The Pacification of Ghosts - Chapter Five: Tang Zhong Kui Burns Down the Temple of Non-Cultivation

Following leads from the Petty Ghost's interrogation, Zhong Kui arrived at a remote temple called Bu Xiu Guan (不修观 - The Temple of Non-Cultivation). Despite its name suggesting abandonment of spiritual practice, it was surprisingly prosperous, with constant streams of visitors.

"Something's wrong here," Fu Qu observed. "This temple preaches against cultivation and virtue, yet people flock to it. That's completely backward."

Han Yuan had been investigating. "The monks here tell people that spiritual cultivation is pointless, that they should embrace their base desires instead. They're selling indulgences—literally purchasing forgiveness for future sins."

The temple's head monk, calling himself "Master Liberated," preached a twisted philosophy: "Why struggle against your nature? The gods made you flawed, so your flaws must be divine! Sin freely, then pay us to cleanse your karma. It's much easier than actually improving yourself."

Zhong Kui's divine sight revealed the truth—the temple was infested with lazy ghosts and spiritual parasites that fed on moral degradation. Every "indulgence" sold actually deepened the buyer's spiritual corruption.

"This isn't Buddhism or Daoism," Zhong Kui declared. "This is spiritual poison disguised as convenience."

For this mission, Zhong Kui adopted a disguise, presenting himself as "Tang Zhong Kui," a wealthy merchant seeking to purchase absolution for a lifetime of sins. This would allow him to investigate the temple from within.

"Master Tang!" the false monks greeted him eagerly. "Your reputation for... flexible morality precedes you. How much absolution do you wish to purchase?"

Playing his role, Zhong Kui replied, "I want to buy permission for future sins. I plan to cheat, lie, and steal for the next ten years. What's your price?"

The monks' eyes gleamed with greed. "For such comprehensive coverage, we'll need a substantial donation. But think of the freedom! No guilt, no consequences, just pure indulgence!"

As "Tang Zhong Kui" toured the temple, he discovered horrifying practices:

• A hall where people paid to have their consciences "lightened" (actually damaged)
• A chamber where ghostly parasites were attached to visitors, disguised as "blessing ceremonies"
• A vault filled with spiritual energy stolen from sincere worshippers at legitimate temples

The worst discovery was in the basement—rows of people in meditation poses, but they weren't meditating. Their souls were being slowly drained to power the temple's false miracles.

"They came seeking easy enlightenment," Master Liberated explained proudly. "We gave them permanent peace—by removing their troublesome souls!"

Zhong Kui dropped his disguise, revealing his true divine nature. "This temple is an abomination! You don't free people from suffering—you profit from increasing it!"

Master Liberated laughed, transforming into his true form—a massive Sloth Demon that had been posing as a human. "Why struggle, Judge Zhong? Join us in the ease of non-cultivation. Why work hard when you can simply... not?"

The demon's power was insidious. Rather than attacking, it projected waves of lethargy, making everyone want to simply give up, lie down, and stop trying.

Zhong Kui realized conventional combat wouldn't work—fighting the Sloth Demon directly would exhaust him while it fed on his efforts. Instead, he needed to destroy the source of its power: the temple itself.

"Fire!" Zhong Kui commanded. "The only way to cleanse this corruption is to burn it all—the false doctrines, the stolen energy, the very stones that have absorbed these lies!"

But this wasn't ordinary fire. Zhong Kui summoned the Fire of Diligence—flames that burned hotter the more they were opposed, fed by effort rather than fuel.

The Sloth Demon tried to extinguish the flames with waves of apathy, but this only made them burn fiercer. The false monks attempted to flee but found themselves confronting their victims' ghosts—all those whose spiritual energy had been stolen.

"You sold us shortcuts to enlightenment," the ghosts accused, "but delivered only emptiness!"

Master Liberated made one last attempt: "Judge Zhong! Think of the people who need easy answers! Not everyone can be virtuous! Isn't some spiritual comfort better than none?"

"False comfort is worse than honest struggle," Zhong Kui replied. "You don't ease suffering—you make it permanent by removing the possibility of growth."

As the Temple of Non-Cultivation burned, something unexpected happened. The stolen spiritual energy didn't dissipate—it formed into a massive pearl of condensed virtue.

"This belongs to its original owners," Zhong Kui declared. The pearl shattered into thousands of lights, each returning to the person or temple from which it had been stolen.

The Sloth Demon, deprived of its power source, shriveled into a small, pathetic creature. "Without the temple, I'm nothing! I'll reform! I'll work hard! Just don't destroy me!"

"Your promises are as lazy as your nature," Zhong Kui observed. "But destruction would be too easy. You'll serve one thousand years doing what you hate most—hard labor helping rebuild the legitimate temples you helped corrupt."

As the false temple burned to ash, its victims began to recover. Those who had purchased indulgences felt the weight of their actual sins return—painful but necessary for genuine redemption.

One recovered victim asked, "Lord Zhong Kui, how do we prevent such deception in the future?"

"Remember," Zhong Kui taught, "true spiritual growth requires effort. Anyone offering enlightenment without cultivation, virtue without practice, or absolution without genuine repentance is selling lies. The path to virtue has no shortcuts."

Continue reading: Chapter Six: The Short-Life Ghost Captured at Mother-Child Mountain