Bayon Temple.
Within Angkor Thom, none is more famous than Bayon.
It is a complex formed by forty-nine small spires encircling a central tower. In Buddhist parlance these towers are called stupas, and each tower's four faces are carved with giant faces of the Buddha. Because of this, they are called Four-Faced Buddha Towers, and the images upon them are known as the Four-Faced Buddhas.
The four faces represent the immeasurable hearts of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Joy and sorrow alike do not show upon their features; the expressions are serene yet distinct, with faint smiles that carry a hint of mystery and stir endless imagination.
When visitors see the gray-white pillars and one mottled, black-and-white tower after another, they feel transported back to an ancient sacred land. The Four-Faced Buddhas' gentle, quiet faces exude a tranquil, elegant mystery, as if picking up fragments of memory to feel the shock of time's interweaving…
At dusk, for no apparent reason, the sky clouded over, and Bayon Temple was shrouded in endless haze, dim and eerie.
Suddenly, the entire temple shook violently. Even the earth trembled, like an earthquake.
But the source of the tremor was Bayon itself.
"Look—the Four-Faced Buddhas are crying."
"It isn't raining. How can the Buddha images weep?"
"Amitabha—the statues are truly shedding tears."
"Quick… take pictures. This is big news!"
By lantern light, passersby saw the strange sight and cried out in alarm.
All four faces of the Four-Faced Buddhas were weeping a black, uncanny tear—chilling to behold.
Statues that weep are an ill omen in legend.
And these were tears of ominous black.
As Bayon shook, four dim purple stars suddenly flared above the temple and flew off into the far sky.
Before people could react, the four purple stars vanished from sight.
.
Five Old Peaks, China.
From afar the Lushan Waterfall slanted down. The famed cascades of Huangmanji thundered; at the mountain's foot you could hear the water. A light breeze turned the falls to mist and smoke. Spray on the skin felt like a fine drizzle; under the setting sun it dazzled.
Travelers passed along the mountain's base, gazing from afar at the legendary Five Old Peaks.
From different angles, the mountains took different poses—like a poet reciting, a warrior singing, a fisherman casting, an old monk in meditation.
Almost no one knew that upon the summit of Five Old Peaks sat a straw-hatted old man.
His hair and beard were white, his frame small, his skin tinged purple, like a decaying block of wood. He did not move, and his life force was a mere flicker.
Four meteorlike images rippled across the sky—like reflections in water, or swans from beyond the heavens.
"This is…"
"How can it be? Why has the time moved forward?"
"Only four, but the demon stars have slipped their seal too early."
The small old man watched the four meteors vanish over the horizon, frowning, confusion in his eyes.
Something had gone wrong at Bayon; the seal must have loosened, letting four demon stars escape.
This was wholly unexpected.
Though only four had fled, they were sure to stir up trouble.
Why is this happening? Has Hades descended to the human world ahead of time?
Tap, tap, tap…
Hurrying footsteps rose from below. A black-haired youth came quickly up the trail.
"Master, I just saw some strange meteors. I think something bad has happened."
The youth looked urgent.
"Zilong—nothing major has occurred."
Looking toward the long-haired youth, the old man said calmly, "Time flies. You've trained for five years and awakened your Cosmo."
He pointed to the great Lushan Waterfall in the distance. "Go, reverse the Lushan Waterfall."
"If you can do it, the Dragon Saint Cloth beneath the falls will be yours, and you will become the Dragon Bronze Saint."
Zilong's body trembled, his joy fading as he stared at the Lushan Waterfall.
The waterfall plunging down like the Milky Way fallen from the Ninth Heaven—by what means could it be made to flow backward?
In these years he had never succeeded once.
Was such a thing possible for a human?
Zilong came to the misty foot of the falls, felt the force of the torrent, stood silent for a long time, and closed his eyes.
After gathering himself, he snapped his eyes open. His Cosmo flared, and he punched at the cascade: "Lushan Rising Dragon!"
With a roar of fist‑force, the waterfall halted its slant.
A great dragon of water then rose and soared, rushing against the current—as the Lushan Waterfall reversed…
.
In the Sanctuary graveyard's treatment room.
Shaina's comfortable cry rang out.
Freshly treated, she did not, as usual, choose to rest. She toweled off her fragrant sweat, donned her Cloth, and went out.
"Shaina, we should respect Pansy's wishes. Let her stay where she wants."
Damian followed her out and urged.
"No. Pansy is my disciple. If my disciple is snatched, where's my face as a teacher?"
"Especially when the one who took her is that woman Marin—unforgivable."
"I'm going to explain to His Holiness and take Pansy back."
"Don't stop me…"
With that, Shaina bounded away from the graveyard.
An impetuous temper is an impetuous temper. It was clear she truly cared for Pansy.
She couldn't bear to lose her.
But Pansy wouldn't return to the graveyard.
In this time the little lass had done plenty; even the Pope had summoned her by name—the pace was rather fast.
Looked like the girl wanted to reach the heavens in one step—open the box immediately.
Should he just kill her now?
Suddenly…
Damian frowned.
There was a strange spatial ripple in the graveyard.
Ever since he'd mastered the Sekishiki Meikaiha, he was all too familiar with such fluctuations.
Yes—this was… the Underworld's miasma?
His Cosmo covered the entire graveyard; he sensed every stir of grass and wind. He wasn't mistaken.
The Underworld's aura had appeared in the graveyard again…
Damian rolled his eyes.
So that's why Pansy lingered here—she was up to no good. It seemed she had opened a rift to the Underworld again.
Likely she had chosen the graveyard in the first place because it held a passage connecting to the Underworld—easy coming and going.
The little girl was plotting something.
Was she planning to summon the Underworld's army against him again?
The graveyard was his turf; no one else could make trouble there.
Damian slipped from sight.
In the next instant he appeared at the source of the ripple, slipped on the Pegasus Cloth, and donned the freshly forged golden mask.
He pointed a finger and intoned, "Sekishiki Meikaiha!"
Space twisted—and the reek of the Underworld surged into his face…
(End of Chapter)
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