Gods 046: Extinction Event

Grand Tutor Wen desperately tries to make it home before he runs out of bodies.

• Subscribe
• Transcript
• Map of Key Locations
• Characters
• Music

Transcript

Welcome to the Chinese Lore Podcast, where I retell classic Chinese stories in English. This is episode 46 of Investiture of the Gods.

Last time, with help from the two masters of their sect, the Chan Daoists vanquished more Jie rivals, broke the last two formations standing in their way, and rescued the Martial King Ji Fa. At that point, their field commander, Burning Lamp, declared that their work was done, almost. He sent a few of the Daoists on special assignments, but the rest were to go home. As they headed out, however, they were greeted by another Daoist, Master of the Clouds. This was the guy who, early in the novel, tried unsuccessfully to kill the fox demon Daji before she fully sank her claws into the Shang court. 

After greeting each other, the other Daoists said to Master of the Clouds, “You are truly blessed, not having to suffer an encounter with the Yellow River formation.”

“I was ordered to refine the Skyscraper Pillars of Divine Fire and await Grand Tutor Wen at Dragon Extinction Peak,” he told them.

Burning Lamp told him to head to the peak at once, and so Master of the Clouds set off. Burning Lamp then handed the command sword back to Jiang Ziya and said, “I will also go to Dragon Extinction Peak to lend a hand.”

So all the Daoist masters left except for Merciful Navigation, who had been ordered by Burning Lamp to stay behind. Jiang Ziya now summoned all his officers, who were probably thinking, hey, maybe we get to go on non-suicidal missions again. That’d be nice change of pace. 

“Tomorrow we will fight it out once and for all against Grand Tutor Wen,” Jiang Ziya told them, and then they all went off to prepare for the battle to come.

On the other side, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was desperately waiting for reinforcements to show up. As he waited, he discussed with Colorful Cloud and Celestial Lotus, the last two Jie sect Daoists remaining in camp. 

“Who knew that the ladies of Three Fairy Island would suffer such a fate,” the two Daoists lamented. “It’s because the Chan sect’s two masters showed up. They looked upon us like dirt.”

Wen Zhong was lamenting their predicament when suddenly, they heard the sound of explosives and loud battle cries echoing from the Zhou camp, followed by a report that Jiang Ziya was demanding to speak to him.

“If I don’t capture Jiang Ziya to avenge all these losses, I swear I shall not go on living!” Wen Zhong fumed. He ordered his four generals to follow him out, along with the two remaining ladies. Riding on his black qilin, he galloped to the front. There Jiang Ziya greeted him and said, “Grand Tutor Wen, you have been waging this war for three-plus years and have yet to succeed. Do you have another 10 formations for me?”

And then, Jiang Ziya ordered his men, “Go execute Zhao Jiang!”

So, Zhao Jiang, if you remember, was one of Wen Zhong’s Jie sect Daoist friends from Golden Turtle Island and the creator of one of the 10 formations. When his formation was broken, Zhao Jiang had been captured and literally left hanging from the rafters of the Chan Daoists’ pavilion this whole time. But now, the officer Wu (3) Ji (2) brought him to the front and cut him down in front of Wen Zhong. Wen Zhong let out an anguished cry and charged with his staff in hand.

On the Zhou side, Flying Tiger’s eldest son, Huang Tianhua, charged out on his jade qilin with his mallets to fight Wen Zhong. Celestial Lotus charged out from the Shang side with her sword drawn to help Wen Zhong, and she was met by Yang Jian. Colorful Cloud then joined the fray and was met by Nezha. Then, Wen Zhong’s four generals charged out, and they were matched by the Zhou generals Flying Tiger, Nangong Kuo, Wu Ji, and Xin (1) Jia (3). The 14 combatants now engaged in a dogged fight.

In the midst of this scrum, Celestial Lotus unleashed her wind-summoning bag, which produced a strong, ill wind. But on the Zhou side, Merciful Navigation still had the Wind-Quelling Pearl that they had used to break one of the formations. He unleashed the pearl, and the wind immediately died down. Jiang Ziya now sent his God-Beating Staff into the air, and it struck Celestial Lotus on the head, spilling her brains and killing her instantly.

