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Meza Helps Gesar Destroy Luzan’s Soul Anchors

 

“Great King, take me away quickly!” Meza pleaded.

 

“Do not worry, my queen,” Gesar replied. “We will escape, but only after I defeat Luzan.”

 

Meza hesitated. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Luzan defeated, but she feared Gesar might lose and get hurt. She took him to Luzan’s palace and said, “Great King, look—this is Luzan’s bed, this is his bowl, and these are his iron balls and arrows.”

 

Gesar lay on Luzan’s enormous bed, but, like a baby, he only took up a small corner. He tried to lift Luzan’s bowl, iron balls, and arrows, but they were too heavy. Seeing this, Meza warned him, “Defeating the demon king will be extremely difficult!”

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“Does this mean I should give up on defeating Luzan?” Gesar asked. “Meza, you must know how to defeat him. Please help me!”

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“In that case,” Meza said, “I’ll kill Luzan’s yellow cow and cook it for you to eat. After you eat it, you’ll grow stronger.”

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Meza slaughtered the yellow cow, cooked it, and served it to Gesar. After eating the entire cow, his body grew taller and stronger. He now completely filled Luzan’s bed and could effortlessly lift the demon’s bowl, iron balls, and arrows.

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Excited, Gesar exclaimed, “Now I can defeat Luzan!” Meza smiled. “There’s hope now,” she said.

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Meza sent Gesar back to stay with Qin’en for the night, promising to teach him the next steps to defeat Luzan the following day.

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Luzan’s Weaknesses Are Revealed

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That night, Meza spoke to Luzan and said, “My king, I had a terrible dream last night. I dreamed that the braid on the right side of my hair was cut off. I fear this is an ill omen. If something happens to you, what will I do? Yesterday, I heard from Qin’en that Gesar is coming to the north to defeat the demons. You must protect your Soul Sea, Soul Tree, and Soul Bull carefully!”

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Luzan laughed and said, “My queen, you worry too much. My Soul Sea is just a bowl of poisonous blood in the storeroom—only if it’s spilled will the sea dry up. My Soul Tree will only fall if struck three times with the golden axe in the storeroom. My Soul Bull can only die if shot with the jade-feathered golden arrow.”

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He continued, “My body is protected by many safeguards. I have eighteen horns on my head connected to Mount Sumeru, which can only be broken by the Garuda bird. There’s a scorpion-shaped tumor on my head that only the great black eagle of Kang can devour. My eyes can only be plucked out by the white-breasted eagle of Jaga. The tiger hair on my forehead can only be torn off by the small black eagle of Jiana.

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My back tumor can only be dug out by the seven iron-flower birds. My stomach and intestines can only be eaten by the red bronze dog. My nails, sharper than swords, can only be removed with the nine-foot poison serpent rope from the Dragon King of No-Heat Sea. Even if I’m injured, I can heal with just a sprinkle of dust.

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But my true life force lies in a small glowing fish on my forehead that appears when I sleep. Only if it is struck by an arrow while glowing can I die.”

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After revealing all this, Luzan suddenly regretted his words. “My queen, you must never let anyone know this. If my secrets are exposed, I am truly doomed!”

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Feigning interest, Meza asked, “How much treasure do you have? What will happen to me if something happens to you?”

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Luzan replied, “If we ever encounter Gesar, take the white bag while I take the black bag. All our treasures will fit inside, and we can flee with them.”

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Meza pretended to be relieved and said, “My king, why don’t you patrol the area tomorrow to ensure everything is secure?”

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Luzan, fully trusting her, left the next morning to patrol.

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Gesar Destroys Luzan’s Soul Anchors

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After the demon king Luzan left, Gesar came to Meza. She said, “Great King, I’ve discovered all of Luzan’s soul anchors—his weaknesses.”

 

After cooking a delicious meal for Gesar, Meza explained, “Go to the storeroom and take the skull bowl filled with poisonous blood. Ride to the fork in the upper valley and pour the blood into Luzan’s Soul Sea. Do not look back—return immediately.”

