Legends of Ogre Gate

by Jeremy Bai

  The thirty-two competitors were all well-known members of the sect, people who were skilled fighters and had distinguished themselves in various ways, either in the fighting in Daolu or during the following months.

  The first round of the competition took an entire day, with sixteen spectacular fights. Some of them ended quickly, others were protracted struggles that lasted for multiple rounds. Another night of feasting was held, and the following day, the sixteen winners from the first round fought fierce battles until only eight remained. Of those eight fighters, five were men and three were women. One of the men who stood out from the others was from the Golden Dragon Division. His name was Lin Cuirou, a name that was almost too beautiful for a man.

  Lin Cuirou was known for two things. First was his love of emeralds. He bedecked himself with all sorts of emerald jewelry, everything from rings to necklaces to a headband with a gaudy emerald festooned in the middle of it. Second, he was known for his good looks, of which he was very proud. He was handsome to the point of being pretty, with unusual green eyes that would make most women swoon to look into. Because of his good looks and his love of emeralds, other members of the sect had given him the humorous nickname Emerald Hunk.

  At the beginning of each match, Lin Cuirou would instruct his opponents not to strike him in the face, and none of them did. That is, until the final round, during which he was up against a burly Golden Dragon who landed a fist strike right on his cheek.

  In response, Lin Cuirou went berserk, unleashing Slash of the Dragon’s Tail with cathartic speed and power.

  Despite countering with a move called Golden Willow Shield, his opponent was thrown violently out of the fighting arena.

  It was a spectacular scene that left everyone in the audience cheering. As for Lin Cuirou, he hurried in search of a mirror to check his face for any permanent damage.

  The final two battles of the tournament couldn’t have been more opposite. The match which determined the new leader for the Pure Phoenix Division lasted for ten brutal rounds and ended with a complete knockout. In contrast, the match for the Golden Dragon Division ended within moments with a beautifully executed strike by Lin Cuirou.

  In the end, Lin Cuirou was promoted to Dragon Lord, and a stocky woman named Ma Ge became the new Claw of the Phoenix. Long ago, Ma Ge had been a close follower of Sunan, but in the years since, she had taken a liking to Bao.

  A few weeks passed, and because of how exposed their camp left them, the decision was made to continue traveling south. The sect traveled slowly along the bank of the Chrysanthemum Lake for about three days until they reached the southern shore, where the scouts had found a wide valley that made the perfect location for a more permanent camp. The valley was closer to the lake, and it would be much more easily defended, leaving everyone feeling a bit more secure.

  The area north of Chrysanthemum Lake, which bordered the Banyan Mountains, was uninhabited. However, that was not the case south of the lake. Several tribes of indigenous people called that area their home, and although they were suspicious of outsiders, once they were convinced that the Dragon-Phoenix Sect was not part of the empire, they accepted their presence.

  In fact, some of the nearby tribes seemed very interested in the fighting abilities of the sect, prompting Sunan and Bao to make arrangements to teach them.

  The Eyes of the Phoenix were tasked with scouting the area and making maps. As the weeks went by, the scouts traveled farther and farther away from Chrysanthemum Lake, even into the Jian Shu Forest, which filled most of the Banyan Region, and was more of a jungle than a forest, despite its name.

  Sunan had long since explained to Bao about the Shan people and the empyreal hammer. It took no convincing on his part for her to agree to have the Eyes of the Phoenix begin to look for clues.

  Time passed. The first interesting word that came back from the Eyes of the Phoenix had nothing to do with the Shan.

  Wang Tian himself brought the news to Bao and Sunan as they drank tea near the shore of the lake.

  “See those mountains to the southeast?” He pointed. “That’s where Zun Shan is located.”

  “The Zun Shan?” Sunan asked.

  “Yes,” Bao said. “Another of the five great mountain peaks. What of it, Wang Tian?”

  “One of the Eyes of the Phoenix was exploring the area and found a staircase cut into the very rock of Zun Shan.”