Hearing this commotion behind her, Colorful Cloud became distracted for a moment as she looked back to check on her comrade. That was all the opening that her opponent Nezha needed. His spear pierced her shoulder and sent her to the ground. He then ran his spear through her again and finished her off. At the same time, Flying Tiger let out a roar and ran his spear through his opponent, the general Zhang Jie (2). 

Meanwhile, Wen Zhong was engaged in a back-and-forth against Huang Tianhua. But seeing the three casualties on his side, he lost his heart for battle, so he broke off the fight and returned to camp. By now, he only had three generals left by his side: Deng (4) Zhong (1), Xin (1) Huan (2), and Tao (2) Rong (2). And to make things worse, they had lost their comrade Zhang Jie. Everyone was in a gloomy mood.

On the other side, Jiang Ziya returned to camp victorious. Merciful Navigation now took his leave, and Jiang Ziya went back into the city. He ordered all his officers to have lunch and then to await his command. When they reassembled after lunch, he started handing out orders. First, he gave special instructions to Huang Tianhua, Nezha, and Thunderbolt. Next, he commanded Flying Tiger to lead 5,000 men to attack the left flank of the enemy, and Nangong Kuo to lead 5,000 men to attack the right flank. Jinzha, Muzha, and Dragon Beard Tiger were to attack the front entrance, with backup from 12 officers. 

He also ordered six officers to lead 3,000 men to ride around and shout, “Those who submit to the virtuous lord of Western Qi will enjoy peace and prosperity; those who insist on aiding the tyrant of the Shang will meet their end. Surrender and you shall be spared!”

Finally, Yang Jian was commanded to lead 3,000 men to burn the enemy’s provisions, after which, he was to head to Dragon Extinction Peak.

Later that day, Wen Zhong was moping in his tent when suddenly, his third eye noticed a deadly miasma emanating from Western Qi, heading toward his camp. He chuckled and scoffed, “Jiang Ziya is trying to capitalize on his victory by coming to raid our camp!”

He quickly ordered the generals Deng Zhong and Tao Rong to lead the defense on the left, and Xin Huan to lead the defense on the right. His two disciples, Ji (2) Li (4) and Yu (2) Qing (4), were to guard the provisions with archers, while Wen Zhong himself would defend the center of the camp. 

“Let’s see who dares to enter our gate!” Wen Zhong declared.

That evening, around 7 p.m., Jiang Ziya’s forces quietly approached the Shang camp. As lanterns were raised to signal that they were all in position, an explosive sounded, and all the forces let out a loud roar and charged forward. Jiang Ziya led the front column and broke through seven layers of enemy defenses as they broke through the front gates. There, they found Wen Zhong, seated atop his black qilin and gripping his staff, shouting, “Jiang Ziya, we will settle this today!”

As Wen Zhong and Jiang Ziya traded blows, Jinzha and Muzha charged in as well, while Dragon-Beard Tiger started pelting the Shang forces with boulders. The Shang soldiers could not withstand this assault, as many were injured.

In the midst of this fight, Flying Tiger crashed into the left flank of the camp, where his forces surrounded the enemy generals Deng Zhong and Tao Rong. In the right side of the camp, Nangong Kuo was leading the assault, and he was met by the Shang general Xin Huan, who unfurled his wings and took to the air to attack. Torches lit up the sky, the sound of drums echoed through the night, and a chilly wind swept across the battlefield as men hacked at each other.

In the center of camp, Wen Zhong was fighting Jiang Ziya. The latter unleashed his God-Beating Staff. Wen Zhong saw it coming, but couldn’t dodge it in time, and the staff struck him on his left shoulder. Meanwhile, Dragon-Beard Tiger was still raining down boulders on the Shang forces, send them into chaos. As the Zhou forces swarmed forward, Wen Zhong could not hold his ground and had to fall back.