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Gesar went to the storeroom, took the skull bowl, mounted his divine steed, and rode to the Soul Sea. He poured the poisonous blood into the sea and stirred it with a stick. Using his magic, he transformed into a crow, flew to Luzan’s Soul Owl, and pecked it to death before flying away.

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When Luzan saw the dead owl, he felt uneasy. “I’ve been patrolling the upper valley for eight days, and now this ominous sign appears. Could it mean Gesar is here?” He rushed back to his palace.

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Gesar returned to Meza before Luzan arrived. Meza cooked another meal for him and then dug a nine-layer deep pit beneath the hearth. She told Gesar to hide inside the pit and sealed it with a large stone. On top, she placed a bowl of water sprinkled with bird feathers, ashes all around, handprints, cow intestines, and finally, random grass and twigs.

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When Luzan returned, he entered the room and exclaimed, “Another bad omen! Is Gesar here? Why does my body feel so unwell? Meza, bring me my divination books and magical tools!”

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Meza brought the tools but secretly performed rituals to confuse Luzan. She passed the divination strings under her armpit three times, stepped on them three times, and dragged them across the threshold three times before giving them to Luzan.

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Luzan performed divinations three times. The first said, “Gesar is right in front of you.” Shocked, Luzan said, “What?! What does this mean?”

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The second divination said, “Gesar is still far away, separated by a desert, a sea, nine mountains, and nine valleys.”

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The third divination said, “Bird feathers pile up, and grass grows on his bones—he’s already dead.” Feeling reassured, Luzan finally went to sleep.

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Gesar Cuts Down the Soul Tree

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The next morning, Meza suggested, “You should go to the three-way fork and check things out again.”

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Thinking this made sense, Luzan left.

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Once Luzan was gone, Gesar emerged from the pit. Meza prepared a delicious meal for him once more. After he finished eating, she handed him a golden axe and said, “Go to the valley and chop down Luzan’s Soul Tree. Strike it three times, but do not look back—just return directly.”

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Gesar followed Meza’s instructions and rode to the valley. He struck the Soul Tree three times, and as it was about to fall, Gesar transformed into a wild boar and dug up all the dirt around Luzan’s Soul Sea.

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When Luzan saw this, he grew furious. He grabbed a large rock and hurled it at the boar, but he missed. Instead, the rock fell into the sea, causing it to churn violently. The Soul Sea dried up immediately.

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Luzan’s Defeat and the Final Battle

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When Luzan saw his Soul Sea dried up and his Soul Tree felled, he became deeply suspicious and hurried back to the palace. However, Gesar had already returned and hidden himself in the pit prepared by Meza. As usual, Meza sat alone, pretending everything was normal.

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The moment Luzan entered, he exclaimed, “I smell the scent of humans! Has Gesar come to Ling Gabu? My Soul Sea is dry, and I feel unwell. Meza, bring me my divination tools!”

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Meza replied calmly, “What are you saying? Of course, there’s the smell of humans—I’m human, aren’t I?”

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She handed Luzan his divination tools, just as she had done before. Luzan performed three divinations.

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The first divination said, “Gesar is right in front of you!” Luzan shouted in disbelief, “What?! This can’t be true!”

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The second divination said, “Gesar is far away, separated by mountains, rivers, islands, and endless obstacles.”

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The third divination said, “Gesar is dead! His bones are covered in grass, and he’s long gone.”

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Reassured by the third divination, Luzan finally relaxed and went to sleep.

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The next morning, Luzan announced, “I’m going to patrol the mountains and valleys for thirty days.”

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Once Luzan left, Gesar emerged from the pit. Meza prepared a meal for him and handed him the jade-feathered golden arrow. “Today, you must go to the middle valley and kill Luzan’s Soul Bull with this arrow. Do not look back—return immediately,” she instructed.