  Bao frowned. “A staircase on Zun Shan? I learned about all of the five peaks and never heard anything about a staircase.”

  “I know,” Wang Tian said. “I studied a thing or two about them myself, and I have never heard any such tale. However, it didn’t seem to be a surprise to any of the locals when we made some inquiries. The staircase is located on the western face of the mountain, and it isn’t visible from the foot of the mountain. Even the entrance to the staircase is difficult to find. My man only stumbled across it by chance.

  “What’s the most intriguing, though, isn’t the staircase itself. It’s what’s at the end of the staircase: a temple.”

  Bao put down her teacup. “A temple on Zun Shan? How is that possible?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. I’d like to go see it for myself. Would you two like to come along?”

  And thus, three days later, Sunan and Bao found themselves climbing a staircase up the side of Zun Shan. In addition to Wang Tian and two other Eyes of the Phoenix, they were joined by Sun Mai, Mao Yun, and about ten other members of the sect.

  The air got colder and thinner the higher they got. Eventually the staircase ended at the mouth of a cave. Columns had been carved into the sides of the cave opening, although they were worn and crumbling with age.

  Just as Wang Tian had said, the mouth of the cave led to a temple complex that was shockingly large. It took the small group an entire day just to explore the main areas. It contained a huge grand hall, seven smaller halls, and numerous passages and rooms.

  “Who could have built a place like this?” Sunan asked at one point.

  “Perhaps the Suk,” Sun Mai replied. “Or perhaps other forces more ancient than we can imagine. The architecture is like nothing I’ve seen before.”

  Bao ran her finger along the wall, which had obviously once been carved with a fresco, but it was now so worn down that it was almost impossible to make out any details. “You know, this place is more than large enough to hold the Dragon-Phoenix Sect…”

  Chapter 63: A Debate

  The cave temple on Zun Shan had water springs in it, and it was the type of location that only an insane general would lead an army against. Everyone agreed that it would make the perfect headquarters for the sect. Work began immediately to renovate and adapt it into a suitable location to hold a large group of people like the Dragon-Phoenix Sect.

  It was not a project that could be accomplished overnight. At the absolute minimum, it would be many months before the work was complete.

  After everyone returned to the camp near the south bank of Chrysanthemum Lake, Sun Mai said that the trip up the mountain had led him to new enlightenment and that he needed to go into secluded meditation to work on his scripture.

  “When I come out,” he said, “my scripture will be complete.”

  Over the course of the years, Sun Mai had stopped referring to his scripture as a “classic scripture.” Although few people noticed that, Sunan did.

  While Sun Mai went into seclusion, life went on as usual in the Dragon-Phoenix Sect. The Eyes of the Phoenix continued to scout and explore the Banyan Region, focusing mostly on the areas to the east of Zun Shan and the camp. Work continued on the cave temple.

  One month after Sun Mai went into seclusion, Wang Tian brought a report back to Sunan that clues had turned up regarding the Shan people. Sunan was of a mind to go investigate himself, but at the urging of Bao, he held back. Instead, Wang Tian took on that responsibility.

  Another month passed.

  One night, when the moon had just turned full, Sunan and Bao were taking an evening
stroll by the lake when they caught sight of a robed figure standing knee deep in the waters of the lake, staring up at the moon. As they neared, it became obvious that it was a man, though neither of them recognized him from behind, mostly because his head had been completely shaved.

  When they were about ten meters away, the man looked over his shoulder at them.

  “Sun Mai?” Sunan blurted. “Your hair!”

  Sun Mai looked back out at the lake. “Yes, I’ve parted ways with it.”

  Bao and Sunan stopped at the edge of the water.

  “Sun Mai, why are you out in the water?” Bao asked.

  “I felt hot,” he replied. “And I haven’t spoken with the moon for some time now.” He turned and walked back to the shore. “I finished my scripture. Would you like to take a look?” He held out a bamboo scroll.

  Sunan took it and began to unroll it.

  As he did, Sun Mai said, “Mao Mei and I will start making copies in the morning.”