On the left side of the camp, Flying Tiger, aided by four of his sons, was routing the enemy. As his spear flashed, he skewered the enemy general Tao Rong. The other enemy general, Deng Zhong, could not hold his own and turned and fled.

On the right side of camp, the flying Shang general Xin Huan saw that the Zhou forces were too much to fend off, so he, too, fled. At the same time, fires broke out in the back of the camp. This was Yang Jian burning the provisions. The entire Shang camp now collapsed into chaos. As flames roared toward the sky and the Zhou forces’ drums and gongs rolled, you could hear the cries of the wounded and dying. 

Amid this slaughter, the Zhou forces’ propaganda brigade started yelling for the enemy to surrender. Now, the Shang army had been camped out in Western Qi for a long time, with their morale sinking all the while. And all the while, they were watching as nobles across the land had pledged their allegiance to the Zhou. So now, half of the Shang forces threw down their arms and ran away, while the other half surrendered. 

With his army disintegrating, Wen Zhong could do little but retreat, fighting as he fled. The general Xin Huan flew overhead, protecting him as they ran, while Deng Zhong brought up the rear. In the course of the night, they fled for 20-some miles, running all the way to the foot of Qi Mountain. Only now did Jiang Ziya call off his pursuit.

Catching his breath and gathering his tattered forces, Wen Zhong saw that he now only had 30,000 men with him, and he had lost another general, Tao Rong. As he brooded in silence, his general Deng Zhong asked where they should go.

“Where does this road lead to?” Wen Zhong asked.

“It goes to Sweet Dreams Pass,” Deng Zhong said. 

“Then let’s go there,” Wen Zhong decided. And so his army limped toward Sweet Dreams Pass.

As they were approaching Peach Blossom Peak, they noticed a yellow banner atop the peak, under which stood a Daoist. This was Grand Completion, who had been sent here by Burning Lamp.

“Grand Completion, what are you doing here?” Wen Zhong asked.

“I’ve been waiting here for you for a while,” Grand Completion replied. “You have been going against heaven’s will and helping the wicked to extinguish the good, wreaking havoc on the people, and causing harm on the loyal and the good. You have brought this upon yourself. I have no quarrel with you, but I will not allow you to pass this peak. You should go somewhere else.”

Wen Zhong was furious. “I suffered an unfortunate defeat and lost many men and officers. How dare you try to pick on me?!”

As he fumed, he rode forward to attack. Grand Completion countered with his sword. After a few bouts, Grand Completion tossed his Heaven Churning Seal into the air. Wen Zhong knew its power and quickly turned and fled toward the wester, followed by his men.

After they were safely out of range, the general Xin Huan asked Wen Zhong why he ran away. Wen Zhong said, “I can’t defend against Grand Completion’s magic seal. If it had struck me, I would be dead. So I had to avoid him. We can’t go past that peak. Where should we go?”

The general Deng Zhong said, “Why not head toward Yan Mountain and the Five Passes?”

It’s not like they had a lot of options, so Wen Zhong turned his army onto the main thoroughfare and headed toward Yan Mountain. They traveled through the night. Within a day, they were approaching Yan Mountain when lo and behold, what should they see but another yellow banner atop the mountain, this one guarded by Pure Essence.

“Grand Tutor Wen, you need not go farther,” Pure Essence said. “This is not a path open to you. On Burning Lamp’s command, I am here to keep you from entering the five passes. Head back to whence you came.”

Wen Zhong was irate. He roared, “Pure Essence, we are members of the Jie sect, which is a school of Daoism after all. How can you bully me so?! Even though I have suffered a defeat, I will fight you to the death. How can I just let you have your way?!”

He now galloped forward with his golden staff raised. Pure Essence strode forward with sword drawn to meet him. After a few exchanges, Pure Essence took out his Yinyang Mirror and pointed it at Wen Zhong. Wen Zhong saw this and quickly broke off the fight and retreated away from the mountain. Pure Essence didn’t bother giving chase and just let him go.

