Volume 1 : Path through Purgatory

Chapter 6 : Highway to Hell

Walking towards a dilapidated wooden door was a group of three. Zhang Gui was one of them, being escorted by Ox-Head Nanjiang clad in steel armour. The third figure, an old man wearing yellow-orange monk robes, was naturally Monk Di.

They were walking on a stone road that connected the Qincheng Prison to the 18 Hells. Surprisingly, the entrance to the 18 Hells was only a ten minute walk away from the prison. The old man was trailing behind the other two, glancing around at the enormous trees lining the stone road. The towering trees were peculiar to say the least, in that the entire structure from leaves to stems to the trunk, were all pitch black. And in spite of a lack of wind, their pitch black leaves were lively, fluttering about. But only Monk Di had the mood to gaze at these unnatural oddities.

About a dozen steps ahead of Monk Di, a stifling atmosphere gripped both Zhang Gui and Ox-Head. With a sullen expression plaguing his face, Ox-head kept on glancing at Zhang Gui every now and then.

“Brother Nanjiang should not be so pessimistic. You look like you are going to attend some funeral.”

Ox-Head could only give a wry smile in response.

He thought,“ How is escorting someone to the gates of hell any different from attending their funeral.” But he did not want to voice his thoughts. As he glanced at Zhang Gui one more time, he noticed the resolute look in his eyes. The previously fearful anxious prisoner was nowhere to be seen.

“Brother Gui, I am truly sorry I could not do anything to help you.” It seemed like he still could not shake off the feeling of guilt within him.

Zhang Gui could not help but shake his head at those words. Only he knew how much preferential treatment he had received from the guards because he was a friend of the warden. His ill fitting, stained robes had been replaced by the finest silk robes. The food served to him was probably better than that given to the guards. He felt like he was being fed the ‘last meal’ that every death row inmate was entitled to. He smiled as that thought ran across his mind.

Eventually this group of three reached before their destination. The gate of the 18 levels of Naraka Hells. For such a grandiose name, the gate did not at all look the part. With eroding planks and splintered edges, it seemed to have suffered under the onslaught of time. The metal handles of the door were covered in a layer of rust. The wooden door was definitely an antique structure. It stood upon an altar of sorts composed of a circular stone base with the same cryptic characters etched onto it that Zhang Gui had seen in the Book of Life and Death.

There was no construction around it.The solitary gateway did not seem to lead to anywhere. But the grave stare of Brother Nanjiang erased all doubts from Zhang Gui’s mind.

“It's been too long since I last saw the 18 Hells. I wonder if anything has changed since then.” Perhaps Monk Di was the only one who could speak so gleefully about a place famed for torture.

“Has Senior decided to accompany Brother Zhang ? The Yama Kings won’t be pleased if you interfere with their authority.”

“ Yes , it has been many years since I have gone on a stroll down there. As for your Yama Kings, tell them to come meet me if they are dissatisfied. I bet they don’t have the guts for that. Hahaha”

“ Since Senior insists, this junior can only comply.”

Seeing that his persuasion attempt had failed, Ox-Head did not tarry any longer. He fished out a small round crimson red orb from a pouch tied to his waist and threw it towards the gate. As the orb approached the wooden door, it dispersed into a blood red mist that enveloped the entire altar in a sphere of red. Despite having witnessed incomprehensible sights ever since his arrival in Diyu, that crimson red orb still invoked a sense of bewilderment within Zhang Gui.

Soon after the mist began to subside, it had settled on top of the altar. With a flash, purple light emerged from within the etchings on the altar.

*Bang*

It was like a massive force had struck the door open. It was shocking that the gate could even withstand just an enormous push. As the ringing in his ears abated, Zhang Gui was left staring at the opened gate intently.

He could not make out what was on the other side, all he saw was darkness.

“Brother Zhang, the portal to the first layer of Naraka has been opened. I wish you the best.”

Before he could even muster the courage to walk up to the gate on his own, Monk Di silently appeared behind him and pushed him into the portal.

“Do not dilly dally here youngster, there is still a lot for us to see.”