  Sunan began to read the text by the moonlight. First his eyes narrowed, and then they widened as he realized that he could hardly understand any of it. However, the reason for that was not because it didn’t make sense, but because it seemed incomprehensibly profound.

  There were some passages that he remembered coming up in conversations with Sun Mai in the past.

  Beliefs are just systems.

  The beginning state is the perfect state.

  Seek the truth and pursue the actual.

  However, the elucidating texts that went along with the statements seemed stunningly deep.

  For example, the section on “seek the truth and pursue the actual.”

  Seek the truth and pursue the actual. Truth is the experience; the actual is the corporeal. Without the truth, does the actual exist? Without the actual, what is truth? The experience is perceived, the corporeal is experienced. Without being perceived, does the cosmos exist? Without the experience, does the perception exist?

  It went on like that for several more lines of text. Each aspect of the scripture made Sunan’s mind spin. Based on what he knew about Sun Mai, he had expected the scripture to be a random collection of sayings and thoughts, but even just glancing at a few parts of it, he could tell that the entire body of text was actually unified.

  Bao was looking over his shoulder, and her eyes were just as wide as Sunan’s.

  “You wrote this, Sun Mai?” she asked.

  A slight smile appeared on Sun Mai’s face. “I did.”

  Sunan took a deep breath. “Sun Mai, this is incredible. I… I don’t even understand it.”

  Sun Mai looked out over the lake, his eyes glittering as if with starlight. “There are some parts which I know to be true but have yet to fully grasp the meaning of. Please, take your time examining it, and give it to Mao Mei when you’re finished. I haven’t slept for two months. I need to rest.” With that, he turned and left.

  Sunan and Bao sat down by the lake to read the scripture, bathed by cascading moonlight.

  The moon slowly crawled across the sky.

  At one point, Bao shivered. “I never thought Sun Mai was serious when he said that the Perfect Realm doesn’t exist. But after reading this… it makes me wonder.”

  ***

  Bao wasn’t the only one who began to wonder. In the following days, copies of the scripture were made, and slowly they began to circulate through the camp. Most members of the Dragon-Phoenix Sect were generally familiar with Sun Mai’s ideas and arguments, but this scripture was different. It was as if all of the rambling, disjointed things Sun Mai had said through the years had been run through a sieve, refined, reshaped, tempered, and forged into sword that stabbed directly into the heart of the Dehuan beliefs that most people in the empire held dear.

  Of course, most members of the Dragon-Phoenix Sect had come from lowly backgrounds. They were soldiers, ruffians, bandits, as well as many who had started out as commoners with a knack for using qi. However, there was one person in the camp who was anything but ordinary when it came to the scholarly arts, and that was Du Qian.

  Sun Mai had started out as nothing more than a poor street scholar who barely made a living with his skills. In sharp contrast, Du Qian had risen up through the imperial exams until he occupied a position in the Demon Emperor’s court. He was a scholar among scholars, a man of learning and tradition who both firmly believed in the ancient Dehuan teachings and could also explain and expound upon them. The Demon Emperor was responsible for many repugnant acts, but one thing he had left untouched were the traditions set forth by the famous philosopher Kong Zhi, which were the basis of the Dehua belief system.

  At first, Du Qian refused to even look at the scripture, but as the discussions raged through the camp, he eventually gave in. When he finally sat down and began to read, his hands gripped the bamboo scroll tighter and tighter. His jaw clenched, and flames began to burn in his eyes.

  “This is ridiculous!” he muttered angrily. “Heretical ravings!”

  He had to suppress the urge to physically throw the scroll away.

  Meanwhile, Sun Mai had slept for a week straight. Upon emerging, he shaved his head again, and then had a light breakfast of rice congee in the middle of the camp. Something about him seemed different. He seemed calmer, more tranquil, even introspective.

  As he was finishing his meal, Du Qian stalked up, holding a bamboo scroll in his hand.