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Gesar followed her instructions, rode to the middle valley, and shot the Soul Bull. The bull fell, barely breathing. Gesar then transformed into an eagle and landed on the Soul Tree.

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When Luzan saw this, he was furious. He hurled a large rock at the eagle but missed, striking the Soul Tree instead. The tree toppled over, leaving Luzan even more suspicious.

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The Final Trap for Luzan

When Luzan returned, Gesar had already hidden himself again. Meza sat calmly as before. Luzan stormed into the room and exclaimed, “I smell human blood again! Is Gesar here? My Soul Tree is gone, and my body feels weak!”

He demanded his divination tools again, and Meza handed them over with her usual tricks. Luzan performed another series of divinations.

The first divination said, “Gesar is near!” Luzan shouted in anger, “How can this be?”

The second divination said, “Gesar is far, separated by countless obstacles.”

The third divination said, “He is long dead, his bones buried beneath the earth.”

Satisfied once more, Luzan said, “I’ll patrol for another ten days.”

Once Luzan left again, Meza told Gesar, “Tonight is the time to finally defeat Luzan. Eat this meal and gather your strength.”

After Gesar ate, Meza hid him in the house again. When Luzan returned, he felt a strange unease but couldn’t pinpoint the source. He muttered, “Meza, why do I feel that Gesar is closer than ever before?”

Meza dismissed his concerns, saying, “You’re overthinking things, my king. Rest now.”

Luzan finally fell asleep.

 

The Final Battle and Luzan’s Defeat

At this moment, Meza said to Gesar, “Now is the perfect time to subdue the demon king.”

She filled a bag with stones, wrapped it in her clothing, and placed it next to Luzan to make it look like she was sitting beside him. Meanwhile, the divine arrows in Gesar’s quiver were trembling with eagerness to strike. Luzan heard the noise and asked, “Meza Bungji, I hear the sound of arrows. What is that?”

Meza replied calmly, “That’s the sound of my spinning wheel.”

Luzan said, “Spinning wheels make such a sound?”

Gesar tightened the string on his sacred bow, and Luzan heard it again: twang. “Meza Bungji, what is this sound?”

Meza answered, “That’s the sound of me coiling yarn into a ball.”

“Is that what coiling yarn sounds like?” Luzan muttered.

At that moment, Meza whispered to Gesar, “Great King, look at the glowing light on Luzan’s forehead. It’s like a little fish. Quickly, aim there and shoot!”

Gesar sang a prayer to the gods of arrows. Hearing him, Luzan stirred and said, “Meza, I hear singing. What’s that sound?”

Meza replied, “It’s the sound of the soul bees from the coral jar of my elder sister, Droma.”

“Ah, my queen, you’re right,” Luzan said and drifted back to sleep.

Gesar then took three grains of white rice from his quiver, tossed them into the air, and sang a song to summon divine support for his arrow:

“If you do not know this place,

It is the land of the Eight Mountains of Northern Yarlkhon,

Home to the Nine-Spired Demon Citadel.

If you do not know me,

I am the lion king of the Great Ling Realm,

Gesar, the demon-slaying king.

I shoot arrows that strike the demon’s head,

I act to benefit all beings.

In my homeland, I offer butter the size of a square inch;

In foreign lands, I offer three grains of white rice.

Frost has never withered its sprouts,

Bugs have never gnawed its roots.

With this offering, I invoke the heavenly gods, dragon gods, and wrathful gods—

All come to aid me in slaying my enemy.

The White Brahma God crafted my bow's upper limb,

The Naga King of Zouma shaped the lower limb,

The Red Wrathful God forged the grip.

Thunder dragons in the sky, come together!

Strengthen my arms to shoot this arrow.

Let the arrow pierce the demon king’s head,

And let everything I wish come true!”

Upon finishing the song, Gesar released the arrow. The sky was dark, and he couldn’t see clearly, so the arrow missed its mark. Luzan awoke with a start and asked, “What was that noise?”

Meza replied, “I dropped a golden ladle into a golden bucket.”