By now, Wen Zhong was so furious that his face was ashen and he was struggling for breath, and yet he could say nothing. Xin Huan now said, “Since both routes we have tried so far are blocked, let’s head back to Yellow Flower Mountain and retreat into Green Dragon Pass.”

Yellow Flower Mountain, if you remember, was where Xin Huan and his comrades had been making a living as bandits before Wen Zhong recruited them on his way to Western Qi. Wen Zhong thought for a long while and said, “I could fast-travel back to the capital to see the king and bring another army to fight again. But how can I leave all my men behind?”

And so, he ordered his army to head back toward Green Dragon Pass. After traveling for half a day, they were approaching a choke point in the main road, and of course, they saw an army waiting up ahead for them. Wen Zhong ordered his men to hold up and pitch camp. But before they had finished setting up camp, an explosive sounded, two red banners waved, and Nezha appeared, striding on his fire wheels and wielding his fiery spear, shouting, “Grand Tutor Wen, you can’t go home! This is where you meet your maker!”

Wen Zhong was again furious and cursed, “Jiang Ziya, you are too despicable! You sent this pawn here to ambush me? What an insult!”

He and his officers and disciples now made straight for Nezha and they engaged in a dogged fight. They surrounded Nezha, but he had no fear. After fending the five of them off for a while, he let out a loud road and ran his spear through Wen Zhong’s disciple Ji (2) Li (4). He then rode up into the air and unleashed his Universal Ring, which struck Deng Zhong in the shoulder and knocked him out of the saddle, whereupon Nezha skewered him as well. 

Seeing two more of his men bite the dust, Wen Zhong had no heart for battle, so he carved out a path and fled. Nezha gave chase and cut off the back half of Wen Zhong’s forces, who promptly surrendered.

While Nezha went back to Western Qi to report his victory, Wen Zhong and what remained of his forces limped forward. As night approached, he did a quick count and found that he now had fewer than 10,000 men with him. As he sat in his tent, Wen Zhong was filled with shame and thought to himself, “Ever since I started waging wars, I had never lost. But now, on this campaign against Western Qi, I have been subjected to the humiliation of a complete rout.”

Standing next to him, his last general, Xin Huan, tried to console him, saying, “Grand tutor, please take heart. Victory and defeat are common in war. Don’t let it get to you. Let’s go back to the capital and raise another huge army. And then we can come back and get revenge. Please take care of yourself.”

After a restless night, Wen Zhong and company set out again toward Yellow Flower Mountain. They had not gone far, however, when they saw red banners waving up ahead, accompanied by the sound of signal blasts. A young officer dressed in golden armor and red battle robe galloped out on a jade qilin with twin mallets in hand. This was Huang Tianhua. As he charged, he shouted, “I have long been waiting here on Prime Minister Jiang’s command. Your forces have been crushed, and you cannot hold out. Thus is heaven’s will. If you won’t surrender now, then when?!”

Seeing Huang Tianhua again made Wen Zhong’s temper flare. “You rebel! How dare you spew such insults?!”

He now charged at Huang Tianhua, and the two of them fought for 20-some bouts. Now, Xin Huan and Wen Zhong’s last remaining disciple, Yu (2) Qing (4), joined the fray. Seeing them coming, Huang Tianhua turned and rode away. Yu Qing gave chase, but that was exactly what Huang Tianhua wanted. He latched his mallets, took out the Fire Dragon Javelin, turned, and hurled it. It struck Yu Qing, knocking him off his saddle and killing him.

Seeing Yu Qing bite the dust, Xin Huan let out a roar, took to the air, and charged at Huang Tianhua. After three exchanges, Huang Tianhua broke off the fight and rode away. Xin Huan followed, hot on his heels. But suddenly, Huang Tianhua turned and let loose his Heart-Piercing Needle. It struck Xin Huan’s wings, sending him crashing to the ground. 

Seeing Xin Huan lose his fight, Wen Zhong hurriedly led his tattered forces and fled toward the southeast. Huang Tianhua didn’t bother giving chase and just let them go while he went back to Western Qi to report his victory.