  “Scholar Sun!” he barked, looming to a stop over Sun Mai and holding the scroll out in front of him. “I demand that you renounce this trash immediately! If you don’t collect the copies and destroy them, I will!”

  Sun Mai rose to his feet, a tranquil smile on his face. “Brother Du Qian, I’m sorry you don’t like my scripture. But I most certainly will not destroy it. In fact, there are more scriptures to come. This is only the first volume of thirteen.”

  Du Qian snorted coldly. “Scholar Sun, there are so many erroneous aspects to this ‘scripture’ of yours that I could write an entire treatise about them. Look at this!” He jerked open the scroll, found a passage, and read it out loud. “‘If a text is not read, does it exist? The truth of a text is the experience, not the ink and the paper.’” Du Qian threw his head back and laughed. “This is how children think! Literally! Cover your face with your hands, and a baby will think you’ve left the room. Reveal your face, and the baby rejoices upon your return. Laughable!”

  Sun Mai’s smile never left his face. “Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from the simple minds of children, Brother Du Qian. My analogy of the written text explores the meaning of the deeper things in life. For example, the Sayings of Kong Zhi. Without a person like you to read and understand the sage’s sayings, of what use are they? The world depends on us experiencing it. If none of us were here, would the cosmos exist? If it did exist without us, would it continue to run the same as it does now? What is the cosmos? What is reality?”

  Du Qian shook his head. “Your words run in circles and go nowhere. Reality is reality. It exists beyond the shadow of a doubt. Look around you! Your presence doesn’t affect whether or not the sky is above us or the ground is beneath our feet!”

  Sun Mai didn’t seem affected at all by Du Qian’s words. “Brother Du Qian, what I am questioning is the very nature of existence. As I’m sure even you would acknowledge, your existence is contingent upon your being conscious to experience it. If you went permanently unconscious, you would eventually cease to exist. Therefore, our conscious perception of the world around us is crucially important. Even more important is the fact that we can change reality! We can learn new things and invent new things.

  “The Dragon-Phoenix Sect is a perfect example. The Dragon and Phoenix Sovereigns Sunan and Bao imagined a new future, and then they made it happen by founding a new sect. Another example is martial arts. New techniques are being created every day, things which never before existed! We lowly humans can change reality and the future! Is that not an amazing thing?”

  Du Qian hesitated for a mome
nt. “Fine. I’ll concede that humans can change the future. But that doesn’t mean a mere thought on our part can change reality. In your scripture, you essentially argue that the Perfect Realm is not real. That’s impossible! The world around us is a reflection of the Perfect Realm, and only by making that reflection as close as possible to the true Perfect Realm can we achieve peace and happiness. Even you reflect this thought in your statement that ‘the beginning state is the perfect state.’ The divisions between the realms are absolute and must be maintained. By implying that there are no such divisions, or that there aren’t even any realms to divide, you create the potential for catastrophe of a cosmic level!”

  Sun Mai’s eyes glittered. “Brother Du Qian, I know that you believe in a non-metaphorical Perfect Realm that exists high above our heads in the sky. But how can you prove its existence? Have you been there?”

  “I haven’t been there,” Du Qian replied, “but I’ve been to the Lower Realms! I’ve seen the demons and monsters that lurk beneath our feet. Powerful forces exist in the underworld, Sun Mai, and pretending they don’t exist won’t keep you safe.”

  Sun Mai chuckled. “Brother Du Qian, I know full well what terrors exist beneath our feet. And that only goes to prove my point. Does it really make sense that concrete evidence exists of the Lower Realms, and yet not a single shred of evidence can be found that the Perfect Realm exists above our heads?

  “Darkness and evil spread in the world, and powerful immortals and gods look down and ignore us? If such all-powerful beings exist in the heavens but ignore us mortals down here, how could you view them as being perfect? Even you, a lowly mortal, would stoop to help an injured bird if you came across it, wouldn’t you? How then could those supposed perfect immortals in the heavens ignore our suffering down here? If, as you say, our world is a reflection of the Perfect Realm, then explain the Demon Emperor.”