Chapter 83

Chapter Eighty-Four: American Priest

The "Partridge Whistle" referred to the several foreigners on the ship; the "Partridge Whistle" had been sidelong-glancing at them for a long time, feeling these foreigners were suspicious, and that they all concealed guns on their persons, with several foreign shovels and iron grappling hooks in their luggage, muttering to each other in a group.

What was most strange was that these foreigners were not like the foreigners the "Partridge Whistle" usually came into contact with; the "Partridge Whistle" knew some foreigners and understood part of their language, but these foreigners on the ship were neither like the stiff and proper Englishmen, nor like the solemn Germans, nor like the easygoing Americans; these big-nosed, flaxen-haired foreigners all exuded a ruffian air, very strange—just which country were they from? The "Partridge Whistle" looked again twice and finally figured it out: they were big-nosed old Russians.

The "Partridge Whistle" felt these Russians might be going to Blackwater City to dig for antiques; after the revolution occurred in Russia domestically, many people fled the country, and their descendants have since been mixed in China, not admitting they are Soviet people, but instead calling themselves Russkiy-flow people, doing nothing but illegal trade.

Elder Liao Chen was also a person who could see six directions and hear eight; naturally he understood the implication of the "Partridge Whistle's" words, gesturing to the "Partridge Whistle" not to act rashly: "What we are doing are all secret matters; we must avoid ears and eyes, and try not to cause too many incidents."

The "Partridge Whistle" said to Elder Liao Chen: "Wait for me, the disciple, to go over and investigate clearly; if these foreign devils are also going to Blackwater City to steal treasure, then they are very close to our target, and would surely get in the way; find a deserted place and quietly dispose of them, to avoid future trouble."

Without waiting for Elder Liao Chen to dissuade him, the "Partridge Whistle" squeezed into the crowd and edged near those Russians to eavesdrop on their conversation; it turned out this group numbered six in total: five Russians and one American.

The five Russians were all descendants of the Tsarist Russians exiled in China, engaged in the business of brokering arms sales; hearing that Blackwater City had once unearthed a large batch of cultural relics, they felt there was profit to be made and prepared to try their luck, secretly digging up a few crates to bring back.

The American was a priest in his thirties or forties; a few years earlier he had once gone to Ningqing and other places to preach; during his travels he had passed by the ruins of Blackwater City; the priest had toured China once, preparing to go again to places like Yinchuan to spread the message that belief in God brings eternal life; he mentioned this incidentally to the five Russians he met on the road, and those Russians seized the opportunity to say they wanted to do business there, asking the priest to conveniently bring them along to have a look at Blackwater City.

Very few people would deceive clergy, so the priest also did not suspect it was a scheme; between the six of them there was a language barrier—the Russians could not speak English, the American could not speak Russian—but fortunately, having stayed in China for a long time, both sides could speak Chinese, so they communicated with each other in Chinese.

After listening to a few sentences, the "Partridge Whistle" heard that out of every ten sentences they spoke, three were about Blackwater City; that American priest did not know these people wanted to dig for cultural relics, and he related everything he had seen and heard in Blackwater City, great or small, without reservation, saying that there the pagoda was half-buried underground, inside were large batches of Buddha statues, each inlaid with gold and silver, exquisitely shaped, and some Buddha statues were carved from ivory and ancient jade, gorgeous and splendid; that kind of miraculous craftsmanship could hardly be made except by the hands of God himself.

The five Russians listened, drooling, pulled out vodka and took two gulps, wishing they could sprout wings and instantly fly to Blackwater City, to dig up those precious cultural relics with their own hands, exchange them for large batches of opium, women, firearms and ammunition, and still more vodka.

The "Partridge Whistle" listened and coldly snorted in his heart; the "Partridge Whistle" had also once gone to Blackwater City seeking the Great Buddha Temple that Reaches Heaven, so he was quite familiar with the Blackwater City ruins; actually these big-nosed fellows did not know that as early as the nineteenth century, Europe had once experienced a craze for exploring China, and the cultural relics of Blackwater City had mostly been looted clean at that time; now only some mud sculptures and tile ends remain in the city ruins, and moreover most of them are badly damaged; that American priest again did not understand artifact appraisal, seeing some colored clay figurines, he blithely claimed they were made of ivory and ancient jade, and these Russians actually believed it to be true.

