CHAPTER 54
THE LION KING WINS THE DEMONESSES AT DICE; THREE SISTERS PLEDGE THEIR SINCERITY TO AID THE GREAT KING

 

Encounter and Deception on the Road

 

As King Gesar and his steed continued their journey, they suddenly encountered a ragged Hor woman. She was carrying a full goatskin bag of cheese and approached them, panting heavily. Upon seeing Gesar, she immediately feigned great concern and asked, "Oh, young man, where do you come from? Where are you headed? Judging by your fine horse's gait, it seems like a treasure steed that can cover a thousand miles in a day. And looking at you, the rider, you seem like a man of wealth. On such a hot day, would you like some cheese? If you wish to buy it, a thumb ring from your hand or even a tassel from your armor will do. I, this Hor beggar woman, am going to various places and wanted to ask a stranger about all that he knows."

 

Gesar thought to himself: Could this be the Black-Nosed Demoness wandering the wilderness, as foretold by my aunt in her prophecy? The Hor woman then muttered to herself, "Oh dear! I've been talking so much, I don't even know how my brother Dozan is doing now. I must go find my brother." Putting on an innocent air, she quickly ran back the way she came. Gesar took out his sling, placed in it a white, sharp-edged stone like the size of a sheep's stomach, and let out a long whistle. The demoness peeked her head out from behind a grey-white stone cliff. Seizing the opportunity, Gesar hurled the stone. With a whoosh, it instantly smashed her skull, destroying the Black-Nosed Demoness.

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Gesar and his horse pressed on, crossed the Tuola Long Mountain, and arrived at a sandy, rocky mountain pass. There stood a square fortress-like house, inhabited by the three nieces of the Hor Demon Kings—three sisters who were also the god-daughters of the Hor demons. Because the Hor Kings distrusted other gatekeepers, they had specifically assigned these three sisters to guard this place. Just as Gesar reached the mountain pass, the three demonesses appeared before him as if they had sprung from the ground. One of them asked, "Handsome young man! This place strictly forbids anyone from passing through. A man has come where there are no men, a horse has come where there are no horses. Where do you come from? What business brings you here?"

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The Dice Game and the Wager

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Upon hearing this, Gesar addressed the three demon daughters: "Excellent! After all, you three sisters and I are fated to meet. I am on my way to Upper Yellow Hor for two matters even more important than subduing the demons of Northern Yar Kong. The situation is like this..." With a silver tongue, Gesar deceived the three sisters. He claimed to be Qinen, a minister of the Demon King Lutsan of the Demon Kingdom. He said that after the Demon King was killed by Gesar and the Hor had formed a deep enmity with the Ling Kingdom, he had come to form an alliance with the Three Hor Kings, hoping to one day avenge his king and reclaim the lands of the Demon Kingdom. He spoke so convincingly, like a minister who had truly lost his king and country, that he seemed overcome with grief. After finishing his story, he added, "As the saying goes, 'A servant who loses his benevolent master is like an orphan, even if he has a father.' Having no superior to shelter me, I think and think, suffering immensely, to the point where I can hardly go on living. I thought, perhaps I should go somewhere to play dice?"

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Hearing the young man's words, the three demonesses were delighted. They immediately replied, "Of course! If we are to play the square dice, we must have a wager. Without a stake, what's the point? So, we must place a bet. How about wagering our bodies and lives? Please consider it!"

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Gesar teased, "If we're placing a wager, I am from the Demon Kingdom, and you are the Hor gatekeepers. As the proverb says, 'A woman guarding a gate will beckon to a hundred men.' Let's make a wager where no one truly wins or loses: whoever loses must have a tendon extracted from their body."

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The three demon daughters, confident in their possession of the "Wish-Fulfilling" conch dice made by the demon gods and sure of victory, readily agreed.

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Victory and Revelation

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They drew a deep, clear dice circle on a flat, round stone, coloring it brightly with rouge. They warned, "You must not go back on your word! We three sisters won't either. If we win and you renege, you would be the lowest of the low!" They thought to themselves: This young man is handsome and elegant, the finest among a hundred men. Moreover, he currently has no master, and we are not bound by any constraints. How wonderful it would be to have him as our lifelong companion!

