The Discovery and Destruction of the Soul-Beasts

Within the great Ling encampment, the ministers and thirteen heroic warriors surrounded the invincible Lion King, Gesar, as they advanced deep into the narrow ravine of Nyimü Kuchu. Towering peaks enclosed the space so tightly that the sky appeared no larger than a needle's point, and the flat ground stretched no wider than a single scythe's blade. It was in this cramped, winding hollow that a black rock formation resembling a rakshasi's ship came into view, and upon a small, round platform beside it stood a boulder shaped like a folded chest.

The Lion King Gesar recalled his aunt's prophecy—this terrain matched the description of the destined site. Circling the great stone, Gesar came upon the footprints of black, white, and mottled one-legged demons. Immediately, he ensnared them with the lasso of emptiness and, raising his mountain-cleaving axe, split the boulder in two as easily as one opens a charm box. Within lay a meteorite the size of three wild yaks. The heroes swiftly bound it with ropes, and when the King split it open, out crawled a nine-headed iron scorpion with eighteen pincers. With the slightest movement, it shook the thirteen celestial layers and rattled the thirteen earthly strata. Yet the heroes, undaunted, slew the creature with a volley of arrows and thrusting spears.

Next, a bird of calamity, patterned like dice, bone tiles, and game pieces, soared into the sky. The invincible King Gesar hooked it down with an iron hook and subdued it. Moments later, a vixen with iron teeth and a copper tail darted before the heroes, shrieking strange cries and racing to and fro. Three champions—Adanam, Kamba Yuden, and Danma—loosed arrows simultaneously. Danma's shaft struck the vixen's brow, shattering the seven white hairs upon it. The wounded creature dragged its hindquarters toward Michong, who, seized with terror, turned and fled—only to collide with Chao Tong, sending the old man sprawling in the dust. The vixen sank its teeth into Chao Tong's knee before Yula dispatched it with a single spear thrust. Amid the heroes' jubilation, Chao Tong's misfortune was quite forgotten. When they finally turned, they found him covered in ash, cursing and fuming. They helped him up and brushed him off, but his eyes blazed red as lightning, his teeth ground like roasted barley, and he unleashed a torrent of abuse at Michong.

The Quarrel Between Chao Tong and Michong, and Danma's Judgment

Still seething, Chao Tong rolled up his sleeves and lunged at Michong. Michong thought to himself, Chao Tong coming at me doesn't bother me. But every evil deed starts with him, and in the end, the blame is pinned on me. If I don't clear this up today, I won't let it rest. He said aloud, "Chief Chao Tong of Darong! You stir up trouble where none exists—a true instigator of calamity. The bloodshed between Hor and Ling was your doing, yet you heap accusations upon me. Have you no shame, Chief Chao Tong? Among the thirteen lords and ministers of Ling, you've told every lie imaginable, and because I'm small, you think you can bully me!"

Enraged, Chao Tong grabbed Michong by the hair and yanked him down. Michong seized Chao Tong's hair in return and threw the elder to the ground, turning him into a gray heap once more. At this, Minister Danma and Yula stepped in to separate the pair. Danma scolded them: "Ho! Our Lion Jewel King is in good spirits, so why must you two squabble and spoil the mood?" Then, playing the mediator, he continued: "Chao Tong and Michong, listen to me. I, Danma, am the great judge. If a case comes before me, I enforce the law without mercy—I bow to no power, nor am I swayed by rank or riches. For minor offenses, noses and mouths are cut; for grave ones, execution follows swiftly. Today, as we stand knife-to-knife against Men, your internal quarrel defies orders and breaks discipline. By the law, you should both be punished. Chief Chao Tong of Darong! The old saying goes: a man of stature speaks with substance. To twist words with force, to bluff and deceive—who would easily believe such talk? Reflect on this. And you, Michong, hear me well: you grabbed Chao Tong's hair, daring to assault your elder—this cannot be tolerated. I sentence you for the offense of insubordination. When you return to camp tonight, prepare five items of atonement: first, bristles from the door dog; second, the tail of an old badger; third, the hide of a meditating marmot; fourth, hairs from Dowa's horse's tail; and fifth, a white khata scarf. Present these to Chao Tong and redeem your fault. With that, the matter is settled, and you must not repeat it."