But upon second thought, that was wrong—to regard mud and stone figurines as gold-and-jade-inlaid treasures, what kind of eyesight would that require? Even if the American priest had no discernment, it was impossible for him to miss such a large discrepancy; could it be that the American priest, by sheer accident, had actually found the Great Buddha Temple that Reaches Heaven? Listening to the American priest's words, there really were a few points that sounded like a temple buried underground.

The "Partridge Whistle" thought to this point, suddenly felt something was amiss, wanted to continue eavesdropping on their talk, when suddenly the ship shuddered, the huge ferry in the river lurched sideways, the over one hundred passengers aboard were all unable to stand firm, as the ship lurched east and west, for a time the cries of wailing fathers and mothers in pain rose in a chorus.

The "Partridge Whistle" worried about Elder Liao Chen, not minding those foreigners, in the tumultuous crowd he quickened his steps and rushed to Elder Liao Chen's side; Elder Liao Chen said to the "Partridge Whistle": "Not good, afraid we have encountered something in the water."

At this moment the previously calm river water, as if a pot had suddenly been opened, began to boil and surge; the ship spun in the middle of the river; the boatmen and passengers aboard were all in chaos; the boat captain, as if performing a magic trick, took out a pig's head and threw it into the river, then set out a plate of roasted chicken, lit several incense sticks, knelt on the deck, and kowtowed repeatedly toward the river.

But the boat captain's actions had no effect; the ship just lay sideways in the river spinning, no matter what it would not move; the boat captain suddenly had a brainwave, had the passengers on board kneel down, while kowtowing he said: "Elders, ladies and gentlemen, aunts and elder sisters, did someone say something taboo for boatmen? The Dragon King this time really took it to heart; if we do not appease the Dragon King, none of us will survive… just who said what? Don't drag everyone down to die together, okay? I am kowtowing for you." Having said that, on the deck he kowtowed until his head made a dong-dong mountain-shaking sound.

Seeing the river water all around the ship rise up into huge walls, everyone was startled, their faces changing color; even if someone on the ship had said something unspeakable, at this moment there was nowhere to go to find out.

Just as everyone was at a loss, a merchant pointed at a woman holding a child and shouted: "It's her……it's her……it's her who said it, I heard it."

The "Partridge Whistle" and Elder Liao Chen also followed the crowd's gaze; only to see that merchant grab a woman holding this three- or four-year-old child and say: "Her child keeps crying nonstop, this woman was annoyed by the child's crying, and said if the child cries again she will throw the child into the river."

The merchant's saying this, several people nearby also chimed in confirming it was indeed so; sure enough, this woman's child had been wailing loudly since boarding the ship; the woman had soothed for half a day, but the more she soothed the louder the child cried; those around felt annoyed; the woman, when angry, would threaten the child: cry again and I'll throw you into the river to feed the fish.

After threatening, it still did no good; that child was still bawling and making a fuss; just then, the boat began to spin in the river, unable to move; that woman had never seen anything like this, where would she know these dangers; at this moment seeing everyone on the ship staring at her child in her arms, she too was frightened and sat on the deck bursting into tears.

The boat captain knelt before that woman: "Older sister, how dare you speak such words without rank on the ship? Now saying anything else is too late; your words have been heard by the Dragon King; the Dragon King awaits you throwing your child into the river; if you do not throw, then everyone on this boat will surely perish; you had better comply." Having said that, he moved to snatch the child held in the woman's arms.

That child was the woman's own flesh and blood; how could she bear to part with him? She cried while desperately clinging to the child, refusing to let go even at the cost of her life; but the boat captain was a sturdy boatman of many years; a woman could not overpower him; she could only seek help from the surrounding passengers.

The passengers on the ship all had faces like dead ash, each indifferent to this; everyone in their hearts knew like a clear mirror: if this child is not thrown into the river, nobody wants to live; still, one's own life is more important; although this child is pitiable, if blame must be assigned, it can only be on his mother; who let her spout nonsense on the ship? Truly self-inflicted; for a time everyone scattered, avoiding, nobody came forward to stop it.

Elder Liao Chen saw the boat captain about to throw the three- or four-year-old child into the river; his heart could not bear it, and he wanted to step forward together with the "Partridge Whistle" to stop it; at this moment someone rushed out from the crowd, intercepted the boat captain; the "Partridge Whistle" looked closely—the person intercepting the boat captain was originally that American priest.

