Chapter 34: Monster Inside the Temple |
This temple was a joke. Where were the statues, the altars, the offerings? What kind of god would accept such a barren place?
Yu Xiao scanned the dark chamber, looking for a clue. Her eyes landed on the pool of water in the centre, reflecting the flickering flames of the torch she held. Something lurked in the depths, she was sure of it. The water rippled and swirled, as if disturbed by a restless presence.
Yu Xiao felt a surge of fear, but also curiosity. Gu Jing Rong had said his father visited this temple, and returned unharmed with a piece of meat. So it should be safe, right? Yu Xiao took a few steps back, but not enough to turn and run. She wanted to see what would happen next.
“Gurgle, gurgle…”
The water gurgled and bubbled, rising into a dome-like shape. Foam and froth spilled over the edges, creating a sickening sound. Yu Xiao gagged, smelling a foul stench. It was like rotten fish, mixed with blood and bile. She clamped her hand over her nose, trying not to vomit.
The dome burst, sending a shower of water everywhere and drenching Yu Xiao. Yu Xiao squinted, wiping her face. She saw a huge shape emerge from the pool, blocking out the light. It was an octopus, but unlike any she had ever seen. Its tentacles were thick and long, reaching the walls and the ceiling. Its body was massive, dwarfing the temple itself. It had no eyes, but it had a mouth. A mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Yu Xiao froze, feeling its attention on her. It was aware of her, and it was hungry. She felt a crushing weight on her chest, as if the air was being squeezed out of her lungs. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn’t move. She wondered if the talismans in her pocket would do any good. They were supposed to protect her from evil spirits, but this thing was no spirit. It was a monster.
Yu Xiao held her breath, staring at the monster with dread. The monster stared back, its mouth gaping and its tentacles twitching. It was sizing her up, she knew it. It was waiting for the right moment to strike.
Yu Xiao wondered if she should make a run for it, but before she could decide, the monster moved. It whipped a long tentacle and smashed it against the cave wall.
The sound was deafening, echoing through the chamber. The monster howled in agony, its blood splattering the rocks. Yu Xiao gasped, feeling a surge of confusion and recognition. What was the monster doing? Why was it hurting itself? Why did this scene seem so familiar? It reminded her of something she had done in Dr Gu Shu house…
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
The impact shook the temple, sending vibrations to the outside. The three people waiting at the gate felt it. The gate rattled, and dust rained down.
Zhao Lan’s expression darkened. “Smiley!”
Zhou Xiao Zhen shouted, “We have to go in! I’ll deal with the villagers, Lan Jie, you follow me!”
They were about to storm in, but someone blocked their way. Zhao Lan glared at the intruder. It was Luo Jin, standing in their path. Zhao Lan was ready to explode, but Lu Xun intervened. “Calm down.”
“Sister Smiley is in trouble!” Zhou Xiao Zhen cried, “If you don’t care about her, at least let us go!”
Lu Xun shook his head. “She’s probably fine for now.” He gestured at the villagers who were guarding the entrance. “Look at them, they’re not worried at all. Even though the temple is shaking, they don’t react. It means that this happens often, and they’re used to it.”
Zhao Lan felt a pang of worry for Yu Xiao, but as Lu Xun had pointed out the villagers, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She asked, “What’s in there? What’s causing all this noise?”
Lu Xun shrugged. “You’ll see when Zhou Xiao gets out.”
“Pa!”
A wet thud interrupted them.
Yu Xiao bent down to inspect the object that had landed in front of her. It was a chunk of flesh, torn from the monster’s body. The monster had slammed its tentacles against the temple wall, flinging a piece of itself to Yu Xiao.
It was a gift, Yu Xiao realised.
She fought back the urge to vomit, and reached for the flesh. The monster had settled down, hovering silently on the water. It fixed its gaze on Yu Xiao for a second, then sank back into the depths.
“Moo…”
Yu Xiao clutched the cold, slimy meat, and recalled what Gu Jing Rong had told her. His father had begged for a piece of meat in the temple, and by eating it, he had escaped death’s grasp. This meat had the power to heal.
So, this was the god that the villagers worshipped. This beast that lived in the pond.
But then, a question nagged at her: if the monster’s meat could cure diseases and save lives, why had the former village chief let so many villagers die from illness? Why hadn’t he just entered the temple, asked for more meat from the beast, and solved the problem?
Was he too proud or too powerless to do so?
The temple grew quiet, and after a while, a knock sounded from the door. The villager who was guarding the door opened it, and Yu Xiao appeared behind it.
“Smiley!” Zhou Xiao Zhen breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Yu Xiao emerge unscathed.
Yu Xiao’s face was ashen, as she stepped out of the temple. The others crowded around her, eager to know what had happened. Lu Xun demanded, “What did you see in there?”
Yu Xiao shook her head. “Let’s go back to the room first, I need clean clothes.”
They followed her to the shabby room, where she wiped her face with a wet towel and changed her clothes before putting the chunk of meat on the table.
Everyone recoiled, covering their mouths and noses.
“Jesus, that reeks!”
“What the fuck is that?”
Zhao Lan, holding her nose, recognized it. “Is this the meat that Gu Jing Rong talked about?”
“Yeah,” Yu Xiao confirmed.
“Yuck,” Zhou Xiao Zhen grimaced, looking at the bloody and blurry lump of flesh, “That’s disgusting.”
Lu Xun prodded the meat with his finger, curious. “How did you get this?”
Yu Xiao told them what she had witnessed in the temple, then added, “It’s weird. If the monster’s meat can heal people, why did the old village chief let so many villagers die from sickness?”
“Maybe the monster was behind the plague.” Wang Yang speculated, “Otherwise, how do you explain the sudden outbreak?”
