a great white net that can bind the sun and moon. Once thrown around the necks of you Jiang people, it will be like the God of Death Yama seeking you out. Whether these words become reality, we will soon see clearly."

No sooner had he spoken than Danma threw the lasso, which landed perfectly around Baigan Tulu's neck. Danma pulled with all his might, choking Baigan Tulu until he could hardly breathe. Although the Poisonous One smashed the poisonous snake-iron towards Danma's right shoulder, thanks to the protection of the Ling deities and the empowerment of the King's medicinal pill, Danma was unharmed. He immediately drew his blade with his left hand, intending to finish off this Poisonous One, but unexpectedly, the foe severed the lasso and escaped. Danma's subordinates shot many arrows at the Poisonous One. However, as they did not hit the place where his life-soul resided, they failed to destroy him. The two armies engaged in close combat, fighting fiercely for a long time without a clear victor.

Meanwhile, Sinba encountered and fought the Poisonous One Zhaxi Toju. The Poisonous One Zhaxi Toju hurled his red snake-iron at Sinba. Sinba, wielding his great axe, did not yield an inch. The snake-iron and the giant axe clashed, sparks flying everywhere. On Zhaxi's side, protected by poisonous vapors, the snake-iron shattered the opponent's axe handle. On Sinba's side, protected by the Ling deities, his body suffered no injury. In the heat of battle, Sinba exerted himself so forcefully that he almost fell from his horse. At that moment, the Jiang soldier Jhana Sangzhu charged forward, swinging his blade. Sinba brandished his great axe and charged ahead, causing the Jiang soldier to turn his horse and flee back to camp. Sinba pursued him into the camp, wildly swinging his axe up and down, killing fifty iron-armored soldiers. Jhana Sangzhu charged at Sinba again, also wounding over ten of Sinba's soldiers.

The troops of the Ling hero Bara Senda Adong encountered those of the Poisonous One Taqiong Lugu. Both sides exchanged arrows for the duration of two meals of tea, then fought at close quarters with spears. Finally, Bara Senda Adong vowed to capture the Poisonous One Taqiong Lugu and charged fiercely forward. Taqiong Lugu, unable to withstand him, was fortunate to have the illusory magic of demon gods protecting him, making him invisible to Bara, and thus managed to escape back to camp. Bara pursued relentlessly, intent on capturing the Poisonous One. Seeing Bara in pursuit, the Jiang people shot a hail of arrows from their camp. Bara's warhorse was a divine eagle-like swift steed with prescient knowledge; it deemed the day inauspicious and that a fierce charge forward was unwise, so it slowed its pace. Bara could only shoot twenty arrows, killing twenty Jiang men. The Jiang people, analyzing the situation, held their camp and temporarily ceased their attack.

At this point, Sinba, unable to contain his fury, angrily shouted from his saddle, "My heart is wholly devoted to Ling; I sincerely submitted to become a vassal of the great King. Although Ling may not be overwhelmingly powerful, its strength is like that of a two-year-old colt. The Hor royal line passed through forty-nine generations, finally reaching me, Sinba. Now I bear the ill repute of a prisoner; reflecting on the past and present, my heart grieves in secret. A hero like me, no matter how my status changes, remains a constant threat to the enemy! This meteoric iron axe in my hand was presented by a foreign king. Today, with this very meteoric iron axe, I will make you know my power!"

Sinba brandished his giant axe and charged straight into the midst of the Jiang troops, cutting down over twenty Jiang soldiers in a row. Seeing this, the Poisonous One Baigan Tulu immediately reined in his horse, blocking Sinba, and the two engaged in combat once more.

The Serpent's End and the King's Triumph

From morning till evening that day, both sides fought fiercely without respite. The three armies of the Jiang Poisonous Ones were almost completely annihilated. Among the three Ling divisions, however, nearly a hundred iron-armored soldiers also perished. The Ling people came in droves to see the wounded Danma. Seeing that Danma's injuries were not severe, they were somewhat comforted. For the next five or six days, there were no major battles. Both sides rested and reorganized their troops, pausing hostilities while awaiting further conflict.

The life-soul of Jiang Kingdom's King Sadan was attached to a seven-headed poisonous serpent hidden in a deep mountain cave in Jiang territory. After obtaining the white conch keys to subdue the demonic serpent from the great immortal master, King Gesar waited for the opportune moment, prepared at all times to destroy this poisonous snake. When the time came, King Gesar mounted his Red Rabbit horse and, alone and unaccompanied, went to the entrance of the cave where the soul-binding serpent resided. The King shot the seven white conch keys into the cave like seven sharp arrows. Instantly, the mountain split and the earth cracked, and a terrifyingly dreadful poisonous serpent shot out from the cave. King Gesar's seven divine arrows automatically pursued this soul-binding serpent, shooting wildly at it. Flames sparked from the serpent's heads where the arrows struck, and a foul stench filled the air. Thus, the poisonous serpent was subdued.

After King Sadan's soul-binding serpent was subdued, if the cave retained the marks of being shot, it would leave future calamities. The Great Lion King immediately employed his divine transformative powers to restore the cave to its original state, leaving not a trace behind, before returning to the Ling camp. By then, Danma's wounds had also been completely healed by the army's divine physicians.