After making sure that no one was chasing them, Wen Zhong slowed down and his forces staggered forward. He was now down to just Xin Huan, who was injured. As night fell, they came upon a desolate, tall mountain. The depressing scenery, coupled with his troubled thoughts, made Wen Zhong sit down and utter a poem that said:

“Returning I find the mountain in tears,

And my army’s condition is even more depressing.

Back then I thought we would come back in victory,

But now I know the exhaustion of defeat.

Alas, who can predict heaven’s will?

How lamentable are the toils of men?

All now is topsy-turvy like a dream.

Dedication to the state alone is not enough.”

As he recited those lines, Wen Zhong felt unsteady. Meanwhile, Xin Huan oversaw the men as they made dinner and prepared to resume their journey the next day. Around 9 p.m., they suddenly heard loud cries and explosives ringing out from the top of the mountain. Wen Zhong walked out of his tent to have a look, and who should he see but Jiang Ziya and the Martial King Ji Fa atop the mountain, having a merry drink while their officers pointed in his direction and taunted, “Hey look, there’s Grand Tutor Wen’s defeated army.”

When he heard those words, a fire burned in Wen Zhong’s heart. He hopped on his black qilin and charged up the mountainside. But suddenly, he heard an explosive go off, and then everyone atop the mountain vanished. He scoured the area with his third eye, but could see no trace of his enemy. Grinding his teeth, Wen Zhong sat alone in the saddle, lost in thought.

Suddenly, an explosive sounded farther down the mountain, and a host of enemy forces appeared, surrounding the peak and shouting, “Don’t let Grand Tutor Wen get away!”

Infuriated, Wen Zhong charged down the mountain, but by the time he got down there, all the enemy had again vanished. Before he could catch his breath, another explosive sounded atop the mountain, and Jiang Ziya and Ji Fa were back up there, clapping their hands, having a good laugh, and shouting, “With today’s defeat, Grand Tutor Wen’s heroic reputation is dead. How can he return to the capital?!”

“Ji Fa, you scoundrel!” Wen Zhong roared. “How dare you?!”

Wen Zhong now charged back up the mountain. As he got halfway up, he suddenly saw Thunderbolt soaring out from a crevice and taking a swing at him. Wen Zhong shouted “Oh crap!” and dodged. Thunderbolt’s staff missed him, but caught his black qilin on its hind quarters, breaking the animal in two. 

Wen Zhong tumbled to the ground, but quickly fast-traveled away. His general Xin Huan now shouted, “Thunderbolt, don’t you go anywhere! Here I come!” Xin Huan now took to the air to fight Thunderbolt. But at that very moment, Thunderbolt’s comrade Yang Jian unleashed his Sky-Barking Hound, which took hold of Xin Huan’s leg with its teeth. As Xin Huan was struggling to get free, Thunderbolt brought his staff down right on his head, killing him instantly. This done, Thunderbolt returned to Western Qi to report his victory.

Wen Zhong was now left without a ride or an officer. He thought to himself, “I can’t go home. I came on this campaign with 300,000 men. But after three-plus years of battle, I only have a few thousand tattered troops left. I’m on the brink of complete annihilation. And my disciples and officers are all dead.”

He sat thinking for a long time, and then turned skyward and sighed. “Heaven wants to end the Shang! The court has lost its way, drawing heaven’s wrath and the people’s ire. Despite my loyalty, I cannot hold back the tide. It’s not because I didn’t manage this campaign carefully!”

Wen Zhong remained sitting until dawn broke, at which point he gathered up the few remaining soldiers by his side and staggered on. By now, they were out of food, and the men were exhausted and starving. Suddenly, they came upon a house, and Wen Zhong told his soldiers, “Let’s go there to ask for a meal to sate your hunger.”

When they approached the house, they saw that it was a pretty little thatched house in an almost idyllic setting, by a winding stream lined with willow trees and flanked by a pretty little garden. The soldiers went to the front of the house and asked if anyone was in. After a while, an old man came out. When he saw that it was a bunch of haggard soldiers, he asked what they were doing there. 