With these words, Danma sent everyone back to camp, and Chao Tong and Michong, swallowing their rage, returned to their tents. That very day, Michong plucked a tuft of bristles from Chao Tong's family dog, clipped some hairs from his horse's tail, found a length of badger tail and a marmot pelt, and, holding a khata, brought all five items to the assembly hall of Ling's lords. He lay the odd assortment of tails upon the marmot skin, offered them to Uncle Chao Tong, and prostrated three times. At the sight, the lords and ministers burst into laughter that filled the entire hall, while Chao Tong sat mortified, not knowing where to turn.

After a while, Chao Tong picked up two black-and-white agate pebbles from outside the tent and muttered a secret mantra. In an instant, the upper sky churned with white clouds, the lower sky gathered black ones, and the two merged into a roiling mass. Thunder roared like a wild man's fury, booming like a great drum, and a ferocious hailstorm followed. Gesar, aware that Chao Tong had conjured this with his spells, rewarded him with a white khata and ten gold coins, commanding him to halt the hail. Delighted, Chao Tong piled thirteen agate stones into a mandala offering, soared briefly into the sky, and soon dispersed the clouds. A warm sun shone over the clear heavens once more, and the heroes of Ling felt at ease and content.

Portents of Doom and Princess Meiduo Zhuoma's Dream

On the day the celestial mother had foretold for vanquishing the demon, calamitous signs erupted across Men Kingdom. A comet streaked the sky, fires blazed unbidden on the mountains, owls cackled, the earth lay covered in red-hot coals, the square white copper stove cracked into eight pieces, poisonous serpents coiled around the lion-and-tiger pillars of the temple, tigers devoured the horses in their stables, ice formed on the sacred ever-flowing lake, the golden peak of the holy mountain crumbled, and the golden beams of King Xinchi's palace snapped. Across the kingdom, panic gripped every heart.

Princess Meiduo Zhuoma dreamed that shell-like snow fell upon Balayulung, thunder rumbled across the sky, dew glistened on the backs of yellow oxen, four suns rose over the southern pass of Dongza Lakana, snow mountains weathered into crumbling rock, noble ladies were led away to the north, tongues of fire licked the central peaks as a striped tiger burned, leopards flaunted their markings across the wide plains, a fair lotus bloomed in an icy lake of the Yellow River valley, and in Men's central meadows, wild grass hissed. Troubled, Meiduo Zhuoma pondered: Men is beset by omens, and I have had such a dream—what can it mean?

She burned incense and prayed for clarity, for the power to interpret her vision. And clarity came—but with it, dread. The shell snow signified Brahma's great fall; the thunder and dew foretold disaster for King Xinchi, born in the year of the ox; the four suns marked the loss of the venerable Gula Tuojie's prestige; the weathered mountains heralded Men's ruin; and the lotus in the icy lake meant that a daughter must be sent to the enemy...

The more she reflected, the greater her fear. If Ling truly came for her, if an alliance through marriage was their aim, then for her kingdom's sake, she should wed into Ling and end this terrible war. Meiduo Zhuoma went to her father's palace and offered herself as a bride to Ling, hoping to bring swift peace.

But King Xinchi, though his soul-scorpion had been slain and his vigor spent, clung to his demon pride and refused to show weakness before his daughter: "My child, you are Men's treasure, the pearl of my palm. Do not concern yourself with affairs of state. As the ancients say: 'A narrow heart is a spring of sorrow—one dreams the sky crashes down, mountains wash away, and featherless men soar above. A narrow heart breeds fear, and fear breeds visions.' Daughter, leave the kingdom to me. As long as I draw breath, you will never go to Ling."

Princess Meiduo Zhuoma withdrew, her heart unsettled as she returned to her chambers, sensing that her father would soon be lost to her, that Gula Tuojie would give his life for Men, and that she herself was destined for Ling.

The Capture and Grisly End of Gula Tuojie

That day, Gula Tuojie felt a restless unease and resolved to rest, avoiding battle with the Ling forces. But as he sat idle, the great Ling deity, White Brahma, possessed his body, overriding his will and compelling him to charge into battle at once. Gula swiftly mounted his goose-yellow steed, vowing: Today, either Ling is destroyed, or Gula falls on the field—there is no other path. Without hesitation, he galloped straight for the Ling camp.