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They then took out the conch dice, secretly calling upon the three demon god brothers for aid. Instantly, dark clouds and thick fog gathered and swirled, a black wind howled, sweeping up dust from the ground like a mad bear or a frenzied tiger running wild. Gesar also silently called upon the deities and his aunt for assistance. The three demonesses used their clothes as sitting mats, while Gesar stacked four saddle blankets for his seat, and they began throwing the dice on the white stone. After several rounds, Gesar emerged victorious, and the three sisters lost. The demonesses said, "According to our demon god customs and our status as three sisters, we should continue playing for three days."

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So, at their request, they played for three more days, but Gesar still won. He then declared, "Three maidens, initially we never agreed to play for three days, yet I complied with your wish. Now, as the saying goes, victory is like the latest on the mountaintop, and the outcome is as solid and unchangeable as the earth. From each of you three sisters, I must extract one tendon. That is precisely why I came here!" Saying this, he brandished his treasured sword and advanced as if to carry it out.

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The three sisters trembled like willow leaves in the wind, stammering pleas for mercy: "Ah, Minister! Minister of boundless powers! We were only joking with you! Please, don't extract our tendons. As for the wager, we offer you our accumulated wealth for your enjoyment; we offer ourselves, the three sisters, for your enjoyment; or we willingly offer our heads and bodies, serving as slaves for life. Would any of these suffice? But please, don't kill us! Spare us!"

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Gesar declared righteously and sternly: "Let me tell you the truth. I am no minister from the Demon Kingdom. I am King Gesar, the Great Lion King of Ling. I have come to avenge my fallen brother; to seek justice for the heroes who lost their lives; to reclaim the plundered wealth. You, daughters of the demon gods, are the famous daughters of a powerful father, wealthy women adorned with turquoise and coral. Meeting you is my good fortune. In taking revenge on an enemy, it matters not whether it's the father or the son. If you didn't want tendon extraction as the wager, you should have said so clearly three mornings ago. In short, you coquettish women, like the red tongues of dairy cows, refuse to behave when told to be content; you women with square mouths like poison arrow nocks, refuse to know your limits when told to be satisfied. When arrogance lasts too long, it is met with suffering. Now, no matter what you say, I will do as I please, whatever brings me joy. I will still extract your tendons. You may cry 'aiya, aiya' in pain!" He brandished his sword again, ready to act.

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Pledge of Aid and the Final Obstacle

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The three sisters continued to plead: "Noble Great Lion King! We sisters had no part in invading Ling. That was White Tent King's own wrongdoing. You can investigate whether this is true. What significance does Zumu hold for us three women? In the future, when you attack the Hor lands, we will absolutely act according to your command. If we break our word, may the heavenly gods punish us!"

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After they expressed their sincerity, Gesar said, "In your possession are the keys to the iron locks of the iron box containing the inextinguishable Ever-Burning Lamp. If you give me those keys and show me where the lamp is located, I will not extract your tendons."

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Hearing this, the three sisters kowtowed incessantly like a fire-making bellows and hurriedly replied, "Noble Great Lion King! The eternal Ever-Burning Lamp is the treasure upon which White Tent Heavenly King's nine major lives and four minor lives—thirteen life-souls in total—depend. It is kept inside a triangular iron box. The outer iron door has three iron locks, each held by one of us three daughters. Although White Tent King commands a vast army, he values this lamp above all else. Therefore, it is hidden with utmost secrecy. Even at his end, no one could easily find it. Not only is its location extremely secret, but its safeguarding is also strict. Still fearing it insufficient, they made seven identical boxes, each also containing a lit lamp, moving them up and down three times daily. Therefore, even White Tent King himself cannot distinguish which is the true Ever-Burning Lamp. Only we sisters know. So, when you destroy White Tent King, send us a message. We can point it out to you. But aside from that, you must rely on your own power to prevail. We sisters are powerless."

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Gesar said, "Good. When the time comes, I will have my divine horse notify you. But you must come!" The three sisters nodded in agreement.

 

Also on that day, the disaster bird Gangga Raosang, with its hemp-brown feathers, clutching three human heads tied together, flew back to its old nest on the Red Mountain Black Cliff. Gesar saw this from afar. He knocked an arrow on his bow, tied a ball of mugwort down to the arrow's tail, lit it with fire, and shot. The arrow flew straight into the disaster bird's nest. The bird was inside playing with its heads with its young when the nest suddenly caught fire, burning the old disaster bird and its six offspring—seven in total—to death.

 

Afterward, Gesar was warmly hosted by the three demon goddess sisters, resting and staying there for five days. Then he set out alone and arrived at the ferry crossing of the Hor Kingdom.

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