“We are from Grand Tutor Wen’s army,” they told him. “We are returning home after losing a battle against the Zhou. We would like to ask you for a meal to sate our hunger. We will repay you in the future.”

The old man quickly invited Grand Tutor Wen over, kneeled, and said, “Grand Tutor, pardon me for not welcoming you sooner!”

Wen Zhong returned his courtesy. The old man invited him inside to rest, and then hurriedly prepared a meal. Wen Zhong and his men spent the night at the house. The next morning, Wen Zhong asked the old man for his name and told his men to make sure they remember it, so that they could come back and repay the old man’s kindness in the future. They then resumed their journey toward the main thoroughfare leading to Green Dragon Pass.

After traveling for a bit along the backroads, they were lost. Wen Zhong sent out a few soldiers to check ahead in each direction. Suddenly, they heard someone chopping wood in the forest. They followed the sound and came upon a woodcutter. Wen Zhong sent a soldier to ask him for directions. When he saw them approach, the woodcutter laid down his ax and asked what they needed.

“We are part of an army that was waging war against the west,” the soldier said. “We are heading to Green Dragon Pass. Can you tell us the fastest way?”

Pointing with his finger, the woodcutter said, “Head southwest for less than 5 miles, and you’ll come across White Crane Mound. That’s the main road to Green Dragon Pass.”

The soldier thanked him and reported back to Wen Zhong, who then ordered his men to head west. Little did he know that the woodcutter was actually Yang Jian in disguise. 

Wen Zhong and his men traveled on for about five or six miles and found themselves approaching a seemingly impenetrable peak. As they were about to enter a canyon, Wen Zhong noticed how treacherous the surroundings looked, and it gave him pause. Just then, he looked up and saw a Daoist. This was none other than Master of the Clouds.

Now, Wen Zhong knew Master of the Clouds. He went forward and said, “Daoist brother, what are you doing here?”

“I have been long waiting here for you on Burning Lamp’s command,” Master of the Clouds said. “This is Dragon Extinction Peak. You have come to a dead end. Why not surrender?”

But Wen Zhong laughed aloud and said, “Do you think I’m an idiot or an infant? How can you tell me that I have reached a dead end? You and I both possess the power of fast travel. You may taunt me, but what powers can you use against me?”

“Do you dare to test me?” Master of the Clouds replied.

Wen Zhong decided to call his bluff and pressed ahead, but Master of the Clouds now unleashed thunder from his hands, and eight huge pillars erupted from the ground, surrounding Wen Zhong.

“What power is this that you are using to trap me?” Wen Zhong shouted.

Master of the Clouds made no answer. Instead, he unleashed another clasp of thunder. The pillars opened up, and from each emerged 49 fire dragons.”

Wen Zhong, however, laughed again and shouted, “This is child’s play!” He then uttered a fire-evading spell, which allowed him to stand in the center of the flames without any harm. As the fire roared around him, Wen Zhong shouted again, “Master of the Clouds, your powers are just so so! I can’t remain here. See ya!”

And with that, he took to the air on a beam of light. Unbeknownst to him, however, Master of the Clouds had covered the top of the pillars with another magical mcguffin, Burning Lamp’s purple-gold alms bowl. As he soared upward, Wen Zhong crashed head first into this dome and came crashing back to the ground. Master of the Clouds now brought even more thunder, and the fires rose ever higher, consuming Wen Zhong.

So, the pillar of the Shang court has crumbled. What the heck is King Zhou (4) going to do now? To find out, tune in to the next episode of the Chinese Lore Podcast. Thanks for listening!

Music in This Episode

• “Sao Meo” by Doug Maxwell / Zac Zinger
• “Slow Times Over Here” by Midnight North (from YouTube audio library)
• “Dark Toys” by SYBS (from YouTube audio library)
• “Ravines” by Elphnt (from YouTube audio library) 
• “The Quiet Aftermath by Sir Cubworth (from YouTube audio library)
• 23:44: Yang Jian in disguise
• “Comfortable Mystery 3 – Film Noire” by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100536; Artist: http://incompetech.com/)