Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 492 The Question of the Soul
On the Chu Yang Terrace, music and dance filled the air.

"Young friend, you seem to be in low spirits. Is there perhaps something I have done wrong in my hospitality? Please tell me," Tao Zhugong asked A Yao.

"I didn't come here to drink," A-Yao said, clasping her hands in a fist and palm salute. "Please let me through."

"Oh dear, Master Tao is so hospitable, I almost forgot about our business." Su Xiaoxiao patted her forehead, as if she had just come to her senses, and said, "We have drunk the wine and listened to the music. Thank you for your hospitality, Master Tao, but we really have urgent business to attend to, so we won't bother you any longer."

"I know you want to see the Ghost King of Fengdu." Tao Zhugong stroked his beard and smiled. "To be honest, I am able to enjoy wealth and honor in Wuxia Gorge thanks to the Ghost King's help."

As he spoke, he looked at the crowd and said, "Since he ordered me to guard this pass, I can't just let you pass like this."

Upon hearing this, the four men became serious. Chen Lingzhi said, "Then let Tao Zhugong draw up a line, and we will follow it."

"Ah, relax, I've already said that guests are always welcome," Tao Zhugong said with a smile, waving his hand leisurely.

“I am not a crude and vulgar warrior like Xiang Yu. This time, I will only engage in a war of words and not harm our harmony.”

"How exactly will this literary contest take place?" Su Xiaoxiao asked with great interest.

"You may answer my soul-searching question. Rest assured, as long as you answer truthfully, you may freely traverse the Wuxia Gorge!"

"Tao Zhugong was truly a man of great magnanimity," Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help but praise.

"Then please take a look." Tao Zhugong smiled and clapped his hands.

The concubines then lowered the curtains, covering the luminous pearls, and the pavilion immediately became dark.

~~
Before their eyes, light and shadow shifted, revealing an ancient palace. Guards stood watchfully outside, preventing anyone from approaching.

Inside the room, a ruler and two ministers, all dressed very simply, were plotting something.

At this moment, Tao Zhugong's voice-over rang out: "You must know that my name is Fan Li. That king was Goujian, the king of Yue when I was in the state of Yue. He was defeated by King Fuchai of Wu and had no choice but to go to the palace of King Fuchai of Wu with his wife and serve him carefully for three years. He even tasted the excrement of King Fuchai of Wu, and finally moved the king and was released to return to his country."

"After returning home, His Majesty endured hardship and humiliation, determined to avenge himself. This was the scene when I, along with another strategist, Wen Zhong, discussed the 'Nine Strategies for Destroying Wu' with His Majesty." He paused, then continued:
"The other eight strategies are certainly important, but they are irrelevant to my question today. You only need to observe the discussion process of the fourth strategy..."

Then everyone heard Wen Zhong, who had a hooked nose, say to Goujian in a deep voice: "The fourth strategy is to send beautiful women to bewitch his heart and weaken his will, so that he will not think of making progress!"

Upon hearing this, Goujian frowned and said, "This plan is good, but I'm afraid it won't work on Fuchai. When I was in his palace, I often heard him say that all the women in the world are just ordinary beauties and none of them are worthy of a dragon among men like him."

“That’s because he has high standards; he doesn’t look down on ordinary beauties.” Wen Zhong said confidently, “As long as we find a stunning beauty who catches his eye, he will definitely fall for it. And because it’s hard to come by, he will be even more reckless.”

“That makes sense. But Wu has more beautiful women than Yue. Where can we find a beauty who can surpass all the beauties of Wu?” Goujian said with a worry.

"Your Majesty, do not worry, for what is far away is right before your eyes. Doctor Fan has a beautiful confidante named Xi Shi, whose beauty is so captivating it could make fish sink and geese fall from the sky. I guarantee that King Fuchai will be utterly bewitched." Wen Zhong glanced at the silent Fan Li, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"It just depends on whether Dr. Fan can bear to part with his sweetheart."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Goujian looked at Fan Li with great joy and asked, "Doctor, are you willing to part with your beloved?"

Fan Li remained silent for a moment, then said with a pained expression, "You have to be willing to give up something to gain something..."
The scene freezes. Tao Zhugong turns to the crowd and asks, "If you were Xi Shi, would you resent me?"

At this point, Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Lingzhi both understood that Tao Zhugong had achieved great success, become incredibly wealthy, and enjoyed both longevity and happiness—his life could be described as perfect. But the more he achieved this, the harder it was for him to let go; that one regret in his life was also his greatest regret.

Unwilling to face the harsh truth, he treated everyone with courtesy, offering them good food and drink, hoping they would go along with him and answer "no complaints" against their will.

In this way, he would feel comforted. If many people answered "no resentment," and with enough people saying the same thing, he might actually believe that Xi Shi had no resentment.

Seeing Tao Zhugong's almost suggestive look, Su Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly, thinking to herself that if it were just her and Lingzhi, she could simply say a few insincere words to make him happy and get through the ordeal.

But there are two idiots who wouldn't lie, how could they possibly fool you?

Sure enough, the young monk spoke up, "Old benefactor, you are mistaken. One can only question one's own soul. Since it is a question of the soul, how can one ask others what Xi Shi thought? That makes no sense at all."

"I just want to know!" Tao Zhugong said in a deep voice, his face darkening.

“I resent it,” A-Yao said resolutely.

As soon as she finished speaking, a golden cage fell from above, trapping her underneath.

"What are you doing?" The other three tried to get up to rescue the person, but three more cages fell down and trapped them as well.

"I'll give you one more chance to rephrase your statements. Think it through and answer properly." Tao Zhugong's composure vanished, replaced by an arrogant expression. "Answer me one by one: do you resent it or not?!"

He glared at Fa Xiu and said, "Baldy, you speak first!"

“This humble monk has shaved his head, but he’s not bald.” Considering that Tao Zhugong didn’t have any monks at that time, Faxiu wasn’t annoyed and said softly, “I’ll say it again, this humble monk isn’t Xi Shizhu…”

“Little monk, don’t embarrass yourself. Her name is Shi Yiguang, not some Western Benefactor,” Su Xiaoxiao corrected with a smile.

“Oh, then that’s Benefactor Shi.” Fa Xiu readily agreed, “Whether she resents it or not is up to her to decide. Even if millions of people say she doesn’t resent it, it doesn’t represent her.”

"Shut up!" Tao Zhugong was furious. This little bald guy was even more ruthless, directly attacking his mind right from the start.

Faxiu was about to go on and on, spouting verses like "Cause and effect are infallible, and one bears the consequences of one's own actions," when Tao Zhugong tossed him a braised pork knuckle to shut him up...

"You two, talk it out. If you agree, I'll let you go. If you disagree, I'll kill you both!" Tao Zhugong completely dropped his gentle facade, revealing his fierce nature as he glared at Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Lingzhi.

Having come this far, Su Xiaoxiao was too lazy to coax him anymore. She sneered, "Back when I was a courtesan, I knew to sell my body but not my heart. You, on the other hand, sold Xi Shi's true heart, and you still have the nerve to ask me that?"

"Shut up too!" Tao Zhugong was so angry that he threw off his golden-winged black gauze crown, let his gray hair fall loose, and his dignified and noble appearance vanished.

Enraged, he waved his hand and unleashed a golden beam that instantly beheaded the little monk, whose head rolled around on the ground.

(End of this chapter)