Chapter 048: Sacrificing the Yin Tiger Tally

In the great hall of the imperial palace, everyone was waiting.

Before long, a monk dressed in a kasaya entered from outside.

The monk did not put on any show; he walked in step by step like an ordinary person, making those present doubt whether this fellow truly had the ability to solve the problems facing the Great Tang.

Generally speaking, masters made a grand entrance.

For instance, their national preceptor, whenever he appeared, would have talismans fluttering everywhere and ride a crane with great pomp.

But this monk before them was far too ordinary.

He looked like an ordinary man, his dusty kasaya giving him the feel of a wandering monk.

There was no sharp glint in his eyes, no unusual aura about him.

No matter how you looked at him, he was hardly different from a commoner.

Even the emperor began to have doubts, though he did not show them on his face. Instead, he said excitedly, “Are you the divine monk who can solve the difficulties of my Great Tang?”

The gray-robed monk nodded. “It is this humble monk.”

The emperor uttered an “Oh” and said earnestly, “May I ask the divine monk’s Dharma name? And what means do you have to relieve the crisis of the Great Tang? If the divine monk can accomplish this, I will spare no effort to repay you.”

The gray-robed monk pressed his palms together, recited a Buddhist invocation, and said slowly, “This humble monk’s Dharma name is Cihang Pudu. Not long ago, I entered Fengdu and obtained a rare treasure.”

He extended his right hand, palm upward.

Suddenly, a sinister-looking tiger tally appeared in his hand.

The tiger tally was made entirely of bronze, its appearance ferocious, and it was wreathed in a stream of yin energy. This wisp of yin energy was bound within the palm of the gray-robed monk Cihang Pudu, unable to break free.

Yet even so, everyone felt as if sounds of ghostly wailing and howling were emanating from within the tiger tally, filling the hall.

It was like the lament of ten thousand ghosts, eternally sunk in misery.

When the emperor saw this tiger tally, he felt his hair stand on end.

When the civil and military officials saw it, their hearts leaped with terror, as if an invisible force bound their entire bodies, threatening to make them faint at any moment.

One after another, they stepped back.

In an instant, a clear space formed in the hall, centered on the gray-robed monk.

The emperor felt uneasy just looking at the tiger tally, but seeing Cihang Pudu holding it with an unchanged expression and calm demeanor, he could not help but be sincerely convinced. He said, “Divine monk, the treasure in your hand—is it a tiger tally?”

Cihang Pudu nodded and said, “Your Majesty is indeed perceptive. What this humble monk holds is indeed a tiger tally, but it is not an ordinary one; it is the tiger tally of Fengdu, also known as the Yin Tiger Tally.”

“Does the divine monk mean that this Yin Tiger Tally can relieve the crisis of the Great Tang?”

Cihang Pudu nodded again. “The Yin Tiger Tally is the tally used in Fengdu to mobilize ghost soldiers. Not only can it summon ghost soldiers and ghost generals, but it can also call back the souls of the dead. Through sacrifice, one can raise an army of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of ghostly troops at any time.”

Hearing this, the emperor was overjoyed. If the tiger tally was as miraculous as Cihang Pudu claimed, then the crisis of the Great Tang could be resolved. The enemy had a million puppets, and he could have a million ghost troops—who would win was still unknown.

So he quickly said, “Divine monk, I appoint you as the Supreme National Preceptor of the Great Tang, overseeing all supernatural affairs. I beg the divine monk to perform the ritual, summon a million ghost soldiers, and relieve the crisis of the Great Tang.”

Cihang Pudu smiled faintly, put away the tiger tally, pressed his palms together, and said slowly, “This humble monk thanks Your Majesty. However, Your Majesty, to use the Yin Tiger Tally to summon an army, the blood of living people must be sacrificed. I ask Your Majesty to prepare three thousand death-row prisoners for this humble monk, and then it can succeed.”

Hearing this, the emperor showed no hesitation. He said decisively, “I permit it. Where is the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?”

The Chief Minister stepped forward and knelt on the ground. “Your servant is here.”

The emperor said, “You have heard the words of the Supreme National Preceptor. You must cooperate with him and follow his orders completely. Do not delay, understand?”

What else could the Chief Minister say? He could only nod repeatedly and say, “Your servant understands.”

After all, these days, the Court of Judicial Review had arrested criminals like clouds; producing three thousand death-row prisoners was no problem. Even if there weren’t enough, they could find a group of scapegoats—it would be a contribution to the Great Tang.

Cihang Pudu smiled slightly, his countenance solemn and dignified, like an enlightened monk. But the looks people gave him were complicated.

A monk who could demand the sacrifice of three thousand people without changing his expression was definitely no enlightened monk; he was likely some kind of heretic. But now he was the emperor’s lifeline, and no one could defy him.

After the court session ended, Chang’an became busy. Cihang Pudu, eager to start, had the Chief Minister provide him with three thousand death-row prisoners, all driven to a remote suburb outside Chang’an, a place rarely visited by humans.

Then Cihang Pudu began the cruel sacrifice.

He took out the Yin Tiger Tally, infused it with magical power, and activated it. The Yin Tiger Tally slowly rose from his hand and floated above the three thousand death-row prisoners.

A surging yin energy, like an avalanche or a tsunami, swept out from within the Yin Tiger Tally.

Black yin energy rolled like waves, engulfing the three thousand prisoners, drilling into their bodies through their seven orifices.

The three thousand prisoners began to convulse in unison. Foaming at the mouth, they fell to the ground with a thud.

After a short while, the three thousand prisoners had no more breath.

Their faces were black as ink, their death grimaces hideous.

Then, black yin energy emerged from the prisoners’ bodies, and along with it came one after another wailing, agonized souls.

These souls struggled desperately, but in the end, they were dragged by the yin energy into the Yin Tiger Tally.

When the three thousand souls had all entered the Yin Tiger Tally, the tally became vivid and lifelike, as if it had eaten its fill. It let out a burp, then opened its mouth and roared.

Aooo!

This roar instantly swept across heaven and earth, spreading to the nearby mountains and peaks. All living creatures within hundreds of li heard this roar.

Then, a miraculous scene occurred. Clumps of black qi emerged from the ground, like a hundred rivers flowing to the sea, rushing toward the location of the Yin Tiger Tally.

One after another, souls rose from the earth. At first, they were humans, but later there were rabbits, tigers, horses, donkeys, and even snakes.

More and more souls gathered, starting from a few hundred, then becoming thousands, then tens of thousands. Within just an hour, the suburbs of Chang’an were densely packed with all kinds of souls.

Seeing this, Cihang Pudu struck out a stream of magical power from a distance, injecting it into the Yin Tiger Tally.

The Yin Tiger Tally roared again.

The sound waves rolled, shaking heaven and earth.