Zuo Qing disagreed, shaking her head. “I doubt it. The temple has been in the village for ages. It doesn’t make sense for the monster to start a plague now.”
Lu Xun frowned, trying to make sense of it. “What did you do or say when you went in?” he asked. “Did you provoke it or appease it?”
Yu Xiao shuddered, remembering the horror. “I did nothing but stand there like a fool,” she said. “I never expected to see such a huge monster in the temple. I just stood there, and the monster eyed me for a while, then began to thrash against the walls. It tossed me the meat, then retreated into the water.”
Lu Xun scratched his head. “That’s odd. The monster hurt itself to give you a piece of meat, and it didn’t ask for anything in return?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen pondered for a moment and said, “Maybe the monster found Sister Smiley pretty and wanted to impress her.”
Everyone: “…”
Sun Yun snorted, “I agree Sister Smiley is beautiful, but how do you know if the monster shares our standards of beauty?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen countered, “Then what do you think is the reason?”
Sun Yun’s face turned serious, as she thought hard. “Maybe the monster was trying to make a deal?”
Lu Xun nodded. “That’s possible, but we still don’t know if the monster is behind the plague.”
Zhao Lan chimed in. “If that’s true, it’s too easy.”
Lu Xun rested his chin on his hand. “It might not be that easy,” he said. “We’ve encountered a lot of trouble since we came to the village, but we’ve managed to overcome it. And it was only Zhou Xiao who went into the temple. Who knows what would happen if we all barged in? And then there’s Dr Gu Shu. What will he say?”
Yu Xiao shrugged. “Why don’t we find out?” she suggested.
The others paused, considering her idea. Luo Jin eyed Yu Xiao, asking, “Are you sure Dr Gu Shu won’t kill you?”
Everyone: “…”
Yu Xiao coughed, breaking the silence. “Who said I have to be the one to find Gu Shu?” she said, sounding earnest.
The others closed their mouths, thinking that she was too keen on chasing him.
They agreed to send Lu Xun to look for Gu Shu, while they waited for news.
Yu Xiao gazed at the meat on the table, mulling over Sun Yun’s words. She asked, “You said the monster wanted to trade something. What do you think it wants?”
Sun Yun rubbed her head, and Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “Maybe a person.”
Everyone turned to her, curious.
Zhou Xiao Zhen snapped, “What are you looking at me for?”
Zuo Qing said, “Why do you think it’s a person?”
Zhou Xiao Zhen shrugged. “Don’t monsters eat people?” she said. “And remember, the night we got here, we learned that the villagers sacrifice strangers to their god.”
Zhou Xiao Zhen had a point. Yu Xiao stared at the chunk of flesh, wondering what would happen if she failed to give the monster what it desired.
Zhao Lan suddenly recalled something. “Hey, if they need a person to get the monster’s meat, then who did Gu Jing Rong trade for the piece he ate?”
*
*
Lu Xun felt nervous as he went to find Gu Shu. But when he met the doctor, he was surprised by his behaviour. Gu Shu was very friendly, even pouring him a cup of tea.
“Thank you.” Lu Xun took the cup, feeling a mix of emotions.
He had faced so much trouble over the years, and this was the first time a doctor had offered him tea. It was strangely comforting.
Gu Shu greeted him with a warm smile. “What can I do for you?”
Lu Xun put down his teacup. “I wanted to know if the plague has anything to do with the monster in the temple.”
Gu Shu shook his head. “No, it doesn’t.”
Lu Xun nodded, not surprised. He had more questions, but he knew better than to press the doctor. He got up and headed for the door, but he cast a backward glance at Gu Shu’s house. He wondered what would have happened if Zhou Xiao Zhen had been here. She wouldn’t have given up so easily.
*
*
“Ah, Qiu!” Yu Xiao pinched her nose. “We can’t keep this meat here. It stinks too much.”
Wang Yang eyed the chunk of flesh. “Why don’t we cook it and eat it tonight?”
“…”
The others stared at him, speechless. Zuo Qing said, “Are you serious? You want to eat that?”
“Why not?” Wang Yang shrugged. “Maybe it has some healing properties. Who knows, it might even save our lives.”
Yu Xiao shook her head. “We haven’t given the monster what it wanted; who knows if it will seek revenge? None of us can eat this meat.”
“Then what do you propose we do?”
Yu Xiao bit her lip, a sudden idea flashing in her mind.
*
*
The new village chief Gu Jing Rong had just finished his dinner and was ready to retire for the night. He felt a smug satisfaction that none of his five wives had come back yet. He looked forward to a night of undisturbed sleep.
He kicked off his shoes, but before they hit the floor, he heard footsteps outside.
“Bang!” The door flew open, and his five wives barged in, glaring at him like five avenging angels.
Gu Jing Rong’s hands shook, and his shoes dropped into the water basin.
Yu Xiao walked in, scanning Gu Jing Rong from head to toe. “How are you feeling today? Any discomfort in your body?”
Gu Jing Rong was taken aback by this sudden show of care. After all, his wives were usually so difficult, but they were still his wives…
He felt a pang of gratitude and said, “I’m fine today.”
Yu Xiao frowned. “Don’t you wish you weren’t?”
Gu Jing Rong blinked. “What?”
Yu Xiao spun around and looked at the other four. “Who’s the lucky one?”
Luo Jin stepped forward. “It’s me.”
Gu Jing Rong’s eyes widened in horror as Luo Jin advanced toward him. “What are you doing? Stay away from me… Get back…” He backed away, but there was nowhere to go. “Don’t touch me… Ah!!!”
A villager ran to the door of Gu Shu’s house, yelling, “Doctor Gu Shu, something’s wrong! The village chief is hurt; you need to see him!”