Unfazed, Gesar took another arrow, a raven-feathered shaft, and shot again. This time, it struck the glowing fish on Luzan’s forehead. Luzan leapt up, screaming, “Meza! You’ve betrayed me! If not for Gesar, who else could be my enemy?”

In a furious rage, Luzan lunged at Meza, but all he grabbed was the empty bag of stones wrapped in her clothes. He frantically searched the area and found Meza standing nearby.

Gesar wanted to shoot another arrow but feared hitting Meza, so he rushed forward. Unable to use weapons effectively indoors, the two began grappling. They dragged each other outside, where Meza cried, “Stop using weapons! Fight with your bare hands so we can see who the real hero is!”

Both agreed and began wrestling. Luzan’s immense strength began to overpower Gesar. Seeing this, Meza shouted, “Let’s count this round as Luzan’s victory! But there will be a second match. Whoever wins the next round will decide it all!”

The two grappled again. This time, Gesar began to gain the upper hand. Luzan, using all his strength, threw Gesar to the ground. Meza grew anxious, but Gesar quickly stood up and said, “Ancient wisdom says: A true contest requires three rounds. Let’s fight one more time!”

Meza agreed eagerly. During the third round, as they wrestled, Meza ran to fetch ashes and beans. She scattered the ashes under Gesar’s feet and the beans under Luzan’s.

Luzan noticed and asked, “Meza, what are you doing? Why scatter beans under my feet and ashes under his?”

Meza replied, “The ashes under his feet will seal his mouth, and the beans under yours are a sign of your impending victory!”

Satisfied, Luzan continued the fight.

Gesar secretly prayed to the heavenly, dragon, and wrathful gods. Summoning divine strength, he threw Luzan onto the beans. Luzan slipped and fell to the ground. Gesar seized the moment to pin him down. Meza quickly joined him, and together they bound Luzan with a nineteen-foot-long rope, wrapping him like a ball of yarn.

Meza said, “Great King, I’ll go fetch the soul bees of Luzan’s sister. If she isn’t killed, she’ll come for revenge, and we won’t be able to defeat her. While I’m gone, do not let anyone touch Luzan’s body!”

After Meza left, Gesar, exhausted, rested. Suddenly, a small bird approached and pleaded, “Please, let me touch Luzan just once!”

The bird wept, and Gesar thought, What harm can a small bird do? He allowed it to touch Luzan. The bird pecked Luzan’s lips and flew away.

When Meza returned with the soul bees, she asked, “Did anyone touch his body?”

Gesar replied, “No one, except a small bird that came and touched him briefly.”

Meza exclaimed, “This is terrible! That bird was Luzan’s soul bird! If we wait any longer, the silver fluid flowing through his body will revive him. Once his body is fully restored, arrows won’t pierce him, and blades won’t harm him. Quickly, smear the silver fluid on yourself and your divine steed!”

The Defeat of Luzan’s Sister

At this moment, Luzan’s sister, Droma, appeared. Her mouth was like a dark cave, her eyes like glowing tunnels, her teeth like long spears. One of her long breasts rested on her shoulder, while the other was carried in her hand. She shouted loudly, “Who killed my brother?”

After shouting, she leapt forward. Gesar stood up, furious. Meza handed Gesar the coral jar, and Gesar released the soul bees inside. He grabbed one bee by its waist, tilted it upward, and Droma’s head also tilted upward. Then he bent the bee downward, and Droma’s head followed. Finally, he cut the bee’s waist, and Droma opened her mouth wide and fell dead.

After subduing the demon king Luzan and his monstrous sister, Gesar burned a bag of foul insects belonging to Luzan and buried his body under a black tower. There, he built a compassionate stupa to release Luzan’s soul into a pure and peaceful realm.

At this point, Gesar had been in the demon kingdom for only three months and nine days.

Afterward, Gesar continued to rule the demon kingdom with Qin’en as his minister. He performed many good deeds in the demon land and stayed there for two years and three months.

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