Ling's outposts spotted him alone, racing toward their lines, and blew their conch horns. The warriors rallied: "Today we must destroy Gula!" Rolling up their sleeves, they prepared to sally forth. From the lotus-glowing yellow tent, however, emerged Gade, clad in blue cloth, a black-brimmed hat topped with peacock feathers crowning his head like a five-colored canopy. A black star emblem hung on his chest, ghastly skull ornaments draped his shoulders, a curse-caster's implements hung at his back, and a meteorite iron dagger was tucked at his waist. Rolling up his sorcerer's wide sleeves and riding his yellow sparrow steed, he raced to intercept Gula, reining in to block his path. Gula thought, Among these Ling brigands, I've never seen this man—is he a phantom? He waited to hear what the stranger would say. Gade called out: "You old monkey, Gula! You're no match for our strongmen. If you're so bold, let you and me settle this here—no arrows, no long blades, just bare-handed strength. We'll see who's the true hero!"

Gula's fury flared. Sheathing his long sword and rolling up his sleeves, he dismounted and charged. Gade seized Gula's armor strap and shook him thrice; Gula grabbed Gade's waist and grappled. The two champions clashed like wild yaks locking horns, shaking the very earth, rattling the trees, and quaking the mountains. As they struggled, Danma swept in from Ling's right flank, swift as a serpent striking from a lake's heart, and seized Gula's left arm. From the blood-boiling northern camp, the fierce Sinba loomed like a vengeful spirit across the plain and gripped Gula's right arm. From the emerald southern camp, Prince Yula Toju of Jiang bounded forth like a blue dragon and grabbed Gula's chest. From the yellow-tasseled central force, Seba Niben Daya dashed out and seized Gula from behind. Five champions strained against the single warrior. Then Danma Jangcha, sensing they could not overpower Gula Tuojie, whipped out his jade-hilted blade and slashed Gula's right arm, badly wounding it. The five closed in, bound his hands behind his back like iron rings, wrapped his chest tight as a thread-ball, and stripped him of his helmet and weapons. They drove eight iron stakes into the ground beside the white sacred tent of the invincible King Gesar and tethered Gula to them like a watchdog.

Seeing Gula's fine bearing and peerless valor, Gesar wished to win him over as a Ling general, as he had done with Meruze and Yula Toju. He spoke gently: "Gula Tuojie, I honor you as a hero and would spare your life. But you must help me subdue King Xinchi and defeat Men's warriors. When it is done, we will return to Ling in triumph. I shall grant you a fief of thirty thousand households, build you a palace, and share the spoils. What say you?"

But Gula Tuojie was unmoved, glaring at the Lion King: "Wretched Joru! You cloak yourself in mercy, using marriage as a pretext to invade Men—a breaker of oaths! I would rather die nine deaths than beg for mercy from a destroyer of all life!"

With that, he gnashed his teeth, held his breath, and strained against the iron chains three times, nearly wrenching the stakes from the ground. For Gula was a true demon's offspring, beyond redemption. Gesar ordered him drugged with wine until he lost consciousness. The warriors complied, and soon Gula lay in a drunken stupor. Seba Niben then commanded: "Dispatch ten thousand troops from each officer's command. Escort Gula to the black pit at the crossroads shaped like a boat, where three valleys, three ravines, and three days' paths converge. Dig a pit nine layers deep, erect seven sandalwood pillars the height of a man's eighteen spans, nail Gula to the frame, and peel away his skin with your fingernails."

Led by the red Sinba of Hor, fifty executioners bound Gula tightly and hauled him to the boat-shaped crossroads. Two hundred and fifty thousand soldiers dug the nine-layered pit, raised the sandalwood pillars, and nailed him fast. The red Sinba climbed up first and began skinning Gula from the joints of his feet upward, yet Gula uttered not a sound of pain. They peeled the skin from his face and draped it over his head. Then, reaching into his chest, they tore out his beating heart and found the seven pea-sized protection pellets of the Lord of Wrath, Conceited Demon, nestled between the chambers of his heart; these they removed. Afterward, they split his torso into eighteen pieces, cleaved his head into nineteen parts, doused the remains with poisons, and buried them in the pit. As they leveled the earth, countless celestial, demon, and dragon warriors appeared and, in an instant, raised an eighteen-tiered black pagoda over Gula's grave.

The Lion King of Ling came to the site and declared: "Minister of Internal Affairs, Gula Tuojie, until a crow grows white hair on its head, until river sand becomes grain, until white stones turn to sheep—you shall remain in this pit."

Thus he prayed that the demon minister Gula Tuojie never be reborn, and the lords and ministers returned with the King to camp.