The American priest held up the Bible and said: "Captain, in the name of God, I must stop you."

If anyone else had reached out to stop, they would have long been punched flat by the boat captain; but seeing it was a foreigner, the boat captain did not dare to lightly offend; however, the ship was spinning in the river and might capsize at any moment, so he glared at the American priest and said: "You mind your own business; if this child is not thrown into the river, the Dragon King will take us and the ship; by then even your little black book will not save your life."

The American priest was about to explain, when a red-nosed, short and stout Russian pulled him aside: "Father Thomas, don't meddle in other people's affairs; these ancient Eastern mysterious rules are very strange; let them do what they want; anyway it's just a Chinese child, otherwise this ship might really capsize."

The American priest angrily said: "Mr. Andrei, I truly cannot believe you would actually say such a thing; in God's eyes all people are equal; only the devil would consider throwing children into the river to feed fish as correct."

The boat captain took advantage of the American priest and the Russian called Andrei arguing without cease, kicked over the woman, and threw that child down beneath the ship; the woman screamed and fainted.

Elder Liao Chen was greatly startled, wanted to speak up to have the "Partridge Whistle" save the person, but it was already too late; although the "Partridge Whistle" did not want to meddle in others' affairs, when the matter came to a head, in the end he could not stand by and watch someone die without saving; before anyone else could see clearly what was happening, the "Partridge Whistle" had already taken out the Flying Tiger Claw and hurled it.

The Flying Tiger Claw is forged of refined steel; front like a tiger's claw, joints can be loose or tight; rear trailing a long rope, it can grasp things at a distance; the "Partridge Whistle" used the Flying Tiger Claw to seize the child fallen to mid-air, shook his hand and lifted him back up.

The people on the ship stared, mouths agape; the "Partridge Whistle" had just lifted the child, when those Russians aimed five black-hole revolvers in unison at the "Partridge Whistle's" head.

The river's waves grew more urgent; those on the ship were all spun until dizzy and blurred; it seemed the ship would capsize at any moment; those Russians, having long lived in China, all knew the boat captain's words were not empty; if they did not throw the child into the river to feed the turtles, the ship would not budge; at this moment seeing the "Partridge Whistle" pull back up the child already thrown down, they could not help but draw their guns, wanting to settle this meddlesome fellow.

The five Russians were just about to fire when suddenly a burst of machine-gun fire came; everyone startled, shrank their necks, looked around, wondering who had fired.

The "Partridge Whistle" used ventriloquism to divert their attention, threw the child behind toward Elder Liao Chen, simultaneously drew from his clothing two German mirror-boxes, rubbed the firing pin on his thigh, "bang-bang-bang-bang-bang" bullets swept past like a whirlwind; the five Russians were all hit, fell in pools of blood.

Those on the ship all stared dumbfounded, faces like ash; in an instant five people were killed, speed fast, gunplay accurate, also acceptable; that aura of killing, killing so many without even blinking an eye, truly like a rakshasa evil spirit; the "Partridge Whistle" did not care how others viewed him, he personally dragged the bodies of those five Russians and threw them all into the river.

Is there not such a saying: ghosts and gods fear evil men; when the five Russians' corpses fell into the river, that boat actually stopped spinning and could move again; the river water that had been boiling like a pot also gradually calmed down; the "Partridge Whistle" had the boat captain immediately*moor at the north bank.

The boat captain, still shaken, dared not disobey; leading the boatmen, he moored in the calm stretch of the river, lowered the gangway.

Elder Liao Chen had already exchanged the child for that woman, warned her not to speak nonsense again, otherwise next time she would not be so lucky; the "Partridge Whistle" knew that having killed five people in front of everyone's eyes, this matter was major, not trivial; he must leave the main road, hurry to sparsely populated areas; when disembarking, he also brought down that American priest, just in case they ran into soldiers or police, this American could serve as a hostage; moreover, the American priest and those five Russians were accomplices; the five Russians having been thrown into the Yellow River to destroy corpses and erase traces, the authorities would not find their accomplices, nor could they easily initiate an investigation.

The "Partridge Whistle" together with Elder Liao Chen, coercing the American priest, fled in haste; fortunately this place was already not far from Helan Mountain; traveling by land three or four days would get them there; moreover the land is vast and people sparse, not easy to run into anyone.

