Brighter Than Nine – June CL Tan

Black-and- white-marbled walls curved up at an angle, meeting at the peak. The alternating colors reminded Rui of a pack of playing cards, giving the illusion that an invisible pair of giant hands was shuffling the deck above her. Shades of black and white and silver covered every inch of the place. Even the Reapers were dressed in pristine white suits. They milled around the armchairs arranged in two huge circles on either side of the central walkway.

Some Reapers were seated, while others gathered in small groups of three or four, talking among themselves. Lyn and Raymond didn’t sense her yangqi, but the Reapers might if she wasn’t careful. So far, no one was paying attention to the inconsequential attendant moving quietly down the hall. Keeping her head lowered, she walked on.

Shimmering silver swirls veined the dark floor, and at the very far end, a huge upright marble slab stood behind the opulent throne. The marble glowed, reminding Rui of a dark sky and twinkling stars. A figure stood on the elevated platform with his back to her, and a celestial wash of jewels adorned the long black cloak hanging grandly over his shoulders.

The Fourth King. He was deep in conversation with a Reaper. Rui was too far away to tell if he was exhibiting any Zizi-like behavior. She had to get closer. She could feel the Fourth King’s spiritual presence permeating the air, growing thicker as she approached the throne. Yet it didn’t feel the same as what Ten had unleashed on her before. This power felt a little more ancient, and a lot more fearsome.

The Zizi she knew wasn’t capable of this. Back then, Rui had been able to hold her own against Ten, but she was struggling against this mysterious Fourth King. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her legs felt like jelly.

Please note that while this work of fantasy draws inspiration from a real- life cultural park, Haw Par Villa, and the author’s experiences with folk religion as a member of the Chinese diaspora community in Southeast Asia, this book should not be taken as an authoritative or singular source on any religion or culture. Nor should it be used as an educational reference for the mythology of gods and the underworld; the metaphysics of yin and yang, and qi; historical or modern Taoist and Buddhist practices; or Chinese spirituality in general.

“Hell” and “the underworld” are used interchangeably in this book as equivalents of “dìyù” (earth prison), which is the traditional name for the realm of the dead in Chinese mythology and folk religion. Please also be aware that this book contains themes and/or mentions of death, parental death (flashbacks), suicide, child abuse, and fantasy violence. 1kitap1.com/en Nine Four One Three Hell was a never-ending night. There was light in the Ten Courts, of course, but it was cold and lacking a certain something.

Some might say that something was life. In Youdu, the capital of the underworld, that light had a scarlet hue— radiance from the red moon that hung in the black sky. The moon loomed over the ancient palace of the Elder Gods like an enormous all-seeing eye, illuminating the double-eaved roofs of the tallest pagodas, the numerous temples scattered across the land, and the houses of the common folk alike, bathing the city in blood and shadow. And in the taverns and teahouses, the alleyways and palace corridors, the whispers only grew louder.

“Did you hear? The Nothing appeared in a town in the Eighth Court last week—” “Such a tragedy, those poor souls . . .” “Why is the Nothing still attacking us? Hasn’t the Fourth King returned?” “He has, but I have it on good authority that he’s imprisoned in the dungeons right here in the capital.”

“But he’s a King! How could they—” “It seems he has become a mortal boy . . .” The gasps were audible. “How can a mortal be King?” “Some say Four’s soul is trapped inside the boy, unable to take control. Others say he and the boy are one and the same, but he has forgotten who he truly is.” “Can’t the Elder Gods do something about this? It is their duty—” “Pfft! The Elder Gods are sequestered in the palace, playing mahjong and whatnot.

They have been anointed by the Divine, safe from the terrors common souls face. Why would they care about us?

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 81209e88ac0303a4
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 5,521,929 bytes (5.266 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 381
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 585.38 minutes
• Total Words: 117,075
• Total Characters: 654,713
• Average Words per Page: 307.28
• Average Characters per Page: 1718.41

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