Chapter 3: Wuzhuang Shrine—Betrayal and Spirit Hypocrisy

I notice something off with Yusuf for Wuzhuang Shrine.

The shrine get quiet beauty, but tension dey hide under. Something dey shift for spirit.

Of course, Wuzhuang Shrine self dey strange—shrine full of small girls, all look innocent, but many dey pregnant. I ask Father Tunde how dem take get belle. He say, God abeg, ask Yusuf.

Na so I turn, eyes dey shine, dey wait answer.

I turn to Yusuf.

E no move, e just dey look sky, like say e dey avoid wahala.

Yusuf say, relax, wait two days you go see.

His calm dey suspicious. I dey watch am.

True, after two, three days, plenty old friends from Heaven come down—Star Lord of Fate, Giant Spirit Elder—dey gist with Zhen Uzo, all enter backyard, each carry some small girls follow body.

The way dem dey bounce, na like elders for new yam festival. But I dey suspect something deep dey happen.

My brow raise. "No be say spirits and mortals no suppose fall in love? Wetin dem dey do?"

For tradition, some love na abomination. The way dem dey waka, e get as e be.

Yusuf say, "No be love, just dey play. E no bad. But if, like my mama, dem settle for mortal world, cross boundary between spirit and mortal, na capital offense."

Na technicality dey save some people, but true love dey get highest punishment. E funny, e sad.

I say, "Chai, you dey look this?"

Spirit world dey claim holy, but na here small pikin dey suffer pass—dem dey use belle buy power.

Monkey no talk, but him hand for staff don white, veins dey show.

Even Monkey blood dey boil, but e dey hold am. The anger dey silent, but deadly.

I say, "Wetin we dey wait for? Kill all of them. Kill all."

I no fit bear am again. For this one, e be like say justice no dey.

That day I swing Universe Ring, break backyard wall, dust full everywhere, Odu Ribbon shine rosy light, freeze all the spirits for the house.

I dey craze, dust dey rise, ribbon dey freeze, the spirits shock, small girls dey cry. Everybody fear.

But before I fit stab with spear, one familiar, annoying voice come from outside.

The voice thunder, scatter everywhere. I just hiss—na who else?

"Demon, stop!"

Chief Musa, always dey do oga. Voice big, power full, but respect no dey.

Big, full of noise, like say he dey shout Dawei Tianlong—Chief Musa, with him pagoda.

Pagoda dey shine, Chief Musa dey pose. I dey vex.

So that day I no kill anybody, but those spirits no fit do any bad thing either. Only Zhen Uzo come out smile, say sorry for disturbing, these fresh ginseng fruits—like agbalumo wey dey carry spirit power, but the pain inside pass any sweet—na compensation.

Zhen Uzo get smile wey no dey reach him eye. E dey talk peace, but e eye dey show pride.

Zhen Uzo make ginseng fruit before me—cut open small girl belle, bring out unborn pikin, child of spirit and mortal, from there extract special aura.

The process cold, the pain real. Spirit na spirit, but pikin na pikin.

Use ginseng fruit tree power, e turn to treasure for long life and more magic.

For spirit world, life dey cheap. Everybody dey hustle for power.

So na this be ginseng fruit.

The truth bitter, the taste sour. E dey show how spirit world dey cruel.

Star Lord of Fate and Giant Spirit Elder carry fruit, smile, look me. I dey ground, dirty, rough. Their smile full of insult and pride. Dem say, demon na demon, dey craze because of some low life, lock am five hundred years, still no get sense. Chief Musa, na wetin you born be this?

The insult dey pain, but I dey hold my ground. Dem dey act like say their sin na holy, my pain na madness.

Pagoda press me, my eye wan burst, I look Sun Wukong. "Monkey, go up. If you no kill these bastard spirits, how you wan be Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

My voice crack, but my will no shake. Monkey eye dey shine. E dey fight internal battle.

Monkey hand loose, grip again, the golden hoop for head dey bite into skull.

The pain dey visible. The hoop dey press, e dey remind am of every lost hope.

I look Yusuf. "No be you be God of Justice? Do something!"

My plea dey sharp, but Yusuf voice cold, far.

Yusuf voice far, like say e dey Ninth Heaven. "I no fit. Ginseng fruit no break heaven rule."

For law, for politics, na always loophole. Justice dey sleep, pain dey multiply.

Chief Musa land slow near Yusuf, still dey smile. "Demon, you think say everybody stubborn like you? Na Yusuf report your rebellious mind to Heaven, so I fit reach on time. This journey to the West na to share prophet merit, to train you and Monkey. Yusuf noble, just come watch you. At the end, you spirits go submit to the prophets, but True Lord go return to Heaven above all but one."

His words be like cold chain. E dey boast, e dey warn, e dey try show say power still dey his hand.

I turn sharp, shock, dey look Yusuf.

My heart break small. Betrayal na wound wey no dey heal.

Yusuf nod. "Heaven rule correct. If not, my mama die for nothing."

The words cold, but e pain deep. For justice, even friends dey turn enemy.

I vex. I know say I no fit move, but I still wan slap that fine face of Yusuf.

My hand dey shake, my eye red. I dey fight spirit battle for body.

Wind blow my right hand—I suddenly see say I fit move.

The wind na sign, the spirits dey gree say enough be enough.

My hand fit lift.

Freedom sweet. For the first time in years, I fit move.

I look up. Chief Musa hand empty—the pagoda wey suppose dey there dey Father Tunde hand now.

Everybody shock. Pastor move like breeze, pagoda for hand.

Chief Musa: "..."

Musa mouth wide, e hand dey shake. All his power don disappear.

After all these years, Sacred Pagoda dey shine holy light, for Heaven nobody fit even touch am—he no ever expect say person fit just collect am, talk less of pastor wey just appear by side, no trace.

For this life, true miracle dey happen when nobody dey look.

Chief Musa forehead full of sweat. "Holy Pastor, Holy Pastor, abeg give me the pagoda."

The sweat dey drip, his pride dey collapse. He beg like debtor for shrine.

Father Tunde hold pagoda, turn am look. As Chief Musa reach, he jump back, smile. "I no dey give you."

The smile dey wicked, like say e get plan for mind. Everybody dey watch, tension dey cut air.

Then the smile fade, still dey look Chief Musa, but I know say na me he dey talk to.

E dey pass message. Sometimes, the war no be with weapon, but with eye.

Father Tunde talk calm, "No be you talk say you wan kill all of them? Wetin you still dey wait?"

The challenge clear. For this world, action na the only answer.

I jump up, the insult smile of Star Lord of Fate and Giant Spirit Elder never fade, Fire-tipped Spear—

My body dey hot, spear dey burn, my spirit dey shout. For this world, enough na enough. Today, justice must talk—no prophet, no king, no god fit stop am. Na today wahala go really start.