The American priest Thomas initially thought he had been kidnapped by two murderers, ceaselessly expounding to them God's mercy, urging them to turn from evil to good, especially that old monk, who looked kind-browed and good-eyed; who would have thought at such an advanced age he would still be engaged in kidnapping for ransom; better to convert to God, believe in God and gain eternal life.

After walking three full days, Thomas discovered these two fellows were not like kidnappers of himself; they kept going north, as if hurrying to some place; motive unclear, so he spoke up, asking where they were bringing him to.

The "Partridge Whistle" told the American priest Thomas: "You were deceived by those Russians; just look at the large batch of tools they carried—you know they intended to go to Blackwater City to loot cultural relics; they heard you had once been to Blackwater City and seen its treasures, so they wanted you to guide them; upon reaching the destination, they would surely kill you to silence you; I am saving you, you can rest easy; I am not wantonly slaughtering innocents; when we reach Blackwater City and accomplish one matter, then I will let you go; for now I cannot let you go, to prevent leaking the news."

The American priest said to the "Partridge Whistle": "Quick-draw sir, your draw speed is as fast as lightning, truly superbly suave; I also noticed those Russians were somewhat off; they said they were going to open mines and do business, but actually they wanted to dig up China's cultural relics; however, God has already punished them now."

The "Partridge Whistle" asked that American priest to have him repeat in full what he saw of the temple ruins in Blackwater City.

The American priest Thomas countered: "How? Do you also want to dig up cultural relics?"

The "Partridge Whistle" felt not too averse toward this priest; thus he said: "I need to find an important item; it concerns the life and death of many in my clan; these matters are highly confidential, so I cannot say more to you."

The American priest said: "OK, I believe your words; a few years ago I went to the Blackwater City ruins; while walking nearby, I stepped into quicksand; at the time I thought I had been called by the Lord to go see God; I did not expect to fall into a Buddhist hall; inside were many precious, vividly colored Buddha statues; because I had to rush to preach, I did not linger but climbed out and left; now if I return, I also cannot find it; however, that place is not far from the Blackwater City ruins, about six or seven kilometers away."

The American priest's words confirmed the "Partridge Whistle's" intelligence was accurate; moreover it appears the Great Buddha Temple that Reaches Heaven in Blackwater City is not buried too deep; as long as the location is found, it is quite easy to dig a looters' tunnel in.

Legend says the Great Buddha Temple that Reaches Heaven in Blackwater City enshrines a great reclining Buddha; beneath it a tomb chamber was built, prepared for burying people; later it was used to secretly store the strange treasures of the Western Xia court; the "Partridge Whistle's" target this time lies there.

The Blackwater City ruins are not hard to find; on the ground there are obvious remnants of broken architecture; one Buddhist tower after another silently records the former splendor and grandeur of this place; the "Partridge Whistle" together with Elder Liao Chen and the American priest Thomas arrived at Blackwater City when it was nearly dusk; in the distance the gray outline of Helan Mountain was faintly discernible.

The Blackwater City ruins standing in the dim twilight appeared deathly silent, as if the Death God had strangled every breath of life here; the desolate and silent atmosphere made it impossible to imagine this place had once been a major stronghold of the Western Xia.

Elder Liao Chen is a monk; the "Partridge Whistle" had long been posing as a Daoist practitioner; the American Thomas is a priest; this one monk, one Daoist, plus one priest, going to seek the Western Xia treasure cavern near Blackwater City, even they themselves felt this was indeed a strange combination.

Near Blackwater City, the three people silently waited for the cold moonlight to fall upon the earth; here is the northwestern plateau; the air is thin; the stars in heaven twinkle; their number and brightness are many times greater than on the plains.

Elder Liao Chen raised his head to observe the stars, took out a compass, divided gold and determined the grave; in the sky the Giant Gate, Greedy Wolf, and Lustrum Sickle three stars—disaster cavities—were all properly unbroken; the assisting star proper cavity was true, auspiciousness bearing nobility; only lacking the entwining protection; the terrestrial cavity symbol was the Azure Skimmer Touching Water cavity; in a moment the direction was already found.

Elder Liao Chen finished measuring the direction, then led the "Partridge Whistle" and the American priest by the water-like moonlight to that spot, pointing to a place on the ground and saying: "The Great Hero Hall of the Great Buddha Temple that Reaches Heaven is right here. However……it seems a one-eyed dragon is buried here."