And with that Zhang Gui plunged into a dark abyss. It was dark all around and it felt like he was in free fall. But it did not feel like he was falling through air, instead it felt like he was in some thick viscous liquid. Was this the first level of Naraka Hells? How was this supposed to torture him ?

Just then Old Monk Di’s voice rang inside his head “Relax youngster, this is just the teleportation formation. We will be in the first hell shortly.”

Being reassured by the old man, Zhang Gui's mind started to waver towards the past few days. The reason he was not absolutely terrified, much to the surprise of Ox-head, was due to the help he had managed to procure from the old monk.

“This is only to help you endure the hells’ torture and not to prevent your punishment.” With those words, the solution the monk had offered was ‘The Carefree Bliss Sutra’.

After much fawning and bootlicking by Zhang Gui, the monk had finally imparted some knowledge regarding the inner machinations of the Naraka hells.The first eight levels of the Naraka Hells were also known as the lesser hells. The portal to lesser hells would only open on the first day of a lunar month. This was the cause of his temporary stay at the Qincheng prison.

While the monk had refrained from telling him about the details of the first layer, he did mention that all levels in hell operated around a single goal : To shatter the primal essence of its inhabitants. And since the primal essence was a core constituent of the soul, any attempt to shatter it would inevitably involve destruction of the physical soul. This was the source of pain inflicted upon the sufferers of the lesser hells. The pain of having one’s soul torn asunder, Zhang Gui could not even begin to imagine what it would feel like. But the screams of those melting souls in the Pond of Reincarnation were still fresh in mind, haunting him.

According to the old man, there were only two choices for a being trapped in the lesser hells. Either resist the energies of hell or allow your soul to shatter. But for someone like Zhang Gui, resistance was futile as it would only lead the machinations of hell to attack with greater ferocity. It would take someone of overwhelming power and unbreakable spirit to pull off a stunt like that.

Hence, the only acceptable way was to allow his soul to be scattered. Such an absurd proposition could only be uttered by an eccentric like Monk Di!

“Just let your soul be shattered. It is only a temporary state anyway. There will naturally be pain accompanying the breakdown of your soul but that is something you will have to deal with.”

“What is important is to hide your primal essence from the energies threatening to consume it. And that is where the Carefree Bliss Sutra comes into play.”

The Carefree Bliss Sutra was an ancient buddhist incantation from the Mahayana scriptures.The Old Monk had described it as a concealment technique. Its sole effect was to conceal Zhang Gui’s primal essence, thus protecting it from being attacked. Zhang Gui has never been a religious person but for the sake of his survival he left no stone unturned. And yet he found himself stuck on the first step itself.

“Before starting with the chant, you must make sure to clear your mind. Only an empty mind and a pious heart can bear the will of the buddha.”

Clear your mind. Such simple sounding three words and yet they had consumed an entire week of his time. The more he tried to clear his mind, the more his mind became clouded. How could a person think about nothing? It was beyond Zhang Gui’ understanding.

“Tsk,tsk! How can someone be so incompetent? I think you should just forfeit your life and allow a better consciousness to inhabit your soul.” The monk as always had unrealistic expectations.

It had taken entire poems full of compliments and commendations, speeches applauding his flawless figure and looks to convince the old monk to help him out. And this help had come in the form of a string of thread passed through four rosary beads.

“Since you call me your senior. Take this as a gift to a junior. This japmala will guide you to a mind without thoughts.”

As soon as he wore the japmala around his wrist, a soothing wave washed over his consciousness. It was like a warm blanket wrapped cozily around him on a cold night. The activity in his head seemed to come to a stand still. It was not that he had no new thoughts, it was just that every thought was suppressed as soon as it popped up.

Armed with the japmala, Zhang Gui could finally cross the hurdle presented by the first step. Diligently cultivating the sutra, it had taken him more than a week just to comprehend all the complex enunciations within the stanzas of the chant.

Just as he was wondering if such a sutra could actually protect his soul or if he could even use the sutra properly, he suddenly felt a jolt as his body fell down upon what felt like hard ground. The thick sticky sensation was gone, instead he felt a scorching blast of air rustle his hair. Immediately after the darkness was replaced by a scene that sent shockwaves through his mind.

“Youngster, we are finally here. Welcome to the first Naraka Hell : Raging Inferno.”